Co-infection with tick-borne disease agents in cattle in Russia

Tick-borne diseases cause significant livestock losses worldwide. In Russia, information concerning single or mixed infections with different Anaplasma, Theileria and Babesia species in cattle is very limited. This study was conducted to determine the level of co-infection with protozoan pathogens (Theileria spp. and Babesia spp.) and rickettsial pathogens (A. marginale and A. phagocytophilum) in cattle in central Russia. Blood samples were examined with real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for A. marginale and A. phagocytophilum, and by amplifying the V4 hypervariable region of the 18S rRNA gene, followed by cloning, DNA sequencing, and phylogenetic analyses, for Babesia and Theileria species. In total 67% of examined blood samples were positive for Theileria spp. or A. marginale, and 19% of the animals were co-infected with Theileria spp. and A. marginale. Seasonal variation in prevalence was found for Theileria spp. Phylogenetic analysis based on 18S rRNA gene sequences revealed the presence of five Theileria species: T. annulata, T. orientalis, T. buffeli, T. sergenti, and T. sinensis. No samples were positive for Babesia spp. or A. phagocytophilum. The data obtained for prevalence of bovine theileriosis and anaplasmosis in the central part of Russia underscore the need for improved surveillance and control programs to reduce tick-borne diseases in cattle.