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Updated: Jun 10, 2026
Feeding of Ticks on Animals for Transmission and Xenodiagnosis in Lyme Disease Research
Published on: August 31, 2013
Molecular detection of tick-borne piroplasmids in camel blood samples collected from Cairo and Giza governorates,
Moaz M Amer1, Eloiza May Galon2, Ahmed M Soliman3
1National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan; Department of Biotechnology, Animal Health Research Institute, Dokki 12618, Egypt.
Abstract:
Piroplasmosis, a tick-borne disease affecting livestock, including camels, is caused by intracellular apicomplexan parasites belonging to the order Piroplasmida. Despite its importance, there's limited research on piroplasmosis among Egyptian camels. This study aimed to fill this gap by investigating tick-borne piroplasmids in camels from Cairo and Giza Governorates. Out of 181 blood samples collected between October 2021 and March 2022 from apparently healthy one-humped camels (Camelus dromedarius), PCR assays revealed a 41.4 % infection rate with various piroplasmids. Detected species included B. bovis (17.7 %), B. bigemina (12.2 %), B. caballi (8.3 %), B. naoakii (11.6 %), B. microti (1.7 %), T. equi (4.4 %), and Theileria spp. (28.7 %). Phylogenetic analysis revealed the first detection of T. equi genotype E in Egypt and identified a novel B. caballi genotype. Additionally, B. microti isolates were identified as the US-type. These findings shed lights on piroplasmosis among Egyptian camels, and provide valuable information for devising effective control strategies, especially B. microti, a pathogen with potential human health risks.
