Research overview: tick-borne blood parasites of lions: Babesia, Anaplasma and beyond

Lions and other wild felids host a range of tick-borne blood parasites including Babesia, Anaplasma, Ehrlichia and Hepatozoon, usually carried without obvious harm but capable of contributing to disease under stress. This overview synthesizes research on these hemoparasites, most notably the role of Babesia in amplifying mortality during the drought-linked 1994 distemper epidemic in Serengeti lions. It examines how environmental stress, prey condition and co-infection turn tolerated parasites into killers, the diversity of tick vectors involved, and molecular surveys cataloguing felid blood parasites. The synthesis frames hemoparasites as latent contributors to disease whose impact depends on context. It aims to help readers understand why these often-overlooked organisms matter for felid health and how they interact with viral epidemics.