title: Investigations into the natural infection rate of Haemaphysalis qinghaiensis with piroplasma using a nested PCR.
abstract: Here we describe the natural infection rate in China of Haemaphysalis qinghaiensis with four Piroplasma species, namely Theileria uilenbergi, T. luwenshuni, T. sinensis and Babesia motasi. Specifically, a nested PCR was designed based on 18S ribosomal RNA genes and its specificity and sensitivity were established. The result showed that 62 flat adult field H. qinghaiensis ticks (27 females and 35 males) out of 136 (55 females and 81 males) were infected by one or more parasites. All 62 (45.6%) were infected with T. uilenbergi; nine (five males and four females; 6.6%) were infected with T. luwenshuni; two (1.5%) females were infected with T. sinensis; and one (0.7%) male was infected with B. motasi. Twelve (19.4%) were infected with more than one pathogen. There was no significant difference in infection rate between males and females. The high figure 45.6% Theileria infection rate indicates the serious prevalence of theileriosis; while the presence of T. sinensis and B. motasi implies the potential existence of the corresponding diseases in the area studied.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xujiaping 1, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730046, China.
authors.forename: Caiqin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Zhijie
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jinliang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Guiquan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Guan
authors.forename: Miling
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Jianxun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001403:Babesia / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D017931:DNA Primers; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D005260:Female; D026863:Ixodidae / Q000235:genetics / Q000469:parasitology*; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D004247:DNA