Microscopic and molecular detection of Babesia bovis and Babesia bigemina in female camel from Al-Diwaniyah province, Iraq

Abstract

This study identified the etiological pathogens responsible or protozoal-like disease conditions in female camels from Al-Diwaniyah Province, Iraq. For this reason, 125 female camels (one blood sample per animal) that showed signs of weakness and pale mucus membranes were considered for the study. The samples of stained blood smears were explored microscopically and via a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method that the targeted glutamine-dependent carbamoyl phosphate synthase (CPSII) gene for identifying Babesia bovis and 18S rRNA gene for detecting B. bigemina. The results of the microscopic technique uncovered the occurrence of Babesia spp. in 76 (60.8%) of the examined samples, which encourage the use of PCR to identify the protozoal species. The PCR findings demonstrated that B. bovis and B. bigemina were detected in 8 (8.9%) and 11 (12.22%), respectively, of the positive microscopic samples. The study findings reveal that weakness and paleness of mucus membranes in camel females can be attributed to the presence of infections by blood protozoa, mainly Babesia bovis and Babesia bigemina.