Molecular detection of Babesia bigemina in ticks infesting water buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis)‎ in Iraq

Abstract EN

Babesiosis is consider as a hemoparasites disease transmitted through bites of infected ticks and is important tick-borne disease.

A surveillance was carried out from June 2017 to February 2018 to identified ticks parasitize buffaloes.

Hard ticks were 749 collected from different localities throughout AL-Qadisiyah, Babylon and Najaf Governorates for identification and classification.

Stereomicroscope was used to identify the ticks based on their morphological features.

DNA from 244 different individual tick species was extracted and PCR was performed for detection of Babesia bigemina in ticks parasitize buffaloes using specific primer targeting fragments of B.

bigemina gene.

749 ticks of Ixodid species were collected from the buffaloes.

Out of 320 studied buffaloes, 110 (34.38 % ) were infested by 5 species of ticks.

Hyalomma anatolicum was the most prevalent tick species (57.28% ) followed by Hyalomma turanicum (17.36% ), Hyalomma excavatum (10.95% ), Hyalomma scupense(5.07% ) and Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) annulatus (9.35% ).

An expected 1124 bp fragment of Babesia bigemina was generated in 23/70 (32.86% ) of R.

(Boophilus) annulatus.

The results suggested that B.

bigemina could be detected in the DNA extracted from R.

(Boophilus) annulatus, confirming earlier reports as an important vector for B.

bigemina.

We conclude that B.

bigemina is present in Ripicephalus (Boophilus) annulatus ticks in this area which detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

The present research work was the first attempt to determine the molecular prevalence of B.

bigemina infection in ticks, in Iraq by using PCR.