Babesiosis due to the canine Babesia microti-like small piroplasm in dogs - First report from Portugal and possible vertical transmission

Background: canine babesiosis (or piroplasmosis) is endemic in northern portugal,but molecularly confirmed cases of infection with small piroplasms have not been reported in the country. three german shepherd dogs - a bitch and its 2-month old pup and an unrelated male - clinically suspected of piroplasmosis were assessed for babesial infection. results: parasitemia with small piroplasms was detected by microscopy in two dogs. all three dogs were positive by pcr and the babesia microti-like small piroplasm (syn. theileria annae) was identified by dna sequencing. these are the first confirmed cases of babesiosis caused by the b. microti-like piroplasm both in dogs from portugal and in dogs suspected of clinical piroplasmosis outside of spain. conclusions: although the bitch and the male had visited neighboring galicia (northwestern spain),where the disease is endemic,incursion of this piroplasm into northern portugal is evident and infection of the non-traveled pup was due to either vertical transmission or autochthonous tick infection. © 2011 simes et al; licensee biomed central ltd.