Epidemiological study on canine babesiosis

Abstract

Canine babesiosis is a significant tick-borne hemoprotozoan disease of dogs, caused mainly by Babesia canis and B. gibsoni. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the epidemiological occurrence of canine babesiosis in dogs presented to the Department of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinary College, Hebbal, Bangalore. Out of 40 suspected cases, 24 were confirmed positive by PCR and analyzed for epidemiological factors. Breed-wise, Labrador Retrievers recorded the highest occurrence (16.6%), followed by German Shepherds, Shih Tzus, Golden Retrievers, and Siberian Huskies. Age-wise, young adults showed the higher occurrence (54.16%), while gender-wise, males were more affected (58.33%) than females. Grey-coated dogs (29.16%) exhibited higher occurrence compared to other coat types. Routine vaccination (70.83%) and regular deworming (75.0%) did not offer protection against babesiosis, indicating the need for targeted preventive measures. The findings highlight that breed, age, gender and coat type play a significant role in the epidemiology of the disease, while control strategies should focus on tick management and development of specific vaccines.