Tick-borne diseases (TBDs) caused by
Theileria, Babesia, Anaplasma
and
Ehrlichia
species are common in tropical and subtropical regions. In this study, we investigated the presence and genetic diversity of
Theileria
spp.,
Anaplasma ovis, B. ovis, E. ruminantium
and
Anaplasma
spp. in sheep from the Machakos and Homa Bay counties of Kenya. In order to improve the diagnosis and control of ovine TBDs, a total of 76 blood samples from apparently healthy sheep were screened using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The assays were conducted using primers based on
Theileria
spp.
18S rRNA, Anaplasma ovis
Major surface protein-4 (
AoMSP4
),
B. ovis 18S rRNA, E. ruminantium pCS20
and
Anaplasma
spp.
16S rRNA
. The overall infection rates for
Theileria
spp.,
A. ovis, E. ruminantium
and
Anaplasma
spp. were 39/76 (51.3%), 26/76 (34.2%), 6/76 (7.9%) and 31/76 (40.8%), respectively. The overall co-infection was 47/76 (61.8%). All
Theileria
spp. positive samples were confirmed to be of
Theileria ovis
on sequencing. A phylogenetic analysis of the
18S rRNA
gene sequences of
T. ovis
revealed that all isolates of this study clustered with
T. ovis
sequences extracted from the GenBank suggesting this gene is highly conserved.
E. ruminantium pCS20
sequences were in the same clade on the phylogenetic tree. However, three
AoMSP4
sequences from this study appeared in the same clade, while one sequence formed a separate branch revealing genetic divergence. The
16S rRNA
sequencing revealed uncharacterised
Anaplasma
spp. and
A. ovis
. The phylogenetic analyses of the uncharacterised
Anaplasma
spp. revealed that the two sequences from this study appear in an independent clade from other sequences extracted from the GenBank. This study provides important information regarding the occurrence of tick-borne pathogens and their degree of genetic diversity among sheep in Kenya, which is useful for the diagnosis and control of TBDs.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.