Molecular characterization of ticks and tick-borne piroplasms from cattle and camel in Hofuf, eastern Saudi Arabia.
, Omer, S. A., Alsuwaid, D. F., & Mohammed, O. B. . 2021
The aims of the present study were to characterize ticks infesting the dromedary camel and cattle in
Hofuf, Eastern Saudi Arabia and to determine the piroplasms that they may harbor. DNA was extracted
from ticks, collected from camels and cattle, using commercial kits and subjected to polymerase chain
reaction using specific primers for the amplification of ticks and piroplasms DNA. The cytochrome oxidase
subunit I mitochondrial gene (COI) was used for characterization of ticks whereas partial 18S
rRNA gene (18S rRNA) was used for piroplasms characterization. Ticks were genetically identified as
Hyalomma dromedarii and Hyalomma anatolicum. Both cattle and camel in Hofuf, were found to be
infested with both species. Both ticks identified as H. dromedarii and H. anatolicum from camels and cows
showed 100% identity to COI sequences from the same species available in GenBank. Only Theileria annulata
DNA was amplified from both H. anatolicum and H. dromedarii infesting cattle. None of the ticks collected
from camels revealed DNA of piroplasms. T. annulata DNA was reported for the first time from
Hofuf and the role of both H. anatolicum and H. dromedarii as potential vectors for this parasite in cattle
in Saudi Arabia has been documented for the first time.
Arabia—was performed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for detecting antibodies against two cyst-forming coccidian parasites, namely Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum. Antibodies…
This study was undertaken to determine the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in cats
in the area of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. We examined 200 serum samples collected from stray
and…
A cross sectional study was conducted during the period 2014–2015, to estimate the prevalence and
assess contribution of some risk factors for the occurrence of enterotoxaemia in sheep,…