Background: A rhesus macaque developed chronic anemia, lymphocytic leukocytopenia, fever, and anorexia while immunodeficient following inoculation with a simian-human immunodeficiency virus.
Methods: A complete blood count, peripheral blood smear, polymerase chain reaction and gene sequence were performed.
Results: Blood smears demonstrated persistent intraerythrocytic piroplasms with rare Maltese cross forms. Babesia microti-like protozoa were confirmed by polymerase chain reaction and sequencing of the 18S ribosomal RNA gene.
Conclusion: With continued use of non-human primates as models for human diseases, infection and complications from babesiosis should be monitored.
Keywords: Babesia microti-like; non-human primate; simian-human immunodeficiency virus.
© 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.