Prevalence of theileriosis in sheep in Wasit province

Abstract EN

The present study was arranged between October 2012 to June 2013 in Wasit province.

A total of 500 blood samples of sheep were collected: (450 of clinically suspected sheep with theileriosis (359 females and 91 males), and 50 of healthy animals as a control group (35 females and 15 males).

Theileria parasite was seen in two forms rod and ring form inside the RBCs in blood smears stained with Giemsa stain.

Results of microscopical examination of blood smears show that 22.8 % of suspected animals were infected with Theileriosis with significant differences at (p<0.05), and most of these cases were in chronic forms.

The results revealed that there was no effect of sex on the rate of infection, while most of infection was showed among those animal with age equal or more than three years (26.6 %), in addition to the infection was seen concentrated in hot months of study.