Abstract
BackgroundPublic interest for tick-borne pathogens in cattle livestock is rising due to their veterinary and zoonotic importance. Consequently, correct identification of these potential pathogens is crucial to estimate the level of exposition, the risk and the detrimental impact on livestock and the human population.ResultsConventional PCR with generic primers was used to identify groups of tick-borne pathogens in cattle breeds from northern Cameroon. The overall prevalence in 1260 blood samples was 89.1%, with 993 (78.8%) positive for Theileria/Babesia spp., 959 (76.1%) for Anaplasma/Ehrlichia spp., 225 (17.9%) for Borrelia spp., and 180 (14.3%) for Rickettsia spp. Sanger sequencing of a subset of positively-tested samples revealed the presence of Theileria mutans (92.2%, 130/141), T. velifera (16.3%, 23/141), Anaplasma centrale (10.9%, 15/137), A. marginale (30.7%, 42/137), A. platys (51.1%, 70/137), Anaplasma sp. ‘Hadesa’ (10.9%, 15/137), Ehrlichia ruminantium (0.7%, 1/137), E. canis (0.7%, 1/137), Borrelia theileri (91.3%, 42/46), Rickettsia africae (59.4%, 19/32) and R. felis (12.5%, 4/32). A high level of both intra- and inter-generic co-infections (76.0%) was observed. To the best of our knowledge, B. theileri, T. mutans, T. velifera, A. platys, Anaplasma sp. ‘Hadesa’, R. felis and E. canis are reported for the first time in cattle from Cameroon, and for R. felis it is the first discovery in the cattle host. Babesia spp. were not detected by sequencing. The highest number of still identifiable species co-infections was up to four pathogens per genus group. Multifactorial analyses revealed a significant association of infection with Borrelia theileri and anemia. Whereas animals of older age had a higher risk of infection, the Gudali cattle had a lower risk compared to the other local breeds.ConclusionCo-infections of tick-borne pathogens with an overall high prevalence were found in all five study sites, and were more likely to occur than single infections. Fulani, Namchi and Kapsiki were the most infected breed in general; however, with regions as significant risk factor. A better-adapted approach for tick-borne pathogen identification in co-infected samples is a requirement for epidemiological investigations and tailored control measures.
Highlights
Public interest for tick-borne pathogens in cattle livestock is rising due to their veterinary and zoonotic importance
Cattle breeds examined and sampling sites A total of 1306 cattle were examined in the three administrative regions of North Cameroon (Adamaoua, North, Far North) of which 1260 blood samples were used for molecular analyses
Prevalence of tick-borne pathogen (TBP) by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) The blood samples of all 1260 animals were analyzed for TBP detection by conventional PCR with group-specific primer pairs for Babesia/Theileria spp., Anaplasma/Ehrlichia spp., Borrelia spp. and Rickettsia spp
Summary
Public interest for tick-borne pathogens in cattle livestock is rising due to their veterinary and zoonotic importance. In tropical Africa, ticks are vectors for a large variety of diseases, such as piroplasmoses caused by the protozoans Babesia and Theileria, bacterial infections with species of the genera Anaplasma (anaplasmosis), Borrelia (relapsing fever), Ehrlichia (heartwater), Rickettsia (spotted fever), and many viral diseases, like Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever [2]. These infectious diseases cause considerable losses and diminish the economic value of livestock where the enzootic status remains unstable [2]. Pure Bos taurus indicus cattle have been reported less susceptible to TBPs than pure Bos taurus taurus cattle, based on attractiveness for the respective tick vectors and/or due to more effective immunological responses [5]
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