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Background   Babesia  spp. and  Hepatozoon  spp. are apicomplexan parasites that infect a variety of animals, including canids. Their life-cycle includes an invertebrate hematophagous vector as a definitive host and vertebrates as intermediate hosts. The aims of this study were to investigate the prevalence and risk factors for  Babesia  spp. and  Hepatozoon  spp. infections in wild golden jackals ( Canis aureus ) and red foxes ( Vulpes vulpes ) in Israel and to compare spleen with blood sample polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the detection of infection.    Results  Blood and spleen samples from 109 golden jackals and 21 red foxes were tested by PCR for the detection of  Babesia  spp. and  Hepatozoon  spp. using primers for the  18S  ribosomal (r) RNA gene.  Hepatozoon canis  was detected in 50/109 (46%) of the jackals and 9/21 (43%) of the foxes. “Babesia vulpes” (the  Babesia microti -like piroplasm) was detected in 4/21 (19%) of the foxes and in none of the jackals. A previously unknown genotype termed  Babesia  sp. MML related to  Babesia lengau  (96–97% identity) was detected in 1/109 (1%) of the jackals and 4/21 (19%) of the foxes. Further characterization of this genotype carried out by PCR of the rRNA internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) indicated that it had only 87% identity with the  B. lengau  ITS2. Sex (male or female), age (juvenile or adult) and geographic zone (North, Central or South Israel) were not found to be significant risk factors for these protozoan infections. The prevalence of “B. vulpes” and  Babesia  sp. MML infections was significantly higher in foxes compared to jackals ( χ  2  = 15.65,  df  = 1,  P  < 0.005), while there was no statistically significant difference in the rate of  H. canis  infection between these two canid species. A fair agreement beyond chance between identification in the blood and spleen of  H. canis  was found in 21 animals from which both blood and spleen samples were available (k = 0.33).    Conclusions  This study describes a high prevalence of  H. canis  infection in foxes and jackals and is the first report of “B. vulpes” infection in Israel, an area where  Ixodes  spp. are rare. It describes infection with a previously unknown genotype of  Babesia  related to  B. lengau  from Africa.

A survey of Babesia spp. and Hepatozoon spp. in wild canids in Israel