Detection of Babesia Infection in Sheep and Goats in Selected Communities of Doma Local Government Area, Nasarawa State, Nigeria

Abstract

Babesiosis is an economically important, tick-borne haemoprotozoan disease of sheep and goats caused by intraerythrocytic parasites of the genus Babesia. A cross-sectional study was carried out in eight villages of Ekye Development Area, Doma Local Government Area, Nasarawa State, Nigeria, to determine the infestation status of ixodid ticks on sheep and goats, estimate the prevalence of Babesia infection by light microscopy, and examine the packed cell volume (PCV) of the sampled animals. Whole blood was collected from 200 small ruminants (79 sheep and 121 goats); Giemsa-stained thin blood smears were examined under oil immersion, and PCV was determined using the microhaematocrit method. No tick infestation (0.0%) was recorded on any of the examined animals across the eight communities. Overall prevalence of Babesia infection was 6.5% (13/200), and it was about four times higher in goats (9.1%; 11/121) than in sheep (2.5%; 2/79). Infection was recorded in 8 (7.5%) males and 5 (5.4%) females, and in 11 (6.3%) animals older than two years compared with 2 (7.7%) animals aged two years or younger. Infection status was significantly associated with PCV levels in both sheep (χ² = 7.84, df= 2, p = 0.0198) and goats (χ² = 19.687, df = 2, p < 0.001), peaking at 3.92% in sheep with low PCV (1–26%) and 25.00% in goats with above-normal PCV (39–60%). The study confirms that Babesia infection is present at moderate prevalence in small ruminants in the study area, underlines the value of combining microscopic examination with PCV measurement, and calls for wider molecular surveillance to define the circulating species.