Many countries in the world outside of the United States are home to the parasite Babesia caballi, which can cause illness or death in horses. Some infected horses might recover and become inapparent carriers of the parasite.

According to a recent study high doses of imidocarb dipropionate eliminated the parasite Babesia caballi in infected horses.

B. caballi causes a disease called babesiosis. Although babesiosis is considered an exotic disease among horses in the United States, it is common in other countries. Horses imported from a country with Babesia to a country without Babesia (such as the United States), must test negative for infection with the parasite before it can enter the country.

"If owners or breeders wish to import a B. caballi-positive horse into the United States, imidocarb treatment at the dosages reported in our manuscript is a potential option to attempt clearance of infection and make it possible to import the horse," said Donald P. Knowles, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVP, research leader of the Animal Disease Research Unit, of the Agricultural Research Service, USDA and adjunct professor at Washington State University