Molecular detection of Babesia spp. in European bison (Bison bonasus) and their ticks

•First detection of B. divergens and B. capreoli in European bison in Lithuania.•European bison were infested with I. ricinus and D. reticulatus ticks.•Dermacentor reticulatus ticks collected from bison were infected with B. microti.•Ixodes ricinus ticks were infected with B. divergens, B. microti and B. venatorum. Babesia spp. are tick-borne haemoparasites that infect a wide range of domestic and wild mammals. Free-ranging ungulates are considered to be important reservoir hosts of Babesia parasites. The European bison (Bison bonasus) is a large and rare ungulate species, reintroduced into the forests of Central Europe after an absence of several decades. Owing to their protected status, studies of tick-borne pathogens in European bison have so far been rare and fragmented. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of Babesia infection in free-ranging and captive herds of European bison and their ticks. Tissue samples obtained from 37 European bison individuals and 242 ticks belonging to two species, Ixodes ricinus and Dermacentor reticulatus, collected from bison were subjected to PCR analysis of the 18S rRNA gene followed by sequencing. Babesia spp. were detected in 8% of the samples from European bison and in 11% of the ticks. Sequence analysis of partial 18S rRNA gene indicated the presence of B. divergens and B. capreoli in European bison, while B. divergens, B. microti and B. venatorum were detected in ixodid ticks. To the best of authors’ knowledge, this is the first molecular detection and characterization of Babesia spp. in European bison and their ticks.