Department of Parasite Vaccine Research and Production, Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran.
Department of Parasitology, Reference Laboratory for Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases, Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Karaj, Iran.
Trop Anim Health Prod. 2022 Apr 4;54(3):157. doi: 10.1007/s11250-022-03156-0.
The present study aimed at evaluating the presence of tick-borne apicomplexan parasites including Theileria ovis, Theileria lestoquardi, Theileria annulata, and Theileria orientalis in 92 cattle and 105 sheep from 6 different districts of Guilan and Mazandaran Provinces, in the southern littoral of Caspian Sea. Furthermore, ixodid ticks were collected from the same animals. Stained blood smears were microscopically evaluated for the presence of blood parasites, and a specific PCR was applied for the detection of Theileria species. Besides, ticks were subsequently examined by species-specific PCR. Microscopic examination of blood smears demonstrated no evidence of intraerythrocytic piroplasms. Species-specific diagnostic PCRs demonstrated that 52.17% of sheep blood samples were positive for T. ovis. In addition, 31.03% and 24.13% of cattle blood samples were positive for T. annulata and T. orientalis, respectively. Moreover, 3 species of the ixodid ticks, namely, Rhipicephalus annulatus (58.47%), Ixodes ricinus (29.82%), and Haemaphysalis inermis (11.69%), were identified in Guilan Province, while Hyalomma detritum (73.03%) and Rhipicephalus sanguineus (26.92%) were found in Mazandaran Province. Additionally, by obtaining the data with respect to tick-borne apicomplexan parasites in 122 infected ticks, 35.24%, 22.95%, and 2.45% of tick samples were positive for T. annulata, T. orientalis, and T. ovis, respectively. Species-specific PCR revealed that H. inermis and R. annulatus were positive for T. orientalis. In addition, T. annulata was found in R. annulatus, H. inermis, and H. detritum. Besides, T. ovis was the only species of Theileria found in R. sanguineus. In conclusion, the results revealed that T. annulata infection was prevalent among cattle and ovine theileriosis caused by T. ovis was the only Theileria species found in sheep in the studied areas of the southern littoral of Caspian Sea. R. annulatus, H. inermis, and H. detritum were the main vectors for T. annulata, followed by H. inermis and R. annulatus for T. orientalis, and R. sanguineus for T. ovis.
本研究旨在评估 92 头牛和 105 只绵羊在里海南部滨海地区的 6 个不同地区是否存在 tick-borne apicomplexan 寄生虫，包括 Theileria ovis、Theileria lestoquardi、Theileria annulata 和 Theileria orientalis。此外，还从同一动物身上采集了硬蜱。用染色血涂片显微镜评估血液寄生虫的存在情况，并应用特异性 PCR 检测 Theileria 物种。此外，随后还对蜱进行了种特异性 PCR 检测。血涂片显微镜检查未发现红细胞内梨浆体的证据。种特异性诊断 PCR 显示，52.17%的绵羊血液样本对 T. ovis 呈阳性。此外，31.03%和 24.13%的牛血液样本对 T. annulata 和 T. orientalis 分别呈阳性。此外，在吉兰省鉴定出 3 种硬蜱，即 Rhipicephalus annulatus（58.47%）、Ixodes ricinus（29.82%）和 Haemaphysalis inermis（11.69%），而在马赞达兰省发现了 Hyalomma detritum（73.03%）和 Rhipicephalus sanguineus（26.92%）。此外，通过获得 122 只感染蜱的 tick-borne apicomplexan 寄生虫数据，35.24%、22.95%和 2.45%的蜱样本对 T. annulata、T. orientalis 和 T. ovis 呈阳性。种特异性 PCR 显示 H. inermis 和 R. annulatus 对 T. orientalis 呈阳性。此外，在 R. annulatus、H. inermis 和 H. detritum 中发现了 T. annulata。此外，T. ovis 是唯一在 R. sanguineus 中发现的 Theileria 物种。总之，结果表明，在里海南部滨海地区研究地区，牛的 T. annulata 感染较为普遍，绵羊的 ovine theileriosis 是唯一发现的 Theileria 物种。R. annulatus、H. inermis 和 H. detritum 是 T. annulata 的主要传播媒介，其次是 H. inermis 和 R. annulatus 用于 T. orientalis，而 R. sanguineus 则用于 T. ovis。
