TY - JOUR AU - Herwaldt, Barbara L. AU - Cacciò, Simone AU - Gherlinzoni, Filippo AU - Aspöck, Horst AU - Slemenda, Susan B. AU - Piccaluga, PierPaolo AU - Martinelli, Giovanni AU - Edelhofer, Renate AU - Hollenstein, Ursula AU - Poletti, Giovanni AU - Pampiglione, Silvio AU - Löschenberger, Karin AU - Tura, Sante AU - Pieniazek, Norman J. T1 - Molecular Characterization of a Non–Babesia divergens Organism Causing Zoonotic Babesiosis in Europe T2 - Emerging Infectious Disease journal PY - 2003 VL - 9 IS - 8 SP - 943 SN - 1080-6059 AB - In Europe, most reported human cases of babesiosis have been attributed, without strong molecular evidence, to infection with the bovine parasite Babesia divergens. We investigated the first known human cases of babesiosis in Italy and Austria, which occurred in two asplenic men. The complete 18S ribosomal RNA (18S rRNA) gene was amplified from specimens of their whole blood by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). With phylogenetic analysis, we compared the DNA sequences of the PCR products with those for other Babesia spp. The DNA sequences were identical for the organism from the two patients. In phylogenetic analysis, the organism clusters with B. odocoilei, a parasite of white-tailed deer; these two organisms form a sister group with B. divergens. This evidence indicates the patients were not infected with B. divergens but with an organism with previously unreported molecular characteristics for the 18S rRNA gene. KW - babesiosis KW - Babesia divergens KW - Babesia odocoilei KW - Babesia venatorum KW - EU1 KW - Italy KW - Austria KW - taxonomy KW - Ixodes ricinus KW - 18S rRNA gene KW - research DO - 10.3201/eid0908.020748 UR - https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/9/8/02-0748_article ER - End of Reference