Parasite found in Caithness animals

An exotic tick-borne parasite has been found in sheep on farms in Caithness and in deer on the west coast of Scotland.

It is the first time the organism, Babesia venatorum (B. venatorum), has been identified in animals in the UK, and the first time it has been found in sheep anywhere in the world.

Samples were collected in 2014 by scientists at the Glasgow University’s School of Veterinary Medicine and Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, and the research has been published in Emerging Infectious Diseases, the journal of the Centre for Disease Control (CDC).

The study detected DNA from the B. venatorum parasite in the blood of a large number of sheep which had not been showing any signs of disease.

Scientists emphasise the risk to humans is low, but the parasite causes babesiosis which is recognised as an emerging infection in humans.

Although the disease is readily treatable, scientists are keen to make vets and the medical profession aware of its presence, particularly in areas where people are working, living, or hiking in areas with infected ticks and livestock.

Dr Willie Weir, senior university clinician in veterinary pathology, public health and disease investigation, pointed out the findings followed the recent report of the detection of tick-borne encephalitis virus in the UK.

He said: “Taken together, these findings signify a change in the landscape of tick-borne pathogens in the UK, and the underlying causes for this need to be investigated.”

The scientists have also called for active surveillance of the parasite in UK livestock in order to fully understand the prevalence and transmission of the disease.

Getty. Scientists said that the risk to humans is low.