Tick-borne blood parasites in nyala (Tragelaphus angasii, Gray 1849) from KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

S Pfitzer; M C Oosthuizen; A-M Bosman; I Vorster; B L Penzhorn

doi:10.1016/j.vetpar.2010.11.006

Tick-borne blood parasites in nyala (Tragelaphus angasii, Gray 1849) from KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Vet Parasitol. 2011 Mar 10;176(2-3):126-31. doi: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2010.11.006. Epub 2010 Nov 17.

Authors

S Pfitzer¹, M C Oosthuizen, A-M Bosman, I Vorster, B L Penzhorn

Affiliation

¹ Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X04, Onderstepoort 0110, South Africa.

PMID: 21145660
DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2010.11.006

Abstract

A total of 97 blood samples of nyala (Tragelaphus angasii, Gray 1849) from South Africa were tested for the presence of tick-borne haemoparasites by means of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and reverse line blot (RLB) hybridization. The majority of blood samples contained several different haemoparasites, often in combination. Prevalent haemoparasites were Theileria sp. (kudu), T. buffeli, Theileria sp. (sable), T. bicornis, Ehrlichia sp. Omatjenne, Anaplasma marginale and A. bovis. This serves as the first report of Theileria sp. (kudu), T. buffeli, T. bicornis, Ehrlichia sp. Omatjenne, A. marginale and A. bovis in nyala, who seem to carry multiple haemoparasites without ill effect.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Antelopes*
Protozoan Infections, Animal / epidemiology
Protozoan Infections, Animal / parasitology*
South Africa / epidemiology
Species Specificity
Tick-Borne Diseases / parasitology
Tick-Borne Diseases / veterinary*