Canine and ovine tick-borne pathogens in camels, Nigeria

Vincenzo Lorusso, Michiel Wijnveld, Maria S. Latrofa, Akinyemi Fajinmi, Ayodele O. Majekodunmi, Abraham G. Dogo, Augustine C. Igweh, Domenico Otranto, Frans Jongejan, Susan C. Welburn, Kim Picozzi

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

38 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

In April 2008, whole blood samples were collected from 36 dromedary camels in Sokoto, North-western Nigeria. Following PCR and reverse line blotting, twenty-two samples (61%) resulted positive for Ehrlichia/Anaplasma spp. and three (8%) for Theileria/Babesia spp., with three (8%) cases of co-infections being found. Both sequence and BLAST analyses identified Ehrlichia/Anaplasma spp. and Theileria/Babesia spp. positive cases as Anaplasma platys and Theileria ovis, respectively. This is the first report of the detection of A. platys and T. ovis in camels from sub-Saharan Africa. The epidemiological relevance of this finding is enhanced by the close living of these animals with both dogs and small ruminants. The high prevalence detected for A. platys suggests a possible role of camels as carriers of this infection.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)90-92
Number of pages3
JournalVeterinary Parasitology
Volume228
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 15 Sep 2016
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Anaplasma platys
  • Camel
  • Camelus dromedarius
  • Nigeria
  • Theileria ovis
  • Tick-borne diseases

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