Epidemlological studies on tick-borne diseases of cattle in Central Equatoria State, Southern Sudan

A herd-based study was carried out in Central Equatoria State, Southern Sudan, to study epidemiological aspects of tick-borne diseases. Six herds of cattle situated in three different locations were selected and investigated every 3 months during the year 2005. Blood smears for Giemsa staining and b...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Parasitology research (1987) 2007-09, Vol.101 (4), p.1035-1044
Main Authors: Salih, DA, Hussein, AME, Seltzer, U, Ahmed, J S
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Babesia bigemina
Babesia bovis
Piroplasmia
Theileria annulata
Theileria buffeli
Theileria mutans
Theileria parva
Theileria taurotragi
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Summary:A herd-based study was carried out in Central Equatoria State, Southern Sudan, to study epidemiological aspects of tick-borne diseases. Six herds of cattle situated in three different locations were selected and investigated every 3 months during the year 2005. Blood smears for Giemsa staining and blood spots on filter paper for deoxyribonucleic acid extraction were collected from 600 apparently healthy indigenous cattle. A total of 69 (11.5%) samples showed the presence of piroplasms in Giemsa-stained blood smears, and polymerase chain reaction increased the detection limit to 297 (49.5%). Using reverse line blot, it was possible to detect and differentiate eight different piroplasms namely, Theileria pan/a (71.2%), Theileria mutans (73%), Theileria velifera (45.3%), Theileria taurotragi (2.7%), Theileria buffeli (0.5%), Theileria annulata (0.2%), Babesia bovis (1.7%), and Babesia bigemina (0.3%). Mixed infections were detected in 406 samples (67.7%) accounting for 17 different combinations. High infection of Theileria par/a was reported among young calves compared to older cattle. The highest prevalence of Theileria parva was reported in the rainy season (October). The implications of these results on the epidemiology of tick-borne diseases are discussed with emphasis on East Coast fever.
ISSN:0932-0113
DOI:10.1007/s00436-007-0583-y