title: Occurrence of Theileria and Babesia species in water buffalo (Bubalus babalis, Linnaeus, 1758) in the Hubei province, South China.
abstract: The presence and prevalence of tick-borne haemoparasites in water buffalo from the Hubei province, south China was investigated using the reverse line blot (RLB) hybridization assay and phylogenetic analysis of the parasite 18S rRNA gene. Theileria buffeli (19.1%) was the most frequently found species in all of the locations, followed by Babesia orientalis (8.9%), Babesia bovis (1.0%) and Babesia bigemina (0.7%). Only 12 (3.9%) of the samples had mixed infections. Eleven samples with single infections were selected for further characterization using 18S rRNA gene sequence analysis. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the eight T. buffeli 18S rRNA gene sequences obtained grouped into four clusters, of which three grouped with the known T. buffeli types B and D. The remaining five grouped separately from the previously describe T. buffeli types, constituting new T. buffeli types. The two B. bigemina 18S rRNA gene sequences obtained grouped closely with B. bigemina Kunming; this serves as the first report of B. bigemina in the Hubei province. The B. orientalis Daye 18S rRNA gene sequence obtained grouped closely with the previously reported B. orientalis Wuhan strain and with Babesia sp. Kashi 1 and Kashi 2.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Hubei, Wuhan 430070, China.
authors.forename: Lan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Hui-Hui
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Wen-Jie
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Qing-Li
authors.initials: QL
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Li-Xia
authors.initials: LX
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Pan
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tu
authors.forename: Yan-Qin
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Jun-Long
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Marinda C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Oosthuizen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001403:Babesia / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001404:Babesiosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D002020:Buffaloes; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics; D010802:Phylogeny; D015995:Prevalence; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / Q000235:genetics; D016794:Theileria / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013801:Theileriasis / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S