Ocurrencia de Babesia spp. en perros sin dueño de La Habana, Cuba

Dogs can be affected by several species of the genus Babesia causing important diseases in different regions of the world. Among these species are Babesia canis, B. vogeli, B. rossi, B. gibsoni, and B. vulves. The aim of this study was to detect the presence of Babesia spp. in stray dogs from Havana province. Sixty dogs were studied and subjected to haematological examination, blood smear and PCR, which amplified 18S rRNA. Three animals (5 %) showed hematocrit values higher than reference values while 23 (38.3 %) showed lower hematocrit values, indicating the presence of an anemic syndrome in those dogs. According to the leukogram analysis, five dogs (8.3 %) had leukocytosis and 7 (11.6 %) had leukopenia. Thirty-one animals were infested with Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato ticks and 10 were co-infested with Rhipicepahalus microplus ticks. Twenty percent of the samples tested positive by PCR, while microscopic examination revealed Babesia spp. merozoites in only 13.3 % of the samples. A relationship was observed between PCR-positive animals and the decrease in hematocrit value. There was no association between the presence of ticks and sex in animals positive to Babesia spp. The present study demonstrates the presence of Babesia spp. in stray dogs from Havana province.