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Molecular identification and genetic characterization of Theileria and Anaplasma infection in sheep and goat of North Gujarat, India

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Abstract

Hemoprotozoal diseases are significant health concerns in small ruminants. The present study was conducted to identify and characterize the species of Theileria and Anaplasma in sheep and goats located in different districts of North Gujarat, India. A total of 226 (Banaskantha = 175, Patan = 26, and Bhuj = 25) blood samples were collected from sheep (n = 78) and goats (n = 148), and 46 ticks were collected and identified from sheep and goats. PCR assays were carried out using genus and species-specific primers for Theileria targeting 18S rRNA locus and for Anaplasma targeting the msp5 gene. Overall, 37.2% sheep (29/78) and 10.8% of goats (16/148) were positive for Theileria by PCR, whereas 15.4% of sheep (12/78) and 25.7% goats (38/148) were positive for Anaplasma infection. Moreover, mixed infection was found in 4.4% (10/226) of sheep and goats by PCR. Sanger sequencing of Theileria and Anaplasma positives revealed a high similarity to T. ovis and A. ovis using NCBI blast, respectively. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that the Anaplasma spp. DNA sequences belonged to the A. ovis group and closely associated with the A. ovis nucleotide sequence strain Haibei isolated in China from sheep (GQ483471). The phylogenetic analysis based on the SSU rRNA locus revealed that the Theileria ovis DNA sequences belonged to the T. ovis group and closely related to MW440586 isolated in Kerala, India, from a goat. The majority of ticks (91.3%) were identified as Hyalomma. In conclusion, Theileria ovis and Anaplasma ovis were commonly identified species in sheep and goats and transmitted mainly by Hyalomma ticks in North Gujarat, India, which is important baseline data for future research and control strategies. This is the first report on Theileria and Anaplasma co-infections in sheep and goats from North Gujarat, India.

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Data availability

All supporting data was included within this article and its additional files. The data produced during the study are available from the corresponding author for further request. Data and materials will be made available on demand.

Abbreviations

18S rRNA :

18S ribosomal ribonucleic acid

DNA :

Deoxyribonucleic acid

EDTA :

Ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid

mL :

Milliliter

MSP :

Major surface protein

PCR :

Polymerase chain reaction

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the Department of Veterinary Public Health and the Department of Microbiology for providing the necessary facilities for the study. The author also acknowledges the Principal Veterinary College, Sardarkrushinagar, for giving the required funds for the study.

Funding

This study was supported by the Plan scheme of Veterinary College, Sardarkrushinagar (B. H. 0108070018). This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, Kamdhenu University, Sardarkrushinagar, 385506, Gujarat, India

    Ankit Prajapati & Abhinav Suthar

  2. Department of Veterinary Public Health and Epidemiology, College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, Kamdhenu University, Sardarkrushinagar, 385506, Gujarat, India

    Bhavesh Prajapati

  3. Department of Veterinary Microbiology, College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, Kamdhenu University, Sardarkrushinagar, 385506, Gujarat, India

    Arun Patel

  4. Department of Veterinary Clinics, College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, Kamdhenu University, Sardarkrushinagar, 385506, Gujarat, India

    Prakash Chauhan, Bhupamani Das & Ramesh Patel

  5. Department of Veterinary Pathology, College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, Kamdhenu University, Sardarkrushinagar, 385506, Gujarat, India

    Samir Raval

  6. Department of Veterinary Gynecology and Obstetrics, College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, Kamdhenu University, Sardarkrushinagar, 385506, Gujarat, India

    Tarun Sutaria & Ravjibhai K. Chaudhari

  7. Department of Veterinary Physiology, College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, Kamdhenu University, Sardarkrushinagar, 385506, Gujarat, India

    Pankaj Patel

  8. Department of Veterinary Parasitology, College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, Kamdhenu University, Anand, 388001, Gujarat, India

    Vandip Chauhan

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  1. Ankit Prajapati
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Contributions

Conceptualization, methodology, formal analysis, and investigation: Ankit Prajapati, Bhavesh Prajapati, and Arun Patel. Writing—original draft preparation: Ankit Prajapati. Writing—review and editing: Ankit Prajapati, Tarun Sutaria, and Ravjibhai K. Chaudhari. Resources: Arun Patel, Bhavesh Prajapati, Prakash Chauhan, Abhinav Suthar, Tarun Sutaria, Pankaj Patel, Vandip Chauhan, Samir Raval, and Bhupamani Das. Statistical analysis: Ravjibhai K Chaudhari. Supervision: Ramesh Patel.

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Correspondence to Ankit Prajapati.

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The research work was approved by the Institute of Animal Ethics Committee (IAEC) vide no. VETCOLL/IAEC/2021/18/PROTOCOL-7.

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Prajapati, A., Prajapati, B., Patel, A. et al. Molecular identification and genetic characterization of Theileria and Anaplasma infection in sheep and goat of North Gujarat, India. Parasitol Res 122, 1427–1433 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-023-07848-w

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