A review of Theileria diagnostics and epidemiology

Abstract

HighlightsSerological and molecular assays exist for most economic important Theileria species.Molecular assays are constantly being improved with regard to sensitivity and specificity.The concept of what constitute a Theileria species impacts on accurate diagnostics.Analytical specificity of molecular assays are >800 000 parasites/L blood.Parasitemia ranges may determine practical limits of detection.

Investigating the diversity of the 18S SSU rRNA hyper-variable region of Theileria in cattle and Cape buffalo (Syncerus caffer) from southern Africa using a next generation sequencing approach

“…(bougasvlei) were shown to exhibit normal distribution curves (Pienaar et al 2011a;Pienaar et al 2014). Assuming that parasitemia ranges for all Theileria species will exhibit normal distribution curves (Mans et al 2015), frequency distribution plots were constructed for all genotypes and cut-offs were determined to include 97% of all sequences for each genotype (supplementary Fig. S1).…”

“…The 18S rRNA gene is also important in diagnostic analysis of Theileria species (Mans et al 2015). In this regard, diagnostic real-time PCR assays for T. parva based on the 18S rRNA gene was developed and include the hybridization and Hybrid II assays (Sibeko et al 2008;Pienaar et al 2011b (Sibeko et al 2008).…”

“…The Babesia and Theileria are part of the phylum Apicomplexa (Order Piroplasmorida) (Mans et al 2015 A significant proportion of the systematic study of the Piroplasmorida comprise analysis of the 18S rRNA gene (Allsopp et al 1994;Chae et al 1999;Chansiri et al 1999;Criado-Fornelio et al 2004;Reichard et al 2005;Criado et al 2006;Altay et al 2007;Bhoora et al 2009). The reverse line blot (RLB) method (Gubbels et al 1999), based on simultaneous detection of the 18S rRNA gene for various Babesia and Theileria species, has been extensively used for surveillance purposes (Georges et al 2001; Almerìa et al 2002;Oura et al 2004;Nijhof et al 2003Nijhof et al , 2005Altay et al 2007;M'ghirbi et al 2008;Altay et al 2008;Matjila et al 2008;Oosthuizen et al 2008; Almerìa et al 2009;Salih et al 2010;Yusufmia et al 2010; Tomassone et al 2012;Ceci et al 2014;Githaka et al 2014;Eygelaar et al 2015;Njiiri et al 2015).…”

“…The Babesia and Theileria are part of the phylum Apicomplexa (Order Piroplasmorida) (Mans et al 2015). The Theileria are distinguished by their life cycle, where tick transmitted sporozoites infect host leukocytes to form schizonts, which mature to merozoites that infect red blood cells to establish the piroplasm carrier stage (Uilenberg, 2006).…”

“…The Theileria are distinguished by their life cycle, where tick transmitted sporozoites infect host leukocytes to form schizonts, which mature to merozoites that infect red blood cells to establish the piroplasm carrier stage (Uilenberg, 2006). Parasite morphology, host cell specificity, schizonts and piroplasm parasitemia levels, clinical disease presentation, serological and molecular methods, host and vector specificity have been used for classification and systematic purposes (Mans et al 2015). Classification and diagnostics of the Theileria is important since they are the causative agents for a number of debilitating diseases in domestic and wild animals , such as for example, Theileria parva, the causative agent of East Coast fever, Corridor disease and January disease in East and southern Africa.…”