Dataset Information

Molecular Investigation of Tick-Borne Haemoparasites Isolated from Indigenous Zebu Cattle in the Tanga Region, Tanzania.

ABSTRACT: Tick-borne diseases (TBDs) are a major hindrance to livestock production in pastoral communities of Africa. Although information on tick-borne infections is necessary for setting up control measures, this information is limited in the pastoral communities of Tanzania. Therefore, this study aimed to provide an overview of the tick-borne infections in the indigenous cattle of Tanzania. A total of 250 blood samples were collected from the indigenous zebu cattle in the Tanga region, Tanzania. Then, we conducted a molecular survey using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and gene sequencing to detect and identify the selected tick-borne pathogens. The PCR was conducted using assays, based on Theileria spp. (18S rRNA), Theileria parva (p104), Theileria mutans and T. taurotragi (V4 region of the 18S rRNA), Babesia bigemina (RAP-1a), B. bovis (SBP-2), Anaplasma marginale (heat shock protein groEL) and Ehrlichia ruminantium (pCS20). The PCR screening revealed an overall infection rate of (120/250, 48%) for T. mutans, (64/250, 25.6%) for T. parva, (52/250, 20.8%) for T. taurotragi, (33/250, 13.2%) for B. bigemina and (81/250, 32.4%) for A. marginale. Co-infections of up to four pathogens were revealed in 44.8% of the cattle samples. A sequence analysis indicated that T. parva p104 and A. marginale groEL genes were conserved among the sampled animals with sequence identity values of 98.92−100% and 99.88−100%, respectively. Moreover, the B. bigemina RAP-1a gene and the V4 region of the 18S rRNA of T. mutans genes were diverse among the sampled cattle, indicating the sequence identity values of 99.27−100% and 22.45−60.77%, respectively. The phylogenetic analyses revealed that the T. parva (p104) and A. marginale (groEL) gene sequences of this study were clustered in the same clade. In contrast, the B. bigemina (RAP-1a) and the T. mutans V4 region of the 18S rRNA gene sequences appeared in the different clades. This study provides important basement data for understanding the epidemiology of tick-borne diseases and will serve as a scientific basis for planning future control strategies in the study area.

SUBMITTER: Ringo AE

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9686548 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Molecular Investigation of Tick-Borne Haemoparasites Isolated from Indigenous Zebu Cattle in the Tanga Region, Tanzania.

Ringo Aaron Edmond AE Nonga Hezron Emanuel HE Galon Eloiza May EM Ji Shengwei S Rizk Mohamed Abdo MA El-Sayed Shimaa Abd El-Salam SAE Mohanta Uday Kumar UK Ma Zhuowei Z Chikufenji Boniface B Do Thanh Thom TT Xuan Xuenan X

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI 20221116 22

Tick-borne diseases (TBDs) are a major hindrance to livestock production in pastoral communities of Africa. Although information on tick-borne infections is necessary for setting up control measures, this information is limited in the pastoral communities of Tanzania. Therefore, this study aimed to provide an overview of the tick-borne infections in the indigenous cattle of Tanzania. A total of 250 blood samples were collected from the indigenous zebu cattle in the Tanga region, Tanzania. Then, ...[more]

PMID: 36428398

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Project description:The control of tick-borne haemoparasites in cattle largely relies on the use of acaricide drugs against the tick vectors, with some vaccination also being used against selected pathogens. These interventions can be difficult in Africa, where accessibility and cost of vaccines can be issues, and the increasing resistance of tick vectors to the widely used acaricides is a complication to disease control. A potential complementary control strategy could be the exploitation of any natural host genetic resistance to the pathogens. However, there are currently very few estimates of the extent of host resistance to tick-borne haemoparasites, and a significant contributing factor to this knowledge gap is likely to be the difficulty of collecting appropriate samples and data in the smallholder systems that predominate livestock production in low- and middle-income countries, particularly at scale. In this study, we have estimated the heritability for the presence/absence of several important haemoparasite species (including Anaplasma marginale, Babesia bigemina, Babesia bovis, and Ehrlichia ruminantium), as well as for relevant traits such as body weight and body condition score (BCS), in 1,694 cattle from four African countries (Burkina Faso, Ghana, Nigeria, and Tanzania). Heritability estimates within countries were mostly not significant, ranging from 0.05 to 0.84 across traits and countries, with standard errors between 0.07 and 0.91. However, the weighted mean of heritability estimates was moderate and significant for body weight and BCS (0.40 and 0.49, respectively), with significant heritabilities also observed for the presence of A. marginale (0.16) and E. ruminantium (0.19). In a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for these traits, two peaks were identified as reaching the suggestive significance threshold (p < 1.91 × 10-7 and p < 1.89 × 10-7, respectively): one on chromosome 24 for BCS and one on chromosome 8 for the E. ruminantium infection status. These findings indicate that there is likely to be a genetic basis that contributes to pathogen presence/absence for tick-borne haemoparasite species, which could potentially be exploited to improve cattle resistance in Africa to the economically important diseases caused by these pathogens.

Project description:BackgroundPublic interest for tick-borne pathogens in cattle livestock is rising due to their veterinary and zoonotic importance. Consequently, correct identification of these potential pathogens is crucial to estimate the level of exposition, the risk and the detrimental impact on livestock and the human population.ResultsConventional PCR with generic primers was used to identify groups of tick-borne pathogens in cattle breeds from northern Cameroon. The overall prevalence in 1260 blood samples was 89.1%, with 993 (78.8%) positive for Theileria/Babesia spp., 959 (76.1%) for Anaplasma/Ehrlichia spp., 225 (17.9%) for Borrelia spp., and 180 (14.3%) for Rickettsia spp. Sanger sequencing of a subset of positively-tested samples revealed the presence of Theileria mutans (92.2%, 130/141), T. velifera (16.3%, 23/141), Anaplasma centrale (10.9%, 15/137), A. marginale (30.7%, 42/137), A. platys (51.1%, 70/137), Anaplasma sp. 'Hadesa' (10.9%, 15/137), Ehrlichia ruminantium (0.7%, 1/137), E. canis (0.7%, 1/137), Borrelia theileri (91.3%, 42/46), Rickettsia africae (59.4%, 19/32) and R. felis (12.5%, 4/32). A high level of both intra- and inter-generic co-infections (76.0%) was observed. To the best of our knowledge, B. theileri, T. mutans, T. velifera, A. platys, Anaplasma sp. 'Hadesa', R. felis and E. canis are reported for the first time in cattle from Cameroon, and for R. felis it is the first discovery in the cattle host. Babesia spp. were not detected by sequencing. The highest number of still identifiable species co-infections was up to four pathogens per genus group. Multifactorial analyses revealed a significant association of infection with Borrelia theileri and anemia. Whereas animals of older age had a higher risk of infection, the Gudali cattle had a lower risk compared to the other local breeds.ConclusionCo-infections of tick-borne pathogens with an overall high prevalence were found in all five study sites, and were more likely to occur than single infections. Fulani, Namchi and Kapsiki were the most infected breed in general; however, with regions as significant risk factor. A better-adapted approach for tick-borne pathogen identification in co-infected samples is a requirement for epidemiological investigations and tailored control measures.

Project description:BACKGROUND:Linkage to care and treatment is an important part of efforts to accelerate HIV prevention, treatment, care, and support. It offers an opportunity for PLHIV to receive information and services in a timely manner. Clients who present late for HIV care and treatment may miss out on timely initiation of prophylaxis and ART, which may accelerate disease progression and lead to an increased rate of HIV transmission within the community. The objective of this study was to determine the factors influencing effective linkages of newly diagnosed PLHIV from the point of testing to entry in care and treatment centres (CTCs) in Tanga Region, Tanzania. METHODS:This cross-sectional study examined five clinics with a high volume of clients in each of the three districts in Tanga Region. All adults ages 18 years and above at the time of CTC enrolment, between 2010 and 2014, were eligible to participate in the study. The study engaged both secondary and primary data. To complement the secondary data, mixed methods were applied in primary data collection. Using a structured questionnaire, interviews with the sampled CTC clients while focus group discussions with healthcare providers and in-depth interviews with CTC clients. The qualitative data were analysed using a thematic analysis framework. The outcome of interest was whether a client enrolled in a CTC within three months of his or her first positive HIV test. A logistic regression model was used to determine factors associated with effective linkage of newly diagnosed HIV clients to CTC. RESULTS:A total of 16,041 adults from the three study districts were enrolled at a CTC from 2010 to 2014. A total of 1,096 clients from the sampled CTCs were recruited into the study for interview. The characteristics of these clients were representative of the larger group (16,041). The majority (72.4%) were female. More than half (52.1%) were married, and almost a quarter (21.2%) were single. The majority (59.6%) of participants completed primary education and almost half (45.1%) were subsistence farmers. The median CD4 count at enrolment was 218 (87-397) cells/mL with more than half (56.3%) having CD4 counts of less than 350 cells per millilitre (mL). Nearly all (91%) of the clients presented at a CTC within three months of receiving a positive HIV test. In a multivariate analysis, factors that remained significantly associated with early entry in CTC were level of education, CD4 count, and point of diagnosis. Participants' responses were consistent with many of the factors explained by participants to be barriers to effective linkages and referrals repeated in the FGDs and IDIs across the study sites. For instance, FGD respondent expressed that clients were worried about stigma from their relatives, which creates a delay in seeking treatment. CONCLUSION:Although the rate of early entry in care and treatment services is high, surprisingly was a marked increase in those who waited more than three months to seek treatment. To meet the target, issues such as disclosure and stigma need to be addressed.

Project description:BackgroundTick-borne haemoparasitic diseases (TBHDs), caused by Theileria, Babesia, Anaplasma and Ehrlichia, are common in regions of the world where the distributions of host, pathogen and vector overlap. Many of these diseases threaten livestock production and some also represent a concern to human public health. The primary aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of the above-mentioned pathogens in a large number of blood samples (n = 1979) collected from sheep (n = 1727) and goats (n = 252) in Turkey. A secondary aim was to assess the diagnostic sensitivity of a number of species-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests and the reverse line blotting (RLB) assay. DNA samples were screened using species-specific PCR for the presence of Theileria ovis, Theileria sp. MK, T. lestoquardi, T. uilenbergi, T. luwenshuni, Babesia ovis, Anaplasma ovis and A. phagocytophilum while RLB was undertaken to test for the presence of all known Theileria, Babesia, Anaplasma and Ehrlichia species. The diagnostic sensitivity of these two approaches was then compared in terms of their ability to detect single species and mixed infections.ResultsOverall, 84 and 74.43% of the small ruminants sampled were identified as hosting one or more pathogen(s) by species-specific PCR and RLB respectively. The presence of Theileria sp. OT1, T. luwenshuni and T. uilenbergi in Turkey was revealed for the first time while the presence of Babesia motasi, B. crassa and T. separata in Turkish small ruminants was confirmed using molecular methods. A high prevalence of mixed infection was evident, with PCR and RLB approaches indicating that 52.24 and 35.42% of animals were co-infected with multiple species, respectively. More than 80% of the mixed infections contained T. ovis and/or A. ovis. The RLB approach was found to be capable of detecting mixed infections with species such as Theileria sp. OT1, Theileria sp. OT3, T. separata, B. crassa and Babesia spp.ConclusionThe results indicated that pathogens causing TBHDs are highly prevalent in sheep and goats in Turkey. The diagnostic sensitivity of species-specific single PCR was generally higher than that of RLB. However, the latter approach was still capable of identifying a high proportion of individuals containing mixed-species infections. The use of species-specific single PCR is recommended to accurately estimate pathogen prevalence and to identify co-infected hosts.

Project description:The purpose of this study was to determine the energy partition of pregnant F1 Holstein x Gyr with average initial body weight (BW) of 515.6 kg and Gyr cows with average initial BW of 435.1 kg at 180, 210 and 240 days of gestation, obtained using respirometry. Twelve animals in two groups (six per genetic group) received a restricted diet equivalent to 1.3 times the net energy for maintenance (NEm). The proportion of gross energy intake (GEI) lost as feces did not differ between the evaluated breeds and corresponded to 28.65% on average. The daily methane production (L/d) was greater for (P<0.05) F1 HxG compared to Gyr animals. However, when expressed as L/kg dry matter (DM) or as percentage of GEI there were no differences between the groups (P>0.05). The daily loss of energy as urine (mean of 1.42 Mcal/d) did not differ (P>0.05) between groups and ranged from 3.87 to 5.35% of the GEI. The metabolizable energy intake (MEI) of F1 HxG animals was greater (P < 0.05) at all gestational stages compared to Gyr cows when expressed in Mcal/d. However, when expressed in kcal/kg of metabolic BW (BW0,75), the F1 HxG cows had MEI 11% greater (P<0.05) at 240 days of gestation and averaged 194.39 kcal/kg of BW0,75. Gyr cows showed no change in MEI over time (P>0.05), with a mean of 146.66 kcal/kg BW0. 75. The ME used by the conceptus was calculated by deducting the metabolizable energy for maintenance (MEm) from the MEI, which was obtained in a previous study using the same cows prior to becoming pregnant. The values of NEm obtained in the previous study with similar non-pregnant cows were 92.02 kcal/kg BW0.75 for F1 HxG, and 76.83 kcal/kg BW0.75 for Gyr (P = 0.06). The average ME for pregnancy (MEp) was 5.33 Mcal/d for F1 HxG and 4.46 Mcal/d for Gyr. The metabolizability ratio, averaging 0.60, was similar among the evaluated groups (P>0.05). The ME / Digestible Energy (DE) ratio differed between groups and periods evaluated (P<0.05) with a mean of 0.84. The heat increment (HI) accounted for 22.74% and 24.38% of the GEI for F1 HxG and Gyr cows, respectively. The proportion of GEI used in the basal metabolism by pregnant cows in this study represented 29.69%. However, there were no differences between the breeds and the evaluation periods and corresponded to 29.69%. The mean NE for pregnancy (NEp) was 2.76 Mcal/d and did not differ between groups and gestational stages (P>0.05).

Project description:BackgroundTicks and tick-borne diseases undermine cattle fitness and productivity in the whole of sub-Saharan Africa, including Nigeria. In this West African country, cattle are challenged by numerous tick species, especially during the wet season. Consequently, several TBDs are known to be endemic in Nigerian cattle, including anaplasmosis, babesiosis, cowdriosis and theilerioris (by Theileria mutans and Theileria velifera). To date, all investigations on cattle TBDs in Nigeria have been based on cytological examinations and/or on serological methods. This study aimed to ascertain the occurrence of tick-borne pathogens of veterinary and zoonotic importance in cattle in Nigeria using molecular approaches.MethodsIn October 2008, 704 whole blood samples were collected from indigenous cattle in the Plateau State, Nigeria. Analysis for tick-borne pathogens was conducted by means of PCR-based reverse line blotting (RLB) and sequencing targeting a panel of five genera of microorganisms (i.e. Babesia, Theileria, Anaplasma, Ehrlichia and Rickettsia spp.).ResultsIn total, 561/704 (82.6%) animals were found infected, with 465 (69.6%) of them being infected by two or more microorganisms, with up to 77 possible combinations of pathogens detected. Theileria mutans was the most prevalent microorganism (66.3%), followed by Theileria velifera (52.4%), Theileria taurotragi (39.5%), Anaplasma marginale (39.1%), Anaplasma sp. (Omatjenne) (34.7%), Babesia bigemina (7.9%), Anaplasma centrale (6.3%), Anaplasma platys (3.9%), Rickettsia massiliae (3.5%), Babesia bovis (2.0%) and Ehrlichia ruminantium (1.1%). Calves were found significantly less infected than juvenile and adult cattle.ConclusionsThis study provides updated, molecular-based information on cattle TBDs in Nigeria. The molecular approach employed allowed the diagnosis of numerous positive cases including carrier statuses, multiple infections and novel pathogen detections within the indigenous cattle population. Moreover, the RLB method here described enabled the detection of veterinary agents not only pertaining to bovine health, including also those of zoonotic importance. The high prevalence recorded for T. mutans, T. velifera, A. marginale, T. taurotragi and Anaplasma sp. (Omatjenne), suggests they may be endemically established in Nigeria, whereas the lower prevalence recorded for other microorganisms (i.e. A. centrale and B. bovis) highlights a less stable epidemiological scenario, requiring further investigations.

Project description:Tick-borne diseases (TBDs) cause significant losses among livestock and impact the livelihoods of resource-poor farming communities worldwide. In Ethiopia, detailed studies on the epidemiology of tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) in cattle using sensitive molecular detection methods are scarce. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and species composition of bovine TBPs of veterinary significance in local cattle populations. A comprehensive cross-sectional epidemiological study was conducted in cattle populations of Illubabor zone in Southwestern Ethiopia from June to August 2013. For this purpose, blood samples were collected from 392 cattle. A combination of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and a Reverse Line Blot (RLB) hybridization assay was employed for the detection of TBPs in these samples. The PCR/RLB results of the 392 blood samples indicated a high overall prevalence of 96.9% for TBPs, including Theileria mutans (66.1%), Theileria orientalis (51.8%), Anaplasma sp. Omatjenne (25.5%), Anaplasma marginale (14.5%), Babesia bigemina (14.0%) and Theileria velifera (13.0%) and minor occurrences of Ehrlichia ruminantium (0.5%) and Ehrlichia minasensis (0.26%). Moreover, three novel Anaplasma genotypes were detected in bovine blood samples. A phylogenetic analysis revealed that they most likely represent three, but at least two, new species. The prevalence of the three novel Anaplasma species, preliminary designated as Anaplasma sp. Hadesa, Anaplasma sp. Saso and Anaplasma sp. Dedessa, was 12.5%, 14.3% and 5.6%, respectively. Overall, a total of 227 cattle (57.9%) were found to be co-infected with two or more TBPs simultaneously and 86 different species combinations were observed. The findings show a very high burden of infection of cattle with TBPs in Ethiopia. The high frequency of co-infections suggests that clinical manifestations might be complex. Further research is required to determine the pathogenicity, host cell types and vector of the three novel Anaplasma species identified in this study.

Dataset Information

Molecular Investigation of Tick-Borne Haemoparasites Isolated from Indigenous Zebu Cattle in the Tanga Region, Tanzania.

Publications

Molecular Investigation of Tick-Borne Haemoparasites Isolated from Indigenous Zebu Cattle in the Tanga Region, Tanzania.

Similar Datasets

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