Detection of Babesia bigemina infection in cattle from north-eastern India by polymerase chain reaction and its genetic relatedness with other isolates

Abstract

A total of 333 blood samples were collected from cattle suspected for haemoprotozoan infections from three states of north-eastern part of India. All the samples were examined for diagnosis of Babesia bigemina infection using PCR for detection of specific DNA. Out of these, 12 (3.60%) samples were found positive for B. bigemina DNA on PCR using the organism-specific primers derived from 18S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene of B. bigemina. An expected size of 1124-bp PCR product was visualized on agarose gel electrophoresis with all the 12 samples, and four of the products was further cloned and sequenced. Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) analysis of B. bigemina sequences generated in the present study share 99.2 to 99.7% identity at 18S rRNA gene nucleotide sequence level. These Indian B. bigemina sequences were found to be closely related with the cognate gene nucleotide sequences of B. bigemina from Argentina and Kenya where 99.1 to 99.9% and 99.0 to 99.7% nucleotide identities were observed, respectively. Distant relationship of these Indian organisms was observed with few cognate gene sequences from China where more than 7% divergence was observed in the distance matrix.

Epidemiology, Haematology and Molecular Characterization of Haemoprotozoon and Rickettsial Organisms Causing Infection in Cattle of Jammu Region, North India

“…The genetic polymorphism of Babesia spp. has been reported earlier using sequence information of 18S rRNA gene [1,33,34]. In the phylogenetic tree, the isolates of the present study formed a separate sub clade but clustered with an isolate from Iraq.…”

“…However, these distinguished itself from South African and American isolates, simulating reports from Kerala [1], wherein the isolates appeared in two different clades. In another study from India [34], close genetic relatedness was observed between B. bigemina isolates from North Eastern India with Argentina and Kenya rather than with China. Sequence information of A. marginale isolates from the present study revealed a marked divergence from A. capra, A. central and A. ovis, although, small length of nucleotide sequence couldn't reveal any marked genetic heterogeneity from isolates of A. marginale across the world.…”

Epidemiology, haematology and molecular characterization of haemoprotozoon and rickettsial organisms causing infections in cattle of Jammu region, North India

“…The genetic polymorphism of Babesia spp. has been reported earlier using sequence information of 18S rRNA gene [ 1 , 33 , 34 ]. In the phylogenetic tree, the isolates of the present study formed a separate sub clade but clustered with an isolate from Iraq.…”

Morphology, epidemiology, and phylogeny of Babesia: An overview

“…[ 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 ] From North-Eastern region of India, B. bigemina infections in 3.6% cattle using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been reported. [ 29 ] Lower prevalence of B. bigemina has been reported from different parts of India both by conventional (Giemsa staining) and molecular methods. By conventional method, 0.48–2.7% prevalence rate has been reported from Punjab,[ 30 31 ] Kerala,[ 32 ] and Karnataka.…”

“…Distant relationship of these Indian organisms was observed with few cognate gene sequences from China where more than 7% divergence was observed in the distance matrix. [ 29 ] B. bigemina isolates from yak of Arunachal Pradesh has been shown to have a close relation with isolates from China, Mexico, Australia, and Zimbabwe. [ 72 ]…”