TY - JOUR
T1 - A survey for piroplasmids in horses and Bactrian camels in North-Eastern Mongolia
AU - Sloboda, Michal
AU - Jirků, Milan
AU - Lukešová, Daniela
AU - Qablan, Moneeb
AU - Batsukh, Zayat
AU - Fiala, Ivan
AU - Hořín, Petr
AU - Modrý, David
AU - Lukeš, Julius
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was supported in part by grant from the University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences (IGA159/2008/FVL) to M.S., grant from the Czech Ministry of Agriculture (17/MZe/B/07–09) to D.L., grant from the Czech Grant Agency (GAČR 523/09/1972) to P.H., and grant 6007665801 from the Ministry of Education of the Czech Republic and the Praemium Academiae award to J.L. (member of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research). We thank Miroslav Oborník, Anita Frencová, Battur Tserennadmid, Lkhagvatseren Sukhbaatar, Ingrid Alloggio, Štěpán Bodeček for their assistance. Finally, we thank Heinz Mehlhorn (Heinrich Heine Universität, Düsseldorf, Germany) for his comments regarding preerythrocytic merogony.
PY - 2011/6/30
Y1 - 2011/6/30
N2 - Equine piroplasmosis caused by Babesia caballi and Theileria equi is widespread in Asia. The presence of these haemozoans in Mongolia was previously confirmed in domestic as well as in reintroduced Przewalski horses in which they cause significant pathology. The data on occurrence of piroplasms from Bactrian camels in Asia is lacking. A total of 192 horses, 70 Bactrian camels, and additional 16 shepherd dogs from the Hentiy province were included in our study. No clinical signs typical for piroplasmid infection were observed during the field survey. Microscopic examination revealed the presence of T. equi in blood smears from 67% of examined horses, with camels and dogs being negative. A two step PCR approach was used to detect piroplasms in peripheral blood. In the first " catch all" PCR reaction, amplification of the 496. bp-long fragment of the SSU rRNA gene enabled the detection of Babesia and Theileria spp. Second round multiplex PCR reaction used for species discrimination allowed the amplification of T. equi- and B. caballi-specific 340. bp and 650. bp-long regions of the SSU rRNA, respectively. This assay detected T. equi in 92.7% of horses, while the infections with B. caballi and dual infections were rare. In both PCR setups, camels and dogs were negative indicating that in the studied region, these hosts do not share piroplasms with horses.
AB - Equine piroplasmosis caused by Babesia caballi and Theileria equi is widespread in Asia. The presence of these haemozoans in Mongolia was previously confirmed in domestic as well as in reintroduced Przewalski horses in which they cause significant pathology. The data on occurrence of piroplasms from Bactrian camels in Asia is lacking. A total of 192 horses, 70 Bactrian camels, and additional 16 shepherd dogs from the Hentiy province were included in our study. No clinical signs typical for piroplasmid infection were observed during the field survey. Microscopic examination revealed the presence of T. equi in blood smears from 67% of examined horses, with camels and dogs being negative. A two step PCR approach was used to detect piroplasms in peripheral blood. In the first " catch all" PCR reaction, amplification of the 496. bp-long fragment of the SSU rRNA gene enabled the detection of Babesia and Theileria spp. Second round multiplex PCR reaction used for species discrimination allowed the amplification of T. equi- and B. caballi-specific 340. bp and 650. bp-long regions of the SSU rRNA, respectively. This assay detected T. equi in 92.7% of horses, while the infections with B. caballi and dual infections were rare. In both PCR setups, camels and dogs were negative indicating that in the studied region, these hosts do not share piroplasms with horses.
KW - Babesia
KW - Bactrian camel
KW - Dog
KW - Horse
KW - Piroplasmosis
KW - Theileria
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U2 - 10.1016/j.vetpar.2011.01.064
DO - 10.1016/j.vetpar.2011.01.064
M3 - Article
C2 - 21402446
AN - SCOPUS:79956317915
SN - 0304-4017
VL - 179
SP - 246
EP - 249
JO - Veterinary Parasitology
JF - Veterinary Parasitology
IS - 1-3
ER -