author(s)
D Mushahary, K Bhattacharjee, PC Sarmah, DK Deka and P Kakati

abstract
Situated in the Northeast India, Assam with its four districts, namely Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baksa and Udalguri share a 267 km long international border with Bhutan. Babesia bigemina along with other haemoparasites were recorded in crossbred and indigenous cattle by blood smear examinations which were also confirmed by Polymerase chain reaction. The absolute quantification of B. bigemina was done with quantitative real time PCR (RT-PCR) using specific primers in 3 samples (2 from crossbred and 1 from indigenous cattle) using SYBR Green dye. The present analysis showed positive for B. bigemina DNA with mean C_T value 24.69 and standard deviation 1.77. The detection limit of the assay was assessed as 8.01 x 10¹¹ DNA copies µl^-1 of B. bigemina. Amplification of B. bigemina DNA by RT-PCR showed band at 88 bp.