Detection of Theileria orientalis infection in indigenous buffaloes of West Azarbaijan province using molecular and microscopic tests

Subject Areas : Veterinary Clinical Pathology

Babak Narimani ¹ , Nasser Hoghooghirad ² , Parviz Shayan ³ , Sadegh Rahbari ⁴ , Kasra Esmaeil-Nia ⁵

1 - D.V.Sc. Graduate, Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Specialized Veterinary Science, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
2 - Professor, Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Specialized Veterinary Science, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
3 - Professor, Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
4 - Professor, Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Specialized Veterinary Science, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
5 - Professor, Department of Parasite Vaccine Research and Production, Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, AREEO, Karaj, Iran.

Received: 2017-10-07 Accepted : 2019-04-08 Published : 2019-04-21

Keywords: Buffalo, Molecular detection, Theileria orientalis, Microscopic examination, West Azarbaijan,

Abstract :

The causative agent of bovine theileriosis is obligatory intracellular protozoa called T. annulata which results in severe anemia, severe pulmonary edema and rapid death in non-native animals. The present study was aimed to detect the current state of Theileria infection in indigenous buffaloes and its association with environmental factors in four cities of West Azarbaijan province using microscopic tests (blood smear evaluation) and molecular assays. Blood samples were randomly collected from 291 buffaloes in the region, during March to July 2014. Direct and semi-nested PCR techniques were used to detect DNA of Theileria spp. using specific pair primer 18SrRNA. In the microscopic assay method, presence of this parasite in four (1.37%) buffaloes was approved. The molecular assays revealed that 4 out of 291 animals (1.37%) were infected by T. annulata. Also the present study showed that two female adult buffaloes (0.68%) were simultaneously infected by T. annulata and T. orientalis. Apparent and real prevalence of infection of buffaloes to T. annulata in the molecular method were 1.37 and 1 percent respectively. The chance of infection by T. annulata and T. orientalis were equal. Molecular prevalence of T. annulata in Urmia and Salmas were 2.2 and 2.3 percent respectively (p < /em><0.05). Molecular prevalence of T. orientalisin Urmia was 2.2%. This is the first study to indicate the presence of infection with T. orientalis in indigenous buffaloes of Urmia city in Iran.

References:

• Ahmad, J.S. and Melhorn, H. (1999). Review: The cellular basis of the immunity and immunopathogenesis of tropical theileriosis. Parasitological Research, 85(7): 539-549.


• Aktas, M., Altay, K. and Dumanli, N. (2006). A molecular survey of bovine Theileria parasites among apparently healthy cattle and with a note on the distribution of ticks in eastern Turkey. Veterinary Parasitology, 138(3-4): 179-185. 


• Al-Saeed, A., Lokman, O., Mohammed, J. and Ahmed, J. (2010). Epidemiological studies on tropical theileriosis (Theileria annulata infection of cattle) in Kurdistan region, Iraq. Parasitology Research, 106(2): 403-407.


• Arjmand-Yamchi, J. and Tavassoli, M. (2016). Survey on infection rate, vector and identification of Theileria annulata in cattle from Northwest, Iran. Journal of Parasitic Diseases, 40(3): 1071-1076.


• Bishop, R., Musoke, A., Morzaria, S. and Gardner, M. (2004). Theileria: intracellular protozoan parasites of wild and domestic ruminants transmitted by Ixodid ticks. Parasitology, 129 Suppl: 271-283.


• Brown, C.G.D. (1990). Control of tropical theileriosis (T. annulata infection) of cattle. Parasitologia, 32(1): 23-31.


• Hashemi-Fesharaki, R. (1988). Control of   T. annulata in Iran. Parasitology Today, 4(2): 36-40.


• Hashemi-Fesharaki, R., Habibi, G.R. and Ahourai, P. (1998). Delayed type hypersensitivity theilerian test in cattle vaccinated against T. annulata infection. Veterinary Parasitology, 75(2-3): 261-267.


• Hayashida, K., Hara, Y., Abe, T., Yamasaki, C., Toyoda, A., Kosuge, T., et al. (2012). Comparative genome analysis of three eukaryotic parasites with differing abilities to transform leukocytes reveals key mediators of Theileria-induced leukocyte transformation. MBio American Society of Microbiology, 10(1128)/mBio: 00204-00212.


• Hoghooghi-Rad, N., Ghaemi, P., Shayan, P., Eckert, B. and Sadr-Shirazi, N. (2011). Detection of native carrier cattle infected with Theileria annulata by Semi-nested PCR and smear method in


• Golestan province of Iran. World Applied Sciences Journal, 12(3): 317-323.


• Hoseini, S.H., Haddadzadeh, H., Meshgi, B., Nabian, S. and Razavi, M. (2003). Domestic animals parasitic infections. Iran: Tehran, Tehran University Press, pp: 41-57. [In Persian]


• Ilhan, T., Williamson, S., Kirvar, E., Shields, B. and Brown, C.G. (1998). T. annulata: Carrier state and immunity. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 29(849): 109-125.


• Ota, N., Mizuno, D., Kuboki, N., Igarashi, I., Nakamura, Y., Yamashina, H., et al. (2009). Epidemiological survey of   T. orientalis in grazing cattle in the eastern part of Hokkaido, Japan. The Journal of Veterinary Medical Science, 71(7): 937-944.


• Ranjbar-Bahadori, Sh., Eslami, A. and Aghaebrahini-Samani, R. (2007). A survey on parasitic Infestation of native ruminants of Golestan Province. Journal of Veterinary Research, 62(5): 303-305.


• Safarpoor-Dehkordi, F., Parsaei, P., Saberian, S., Moshkelani, S., Hajshafiei, P., Hoseini, S.R., et al. (2012). Prevalence study of T. annulata by comparison of four diagnostic techniques in Southwest Iran. Bulgarian Journal of Veterinary Medicine, 15(2): 123-130.


• Salim, B., Bakheit, M.A., Kamau, J., Nakamura, I. and Sugimoto, C. (2010). Nucleotide sequence heterogeneity in the small subunit ribosomal RNA gene within T.equi from horses in Sudan. Parasitology Research, 106(2): 493-498.


• Savini, G., Onuma, M., Scaramozzino, P., Kakuda, T., Semproni, G. and Langella, V. (1998). First report of T. sergenti and T. buffeli/orientalis in cattle in Italy. Annual New York Academy Science, 849: 404-407.


• Shah Hoseini, M.H. and Seyed Reza Tehrani, S.M. (2001). Polymerase chain reaction. Iran: Tehran, Parsian Press, pp: 127-159. [In Persian]


• Shayan, P. and Rahbari, S. (2005). Simultaneous differentiation between Theileria spp. and Babesia spp. on stained blood smear using PCR. Parasitology Research, 62(2): 15-20.


• Shaw, M.K. (2002). Theileria development and host cell invasion. In: World Class Parasites, 3, Theileria. Dobbelaere, D.A.E. and Mc Keever, D.J. editors. UK: London, Kluwer, Boston, pp: 1-22.


• Striepen, B., Jordan, C.N., Reiff, S. and van Dooren, G.G. (2007). Building the perfect parasite: Cell division in Apicomplexa. PLOS Pathogens, 3: 691-698.


• Tavassoli, M. (2006). Veterinary Protozoalogy. 1st ed., Iran: Urmia, Jahad Daneshgahi Press, pp: 186-200. [In Persian]


• Thrusfield, M. (2005). Veterinary Epidemiology. 3rd ed., UK: Oxford, Blackwell Publishing, pp: 232-234.


• Uilenberg, G. and Hashemi-Fesharaki, R. (1984). T. orientalis in Iran. Veterinary Quarterly, 6(1): 1-4.


• Yokoyama, N., Ueno, A., Mizuno, D., Kuboki, N., Khukhuu, A., Igarashi, I., et al. (2011). Genotypic diversity of Theileria orientalis detected from cattle grazing in Kumamoto and Okinawa prefectures of Japan. Journal of Veterinary Medical Sciences, 73(3): 305-312.