Molecular epidemiology of Babesia species, Theileria parva, and Anaplasma marginale infecting cattle and the tick control malpractices in central and eastern Uganda
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Date
2018
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Ticks and tick-borne diseases
Abstract
East Coast fever, babesiosis, and anaplasmosis are the major tick-borne diseases affecting
cattle productivity in Uganda. The emergence of acaricide-resistant ticks is suspected to have
caused a rise in hemoparasites. This study sought to detect and characterize hemoparasites
among farms in acaricide-failure hotspots of central as compared to the acaricide-failure
naïve areas in eastern Uganda. Nested PCR assays were performed to determine the
prevalences of Babesia bovis, Babesia bigemina, Theileria parva, and Anaplasma marginale
in cattle blood samples sourced from randomly selected farms. Randomly selected isolates
were sequenced to determine the genetic diversity of the parasites using the following marker
genes: B. bovis spherical body protein 4, B. bigemina rhoptry-associated protein 1a, T. parva
104 kDa microneme-rhoptry antigen, and A. marginale major surface protein 5. Furthermore,
partially and fully engorged adult ticks were collected for taxonomy, and tick-control
practices were assessed using a semi-structured questionnaire. The prevalences of B.
bigemina, T. parva, and A. marginale in cattle were 17.2, 65.1, and 22.0%, and 10.0, 26.5,
and 3% in the central and eastern region, respectively. Whilst, B. bovis was not detected in
the farms involved. The sequences for B. bigemina, T. parva, and A. marginale from the
central region showed 99% identity with those from the eastern region. Of the 548 ticks
collected, 319, 147, 76, and 6 were Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) decoloratus, Rhipicephalus
appendiculatus, Amblyomma variegatum, and Rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi, respectively. The
Rhipicephalus ticks were more abundant in the central, whereas A. variegatum ticks were
more abundant in the eastern region. Tick control malpractices were found in both central and
eastern Uganda, and 42 of the 56 surveyed farms lacked appropriate restraining facilities and
so they utilized either ropes or a ‘boma’ (enclosure). In summary, B. bigemina, T. parva, A.
marginale and their co-infections were more prevalent in the central than eastern region; even
though, tick control malpractices were observed in both regions. Therefore, an urgent tick
and TBD control strategy is needed.
Description
Keywords
Acaricide failure, Cattle, Molecular epidemiology, Tick-borne infections, Tick control malpractices
Citation
Tayebwa DS, Vudriko P, Tuvshintulga B, Guswanto A, Nugraha AB, Gantuya S, Batiha GE-Saber, Musinguzi SP, Komugisha M, Bbira JS, Okwee-Acai J, Tweyongyere R, Wampande EM, Byaruhanga J, Adjou Moumouni PF, Sivakumar T, Yokoyama N, Igarashi I, Molecular epidemiology of Babesia species, Theileria parva, and Anaplasma marginale infecting cattle and the tick control malpractices in central and eastern Uganda, Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases (2018), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ttbdis.2018.06.012