A case report of Babesia caballi infection in a foal

Babesiosis due to B. caballi infection was diagnosed for the first time in Iran in a young native foal. Clinical signs of the affected animal included inappetence, anemia., fever, ataxia, tachycardia., dyspnea., ecchymosis of the third; eyelid as well as on the mucosa. of the mouth. Peripheral blood smear examinations revealed intraerythocytic parasites morphologically sim ilar to B. caballi. The ticks isolated from the affected foal included Rhip icephalus sanguineus and Hyalomma excavatum. Treatment of the foal with qui nuronium sulfate (Pirorazi) at a dose rate routinely used for treatment of ovine and bovine babesiosis, was unsuccessful and toxic causing death.