Prevalence of Canine Babesiosis, due to Babesia gibsoni in Japan

Abstract

Prevalence of canine babesiosis was surveyed by collecting clinical data from small animal clinics in Japan. Of 1, 151 respondent clinicians, 468 (40.7%) had diagnosed the disease in the past, and 451 (39.2%) did for the latest one year. Canine babesiosis seemed to be more endemic in western than in eastern Japan and no case was reported in Yamagata, Niigata, Ishikawa and Fukui Prefectures. Subclinically infected fighting dogs, especially of Tosa breed and American pit bull terrie seemed to play a role of disease carrier in moving around for dog shows.