Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Al-Qasim Green University, Iraq

2 University of Al-Qadisiyah, Iraq

Abstract

Bovine theileriosis is an important tick-borne disease caused by intraerythrocytic parasites from genus Theileria. Theileria annulata is the causative agent of tropical theileriosis or Mediterranean theileriosis. This study directed to diagnose theileriosis among calves and ticks in Al-Qasim city, Iraq. Seventy blood samples from seventy calves and seventy ticks were collected in April-August of 2022. These animals were a local breed with clinical signs of theileriosis; lymph node enlargement, fever (40c-41c), palely mucus membrane, loss of appetite; living in different areas of Al-Qasim city. The blood smear was prepared and stained with Giemsa for microscopic examination of T.annulata. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was performed to detect T.annulata using primer pairs targeted to 18S ribosomal RNA gene. The molecular assays revealed that seventy calves were infected as well as the samples of ticks.

Keywords

1. Perston PM. Theileriosis. In: Service MW, editor. The Encyclopedia of Arthropod-Transmitted Infections of Man and Domesticated Animals. UK: CAB International; 2001.
2. Uilenberg G. International collaborative research: significance of tick-borne hemoparasitic diseases to world animal health. Vet Parasitol. 1995;57(1-3):19-41.https://doi.org/10.1016/0304-4017(94)03107-8
3. Uilenberg G. Babesia: a historical overview. Vet Parasitol. 2006;138:3-10.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetpar.2006.01.035
4. Onuma M, Kakuda T, Sugimoto C. Theileria parasite infection in East Asia and control of the disease. Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis. 1998;21(3):165.https://doi.org/10.1016/S0147-9571(98)00008-3
5. Nene V, Kiara H, Lacasta A, et al. The biology of Theileria parva and control of East Coast fever - current status and future trends. Ticks Tick Borne Dis. 2016;7:549-564.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ttbdis.2016.02.001
6. Kho KL, Amarajothi ADG, Koh FX, Panchadcharam C, Hassan QN, Tay ST. The first molecular survey of theileriosis in Malaysian cattle, sheep and goats. Vet Parasitol Reg Stud Reports. 2017;10:149-153.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vprsr.2017.08.003
7. Altay K, Aktas M. Sığır Theileriosisi. FÜ Sağlık Bil Derg. 2004;18(2):79-86.
8. Mhadhbi M, Naouach A, Boumiza A, et al. In vivo evidence for the resistance of Theileria annulata to buparvaquone. Vet Parasitol. 2010;169:241-247.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetpar.2010.01.013
9. Constable DP, Hinchcliff KW, Done SH, Stanley H. Veterinary Medicine. 11th ed. Saunders Ltd; 2017.
10. Jabbar A, Abbas T, Sandhu ZU, et al. Tick-borne diseases of ovines in Pakistan: major scope for future research and improved control. Parasites Vectors. 2015;8:283.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-015-0894-2
11. Mhadhbi M, Chaouch M, Ajroud K, et al. Sequence polymorphism of cytochrome b gene in Theileria annulata Tunisian isolates and its association with buparvaquone treatment failure. PLoS One. 2015;10:e0129678.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0129678
12. Jongejan F, Uilenberg G. Ticks and control methods. Rev Sci Tech. 1994;13:1201-1226.https://doi.org/10.20506/rst.13.4.818
13. Radostits OM, Gay CC, Hinchcliff KW, Constable P. Veterinary Medicine E-Book: A Textbook of the Diseases of Cattle, Horses, Sheep, Pigs and Goats. Saunders; 2010. p. 1526-1531.
14. Gul N, Ayaz S, Gul I, et al. Tropical Theileriosis and East Coast Fever in cattle: present, past and future perspective. Int J Curr Microbiol Appl Sci. 2015;4(8):1000-1018.
15. Benjamin M. Outline of Veterinary Clinical Pathology. 3rd ed. Ames, Iowa, USA: The Iowa State University Press; 1978. p. 51-53.
16. Neitz WO. Theileriosis, gonderioses and cytauxzoonoses: a review. Onderstepoort J Vet Res. 1957;27:275-430.
17. Shahnawaz S, Ali M, Aslam MA, et al. A study on the prevalence of a tick-transmitted pathogen, Theileria annulata, and hematological profile of cattle from Southern Punjab (Pakistan). Parasitol Res. 2011;109(4):1155.https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-011-2360-1
18. Nourollahi-Fard SR, Khalili M, Ghalekhani N. Detection of Theileria annulata in blood samples of native cattle by PCR and smear method in Southeast of Iran. J Parasit Dis. 2015;39:249-252.https://doi.org/10.1007/s12639-013-0333-2
19. Alfatlawi MA, Jasim AA, Jarad NE, Khlaif SF. Clinical and molecular identification of ruling Theileria annulata strains in cattle calves in Al-Diwaniyah province, Iraq. Iraqi J Vet Sci. 2021;35(1):115-119.https://doi.org/10.33899/ijvs.2020.126429.1319
20. Sambrook HC. Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual. Cold Spring Harbor, NY; 1989.
21. Barcia JJ. The Giemsa stain: its history and applications. Int J Surg Pathol. 2007;15:292-296. https://doi.org/10.1177/1066896907302239
22. Afshari A, Tavassoli M, Esmaeilnejad B, et al. Molecular characterization and phylogenetic analysis of pathogenic Theileria spp. isolated from cattle and sheep based on cytochrome b gene in Iran. Arch Razi Inst. 2021;76(2):243-252.
23. Sajid MS, Iqbal Z, Khan MN, Muhammad G. In vitro and in vivo efficacies of Ivermectin and Cypermethrin against the cattle tick Hyalomma anatolicum anatolicum (Acari: Ixodidae). Parasitol Res. 2009;105:1133-1138.https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-009-1538-2
24. Shayan P, Rahbari S. Simultaneous differentiation between Theileria sp. and Babesia sp. on stained blood smears using PCR. Parasitol Res. 2005;97:281-286.https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-005-1434-3
25. Tian Z, Luo J, Zheng J, Xie J, Shen H, Yin H, et al. Phylogenetic analysis of Babesia species in China based on cytochrome b (COB) gene. Infect Genet Evol. 2013;13:36-40.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meegid.2012.09.001
26. Li Y, Chen Z, Liu Z, et al. Molecular identification of Theileria parasites of northwestern Chinese Cervidae. Parasites Vectors. 2014;7:225.https://doi.org/10.1186/1756-3305-7-225