Ticks and tick-borne diseases are major impediments to livestock production. To date, there have been several studies on the prevalence of tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) in cattle, but very few studies have documented TBPs in goats in Uganda. In this study, polymerase chain reaction assays and sequence analysis of different molecular markers were used to assess the presence and genetic characteristics of TBPs in 201 goats from Kasese district in western Uganda. The risk factors associated with TBP infections were also analyzed. We detected Theileria spp. (13.4%), Anaplasma phagocytophilum (10.9%), Anaplasma ovis (5.5%), Babesia ovis (5.5%), and Ehrlichia ruminantium (0.5%). The sequences of B. ovis ssu rRNA and A. ovismsp4 genes showed some degree of diversity among the parasite isolates in this study. The E. ruminantium pCS20 sequence formed a well-supported clade with isolates from Amblyomma variegatum ticks from Uganda. Wildlife interaction, sampling location, low body condition score, tick infestation, and herd size were significantly associated with TBP infections in the goats. The findings in this study provide important information on the epidemiology of tick-borne pathogens in Uganda, and show that goats could be potential reservoirs for tick-borne pathogens.

Tick-borne diseases (TBDs) indulge in severe economic losses in the livestock industry by adversely affecting the small ruminant breeding in tropical and subtropical zone countries, including Turkey. Turkey encompasses a wide land area representing diverse climatic conditions. The present study explored the presence and distribution of Babesia ovis, Theileria ovis, Theileria lestoquardi, Anaplasma ovis, Anaplasma phagocytophilum and the co-occurrence status of these pathogens. A total of 299 sheep blood samples were collected from fifteen provinces located in six different geographical regions in Turkey. PCR analyses were executed using species-specific primers based on Babesia ovis BoSSU rRNA, Theileria ovis ToSSU rRNA, Theileria lestoquardi 18S rRNA, Anaplasma ovis Major Surface Protein (AoMSP4), and Anaplasma phagocytophilum 16S rRNA genes. Overall, 219 (73.24%) sheep were found to be infected with at least one of the following protozoan and rickettsial pathogens; B. ovis, A. ovis,T. ovis, and A. phagocytophilum. Theileria lestoquardi was not detected in any blood sample. The global prevalence of B. ovis, A. ovis, T. ovis, and A. phagocytophilum was estimated to be 2.68%, 16.05%, 41.47%, and 57.19%, respectively. Besides this, dual (24.41%), triple (9.03%), and quadruple (0.67%) co-infections were detected in the study. Phylogenetic analysis revealed significant nucleotide sequence identities between the sequences obtained in this study and the sequences registered in the GenBank. This study provides relevant data regarding the predominance of ovine tick-borne protozoan and rickettsial agents in Turkey. A high molecular prevalence of tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) was identified in the study. This situation indicates that TBPs should be screened continuously, and necessary control measures should be taken to prevent diseases caused by tick-borne protozoan and rickettsial agents.

Hemoplasmas (hemotropic mycoplasmas) are small pleomorphic bacteria that parasitize the surface of red blood cells of several mammalian species including cattle, goats, and humans, causing infectious anemia. However, studies on hemoplasmas have been neglected and to date, there are no studies on bovine and caprine hemoplasmas in Uganda or the entire East African region. In this study, a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay targeting the 16S rRNA gene was used to investigate the presence of hemoplasma in 409 samples (cattle = 208; goats = 201) collected from Kasese district, western Uganda. Results showed that 32.2% (67/208) of cattle samples and 43.8% (88/201) of goat samples were positive for hemoplasmas. Sequencing analysis identified Candidatus Mycoplasma haemobos and Mycoplasma wenyonii in cattle, while Candidatus Mycoplasma erythrocervae and Mycoplasma ovis were identified in goats. Statistical analysis showed that goats were at a higher risk of infection with hemoplasmas compared with cattle. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first molecular evidence of hemoplasmas in bovine and caprine animals in Uganda and the entire east African region.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of Ehrlichia/Anaplasma and Babesia spp. in Philippine dogs

Genetic manipulation techniques, such as transfection, have been previously reported in many protozoan parasites. In Babesia, stable transfection systems have only been established for bovine Babesia parasites. We recently reported a transient transfection system and the selection of promoter candidates for Babesia gibsoni. The establishment of a stable transfection system for B. gibsoni is considered to be urgent to improve our understanding of the basic biology of canine Babesia parasites for a better control of babesiosis. GFP-expressing parasites were observed by fluorescence microscopy as early as two weeks after drug selection, and consistently expressed GFP for more than 3 months without drug pressure. Genome integration was confirmed by PCR, sequencing and Southern blot analysis. We present the first successful establishment of a stable transfection system for B. gibsoni. This finding will facilitate functional analysis of Babesia genomes using genetic manipulation and will serve as a foundation for the development of tick-Babesia and host-Babesia infection models.

Background: Ticks can transmit numerous tick-borne pathogens and cause a huge economic loss to the livestock industry. Tick vaccines can contribute to the prevention of tick-borne diseases by inhibiting tick infestation or reproduction. Subolesin is an antigenic molecule proven to be a potential tick vaccine against different tick species and even some tick-borne pathogens. However, its effectivity has not been verified inHaemaphysalis longicornis, which is a widely distributed tick species, especially in East Asian countries. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectivity of subolesin vaccination againstH. longicornisin a rabbit model.Methods: Haemaphysalis longicornis(Okayama strain, female, adult, parthenogenetic strain) and Japanese white rabbits were used as the model tick and animal, respectively. The whole open reading frame ofH. longicornissubolesin (HlSu) was identified and expressed as a recombinant protein usingE. coli. The expression was verified using sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and the immunogenicity of rHlSu against anti-H. longicornisrabbit serum was confirmed using Western blotting. After vaccination of rHlSu in rabbits, experimental infestation ofH. longicorniswas performed. Variables related to blood-feeding periods, pre-oviposition periods, body weight at engorgement, egg mass, egg mass to body weight ratio, and egg-hatching periods were measured to evaluate the effectiveness of subolesin vaccination.Results: The whole open reading frame of HlSu was 540 bp, and it was expressed as a recombinant protein. Vaccination with rHlSu stimulated an immune response in rabbits. In the rHlSu-vaccinated group, body weight at engorgement, egg mass, and egg mass to body weight ratio were statistically significantly lower than those in the control group. Besides, egg-hatching periods were extended significantly. Blood-feeding periods and pre-oviposition periods were not different between the two groups. In total, the calculated vaccine efficacy was 37.4%.Conclusions: Vaccination of rabbits with rHlSu significantly affected the blood-feeding and reproduction inH. longicornis. Combined with findings from previous studies, our findings suggest subolesin has the potential to be used as a universal tick vaccine.