Molecular detection of borrelia sp. in ornithodoros savignyi and rhipicephalus annulatus by flab gene and babesia bigemina in R. annulatus by 18S rRNA gene

Abstract EN

This study determined the ability of the soft tick.

Omithodoros savignyi and the hard tick.

Rhip- icephalus (formerly Boophilus) anmilatus to serve as carrier for new genotypes of Borrelia and Babe-sia.

Omithodoros savignyi, was collected in the summer.

2015 from camel market at Shalatein.

Red Sea Govemorate.

while R.

ammlatus wras collected from cows at Salhia, Sharkia Govemorate and Banha.

Qalyoubia Govemorate.

Hemolymph smears were prepared and stained with Giemsa stain and examined by light microscope (LM) for the presence of spiral form of Borrelia and vermicule stage of Babesia.

The tick specimens that revealed positive infection with either Borrelia or Babesia by LM were screened by PCR using flaB gene for Borrelia and 1SS rRNA gene for Babesia.

The obtained amplicons were sequenced, registered in GenBank and the phylogenetic trees for the obtained se- quences were constructed.

Results showed that spirochetes (Borrelia) were found in O.

sa /ignyi and R.

anmilatus, while the vermicule form of Babesia was found in R.

anmilatus only.

The PCR amplified Borrelia and Babesia at 350 &50 bp.

respectively.

The obtained amplicons were recorded in GenBank with accession number MF084762.

MF084761 & MF00441S for Borrelia sp.

in O.

savignyi, Borrelia.