Prevalence of ovine theileriosis in Mosul city, Iraq

Abstract

The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of ovine theileriosis (OT) in sheep in Mosul city, Iraq using microscopic examination (ME) of the blood smears stained with MGG- Quick stain and conventional polymerase chain reaction technique (c-PCR) to compare between c-PCR technique and ME as techniques for the diagnosis of disease, and to investigate the pattern and type of infections based on multiplex polymerase chain reaction technique (m-PCR). From October 2021 to May 2022, one-handed eighty-five Blood samples were drawn randomly from sheep in various regions of Mosul city. The overall prevalence of OT was 42% (22.7 out of 185) and 52.4% (97 out of 185) using microscopic examination and c-PCR technique, respectively. A slight agreement was observed between ME of blood smears and c-PCR technique according to Kappa value 0.190, with low sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of ME method was 30%, 88.6%, 58.4%, respectively, compared with c-PCR technique. The prevalence of mixed infection 22.7% and single infection with T. lestoquardi 20% were significantly higher (PT. ovis 9.7%. This study concludes that OT is widespread in Mosul city, Iraq, and the c-PCR technique is more reliable and suitable for detecting Theileriainfection in sheep than the ME method.

Keywords

• ovine theileriosis
• microscopic examination
• pcr techniques
• mosul
• iraq