Department of Veterinary Medicine, Sanandaj Branch, Islamic Azad University, Sanandaj, Iran.
National Reference Laboratory for Plague, Tularemia and Q Fever, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Akanlu, Kabudar Ahang, Hamadan, Iran; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Research Center for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
Res Vet Sci. 2023 Jun;159:44-56. doi: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2023.03.025. Epub 2023 Apr 3.
Tick-borne haemoparasite infections are a major challenge in small ruminant (SR) production across tropical areas. The present study evaluated the prevalence of Theileria, Babesia and Anaplasma in SRs and their tick vectors and estimated the association between pathogen prevalence with clinical hematological findings among SR populations in Kurdistan province, western Iran. In total, 250 blood samples and 250 tick species (one per animal) were collected from SR populations, along with clinical and hematological examinations. Microscopy of blood smears and molecular analysis were performed to detect potential infection with Theileria, Babesia and Anaplasma. Moreover, haemoparasites were explored in the isolated ticks using semi-nested PCR. Based on microscopy, the prevalence of Theileria, Anaplasma and Babesia infections was 91.2%, 23.2% and 2.4%, respectively. Semi-nested PCR analysis of blood samples demonstrated 86.8%, 78.8% and 14% prevalence for T. ovis, A. ovis and B. ovis, respectively. Dermacentor marginatus and Rhipicephalus turanicus were predominant isolated tick vectors from SR, while D. marginatus was the most contaminated tick in all investigated counties. There were, also, a statistically significant association between the estimated molecular prevalence rates with semi-yellow conjunctiva (A. ovis), body temperature (T. ovis and A. ovis), heart rate (T. ovis and B. ovis), mean white blood cell count (T. ovis and A. ovis), mean red blood cell count (T. ovis and B. ovis), as well as mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration in all haemoparasite infections. Future studies are recommended to reveal the epidemiology of such infections in SRs in Iran.
蜱传血液寄生虫感染是热带地区小反刍动物（SR）生产的主要挑战。本研究评估了库尔德斯坦省 SR 及其蜱传媒介中泰勒虫、巴贝虫和无形体的流行情况，并估计了病原体流行率与 SR 人群临床血液学发现之间的相关性。共从 SR 人群中采集了 250 份血液样本和 250 种蜱（每只动物一种），并进行了临床和血液学检查。通过显微镜检查血液涂片和分子分析来检测潜在的泰勒虫、巴贝虫和无形体感染。此外，还使用半巢式 PCR 检测分离的蜱中的血液寄生虫。根据显微镜检查，泰勒虫、无形体和巴贝虫感染的流行率分别为 91.2%、23.2%和 2.4%。血液样本的半巢式 PCR 分析显示，T.ovis、A.ovis 和 B.ovis 的流行率分别为 86.8%、78.8%和 14%。从 SR 分离的主要蜱传媒介为边缘革蜱和土耳其璃眼蜱，而在所有调查的县中，边缘革蜱是污染最严重的蜱。分子流行率与半黄色结膜（A.ovis）、体温（T.ovis 和 A.ovis）、心率（T.ovis 和 B.ovis）、平均白细胞计数（T.ovis 和 A.ovis）、平均红细胞计数（T.ovis 和 B.ovis）以及平均红细胞体积、平均红细胞血红蛋白和平均红细胞血红蛋白浓度之间也存在统计学显著关联。建议进行未来的研究，以揭示伊朗 SR 中此类感染的流行病学。
