Prevalence of Antibodies Against Babesia bigemina and B. bovis in White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus texanus) in Farms of Northeastern Mexico

The objective of the study was to estimate the prevalence of antibodies against Babesia bovis and B. bigemina in sera from 165 white-tailed deer in northeastern Mexico. Sera were collected in spring of 2003 in 5 mixed cattle and deer farms from the states of Coahuila and Nuevo Leon, Mexico. Animals were live-trapped by the drop net technique and once immobilized blood samples were obtained by jugular venipuncture using vacuum tubes. Antibodies were detected by the indirect immunoflourecent technique using blood smears with parasited erythrocytes for B. bovis or B. bigemina. Seropositivity in the deer was relatively high, because 87% (144/165) of the sera was positive. The seroprevalences for B. bigemina and B. bovis were 53% (88/165) and 75% (124/165). The sex of the deer was a risk factor for seropositivity to B. bovis but no for B. bigemina. The risk of infection with B. bovis was 2.4 times greater for females than for males. In conclusion, a high prevalence of antibodies against B. bigemina and B. bovis in the white-tailed deer was found at northeastern Mexico. More studies are recommended with the aim of detecting the role of deer in the transmission of babesiosis to cattle.