Abstract:
Babesia species infect a very wide range of mammal hosts across the globe, and zoonotic
infections are of growing concern. Several species of the Babesia genus infect dogs, and some of
these cause significant morbidity and mortality. The Apicomplexan parasite resides within the red
cell and infections result in direct damage to the host through intra- and extravascular hemolysis.
An exuberant inflammatory response by the host to some species of Babesia parasites also results in
significant collateral damage to the host. Canine infections have been the subject of many studies as
the well-being of these companion animals is increasingly threatened by the spread of tick vectors
and an increasingly mobile dog population. There are currently no widely available and effective
vaccines, and effective treatment can be challenging. Understanding disease pathogenesis underlies
the development of new treatments. The varying pathogenicity of the various Babesia parasite species
that infect dogs offers an opportunity to explore the molecular basis for the wide range of diseases
caused by infection with this parasite genus. In this review, we focus on what has been reported about
the clinical presentation of Babesia-infected dogs in an attempt to compare the severity of disease
caused by different Babesia species.
