The aim of this work was to evaluate the clinical occurrence of babesiosis in carrier athletic horses. During 12 monts, 38 horses carriers of B. equi, identified for de imunofluorescent assay test, participants of one of the sporting modalities: Dressage (n=7); jumping (n=8); Eventing (n=11) and Pole (n=12), were evaluated. During this period, 11 clinical cases of babesiosis by B. equi were diagnosed. That corresponded an incidence of 28.9%. Clinical and hematological evaluation showed performance fall and anemia occurrence with decrease in the eritrocites values, globular volume, and hemoglobin concentration. In the convalescence period, six animal that presented clinical babesiosis got injured, with lameness, myalgias, lumbalgias or excoriation and one presented hock fracture. A significant interaction among clinical babesiosis and lameness (P= 0.0372) and performance fall (P=0.0009).
Babesia equi; medicine; equine; performance; sport
