Diagnostic approaches for tick-borne haemoparasitic diseases in livestock

D, A Salih; A, M El Hussein; L, D Singla

doi:10.5897/jvmah2014.0345

Cited by 35 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 79 publications

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“…In comparison to molecular tools, microscopic analyses of blood smears are used for rapid diagnostic and informative purposes on the animals’ health status. In fact, identification by microscopy is prone to errors in species identification, as pathogens may look very similar among and between genera leading to misidentification, or may be missed depending on the animals’ patency or developmental status [19]. Anaplasma marginale and A. centrale are known to be mainly transmitted by ticks of the genus Rhipicephalus , in addition to other genera having also been reported as vectors [20].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Molecular identification and prevalence of tick-borne pathogens in zebu and taurine cattle in North Cameroon

et al. 2019

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Background Public interest for tick-borne pathogens in cattle livestock is rising due to their veterinary and zoonotic importance. Consequently, correct identification of these potential pathogens is crucial to estimate the level of exposition, the risk and the detrimental impact on livestock and the human population. Results Conventional PCR with generic primers was used to identify groups of tick-borne pathogens in cattle breeds from northern Cameroon. The overall prevalence in 1260 blood samples was 89.1%, with 993 (78.8%) positive for Theileria/Babesia spp., 959 (76.1%) for Anaplasma/Ehrlichia spp., 225 (17.9%) for Borrelia spp., and 180 (14.3%) for Rickettsia spp. Sanger sequencing of a subset of positively-tested samples revealed the presence of Theileria mutans (92.2%, 130/141), T. velifera (16.3%, 23/141), Anaplasma centrale (10.9%, 15/137), A. marginale (30.7%, 42/137), A. platys (51.1%, 70/137), Anaplasma sp. ‘Hadesa’ (10.9%, 15/137), Ehrlichia ruminantium (0.7%, 1/137), E. canis (0.7%, 1/137), Borrelia theileri (91.3%, 42/46), Rickettsia africae (59.4%, 19/32) and R. felis (12.5%, 4/32). A high level of both intra- and inter-generic co-infections (76.0%) was observed. To the best of our knowledge, B. theileri, T. mutans, T. velifera, A. platys, Anaplasma sp. ‘Hadesa’, R. felis and E. canis are reported for the first time in cattle from Cameroon, and for R. felis it is the first discovery in the cattle host. Babesia spp. were not detected by sequencing. The highest number of still identifiable species co-infections was up to four pathogens per genus group. Multifactorial analyses revealed a significant association of infection with Borrelia theileri and anemia. Whereas animals of older age had a higher risk of infection, the Gudali cattle had a lower risk compared to the other local breeds. Conclusion Co-infections of tick-borne pathogens with an overall high prevalence were found in all five study sites, and were more likely to occur than single infections. Fulani, Namchi and Kapsiki were the most infected breed in general; however, with regions as significant risk factor. A better-adapted approach for tick-borne pathogen identification in co-infected samples is a requirement for epidemiological investigations and tailored control measures.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Molecular identification and prevalence of tick-borne pathogens in zebu and taurine cattle in North Cameroon

et al. 2019

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“…However, most of these studies have utilized conventional diagnostic methods for the detection of TBPs in bovines. Although economical and useful for diagnosing clinical cases, these methods have lower sensitivity and specificity [34]. Furthermore, previous studies were confined to the surrounding areas of major metropolitan cities without considering diverse climatic conditions and bovine production systems in Pakistan which are important factors in the design of epidemiological studies [7].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bovine ticks harbour a diverse array of microorganisms in Pakistan

et al. 2020

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BackgroundTicks and tick-borne pathogens (TTBP) are a major constraint to livestock production in Pakistan; despite a high prevalence of TTBPs, knowledge on the capacity of Pakistani ticks to carry pathogens and endosymbionts is limited. Furthermore, mixed infections with multiple microorganisms further complicate and limit the detection potential of traditional diagnostic methods. The present study investigated the tick-borne microorganisms in bovine ticks in Pakistan, employing a high-throughput microfluidic real-time PCR based technique.MethodsTicks were collected from clinically healthy cattle (n = 116) and water buffaloes (n = 88) from 30 villages across six districts located in five agro-ecological zones (AEZs) of Pakistan from September to November 2017. The microfluidic real-time PCR was used to test the genomic DNA of individual ticks for the presence of 27 bacterial and eight parasitic microorganisms. Phylogenetic methods were used to assess the genetic relationship of DNA sequences determined herein.ResultsPCR detected DNA of at least one microorganism in each of 221 ticks tested (94.4%, 221/234). DNA-based detection inferred that single pathogens/endosymbionts were the most common (43.4%, 96/221) followed by double (38.9%, 86/221), triple (14.5%, 32/221), quadruple (2.3%, 5/221) and quintuple (0.9%, 2/221) mixed infections. Piroplasms (Babesia/Theileria spp.) were the most prevalent (31.6%, 74/234), followed by Ehrlichia spp. (20%, 47/234) and Anaplasma marginale (7.7%, 18/234). Anaplasma phagocytophilum, A. ovis, A. centrale, Babesia ovis, Borrelia spp., Rickettsia spp., R. massiliae, Bartonella spp. and Hepatozoon spp. were also detected. Endosymbionts such as Francisella-like (91.5%, 214/234) and Coxiella-like (1.3%, 3/234) organisms were also detected in ticks. The highest diversity of microorganisms was detected in Hyalomma anatolicum ticks (test-positive for 14/14 microorganisms), followed by Rhipicephalus microplus (4/14), Hy. hussaini (3/14) and Rh. annulatus (2/14). Ticks collected from cattle carried significantly more frequently piroplasms (41.2%, 54/131; P < 0.05) than those from buffaloes (19.4%, 20/103). However, the overall prevalence of microorganisms did not vary significantly among ticks from the two host species as well as across different AEZs.ConclusionsTo our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate a wide range of tick-borne microorganisms in bovine ticks using a high-throughput diagnostic method from different AEZs in Pakistan. These findings will aid in establishing the distribution patterns and the control of tick-borne pathogens of bovines in Pakistan.

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“…As ticks usually harbor and transmit commensals and numerous pathogens, some of which can be of public health significance (e.g., Coxiella burnetii and Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus) [27][28][29], it is important to detect these microorganisms in ticks to ascertain their prevalence. However, conventional diagnostic methods such as microscopic examination of thin and thick smears usually detect few target pathogens or microorganisms and have a lower sensitivity and specificity than molecular approaches [30]. Therefore, testing ticks as well as their animal hosts using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based methods for the detection of TBPs and/or commensals provides distinct advantages over conventional detection methods.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Assessment of the Molecular Diversity of Ticks and Tick-Borne Microorganisms of Small Ruminants in Pakistan

et al. 2020

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This study investigated ticks and tick-borne microorganisms of small ruminants from five districts of the Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA) of Pakistan. Morphological (n = 104) and molecular (n = 54) characterization of the ticks revealed the presence of six ixodid ticks: Rhipicephalus (Rh.) haemaphysaloides, Rh. microplus, Rh. turanicus, Haemaphysalis (Hs.) punctata, Hs. sulcata and Hyalomma anatolicum. Phylogenetic analyses of nucleotide sequence data for two mitochondrial (16S and cytochrome c oxidase 1) and one nuclear (second internal transcribed spacer) DNA regions provided strong support for the grouping of the six tick species identified in this study. Microfluidic real-time PCR, employing multiple pre-validated nuclear and mitochondrial genetic markers, detected 11 potential pathogens and endosymbionts in 72.2% of the ticks (n = 54) tested. Rickettsia (R.) massiliae was the most common pathogen found (42.6% of ticks) followed by Theileria spp. (33.3%), Anaplasma (A.) ovis and R. slovaca (25.9% each). Anaplasma centrale, A. marginale, Ehrlichia spp., R. aeschlimannii, R. conorii and endosymbionts (Francisella- and Coxiella-like) were detected at much lower rates (1.9–22.2%) in ticks. Ticks from goats (83.9%) carried significantly higher microorganisms than those from sheep (56.5%). This study demonstrates that ticks of small ruminants from the FATA are carrying multiple microorganisms of veterinary and medical health significance and provides the basis for future investigations of ticks and tick-borne diseases of animals and humans in this and neighboring regions.

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Diagnostic approaches for tick-borne haemoparasitic diseases in livestock

Cited by 35 publications

References 79 publications

Molecular identification and prevalence of tick-borne pathogens in zebu and taurine cattle in North Cameroon

Molecular identification and prevalence of tick-borne pathogens in zebu and taurine cattle in North Cameroon

Bovine ticks harbour a diverse array of microorganisms in Pakistan

An Assessment of the Molecular Diversity of Ticks and Tick-Borne Microorganisms of Small Ruminants in Pakistan

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