Premium
Phylogenetic and Biologic Evidence That Babesia divergens Is Not Endemic in the United States
Author(s) -
HOLMAN PATRICIA J.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
annals of the new york academy of sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.712
H-Index - 248
eISSN - 1749-6632
pISSN - 0077-8923
DOI - 10.1196/annals.1373.077
Subject(s) - infectivity , biology , parasite hosting , phylogenetic tree , ribosomal rna , virology , in vitro , babesia , zoology , genetics , virus , gene , world wide web , computer science
The causative agent of human babesiosis in a Kentucky case, which was first identified asBabesia divergens, is identical to a parasite of eastern cottontail rabbits on Nantucket Island, Massachusetts based on piroplasm size, morphology, and ribosomal RNA sequence analysis. Studies showing differential infectivity for cattle, host erythrocyte specificityin vitro, parasite size and morphologyin vitro, and ribosomal RNA sequences clearly demonstrate that the parasite from the rabbit (conspecific with the human Kentucky agent) is not the same organism as B. divergens .