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Genus Babesia Starcovici, 1893

Introduction

Unidentified species recorded from northeastern Australia, and Vanstreels et al. (2015) identified an undescribed species in Little Penguins alog the coasts of New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania.

 

Distribution

IBRA and IMCRA regions (map not available)

IBRA

Australian Alps (AA), Arnhem Coast (ARC), Arnhem Plateau (ARP), Avon Wheatbelt (AW), Brigalow Belt North (BBN), Brigalow Belt South (BBS), Broken Hill Complex (BHC), Burt Plain (BRT), Central Arnhem (CA), Channel Country (CHC), Central Kimberley (CK), Central Mackay Coast (CMC), Coolgardie (COO), Cape York Peninsula (CYP), Daly Basin (DAB), Darwin Coastal (DAC), Desert Uplands (DEU), Dampierland (DL), Davenport Murchison Ranges (DMR), Einasleigh Uplands (EIU), Esperance Plains (ESP), Finke (FIN), Flinders Lofty Block (FLB), Gulf Fall and Uplands (GFU), Geraldton Sandplains (GS), Gulf Coastal (GUC), Gulf Plains (GUP), Jarrah Forest (JF), MacDonnell Ranges (MAC), Mallee (MAL), Mitchell Grass Downs (MGD), Mount Isa Inlier (MII), Mulga Lands (ML), Naracoorte Coastal Plain (NCP), New England Tablelands (NET), Northern Kimberley (NK), NSW North Coast (NNC), Ord Victoria Plain (OVP), Pine Creek (PCK), Sydney Basin (SB), South East Coastal Plain (SCP), South East Corner (SEC), South Eastern Highlands (SEH), South Eastern Queensland (SEQ), Simpson Strzelecki Dunefields (SSD), Stony Plains (STP), Swan Coastal Plain (SWA), Tanami (TAN), Tiwi Cobourg (TIW), Victoria Bonaparte (VB), Victorian Midlands (VM), Victorian Volcanic Plain (VVP), Warren (WAR), Wet Tropics (WT), Yalgoo (YAL)

Ecological Descriptors

Parasitic (host(s): Antechinus stuartii Macleay, 1841 [DASYURIDAE] Brown Antechinus (= A. Agilis; blood); Boophilus microplus (Canestini, 1887) [IXODIDAE] Cattle Tick (syn. B. Australis); Bos taurus Linnaeus, 1758 [BOVIDAE] Ox (blood); Bothrochilus maculosus (Peters, 1873) [BOIDAE] Spotted Python (blood); Canis familiaris Linnaeus, 1758 [CANIDAE] Domestic Dog (blood); Cracticus nigrogularis (Gould, 1837) [CRACTICIDAE] Pied Butcherbird (blood); Ctenotus severus Storr, 1969 [SCINCIDAE] Comb-eared Skink (blood); Dacelo novaeguineae (Hermann, 1783) [ALCEDINIDAE] Kookaburra, Laughing Jackass, Brown Kingfisher (syn. D. Gigas; blood); Eudyptula minor (Forster, 1781) [SPHENISCIDAE] Little Penguin (blood); Haliastur indus (Boddaert, 1783) [ACCIPITRIDAE] Brahminy Kite (blood); Heteronotia binoei (Gray, 1845) [GEKKONIDAE] Bynoe’s Gecko (blood); Macropus giganteus Shaw, 1790 [MACROPODIDAE] Eastern Grey Kangaroo (syn. M. Canguru; blood (+ PCR)); Petrogale persephone Maynes, 1982 [MACROPODIDAE] Proserpine Rock-wallaby (blood); Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Latrielle, 1806) [IXODIDAE] Brown Dog Tick (homogenate (PCR)); Strepera graculina (Shaw, 1790) [CRACTICIDAE] Pied Currawong (blood); Tachyglossus aculeatus (Shaw & Nodder, 1792) [TACHYGLOSSIDAE] Short-beaked Echidna (blood)).

Extra Ecological Information

Unidentified species of Babesia have been found in the listed parasite hosts.

Associated Fauna References

Vanstreels, R.E.T., Woehler, E.J., Ruoppolo, V., Vertigan, P., Carlile, N., Priddel, D., Finger, A., Dann, P., Herrin, K.V., Thompson, P., Ferreira, F.C. Jr, Braga, E.M., Hurtado, R., Epiphanio, S. & Catao-Dias, J.L. 2015. Epidemiology and molecular phylogeny of Babesia sp. in Little Penguins,Eudyptula minor in Australia. International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife 4: 198–205 (Eudyptula minor)

 

General References

Arundel, J.H., Barker, I.K. & Beveridge, I. 1977. Diseases of marsupials. pp. 141-154 in Stonehouse, B. & Gilmore, D. (eds). The Biology of Marsupials. London : Macmillan.

Barker I.K., Beveridge I., Bradley A.J. & Lee A.K. 1978. Observations on spontaneous stress-related mortality among males of the dasyurid marsupial Antechinus stuartii Macleay. Australian Journal of Zoology 26: 435-447

Beveridge, I. & Spratt, D.M. 2003. Parasites of carnivorous marsupials. pp. 383-396 in Jones, M., Dickman, C. & Archer, M. (eds). Predators with Pouches. Melbourne : CSIRO Publishing.

Fowler, M.E. 1981. Wildlife diseases of the Pacific Basin and other countries. Sydney : Proceedings of the 4th International Conference of Wildlife Diseases Associations.

Gilruth, J.A. 1912. The introduction and spread of the cattle tick (Boophilus annulatus, var. microplus), and of the associated disease tick fever (Babesiasis) in Australia. Queensland Agricultural Journal 29: 351-357

Gilruth, J.A. 1912. The introduction and spread of the cattle tick (Boophilus annulatus, var. microplus), and of the associated disease tick fever (Babesiasis) in Australia. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria 25: 15-22

Hunt, J.S. 1897. Inoculation for tick fever. The prospects and problems. Queensland Agricultural Journal 1: 404-411

Hunt, J.S. 1898. Notes on the natural history and prevention of Texas fever. Queensland Agricultural Journal 3: 446-456

Hunt, J.S. 1898. Progress report on the reproductive forms of the micro-organism of tick fever, with some observations on the relationships and nomenclature of that disease. Queensland Agricultural Journal 2: 211-220

Irwin, P.J. & Hutchinson, G.W. 1991. Clinical and pathological findings of Babesia infection in dogs. Australian Veterinary Journal 68: 204-209

Jefferies, R., Ryan, U.M., Muhlnickel, C.J. & Irwin, P.J. 2003. Two species of canine Babesia in Australia: detection and characterization by PCR. Journal of Parasitology 89: 409-412

Johnston, L.A.Y. 1968. The incidence of clinical babesiosis in cattle in Queensland. Australian Veterinary Journal 44: 265-267

Jones, H.I. & Shellam, G.R. 1999. Blood parasites in penguins, and their potential impact on conservation. Marine Ornithology 27: 181-184

Ladds, P. 2009. Pathology of Australian Native Wildlife. Collingwood : CSIRO Publishing 640 pp.

Legg, J. 1936. Inoculation of cattle against redwater and anaplasmosis. Queensland Journal of Agricultural Science 45: 32-35

Mackerras, M.J. 1959. The haematozoa of Australian mammals. Australian Journal of Zoology 7: 105-135

Mulhearn, C.R. 1936. Recent developments in the treatment of tick fever. Queensland Journal of Agricultural Science 46: 192-195

Munday, B.L. 1978. Marsupial disease. in Fauna Part B. Post Graduate Committee in Veterinary Science: University of Sydney. pp. 335-385

Munday, B.L. 1988. Marsupial diseases. pp. 299-365 in Anon. (ed.). Australian Wildlife. The John Keep refresher course for veterinarians. Sydney : Postgraduate Committee in Veterinary Science. University of Sydney.

O'Donoghue, P.J. 1997. Protozoan parasites of wildlife in south-east Queensland. pp. 119-136 in Tribe, A. (ed.). Proceedings of the 1997 Conference of the Australian Association of Veterinary Conservation Biologists. Brisbane : Australian Veterinary Association.

Pound, C.J. 1907. Some investigations into tick fever and means for its prevention. Queensland Journal of Agricultural Science 18: 283-293

Seddon, H.R. 1933. A note on piroplasmosis in New South Wales. Australian Veterinary Journal 9: 19-20

Seddon, H.R. 1952. Diseases of domestic animals in Australia. Part 4. Protozoan and viral diseases. Canberra : Commonwealth of Australia Department of Health, Service Publication (Division of Veterinary Hygeine) Vol. No. 8.

Vanstreels, R.E.T., Woehler, E.J., Ruoppolo, V., Vertigan, P., Carlile, N., Priddel, D., Finger, A., Dann, P., Herrin, K.V., Thompson, P., Ferreira, F.C. Jr, Braga, E.M., Hurtado, R., Epiphanio, S. & Catao-Dias, J.L. 2015. Epidemiology and molecular phylogeny of Babesia sp. in Little Penguins,Eudyptula minor in Australia. International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife 4: 198–205

 

History of changes

Note that this list may be incomplete for dates prior to September 2013.
Published As part of group Action Date Action Type Compiler(s)
03-Dec-2014 APICOMPLEXA Levine, 1970 07-Apr-2015 MODIFIED
26-Jul-2012 26-Jul-2012 MODIFIED
23-Aug-2011 ADDED