Zoology Division, Institute of Pure and Applied Biology, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan.
Department of Emergency Medicine, Ditmanson Medical Foundation Chia-Yi Christian Hospital, Chiayi, Taiwan.
Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis. 2024 Oct;24(10):656-665. doi: 10.1089/vbz.2023.0118. Epub 2024 May 14.
spp. are responsible for ovine and caprine theileriosis, leading to significant morbidity and mortality in small ruminants. The present study aims to investigate spp. infections in small ruminants from Southern Punjab in Pakistan, and genetic characterize revealed spp. isolates. A total of 93 sheep and 107 goats were sampled between May and August 2022. Blood smears were examined microscopically, and PCR amplification targeting the 18S rRNA gene was performed to detect spp. Additionally, specific PCR assays targeting 18S rRNA and partial sequences were used to identify and , respectively. The prevalence of spp. was significantly higher using PCR (13.5%) compared to microscopic screening (5%). Sheep showed a higher prevalence rate (19.4%) compared to goats (8.4%) ( = 0.024). Young sheep aged ≤ 1 year were more commonly infected with spp. (41%) compared to older sheep ( = 0.006). The prevalence of spp. was higher in sheep-only herds (37.3%) compared to goat-only herds (18%) or mixed-species herds (8.1%) ( = 0.015). The prevalence rates of and were 9% and 2.5%, respectively, with four animals (2 goats and 2 sheep) showing co-infection. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that our 18S rRNA sequence clustered with previously reported sequences from sheep in Turkey, China, Spain, and goats in Tanzania. The obtained partial sequence formed a distinct cluster from other isolates in Pakistan and neighboring countries. spp. co-circulation in Pakistani small ruminants, particularly the presence of and , highlights the need for attention from animal health decision-makers due to their financial and health impacts.
spp. 是绵羊泰勒虫病和山羊泰勒虫病的病原体，可导致小反刍动物出现高发病率和死亡率。本研究旨在调查巴基斯坦旁遮普南部小反刍动物中 spp. 的感染情况，并对 spp. 分离株进行遗传特征分析。2022 年 5 月至 8 月期间，共采集了 93 只绵羊和 107 只山羊的血液样本。血涂片经显微镜检查，采用针对 18S rRNA 基因的 PCR 扩增来检测 spp.。此外，还使用针对 18S rRNA 和 部分序列的特异性 PCR 检测方法来分别鉴定 和 。与显微镜筛选（5%）相比，PCR 检测 spp. 的阳性率（13.5%）显著更高。绵羊的感染率（19.4%）高于山羊（8.4%）（ = 0.024）。年龄≤1 岁的幼羊感染 spp. 的比例（41%）高于成年羊（ = 0.006）。绵羊单养场（37.3%）的 spp. 感染率高于山羊单养场（18%）或混养场（8.1%）（ = 0.015）。 和 的感染率分别为 9%和 2.5%，有 4 只动物（2 只山羊和 2 只绵羊）同时感染这两种病原体。系统进化分析显示，我们获得的 18S rRNA 序列与来自土耳其、中国、西班牙绵羊和坦桑尼亚山羊的先前报道序列聚为一簇。获得的 部分序列与巴基斯坦和邻国的其他 分离株形成了一个独特的聚类。 spp. 在巴基斯坦小反刍动物中共同流行，特别是 和 的存在，凸显了动物卫生决策者对其经济和健康影响的关注必要性。
