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.