First detection and molecular identification of Babesia gibsoni in two dogs from the Aydin Province of Turkey

Small (1-3 mu m in diameter, ring, oval, or comma shaped) piroplasms suggestive of Babesia spp. were observed upon microscopic examination of Giemsa-stained peripheral blood smears from a 3.5-year-old American Pit Bull Terrier with clinical signs of pyrexia, weakness, mucous membrane pallor, and depression living in Aydin, Turkey, in February, 2009. To confirm the presence and to identify the species of Babesia spp., a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique was performed using primers amplifying a 670 bp fragment of the 18S rRNA gene of Babesia gibsoni and the PCR products were analyzed by sequencing. The nucleotide sequence was compared to the sequences available in GenBank using the nucleotide Basic Local Alignment Search Tool program. The results indicated a 99% similarity with sequences of Babesia gibsoni. A 2-year-old American Staffordshire Terrier with no signs of any diseases was also confirmed to be infected with B. gibsoni using the same methods. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report demonstrating the presence of B. gibsoni in Aydin, Turkey.