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Detection of Babesia infection among human, goats and sheep using microscopic and molecular methods in the city of Kuhdasht in Lorestan Province, West of Iran

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Abstract

Babesiosis is a lethal protozoan disease, responsible for the loss of livestock in Iran and in the world. The purpose of the current study was to detect and identify Babesia spp. infection using microscopic and molecular methods in human, sheep and goats in Kuhdasht region, in the Lorestan Province, west of Iran. During 2013, a total of 384 blood smear samples were collected from 51 goats, 306 sheep suspected of Babesiosis infection and 27 humans from Kuhdasht region. The blood samples were fixed, stained and under light microscopic examined. DNA samples were extracted and amplified by polymerase chain reaction of 18S-rRNA gene. PCR and the semi-nested PCR were performed to identify to Babesi spp. and to differentiate genus of Theileria and Babesia spp. The results of microscopic examination indicated that a total of 47 (12.2%) samples were positive for Babesia spp. infection: 38 (9.9%) belonging to sheep and 9 to goats (2.3%). No Babesia was observed in human samples. The PCR showed a band size of 389 bp, of Babesia spp. and the semi-nested PCR detected B. ovis with a band size of 186 bp. By molecular method, 16 (4.2%) sheep and 2 (0.5%) goat blood samples were infected by Babesia. Totally, 18 samples (4.7%) were observed to have Babesia, while no infection was found in human. Thus, the results of our study have shown sheep and goats could be vulnerable to Babesia spp., especially B. ovis in Lorestan Province, Iran. Therefore, studies on the status of the animal Piroplasmosis especially Theileriosis are recommended.

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Acknowledgements

This article is derived from the Master’s thesis of the first author (Arash Naderi). We thank Bahran, Lak Tarashi and Mehdi Mehr Ali Nejad, Molecular Lab Smsmam Tour Veterinary Research Center, Sari, Iran and staff of Parasitology Department of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences for their collaboration.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Parasitology, Science and Research BranchIslamic Azad University, Boroujerd, Iran

    Arash Naderi

  2. Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary MedicineLorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran

    Hassan Nayebzadeh

  3. Health Sciences Research Center & Department Parasitology and Mycology, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran

    Shirzad Gholami

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  1. Arash Naderi
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  2. Hassan Nayebzadeh
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  3. Shirzad Gholami
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Correspondence to Shirzad Gholami.

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Naderi, A., Nayebzadeh, H. & Gholami, S. Detection of Babesia infection among human, goats and sheep using microscopic and molecular methods in the city of Kuhdasht in Lorestan Province, West of Iran. J Parasit Dis 41, 837–842 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12639-017-0899-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12639-017-0899-1

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