theileria

PURPOSE: Piroplasmosis is responsible for anemia, fever, loss of physical activity and even death in equines. In epidemiological studies, accurate diagnostic tests are essential for detecting asymptomatic carriers. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of infection in asymptomatic horses from Lorestan province, western Iran by developing a multiplex PCR. METHODS AND RESULTS: Blood samples were examined by microscopy and multiplex PCR targeting the SSU rRNA gene of Theileria equi and Babesia caballi...

The growing emergence of resistance to current anti-theilerial agents necessitates the exploration of alternative approaches to drug discovery. This study evaluated the antiparasitic efficacy of 148 compounds derived from an epigenetic inhibitor library against the schizont stage of a Theileria annulata -infected cell line. Initial screening at a concentration of 10 µM identified 27 compounds exhibiting promising anti-theilerial activity. Further investigation, including determination of the 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50 ) and host cell cytotoxicity assay, highlighted seven highly effective compounds (SAHA, BVT-948, Trichostatin A, Methylstat, Plumbagin, Ryuvidine, and TCE-5003) against T...

Theileria equi is 1 of the emerging and prevailing tick-borne hemoprotozoans adversely affecting the equids worldwide, including Pakistan. The current study aimed to investigate the prevalence and molecular characterization of T. equi in working horses (n = 194), the comparative efficacy of different diagnostic tests, associated risk factors, and hematobiochemical analysis. The blood samples of horses were subjected to microscopic examination, cELISA, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and the results revealed a prevalence of 9...

Transboundary incursions of ticks and tick-borne pathogens are ever present concerns for US cattle industries. Global trade in livestock and wildlife, historic and emerging transboundary issues with endemic tick populations and pathogens, and migratory bird flyways are pathways of concern. Transboundary challenges are presented for the Asian long-horned tick and Theileria orientalis Ikeda, for 2 cattle fever tick species [Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) annulatus and R (B) microplus] and Babesia bigemina and B bovis, and for the tropical bont tick and Ehrlichia ruminantium...

To achieve the World Health Organization's global Sustainable Development Goals, increased production of high-quality protein for human consumption is required while minimizing, ideally reducing, environmental impacts. One way to achieve these goals is to address losses within current livestock production systems. Infectious diseases are key limiters of edible protein production, affecting both quantity and quality. In addition, some of these diseases are zoonotic threats and potential contributors to the emergence of antimicrobial resistance...

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a widely used technique in gene expression analysis, diagnostics, and various molecular biology applications. However, the accuracy and sensitivity of PCR can be compromised by primer-template mismatches, potentially leading to erroneous results. In this study, we strategically designed 111 primer-template combinations with varying numbers, types, and locations of mismatches to meticulously assess their impact on qPCR performance while two distinctly different types of DNA polymerases were used...

Eight hunting dogs were visited by a state veterinarian on the island of Tobago, Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies, as owners reported anorexia and paralysis in five of their dogs. The veterinarian observed a combination of clinical signs consistent with tick-borne illness, including fever, anorexia, anaemia, lethargy and paralysis. Blood and ticks were collected from each dog and submitted to a diagnostic laboratory for analysis. Microscopic analysis revealed a mixed infection of intracytoplasmic organisms consistent with Babesia spp...

While in much of the Western world snakes are feared, in the small, rural, mountainous town of Cocullo, in the middle of central Italy, snakes are annually collected and celebrated in a sacro-profane ritual. Every 1st of May, Serpari (snake catchers) capture and showcase dozens of non-venomous snakes to celebrate the ritual of San Domenico. In order to detect potential zoonotic pathogens within this unique epidemiological context, parasites and microorganisms of snakes harvested for the "festa dei serpari" ritual was investigated...

BACKGROUND: Hyalomma marginatum and H. rufipes are two-host tick species, which are mainly distributed in southern Europe, Africa to central Asia but may also be found in Central and Northern Europe through introduction by migratory birds. METHODS: Ticks were collected while feeding or crawling on animals and humans, or from the environment, in different regions in Germany, between 2019 and 2021 in a citizen science study and from 2022 to 2023 in the wake of this study...

Equine piroplasmosis is a tick-borne disease caused by Theileria equi and Babesia caballi in horses. Because of its impact on horse industry, control of this disease is crucial for endemic countries. The control of equine piroplasmosis may be influenced by the genotypic diversity of T. equi and B. caballi. Mongolia, a country with a thriving livestock industry, is endemic for T. equi and B. caballi. However, nationwide epidemiological surveys have not been conducted to determine the current status of infections and genetic diversity of these two parasite species...

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...

Hyalomma dromedarii is the predominant tick species parasitizing camels in Egypt which leads to mortalities in young animals that result in economic losses. It can transmit a lot of pathogens to animals and humans, such as the Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus, the Dhori virus, Kadam virus, Theileria annulata and spotted fever rickettsia. The continuous use of chemical acaricides has negative impact on the environment and almost led to acaricidal resistance, and hence the plant extracts represent alternative methods for controlling ticks...

The northwestern region of China, known as the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Area (QTPA), is characterized by unique climate conditions that support the breeding of various highly-adapted livestock species. Tick vectors play a significant role in transmitting Babesia and Theileria species, posing serious risks to animal health as well as the economy of animal husbandry in QTPA. A total of 366 blood samples were collected from Tibetan sheep ( n = 51), goats ( n = 67), yaks ( n = 43), cattle ( n = 49), Bactrian camels ( n = 50), horses ( n = 65), and donkeys ( n = 40)...

Tick-borne diseases have a major adverse effect on livestock worldwide, causing enormous economic losses in meat and milk production as well threatening animal and public health. In this study, we aimed to detect and characterize piroplasms isolated from cattle and buffalo in southern Egypt, using molecular techniques. Three hundred blood samples were collected from cattle and buffalo in two governorates in southern Egypt. All 300 samples (100%) were confirmed to contain DNA, as they exhibited bands of bovine β-actin gene at the expected 227 bp for cattle and buffalo...

Ticks are small and adaptable arachnid ectoparasites and global carriers of various pathogens that threaten both human and animal health. They are present in many parts of China. A total of 858 ticks were collected from various regions and hosts, then subjected to species identification based on morphological and molecular characteristics, as described in the authors' previous study. Eighty-three individual tick samples were selected for screening pathogens based on metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays...

Theileria annulata is the only eukaryotic pathogen able to transform bovine leukocytes, including B cells, macrophages and dendritic cells. T. annulata-transformed cells exhibit several cancer-like phenotypes, such as hyperproliferation, immortalization and dissemination. Although several parasite factors involved in bovine cell transformation have been explored, the roles of subtelomere-encoded variable secreted proteins (SVSPs) of the parasite in host-cell interactions are largely unknown. In the present study, the target molecule TA05560, a member of the SVSP multigene family of T...

The control of Tropical Theileriosis, a tick-borne disease with a strong impact on cattle breeding, can be facilitated using marker-assisted selection in breeding programs. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) using high-density arrays are extremely important for the ongoing process of identifying genomic variants associated with resistance to Theileria annulata infection. In this work, single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were analyzed in the Portuguese autochthonous cattle breeds Alentejana and Mertolenga...

Tropical theileriosis (TT) is a tick-borne disease caused by Theileria annulata and commonly infects cattle in tropical and subtropical regions, including Algeria. It is a significant obstacle to cattle breeding programs established to improve production in Algeria. The present investigation aimed to estimate the current molecular prevalence, risk factors, and genetic characterisation of T. annulata in two bioclimatic areas of Algeria. In a cross-sectional study, 679 blood samples (629 from healthy cattle selected on farms and 50 from diseased cattle identified by veterinarians) were collected from the humid (n = 307+50) and semi-arid (n = 322) areas and screened by blood smear examination followed by polymerase chain reaction targeting cytochrome oxidase subunit 3 (cox III) mitochondrial and the 18S ribosomal RNA (18S rRNA) genes for Theileria spp...

BACKGROUND OBJECTIVES: Vector borne haemoprotozoan diseases comprise diverse group of single celled organism transmitted by haematophagus invertebrates. The current study was aimed at identification of major haemoprotozoan (Babesia, Theileria and Trypanosoma) in dromedary camel of North Gujarat region using microscopy and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). METHODS: A total of 234 blood samples were screened by the microscopic and molecular detection assays. Molecular prevalence studies of Theileria, Trypanosoma spp and Babesia was undertaken using 18s ribosomal DNA, RoTat 1...

This study presents the results of the molecular detection of tick-borne microorganisms in Amblyomma tigrinum Koch collected near the city of Viedma, Río Negro, Argentina. Ticks were collected in their non-parasitic stage, on pet dogs and on Lycalopex gymnocercus (Pampa fox). Also, six tick samples from humans were analyzed. All ticks were morphologically identified to species level and genomic DNA was extracted. The DNA samples were examined by end point PCR assays to amplified DNA of Anaplasma sp., Babesia sp...