Instability of ovine babesiosis in an endemic area in Turkey

This study was designed to determine the endemic status of Babesia ovis in sheep in Turkey. A total of 2000 sheep, from different age groups (i.e. 0-3, 4-6, 6-9, 10-12, and >12 months), were selected randomly from 132 sheep flocks. The presence of specific antibodies against B. ovis was diagnosed by indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT). A total of 843 (42.15%) serum samples were determined to be positive. The seropositivity rates in the age groups stated above were 31.90, 31.64, 47.69, 40.22, and 52.99%, respectively. The endemic status of the disease was determined by calculating the inoculation rate (h) of each group. The h value for each group was determined to be lower than 0.005, which revealed that the endemic status of B. ovis was instable. This report may indicate the necessity of vaccination. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.