title: Prevalence and Molecular Diagnosis of Babesia ovis and Theileria ovis in Lohi Sheep at Livestock Experiment Station (LES), Bahadurnagar, Okara, Pakistan.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Babesia ovis and Theileria ovis are among the important and main etiological agents causing ovine babesiosis and ovine theileriosis, causing severe economic losses among sheep and goats. The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence and molecular diagnosis of B. ovis and T. ovis in Lohi sheep at Livestock Experiment Station Bahadurnagar, Okara, Pakistan.
  
  
  METHODS
  The prevalence of B. ovis and T. ovis was investigated in 200 Lohi sheep of mixed age and sex by PCR during 2011. The assay was employed using primers Bbo-F & Bbo-R, specific for a 549-bp fragment in B. ovis genomic DNA and primers TSsr 170F & TSsr 670R, specific for a 520-bp fragment in T. ovis genomic DNA. The animals were also screened for both haemoparasites through stained thin blood smears.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty two (16%), 48 (24%) and 26 (13%) were the number of animals found positive for B. ovis, T. ovis and for mixed infection with both parasites, respectively, through microscopy. Sixty eight (34%), 73 (37%) and 42 (21%) were the number of animals found positive for B. ovis, T. ovis and for mixed infection with both parasites, respectively, through PCR test.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results indicate the high sensitivity of PCR for surveying babesiosis and theileriosis and there is noteworthy prevalence of these diseases in sheep at an experimental station where environmental conditions are relatively controlled as compared to field conditions.
authors.affiliation: Livestock Production Research Institute Bahadurnagar, Okara, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Waseem
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Shahzad
authors.affiliation: University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Haider
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Noor
authors.affiliation: University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Mansur-Ud-Din
authors.initials: MU
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.affiliation: Foot & Mouth Disease Research Center, Lahore Cantt, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Rashid
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Munir
authors.affiliation: Livestock Production Research Institute Bahadurnagar, Okara, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sharif Saghar
authors.affiliation: University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hassan Mushtaq
authors.affiliation: University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Nisar
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.affiliation: Livestock Production Research Institute Bahadurnagar, Okara, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Ghulam
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Akbar
authors.affiliation: Livestock Production Research Institute Bahadurnagar, Okara, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Fayyaz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mehmood
keywords: Babesia ovis; PCR; Pakistan; Sheep; Theileria ovis