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Home / Equine Research Bank / Med Vet Entomol / Potential tick vectors for Theileria equi in Israel.
Medical and veterinary entomology2020; 34(3); 291-294; doi: 10.1111/mve.12435

Potential tick vectors for Theileria equi in Israel.

Abstract: Theileria equi Mehlhorn and Schein, 1998 (Piroplasmida: Babesiidae) is an important tick-borne pathogen of horses that is highly endemic in many parts of the world, including Israel. The present study evaluated the potential roles of five hard tick species [Hyalomma excavatum Koch, 1844; Hyalomma marginatum Koch, 1844; Rhipicephalus turanicus Pomerantsev 1936; Rhipicephalus annulatus Say, 1821; Haemaphysalis parva (Neumann, 1897) (all: Ixodida: Ixodidae)], previously found to infest horses in Israel, in acting as vectors for piroplasmosis. For this, DNA was extracted from whole ticks and, when possible, from the salivary glands in each species (n = 10-59). Polymerase chain reaction amplification and sequencing of the 18S rRNA gene were used to detect T. equi in 48 of the 127 ticks (37.8%) and in 21 of the 90 extracted salivary glands (23.3%) in all five species. All but two sequences were classified as T. equi genotype A; the remaining two were classified as genotype D. The findings of this study point to Ha. parva and R. annulatus as potential novel vectors of T. equi, and suggest that parasite genotype selection occurs within the tick vector.
© 2020 The Royal Entomological Society.
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Publication Date: 2020-02-27 PubMed ID: 32107816DOI: 10.1111/mve.12435Google Scholar: Lookup
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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 seeks to identify potential carriers of Theileria equi, a tick-borne pathogen affecting horses, specifically within the Israeli region. It elucidates the fact that out of five hard tick species that afflict horses in this region, all of them were identified as potential vectors for this disease, potentially pointing towards Ha. parva and R. annulatus as new carriers.

Methodology

  • The researchers studied five species of hard ticks typically found on horses in Israel: Hyalomma excavatum, Hyalomma marginatum, Rhipicephalus turanicus, Rhipicephalus annulatus, and Haemaphysalis parva.
  • They extracted DNA from whole ticks as well as, when possible, from the salivary glands of each species in varying numbers between 10 and 59.
  • They used Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) amplification and sequencing of the 18S rRNA gene to detect presence of Theileria equi in the ticks.

Findings

  • T. equi was found in 48 out of the 127 ticks (37.8%) sampled and in 21 of the 90 extracted salivary glands (23.3%) across all five species.
  • All but two sequences were classified as T. equi genotype A; the other two were classified as genotype D, indicating a possibility of parasite genotype selection within the tick vector.
  • The findings suggest that Ha. parva and R. annulatus could potentially be new vectors for T. equi.

Implications

  • This study enhances our understanding of the potential vectors for Theileria equi, facilitating development of effective prevention and treatment strategies in areas where these ticks are endemic.
  • The suggestion of parasite genotype selection within the tick vector could have significant implications for the evolution and spread of the disease.
  • The potential identification of Ha. parva and R. annulatus as novel vectors of T. equi warrants further research into their role and the ecology of these tick species.

Cite This Article

APA
Tirosh-Levy S, Steinman A, Einhorn A, Apanaskevich DA, Mumcuoglu KY, Gottlieb Y. (2020). Potential tick vectors for Theileria equi in Israel. Med Vet Entomol, 34(3), 291-294. https://doi.org/10.1111/mve.12435

Publication

Medical and veterinary entomology
ISSN: 1365-2915
NlmUniqueID: 8708682
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 34
Issue: 3
Pages: 291-294

Researcher Affiliations

Tirosh-Levy, S
  • Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel.
Steinman, A
  • Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel.
Einhorn, A
  • Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel.
Apanaskevich, D A
  • U.S. National Tick Collection, Institute for Coastal Plain Science, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA, U.S.A.
  • Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, St Petersburg, Russia.
Mumcuoglu, K Y
  • Parasitology Unit, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Kuvin Centre for the Study of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel.
Gottlieb, Y
  • Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Arachnid Vectors / classification
  • Arachnid Vectors / parasitology
  • DNA, Protozoan / analysis
  • Female
  • Horse Diseases / parasitology
  • Horse Diseases / transmission
  • Horses
  • Israel
  • Ixodidae / classification
  • Ixodidae / physiology
  • Male
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / analysis
  • Salivary Glands / parasitology
  • Species Specificity
  • Theileria / classification
  • Theileria / isolation & purification
  • Theileriasis / parasitology
  • Theileriasis / transmission

References

This article includes 24 references
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Citations

This article has been cited 3 times.
  1. Fuehrer HP, Alho AM, Kayikci FN, Shahi Barogh B, Rosa H, Tomás J, Rocha H, Harl J, Madeira de Carvalho L. Survey of Zoonotic and Non-zoonotic Vector-Borne Pathogens in Military Horses in Lisbon, Portugal. Front Vet Sci 2020;7:591943.
    doi: 10.3389/fvets.2020.591943pubmed: 33195629google scholar: lookup
  2. Tirosh-Levy S, Gottlieb Y, Fry LM, Knowles DP, Steinman A. Twenty Years of Equine Piroplasmosis Research: Global Distribution, Molecular Diagnosis, and Phylogeny. Pathogens 2020 Nov 8;9(11).
    doi: 10.3390/pathogens9110926pubmed: 33171698google scholar: lookup
  3. Tirosh-Levy S, Steinman A, Levy H, Katz Y, Shtilman M, Gottlieb Y. Parasite load and genotype are associated with clinical outcome of piroplasm-infected equines in Israel. Parasit Vectors 2020 May 20;13(1):267.
    doi: 10.1186/s13071-020-04133-ypubmed: 32434550google scholar: lookup
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