The First Clinical Case of Babesia vogeli Infection in a Dog from Serbia

The city of Belgrade, Serbia, with its continental climate and suburban green spaces, is an endemic region for canine babesiosis. Molecular analyses showed that the clinical manifestation of the disease is dominantly caused by Babesia canis, transmitted by a winter tick Dermacentor reticulatus. Thus, the occurrence of canine babesiosis is typically seen in winter and springtime. The presented case demonstrates for the first time an active infection with Babesia vogeli during the summer, in an elderly dog from Belgrade, without a previous history of travel. The patient was presented at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Belgrade, with respiratory problems and thrombocytopenia. The Romanowsky-stained blood smears revealed unusually large babesia merozoites and microfilaria presence, and the dog tested positive for Dirofilaria immitis antigens. The patient was treated against both infections, with positive outcomes. After performing DNA extraction and sequencing, the singular B. vogeli infection was demonstrated. Although being one of the least pathogenic babesia species, the data regarding an active infection with B. vogeli in the Belgrade region is medically and epidemiologically significant. This report shows that canine babesiosis due to infection with B. vogeli during the summer months, when the tick vector Rhipicephalus sanguineus is active, should be considered in a differential diagnostic plan. Also, it is important to perform molecular diagnostics to B. vogeli in dogs that don’t have the typical acute phase response, seen in B. canis infection, but have thrombocytopenia.