title: Anaplasma, Ehrlichia and rickettsial pathogens in ixodid ticks infesting cattle and sheep in western Oromia, Ethiopia.
abstract: Although ticks are widely distributed in all agro-ecological zones of Ethiopia, information on tick-borne pathogens is scarce. This study was conducted to determine the presence of Anaplasma spp., Ehrlichia spp., and Rickettsia spp. in Rhipicephalus evertsi and Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) decoloratus collected from cattle and sheep at Bako, western Oromia, Ethiopia, using polymerase chain reaction and sequencing. Anaplasma ovis and Anaplasma spp., Ehrlichia ruminantium and Ehrlichia spp. were detected in Rh. decoloratus, whereas only A. ovis was detected in Rh. evertsi. Both tick species were found to harbor DNA belonging to Rickettsia spp., and Rickettsia africae. Our findings highlight the risk of infection of animals and humans with these zoonotic tick-borne bacteria in Ethiopia.
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 34, Bishoftu, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Sori
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Teshale
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 34, Bishoftu, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Bersissa
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kumsa
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Medicine, Production and Health, University of Padova, Viale dell'Università, 16, 35020, Legnaro, PD, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Luisa
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Menandro
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Medicine, Production and Health, University of Padova, Viale dell'Università, 16, 35020, Legnaro, PD, Italy. rudi.cassini@unipd.it.
authors.forename: Rudi
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5529-2854
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cassini
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Medicine, Production and Health, University of Padova, Viale dell'Università, 16, 35020, Legnaro, PD, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9252-6389
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martini
mesh_terms: D000709:Anaplasma / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D004536:Ehrlichia / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005002:Ethiopia / Q000453:epidemiology; D026863:Ixodidae / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000502:physiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012281:Rickettsia / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA / Q000662:veterinary; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D013984:Tick Infestations / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins
keywords: Anaplasma; Ehrlichia; Ethiopia; Rhipicephalus; Rickettsia