title: Molecular detection and characterization of Babesia bovis, Babesia bigemina, Theileria species and Anaplasma marginale isolated from cattle in Kenya.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Infections with Babesia bovis, Babesia bigemina, Theileria species and Anaplasma marginale are endemic in Kenya yet there is a lack of adequate information on their genotypes. This study established the genetic diversities of the above tick-borne hemoparasites infecting cattle in Kenya.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nested PCR and sequencing were used to determine the prevalence and genetic diversity of the above parasites in 192 cattle blood samples collected from Ngong and Machakos farms. B. bovis spherical body protein 4, B. bigemina rhoptry-associated protein 1a, A. marginale major surface protein 5, Theileria spp. 18S rRNA, T. parva p104 and T. orientalis major piroplasm surface protein were used as the marker genes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  B. bovis, B. bigemina, T. parva, T. velifera, T. taurotragi, T. mutans and A. marginale were prevalent in both farms, whereas T. ovis, Theileria sp. (buffalo) and T. orientalis were found only in Ngong farm. Co-infections were observed in more than 50 % of positive samples in both farms. Babesia parasites and A. marginale sequences were highly conserved while T. parva and T. orientalis were polymorphic. Cattle-derived T. parva was detected in Machakos farm. However, cattle and buffalo-derived Theileria were detected in Ngong farm suggesting interactions between cattle and wild buffaloes. Generally, the pathogens detected in Kenya were genetically related to the other African isolates but different from the isolates in other continents.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The current findings reaffirm the endemicity and co-infection of cattle with tick-borne hemoparasites, and the role of wildlife in pathogens transmission and population genetics in Kenya.
authors.affiliation: National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, 080-8555, Japan. chakirou82@yahoo.fr.|United Graduate School of Veterinary Sciences, Gifu University, Gifu, Gifu, 501-1193, Japan. chakirou82@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: Paul Franck
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Adjou Moumouni
authors.affiliation: National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, 080-8555, Japan. goluga@yahoo.co.uk.|Department of Public Health, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Nairobi, Kangemi, Nairobi, 00625, Kenya. goluga@yahoo.co.uk.
authors.forename: Gabriel Oluga
authors.initials: GO
authors.lastname: Aboge
authors.affiliation: National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, 080-8555, Japan. materkawi@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Mohamad Alaa
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Terkawi
authors.affiliation: National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, 080-8555, Japan. k6693177@vet.kagoshima-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Tatsunori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Masatani
authors.affiliation: National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, 080-8555, Japan. csn530@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Shinuo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, 080-8555, Japan. ketsarinkamy@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Ketsarin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kamyingkird
authors.affiliation: National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, 080-8555, Japan. charoonluk.jir@mahidol.ac.th.
authors.forename: Charoonluk
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jirapattharasate
authors.affiliation: National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, 080-8555, Japan. zhoumo_wk@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Mo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, 080-8555, Japan. wlgorush@126.com.
authors.forename: Guanbo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, 080-8555, Japan. lmm_2010@163.com.
authors.forename: Mingming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, 080-8555, Japan. iguchi@obihiro.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Aiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Iguchi
authors.affiliation: National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, 080-8555, Japan. vpato2009@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vudriko
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, 080-8555, Japan. dr_ap_ybanez@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Adrian Patalinghug
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Ybanez
authors.affiliation: United Graduate School of Veterinary Sciences, Gifu University, Gifu, Gifu, 501-1193, Japan. inokuma@obihiro.ac.jp.|Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, 080-8555, Japan. inokuma@obihiro.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Hisashi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Inokuma
authors.affiliation: National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, 080-8555, Japan. umemiya@obihiro.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Rika
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shirafuji-Umemiya
authors.affiliation: National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, 080-8555, Japan. hisuzuki@obihiro.ac.jp.|United Graduate School of Veterinary Sciences, Gifu University, Gifu, Gifu, 501-1193, Japan. hisuzuki@obihiro.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.affiliation: National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, 080-8555, Japan. gen@obihiro.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Xuenan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xuan
mesh_terms: D042322:Anaplasma marginale / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D000712:Anaplasmosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000635:transmission; D000818:Animals; D001403:Babesia / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016793:Babesia bovis / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001404:Babesiosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000635:transmission; D002020:Buffaloes / Q000469:parasitology; D002417:Cattle; D014644:Genetic Variation; D007630:Kenya / Q000453:epidemiology; D016794:Theileria / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013801:Theileriasis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000635:transmission