Research Projects

Bovine babesiosis is a tick-borne haemoprotozoan disease caused by several distinct Babesia species, primarily observed in adult cattle. The disease imposes a significant burden on the global livestock sector with underestimated economic losses. In India, the two important species of the parasite causing bovine babesiosis are B. bigemina and B. bovis, with the latter generally being more pathogenic than the former. Clinically, the disease is characterized by anemia, fever, and hemoglobinuria with eventual fatality. Crossbred cattle have a higher rate of susceptibility than zebu and buffaloes, which mainly act as carriers of infection without exhibiting clinical signs. Babesia bovis is notorious for being highly pathogenic, causing significant economic loss to the livestock industry. It has been reported from various countries, including India, in recent past. Accurate identification and differentiation of various Babesia species is of immense importance for understanding the parasite epidemiology and systematics. However, species level diagnosis is difficult due to microscopic examination of stained peripheral blood smears and the possibility of mixed infection in a single animal. The present study proposes three objectives: 1) Molecular detection of Babesia bovis infecting cattle in Haryana using Polymerase Chain Reaction based on the apocytochrome b gene; 2) Sequence and phylogenetic analyses of Babesia bovis in cattle using nuclear and mitochondrial genetic markers; and 3) Elucidation of genetic diversity, haplotype networking, and population genetic structure of Babesia bovis based on nuclear and mitochondrial genetic markers.