title: PCR-based detection of blood parasites in cattle and adult Rhipicephalus appendiculatus ticks.
abstract: To ascertain the infection rate for tick-borne pathogens in Zambia, an epidemiological survey of Theileria parva, Babesia bigemina and Anaplasma marginale in traditionally managed Sanga cattle was conducted using PCR. Of the 71 native Zambian cattle, 28 (39.4%) were positive for T. parva, 16 (22.5%) for B. bigemina and 34 (47.9%) for A. marginale. The mixed infection rate in cattle was 8.5% (6/71), 16.9% (12/71), 7.0% (5/71) and 2.8% (2/71) for T. parva/B. bigemina, T. parva/A. marginale, B. bigemina/A. marginale and T. parva/B. bigemina/A. marginale, respectively. To predict the risk for transmission of tick-borne pathogens from ticks to cattle, a total of 74 Rhipicephalus appendiculatus ticks were collected from a location where cattle had been found positive for T. parva. Of the ticks collected, 10 (13.5%) were found to be PCR-positive for T. parva. The results suggest that the infection rate for tick-borne pathogens was relatively high in Sanga cattle and that adult R. appendiculatus ticks were highly infected with T. parva.
authors.affiliation: Department of Disease Control, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan.
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Satoru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Konnai
authors.forename: Saiki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Imamura
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Simuunza
authors.forename: Mwelwa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chembensofu
authors.forename: Amos
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chota
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nambota
authors.forename: Misao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Onuma
authors.forename: Kazuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ohashi
mesh_terms: D056893:Alveolata / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000635:transmission; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D015995:Prevalence; D011528:Protozoan Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission*; D048494:Rhipicephalus / Q000469:parasitology*; D013984:Tick Infestations / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D015024:Zambia / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan