Tick-Borne Hemoparasites of Sheep: A Molecular Research in Turkey.

Tick-borne diseases (TBDs) indulge in severe economic losses in the livestock industry by adversely affecting the small ruminant breeding in tropical and subtropical zone countries, including Turkey. Turkey encompasses a wide land area representing diverse climatic conditions. The present study explored the presence and distribution of , , , , and the co-occurrence status of these pathogens. A total of 299 sheep blood samples were collected from fifteen provinces located in six different geographical regions in Turkey. PCR analyses were executed using species-specific primers based on BoSSU rRNA, ToSSU rRNA, 18S rRNA, Major Surface Protein , and 16S rRNA genes. Overall, 219 (73.24%) sheep were found to be infected with at least one of the following protozoan and rickettsial pathogens; , , and . was not detected in any blood sample. The global prevalence of , , and was estimated to be 2.68%, 16.05%, 41.47%, and 57.19%, respectively. Besides this, dual (24.41%), triple (9.03%), and quadruple (0.67%) co-infections were detected in the study. Phylogenetic analysis revealed significant nucleotide sequence identities between the sequences obtained in this study and the sequences registered in the GenBank. This study provides relevant data regarding the predominance of ovine tick-borne protozoan and rickettsial agents in Turkey. A high molecular prevalence of tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) was identified in the study. This situation indicates that TBPs should be screened continuously, and necessary control measures should be taken to prevent diseases caused by tick-borne protozoan and rickettsial agents.