Prevalence of Theileria annulata in dairy cattle in Nyala, South Darfur State, Sudan

Abstract

Aim:This study was conducted in dairy cattle in Nyala, South Darfur State, during the period from June to September 2015, to study the prevalence of bovine tropical theileriosis.Materials and Methods:Apparently, healthy cattle of different age groups, different breeds, and from both sexes were randomly selected from seven locations. Three age groups of cattle were selected, group one <1 year old, group two 1-3 years old, and group three older than 3 years. These cattle were indigenous and cross (Friesian X zebu). A total of 150 blood samples were collected for blood smears, blood in EDTA tubes, and serum samples as well as ticks infesting cattle. Three diagnostic techniques were used such as blood smear, indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT), and polymerase chain reaction (PCR).Results:Of 150 samples, 11 (7.3%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 9.1-5.5) were positive for Theileria spp. piroplasms in the blood smears, 70 (46.7%, 95% CI: 35.7-57.7) were positive for Theileria annulata antibodies in the IFAT, and of 100 samples, 39 (39%, 95% CI: 46.6-31.4) were positive for T. annulata using PCR. The prevalence of T. annulata was higher in indigenous breed than cross cattle by the three diagnostic techniques. The highest prevalence of T. annulata was recorded among cattle older than 3 years old. There were three genera and ten species of ticks found feeding on cattle. These were Rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi, Rhipicephalus decoloratus, Rhipicephalus annulatus, Hyalomma dromedrii, Hyalomma impeltatum, Hyalomma rufipes, Hyalomma anatolicum, Hyalomma truncatum, Amblyomma variegatum, and Amblyomma lepidum.Conclusion:The study concluded that tropical theileriosis is prevalent among dairy cattle in Nyala. H. anatolicum was found in very low numbers, suggesting other ticks may play a role in the transmission of the disease. Molecular characterization of T. annulata is recommended for accurate mapping of the disease and evaluates the magnitude problem of tropical theileriosis in South Darfur region.

Prevalence of Haemoprotozoan Infection in Gir Cattle in and around Junagadh, Gujarat

“…Among the total cases, drastically, the highest prevalence of 21.60% seen in 3-8 years age group could be due to a maximum number of animals (Table 4). Similar finding of high prevalence in 2-7 years age group in crossbred animals has been recorded by Velusamy et al (2014), Ananda and Adeppa (2016) and Abaker et al (2017). In contrast, Tuli et al (2015) reported a high prevalence in calves below 6 months of age.…”

Molecular Characterization of Ticks and Tick-Borne Pathogens in Cattle from Khartoum State and East Darfur State, Sudan

“…The absence of this tick species in East Darfur State in our study confirms that H. anatolicum is established in Nyala, South Darfur Sate, but has not yet spread to other localities of Darfur, as discussed previously [21]. We also reported a significantly higher prevalence of H. impeltatum and H. rufipes in East Darfur State that is consistent with the findings of previous studies [29,32] that reported their prevalence in South Darfur Sate, bordering East Darfur Sate. Two ticks of the genus Amblyomma were detected in this study.…”

Current status of tropical theileriosis in Northern Africa: A review of recent epidemiological investigations and implications for control

“…The broad similarities in the prevalence values in the studied countries could be explained by (a) widespread introduction of Holsteins either as pure‐bred or through cross‐breeding policies to support the increasing demand for milk products, (b) increased cattle movements due to insecurity and improved transportation, and (c) changes in climate towards increased and extended aridity over the region affecting vector distribution and activity. In addition, a significant positive association of infection prevalence and cattle age has been recorded in several endemic countries such as Mauritania (Jacquiet et al., ), Morocco (Aithamou, Rahali, Sahibi, Belghiti, & Rhalem, ), Tunisia (Darghouth et al., ), Sudan (Abaker et al., ; Salih, El Hussein, Kyule et al., ; Salih, El Hussein, Seitzer, & Ahmed, ) and to a certain extent in Algeria (Ayadi, Rjeibi, Elfegoun, & Gharbi, ). However, no such associations were identified in Egypt (Al‐Hosary, Ahmed, & Seitzer, ; Al‐Hosary et al., ; El Masry et al., ).…”