Investigation of the prevalence of babesia and theileria species in sheep and goats in Afyonkarahisar

This study investigated the prevalence of Theileria and Babesia species in small ruminants between March and November 2019 in Sinanpaşa, Hocalar, Şuhut, Bolvadin, and İhsaniye districts of Afyonkarahisar province. Blood was taken from 400 animals, 200 of which were sheep and 200 of which were goats. Thin smear preparations prepared from blood samples were examined microscopically for Theileria and Babesia piroplasms. DNA samples extracted from blood were amplified by Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using primers RLB-F2 and RLB-R2. Amplification products were examined by the Reverse line blotting (RLB) technique, allowing hybridization on a membrane to which probes specific to Theileria and Babesia strains and species were added. In the microscopic examination of blood smears, Theileria spp. was found in 17 sheep (4.25%). While piroplasmic forms were seen in sheep, Theileria and Babesia species were not found in goats. The RLB technique detected a single infection with T. ovis in 97 (24.25%) of 400 blood samples. PCR was used to detect T. ovis species in 74 (18.5 percent) of the 400 samples. Other Theileria species (Theileria lestoquardi, Theileria luwenshuni, Theileria uilenbergi) and genotypes (Theileria sp. MK, Theileria sp. OT1, Theileria sp. OT3), as well as Babesia species, were not detected in sheep and goats. A total of 145 adult ticks from sheep and goats were collected for the investigation. Rhipicephalus bursa (66.8%), Dermacentor marginatus (27.58%), Rhipicephalus turanicus (2.75%), and Rhipicephalus sanguineus (2.75%) were identified among the ticks collected. In 10 egg clusters collected from female R. bursa ticks, no Babesia species were found. Keywords: Babesia, Goat, PCR, RLB, Sheep, Theileria