Babesia leo n. sp from lions in the Kruger National Park, South Africa, and its relation to other small piroplasms

Babesia lee, a small piroplasm isolated from Lions in South Africa is descr ibed as a distinct species based on a phylogenetic analysis of the 18S rRNA gene. Intraerythrocytic trophozoite and merozoite stages of B. leo are mor phologically indistinguishable from other small piroplasms of felids. Previ ous studies showed that B. Eeo was biologically and antigenically distinct from B. Sells, which is known to infect wild and domestic felids in South A frica. Molecular characterization showed strong support for the phylogeneti c seperation of B. leo as a distinct species from B. Sells and other felid piroplasms. Phylogenetic analysis also showed that Babesia microti and all of the felid piroplasms from Africa with known 18S rRNA gene sequences avai lable, including B. lee, formed a single, separate clade, sister to the oth er babesial and theilerial piroplasm parasites.