ABSTRACT
Bovine babesiosis was once an extremely important disease of cattle in the US, but it has been eliminated by eradication of its biological vector Boophilus spp. Ticks. Bovine babesiosis is widely distributed in the rest of the world with greatest incidence in the "tick belt" region, which is located between 35°N and 35°S latitude. This region includes the world's tropical and subtropical areas where the tick control is ineffective due to the lack of economical management resources and very complex environmental conditions. From an economic point of view, bovine babesiosis is a serious animal health problem because it is widely distributed in the world and threatens the health and safety. Of some 500 million cattle in tropical and subtropical areas-especially imported cattle and cattle located in the so-called unstable enzootic areas infested with Boophilus spp. ticks.
