Molecular identification of Theileria spp. in ruminants and ticks from southern littoral of Caspian Sea, Iran

Amin Shahedi; Gholamreza Habibi; Saeid Fathi; Mohammad Abdigoudarzi; Asghar Afshari; Soghra Bozorgi; Mohammad Reza Chegini

doi:10.1007/s11250-022-03156-0

Molecular identification of Theileria spp. in ruminants and ticks from southern littoral of Caspian Sea, Iran

Trop Anim Health Prod. 2022 Apr 4;54(3):157. doi: 10.1007/s11250-022-03156-0.

Authors

Amin Shahedi¹, Gholamreza Habibi², Saeid Fathi², Mohammad Abdigoudarzi³, Asghar Afshari², Soghra Bozorgi², Mohammad Reza Chegini²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Parasite Vaccine Research and Production, Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran. A.shahedi@rvsri.ac.ir.
² Department of Parasite Vaccine Research and Production, Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran.
³ Department of Parasitology, Reference Laboratory for Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases, Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Karaj, Iran.

PMID: 35378637
DOI: 10.1007/s11250-022-03156-0

Abstract

The present study aimed at evaluating the presence of tick-borne apicomplexan parasites including Theileria ovis, Theileria lestoquardi, Theileria annulata, and Theileria orientalis in 92 cattle and 105 sheep from 6 different districts of Guilan and Mazandaran Provinces, in the southern littoral of Caspian Sea. Furthermore, ixodid ticks were collected from the same animals. Stained blood smears were microscopically evaluated for the presence of blood parasites, and a specific PCR was applied for the detection of Theileria species. Besides, ticks were subsequently examined by species-specific PCR. Microscopic examination of blood smears demonstrated no evidence of intraerythrocytic piroplasms. Species-specific diagnostic PCRs demonstrated that 52.17% of sheep blood samples were positive for T. ovis. In addition, 31.03% and 24.13% of cattle blood samples were positive for T. annulata and T. orientalis, respectively. Moreover, 3 species of the ixodid ticks, namely, Rhipicephalus annulatus (58.47%), Ixodes ricinus (29.82%), and Haemaphysalis inermis (11.69%), were identified in Guilan Province, while Hyalomma detritum (73.03%) and Rhipicephalus sanguineus (26.92%) were found in Mazandaran Province. Additionally, by obtaining the data with respect to tick-borne apicomplexan parasites in 122 infected ticks, 35.24%, 22.95%, and 2.45% of tick samples were positive for T. annulata, T. orientalis, and T. ovis, respectively. Species-specific PCR revealed that H. inermis and R. annulatus were positive for T. orientalis. In addition, T. annulata was found in R. annulatus, H. inermis, and H. detritum. Besides, T. ovis was the only species of Theileria found in R. sanguineus. In conclusion, the results revealed that T. annulata infection was prevalent among cattle and ovine theileriosis caused by T. ovis was the only Theileria species found in sheep in the studied areas of the southern littoral of Caspian Sea. R. annulatus, H. inermis, and H. detritum were the main vectors for T. annulata, followed by H. inermis and R. annulatus for T. orientalis, and R. sanguineus for T. ovis.

Keywords: Guilan; Ixodid ticks; Mazandaran; Semi-nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR); Theileria.

MeSH terms

Animals
Caspian Sea
Cattle
Iran / epidemiology
Ruminants
Sheep
Sheep Diseases* / parasitology
Theileria annulata*
Ticks*