{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,2]],"date-time":"2025-11-02T04:30:57Z","timestamp":1762057857834,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":33,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,7,18]],"date-time":"2022-07-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1658102400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"European Social Fund","award":["09.3.3-LMT-K-712-03-0081"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["09.3.3-LMT-K-712-03-0081"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Microorganisms"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Canine babesiosis is an emerging and rapidly expanding tick-borne disease in central and northeast Europe. In the last two decades, the endemic area of Babesia canis has expanded from central Europe to the Baltic region. This study aimed to investigate the genetic diversity of B. canis strains isolated from naturally infected dogs in different regions of Lithuania using PCR-RFLP and sequence analyses based on a partial region of 18S rRNA and Bc28.1 genes. Blood samples from 149 dogs suspected of having babesiosis were collected in Lithuania during 2016\u20132017. Based on PCR-RFLP profiles and two nucleotide substitutions observed in 18S rRNA gene sequences, three B. canis genotypes were identified in Lithuania\u201418S rRNA-A, 18S rRNA-B and 18S rRNA-A\/B\u2014with the A\/B genotype predominating (83.9%). Based on the obtained PCR-RFLP profiles of the Bc28.1 gene, four B. canis genotypes were identified: Bc28.1-B (53.8%), Bc28.1-34 (20.8%), Bc28.1-A (17.9%), and Bc28.1-34\/A or B (7.5%). Sequence analysis of the partial Bc28.1 gene revealed eighteen polymorphic sites and thirteen sequence variants among the Lithuanian samples. The B. canis genotypes obtained were detected with varying prevalences in different regions of Lithuania.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/microorganisms10071446","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,7,18]],"date-time":"2022-07-18T11:32:23Z","timestamp":1658143943000},"page":"1446","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":4,"title":["Genetic Diversity of Babesia canis Strains in Dogs in Lithuania"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"10","author":[{"given":"Jana","family":"Radzijevskaja","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Natural Sciences, Vytautas Magnus University, K. Donelai\u010dio Str. 58, LT-44248 Kaunas, Lithuania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7572-202X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Dalyt\u0117","family":"Mardosait\u0117-Busaitien\u0117","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Natural Sciences, Vytautas Magnus University, K. Donelai\u010dio Str. 58, LT-44248 Kaunas, Lithuania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Asta","family":"Aleksandravi\u010dien\u0117","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Natural Sciences, Vytautas Magnus University, K. Donelai\u010dio Str. 58, LT-44248 Kaunas, Lithuania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Birut\u0117","family":"Karvelien\u0117","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Til\u017e\u0117s Str. 18, LT-47181 Kaunas, Lithuania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Migl\u0117","family":"Razg\u016bnait\u0117","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Natural Sciences, Vytautas Magnus University, K. Donelai\u010dio Str. 58, LT-44248 Kaunas, Lithuania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Inga","family":"Stadalien\u0117","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Til\u017e\u0117s Str. 18, LT-47181 Kaunas, Lithuania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Algimantas","family":"Paulauskas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Natural Sciences, Vytautas Magnus University, K. Donelai\u010dio Str. 58, LT-44248 Kaunas, Lithuania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,7,18]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1788","DOI":"10.1016\/j.meegid.2012.07.004","article-title":"Babesia: A world emerging","volume":"12","author":"Schnittger","year":"2012","journal-title":"Infect. Genet. 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