A century of bovine besnoitiosis: an unknown disease re-emerging in Europe

•Bovine besnoitiosis is considered to be re-emerging in several European countries.•Animal trade and management practices favor the dissemination of the disease.•The control of the disease relies on management measures coupled to diagnosis.•Many aspects of the epidemiology and parasite biology remain a mystery.

Bovine besnoitiosis, which is caused by the cyst-forming apicomplexan parasite Besnoitia besnoiti, is a chronic and debilitating vector-borne disease characterized by both cutaneous and systemic manifestations. In Europe, this parasitic disease appeared in a few restricted areas in France and Portugal since the first recorded cases in the beginning of the 20th century. However, at present, the disease is considered to be re-emerging by the European Food Safety Authority due to an increased number of cases and the geographic expansion of besnoitiosis into cattle herds in several European countries. In this review, we will provide an update of the epidemiology and impact of B. besnoiti infection. Strategies to control this parasitic disease will also be discussed.