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Babesia is a member of the suborder Piroplasmidea. The suborder includes certain erythrocytic parasites of mammals belonging to the families Babesidae and Theileridae which do not produce the pigment hemozoin in erythrocytes following digestion of hemoglobin. Babesia is the most important genus in the family Babesidae. Two states of infection have been described as babesiosis and babesiasis. Babesiosis refers to the period when there is rapid growth and multiplication of the parasite and there are clinical signs of disease. Screening of potential antibabesial drugs has been time consuming and costly due to the necessity of screening drugs in animals. To this end, various models based on rodent babesias, e.g., B. rodhaini, have been developed. Babesia rodhaini, a parasite of rodents, is reported to require elements of the host’s immune mechanism in order to effect attachment and penetration of host erythrocytes. |
