Detection of Theileria annulata in blood samples by PCR and comparison with staining method in northwest of Iran

Year 2020, Vetexpo-2019, KHVD-2019, 54 - 54, 31.03.2020

Ahmad Nematollahi Parisa Shahbazi Samad Ebrahimian

Abstract

Bovine theileriosis caused by Theileria annulata is a tick-borne disease of great economic importance in
tropical and subtropical regions of the world. The diagnosis of theileriosis is usually carried out by blood
smear staining technique, which is not sufficiently sensitive to detect the piroplasms in the carrier animals.
Aim of this study was comparison of efficacy of routine microscopic and PCR methods for diagnosing of
theileriosis. In this study a total of 100 blood samples were collected from cattle in Urmia district in
summer 2018. Samples were detected by Giemsa staining and microscopic observation. Also samples were
detected by PCR method based on using the specific primers from the major merozoite-piroplasm surface
antigen sequence of T. annulata (Tams-1) gene. In microscopic method (7%) samples were positive.
However, the PCR detected 38 samples (38 %) positive for T. annulata. Our study suggests that the PCR
based screening is more sensitive and accurate method for diagnosis of theileriosis in cattle.

Keywords

Theileria annulata, PCR

References

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