PCR detection of Babesia microti and Babesia divergens in ticks

We investigated the presence of Babesia microti and B. divergens in Ixodes ricinus ticks collected in a Lyme borreliosis endemic area of Northern Poland. We used as the PCR target the fragment from a gene encoding the nuclear small-subunit ribosomal RNA (SS-rDNA). We have made a thorough analysis of the quantitative and rate per cent occurrence Ixodes ricinus from two areas of forest in province of Szczecin, known as highly recreative and frequented of many people resort. A total of 533 specimens collected in 13.3% was detected DNA of B. microti and in 3.0% of B. divergens