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Babesiosis is a protozoan tick-borne infection associated with anemia and life-threatening disease in humans, domestic and wildlife animals. Dogs are infected by at least six well-characterized  Babesia  spp. that cause clinical disease. Infection with a piroplasmid species was detected by light microscopy of stained blood smears from five sick dogs from Israel and prompted an investigation on the parasite’s identity.    Methods  Genetic characterization of the piroplasmid was performed by PCR amplification of the  18S  rRNA and the cytochrome  c  oxidase subunit 1 ( cox 1) genes, DNA sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. Four of the dogs were co-infected with  Borrelia persica  (Dschunkowsky, 1913), a relapsing fever spirochete transmitted by the argasid tick  Ornithodoros tholozani  Laboulbène & Mégnin. Co-infection of dogs with  B. persica  raised the possibility of transmission by  O. tholozani  and therefore, a piroplasmid PCR survey of ticks from this species was performed.    Results  The infected dogs presented with fever (4/5), anemia, thrombocytopenia (4/5) and icterus (3/5). Comparison of the  18S  rRNA and  cox 1 piroplasmid gene sequences revealed 99–100% identity between sequences amplified from different dogs and ticks. Phylogenetic trees demonstrated a previously undescribed species of  Babesia  belonging to the western group of  Babesia  ( sensu lato ) and closely related to the human pathogen  Babesia duncani  Conrad, Kjemtrup, Carreno, Thomford, Wainwright, Eberhard, Quick, Telfrom & Herwalt, 2006 while more moderately related to  Babesia conradae  Kjemtrup, Wainwright, Miller, Penzhorn & Carreno, 2006 which infects dogs. The piroplasm forms detected included tetrads (Maltese cross), merozoite and trophozoite stages whose average size was larger than stages of other canine  Babesia  spp. belonging to the  Babesia  ( s.l .) and  B. gibsoni  Patton, 1910, and smaller than other canine  Babesia  ( sensu stricto ) spp. Of 212  O. tholozani  ticks surveyed, 11 (5.2%) harbored DNA of the new species of  Babesia .    Conclusions   Babesia negevi  n. sp. is described based on morphological and genetic characterization and phylogenetic analyses. The species is named after the Negev desert of southern Israel, where the first infected dog originated from. Despite co-infection in four dogs, the fifth dog had fatal disease attesting that  B. negevi  n. sp. infection requires clinical attention. Incriminating  O. tholozani  or another tick species as the vector of  Babesia negevi  n. sp., would require additional studies.

A new piroplasmid species infecting dogs: morphological and molecular characterization and pathogeny of Babesia negevi n. sp.