Prevalence of different trypanosomes in livestock in Blue Nile and West Kordofan States, Sudan.

African animal trypanosomosis, transmitted cyclically by tsetse flies or mechanically by other biting flies, causes serious health problems in livestock. Although tsetse infestations have been observed in Blue Nile State in Sudan, tsetse was eradicated in West Kordofan in 1962, and no further studies have been carried out. Accordingly, in this study, we investigated the prevalence of trypanosomosis in cattle, sheep, and goats in Blue Nile and West Kordofan States, Sudan. This cross-sectional study was conducted using 70 cattle, 62 sheep, and 116 goats, and the microhematocrit centrifugation technique was used as a parasitological test. KIN-multispecies polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to detect Trypanozoon sp., Trypanosoma congolense, and T. vivax; RoTat 1.2 variable surface glycoprotein-specific PCR was used to detect T. evansi; and TviCatL PCR was used to specifically detect T. vivax. The seroprevalence of trypanosomosis was assessed using card agglutination tests CATT/ T. evansi. The parasitological prevalence rates were 4% (3/70) in cattle, 2% (1/62) in sheep, and 4% (5/116) in goats. The molecular prevalence rates of T. vivax, the most prevalent parasite, were 99% (69/70) in cattle, 98% (61/62) in sheep, and 84% (98/116) in goats. Trypanozoon (T. evansi or T. brucie) rates were 30% (21/70) in cattle, 32% (20/62) in sheep, and 12% (14/116) in goats. Among Trypanozoon-positive isolates, T. evansi was confirmed in 24% (5/21) of cattle, 70% (14/20) of sheep, and 86% (12/14) of goats. Finally, T. congolense was recorded only in cattle in Blue Nile State, with a prevalence of 14% (10/70). The seroprevalence rates of CATT/T. evansi were 46% (32/70) in cattle, 45% (28/62) in sheep, and 14% (16/116) in goats. Thus, we confirmed molecularly, for the first time, the presence of Trypanozoon, particularly T. evansi and T. vivax, in sheep and goats in Sudan. Our results show that sheep and goats could be an important reservoir for trypanosomes, potentially leading to the spread of the disease to the northern parts of the country following the movement of these animals. These findings provide important insights into the epidemiology of the disease and could affect the establishment of control strategies against trypanosomosis in Sudan.

Author Correction: Genetic homogeneity of goat malaria parasites in Asia and Africa suggests their expansion with domestic goat host.

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Genetic homogeneity of goat malaria parasites in Asia and Africa suggests their expansion with domestic goat host.

Plasmodium was first identified in a goat in Angola in 1923, and only recently characterized by DNA isolation from a goat blood sample in Zambia. Goats were first domesticated in the Fertile Crescent approximately 10,000 years ago, and are now globally distributed. It is not known if the Plasmodium identified in African goats originated from parasites circulating in the local ungulates, or if it co-evolved in the goat before its domestication. To address this question, we performed PCR-based surveillance using a total of 1,299 goat blood samples collected from Sudan and Kenya in Africa, Iran in west Asia, and Myanmar and Thailand in southeast Asia. Plasmodium DNA was detected from all locations, suggesting that the parasite is not limited to Africa, but widely distributed. Whole mitochondrial DNA sequences revealed that there was only one nucleotide substitution between Zambian/Kenyan samples and others, supporting the existence of a goat-specific Plasmodium species, presumably Plasmodium caprae, rather than infection of goats by local ungulate malaria parasites. We also present the first photographic images of P. caprae, from one Kenyan goat sample.

Detection and molecular characterization of tick-borne pathogens infecting sheep and goats in Blue Nile and West Kordofan states in Sudan.

Tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) are common in livestock of sub-Saharan Africa. However, information regarding TBPs in sheep and goats in Sudan is limited. In this study, 178 blood samples of sheep and goats in Blue Nile and West Kordofan states were investigated for TBPs using PCR. Overall, 110 (61.8%) samples were found to be infected with at least one of the following pathogens: Anaplasma ovis, Theileria ovis, and Ehrlichia ruminantium. Babesia ovis and T. lestoquardi were not identified. A. ovis was the most prevalent pathogen (n = 107, 60.1%), followed by T. ovis (n = 23, 12.9%) and E. ruminantium (n = 1, 0.6%). The prevalence rates of A. ovis and T. ovis were significantly higher in sheep than in goats. Phylogenetic analysis of T. ovis 18S rRNA and A. ovis msp4, groEL, and 16S rRNA, revealed that the pathogens identified in this study are clustered together, indicating similar molecular characteristics. Additionally, phylogenetic analysis of E. ruminantium pCS20 revealed that E. ruminantium in this study belong to the West Africa group, and different to E. ruminantium previously identified in ticks from Sudan. We concluded that TBPs are highly prevalent in the study area and continuous monitoring of TBPs in sheep and goats in Sudan is highly required.