A recently identified ovine Babesia in China: Serology and sero-epidemiology

► An ELISA was developed for detecting infection of recently identified ovine Babesia, Babesia sp. in Xinjiang. ► We reported firstly serological reactivity between the parasite and other Chinese piroplasms infective to ruminants. ► Average positive rate was 31.66% of 3857 sera from small ruminants in 22 provinces. ► This study provides the serological/epidemiological evidence to confirm Babesia sp. in Xinjiang further as a novel species.