Babesia and Theileria species (Apicomplexa: Piroplasmida) are tick-borne protozoan parasites that can cause mild to severe infection in humans, wildlife, livestock and companion animals. To date, reports on the molecular study of piroplasms from wild living small mammals and their ticks are still limited, especially in Asia. This study encompassed an extensive survey involving 907 liver samples and 145 ixodid ticks from 16 different species of small mammals (Rodentia, Lagomorpha, Eulipotyphla). These were collected in 13 cities and counties in northern China. DNA extracts from these samples were screened for the presence of piroplasm 18S rRNA gene. Samples that tested positive were further evaluated for other genetic markers of piroplasms, including the cox1 gene and the ITS1-5.8S rDNA-ITS2 region. Several piroplasm species were identified, including Babesia sp. tavsan2, Babesia occultans, Theileria sp. Xinjiang, Theileria equi, and Theileria sp. Kalecik. Among these, Theileria sp. Xinjiang was shown to be the most prevalent. Importantly, Babesia sp. tavsan2 was identified in the tick Rhipicephalus sanguineus from the Yarkand hare and Theileria sp. Kalecik in Hyalomma asiaticum from the long-eared hedgehog, in line with the detection of these pathogens in tissue samples of the relevant hosts. This study further disclosed the presence of DNA from B. occultans and T. equi, typically found in cattle and horses respectively, with an additional discovery in small mammals. Moreover, Theileria sp. Kalecik, which was first detected in small-sized mammals, and Babesia sp. tavsan2, were both reported for the first time in China.

Equine piroplasmosis (EP) is an important tick-borne disease of equids, caused by Theileria equi, Theileria haneyi, and Babesia caballi. Nonetheless, there has been a scarcity of systematic reports on EP parasites in donkeys in Kyrgyzstan, Central Asia. In this study, piroplasms were screened in 1900 blood samples from imported donkeys from the Osh Oblast (southwestern Kyrgyzstan) by targeting partial 18S ribosomal RNA using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Through molecular and phylogenetic analyses, all positive samples were sequenced to identify the species and genotypes. The results indicated the presence of both B. caballi and T. equi, with prevalence rates of 8.4% (160/1900) and 12.2% (232/1900), respectively. By amplifying part of the Erythrocyte Merozoite Antigen 1 (EMA-1) and Rhoptry-Associated Protein (RAP-1) genes, B. caballi genotype B and T. equi genotype A were identified. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on piroplasm infection among donkeys from Kyrgyzstan.