Molecular survey and characterization of Theileria annulata and Ehrlichia ruminantium in cattle from Northwest China

In this study, a total of 176 blood samples of cattle from three rural areas of XUAR were collected in June 2017 and were tested by nested-PCR. A total of 34 (19.3%) samples were found to be infected with one or two pathogens. The overall prevalence rates of T. annulata and E. ruminantium were 18.2% and 1.7%, respectively. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that the E. ruminantium isolates from XUAR were found in the same clade but diverged from the isolates from African countries using pCS20 gene while T. annulata isolates from XUAR revealed differences in the genotypes using Tams1 sequences. To our knowledge, this is the first report of E. ruminantium infection in cattle in China. It also provides the first genetic characterization of T. annulata in cattle in XUAR. The current findings are important for understanding the distribution of agents of theileriosis and ehrlichiosis and designing measures for the prevention and control of tick-borne diseases in cattle, other animals and humans. Graphical abstract
Source: Parasitology International - Category: Parasitology Source Type: research