Alanazi Abdullah D, Said Ashraf E, Ghoneim Ahmed M, Alyousif Mohamed S, Alanazi Ibrahim O
Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science and Humanities, Shaqra University, P.O. Box 1040, Ad-Dawadimi, 11911, Saudi Arabia.
Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Damietta University, New Damietta, Damietta, Egypt.
Trop Anim Health Prod. 2019 Jan;51(1):89-98. doi: 10.1007/s11250-018-1663-y. Epub 2018 Jul 25.
A total of 1000 clinically healthy small ruminants comprising 500 sheep and 500 goats from five districts within Riyadh Province in Saudi Arabia were investigated by routine Giemsa staining for hematozoan parasites. Out of these, 100 sheep and 95 goat samples were investigated by PCR using three pairs of hemoprotozoan-specific primers. Based on microscopic examination, 33.2% of sheep and 25.2% of goats were found infected with hemoprotozoan parasites, while PCR detected hematozoan infection in 46% of sheep and 33.7% of goats. Extensive molecular characterization of hematozoan infection using six pairs of species-specific primers revealed the dominance of Theileria ovis, rather than any other species, which is recorded for the first time in small ruminants in Saudi Arabia. Prevalence of T. ovis in sheep and goats was found to be the highest in Riyadh (32, 48%) followed by AL-Kharj (31, 35%), Ad-Dawadimi (31, 33%), AL-Majmaah (15, 27%), and Rumah (17, 23%). The highest parasite prevalence was recorded in the 3 years of age and > 4 years of age ruminants, while the lowest prevalence was recorded in < 1 year of age ruminants. No noticeable differences in parasite prevalence between male or female ruminants were recorded. Partial sequencing of 18S rRNA gene revealed the infection of the studied ruminants with four new isolates of T. ovis. Further characterization of the pathogenicity and the clinical effects of these T. ovis isolates in sheep and goats is highly needed. The current results can be helpful in protecting and improving livestock industry in the countries that depend on a high number of small ruminants.
对来自沙特阿拉伯利雅得省五个地区的1000只临床健康的小反刍动物进行了调查，其中包括500只绵羊和500只山羊，采用常规吉姆萨染色法检测血液寄生虫。其中，对100份绵羊样本和95份山羊样本使用三对血液原虫特异性引物进行了PCR检测。基于显微镜检查，发现33.2%的绵羊和25.2%的山羊感染了血液原虫寄生虫，而PCR检测到46%的绵羊和33.7%的山羊感染了血液寄生虫。使用六对物种特异性引物对血液寄生虫感染进行广泛的分子特征分析，结果显示绵羊泰勒虫占主导地位，而非其他任何物种，这在沙特阿拉伯的小反刍动物中尚属首次记录。发现利雅得的绵羊和山羊中绵羊泰勒虫的感染率最高（分别为32只，48%），其次是哈吉尔（分别为31只，35%）、代瓦迪米（分别为31只，33%）、马赫马（分别为15只，27%）和鲁马（分别为17只，23%）。在3岁和4岁以上的反刍动物中寄生虫感染率最高，而在1岁以下的反刍动物中感染率最低。未记录到雄性或雌性反刍动物之间寄生虫感染率的显著差异。18S rRNA基因的部分测序显示，所研究的反刍动物感染了四种绵羊泰勒虫新分离株。迫切需要进一步研究这些绵羊泰勒虫分离株在绵羊和山羊中的致病性和临床影响。目前的研究结果有助于保护和改善那些依赖大量小反刍动物的国家的畜牧业。
