Identification and Molecular Characterization of
Theileria annulata with
Associated Risk Factors in Naturally Infected Camels from Selected
Districts in Punjab, Pakistan
Faiza Aslam1, Muti ur Rehman1*,
Gulbeena Saleem1, Kamran Ashraf2, Mian Abdul
Hafeez2* and Muhammad Saqib3
1Department
of Pathology, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences Lahore,
Pakistan
2Department
of Parasitology, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences
Lahore, Pakistan
3Department
of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences,
University of Agriculture, Faisalabad
*Corresponding author:
drniazi@uvas.edu.pk;
abdul.hafeez@uvas.edu.pk
Abstract
Camel production in Pakistan is adversely
affected by several pathogenic infections and insufficient veterinary
facilities. Haemoparasitic
diseases significantly affect health and productivity of camels causing a
substantial financial burden to camel breeders and owners. The present study was
designed for the identification and molecular detection of haemoparasites
particularly piroplasms (Theileria spp. / Babesia spp.) infection in naturally
infected local one-humped camels (Camelus
dromedaries) in Punjab by using parasitological as well as molecular tools
like polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by phylogenetic analysis. Blood
samples (n=400) were collected from camels suspected for piroplasms infections
in ten districts of Punjab and processed for blood smears and PCR targeting 18S
rRNA gene. The findings revealed that Theileria is the most common parasite in
camels of all study areas with overall prevalence of 12% and 13.5% by
microscopic examination of GSBS and PCR, respectively. The phylogenetic analyses
of the isolates on sequencing revealed that all analyzed isolates were closely
related to Theileria annulata present
in NCBI from several parts of the world. However, all samples tested for
presence of Babesia spp. were found negative by microscopy and PCR. Chi square
based risk factors analyses exhibited significant (P<0.05) association between
gender, age, tick infestation, previous tick history and prevalence of
Theileria. In conclusion, current study on haemoparasites is evident for
first ever molecular identification of Theileria annulata infection in camels of Pakistan along with
assessment of potential risk factors associated with disease. Recent outcomes
are ascertaining it as a silent killer with damaging effects on immune system.
To Cite This Article:
Aslam F, Rehman MU, Saleem G, Ashraf K, Hafeez
MA, Saqib M, 2023. Identification and molecular characterization of
Theileria annulata with associated
risk factors in naturally infected camels from selected districts in punjab,
pakistan. Pak Vet J, 43(1): 79-84. http://dx.doi.org/10.29261/pakvetj/2022.084