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Home / Equine Research Bank / Iran J Vet Res / Molecular detection of equine piroplasms in donkeys (Equus a...
Iranian journal of veterinary research2016; 16(2); 202-204;

Molecular detection of equine piroplasms in donkeys (Equus asinus) in North Khorasan province, Iran.

Abstract: Equine piroplasmosis is a tickborne disease of equids with worldwide distribution, caused by Theileria equi and Babesia caballi. The aim of this study was molecular detection of T. equi and B. caballi in donkeys in northeastern Iran and investigate the association between positivity of piroplasm infection and host-related factors. In the present study, Blood samples were collected from 106 apparently healthy donkeys (Equus asinus) in North Khorasan province, Iran. Blood smears were prepared and stained by giemsa method. DNA was extracted from blood and then multiplex-PCR was done for detection of any piroplasms infection. According to the results, four donkeys showed T. equi in blood smears but B. caballi was not found. Also, fifty four donkeys (50.94%) showed T. equi infection using multiplex-PCR. No siginificant difference was observed between the frequency of T. equi infection with host-related factors in donkeys. This is the first report on the molecular detection of eqiune piroplamosis in donkeys in Iran. Also, no significant association was found between the rate of T. equi infected animals.
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Publication Date: 2016-05-14 PubMed ID: 27175176PubMed Central: PMC4827686
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research article aims to identify the presence of tickborne diseases Theileria equi and Babesia caballi (equine piroplasms) in donkeys in northeastern Iran. There was a significant percentage of donkey population found to be infected with T. equi, but no B. caballi was identified.

Introduction and Method

  • Epidemiologists and researchers have engaged in a study on Equine Piroplasmosis in a donkey population in North Khorasan province, Iran. Because equine piroplasmosis is a tickborne disease globally distributed, scientists aimed to understand the degree of infection in this unique geographic context (Iran).
  • Equine Piroplasmosis is an infectious disease in equids, majorly horses, mules, and donkeys, caused by protozoans Theileria equi and Babesia caballi.
  • The goal of this study was to undertake molecular detection of these parasites, particularly their presence and effect in the host’s body.
  • The hosts in this study comprised of 106 apparently healthy donkeys in North Khorasan province.
  • Blood samples were collected, carefully prepared and smears were stained using the giemsa method, a common staining technique used to study the presence and effect of parasites in the blood.

Detection and Findings

  • After DNA extraction from the blood samples, a multiplex-PCR was performed to detect any piroplasm infection. Multiplex-PCR is a variant of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), a technique used to amplify the number of copies of a particular DNA sequence, and is particularly efficient in detecting pathogens like viruses and bacteria.
  • Results indicated heavy presence of T. equi in the tested population. While the blood smears showed this infection in four samples, the multiplex-PCR revealed that more than half of the population (50.94%) was infected with T. equi.
  • Interestingly, the other parasite, B. caballi, wasn’t detected in any of the samples.

Significance and Conclusion

  • The results from this study present the first precise identification and quantification of the presence of T. equi in donkeys in Iran.
  • Furthermore, the study determined that there was no significant relationship between the rate of T. equi infection and host-related factors. This means that the likelihood of being infected with T. equi was the same for all donkeys, regardless of any individual characteristics. Thus, the widespread presence of T. equi necessitates appropriate and comprehensive disease management protocols.

Cite This Article

APA
Abedi V, Razmi G, Seifi H, Naghibi A. (2016). Molecular detection of equine piroplasms in donkeys (Equus asinus) in North Khorasan province, Iran. Iran J Vet Res, 16(2), 202-204.

Publication

Iranian journal of veterinary research
ISSN: 1728-1997
NlmUniqueID: 101660030
Country: Iran
Language: English
Volume: 16
Issue: 2
Pages: 202-204

Researcher Affiliations

Abedi, V
  • Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran;
Razmi, Gh
  • Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran;
Seifi, H
  • Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.
Naghibi, A
  • Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran;

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Citations

This article has been cited 8 times.
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