Azmi Kifaya, Ereqat Suheir, Nasereddin Abedelmajeed, Al-Jawabreh Amer, Baneth Gad, Abdeen Ziad
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Quds University, Abu Deis, The West Bank, Palestine; Al-Quds Nutrition and Health Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Quds University, Abu-Deis, P.O. Box 20760, The West Bank, Palestine; Al-Quds Public Health Society, Jerusalem, Palestine.
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Quds University, Abu Deis, The West Bank, Palestine; Al-Quds Nutrition and Health Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Quds University, Abu-Deis, P.O. Box 20760, The West Bank, Palestine; Al-Quds Public Health Society, Jerusalem, Palestine.
Ticks Tick Borne Dis. 2016 Jul;7(5):734-741. doi: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2016.03.003. Epub 2016 Mar 4.
Ixodid ticks transmit various infectious agents that cause disease in humans and livestock worldwide. A cross-sectional survey on the presence of protozoan pathogens in ticks was carried out to assess the impact of tick-borne protozoa on domestic animals in Palestine. Ticks were collected from herds with sheep, goats and dogs in different geographic districts and their species were determined using morphological keys. The presence of piroplasms and Hepatozoon spp. was determined by PCR amplification of a 460-540bp fragment of the 18S rRNA gene followed by RFLP or DNA sequencing. A PCR-RFLP method based on the 18S rRNA was used in order to detect and to identify Hepatozoon, Babesia and Theileria spp. A total of 516 ticks were collected from animals in six Palestinian localities. Five tick species were found: Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato, Rhipicephalus turanicus, Rhipicephalus bursa, Haemaphysalis parva and Haemaphysalis adleri. PCR-based analyses of the ticks revealed Theileria ovis (5.4%), Hepatozoon canis (4.3%), Babesia ovis (0.6%), and Babesia vogeli (0.4%). Theileria ovis was significantly associated with ticks from sheep and with R. turanicus ticks (p<0.01). H. canis was detected only in R. sanguineus s.l. and was significantly associated with ticks from dogs (p<0.01). To our knowledge, this is the first report describing the presence of these pathogens in ticks collected from Palestine. Communicating these findings with health and veterinary professionals will increase their awareness, and contribute to improved diagnosis and treatment of tick-borne diseases.
硬蜱传播多种感染因子，这些因子在全球范围内导致人类和牲畜患病。开展了一项关于蜱中原生动物病原体存在情况的横断面调查，以评估蜱传播的原生动物对巴勒斯坦家畜的影响。从不同地理区域的绵羊、山羊和犬群中采集蜱，并使用形态学鉴定方法确定其种类。通过对18S rRNA基因460 - 540bp片段进行PCR扩增，随后进行RFLP或DNA测序，来确定梨形虫和肝簇虫属的存在情况。采用基于18S rRNA的PCR - RFLP方法检测和鉴定肝簇虫属、巴贝斯虫属和泰勒虫属。共从巴勒斯坦六个地区的动物身上采集了516只蜱。发现了五种蜱：全沟硬蜱、图兰扇头蜱、囊形扇头蜱、微小牛蜱和阿氏血蜱。基于PCR对蜱的分析显示，存在绵羊泰勒虫（5.4%）、犬肝簇虫（4.3%）、绵羊巴贝斯虫（0.6%）和韦氏巴贝斯虫（0.4%）。绵羊泰勒虫与来自绵羊的蜱以及图兰扇头蜱显著相关（p<0.01）。犬肝簇虫仅在全沟硬蜱中检测到，且与来自犬的蜱显著相关（p<0.01）。据我们所知，这是第一份描述从巴勒斯坦采集的蜱中存在这些病原体的报告。与卫生和兽医专业人员交流这些发现将提高他们的认识，并有助于改善蜱传播疾病的诊断和治疗。
