Prevalence of tick-borne haemoparasites in small ruminants in Turkey and diagnostic sensitivity of single-PCR and RLB

Bilgic H. B., Bakirci S., Kose O., Ünlü A. H., Hacilarlioglu S., Eren H., ...More

PARASITES & VECTORS, vol.10, 2017 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 10
  • Publication Date: 2017
  • Doi Number: 10.1186/s13071-017-2151-3
  • Journal Name: PARASITES & VECTORS
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
  • Keywords: Prevalence, Tick-borne pathogens, Sheep, Goat, RLB, Species-specific PCR, Turkey, POLYMERASE-CHAIN-REACTION, BLACK-SEA REGION, ANAPLASMA-PHAGOCYTOPHILUM, MOLECULAR-DETECTION, THEILERIA-LUWENSHUNI, IXODID TICKS, EHRLICHIA-PHAGOCYTOPHILA, GENETIC-VARIABILITY, PARASITES THEILERIA, BABESIA PARASITES
  • Van Yüzüncü Yıl University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Background: Tick-borne haemoparasitic diseases (TBHDs), caused by Theileria, Babesia, Anaplasma and Ehrlichia, are common in regions of the world where the distributions of host, pathogen and vector overlap. Many of these diseases threaten livestock production and some also represent a concern to human public health. The primary aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of the above-mentioned pathogens in a large number of blood samples (n = 1979) collected from sheep (n = 1727) and goats (n = 252) in Turkey. A secondary aim was to assess the diagnostic sensitivity of a number of species-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests and the reverse line blotting (RLB) assay. DNA samples were screened using species-specific PCR for the presence of Theileria ovis, Theileria sp. MK, T. lestoquardi, T. uilenbergi, T. luwenshuni, Babesia ovis, Anaplasma ovis and A. phagocytophilum while RLB was undertaken to test for the presence of all known Theileria, Babesia, Anaplasma and Ehrlichia species. The diagnostic sensitivity of these two approaches was then compared in terms of their ability to detect single species and mixed infections.