Occurrence of tick-transmitted pathogens in dogs in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria

Abstract

BackgroundCanine babesiosis caused by Babesia rossi, transmitted by Haemaphysalis elliptica in South Africa, has also been reported from Nigeria. Although H. leachi (sensu lato) is widespread in sub-Saharan Africa, published literature on the occurrence of canine babesiosis is meagre. It has been postulated that the genotype of Babesia rossi Erythrocyte Membrane Antigen 1 (BrEMA1) may be linked to virulence of the specific isolate. The primary objective of this study was to detect and characterise tick-borne pathogens in dogs presented to a veterinary hospital using molecular techniques. In B. rossi-positive specimens, we aimed to determine whether the BrEMA1 gene occurred and to compare genotypes with those found in other isolates. Lastly, we wished to identify the tick species that were recovered from the sampled dogs.MethodsBlood specimens (n = 100) were collected during January to March 2010 from domestic dogs presented at an animal hospital in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria. They were screened for the presence of Babesia/Theileria and Ehrlichia/Anaplasma genomic DNA using PCR and Reverse Line Blot (RLB) assays. Positive B. rossi specimens were tested for the presence of the BrEMA1gene using an RT-PCR. In addition, ticks were collected from dogs found to be infested during sampling.ResultsOn RLB, 72 (72%) of the specimens were positive for one or more haemoparasites. Of the positive specimens, 38 (53%) were infected with B. rossi; 9 (13%) with Theileria sp. (sable); 5 (7%) with either Ehrlichia canis or Anaplasma sp. Omatjenne, respectively; 3 (4%) with Theileria equi; and 1 (1%) with B. vogeli and E. ruminantium, respectively. Co-infections were detected in 13 (18%) of the specimens. Results of RT-PCR screening for the BrEMA1 gene were negative. A total of 146 ticks belonging to 8 species were collected and identified: Rhipicephalus sanguineus 107 (73%), Haemaphysalis leachi (sensu stricto) 27 (18%), R. turanicus 3 (2%), and Amblyomma variegatum, H. elliptica, R. lunulatus, R. muhsamae and R. senegalensis 1 (1%), respectively.ConclusionsUp to 8 tick-borne pathogens possibly occur in the dog population at Jos, with B. rossi being the most prevalent. The absence of the BrEMA1 gene suggests that B. rossi occurring in that area may be less virulent than South African isolates.

Prevalence of Babesia species in hunting dogs in Ogun State South West Nigeria

“…This is lower than the prevalence of 38.5% reported by Okubanjo et al, (2013) in Sokoto using microscopy also and this might be due to different geographical locations where the studies were carried out and the type of dogs that were sampled. The prevalence in this study is also much lower than 54% reported by Adamu et al, (2014) in Jos, Nigeria. This is not unexpected as Adamu et al used serology which is known to detect both active and passive infections unlike microscopy which tend to detect only active parasites circulating in the system as at when sampled.…”

“…This stimulated renewed interest in the epidemiology of canine babesiosis in Africa, as it was the first confirmation of the occurrence of Babesia canis in a geographical region were Dermacentor reticulatus, the only confirmed vector of Babesia canis, does not occur (Kamani et al, 2010). According to Adamu et al, (2014) the prevalence for Babesia rossi was 13% and Babesia vogeli 1% out of one hundred samples analyzed using the Reverse Line Blot (RLB) assay. To the best of our knowledge and as at the time of this write up, there are no available publications on the prevalence of Babesia species in hunting dogs in Nigeria who are at the interface of transmission cycle having gone to the wild for hunting and are brought back to the sentinel of their owners in the owners' abode with the attached arthropods that are vectors of various diseases.…”

SURVEILLANCE FOR VIRAL AND PARASITIC PATHOGENS IN A VULNERABLE AFRICAN LION (PANTHERA LEO) POPULATION IN THE NORTHERN TULI GAME RESERVE, BOTSWANA

“…We extracted DNA from whole blood (QIAamp DNA mini kit, Qiagen, Whitehead Scientific, South Africa) and tested for Anaplasma-Ehrlichia and Babesia-Theileria by amplification of the 16S and 18S rRNA genes, respectively, and reverse line blot hybridization (RLBH) assay with genuswide and species-specific probes (Adamu et al 2014). For two lions positive with only the Babesia genus-wide probe, near full-length 18S rRNA gene was amplified, gel purified, and sequenced by Inqaba Biotec (Pretoria, South Africa) as described by Adamu et al (2014).…”

“…For two lions positive with only the Babesia genus-wide probe, near full-length 18S rRNA gene was amplified, gel purified, and sequenced by Inqaba Biotec (Pretoria, South Africa) as described by Adamu et al (2014). For two additional lions that were positive with more than one species-specific probe, the 18S rRNA gene was amplified and purified DNA was ligated into the pGEM-T Easy Vector and transformed into JM109 High Efficiency Competent cells (Promega, Madison, Wisconsin, USA).…”

Did disease constrain the spread of domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) into Sub-Saharan Africa?

“…In southern Europe the disease is caused by Babesia canis for which the ornate dog tick (also known as the meadow tick) Dermacentor reticulatus (previously known, among other names, as D. reticularis) is the vector. It too transmits the B. rossi parasite (Uilenberg et al 1989;Adamu et al 2014). Though B. vogeli also occurs there, B. rossi is restricted to Sub-Saharan parts of Africa.…”