Comparison between conventional and molecular methods for diagnosis of bovine babesiosis (Babesia bovis infection) in tick infested cattle in upper Egypt.
Ticks and tick-borne diseases are the main problems affecting the livestock production in Egypt. Bovine babesiosis has adverse effects on the animal health and production. A comparison of Giemsa stained blood smears, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and nested PCR (nPCR) assays for detection ofBabesia bovisinfection in Egyptian Baladi cattle (Bos taurus) in reference to reverse line blot was carried out. The sensitivity of PCR and nested PCR (nPCR) assays were 65 and 100 % respectively. Giemsa stained blood smears showed the lowest sensitivity (30 %). According to these results using of PCR and nPCR target forB. bovis, [BBOV-IV005650 (BV5650)] gene are suitable for diagnosis ofB. bovisinfection. The 18Ss rRNA partial sequence confirmed that all the positive samples wereBabesia bovisand all of them were deposited in the GenBank databases (Accession No: KM455548, KM455549 and KM455550).
Department of Animal Medicine Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, 71526 Egypt.
Amira A T
AAT
Al-Hosary
18Ss rRNA; Babesia bovis; Giemsa; PCR; nPCR