Identification of Camel Theileria Annulata and Theileria Spp. Via Microscopic and Molecular Techniques Via the use of Certain Genes: Cytochrome B as An Example in Al-Diwaniyah Province, Iraq

Abstract

The current investigational work was conducted to recognize the causative agents that induced disease conditions, which are similar to those caused by blood protozoa, in camels that lived in some areas in Al-Diwaniyah Province, Iraq, using a specific gene other than 18S rRNA gene that may result in a final detection as Babesia as stated by previous studies. According to this aim, 125 females (125 blood samples) with suspected protozoal signs, such as weakness and paleness of mucus membranes were included for this investigation. Microscopy and a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique, which targeted the cytochrome b gene to detect Theileria annulata and the 18S rRNA gene for identifying other Theileria species, were employed for the current work. The microscopy revealed that Theileria spp. was discovered in 69 (55.2%) of the total samples. For the PCR, T. annulata was located in 9 (10%) while Theileria spp. was uncovered in 16 (17.77%), both of the total number of samples. Blood protozoa, especially Theileria annulata and other species, probably were responsible of the protozoal-induced signs in the tested camel females from Al-Diwaniyah Province, Iraq.