Babesiosis of small ruminants in Sulaimani city Kurdistan – Iraq

Abstract

Babesiosis was studied in sheep and goats in Sulaimani city, Kurdistan -Iraq from June to September 2012. A total of 160 blood samples (135 of sheep and 25 of goats) were collected from different farms. Giemsa stained blood smears were applied to study babesiosis, also ticks were collected from external animals body surfaces. Results of this study showed that Babesia species was recorded among the small ruminants as 92/160 (57.5 %), 76/135 (56.3%) of these from sheep and 16/25 (64%) of goats. Statistically, there are no significant differences between sheep and goats infection by Babesia species at (P< 0.05). According to the morphological characters four Babesia species were recorded in the study which was B. ovis, B. motasi, B. foliata, and B. taylori. One species of tick Hyalomma anatolicum was seen