Molecular detection of Babesia spp. and other haemoparasitic infections of cattle in Maputo Province, Mozambique.

TM Martins , L Neves , OC Pedro , JM Fafetine , Virgilio Estólio do Rosário, Ana Isabel Amaro Gonçalves Domingos

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19 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Molecular detection of Babesia species in apparently healthy cattle within an endemic region was carried out in order to determine the prevalence of carriers and the geographical distribution of Babesia bigemina and Babesia bows in Maputo Province, Mozambique Samples from 477 animals at 5 localities were analysed using 2 techniques, the semi-nested hot-start PCR and the reverse line blot (RLB) assay With the semi-nested hot-start PCR, detection of B bigemina ranged between 30% and 89%, and of 13 bovis between 27% and 83%. The RLB assay was comparatively less sensitive in this study and detection of B bows ranged from 0% to 17%, and B bigemina was not detected at all by this technique Analysis of new sequences of the 18S rRNA gene revealed that the current B bigemina RLB probe is not specific for the identification of isolates in Mozambique The RLB assay, I-km ever, resulted in the detection of S other haemoparasite species belonging to the genera Babesia, Therlerra, Anaplasma and Ehrlichia 18S tRNA gene sequences from the Therlerra, spp were identified, and a phylogenic tree constructed with these sequences yielded a heterogeneous T mutans-like group In conclusion, infection with B bugemina and B bovis is endemic in Maputo Province, but rates of transmission vary Furthermore, mixed infections with the haemoparasites responsible for several tick-borne diseases in cattle are common in Mozambique
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)939-946
JournalParasitology
Volume137
Issue number6
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 2010

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