A research on Babesia and Theileria species in sheep and goats of Kırıkkale province through molecular methods

The aim of the present study was to determine presence and prevalence of Babesia and Theileria species in the sheep and goats of stock farming in the province of Kırıkkale, which is in Central Anatolia Region of Turkey through microscopic examination and RLB method. Venous blood samples of 3 mL were collected from vena jugularis of 300 sheep and 100 goats into tubes containing EDTA. Blood smears were prepared from samples; and stained by Giemsa and examined for Theileria and Babesia under a light microscope. Genomic DNAs were extracted from blood samples with EDTA through suitable methods; a region with a length of 360 to 430 bp on variable region V4 of the 18 ssu rRNA gene of Theileria and Babesia species were proliferated; PCR products obtained were hybridized on a membrane where species-specific probes. Piroplasms were detected in 54 (18%) sheep and in none of the goats during microscopic examination of blood smears. With the RLB technique; T. ovis 70%, Theileria sp. 2.3%, B. ovis 5.3%, T. ovis + B. ovis 2.7% were detected in sheep. In goats; T. ovis was detected at a rate of 1%. Consequently, this study is the first for detection of Theileria and Babesia species in sheep and goats in Kırıkkale. Presence of T. ovis and B. ovis in the sheep, and T. ovis in goats was detected in Kırıkkale.