Investigation of theileira and babesia species in sheep and goat from Adana, Mersin, Gaziantep and adiyaman provinces

This study was carried out to determine the presence and distribution of Theileria, Babesia species in sheep and goats in Adana, Mersin, Gaziantep and Adiyaman provinces. For this purpose, the region was visited in 2013-2015 and a total of 800 blood samples comprising 421 sheep and 379 goats were collected from the animals by using the vacutained tubes containing EDTA. Blood smears were prepared from the blood samples and stained with Giemsa and examined for the presence of Theileria and Babesia piroplasms. Theileria and Babesia piroplasm DNAs extracted from bloods with EDTA were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using RLB-F2 and RLB-R2 primers. For reverse line blot hybridization (RLB), the PCR products were hybridized to a membrane onto which catchall and species-specific oligonucleotide probes. At the same time, the animals taken from blood sample were checked for ixodid tick infestation and existing ticks were collected. Collected ticks were examined for identification under the stereo microscope. The fully engorged female ticks were selected for ovipositioning, and maintained in an incubator at 28oC, 85% relative humidity until they oviposited. The egg masses were screened by RLB for the presence of Babesia species. A total of 56 animals (7%) including 45 sheep (5.62%) and 11 goats (1.37%) were found to be positive for Theileria or Babesia spp. piroplasms in microscopic examination of blood smears. Three Theileria (Theileria ovis, Theileria annulata, Theileria sp. MK) and two Babesia (Babesia ovis, Babesia sp.) species or genotypes were identified in sheep and goats in the region. The genetic comparison of the Babesia sp. revealed that this genotype was found to be clearly different from all ovine and caprine Babesia species or genotype available in GenBank. The genotype showed a close similarity to 98% between their 18S rRNA genes with the previously described sequences of Babesia odocoilei ve Babesia sp. EU1. Using RLB, 292 out of 800 samples (36.5%) were found to be infected with Theileria or Babesia species. Prevalence of Theileria was determined as 34.12% (273/800), whereas the prevalence of Babesia was 6.62% (53/800). The most abundant Theileria species identified was T. ovis with 31.12%, followed by B. ovis 5.75%, T. annulata 2.87%, Babesia sp. 0.87% and Theileria sp. MK 0.25%. Babesia spp. was detected in goats with 0.87%, whereas Theileria sp. MK was detected in sheep (0.25%). The other Theileria (T. lestoquardi, T. luwenshuni, T. uilenbergi, Theileria sp. OT1, Theileria sp. OT3) and Babesia (B. motasi, B. crassa) species and/or genotype were not detected. A total of 546 ticks were collected from sheep and goats in the region. Ticks were identified as Rhipicephalus bursa, Rhipicephalus turanicus, Haemophysiyalis parva, Hyalomma excavatum and Hyalomma anatolicum. A total of 72 egg masses obtained from R. bursa (n=36), R. turanicus (n=30) and Hae. parva (n=6) were included in this study. Of the egg masses examined, 2 R. bursa egg masses were positive for B. ovis.