Haemoparasites of the genus Babesia infect a wide range of domestic and wild animals. Feline babesiosis is considered endemic in South Africa, while data on Babesia spp. infection in felids in Europe is scarce. Using samples from 51 wild felids, 44 Felis silvestris and 7 Lynx lynx, the study aimed to determine the presence and genetic diversity of Babesia spp. in wild felids in Romania by analyzing the 18S rDNA and two mitochondrial markers, cytochrome b (Cytb) and cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) genes. By 18S rDNA analyses, Babesia spp. DNA was detected in 20 European wild felids. All sequences showed 100% similarity to B. canis by BLAST analysis. Conversely, Cytb and COI analyses revealed the presence of two Babesia spp., B. pisicii n. sp., which we herein describe, and B. canis. The pairwise comparison of both mitochondrial genes of B. pisicii n. sp. showed a genetic distance of at least 10.3% from the most closely related species, B. rossi. Phylogenetic analyses of Cytb and COI genes revealed that B. pisicii n. sp. is related to the so-called "large" canid-associated Babesia species forming a separate subclade in a sister position to B. rossi.

Biomedical Center Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen Charles University 32300 Plzeň Czech Republic

CEITEC VETUNI University of Veterinary Sciences Brno 61242 Brno Czech Republic

Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj Napoca 400372 Cluj Napoca Romania

Grigore Antipa National Museum of Natural History 011341 Bucharest Romania

Molecular Biology and Veterinary Parasitology Unit Regele Mihai 1 al României Life Science Institute University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj Napoca 400372 Cluj Napoca Romania

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