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Addo SO, Amoah S, Unicorn NM, Kyeremateng ET, Desewu G, Obuam PK, Malm ROT, Osei-Frempong E, Torto FA, Accorlor SK, Baidoo PK, Dadzie SK, Larbi JA. Molecular Detection of Tick-Borne Pathogens in Kumasi: With a First Report of Zoonotic Pathogens in Abattoir Workers. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2024; 2024:4848451. [PMID: 39035771 PMCID: PMC11260511 DOI: 10.1155/2024/4848451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Revised: 05/20/2024] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
Tick-borne pathogens continue to infect humans and animals worldwide. By adapting to the movement of livestock, ticks facilitate the spread of these infectious pathogens. Humans in close contact with animals that could be amplifying hosts are especially at risk of being infected with tick-borne pathogens. This study involved the collection of dry blood spots (DBSs) to determine tick-borne pathogens occurring in slaughtered livestock and abattoir workers in Kumasi. This study employed the use of conventional PCR, RT-PCR, and Sanger sequencing to detect and identify the tick-borne pathogens. The resulting data was analysed using Stata version 13. A total of 175 DBSs were collected from goats (76), cattle (54), and sheep (45) in the Kumasi abattoir (130, 74.29%) and Akwatia Line slaughter slab (45, 25.71%). The pathogens identified were mostly bacterial including Anaplasma capra (9.71%), Anaplasma phagocytophilum (1.14%), and Rickettsia aeschlimannii (0.57.%). The only parasite identified was Theileria ovis (9.14%). A significant association was seen between A. capra (p < 0.001) infection and female sheep sampled from the Akwatia Line slaughter slab. Again, there was a significant association between T. ovis (p < 0.001) infections and female sheep from the Kumasi abattoir. From the human DBS (63) screened, the pathogens identified were all bacterial including Coxiella burnetii (1.89%), Rickettsia africae (1.89%), and R. aeschlimannii (1.89%). This study reports the first detection of R. aeschlimannii in livestock as well as the occurrence of the above-mentioned pathogens in humans in Ghana. Animals can serve as amplifying hosts for infectious pathogens; hence, there is an increased risk of infections among the abattoir workers. Continuous surveillance effort is essential, and abattoir workers need to protect themselves from tick bites and infectious tick-borne pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seth Offei Addo
- Parasitology DepartmentNoguchi Memorial Institute for Medical ResearchUniversity of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
- Department of Theoretical and Applied BiologyCollege of ScienceKNUST, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Stacy Amoah
- Department of Theoretical and Applied BiologyCollege of ScienceKNUST, Kumasi, Ghana
| | | | | | - Genevieve Desewu
- Department of Theoretical and Applied BiologyCollege of ScienceKNUST, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Patrick Kwasi Obuam
- School of Public HealthKwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Richard Odoi-Teye Malm
- Parasitology DepartmentNoguchi Memorial Institute for Medical ResearchUniversity of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Emmanuel Osei-Frempong
- Parasitology DepartmentNoguchi Memorial Institute for Medical ResearchUniversity of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Francisca Adai Torto
- Parasitology DepartmentNoguchi Memorial Institute for Medical ResearchUniversity of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Stephen Kwabena Accorlor
- Parasitology DepartmentNoguchi Memorial Institute for Medical ResearchUniversity of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Philip Kweku Baidoo
- Department of Theoretical and Applied BiologyCollege of ScienceKNUST, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Samuel K. Dadzie
- Parasitology DepartmentNoguchi Memorial Institute for Medical ResearchUniversity of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - John Asiedu Larbi
- Department of Theoretical and Applied BiologyCollege of ScienceKNUST, Kumasi, Ghana
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2
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Barradas PF, Marques J, Tavares C, Brito NV, Mesquita JR. Detection of tick-borne pathogens in Rhipicephalus bursa ticks collected from the autochthonous Garrano breed of horses in Portugal. Vet Parasitol Reg Stud Reports 2024; 51:101033. [PMID: 38772649 DOI: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2024.101033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Revised: 04/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024]
Abstract
The Garrano is a semi-feral horse breed native to several mountains in the northern Iberian Peninsula. Despite being endangered, this unique breed of pony has managed to survive in the wild and continues to be selectively bred, highlighting their remarkable resilience and adaptability to harsh environments. Wildlife plays a critical role in the survival of tick vectors in their natural habitats and the transfer of tick-borne pathogens, as they can serve as reservoir hosts for many agents and amplifiers for these vectors. The semi-feral lifestyle of the Garrano horses makes them particularly vulnerable to exposure to numerous tick species throughout the year. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence of Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, Babesia, Theileria, and spotted fever rickettsiae in the Garrano horse ticks to obtain a knowledge of circulating agents in this host population. The collected ticks (n = 455) were identified as Rhipicephalus bursa. DNA specimens were organized in pools of 5 ticks, for molecular screening. Pools PCR results confirmed the presence of Candidatus Rickettsia barbariae (n = 12 for the ompB gene, n = 11 for the ompA gene and n = 6 for the gltA gene), Babesia bigemina (n = 1), Babesia caballi (n = 3), Theileria equi (n = 15) and Theileria haneyi (n = 1).These results confirm the circulation of an emerging rickettsial spotted fever group member, Candidatus R. barbariae, in R. bursa ticks. Our findings demonstrated that Candidatus R. barbariae co-circulates with B. bigemina and T. equi, which are vectored by R. bursa. We are reporting for the first time, the detection of T. haneyi among R. bursa ticks feeding in the Garrano horses in Portugal. Surveillance studies for tick-borne infections are essential to provide information that can facilitate the implementation of preventive and control strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrícia F Barradas
- EPIUnit - Instituto de Saúde Pública, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal; Laboratório para a Investigação Integrativa e Translacional em Saúde Populacional (ITR), Porto, Portugal; 1H -TOXRUN - One Health Toxicology Research Unit, University Institute of Health Sciences, CESPU, CRL, 4585-116 Gandra, Portugal.
| | - João Marques
- Nanta Portugal, 2615-180 Alverca do Ribatejo, Portugal
| | - Catarina Tavares
- 1H -TOXRUN - One Health Toxicology Research Unit, University Institute of Health Sciences, CESPU, CRL, 4585-116 Gandra, Portugal; i3S-Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal; Instituto de Patologia e Imunologia Molecular da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Nuno Vieira Brito
- 1H -TOXRUN - One Health Toxicology Research Unit, University Institute of Health Sciences, CESPU, CRL, 4585-116 Gandra, Portugal
| | - João R Mesquita
- EPIUnit - Instituto de Saúde Pública, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal; Laboratório para a Investigação Integrativa e Translacional em Saúde Populacional (ITR), Porto, Portugal; ICBAS-School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Porto University, Porto, Portugal
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3
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Kim HJ, Han B, Lee HI, Ju JW, Shin HI. Current Status of Trypanosoma grosi and Babesia microti in Small Mammals in the Republic of Korea. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:989. [PMID: 38612228 PMCID: PMC11010837 DOI: 10.3390/ani14070989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2024] [Revised: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Small mammals, such as rodents and shrews, are natural reservoir hosts of zoonotic diseases, including parasitic protozoa. To assess the risk of rodent-borne parasitic protozoa in the Republic of Korea (ROK), this study investigated the status of parasitic protozoa, namely Trypanosoma, Babesia, and Theileria, in small mammals. In total, 331 blood samples from small mammals were analyzed for parasites using PCR and sequenced. Samples were positive for Trypanosoma grosi (23.9%; n = 79) and Babesia microti (10%; n = 33) but not Theileria. Small mammals from Seogwipo-si showed the highest infection rate of T. grosi (48.4%), while the highest B. microti infection rate was observed in those from Gangneung-si (25.6%). Sequence data revealed T. grosi to be of the AKHA strain. Phylogenetic analysis of B. microti revealed the US and Kobe genotypes. B. microti US-type-infected small mammals were detected throughout the country, but the Kobe type was only detected in Seogwipo-si. To our knowledge, this is the first nationwide survey that confirmed T. grosi and B. microti infections at the species level in small mammals in the ROK and identified the Kobe type of B. microti. These results provide valuable information for further molecular epidemiological studies on these parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Hyun-Il Shin
- Division of Vectors and Parasitic Diseases, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, 187 Osongsaenmyeong 2-ro, Osong-eup, Heungdeok-gu, Cheongju 28159, Republic of Korea; (H.J.K.); (B.H.); (H.-I.L.); (J.-W.J.)
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4
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Kumar Jha R, Rohilla K, Jain S, Parganiha D, Kumar S. Blue-Light Irradiated Mn(0)-Catalyzed Hydroxylation and C(sp 3 )-H Functionalization of Unactivated Alkanes with C(sp 2 )-H Bonds of Quinones for Alkylated Hydroxy Quinones and Parvaquone. Chemistry 2024; 30:e202303537. [PMID: 37991931 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202303537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
Site-selective C(sp3 )-H functionalization of unreactive hydrocarbons is always challenging due to its inherited chemical inertness, slightly different reactivity of various C-H bonds, and intrinsically high bond dissociation energies. Here, a site-selective C-H alkylation of naphthoquinone with unactivated hydrocarbons using Mn2 (CO)10 as a catalyst under blue-light (457 nm) irradiation without any external acid or base and pre-functionalization is presented. The selective C-H functionalization of tertiary over secondary and secondary over primary C(sp3 )-H bonds in abundant chemical feedstocks was achieved, and hydroxylation of quinones was realized in situ by employing the developed methodology. This protocol provides a new catalytic system for the direct construction of high-value-added compounds, namely, parvaquone (a commercially available drug used to treat theileriosis) and its derivatives under ambient reaction conditions. Moreover, this operationally simple protocol applies to various linear-, branched-, and cyclo-alkanes with high degrees of site selectivity under blue-light irradiated conditions and could provide rapid and straightforward access to versatile methodologies for upgrading feedstock chemicals. Mechanistic insight by radical trapping, radical scavenging, EPR, and other controlled experiments well corroborated with DFT studies suggest that the reaction proceeds by a radical pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raushan Kumar Jha
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal, Bhopal By-pass Road, Bhauri, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, 462066, India
| | - Komal Rohilla
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal, Bhopal By-pass Road, Bhauri, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, 462066, India
| | - Saket Jain
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal, Bhopal By-pass Road, Bhauri, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, 462066, India
| | - Devendra Parganiha
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal, Bhopal By-pass Road, Bhauri, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, 462066, India
| | - Sangit Kumar
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal, Bhopal By-pass Road, Bhauri, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, 462066, India
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5
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Elati K, Tajeri S, Mugo RM, Obara I, Darghouth MA, Zweygarth E, Nijhof AM. In vitro infection of bovine erythrocytes with Theileria annulata merozoites as a key step in completing the T. annulata life cycle in vitro. Sci Rep 2024; 14:3647. [PMID: 38351295 PMCID: PMC10864261 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-54327-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Theileria annulata is a protozoan parasite with a complex life cycle involving a bovine host and a tick vector. It is transmitted by Hyalomma ticks and is the causative agent of tropical theileriosis, a debilitating and often fatal disease in southern Europe, northern Africa and large parts of Asia. Understanding the biology of different life cycle stages is critical for the control of tropical theileriosis and requires the use of experimental animals which poses an ethical concern. We present for the first time the in vitro infection of red blood cells (RBCs) with T. annulata differentiated schizonts. The Ankara cell line of T. annulata was cultured at 41 °C for nine days to induce merogony and subsequently incubated with purified RBCs for one to three days. Percentage of parasitized erythrocyte (PPE) over the short culture period was estimated by Giemsa staining (0.007-0.01%), Flow cytometry activated sorting (FACS) (0.02-1.1%) and observation of FACS sorted cells by confocal microscopy (0.05-0.4%). There was a significant difference in the PPE between FACS and the two other techniques (one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey test, P = 0.004) but no significant difference was observed between the confocal imaging and Giemsa staining methods (ANOVA one-way followed by Tukey test, P = 0.06). Importantly, all three complementary methods confirmed the invasion of RBCs by T. annulata merozoites in vitro. Although the experimental conditions will require further optimization to increase the PPE, the in vitro infection of RBCs by T. annulata merozoites is pivotal in paving the way for the eventual completion of the T. annulata life cycle in vitro when combined with artificial tick feeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khawla Elati
- Institute of Parasitology and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Robert-Von-Ostertag-Str. 7, 14163, Berlin, Germany.
- Veterinary Centre for Resistance Research, Freie Universität Berlin, Robert-Von-Ostertag-Str. 8, 14163, Berlin, Germany.
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie, École Nationale de Médecine Vétérinaire de Sidi Thabet, Institution de la Recherche et de l'Enseignement Supérieur Agricoles, Université de la Manouba, 2020, Sidi Thabet, Tunisia.
| | - Shahin Tajeri
- Institute of Parasitology and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Robert-Von-Ostertag-Str. 7, 14163, Berlin, Germany
- Veterinary Centre for Resistance Research, Freie Universität Berlin, Robert-Von-Ostertag-Str. 8, 14163, Berlin, Germany
| | - Robert M Mugo
- Institute of Immunology, Center for Infection Medicine, Freie Universtät Berlin, 14163, Berlin, Germany
| | - Isaiah Obara
- Institute of Parasitology and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Robert-Von-Ostertag-Str. 7, 14163, Berlin, Germany
- Veterinary Centre for Resistance Research, Freie Universität Berlin, Robert-Von-Ostertag-Str. 8, 14163, Berlin, Germany
| | - Mohamed Aziz Darghouth
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie, École Nationale de Médecine Vétérinaire de Sidi Thabet, Institution de la Recherche et de l'Enseignement Supérieur Agricoles, Université de la Manouba, 2020, Sidi Thabet, Tunisia
| | - Erich Zweygarth
- Institute of Parasitology and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Robert-Von-Ostertag-Str. 7, 14163, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Ard Menzo Nijhof
- Institute of Parasitology and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Robert-Von-Ostertag-Str. 7, 14163, Berlin, Germany.
- Veterinary Centre for Resistance Research, Freie Universität Berlin, Robert-Von-Ostertag-Str. 8, 14163, Berlin, Germany.
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6
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Nehra AK, Moudgil AD, Kumari A, Kumar V, Vohra S. Population genetic characterization of Theileria annulata based on the cytochrome b gene, with genetic insights into buparvaquone susceptibility in Haryana (India). Acta Trop 2024; 250:107103. [PMID: 38135132 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2023.107103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
The present investigation was aimed at population genetic characterization of Theileria annulata on the basis of the cytochrome b (cyt b) gene along with the evaluation of status of buparvaquone resistance in Haryana (India). The sequences originating from China, Egypt, India, Iran, Iraq, Tunisia, Turkey and Sudan were included in the analysis. The maximum likelihood tree based on the Tamura-Nei (TN93+G) model placed all the sequences of T. annulata into a single clade. The median-joining haplotype network exemplified geographical clustering between T. annulata haplotypes originating from each country. Only five haplotypes (7.81 %) were shared between any two countries, while the remaining 59 haplotypes (92.19 %) were singleton and unique to one country. The values of pairwise genetic distance (FST) between all the populations indicated huge genetic differentiation (> 0.25) between different T. annulata populations, barring the FST value between Iraq and Turkey (0.14454) which suggested a moderate differentiation. Contrary to the FST index, the values of gene flow (Nm) between T. annulata populations were very low. The neutrality indices and mismatch distributions indicated a population expansion in the Indian T. annulata population. Furthermore, the secondary structure and homology modeling of the partial cyt b protein is also reported. The molecular analysis of newly generated sequences for buparvaquone resistance revealed that all the isolates were susceptible to buparvaquone treatment. However, two novel mutations at positions V203I and V219I in between the Q01 and Q02 drug-binding regions of the cyt b gene were observed for the first time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anil Kumar Nehra
- Department of Veterinary Parasitology, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar, Haryana 125004, India.
| | - Aman Dev Moudgil
- Department of Veterinary Parasitology, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar, Haryana 125004, India.
| | - Ansu Kumari
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar, Haryana 125004, India.
| | - Vijay Kumar
- Department of Veterinary Parasitology, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar, Haryana 125004, India
| | - Sukhdeep Vohra
- Department of Veterinary Parasitology, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar, Haryana 125004, India
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7
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Huggins LG, Colella V, Young ND, Traub RJ. Metabarcoding using nanopore long-read sequencing for the unbiased characterization of apicomplexan haemoparasites. Mol Ecol Resour 2024; 24:e13878. [PMID: 37837372 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/16/2023]
Abstract
Apicomplexan haemoparasites generate significant morbidity and mortality in humans and other animals, particularly in many low-to-middle income countries. Malaria caused by Plasmodium remains responsible for some of the highest numbers of annual deaths of any human pathogen, whilst piroplasmids, such as Babesia and Theileria can have immense negative economic effects through livestock loss. Diagnosing haemoparasites via traditional methods like microscopy is challenging due to low-level and transient parasitaemia. PCR-based diagnostics overcome these limitations by being both highly sensitive and specific, but they may be unable to accurately detect coinfections or identify novel species. In contrast, next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based methods can characterize all pathogens from a group of interest concurrently, although, the short-read platforms previously used have been limited in the taxonomic resolution achievable. Here, we used Oxford Nanopore Technologies' (ONT) long-read MinION™ sequencer to conduct apicomplexan haemoparasite metabarcoding via sequencing the near full-length 18S ribosomal RNA gene, demonstrating its ability to detect Babesia, Hepatozoon, Neospora, Plasmodium, Theileria and Toxoplasma species. This method was tested on blood-extracted DNA from 100 dogs and the results benchmarked against qPCR and Illumina-based metabarcoding. For two common haemoparasites, nanopore sequencing performed as well as qPCR (kappa agreement statistics > 0.98), whilst also detecting one pathogen, Hepatozoon felis, missed by the other techniques. The long-reads obtained by nanopore sequencing provide an improved species-level taxonomic resolution whilst the method's broad applicability mean it can be used to explore apicomplexan communities from diverse mammalian hosts, on a portable sequencer that easily permits adaptation to field use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas G Huggins
- Melbourne Veterinary School, Faculty of Science, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Vito Colella
- Melbourne Veterinary School, Faculty of Science, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Neil D Young
- Melbourne Veterinary School, Faculty of Science, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Rebecca J Traub
- Melbourne Veterinary School, Faculty of Science, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
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8
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Chamuah JK, Jacob SS, Ezung L, Awomi L, Aier I, Kumar H, Goswami P, Lalzampuia H, Khate K, Vupru K, Singh M, Hanah SS, Shivanagowda GP. First report of Ikeda genotype of Theileria orientalis in Mithun (Bos frontalis) from northeastern hilly region of India. Parasitol Res 2023; 123:36. [PMID: 38086995 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-023-08047-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
Oriental theileriosis caused by Theileria orientalis, previously considered a benign disease, is posing a significant threat to the livestock industry across the globe. To elucidate the prevalence of Theileria orientalis in ticks and their host, the Mithun, a comprehensive study was undertaken in the two northeastern states of India, viz. Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh. A total of 340 of Rhipicephalus microplus ticks and 25 Ambylomma sp. ticks were screened for the presence of Theileria orientalis through PCR. Among the R. microplus ticks examined, 25 of them tested positive for T. orientalis infection whereas none of the Amblyomma ticks was positive. Additionally, a total of 275 blood samples were collected from Mithun from Arunachal and Nagaland and 31 animals were found to be positive for T. orientalis infection. Notably, six positive cases were identified in Porba (Phek district), six in Tening, and one in Bamsiakilwa village (Peren district) of Nagaland. Moreover, out of the 41 animals examined at Medziphema farms, Nagaland, 18 were found to be positive for T. orientalis infection. Moreover, the phylogenetic investigation has unveiled the presence of the highly pathogenic Type 2 (Ikeda) T. orientalis genotype in Mithun, supported by a strong bootstrap value of 100%. This study marks the initial documentation of oriental theileriosis in mithun. It underscores the need for vigilant monitoring and active surveillance of mithun populations in the northeastern states of India. Timely treatment of infected animals is imperative to avert economic losses for the farmers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Siju Susan Jacob
- ICAR-National Institute of Veterinary Epidemiology and Disease Investigation, Bangalore, India
| | | | - Livika Awomi
- ICAR-NRC On Mithun, Medziphema, Nagaland, 797106, India
| | | | - Harshit Kumar
- ICAR-NRC On Mithun, Medziphema, Nagaland, 797106, India
| | | | | | - Kobu Khate
- ICAR-NRC On Mithun, Medziphema, Nagaland, 797106, India
| | | | - Mahak Singh
- ICAR-Research Complex for NEH Region, Nagaland Centre, Dipamur, India
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9
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Steketee PC, Paxton E, Barrett MP, Pearce MC, Connelley TK, Morrison LJ. Anti-parasitic benzoxaboroles are ineffective against Theileria parva in vitro. Int J Parasitol Drugs Drug Resist 2023; 23:71-77. [PMID: 37866107 PMCID: PMC10623109 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpddr.2023.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
East Coast Fever (ECF) is a disease affecting cattle in sub-Saharan Africa, caused by the tick-borne Apicomplexan pathogen Theileria parva. The disease is a major problem for cattle farmers in affected regions and there are few methods of control, including a complex infection and treatment vaccine, expensive chemotherapy, and the more widespread tick control through acaricides. New intervention strategies are, therefore, sorely needed. Benzoxaboroles are a versatile class of boron-heterocyclic compounds with demonstrable pharmacological activity against a diverse group of pathogens, including those related to T. parva. In this study, the in vitro efficacy of three benzoxaboroles against the intracellular schizont stage of T. parva was investigated using a flow cytometry approach. Of the benzoxaboroles tested, only one showed any potency, albeit only at high concentrations, even though there is high protein sequence similarity in the CPSF3 protein target compared to other protozoan pathogen species. This finding suggests that benzoxaboroles currently of interest for the treatment of African animal trypanosomiasis, toxoplasmosis, cryptosporidiosis and malaria may not be suitable for the treatment of ECF. We conclude that testing of further benzoxaborole compounds is needed to fully determine whether any lead compounds can be identified to target T. parva.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pieter C Steketee
- The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Edith Paxton
- The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Michael P Barrett
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, School of Infection and Immunity, College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8TA, UK
| | - Michael C Pearce
- Global Alliance for Livestock Medicines, Doherty Building, Pentlands Science Park, Edinburgh, EH26 0PZ, UK
| | - Timothy K Connelley
- The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Liam J Morrison
- The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, UK.
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10
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Addo SO, Bentil RE, Baako BOA, Addae CA, Behene E, Asoala V, Mate S, Oduro D, Dunford JC, Larbi JA, Baidoo PK, Wilson MD, Diclaro JW, Dadzie SK. First record of Babesia and Theileria parasites in ticks from Kassena-Nankana, Ghana. MEDICAL AND VETERINARY ENTOMOLOGY 2023; 37:878-882. [PMID: 37589253 DOI: 10.1111/mve.12688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Abstract
Ticks are efficient vectors for transmitting pathogens that negatively affect livestock production and pose a risk to public health. In this study, Babesia and Theileria species were identified in ticks collected from cattle, sheep and goats from the Kassena-Nankana Districts of Ghana between February and December 2020. A total of 1550 ticks were collected, morphologically identified, pooled and screened for pathogens using primers that amplify a 560 bp fragment of the ssrRNA gene and Sanger sequencing. Amblyomma variegatum (62.98%) was the predominant tick species. From the 491 tick pools screened, 12/15 (2.44%) positive pools were successfully sequenced. The pathogen DNA identified were Theileria ovis in eight (15.38%) pools of Rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi, Theileria velifera in two (0.78%) pools of A. variegatum and Babesia occultans and Babesia sp. Xinjiang in one (1.72%) pool each of Hyalomma truncatum. It was further observed that T. ovis occurred in ticks collected from only sheep (p < 0.001) which were females (p = 0.023) and < =1 year old (p = 0.040). This study reports the first identification of these pathogens in ticks within Kassena-Nankana. With the constant trade of livestock, there is a need for effective tick control measures to prevent infection spread.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seth Offei Addo
- Parasitology Department, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
- Department of Theoretical and Applied Biology, College of Science, KNUST, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Ronald Essah Bentil
- Parasitology Department, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | | | - Charlotte Adwoa Addae
- Parasitology Department, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Eric Behene
- Parasitology Department, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | | | - Suzanne Mate
- U.S. Army Emerging Infectious Diseases Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Daniel Oduro
- Department of Animal Biology and Conservation Science, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
- Immunology Department, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - James C Dunford
- Navy Entomology Center of Excellence, Jacksonville, Florida, USA
- Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - John Asiedu Larbi
- Department of Theoretical and Applied Biology, College of Science, KNUST, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Philip Kweku Baidoo
- Department of Theoretical and Applied Biology, College of Science, KNUST, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Michael David Wilson
- Parasitology Department, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Joseph W Diclaro
- Navy Entomology Center of Excellence, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Detachment, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Samuel K Dadzie
- Parasitology Department, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
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11
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Zhyldyz A, Aitakin K, Atabek B, Elmurat J, Rysbek N, Jailobek O, Ahedor B, Otgonsuren D, Mumbi NNM, Guswanto A, Sivakumar T, Yokoyama N. An epidemiological survey of vector-borne pathogens infecting cattle in Kyrgyzstan. Parasitol Int 2023; 97:102791. [PMID: 37544641 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2023.102791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Cattle production is a major contributor to the national economy of Kyrgyzstan. Most cattle in Kyrgyzstan are managed via extensive systems and graze in communal pastures. As a result, infestations with ectoparasites are widespread, implying that various vector-borne diseases might be common in cattle. However, methods to control such infectious diseases are not available in Kyrgyzstan because the epidemiology of vector-borne pathogens (VBPs) infecting cattle remains unclear. The present study was therefore designed to survey Kyrgyz cattle for VBPs. We prepared blood DNA samples from 319 cattle in Kyrgyzstan and screened them with specific PCR assays for detecting Babesia bovis, Babesia bigemina, Babesia naoakii, Theileria annulata, Theileria orientalis, Trypanosoma evansi, Trypanosoma theileri, and Anaplasma marginale infections. Our findings indicated that the surveyed cattle were infected with six of the eight pathogens targeted, with the exceptions being B. naoakii and Try. evansi. The most common pathogen was T. orientalis (84.3%), followed by B. bigemina (47.6%), T. annulata (16.6%), A. marginale (11.6%), Try. theileri (7.2%), and B. bovis (2.5%). Additional screening of the B. bovis- and B. bigemina-negative samples with a Babesia genus-specific 18S rRNA PCR identified two positive samples, and sequencing analysis confirmed that each of them was infected with either Babesia major or Babesia occultans. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of B. bovis, B. bigemina, B. occultans, Try. theileri, and A. marginale infections in cattle in Kyrgyzstan. Our findings suggest that cattle in Kyrgyzstan are at high risk of infectious diseases caused by VBPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atambekova Zhyldyz
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-Cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan; Kyrgyz Research Institute of Veterinary Named After A. Duisheev, Togolok Moldo Str. 60, Bishkek 720033, Kyrgyzstan
| | - Kamarli Aitakin
- Kyrgyz Research Institute of Veterinary Named After A. Duisheev, Togolok Moldo Str. 60, Bishkek 720033, Kyrgyzstan
| | - Berdikulov Atabek
- Kyrgyz Research Institute of Veterinary Named After A. Duisheev, Togolok Moldo Str. 60, Bishkek 720033, Kyrgyzstan
| | - Jetigenov Elmurat
- Kyrgyz National Agrarian University Named After. K.I. Scryabin, Mederova Str. 68, Bishkek 720005, Kyrgyzstan
| | - Nurgaziev Rysbek
- Kyrgyz National Agrarian University Named After. K.I. Scryabin, Mederova Str. 68, Bishkek 720005, Kyrgyzstan
| | - Orozov Jailobek
- Kyrgyz Research Institute of Veterinary Named After A. Duisheev, Togolok Moldo Str. 60, Bishkek 720033, Kyrgyzstan
| | - Believe Ahedor
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-Cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan
| | - Davaajav Otgonsuren
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-Cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan
| | - Ngigi Noel Muthoni Mumbi
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-Cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan
| | - Azirwan Guswanto
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-Cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan
| | - Thillaiampalam Sivakumar
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-Cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan
| | - Naoaki Yokoyama
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-Cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan; WOAH Reference Laboratories for Bovine Babesiosis and Equine Piroplasmosis, National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan.
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12
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Chung CU, Lee H, Seo MG, Lee SH, Kim KT, Nazim K, Song JS, Bae DH, Rhee MH, Kwon OD, Kwak D. Molecular Detection and Genotyping of Theileria spp. in Deer (Cervidae) in Korea. Microorganisms 2023; 11:2740. [PMID: 38004751 PMCID: PMC10673458 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11112740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Major clinical symptoms of Theileria infection include fever, anemia, anorexia, jaundice, and decreased milk production. Although several studies have been conducted on tick-borne pathogens, including Theileria in Korea, only a few have focused on Theileria infection in deer, including the Korean water deer. Blood samples from 160 deer were collected and subjected to DNA extraction and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Next, PCR-positive samples were sequenced and analyzed by constructing a phylogenetic tree. The results showed that the overall infection rate of Theileria was 8.1% (13/160). Infection rates of 100% were observed in the northern and southern regions. However, the study's limitation was its small sample size, wherein five and one samples were analyzed from the northern and southern regions, respectively. The central region exhibited the lowest infection rate of 2.9% (4/140). Infection rates also differed based on seasons, with the highest (18.4%, 9/49) being observed in spring, followed by that in summer (8.9%, 4/45). However, no infection was observed during autumn and winter. A phylogenetic analysis indicated that the PCR-positive samples contained Theileria luwenshuni, which usually infects small ruminants, such as goats and sheep.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang Uk Chung
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Daegu, Republic of Korea; (C.U.C.); (M.-G.S.); (K.-T.K.); (M.H.R.); (O.-D.K.)
- Wild Animal Rescue Center, Andong 36605, Gyeongbuk, Republic of Korea
| | - Haeseung Lee
- Veterinary Epidemiology Division, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, Gimcheon 39660, Gyeongbuk, Republic of Korea;
| | - Min-Goo Seo
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Daegu, Republic of Korea; (C.U.C.); (M.-G.S.); (K.-T.K.); (M.H.R.); (O.-D.K.)
| | - Seung-Hun Lee
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 28644, Chungbuk, Republic of Korea;
| | - Kyoo-Tae Kim
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Daegu, Republic of Korea; (C.U.C.); (M.-G.S.); (K.-T.K.); (M.H.R.); (O.-D.K.)
| | - Kaifa Nazim
- Department of Veterinary Parasitology, Khalsa College of Veterinary & Animal Sciences, Amritsar 143002, Punjab, India;
| | - Jung-Sun Song
- Department of Veterinary Nursing Science, Yeungjin University, Daegu 41527, Daegu, Republic of Korea; (J.-S.S.); (D.H.B.)
| | - Dong Hwa Bae
- Department of Veterinary Nursing Science, Yeungjin University, Daegu 41527, Daegu, Republic of Korea; (J.-S.S.); (D.H.B.)
| | - Man Hee Rhee
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Daegu, Republic of Korea; (C.U.C.); (M.-G.S.); (K.-T.K.); (M.H.R.); (O.-D.K.)
| | - Oh-Deog Kwon
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Daegu, Republic of Korea; (C.U.C.); (M.-G.S.); (K.-T.K.); (M.H.R.); (O.-D.K.)
| | - Dongmi Kwak
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Daegu, Republic of Korea; (C.U.C.); (M.-G.S.); (K.-T.K.); (M.H.R.); (O.-D.K.)
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41944, Daegu, Republic of Korea
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13
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Gupta A, Laha JK. Growing Utilization of Radical Chemistry in the Synthesis of Pharmaceuticals. CHEM REC 2023; 23:e202300207. [PMID: 37565381 DOI: 10.1002/tcr.202300207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
Our current unhealthy lifestyle and the exponential surge in the population getting affected by a variety of diseases have made pharmaceuticals or drugs an imperative part of life, making the development of innovative strategies for drug discovery or the introduction of refined, cost-effective and modern technologies for the synthesis of clinically used drugs, a need of the hour. Ever since their discovery, free radicals and radical cations or anions as reactive intermediates have captivated the chemists, resulting in an exceptional utilization of these moieties throughout the field of chemical synthesis, owing to their unprecedented and widespread reactivity. Sticking with the idea of not judging the book by its cover, despite the conventional thought process of radicals being unstable and difficult to control entities, scientists and academicians around the globe have done an appreciable amount of work utilizing both persistent as well as transient radicals for a variety of organic transformations, exemplifying them with the synthesis of significant biologically active pharmaceutical ingredients. This review truly accounts for the organic radical transformations including radical addition, radical cascade cyclization, radical/radical cross-coupling, coupling with metal-complexes and radical cations coupling with nucleophiles, that offers fascinating and unconventional approaches towards the construction of intricate structural frameworks of marketed APIs with high atom- and step-economy; complementing the otherwise employed traditional methods. This tutorial review presents a comprehensive package of diverse methods utilized for radical generation, featuring their reactivity to form critical bonds in pharmaceutical total synthesis or in building key starting materials or intermediates of their synthetic journey, acknowledging their excellence, downsides and underlying mechanisms, which are otherwise poorly highlighted in the literature. Despite great achievements over the past few decades in this area, many challenges and obstacles are yet to be unraveled to shorten the distance between the academics and the industry, which are all discussed in summary and outlook.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anjali Gupta
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology (Process Chemistry), National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education & Research (NIPER) S.A.S. Nagar, Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar, Mohali, 160062, India
| | - Joydev K Laha
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology (Process Chemistry), National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education & Research (NIPER) S.A.S. Nagar, Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar, Mohali, 160062, India
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14
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Paliwal S, Shanker D, Sudan V, Singh SK. Comprehensive genetic diversity and molecular evolutionary analysis of Theileria annulata isolates based on TAMS 1 gene. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2023; 14:102241. [PMID: 37633222 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023]
Abstract
Molecular epidemiological studies related to the phylogenetic characterization of Theileria annulata are important in delineating the evolutionary history of the parasite. In the current study, the Theileria annulata (T. annulata) merozoite surface antigen 1 (TAMS 1) gene from 14 bovine isolates of T. annulata originating from semi-arid zone of northern India were amplified and sequenced. TAMS 1 gene sequences (n= 337) reported from 16 countries were subsequently analyzed for haplotype network along with genetic diversity. A total of five haplotypes out of the 14 sequenced isolates and 92 haplotypes out of 337 worldwide sequences are documented in this study. Phylogenetic and molecular evolutionary analyses based on TAMS 1 gene sequences showed that T. annulata is dissipated across different countries and numerous strains are closely linked, even though they belong to different geographical locations. The nucleotide homology between 14 isolates from northern India varied between 91.3 and 100%, whereas it was between 31.5 and 100% when sequences across the globe were compared. Haplotype 14 was recognized as most widely distributed haplotype, with 46 isolates circulating in 10 countries. Globally, negligible genetic distance (FST˂0.15) and very high gene flow (Nm˃1) was found in the five populations of the world (South Asia, East Asia, West Asia, Europe and Africa), supporting the absence of clearly defined subgroups in the phylogenetic analysis. Significant negative values of neutrality tests; Tajima's D (D) and Fu and Li's F (F) provided evidence for recent population expansion through positive selection of advantageous variations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanjhi Paliwal
- College of Biotechnology, U. P. Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Pashu Chikitsa Vigyan Vishwavidyalaya Evam Go Anusandhan Sansthan (DUVASU), Mathura 281001, India.
| | - Daya Shanker
- Department of Parasitology, U. P. Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Pashu Chikitsa Vigyan Vishwavidyalaya Evam Go Anusandhan Sansthan (DUVASU), Mathura 281001, India
| | - Vikrant Sudan
- Department of Parasitology, U. P. Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Pashu Chikitsa Vigyan Vishwavidyalaya Evam Go Anusandhan Sansthan (DUVASU), Mathura 281001, India
| | - Shanker Kumar Singh
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, U. P. Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Pashu Chikitsa Vigyan Vishwavidyalaya Evam Go Anusandhan Sansthan (DUVASU), Mathura 281001, India
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15
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Elati K, Tajeri S, Obara I, Mhadhbi M, Zweygarth E, Darghouth MA, Nijhof AM. Dual RNA-seq to catalogue host and parasite gene expression changes associated with virulence of T. annulata-transformed bovine leukocytes: towards identification of attenuation biomarkers. Sci Rep 2023; 13:18202. [PMID: 37875584 PMCID: PMC10598219 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-45458-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The apicomplexan parasite Theileria annulata is transmitted by Hyalomma ticks and causes an acute lymphoproliferative disease that is invariably lethal in exotic cattle breeds. The unique ability of the schizont stage of T. annulata to transform infected leukocytes to a cancer-like phenotype and the simplicity of culturing and passaging T. annulata-transformed cells in vitro have been explored for live vaccine development by attenuating the transformed cells using lengthy serial propagation in vitro. The empirical in vivo evaluation of attenuation required for each batch of long-term cultured cells is a major constraint since it is resource intensive and raises ethical issues regarding animal welfare. As yet, the molecular mechanisms underlying attenuation are not well understood. Characteristic changes in gene expression brought about by attenuation are likely to aid in the identification of novel biomarkers for attenuation. We set out to undertake a comparative transcriptome analysis of attenuated (passage 296) and virulent (passage 26) bovine leukocytes infected with a Tunisian strain of T. annulata termed Beja. RNA-seq was used to analyse gene expression profiles and the relative expression levels of selected genes were verified by real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) analysis. Among the 3538 T. annulata genes analysed, 214 were significantly differentially expressed, of which 149 genes were up-regulated and 65 down-regulated. Functional annotation of differentially expressed T. annulata genes revealed four broad categories of metabolic pathways: carbon metabolism, oxidative phosphorylation, protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum and biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. It is interesting to note that of the top 40 genes that showed altered expression, 13 were predicted to contain a signal peptide and/or at least one transmembrane domain, suggesting possible involvement in host-parasite interaction. Of the 16,514 bovine transcripts, 284 and 277 showed up-regulated and down-regulated expression, respectively. These were assigned to functional categories relevant to cell surface, tissue morphogenesis and regulation of cell adhesion, regulation of leucocyte, lymphocyte and cell activation. The genetic alterations acquired during attenuation that we have catalogued herein, as well as the accompanying in silico functional characterization, do not only improve understanding of the attenuation process, but can also be exploited by studies aimed at identifying attenuation biomarkers across different cell lines focusing on some host and parasite genes that have been highlighted in this study, such as bovine genes (CD69, ZNF618, LPAR3, and APOL3) and parasite genes such as TA03875.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khawla Elati
- Institute of Parasitology and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Robert-Von-Ostertag-Str. 7, 14163, Berlin, Germany.
- Veterinary Centre for Resistance Research, Freie Universität Berlin, Robert-Von-Ostertag-Str. 8, 14163, Berlin, Germany.
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie, École Nationale de Médecine Vétérinaire de Sidi Thabet, Institution de la Recherche et de l'Enseignement Supérieur Agricoles, Univ. Manouba, 2020, Sidi Thabet, Tunisia.
| | - Shahin Tajeri
- Institute of Parasitology and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Robert-Von-Ostertag-Str. 7, 14163, Berlin, Germany
- Veterinary Centre for Resistance Research, Freie Universität Berlin, Robert-Von-Ostertag-Str. 8, 14163, Berlin, Germany
| | - Isaiah Obara
- Institute of Parasitology and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Robert-Von-Ostertag-Str. 7, 14163, Berlin, Germany
- Veterinary Centre for Resistance Research, Freie Universität Berlin, Robert-Von-Ostertag-Str. 8, 14163, Berlin, Germany
| | - Moez Mhadhbi
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie, École Nationale de Médecine Vétérinaire de Sidi Thabet, Institution de la Recherche et de l'Enseignement Supérieur Agricoles, Univ. Manouba, 2020, Sidi Thabet, Tunisia
| | - Erich Zweygarth
- Institute of Parasitology and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Robert-Von-Ostertag-Str. 7, 14163, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Mohamed Aziz Darghouth
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie, École Nationale de Médecine Vétérinaire de Sidi Thabet, Institution de la Recherche et de l'Enseignement Supérieur Agricoles, Univ. Manouba, 2020, Sidi Thabet, Tunisia
| | - Ard Menzo Nijhof
- Institute of Parasitology and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Robert-Von-Ostertag-Str. 7, 14163, Berlin, Germany.
- Veterinary Centre for Resistance Research, Freie Universität Berlin, Robert-Von-Ostertag-Str. 8, 14163, Berlin, Germany.
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16
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Galon EM, Macalanda AM, Sugi T, Hayashida K, Kawai N, Kidaka T, Ybañez RH, Adjou Moumouni PF, Ringo AE, Li H, Ji S, Yamagishi J, Ybañez A, Xuan X. Bovine Piroplasma Populations in the Philippines Characterized Using Targeted Amplicon Deep Sequencing. Microorganisms 2023; 11:2584. [PMID: 37894242 PMCID: PMC10609017 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11102584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 10/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Molecular assays and capillary electrophoresis sequencing have been used to identify parasites in livestock. The low sample capacity, which increases labor and processing time, is one drawback. Targeted amplicon sequencing (Ampliseq) uses the fast and large sample capacity platform to identify parasites in the target host, overcoming this limitation. DNA was extracted from 162 whole blood samples collected from cattle in three provinces in the Philippines. Using Illumina's Miseq platform, the V4 hypervariable region of the piroplasma 18S rRNA gene was amplified and sequenced. The AMPtk pipeline was used to obtain distinct amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) and the NCBI BLAST non-redundant database was used to assign taxonomy. In total, 95 (58.64%) samples were positive for piroplasma. Using the AMPTk pipeline, 2179 ASVs were obtained. A total of 79 distinct ASVs were obtained after clustering and filtering, which belonged to genera Babesia (n = 58), Theileria (n = 17), Hepatozoon (n = 2), and Sarcocystis (n = 2). The ASV top hits were composed of 10 species: Babesia bovis, B. bigemina, Theileria orientalis, Babesia sp., Hepatozoon canis, Sarcocystis cruzi, T. annulata, T. equi, T. mutans, and Theileria sp. Thung Song. The results generated in this study demonstrated the applicability of Ampliseq in detecting piroplasmid parasites infecting cattle in the Philippines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eloiza May Galon
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro 080-8555, Japan; (E.M.G.); (R.H.Y.); (P.F.A.M.); (A.E.R.); (H.L.); (S.J.)
- College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Cavite State University, Indang 4122, Philippines;
| | - Adrian Miki Macalanda
- College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Cavite State University, Indang 4122, Philippines;
| | - Tatsuki Sugi
- International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 001-0020, Japan; (T.S.); (K.H.); (N.K.); (T.K.); (J.Y.)
| | - Kyoko Hayashida
- International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 001-0020, Japan; (T.S.); (K.H.); (N.K.); (T.K.); (J.Y.)
| | - Naoko Kawai
- International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 001-0020, Japan; (T.S.); (K.H.); (N.K.); (T.K.); (J.Y.)
| | - Taishi Kidaka
- International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 001-0020, Japan; (T.S.); (K.H.); (N.K.); (T.K.); (J.Y.)
| | - Rochelle Haidee Ybañez
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro 080-8555, Japan; (E.M.G.); (R.H.Y.); (P.F.A.M.); (A.E.R.); (H.L.); (S.J.)
| | - Paul Franck Adjou Moumouni
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro 080-8555, Japan; (E.M.G.); (R.H.Y.); (P.F.A.M.); (A.E.R.); (H.L.); (S.J.)
| | - Aaron Edmond Ringo
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro 080-8555, Japan; (E.M.G.); (R.H.Y.); (P.F.A.M.); (A.E.R.); (H.L.); (S.J.)
| | - Hang Li
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro 080-8555, Japan; (E.M.G.); (R.H.Y.); (P.F.A.M.); (A.E.R.); (H.L.); (S.J.)
| | - Shengwei Ji
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro 080-8555, Japan; (E.M.G.); (R.H.Y.); (P.F.A.M.); (A.E.R.); (H.L.); (S.J.)
| | - Junya Yamagishi
- International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 001-0020, Japan; (T.S.); (K.H.); (N.K.); (T.K.); (J.Y.)
| | - Adrian Ybañez
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, Parasitology, and Vector-Borne Diseases—Main Campus, Cebu Technological University, Cebu City 6000, Philippines;
- College of Veterinary Medicine—Barili Campus, Cebu Technological University, Barili 6036, Philippines
| | - Xuenan Xuan
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro 080-8555, Japan; (E.M.G.); (R.H.Y.); (P.F.A.M.); (A.E.R.); (H.L.); (S.J.)
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17
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Moudgil P, Grakh K, Kumar R, Sharma M, Gupta R, Jindal N. First Molecular Confirmed Outbreak of Malignant Ovine Theileriosis in Sheep from North India. Acta Parasitol 2023; 68:527-534. [PMID: 37328625 DOI: 10.1007/s11686-023-00684-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
CONTEXT Malignant ovine theileriosis is a tick-borne disease of sheep and goats, caused by protozoan Theileria lestoquardi. The disease has serious economic implications for small ruminant production around the world. METHODS An outbreak of malignant ovine theileriosis in a sheep flock was investigated from Hisar district of Haryana, India, in March 2022. The etiological agent was identified using polymerase chain reaction assay with genus specific primers targeting 18S rRNA gene and subsequently confirmed by sequencing. RESULTS The morbidity, mortality and case fatality rate reported in the outbreak were 22.2, 18.8 and 85%, respectively. The phylogenetic analysis clustered the present study T. lestoquardi isolate in the same clade with T. lestoquardi from Iraq, Iran and Pakistan with maximum nucleotide identity of 99.37% with strains from Iraq. The tick vector Hyalomma anatolicum recovered from dead animals was implicated in the disease's transmission. CONCLUSIONS Malignant ovine theileriosis resulted in high case fatality rate. This study presents the first molecularly confirmed outbreak of malignant ovine theileriosis outbreak in the North Indian region, with characteristic post-mortem findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pallavi Moudgil
- Department of Veterinary Public Health and Epidemiology, College of Veterinary Sciences, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar, Haryana, 125004, India
| | - Kushal Grakh
- Department of Veterinary Public Health and Epidemiology, College of Veterinary Sciences, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar, Haryana, 125004, India
| | - Ramesh Kumar
- Department of Veterinary Public Health and Epidemiology, College of Veterinary Sciences, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar, Haryana, 125004, India.
| | - Maneesh Sharma
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Complex, College of Veterinary Sciences, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar, Haryana, 125004, India
| | - Renu Gupta
- Department of Veterinary Public Health and Epidemiology, College of Veterinary Sciences, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar, Haryana, 125004, India
| | - Naresh Jindal
- Department of Veterinary Public Health and Epidemiology, College of Veterinary Sciences, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar, Haryana, 125004, India
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18
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Wang BH, Du LF, Zhang MZ, Xia LY, Li C, Lin ZT, Wang N, Gao WY, Ye RZ, Liu JY, Han XY, Shi WQ, Shi XY, Jiang JF, Jia N, Cui XM, Zhao L, Cao WC. Genomic Characterization of Theileria luwenshuni Strain Cheeloo. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0030123. [PMID: 37260375 PMCID: PMC10434005 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00301-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Theileria, a tick-borne intracellular protozoan, can cause infections of various livestock and wildlife around the world, posing a threat to veterinary health. Although more and more Theileria species have been identified, genomes have been available only from four Theileria species to date. Here, we assembled a whole genome of Theileria luwenshuni, an emerging Theileria, through next-generation sequencing of purified erythrocytes from the blood of a naturally infected goat. We designated it T. luwenshuni str. Cheeloo because its genome was assembled by the researchers at Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, China. The genome of T. lunwenshuni str. Cheeloo was the smallest in comparison with the other four Theileria species. T. luwenshuni str. Cheeloo possessed the fewest gene gains and gene family expansion. The protein count of each category was always comparable between T. luwenshuni str. Cheeloo and T. orientalis str. Shintoku in the Eukaryote Orthologs annotation, though there were remarkable differences in genome size. T. luwenshuni str. Cheeloo had lower counts than the other four Theileria species in most categories at level 3 of Gene Ontology annotation. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes annotation revealed a loss of the c-Myb in T. luwenshuni str. Cheeloo. The infection rate of T. luwenshuni str. Cheeloo was up to 81.5% in a total of 54 goats from three flocks. The phylogenetic analyses based on both 18S rRNA and cox1 genes indicated that T. luwenshuni had relatively low diversity. The first characterization of the T. luwenshuni genome will promote better understanding of the emerging Theileria. IMPORTANCE Theileria has led to substantial economic losses in animal husbandry. Whole-genome sequencing data of the genus Theileria are currently limited, which has prohibited us from further understanding their molecular features. This work depicted whole-genome sequences of T. luwenshuni str. Cheeloo, an emerging Theileria species, and reported a high prevalence of T. luwenshuni str. Cheeloo infection in goats. The first assembly and characterization of T. luwenshuni genome will benefit exploring the infective and pathogenic mechanisms of the emerging Theileria to provide scientific basis for future control strategies of theileriosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bai-Hui Wang
- Institute of EcoHealth, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Li-Feng Du
- Institute of EcoHealth, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ming-Zhu Zhang
- Institute of EcoHealth, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Luo-Yuan Xia
- Institute of EcoHealth, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Cheng Li
- Institute of EcoHealth, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhe-Tao Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ning Wang
- Institute of EcoHealth, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Wan-Ying Gao
- Institute of EcoHealth, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Run-Ze Ye
- Institute of EcoHealth, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jin-Yue Liu
- Institute of EcoHealth, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiao-Yu Han
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Wen-Qiang Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiao-Yu Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jia-Fu Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Na Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiao-Ming Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lin Zhao
- Institute of EcoHealth, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Wu-Chun Cao
- Institute of EcoHealth, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, People’s Republic of China
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
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Perez de Vargas A, Habeeba S, Farouk M, Al Hbabi B, Al Otaiba A, Al Muhairi S, Al Hammadi Z, Shah AA. Molecular detection and characterization of a novel Theileria genotype in Dama Gazelle (Nanger dama). Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl 2023; 21:55-58. [PMID: 37124672 PMCID: PMC10140743 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2023.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Wild animals play a critical role in maintenance and transmission of various tick-borne pathogens. It is essential to identify these wild host species that can serve as important reservoirs of tickborne diseases. In the present study we investigated Dama gazelle (Nanger dama) as a potential novel reservoir of Theileria spp. A total of 53 blood samples collected from Dama gazelle as part of the Al Ain Zoo preventive medicine program were screened for Theileria spp. by qPCR using a commercial assay, followed by additional studies using conventional PCR targeting an approximate 450-base pair (bp) fragment of the V4 hypervariable region of the 18S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene. Sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of a subset (20) of PCR amplicons revealed Theileria isolates from gazelles of Al Ain Zoo clustered closely to Theileria sp. Dama Gazelle (AY735115) from USA and were far away or did not cluster with the known Theileria spp. of ruminants namely T. annulata, T. ovis, T. orientalis, T. luwenshuni, T.parva and T.sinensis. Theileria genotypes detected in gazelles of present study were clearly distinct from the other common theileria species of ruminants. The present finding throws light on the critical role of reservoir host in maintenance and transmission of pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Perez de Vargas
- Life Sciences Department, Al Ain Zoo, United Arab Emirates
- Corresponding author. Veterinary Diagnostic & Research Unit, Life Sciences Department, Al Ain Zoo, United Arab Emirates.
| | - Shameem Habeeba
- Veterinary Laboratories Division, Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority, United Arab Emirates
| | - Mohd Farouk
- Veterinary Laboratories Division, Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority, United Arab Emirates
| | | | - Amna Al Otaiba
- Life Sciences Department, Al Ain Zoo, United Arab Emirates
| | - Salama Al Muhairi
- Veterinary Laboratories Division, Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority, United Arab Emirates
| | - Zulaikha Al Hammadi
- Veterinary Laboratories Division, Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority, United Arab Emirates
| | - Asma Abdi Shah
- Veterinary Laboratories Division, Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority, United Arab Emirates
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Azimi-Resketi M, Akbari M, Heydaryan S, Eftekhari A, Balali J, Shams M, Sargazi D. In silico analysis of sporozoite surface antigen 1 of Theileria annulata (TaSPAG1) for multi-epitope vaccine design against theileriosis. In Silico Pharmacol 2023; 11:16. [PMID: 37484780 PMCID: PMC10356686 DOI: 10.1007/s40203-023-00153-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Tropical theileriosis is a protozoan infection caused by Theileria annulata, which significantly affects cattle worldwide. This study was aimed to analyze the TaSPAG1 protein and design a novel multi-epitope vaccine candidate. Online tools were employed for the prediction of Physico-chemical properties, antigenicity, allergenicity, solubility, transmembrane domains and signal peptide, posttranslational modification (PTM) sites, secondary and tertiary structures as well as intrinsically disordered regions, followed by identification and screening of potential linear and conformational B-cell epitopes and those peptides having affinity to bind bovine major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) molecules. Next, a multi-epitope vaccine construct was designed and analyzed. This 907-residue protein was hydrophilic (GRAVY: -0.399) and acidic (pI: 5.04) in nature, with high thermotolerance (aliphatic: 71.27). Also, 5 linear and 12 conformational B-cell epitopes along with 8 CTL epitopes were predicted for TaSPAG1. The 355-residue vaccine candidate had a MW of about 35 kDa and it was antigenic, non-allergenic, soluble and stable, which was successfully interacted with cattle MHC-I molecule and finally cloned into the pET28a(+) vector. Further wet studies are required to assess the vaccine efficacy in cattle. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40203-023-00153-5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mojtaba Azimi-Resketi
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Mehdi Akbari
- Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Saeed Heydaryan
- Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Amirreza Eftekhari
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Garmsar Branch, Islamic Azad University, Garmsar, Iran
| | - Javad Balali
- Doctor of Veterinary Medicine student, Sanandaj Branch, Islamic Azad University, Sanandaj, Iran
| | - Morteza Shams
- Zoonotic Diseases Research Center, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran
| | - Dariush Sargazi
- Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine, Head of Zabol Veterinary Network, Zabol, Baluchistan, Sistan Iran
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21
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Kamani J, Vieira TSWJ, da Costa Vieira RF, Shekaro A, Nahum-Biala Y, Olubade T, Abasiama MS, Gajibo UA, Bukar L, Shand M, Harrus S, Baneth G. Molecular detection of Theileria annulata, Theileria mutans and Theileria velifera but no evidence of Theileria parva infected or vaccinated cattle in Nigeria despite extensive transboundary migrations. Vet Parasitol Reg Stud Reports 2023; 41:100887. [PMID: 37208076 DOI: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2023.100887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
The extensive livestock management system predominant in Nigeria necessitates active disease surveillance for the early detection and prompt control of transboundary animal diseases. Theileriae are obligate intracellular protozoa which infect both wild and domestic bovidae throughout much of the world causing East Coast Fever (Theileria parva), Tropical or Mediterranean theileriosis (Theileria annulata) or benign theileriosis (Theileria mutans; Theileria velifera). This study aimed to detect and characterize Theileria spp. infecting cattle in Nigeria using conventional PCR and sequencing approach. Five hundred and twenty-two DNA samples obtained from different cattle blood samples were subjected to PCR targeting the 18S rRNA gene of piroplasmida and specifically, the p104 kDa and Tp1 genes for the evidence of infection or vaccination respectively, with T. parva. A total of 269 out of 522 (51.5%) of the cattle tested PCR- positive for DNA of piroplasmida. Nucleotide sequence and phylogenetic analyses showed that the cattle were infected with T. annulata, T. mutans and T. velifera. Piroplasmida DNA was associated with sex (ꭓ2 = 7.2; p = 0.007), breed (ꭓ2 = 115; p = 0.000002) of animals and the state where the samples were collected (ꭓ2 = 78.8; p = 0.000002). None of the samples tested positive for T. parva DNA or showed evidence of vaccination (Tp1 gene). This is the first report on the molecular detection and characterization of T. annulata in the blood of cattle from Nigeria. Continuous surveillance of Nigerian cattle for East Coast Fever (ECF) is encouraged considering the recent report of the disease in cattle in the neighboring country, Cameroon, where unregulated transboundary cattle movement into Nigeria has been observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Kamani
- National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI), PMB 01 Vom, Plateau State, Nigeria.
| | | | - Rafael Felipe da Costa Vieira
- Vector-borne Diseases Laboratory, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Universidade Federal do Parana, Brazil; Department of Public Health Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, USA; Center for Computational Intelligence to Predict Health and Environmental Risks (CIPHER), University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, USA
| | - Audu Shekaro
- National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI), PMB 01 Vom, Plateau State, Nigeria
| | - Yaarit Nahum-Biala
- Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Toyin Olubade
- National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI), PMB 01 Vom, Plateau State, Nigeria
| | | | - Umar A Gajibo
- National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI), PMB 01 Vom, Plateau State, Nigeria
| | - Laminu Bukar
- National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI), PMB 01 Vom, Plateau State, Nigeria
| | - Mike Shand
- School of Geographical & Earth Sciences, University of Glasgow, UK
| | - Shimon Harrus
- Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Gad Baneth
- Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
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22
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Obara I, Makori P, Sibeko KP, Bishop RP, Nijhof AM, Mwamuye M. Conservation and variation in the region of the Theileria parva p104 antigen coding gene used for PCR surveillance of the parasite. Parasitol Res 2023; 122:1381-1390. [PMID: 37081209 PMCID: PMC10172223 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-023-07838-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023]
Abstract
The range of the protozoan parasite Theileria parva, which causes East Coast fever in cattle, has been expanding to countries where it has not previously been detected, as a result of cross-border domestic cattle movement. Countries where T. parva has not previously been observed until recently include Cameroon and South Sudan. This raises the issue of the conservation of the p104 antigen gene, on which the nested PCR assay that is widely used for T. parva surveillance in the blood of infected cattle is based. We sampled 40 isolates from six countries widely distributed across the geographical range of the parasite, including eastern, central and southern Africa, for p104 sequence polymorphism. These included parasites from both domestic cattle and the Cape buffalo (Syncerus caffer) wildlife reservoir. The most frequent allelic variants were present in cattle transmissible isolates from multiple widely separated geographical regions in Zambia, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and South Africa. These frequent p104 variants were also present in the three component stocks of the Muguga cocktail used for the infection and treatment live immunisation procedure to control T. parva in the field. Other isolates exhibited unique alleles. This includes some of the p104 sequences from Cameroon, which is outside the known range of the Rhipicephalus tick vector and whose origin is therefore unclear. The nested primer oligonucleotides used to generate the amplicons were universally conserved in cattle-derived parasites and a majority of buffalo-derived isolates across the geographical range of the parasite. However, some rare South African buffalo-derived isolates exhibited one or two mismatches with the primer sequences. It therefore remains possible that some p104 alleles may be so divergent that they do not amplify with the current diagnostic primers and are not detectable in surveys, hence the need for increasing knowledge of genetic heterogeneity of diagnostic targets. There was no evidence for positive selection among those p104 mutations that resulted in residue changes. Importantly, the data indicate that the p104-based PCR detection assay should be effective across the majority of the range of T. parva, and if the one or two mismatches are shown in future to result in the primers annealing less efficiently, then the assay can be further improved by introduction of degenerate bases to enable amplification of the less frequent South African buffalo-derived variant p104 genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isaiah Obara
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Institute for Parasitology and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinary Centre for Resistance Research, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
| | | | - Kgomotso P Sibeko
- Vector and Vector-Borne Disease Research Programme, Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Richard P Bishop
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Ard M Nijhof
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Institute for Parasitology and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinary Centre for Resistance Research, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Micky Mwamuye
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Institute for Parasitology and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Environment and Natural Resource Management, Africa Nazarene University, Kajiado, Kenya
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23
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Obara I, Nijhof A, Atimnedi P, Mijele D, Nanteza A, Elati K, Bishop R. The antigen recognition portion of African buffalo class I MHC is highly polymorphic, consistent with a complex pathogen challenge environment, and the 3' region suggests distinct haplotype configurations. Immunogenetics 2023; 75:115-132. [PMID: 36512055 PMCID: PMC10039833 DOI: 10.1007/s00251-022-01287-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) have been distinct from the Auroch lineage leading to domestic cattle for 5 million years, and are reservoirs of multiple pathogens, that affect introduced domestic cattle. To date, there has been no analysis of the class I MHC locus in African buffalo. We present the first data on African buffalo class I MHC, which demonstrates that gene and predicted protein coding sequences are approximately 86-87% similar to that of African domestic cattle in the peptide binding region. The study also shows concordance in the distribution of codons with elevated posterior probabilities of positive selection in the buffalo class I MHC and known antigen binding sites in cattle. Overall, the diversity in buffalo class I sequences appears greater than that in cattle, perhaps related to a more complex pathogen challenge environment in Africa. However, application of NetMHCpan suggested broad clustering of peptide binding specificities between buffalo and cattle. Furthermore, in the case of at least 20 alleles, critical peptide-binding residues appear to be conserved with those of cattle, including at secondary anchor residues. Alleles with six different length transmembrane regions were detected. This preliminary analysis suggests that like cattle, but unlike most other mammals, African buffalo appears to exhibit configuration (haplotype) variation in which the loci are expressed in distinct combinations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isaiah Obara
- Freie Universität Berlin, Institute for Parasitology and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Berlin, Germany.
- Freie Universität Berlin, Veterinary Centre for Resistance Research, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Ard Nijhof
- Freie Universität Berlin, Institute for Parasitology and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Berlin, Germany
- Freie Universität Berlin, Veterinary Centre for Resistance Research, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | | | | | - Anne Nanteza
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Khawla Elati
- Freie Universität Berlin, Institute for Parasitology and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Berlin, Germany
- Freie Universität Berlin, Veterinary Centre for Resistance Research, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Berlin, Germany
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie, Institution de La Recherche Et de L'Enseignement Supérieur Agricoles &, Univ. Manouba, École Nationale de Médecine Vétérinaire de Sidi Thabet, Sidi Thabet, Tunisia
| | - Richard Bishop
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
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Kirman R, Guven E. Molecular detection of Babesia and Theileria species/genotypes in sheep and ixodid ticks in Erzurum, Northeastern Turkey: First report of Babesia canis in sheep. Res Vet Sci 2023; 157:40-49. [PMID: 36868100 DOI: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2023.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Revised: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023]
Abstract
Piroplasmosis is a tick-borne protozoan disease caused by Babesia and Theileria species in ruminants. This study sought to determine the presence and prevalence of the agents causing piroplasmosis among sheep in Erzurum province, Turkey. It also sought to identify the tick species infesting the sheep and investigate the possible role of the ticks in the transmission of piroplasmosis. A total of 1621 blood samples and 1696 ixodid ticks from infested sheep were collected. Each blood sample and 115 tick pools were subjected to PCR assay. A total of 307 blood samples were found to be positive for Babesia spp. and Theileria spp. according to molecular analysis. The sequence analysis was revealed the presence of B. ovis (0.4%), B. crassa (0.4%), B. canis (0.4%), T. ovis (69.3%), Theileria sp. (26.6%), and Theileria sp. OT3 (2.9%) in 244 samples. The collected ticks were identified as D. marginatus (62.5%), Hae. parva (36.2%), Hae. punctata (1.1%), Rh. turanicus (0.1%), and H. marginatum (0.1%). The molecular analysis of the adult tick samples revealed T. ovis and T. annulata positivity in the D. marginatus pools, B. crassa and T. ovis positivity in the Hae. parva pools, and T. ovis positivity in the Hae. punctata pools. These results provide up-to-date data concerning tick-borne protozoan diseases of sheep and tick species infesting sheep in the region. The sheep breeding industry is an important livelihood for the region so it is essential to perform repeated studies on these pathogens in order to prevent disruptions to animal husbandry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ridvan Kirman
- Ataturk University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Parasitology, Erzurum, Turkey..
| | - Esin Guven
- Ataturk University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Parasitology, Erzurum, Turkey
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25
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Corduneanu A, Taulescu M, Ursache TD, Ionică AM, Mihalca AD. Piroplasms in farmed American bison, Bison bison from Romania. Front Vet Sci 2023; 10:1158072. [PMID: 37065243 PMCID: PMC10090506 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1158072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The American bison (Bison bison) is the largest terrestrial mammal of North America, with around 350,000 individuals in the wild and in private herds but the knowledge regarding the presence of different vector-borne pathigens in these mammals is very poor. Babesia and Theileria spp. are tick-borne apicomplexan parasites which are considered to be among the most commonly found blood parasites of large ruminants, often with a high economic importance. However, the knowledge on piroplasms of bisons is extremely scarce. The aim of our study was to evaluate the presence of apicomplexan parasites in blood and tissues of farmed American bison from Romania. Overall, we tested 222 blood samples and 11 tissues samples (heart, liver, and spleen) from farmed B. bison raised for meat in Romania. All the samples were analyzed by nPCR targeting the 18SrRNA gene for piroplasmids. All positive samples were sequenced and analyzed phylogenetically. The overall prevalence of infection with piroplasmids in American bison was 1.65%, with Babesia divergens and Theileria sp. identified following sequencing. To our knowledge, this is the first report of piroplasms detected in blood and tissues of farmed B. bison from Europe. Further studies are necessary in order to obtain a better overview on the epidemiological status and clinical relevance of piroplasms in farmed American bisons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Corduneanu
- Department of Animal Breeding and Animal Productions, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- *Correspondence: Alexandra Corduneanu
| | - Marian Taulescu
- Department of Pathology, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Synevovet, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Teodor Dan Ursache
- Department of Pathology, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Angela Monica Ionică
- Molecular Diagnosis Laboratory, Clinical Hospital of Infectious Diseases of Cluj-Napoca, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Andrei Daniel Mihalca
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Parasitology Consultancy Group, Coruşu, Romania
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Deepa CK, Varghese A, Felicia Bora CA, Ajith Kumar KG, John L, Asaf M, Chulliparambil S, Ravindran R. Phylogenetic analysis of Babesia gibsoni isolates of south India using apical membrane antigen, 50 kDa surface antigen, and 70 kDa heat shock protein genes. Exp Parasitol 2023; 246:108461. [PMID: 36642297 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2023.108461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The prevalence of canine babesiosis due to Babesia gibsoni has increased throughout the world including in southern India. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based molecular characterization of B. gibsoni in dogs of Kerala, south India, targeting three specific genes viz., apical membrane antigen (AMA1), 50 kDa surface antigen (P50), and heat shock protein (HSP70) was undertaken in this study. Out of 297 blood samples collected from clinically suspected animals, microscopy detected piroplasms of B. gibsoni in 60 (20.20 per cent), while the PCR targeting the BgP50 gene detected 85 (28.61 per cent). Polymerase chain reaction targeting the BgAMA1 and BgHSP70 detected a lesser number of samples (60 and 65 respectively) as positive. The phylogenetic analysis of BgHSP70 gene sequences did not reveal genetic heterogeneity among the B. gibsoni isolates of South India and from other countries, while the BgP50 gene differentiated the Indian isolates from Japanese isolates. When BgAMA1 was used for phylogenetic analysis, genetic variation was not observed among Indian and Taiwanese isolates, however, differentiated them from the Japanese isolates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chundayil Kalarickal Deepa
- Department of Veterinary Parasitology, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Pookode, Wayanad, Kerala, 673 576, India
| | - Anju Varghese
- Department of Veterinary Parasitology, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Pookode, Wayanad, Kerala, 673 576, India
| | | | | | - Lijo John
- Department of Veterinary Biochemistry, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Pookode, Wayanad, Kerala, 673 576, India
| | - Muhasin Asaf
- Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Pookode, Wayanad, Kerala, 673 576, India
| | - Sunanda Chulliparambil
- Department of Statistics, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Pookode, Wayanad, Kerala, 673 576, India
| | - Reghu Ravindran
- Department of Veterinary Parasitology, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Pookode, Wayanad, Kerala, 673 576, India.
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Alkathiri B, Ahn K, Lee H, Cho YS, Youn SY, Seo MG, Kwak D, Shin S, Lee SH. Molecular epidemiology of Theileria species in ticks and its potential threat to livestock in the Republic of Korea. Acta Trop 2023; 238:106780. [PMID: 36471538 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2022.106780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2022] [Revised: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate molecular epidemiology of Theileria spp. in ticks in Korea and assess their potential threat from wildlife animals to domestic animals. A total of 21152 hard ticks were collected from Chungcheong and Jeolla provinces of Korea from March to October 2021. Tick species were identified by microscopy and Theileria spp. were screened by nested PCR targeting 18S rRNA. Haemaphysalis spp. were the most abundant tick species, followed by H. longicornis, H. flava, Amblyomma testudinarium, and Ixodes nipponensis. Of the collected ticks, 6914 ticks (541 pools) were screened, and PCR showed 211 positive pools (39.0%; MIR: 3.05). The PCR and phylogenetic analysis identified two Theileria species, T. luwenshuni and Theileria sp., with T. luwenshuni (162/211, 76.78%; MIR: 2.34) being more abundant than Theileria sp. (36/211, 17.06%; MIR: 0.52); co-infection of the two species were noted (13/211, 6.16%; MIR: 0.19). Among the tick species, H. longicornis, especially nymphs, showed the highest prevalence. Regarding season, the highest prevalence was observed in May. Considering the tick and Theileria species identified in this study, H. longicornis nymph and cervine play a critical role in maintaining Theileria spp. in Korea and could be a potential threat to domestic animals, including deer and goats. In addition, there are significant correlations among tick distribution, region, season, and prevalence of Theileria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Badriah Alkathiri
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Chungbuk 28644, Republic of Korea
| | - KyuSung Ahn
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Republic of Korea
| | - Haeseung Lee
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Republic of Korea
| | - Yun Sang Cho
- Parasitic and Honeybee Disease Laboratory, Bacterial and Parasitic Disease Division, Department of Animal & Plant Health Research, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, Gimcheon 39660, Republic of Korea
| | - So Youn Youn
- Parasitic and Honeybee Disease Laboratory, Bacterial and Parasitic Disease Division, Department of Animal & Plant Health Research, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, Gimcheon 39660, Republic of Korea
| | - Min-Goo Seo
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Republic of Korea
| | - Dongmi Kwak
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Republic of Korea
| | - SungShik Shin
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung-Hun Lee
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Chungbuk 28644, Republic of Korea.
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Nehra AK, Kumari A, Moudgil AD, Vohra S. An insight into misidentification of the small-subunit ribosomal RNA (18S rRNA) gene sequences of Theileria spp. as Theileria annulata. BMC Vet Res 2022; 18:454. [PMID: 36577977 PMCID: PMC9795727 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-022-03540-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND There had been isolated reports of the presence of novel Theileria annulata genotypes based on the 18S rRNA gene sequence data from India, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia; but, these studies were restricted to limited field samples. Additionally, no comparative study has been conducted on all the isolates of this parasite from different countries whose sequences are available in the nucleotide databases. Therefore, we aimed to study the genetic diversity of T. annulata based on all available nearly complete 18S rRNA gene sequences in the GenBank™. Out of a total of 312 gene sequences of T. annulata available in the NCBI database, only 70 nearly complete sequences (> 1527 bp) were used for multiple sequence alignment. RESULTS The maximum likelihood tree obtained using TN93 + G + I model manifested two major clades. All the valid host-cell transforming Theileria species clustered in one clade. The T. annulata designated sequences occupying this clade clustered together, excluding two isolates (DQ287944 and EU083799), and represented the true T. annulata sequences (n = 54). DQ287944 and EU083799 exhibited close association with Theileria lestoquardi. In addition, 14 Indian sequences formed a large monophyletic group with published Theileria orientalis sequences. The broad range of sequence identity (95.8-100%) of T. annulata designated sequences indicated the presence of different Theileria spp. A closer analysis revealed the presence of three Theileria spp., namely, T. annulata, T. orientalis, and two isolates (DQ287944 and EU083799) closely related to T. lestoquardi. The true T. annulata sequences manifested 98.8-100% nucleotide identity within them. EU083799 and 14 misidentified Indian T. annulata sequences exhibited the highest similarity with T. lestoquardi (98.6-98.8%) and T. orientalis (98.0-99.9%) in comparison with the other Theileria spp. of domestic and wild ruminants. CONCLUSION In the course of analyzing the genetic diversity of T. annulata, we identified the nearly complete 18S rRNA gene sequences of other Theileria spp. that have not only been misidentified as T. annulata in the GenBank™, but are also published as T. annulata. Moreover, a high level of sequence conservation was noticed in the 18S rRNA gene of true T. annulata and T. orientalis sequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anil Kumar Nehra
- grid.448922.10000 0004 5910 1412Department of Veterinary Parasitology, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, 125004 Hisar, Haryana India
| | - Ansu Kumari
- grid.448922.10000 0004 5910 1412Department of Veterinary Medicine, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, 125004 Hisar, Haryana India
| | - Aman Dev Moudgil
- grid.448922.10000 0004 5910 1412Department of Veterinary Parasitology, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, 125004 Hisar, Haryana India
| | - Sukhdeep Vohra
- grid.448922.10000 0004 5910 1412Department of Veterinary Parasitology, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, 125004 Hisar, Haryana India
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Valente D, Gomes J, Coelho AC, Carolino I. Genetic Resistance of Bovines to Theileriosis. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:2903. [PMID: 36359026 PMCID: PMC9657666 DOI: 10.3390/ani12212903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2022] [Revised: 10/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 04/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Diseases caused by ticks have a high impact on the health, welfare, and productivity of livestock species. They are also an important cause of economic losses in farms worldwide. An example of such diseases is theileriosis, which can be controlled by drugs or vaccines, although these are not fully efficient. Therefore, there is a need to develop alternative and more sustainable and efficient complementary strategies. These may involve the identification and selection of animals more resistant to the disease. Several previous studies have identified significant differences in resistance between different breeds, with resistant breeds typically identified as those native to the region where they are being studied, and susceptible as those from exotic breeds. These studies have indicated that resistance traits are intrinsically related to the modulation of the immune response to infection. This review aims to systematize the general knowledge about theileriosis, emphasize resistance to this disease as a sustainable control strategy, and identify which traits of resistance to the disease are already known in cattle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Valente
- CIVG—Vasco da Gama Research Center, EUVG—Vasco da Gama University School, 3020-210 Coimbra, Portugal
- Escola de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Jacinto Gomes
- Escola Superior Agrária de Elvas, Instituto Politécnico de Portalegre, 7350-092 Elvas, Portugal
- CIISA—Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon, 1300-477 Lisbon, Portugal
- Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences (AL4AnimalS), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon, 1300-477 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Ana Cláudia Coelho
- Escola de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
- Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences (AL4AnimalS), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon, 1300-477 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Inês Carolino
- CIVG—Vasco da Gama Research Center, EUVG—Vasco da Gama University School, 3020-210 Coimbra, Portugal
- Polo de Inovação da Fonte Boa—Estação Zootécnica Nacional, Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária, 2005-424 Santarém, Portugal
- ISA—Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, 1349-017 Lisboa, Portugal
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El Damaty HM, Yousef SG, El-Balkemy FA, Nekouei O, Mahmmod YS, Elsohaby I. Seroprevalence and risk factors of tropical theileriosis in smallholder asymptomatic large ruminants in Egypt. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:1004378. [PMID: 36304407 PMCID: PMC9595338 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.1004378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Knowledge of the prevalence and epidemiological determinants of tropical theileriosis in large ruminants, particularly in the asymptomatic carrier, is crucial for designing and implementing effective host-specific control measures. This study aimed to estimate the seroprevalence of tropical theileriosis in asymptomatic cattle and water buffaloes and identify the potential risk factors of theileriosis in large ruminants raised under smallholder-production system in Egypt. A cross-sectional study was conducted in five districts of the Sharkia governorate from March 2019 to February 2020. In total, 350 serum samples were collected from cattle and water buffaloes under smallholder-production system and tested for Theileria annulata antibodies using the indirect antibody fluorescence test (IFAT). Data on species, host characteristics, presence of ticks, season, and districts were collected at sampling using a questionnaire. A multivariable mixed-effects logistic regression model was built to determine the potential risk factors associated with T. annulate seropositivity of the animals. The overall apparent seroprevalence of T. annulata in 350 tested animals was 70%. In the univariable analyses, cattle compared to buffaloes, younger animals compared to older ones, animals with ticks on their bodies, and warmer seasons were all associated with a higher likelihood of seropositive results in the study population while sex of the animals was not associated with seropositivity. The final multivariable model showed that animals with ticks on their bodies had 3.5× higher odds of seropositivity than those with no ticks (P < 0.001), and warmer seasons were associated with the higher odds of infection compared to winter (P = 0.003). The high seroprevalence of tropical theileriosis in the study region indicates that the disease is endemic among smallholders of large ruminants. The identified risk factors of T. annulata-seropositivity in asymptomatic carrier animals provides evidence-based guidance for adopting effective intervention measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hend M. El Damaty
- Infectious Diseases, Department of Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt,Hend M. El Damaty
| | - Sarah G. Yousef
- Infectious Diseases, Department of Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt
| | - Farouk A. El-Balkemy
- Infectious Diseases, Department of Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt
| | - Omid Nekouei
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Public Health, Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China,The Centre for Applied One Health Research and Policy Advice (OHRP), City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China,*Correspondence: Omid Nekouei
| | - Yasser S. Mahmmod
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Higher Colleges of Technology, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Ibrahim Elsohaby
- Infectious Diseases, Department of Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt,Department of Infectious Diseases and Public Health, Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China,The Centre for Applied One Health Research and Policy Advice (OHRP), City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
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31
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Zhao HX, Li X, Liu JL, Guan GQ, Dan XG. Metabolomic profiling of bovine leucocytes transformed by Theileria annulata under BW720c treatment. Parasit Vectors 2022; 15:356. [PMID: 36199104 PMCID: PMC9533618 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-022-05450-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background When Theileria annulata infects host cells, it undertakes unlimited proliferation as tumor cells. Although the transformed cells will recover their limited reproductive characteristics and enter the apoptosis process after treatment with buparvaquone (BW720c), the metabolites and metabolic pathways involved are not clear. Methods The transformed cells of T. annulata were used as experimental materials, and the buparvaquone treatment group and DMSO control group were used. Qualitative and quantitative analysis was undertaken of 36 cell samples based on the LC–QTOF platform in positive and negative ion modes. The metabolites of the cell samples after 72 h of drug treatment were analyzed, as were the different metabolites and metabolic pathways involved in the BW720c treatment. Finally, the differential metabolites and metabolic pathways in the transformed cells were found. Results A total of 1425 metabolites were detected in the negative ion mode and 1298 metabolites were detected in the positive ion mode. After drug treatment for 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h, there were 56, 162, and 243 differential metabolites in negative ion mode, and 35, 121, and 177 differential metabolites in positive ion mode, respectively. These differential metabolites are mainly concentrated on various essential amino acids. Conclusion BW720c treatment induces metabolic disturbances in T. annulata-infected cells by regulating the metabolism of leucine, arginine, and l-carnitine, and induces host cell apoptosis. Graphical abstract ![]()
Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13071-022-05450-0.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong-Xi Zhao
- School of Agriculture, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, 750021, People's Republic of China.
| | - Xia Li
- School of Agriculture, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, 750021, People's Republic of China
| | - Jun-Long Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xujiaping 1, Lanzhou, 730046, People's Republic of China
| | - Gui-Quan Guan
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xujiaping 1, Lanzhou, 730046, People's Republic of China
| | - Xin-Gang Dan
- School of Agriculture, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, 750021, People's Republic of China.
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Yam J, Bogema DR, Micallef ML, Djordjevic SP, Jenkins C. Complete Genomes of Theileria orientalis Chitose and Buffeli Genotypes Reveal within Species Translocations and Differences in ABC Transporter Content. Pathogens 2022; 11:pathogens11070801. [PMID: 35890045 PMCID: PMC9323827 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11070801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Revised: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Theileria orientalis causes losses to cattle producers in Eastern Asia, Oceania and, more recently, North America. One pathogenic genotype (Ikeda) has been sequenced to the chromosomal level, while only draft genomes exist for globally distributed Chitose and Buffeli genotypes. To provide an accurate comparative gene-level analysis and help further understand their pathogenicity, we sequenced isolates of the Chitose and Buffeli genotypes of T. orientalis using long-read sequencing technology. A combination of several long-read assembly methods and short reads produced chromosomal-level assemblies for both Fish Creek (Chitose) and Goon Nure (Buffeli) isolates, including the first complete and circular apicoplast genomes generated for T. orientalis. Comparison with the Shintoku (Ikeda) reference sequence showed both large and small translocations in T. orientalis Buffeli, between chromosomes 2 and 3 and chromosomes 1 and 4, respectively. Ortholog clustering showed expansion of ABC transporter genes in Chitose and Buffeli. However, differences in several genes of unknown function, including DUF529/FAINT-domain-containing proteins, were also identified and these genes were more prevalent in Ikeda and Chitose genotypes. Phylogenetics and similarity measures were consistent with previous short-read genomic analysis. The generation of chromosomal sequences for these highly prevalent T. orientalis genotypes will also support future studies of population genetics and mixed genotype infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jerald Yam
- NSW Department of Primary Industries, Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute, Menangle, NSW 2568, Australia; (J.Y.); (D.R.B.); (M.L.M.)
- Australian Institute for Microbiology & Infection, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia;
| | - Daniel R. Bogema
- NSW Department of Primary Industries, Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute, Menangle, NSW 2568, Australia; (J.Y.); (D.R.B.); (M.L.M.)
| | - Melinda L. Micallef
- NSW Department of Primary Industries, Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute, Menangle, NSW 2568, Australia; (J.Y.); (D.R.B.); (M.L.M.)
| | - Steven P. Djordjevic
- Australian Institute for Microbiology & Infection, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia;
| | - Cheryl Jenkins
- NSW Department of Primary Industries, Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute, Menangle, NSW 2568, Australia; (J.Y.); (D.R.B.); (M.L.M.)
- Correspondence:
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Salman D, Sivakumar T, Otgonsuren D, Mahmoud ME, Elmahallawy EK, Khalphallah A, Kounour AMEY, Bayomi SA, Igarashi M, Yokoyama N. Molecular survey of Babesia, Theileria, Trypanosoma, and Anaplasma infections in camels (Camelus dromedaries) in Egypt. Parasitol Int 2022; 90:102618. [PMID: 35777654 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2022.102618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The one-humped camel (Camelus dromedarius) or dromedary is an economically important domestic animal. However, infectious diseases, including those caused by vector-borne hemopathogens, frequently compromise the health and production of camels. In this study, we examined infections caused by Babesia, Theileria, Trypanosoma, and Anaplasma species in camels in Egypt. We analyzed blood DNA samples from 148 camels reared in six Egyptian governorates (Giza, Asyut, Sohag, Qena, Luxor, and the Red Sea) using pathogen-specific Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) assays. Our results indicated that 29 (19.6%), 22 (14.9%), 1 (0.7%), 2 (1.4%), 1 (0.7%), 2 (1.4%), and 28 (18.9%) of the surveyed animals were infected with Babesia bovis, B. bigemina, Babesia sp. Mymensingh, Theileria sp. Yokoyama, Theileria equi, Trypanosoma evansi, and Anaplasma marginale, respectively. We found that a total of 68 (45.9%) animals were infected with at least one of the detected hemopathogens. Sequencing analyses of PCR amplicons confirmed our diagnostic results. This study is the first to report Theileria sp. Yokoyama and Babesia sp. Mymensingh in Egypt. This is also the first report of infection with these two species in one-humped camel. In conclusion, this study found that camels in Egypt are infected with several vector-borne hemopathogens, including novel parasite species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Doaa Salman
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan; Department of Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Sohag University, 82524 Sohag, Egypt
| | - Thillaiampalam Sivakumar
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan
| | - Davaajav Otgonsuren
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan
| | - Motamed E Mahmoud
- Department of Animal Behavior and Husbandry (breeding, genetics and management), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Sohag University, 82524 Sohag, Egypt
| | - Ehab Kotb Elmahallawy
- Department of Zoonoses, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Sohag University, 82524 Sohag, Egypt
| | - Arafat Khalphallah
- Division of Internal Medicine, Department of Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut 71526, Egypt
| | - Ahmed M E Y Kounour
- Department of Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Sohag University, 82524 Sohag, Egypt
| | - Sara A Bayomi
- Division of Clinical Laboratory Diagnosis, Department of Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut 71526, Egypt
| | - Makoto Igarashi
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan
| | - Naoaki Yokoyama
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan; OIE Reference Laboratories for Bovine Babesiosis and Equine Piroplasmosis, National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan.
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Garcia K, Weakley M, Do T, Mir S. Current and Future Molecular Diagnostics of Tick-Borne Diseases in Cattle. Vet Sci 2022; 9:vetsci9050241. [PMID: 35622769 PMCID: PMC9146932 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci9050241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2022] [Revised: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Ticks and tick-borne diseases such as babesiosis, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever pose a significant threat to animal and human health. Tick-borne diseases cause billions of dollars of losses to livestock farmers annually. These losses are partially attributed to the lack of sensitive, robust, cost effective and efficient diagnostic approaches that could detect the infectious pathogen at the early stages of illness. The modern nucleic acid-based multiplex diagnostic approaches have been developed in human medicine but are still absent in veterinary medicine. These powerful assays can screen 384 patient samples at one time, simultaneously detect numerous infectious pathogens in each test sample and provide the diagnostic answer in a few hours. Development, commercialization, and wide use of such high throughput multiplex molecular assays in the cattle tick-borne disease surveillance will help in early detection and control of infectious pathogens in the animal reservoir before community spread and spillover to humans. Such approaches in veterinary medicine will save animal life, prevent billions of dollars of economic loss to cattle herders and reduce unwanted stress to both human and animal health care systems. This literature review provides recent updates on molecular diagnostics of tick-borne pathogens and discusses the importance of modern nucleic acid high throughput multiplex diagnostic approaches in the prevention of tick-borne infection to livestock.
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Detection of Tick-Borne Bacterial and Protozoan Pathogens in Ticks from the Zambia–Angola Border. Pathogens 2022; 11:pathogens11050566. [PMID: 35631087 PMCID: PMC9144998 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11050566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Revised: 04/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Tick-borne diseases (TBDs), including emerging and re-emerging zoonoses, are of public health importance worldwide; however, TBDs tend to be overlooked, especially in countries with fewer resources, such as Zambia and Angola. Here, we investigated Rickettsia, Anaplasmataceae, and Apicomplexan pathogens in 59 and 96 adult ticks collected from dogs and cattle, respectively, in Shangombo, a town at the Zambia–Angola border. We detected Richkettsia africae and Rickettsia aeschilimannii in 15.6% of Amblyomma variegatum and 41.7% of Hyalomma truncatum ticks, respectively. Ehrlichia minasensis was detected in 18.8% of H. truncatum, and Candidatus Midichloria mitochondrii was determined in Hyalomma marginatum. We also detected Babesia caballi and Theileria velifera in A. variegatum ticks with a 4.4% and 6.7% prevalence, respectively. In addition, Hepatozoon canis was detected in 6.5% of Rhipicephalus lunulatus and 4.3% of Rhipicephalus sanguineus. Coinfection of R. aeshilimannii and E. minasensis were observed in 4.2% of H. truncatum. This is the first report of Ca. M. mitochondrii and E. minasensis, and the second report of B. caballi, in the country. Rickettsia africae and R. aeschlimannii are pathogenic to humans, and E. minasensis, B. caballi, T. velifera, and H. canis are pathogenic to animals. Therefore, individuals, clinicians, veterinarians, and pet owners should be aware of the distribution of these pathogens in the area.
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Nehra AK, Kumari A, Kundave VR, Vohra S, Ram H. Molecular insights into the population structure and haplotype network of Theileria annulata based on the small-subunit ribosomal RNA (18S rRNA) gene. INFECTION, GENETICS AND EVOLUTION : JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY GENETICS IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2022; 99:105252. [PMID: 35183753 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2022.105252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Revised: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The present study was conducted to elucidate the population genetic diversity and haplotype network of Theileria annulata based on all available nearly complete 18S rRNA gene sequences in the GenBank™. In total, 52 sequences of the nuclear 18S rRNA gene used to assess the relationship of T. annulata with their country of origin identified 34 haplotypes. Haplotype 4 was widespread, occurring in India, China, Turkey and Iran, while the remaining haplotypes were singleton and unique to one country. Haplotype 4 displayed numerous single haplotypes around it and the stellate shape of the network suggested a rapid population expansion. India exhibited the largest number of haplotypes (h = 25) followed by Turkey (h = 6), China (h = 4), and Iran and Italy (h = 1). No geographical clustering of haplotypes was recorded. Nucleotide diversity was the highest in the Turkish followed by the Indian and Chinese populations. Similarly, haplotype diversity was the highest in China followed by Turkey, and the lowest in India. The overall dataset exhibited a low nucleotide diversity (0.00253 ± 0.00035), but high haplotype diversity (0.917 ± 0.034). It suggested the presence of only minor differences (01-11 nucleotide) between haplotypes which was also evident from the haplotype network. A high level of genetic diversity was documented within the Indian, Chinese and Turkish populations of T. annulata, whereas little genetic differentiation was noticed among these populations with a very high level of gene flow. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) of T. annulata sequences revealed higher genetic variation within countries (83.58%) as compared to the variation among countries (16.42%). Neutrality indices, viz., Tajima's D, Fu and Li's F, Fu's Fs, and R2, along with the unimodal mismatch distributions demonstrated a recent population expansion of T. annulata in India and the overall dataset. However, the non-significant values of Tajima's D, Fu and Li's F, and Fu's Fs for the Chinese population along with a bimodal mismatch distribution signified a constant population size. For the Turkish population, the neutrality and mismatch distribution tests either indicated a constant or a slight increase in population size. The present study provides novel insights into the population genetics and haplotype network of T. annulata based on the 18S rRNA gene for the first time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anil Kumar Nehra
- Department of Veterinary Parasitology, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar, Haryana 125004, India.
| | - Ansu Kumari
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar, Haryana 125004, India.
| | - V R Kundave
- Division of Parasitology, ICAR- Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Uttar Pradesh 243122, India
| | - Sukhdeep Vohra
- Department of Veterinary Parasitology, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar, Haryana 125004, India
| | - Hira Ram
- Division of Parasitology, ICAR- Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Uttar Pradesh 243122, India
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Al-Hamidhi S, Parveen A, Iqbal F, Asif M, Akhtar N, Elshafie EI, Beja-Pereira A, Babiker HA. Diversity and Genetic Structure of Theileria annulata in Pakistan and Other Endemic Sites. Pathogens 2022; 11:pathogens11030334. [PMID: 35335658 PMCID: PMC8950521 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11030334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2021] [Revised: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Theileria annulata is a tick-borne protozoan parasite responsible for bovine theileriosis, a disease that impacts cattle population in many developing countries. Development and deployment of effective control strategies, based on vaccine or therapy, should consider the extent of diversity of the parasite and its population structure in different endemic areas. In this study, we examined T. annulata in Pakistan and carried out a comparative analysis with similar data garneted in other areas, to provide further information on the level of parasite diversity and parasite genetic structure in different endemic areas. Methods: The present study examined a set of 10 microsatellites/minisatellites and analyzed the genetic structure of T. annulata in cattle breeds from Pakistan (Indian sub-continent) and compared these with those in Oman (Middle East), Tunisia (Africa), and Turkey (Europe). Result: A high level of genetic diversity was observed among T. annulata detected in cattle from Pakistan, comparable to that in Oman, Tunisia, and Turkey. The genotypes of T. annulata in these four countries form genetically distinct groups that are geographically sub-structured. The T. annulata population in Oman overlapped with that in the Indian Subcontinent (Pakistan) and that in Africa (Tunisia). Conclusions: The T. annulata parasite in Pakistan is highly diverse, and genetically differentiated. This pattern accords well and complements that seen among T. annulata representing the global endemic site. The parasite population in the Arabian Peninsula overlapped with that in the Indian-Subcontinent (India) and that in Africa (Tunisia), which shared some genotypes with that in the Near East and Europe (Turkey). This suggests some level of parasite gene flow, indicative of limited movement between neighboring countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salama Al-Hamidhi
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat 123, Oman;
| | - Asia Parveen
- Institute of Pure and Applied Biology, Zoology Division, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60800, Pakistan; (A.P.); (F.I.); (M.A.); (N.A.)
| | - Furhan Iqbal
- Institute of Pure and Applied Biology, Zoology Division, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60800, Pakistan; (A.P.); (F.I.); (M.A.); (N.A.)
| | - Muhammad Asif
- Institute of Pure and Applied Biology, Zoology Division, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60800, Pakistan; (A.P.); (F.I.); (M.A.); (N.A.)
| | - Naheed Akhtar
- Institute of Pure and Applied Biology, Zoology Division, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60800, Pakistan; (A.P.); (F.I.); (M.A.); (N.A.)
| | - Elshafie I. Elshafie
- Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat 123, Oman;
- Central Veterinary Research Laboratories, Al Amarat, Khartoum P.O. Box 8067, Sudan
| | - Albano Beja-Pereira
- Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources (CIBIO), InBIO, University of Porto, Rua Padre Armando Quintas 7, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal;
- DGAOT, Faculty of Sciences, Universidade do Porto, Rua Campo Alegre 687, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
- Sustainable Agrifood Production Research Centre (GreenUPorto), Universidade do Porto, Rua da Agrária 747, 4485-646 Vairão, Portugal
| | - Hamza A. Babiker
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat 123, Oman;
- Institute of Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9YL, UK
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +968-2414-3410
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Whittle L, Chapman R, van Diepen M, Rybicki EP, Williamson AL. Characterization of a Novel Chimeric Theileria parva p67 Antigen Which Incorporates into Virus-like Particles and Is Highly Immunogenic in Mice. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:vaccines10020210. [PMID: 35214669 PMCID: PMC8880696 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10020210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The current method to protect cattle against East Coast Fever (ECF) involves the use of live Theileria parva sporozoites. Although this provides immunity, using live parasites has many disadvantages, such as contributing to the spread of ECF. Subunit vaccines based on the sporozoite surface protein p67 have been investigated as a replacement for the current method. In this study, two DNA vaccines expressing recombinant forms of p67 designed to display on retrovirus-like particles were constructed with the aim of improving immunogenicity. The native leader sequence was replaced with the human tissue plasminogen activator leader in both vaccines. The full-length p67 gene was included in the first DNA vaccine (p67); in the second, the transmembrane domain and cytoplasmic tail were replaced with those of an influenza A virus hemagglutinin 5 (p67HA). Immunofluorescent staining of fixed and live transfected mammalian cells showed that both p67 and p67HA were successfully expressed, and p67HA localised on the cell surface. Furthermore, p67HA was displayed on the surface of both bovine leukaemia virus (BLV) Gag and HIV-1 Gag virus-like particles (VLPs) made in the same cells. Mice vaccinated with DNA vaccines expressing p67 and p67HA alone, or p67HA with BLV or HIV-1 Gag, developed high titres of p67 and BLV Gag-binding antibodies. Here we show that it is possible to integrate a form of p67 containing all known antigenic domains into VLPs. This p67HA–VLP combination has the potential to be incorporated into a vaccine against ECF, as a DNA vaccine or as other vaccine platforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leah Whittle
- Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa; (L.W.); (M.v.D.); (E.P.R.); (A.-L.W.)
- Division of Medical Virology, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
| | - Ros Chapman
- Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa; (L.W.); (M.v.D.); (E.P.R.); (A.-L.W.)
- Division of Medical Virology, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
- Correspondence:
| | - Michiel van Diepen
- Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa; (L.W.); (M.v.D.); (E.P.R.); (A.-L.W.)
- Division of Medical Virology, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
| | - Edward P. Rybicki
- Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa; (L.W.); (M.v.D.); (E.P.R.); (A.-L.W.)
- Biopharming Research Unit, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
| | - Anna-Lise Williamson
- Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa; (L.W.); (M.v.D.); (E.P.R.); (A.-L.W.)
- Division of Medical Virology, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
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Almazán C, Scimeca RC, Reichard MV, Mosqueda J. Babesiosis and Theileriosis in North America. Pathogens 2022; 11:168. [PMID: 35215111 PMCID: PMC8874406 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11020168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Babesia and Theileria are apicomplexan parasites that cause established and emerging diseases in humans, domestic and wild animals. These protozoans are transmitted by Ixodid ticks causing babesiosis or theileriosis, both characterized by fever, hemolytic anemia, jaundice, and splenomegaly. In North America (NA), the most common species affecting humans is B. microti, which is distributed in the Northeastern and Upper Midwestern United States (US), where the tick vector Ixodes scapularis is established. In livestock, B. bovis and B. bigemina are the most important pathogens causing bovine babesiosis in tropical regions of Mexico. Despite efforts toward eradication of their tick vector, Rhipicephalus microplus, B. bovis and B. bigemina present a constant threat of being reintroduced into the southern US and represent a continuous concern for the US cattle industry. Occasional outbreaks of T. equi, and T. orientalis have occurred in horses and cattle, respectively, in the US, with significant economic implications for livestock including quarantine, production loss, and euthanasia of infected animals. In addition, a new species, T. haneyi, has been recently discovered in horses from the Mexico-US border. Domestic dogs are hosts to at least four species of Babesia in NA that may result in clinical disease that ranges from subclinical to acute, severe anemia. Herein we review the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and epidemiology of the most important diseases caused by Babesia and Theileria to humans, domestic and wild animals in Canada, the US, and Mexico.
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Affiliation(s)
- Consuelo Almazán
- Immunology and Vaccines Laboratory, C. A. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Carretera a Chichimequillas, Queretaro 76140, Mexico;
| | - Ruth C. Scimeca
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA; (R.C.S.); (M.V.R.)
| | - Mason V. Reichard
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA; (R.C.S.); (M.V.R.)
| | - Juan Mosqueda
- Immunology and Vaccines Laboratory, C. A. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Carretera a Chichimequillas, Queretaro 76140, Mexico;
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Wang X, Zhang Q, Liu S, Li M, Li H, Duan C, Jin Y. Visible Light-Induced Metal-Free Benzylation of Quinones via Cross Dehydrogenation Coupling Reaction. CHINESE J ORG CHEM 2022. [DOI: 10.6023/cjoc202112018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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A Survey of Tick Infestation and Tick-Borne Piroplasm Infection of Cattle in Oudalan and Séno Provinces, Northern Burkina Faso. Pathogens 2021; 11:pathogens11010031. [PMID: 35055979 PMCID: PMC8777743 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11010031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2021] [Revised: 12/19/2021] [Accepted: 12/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, cattle farms located in Oudalan and Séno, two provinces in the Sahel region, northern Burkina Faso, were surveyed. Cattle owners were interviewed, cattle were examined for tick infestation, and ticks as well as blood samples were collected during the dry season (October). Blood DNA samples were tested for Babesia and Theileria infections using nested PCRs and sequencing. A total of 22 herds, 174 Zebu cattle were investigated at 6 different sites. Overall, 76 cattle (43.7 %) from 18 farms (81.8%) were found infested with ticks. Cattle in Séno, adult cattle (>5 years) and those owned by the Fulani ethnic group were significantly (p < 0.05) more likely to be tick-infested. A total of 144 adult ticks belonging to five species namely: Hyalomma impeltatum, Hyalomma impressum, Hyalomma rufipes, Rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi, and Rhipicephalus guilhoni were collected from the animals. Piroplasms were detected in the blood DNA of 23 (13.2%) cattle. The cattle in Séno and adult cattle were significantly more likely to be piroplasm-positive. Five pathogens diversely distributed were identified. Theileria mutans (12/174), Babesia bigemina (5/174), Theileria annulata (3/174), and Theileria velifera (3/174) were detected for the first time in northern Burkina Faso, whereas Babesia occultans (1/174) was found for the first time in cattle in West Africa. The analysis of the sequences, including B. bigemina RAP-1a, T. annulata Tams1 genes, and the 18S rRNA genes of all the five protozoa, revealed identities ranging from 98.4 to 100% with previously published sequences. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 18S rRNA gene sequences located north Burkina Faso piroplasms in the same clade as isolates from Africa and other regions of the world. Notably, T. mutans sequences were distributed in two clades: the T. mutans Intona strain clade and the Theileria sp. (strain MSD)/ Theileria sp. B15a clade, suggesting the presence of at least two strains in the area. These findings indicate that the control of ticks and tick-borne diseases should be taken into account in strategies to improve animal health in the Sahel region.
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Vimonish R, Dinkel KD, Fry LM, Johnson WC, Capelli-Peixoto J, Bastos RG, Scoles GA, Knowles DP, Madder M, Chaka G, Ueti MW. Isolation of infectious Theileria parva sporozoites secreted by infected Rhipicephalus appendiculatus ticks into an in vitro tick feeding system. Parasit Vectors 2021; 14:616. [PMID: 34952641 PMCID: PMC8704063 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-021-05120-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Vector-borne diseases pose an increasing threat to global food security. Vaccines, diagnostic tests, and therapeutics are urgently needed for tick-borne diseases that affect livestock. However, the inability to obtain significant quantities of pathogen stages derived from ticks has hindered research. In vitro methods to isolate pathogens from infected tick vectors are paramount to advance transcriptomic, proteomic, and biochemical characterizations of tick-borne pathogens. Methods Nymphs of Rhipicephalus appendiculatus were infected with Theileria parva by feeding on a calf during an acute infection. Isolation of sporozoites was accomplished by feeding infected adult ticks on an in vitro tick feeding system. Sporozoite viability was tested using in vitro bovine lymphocytes. Results We isolated infectious T. parva sporozoites secreted into an in vitro tick feeding system. Infected adult R. appendiculatus ticks attached to and successfully fed on silicone membranes in the in vitro tick feeding system. Bovine blood in the receptacle was replaced with cell-free medium and the ticks were allowed to feed for 3 h to collect secreted T. parva sporozoites. Secreted sporozoites infected in vitro bovine lymphocytes, demonstrating that isolated sporozoites remained viable and infectious. Conclusions This work is the first to report the isolation of mature infectious T. parva sporozoites using an in vitro tick feeding system, which represents a significant step towards the development of a more efficient control strategy for T. parva. Isolation of infectious tick-stage parasites will facilitate the examination of the vector-pathogen interface, thereby accelerating the development of next-generation vaccines and treatment interventions for tick-borne pathogens. Graphical Abstract ![]()
Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13071-021-05120-7.
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Azhahianambi P, Madhanmohan M, Madan N, Kumaran D, Latha Mala Priyadharshini M, Bharathi R, Senthilkumar TMA, Manoharan S. Successful treatment of severe form of bovine tropical theileriosis in dairy cattle and genotyping of Theileria annulata isolates of Tamil Nadu, India. Vet Parasitol Reg Stud Reports 2021; 26:100628. [PMID: 34879939 DOI: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2021.100628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Revised: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Bovine tropical theileriosis (BTT) is a tick-borne protozoan disease of cattle and responsible for major economic losses to the dairy farmers in India. This report describes diagnosis, genotyping and successful treatment of heavy infection of Theileria annulata in an organized dairy farm at Kattupakkam, Chennai. Four cross bred cows of 2 to 5 years of age showed clinical signs i.e., anorexia, salivation and panting. Clinical examination revealed pyrexia (40.0 °C to 40.1 °C), pale mucus membranes, enlarged prescapular lymph nodes and haemoglobinuria. The peripheral blood smear examination of infected cows revealed presence of piroplasm within the RBCs indicating high parasitemia. Haematology results suggested that decreased levels of Hb, RBC, WBC and PCV in the infected cows when compared with normal reference values. There were increased serum ALT and AST values and reduced serum total protein, albumin, calcium and phosphorous values in the infected cows. Semi-nested PCR using T. annulata specific oligonucleotide primers amplified 199 bp of the partial T. annulata 18S rRNA gene. Presence of four satellite markers TS6, TS8, TS9, and TS12 in the Theileria annulata isolates 1 and 2 indicating that the isolates were the same haplotype and suggested the infection in the farm was due to a single haplotype of T. annulata parasite. Based on the clinical signs, microscopic examination of blood smear and molecular diagnosis, the condition was diagnosed as tropical theileriosis. Infected cows were successfully treated with a single deep intramuscular injection of buparvaquone (Zubion®, INTAS pharmaceuticals LTD, Ahmedabad, India) along with supportive medication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Palavesam Azhahianambi
- Translational Research Platform for Veterinary Biologicals, Centre for Animal Health Studies, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Madharavam Milk Colony, Chennai 600 051, India
| | - Muthukrishnan Madhanmohan
- Vaccine Research Centre - Viral Vaccines, Centre for Animal Health Studies, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Madharavam Milk Colony, Chennai 600 051, India
| | - N Madan
- Translational Research Platform for Veterinary Biologicals, Centre for Animal Health Studies, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Madharavam Milk Colony, Chennai 600 051, India
| | - D Kumaran
- Chennai Pet Clinic, Iyyappanthangal, Chennai 600 056, India
| | - M Latha Mala Priyadharshini
- Vaccine Research Centre - Bacterial Vaccines, Centre for Animal Health Studies, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Madharavam Milk Colony, Chennai 600 051, India
| | - R Bharathi
- Central University Laboratory, Centre for Animal Health Studies, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Madharavam Milk Colony, Chennai 600 051, India
| | - T M A Senthilkumar
- Translational Research Platform for Veterinary Biologicals, Centre for Animal Health Studies, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Madharavam Milk Colony, Chennai 600 051, India
| | - Seeralan Manoharan
- Vaccine Research Centre - Bacterial Vaccines, Centre for Animal Health Studies, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Madharavam Milk Colony, Chennai 600 051, India.
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Wang Y, Wang B, Zhang Q, Li Y, Yang Z, Han S, Yuan G, Wang S, He H. The Common Occurrence of Theileria ovis in Tibetan Sheep and the First Report of Theileria sinensis in Yaks from Southern Qinghai, China. Acta Parasitol 2021; 66:1177-1185. [PMID: 33840059 DOI: 10.1007/s11686-021-00381-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The tick-borne protozoa piroplasms, including Theileria and Babesia, are the cause of substantial economic losses to the livestock industry. However, in southern Qinghai province, China, there are limited information on the molecular characteristics of piroplasms. This study therefore aimed at determining the prevalence and genetic diversity of piroplasms. METHODS In order to detect piroplasms, we examined 330 yaks and 236 Tibetan sheep blood samples by nested PCR. The differences in piroplasms prevalence in relation to different risk factors was analyzed using SPSS 26. Phylogenetic analysis based on 18S rRNA sequences was inferred using MEGA 7. RESULTS During this study, Theileria spp. were detected in 33.6% (111/330) of yaks and 94.1% (222/236) of Tibetan sheep, but no Babesia was identified. Importantly, a comparison study revealed that T. ovis infection was highly prevalent in sheep (94.1%) but infrequent in yaks (6.1%), while T. sinensis was host-specific to yaks with an infection rate of 27.6%. In addition, male animals were more likely to be infected by T. sinensis and female animals were more likely to be infected by T. ovis. And animals below 4000 m areas reported a higher infection rate with T. sinensis (26.1% vs. 2.9%, p < 0.001). Alongside these differences in prevalence, we found a significantly higher T. sinensis infection rate in separated-grazing livestock (22.2% vs. 3.7%, p < 0.001), while mixed-grazing ruminants had a higher T. ovis infection rate (50.0% vs. 39.0%, p = 0.014). Furthermore, sequence analysis revealed that the 18S rRNA sequences obtained in this study shared 86.9-100.0% identities with each other and they were clustered into T. sinensis or T. ovis. CONCLUSION To our knowledge, this is the first report of T. sinensis in Qinghai region. In addition, high prevalence of the generally sub-clinical T. ovis in sheep indicates extensive exposure to ticks and transmission of tick-borne pathogens with a significant economic impact. This study provides insights into the distribution and genetic diversity of Theileria in China.
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Zhao Y, Lawrence KE, Minor M, Gedye K, Wang B, Pomroy W, Potter M. CHANGES IN THE LEVELS OF THEILERIA ORIENTALIS IKEDA TYPE INFECTION IN HAEMAPHYSALIS LONGICORNIS NYMPHS OVER A SIX-MONTH PERIOD. J Parasitol 2021; 107:710-716. [PMID: 34525205 DOI: 10.1645/20-177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate whether the infection intensity of Theileria orientalis Ikeda type organisms within Haemaphysalis longicornis larvae and nymph stages fluctuated over 6 mo after feeding as larvae on infected calves in the field. Naïve larvae, hatched from eggs, were fed on infected calves for 5 days while contained within cotton socks glued over the calves' ears. Larvae were first sampled immediately post-feeding and then sampled every 3 wk for 23 wk in total, after molting to nymphs. All larvae and nymphs were tested for T. orientalis Ikeda organisms using quantitative PCR. The qPCR results showed that the infection intensity of Haemaphysalis longicornis larvae and nymphs was not constant over the sampling period, and after initially dropping after molting to nymphs, it then rose with fasting to a maximum at 17 and 23 wk post-feeding. The significant rise in T. orientalis Ikeda organisms observed at 23 wk postfeeding may explain why more severe clinical cases of bovine theileriosis in New Zealand are seen in the spring when nymphs are the predominant instar questing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yilin Zhao
- School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Palmerston North, 4442, New Zealand
| | - Kevin E Lawrence
- School of Veterinary Science, Massey University, Palmerston North, 4442, New Zealand
| | - Maria Minor
- School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Palmerston North, 4442, New Zealand
| | - Kristene Gedye
- School of Veterinary Science, Massey University, Palmerston North, 4442, New Zealand
| | - Bo Wang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - William Pomroy
- School of Veterinary Science, Massey University, Palmerston North, 4442, New Zealand
| | - Murray Potter
- School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Palmerston North, 4442, New Zealand
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Molecular detection and phylogenetic characterization of Theileria equi in horses (Equus caballus) from a peri-urban area of Argentina. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2021; 12:101810. [PMID: 34416568 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2021.101810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
To investigate the presence of Theileria equi in an endemic area of equine piroplasmosis 42 horses (Equus caballus) from Corrientes City, Argentina were sampled. Eighty-one percent (34 blood samples) of the analyzed horses were tested positive to the presence of piroplasmid 18S rDNA. All these samples could be identified as T. equi by amplifying the specific EMA-1 (merozoite antigen 1) gene of this species. Phylogenetic analysis of an obtained 18S rDNA complete sequence from one strain resulted in the identification of this sample as T. equi sensu stricto (genotype A). This study presents the first molecular detection and characterization of T. equi by the complete 18S rDNA sequence in Argentina. Based on these results further studies should be carried out to investigate the distribution and heterogeneity of presented genotypes of T. equi in Argentina, which is essential for the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of equine piroplasmosis.
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Atelerix algirus, the North African Hedgehog: Suitable Wild Host for Infected Ticks and Fleas and Reservoir of Vector-Borne Pathogens in Tunisia. Pathogens 2021; 10:pathogens10080953. [PMID: 34451417 PMCID: PMC8399139 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10080953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Revised: 07/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Small wild mammals are an important element in the emergence and transmission of vector-borne pathogens (VBPs). Among these species, hedgehogs have been found to be a reservoir of VBPs and host of arthropod vectors. Surveillance of VBPs in wildlife and their arthropods are crucial in a one health context. We conducted an exploratory study to screen Atelerix algirus hedgehogs and their infesting ticks and fleas for VBPs using a high throughput microfluidic real-time PCR system. Tested biopsies from hedgehogs were found to be naturally infected by Theileria youngi, Hepatozoon sp., Ehrlichia ewingii, Coxiella burnetii, and Candidatus Ehrlichia shimanensis. Similarly, Haemaphysalis erinacei and Rhipicephalus sanguineus tick species were infected by Ehrlichia ewingii, Rickettsia spp., Rickettsia massiliae, Borrelia sp., Coxiella burnetii, Rickettsia lusitaniae and Anaplasma sp. Archaeopsylla erinacei fleas were infected by Rickettsia asembonensis, Coxiella burnetii, and Rickettsia massiliae. Co-infections by two and three pathogens were detected in hedgehogs and infesting ticks and fleas. The microfluidic real-time PCR system enabled us not only to detect new and unexpected pathogens, but also to identify co-infections in hedgehogs, ticks, and fleas. We suggest that hedgehogs may play a reservoir role for VBPs in Tunisia and contribute to maintaining enzootic pathogen cycles via arthropod vectors.
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Ouedraogo AS, Zannou OM, Biguezoton AS, Yao KP, Belem AMG, Farougou S, Oosthuizen M, Saegerman C, Lempereur L. Cross border transhumance involvement in ticks and tick-borne pathogens dissemination and first evidence of Anaplasma centrale in Burkina Faso. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2021; 12:101781. [PMID: 34280698 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2021.101781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Revised: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
In West Africa, cross-border transhumance, also called seasonal migration, is known to be a very important animal production strategy, as it involves about 70 to 90% of cattle. In spite of the cattle movements, some strategic areas of transhumance remain poorly explored regarding ticks and their associated pathogens investigations. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the involvement of transhumance in the spread of cattle ticks and associated pathogens in Burkina Faso (BF) and Benin (BN), in a context of speedy invasion of West African livestock by Rhipicephalus microplus. A longitudinal survey was performed on 210 cattle from BF, monitored for ticks and tick-borne pathogens (TBP) during one seasonal transhumance. The first sampling coded "T0BF" took place in eastern BF, at the transhumance departure. A second sampling "T1BN" was carried out in northern BN, the transhumance arrival zone. A third sampling "T2BF" was done at the return of cattle in eastern BF. Ticks were morphologically identified and TBP detected with reverse line blot hybridization (RLB) assay. A total of 1027 ticks (7 species), 1006 ticks (11 species) and 1211 ticks (9 species) were respectively found at T0BF, T1BN and T2BF. Some species were collected at the three times of sampling without any significant difference in their relative abundances. However, other tick species appeared only at T1BN and/or T2BF. The TBP species found at the three points surveyed were Theileria annulata, Theileria mutans, Theileria velifera, Babesia bigemina and Anaplasma marginale. The most prevalent was T. mutans with 166/210 (79%), 159/210 (75.7%) and 78/210 (37%) cattle positive respectively at T0BF, T1BN and T2BF. Anaplasma centrale was evidenced with 0.5% and 0.9% respectively at T0BF and T2BF. To our knowledge, this represents its first report in the study area. Overall, the TBP prevalences were significantly lower at T2BF, highlighting the effect of tick populations changes induced by transhumance combined with the seasonal variation influence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Achille S Ouedraogo
- Center for Fundamental and Applied Research for Animal and Health (FARAH), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, ULiège, 4000, Liège, Belgium; Vector-borne Diseases and Biodiversity Unit (UMaVeB), International Research and Development Centre on Livestock in Sub-humid Areas (CIRDES), 454, Bobo-Dioulasso 01, Burkina Faso.
| | - Olivier M Zannou
- Vector-borne Diseases and Biodiversity Unit (UMaVeB), International Research and Development Centre on Livestock in Sub-humid Areas (CIRDES), 454, Bobo-Dioulasso 01, Burkina Faso; Research Unit in Epidemiology and Risk Analysis applied to veterinary sciences (UREAR-ULg), Fundamental and Applied Research for Animal and Health (FARAH) Center, Department of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, ULiège, 4000, Liège, Belgium.
| | - Abel S Biguezoton
- Vector-borne Diseases and Biodiversity Unit (UMaVeB), International Research and Development Centre on Livestock in Sub-humid Areas (CIRDES), 454, Bobo-Dioulasso 01, Burkina Faso.
| | - Kouassi Patrick Yao
- UFR Biosciences, Université Félix Houphouët Boigny, BP V34, Abidjan 01, Côte d'Ivoire.
| | - Adrien Marie Gaston Belem
- Institut du Développement Rural (IDR), Université Nazi BONI, 01 BP 1091, Bobo-Dioulasso 01, Burkina Faso.
| | - Souaibou Farougou
- Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Transmissibles, Université d'Abomey-Calavi, BP 01 BP 2009 Cotonou, République du Bénin.
| | - Marinda Oosthuizen
- Department of veterinary Tropical Diseases, Faculty Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, 0110, Onderspoort, South Africa.
| | - Claude Saegerman
- Research Unit in Epidemiology and Risk Analysis applied to veterinary sciences (UREAR-ULg), Fundamental and Applied Research for Animal and Health (FARAH) Center, Department of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, ULiège, 4000, Liège, Belgium.
| | - Laetitia Lempereur
- Laboratory of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Fundamental and Applied Research for Animal and Health (FARAH) Center, Department of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, ULiège, 4000, Liège, Belgium.
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Identification of benzamide inhibitors of histone deacetylase 1 from Babesia and Theileria species via high-throughput virtual screening and molecular dynamics simulations. Parasitol Res 2021; 120:2175-2187. [PMID: 33987736 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-021-07158-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Theileria and Babesia species are eukaryotic protozoan parasites classified under the order Piroplasmida of the phylum Apicomplexa. Tick vectors transmit these microorganisms in tropical and subtropical regions to a wide range of animals, including ruminants, causing fatal and life-threatening diseases such as bovine babesiosis and theileriosis. Resistance to commercially available drugs requires the search for new drug candidates. Histone deacetylase (HDAC) has a potential to be utilized as a drug target; therefore, it may be considered as an effective alternative. Previous studies revealed that HDAC inhibitors, identified for human use, show promising anti-parasitic effects. We have herein focused on the class I HDAC enzyme, HDAC1, of the Babesia and Theileria species to discover potential benzamide inhibitors by following a streamlined workflow of computer-aided drug design methodology. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations revealed that benzamide derivatives stably interacted with the HDAC1 active site in both parasites as hypothesized. Furthermore, specific residue insertions at the entry point of the active site cleft of parasitic HDAC1 could enable ways to design parasite-specific drugs without adversely affecting host enzymes.
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50
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Viljoen S, O'Riain MJ, Penzhorn BL, Drouilly M, Vorster I, Bishop JM. Black-backed jackals (Canis mesomelas) from semi-arid rangelands in South Africa harbour Hepatozoon canis and a Theileria species but apparently not Babesia rossi. VETERINARY PARASITOLOGY- REGIONAL STUDIES AND REPORTS 2021; 24:100559. [PMID: 34024375 DOI: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2021.100559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2020] [Revised: 02/21/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Despite the importance of disease as a wildlife management challenge in South Africa, baseline data on the epidemiology of pathogens occurring in free-ranging species has received little attention to date. Black-backed jackals (Canis mesomelas) are a wide-ranging, abundant carnivore with substantial economic importance due to their role in livestock depredation. They are known reservoirs hosts of Babesia rossi, a virulent pathogen in domestic dogs in sub-Saharan Africa. We investigated the prevalence and diversity of tick-borne pathogens (TPBs) including Babesia, Theileria, Hepatozoon, Ehrlichia and Anaplasma species, together with host-attached tick diversity, in a black-backed jackal population from the semi-arid Central Karoo, a small-livestock farming region in South Africa. Using reverse line blot hybridisation, we screened 43 blood samples and sequenced the 18S rRNA gene from positive samples to confirm and characterise pathogen identity using a phylogenetic framework. Hepatozoon canis, a ubiquitous pathogen of domestic and wild canids globally, was observed in 47% of jackals, while a Theileria sp. most similar to T. ovis, a piroplasm found in small livestock, was observed in 5% of jackals. No Babesia, Ehrlichia or Anaplasma species were identified, although a Sarcocystis sp. sequence was isolated from one jackal. Host-attached ticks (n = 20) comprised three species, Amblyomma marmoreum, Haemaphysalis elliptica/zumpti and Ixodes rubicundus, commonly known ticks in the region. In summary, prevalence of TBPs in black-backed jackals from this semi-arid rangeland region was lower than in jackal populations in more mesic regions. These jackals were apparently not infected with B. rossi. While this study is one of the first investigations into the epidemiology of TBPs infecting jackals and adds to the sparse literature, further studies which span landscape uses, climate conditions and seasonality are encouraged.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Viljoen
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
| | - M J O'Riain
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - B L Penzhorn
- Vectors & Vector-borne Diseases Research Programme, Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa; Centre for Veterinary Wildlife Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, South Africa; National Zoological Garden, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - M Drouilly
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - I Vorster
- Vectors & Vector-borne Diseases Research Programme, Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - J M Bishop
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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