Babesia bigemina / bovis RT-PCR
Babesia RT-PCR looks for the DNA of Babesia bigemina and Babesia bovis in a blood sample. It can help your vet confirm babesiosis, or redwater, a tick fever of cows and buffaloes, even when few parasites are in the blood.
- Sample
- Whole blood (EDTA)
- Quantity
- As advised
- Report
- Confirmed when you book
- Collection
- Free in Bhopal
What this test checks
- DNA of Babesia bigemina and Babesia bovis in whole blood (EDTA)
- Which of the two Babesia species is present
- Low-level infection in carrier animals that a blood smear may miss
When your vet may advise it
- High fever with red or coffee-coloured urine in a cow or buffalo
- Pale or yellow eyes, weakness and a sudden drop in milk in a herd with ticks
- A blood smear is negative but your vet still suspects tick fever
- Checking bought-in animals that may be carriers, when your vet advises
About this test
Babesiosis, also called redwater or tick fever, is caused by Babesia parasites that ticks pass into the blood. The parasites enter and burst red blood cells. This can cause high fever, red or coffee-coloured urine, pale or yellow gums and eyes, weakness and a drop in milk. Babesia bovis can also affect the brain and cause nervous signs. A blood smear under a microscope is commonly used, but it may miss the parasites when there are only a few, such as in carrier animals. PCR detects their DNA and can tell the two species apart. A registered veterinarian reads the result with the animal's signs and blood tests.
How to prepare
Blood is taken into an EDTA tube. Tell the vet about any tick fever medicine already given, as it can affect the result. The lab confirms the method, sample needs and reporting time when you book.
Questions about Babesia bigemina / bovis RT-PCR
Why use Babesia PCR if a blood smear is already done?
Can a cow or buffalo test negative for Babesia and still have tick fever?
Before you book this test
Why this notice: so you know, before you book, how a test is done, what its limits are and who is responsible.
- Where it is tested. Some tests are done wholly or partly by an independent partner laboratory. The lab tells you before booking if this test is sent out, and the report names the laboratory that did it.
- What a result can and cannot tell you. No test is right every time. A normal result does not rule out every disease, and an abnormal result does not prove one. A registered veterinarian should read the report with the animal’s signs and history before any treatment is started, changed or stopped.
- The sample. A sample that is clotted, too small, wrongly labelled, leaking or too old may be rejected or reported with a note, and the lab may ask for a fresh one.
- Reporting time. Confirmed when you book. Times are estimates, not guarantees, and the lab confirms the time when you book.
- Emergencies. A booking or a pending report must not delay urgent care. If an animal has collapsed, struggles to breathe, has fits or bleeds heavily, call a veterinarian at once.
Please read our Terms of Service, Medical Disclaimer, Privacy Policy and Refund and Cancellation Policy. Pashupatinath Vet Lab is operated by Duaji Healthcare and Tech Private Limited. This page is general information and does not replace a veterinarian’s advice.
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Babesia bigemina / bovis RT-PCR: Bhopal and the big cities of Madhya Pradesh
Free sample collection anywhere in Bhopal. From the other cities, send the sample by courier, bus parcel or through your local veterinarian, and the report comes to you online.
Free collection in these Bhopal areas
Read more
Tick Fever RT-PCR in Cattle and Buffalo: Beyond the Smear
A smear shows tick fever parasites you can see under a microscope, while tick fever RT-PCR can also find light infections and carriers that a smear may miss. Together they give a vet a fuller picture.
18 Oct 2026