Molecular characterization of South Indian field isolates of bovine Babesia spp. and Anaplasma spp

• Published in: Parasitology research (1987) Vol. 118; no. 2; pp. 617 - 630
• Main Authors: Pradeep, Rangapura Kariyappa, Nimisha, Murikoli, Sruthi, Meethalae Koombayil, Vidya, Pakideery, Amrutha, Birur Mallappa, Kurbet, Prashant Somalingappa, Kumar, Karapparambu Gopalan Ajith, Varghese, Anju, Deepa, Chundayil Kalarikkal, Dinesh, Chemmangattuvalappil Narendranath, Chandrasekhar, Leena, Juliet, Sanis, Pradeepkumar, Puthenparambil Ramakrishnan, Ravishankar, Chintu, Ghosh, Srikant, Ravindran, Reghu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01-02-2019; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Analysis; Anaplasma; Anaplasma marginale - genetics; Anaplasma marginale - isolation & purification; Anaplasmosis; Anaplasmosis - epidemiology; Anaplasmosis - parasitology; Animals; Babesia; Babesia - classification; Babesia - genetics; Babesia - isolation & purification; Babesiosis; Babesiosis - epidemiology; Babesiosis - parasitology; Bacterial Proteins - genetics; Beef cattle; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Bovidae; Cattle; Cattle Diseases - epidemiology; Cattle Diseases - parasitology; Characterization; Cost control; Diseases; Female; Genes; Genetic aspects; Genetic research; Immunology; India - epidemiology; Livestock; Medical Microbiology; Membrane Proteins - genetics; Microbiology; Microscopy; Morbidity; Parasites; Phylogenetics; Phylogeny; Polymerase chain reaction; Polymerase Chain Reaction - veterinary; Protozoology - Original Paper; RNA; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S - genetics; RNA, Ribosomal, 18S - genetics; rRNA 16S; rRNA 18S; Theileria - classification; Theileria - genetics; Theileria - isolation & purification; Theileriasis - epidemiology; Theileriasis - parasitology; Theileriosis; Tick-borne diseases; Tick-Borne Diseases - epidemiology; Ticks - parasitology; Women's health; India; Brazil; Japan; China; Germany; South India; like; Phylogeny; A. platys; Babesia bigemina; B. ovata like; Anaplasma marginale; A. bovis
• ISSN: 0932-0113; 1432-1955
• DOI: 10.1007/s00436-018-6172-4

Ticks and tick-borne diseases (TTBDs) are considered major causes of economic loss in the livestock sector which incur an annual control cost estimated at US$ 498.7 million in India. Among these diseases, babesiosis, theileriosis and anaplasmosis are listed among the top ten livestock diseases in India and cause significant mortality and morbidity among cattle. However, molecular characterization of bovine
Babesia
and
Anaplasma
species are scant; thus, the aim of this study is to perform molecular characterization of field isolates of
Babesia
spp. and
Anaplasma
spp. infecting bovines in Kerala, South India. Blood smears and whole blood samples were collected from a total of 199 apparently healthy adult female cattle in Kerala. Based on microscopy,
Babesia
spp.,
Theileria orientalis
and
Anaplasma
spp. organisms were detected in 9 (4.5%), 40 (20%) and 6 (3%) samples, respectively. Genus-specific polymerase chain reactions for amplification of 18S rRNA of
Babesia
spp. and 16S rRNA of
Anaplasma
spp. revealed positive results with 18 (9%) and 14 (7%) samples. The phylogenetic analysis of 18S rRNA gene sequences of
Babesia
spp. confirmed the existence of two different populations of
Babesia
spp. circulating in the blood of infected cattle viz.,
Babesia bigemina
and a
Babesia
sp. genetically related to
Babesia ovata
. Further phylogenetic analysis using
rap-1a
sequences of isolates of
B. bigemina
revealed higher levels of genetic heterogeneity. However, the field isolates of
B. bigemina
displayed only slight heterogeneity when the
rap-1c
gene was examined. Polymerase chain reaction followed by sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene of
Anaplasma
spp. revealed the existence of
Anaplasma marginale
,
Anaplasma bovis
and
Anaplasma platys
in bovines in South India. Based on
msp4
gene sequences, all the field isolates of
A. marginale
from Kerala were clustered in a single clade with others isolated from around the world. To our knowledge, this study forms the first report on occurrence of
B. ovata-
like parasites and
A. platys
in cattle from India.