Detection of Babesia caballi (Nuttall, 1901) and Babesia equi (Laveran, 1901) in Horses by Microscopic Examination in Military Farm in Gemlik

Authors: Abdullah İNCİ

Abstract: This study was caried out in military farm in Gemlik. A total of 133 horses were examined microscopically between March and September 1995. Peripher blood smears were prepared from the tail of the each horse. At the same time ticks were collected from the horses and the field. The blood smears were stained with 5% Giemsa solution and they were examined under microscope with oil objective. Babesia caballi and B. equi were detected in 16 (12%) and 8 (6%) out of the 133 horses examined respectively. B. caballi and B. equi were also found in 6 (4.5%) of the horses. None of the infected animals showed clinical reactions of babesiosis. The ticks were identified as Hyalomma marginatum and Rhipicephalus turanicus.

Keywords: Babesia caballi, Babesia equi, hourse