Open AccessA comparison of the presence of Theileria ovis by PCR amplification of their SSU rRNA gene in small ruminants from two provinces of Pakistan
Author(s) -
Sobia Durrani,
Zaheer Khan,
Rehman Mehmood Khattak,
Mehwish Andleeb,
Muhammad Arif Ali,
Hafsa Hameed,
Asia Taqddas,
Mamona Faryal,
Shumaila Kiran,
Humera Anwar,
Muhammad Riaz,
Muhammad Sohail Sajid,
Rehan Sadiq Sheikh,
Furhan Iqbal
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
asian pacific journal of tropical disease
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.208
H-Index - 33
ISSN - 2222-1808
DOI - 10.1016/s2222-1808(12)60010-3
Subject(s) - herd , veterinary medicine , ovis , theileria , biology , parasite hosting , tick , babesiosis , zoology , medicine , world wide web , computer science
Objective: To compare the presence of Theileria ovis in small ruminants from two provinces of\udPakistan and to determine the risk factors associated with the spread of theileriosis. Methods:\udIn present study, a total of 210 blood samples were collected from sheep (n=99) and goats (n=111)\udfrom 5 sampling sites in Punjab (Dera Ghazi Khan, Layyah, Multan and Rahim Yar Khan districts)\udand Khyber Pukhtoon Khwa (district Kohat) provinces, in Pakistan, from randomly selected herds.\udData on the characteristics of the animals (species, gender, age, tick presence or absence, prior\udtreatment for babesiosis) and the herd (location, size, species of animals, dogs associated with\udthe herds, tick burden of dogs associated with the herds) was collected through questionnaires.\udResults: Twelve blood samples (6% of total), 11 from district Kohat, produced the 520 base pairs\udDNA fragment specific for small subunit ribosomal RNA (ssu rRNA) gene of Theileria ovis,\udby PCR amplification, of which 11 were sheep and 1 was goat indicating that sheep are more\udsignificantly (P=0.001) prone to this parasite. On the other hand parasite was detected only in 2\udout of 210 samples (1%) by blood smear screening confirming PCR as the reliable detection tool.\udConclusions: PCR is more sensitive and reliable diagnostic tool for detection of Theileria sp. as\udcompared to blood smear screening. Incidence of Theileria ovis is very high in Khyber Pukhtoon\udKhwa as compared to Punjab province. It was also observed that presence of ticks on animals was\udthe only significant risk factor associated with the theileriosis in small ruminants