Theileria and Babesia Infections in Sheep and Goats With Abortion Histories in East Azerbaijan Province, Northwest Iran

Introduction: Theileria and Babesia belong to a group of protozoan parasites known as Apicomplexa within the Piroplasmida order. Both Theileria and Babesia disrupt normal hematological functions in their respective hosts, causing hypoxia, anemia and systemic disease. Immunosuppressive effects associated with such infections may increase the susceptibility of pregnant animals to secondary infections and abortion. This study investigated the frequency of Theileria and Babesia infections in small ruminants with a new abortion evidence in East Azerbaijan Province, Iran. Materials & Methods: The blood samples (n=۳۷۳) were collected from ۴۳ flocks of goats and sheep across nine cities of East-Azerbaijan Province during calving seasons (autumn and winter seasons ۲۰۲۳). Following DNA extraction from whole blood, a gradient polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method using the specific primers was employed to detect the Theileria and Babesia genomes. Results: Molecular findings revealed the infection rates of ۷۰.۵% for Theileria and ۸.۵% for Babesia infections. Besides, the species identified in the positive samples included Theileria ovis (۶۴.۵%), Theileria lestoquardi (۶%), and Babesia ovis (۸.۵%). Conclusion: Taken together, the detection of Theileria and Babesia infections with a much higher rate, particularly during the autumn and winter, suggests that the resulting hypoxia and anemia, can play indirectly notable roles in the abortion of animals in this province. Thus, effective tick management strategies are critical to preventing these infections and protecting livestock health.

کلیدواژه ها:

Small ruminants ، hemoparasites ، Anemia ، Abortion ، Iran