title: Tick-borne haemoparasites in African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) from two wildlife areas in Northern Botswana.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) is a host for many pathogens known to cause economically important diseases and is often considered an important reservoir for livestock diseases. Theileriosis, heartwater, babesiosis and anaplasmosis are considered the most important tick-borne diseases of livestock in sub-Saharan Africa, resulting in extensive economic losses to livestock farmers in endemic areas. Information on the distribution of tick-borne diseases and ticks is scarce in Northern Botswana. Nevertheless, this data is necessary for targeting surveillance and control measures in livestock production at national level.
  
  
  METHODS
  In order to address this gap, we analyzed 120 blood samples from buffalo herds for the presence of common tick-borne haemoparasites causing disease in livestock, collected in two of the main wildlife areas of Northern Botswana: the Chobe National Park (CNP, n=64) and the Okavango Delta (OD, n=56).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Analysis of the reverse line blot (RLB) hybridization assay results revealed the presence of Theileria, Babesia, Anaplasma and Ehrlichia species, either as single or mixed infections. Among the Theileria spp. present, T. parva (60%) and T. mutans (37%) were the most prevalent. Other species of interest were Anaplasma marginale subsp. centrale (30%), A. marginale (20%), Babesia occultans (23%) and Ehrlichia ruminantium (6%). The indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) indicated 74% of samples to be positive for the presence of T. parva antibodies. Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) detected the highest level of animals infected with T. parva (81% of the samples). The level of agreement between the tests for detection of T. parva positive animals was higher between qPCR and IFAT (kappa=0.56), than between qPCR and RLB (kappa=0.26) or the latter and IFAT (kappa=0.15).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first report of tick-borne haemoparasites in African buffalo from northern Botswana, where animals from the CNP showed higher levels of infection than those from OD. Considering the absence of fences separating wildlife and livestock in the CNP and the higher levels of some parasite species in buffalo from that area, surveillance of tick-borne diseases in livestock at the interface in the CNP should be prioritized.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X04, Onderstepoort, 0110, South Africa. s26029104@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Dewald
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Eygelaar
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa. ferran.jori@cirad.fr.|UPR AGIRs, CIRAD, Campus International de Baillarguet, Montpellier, 34398, France. ferran.jori@cirad.fr.|Department of Animal Science and Production, Botswana College of Agriculture, Private Bag 0027, Gaborone, Botswana. ferran.jori@cirad.fr.
authors.forename: Ferran
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jori
authors.affiliation: FAO-ECTAD Office for Southern Africa, Gaborone, Botswana. mmokopaseto@bvi.co.bw.|Botswana Vaccine Institute, Private Bag 0031, Gabarone, Botswana. mmokopaseto@bvi.co.bw.
authors.forename: Mokganedi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mokopasetso
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X04, Onderstepoort, 0110, South Africa. Kgomotso.Sibeko@up.ac.za.
authors.forename: Kgomotso P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Sibeko
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X04, Onderstepoort, 0110, South Africa. Nicola.Collins@up.ac.za.
authors.forename: Nicola E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Collins
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X04, Onderstepoort, 0110, South Africa. Ilse.Vorster@up.ac.za.
authors.forename: Ilse
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Vorster
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X04, Onderstepoort, 0110, South Africa. Milana.Troskie@up.ac.za.
authors.forename: Milana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Troskie
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X04, Onderstepoort, 0110, South Africa. Marinda.Oosthuizen@up.ac.za.
authors.forename: Marinda C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Oosthuizen
mesh_terms: D000709:Anaplasma / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D000712:Anaplasmosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild; D001403:Babesia / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001404:Babesiosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D001902:Botswana / Q000453:epidemiology; D002020:Buffaloes; D004536:Ehrlichia / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016873:Ehrlichiosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary; D016794:Theileria / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013801:Theileriasis / Q000453:epidemiology; D017282:Tick-Borne Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D013987:Ticks / Q000469:parasitology*