Prevalence of Anaplasma marginale in Tropical Area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Abstract

Bovine anaplasmosis is an infectious tick-borne disease caused by a rickettsial parasite Anaplasma marginale. This study investigated the prevalence of A. marginale in cattle on different commercial farms in subtropical conditions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). A total of 120 cattle from different farms were randomly sampled and tested for the presence of A. marginale between May to August 2016. The study revealed that 15.0%, 20.8% and 29.1% of sampled animals were found positive for A. marginale using microscopic examination, indirect ELISA and PCR, respectively. Two major surface protein genes (MSP1a and MSP4) sequence were compared with cattle isolates from different origins. Phylogenetic analysis of local isolates showed a close homology with the isolates from Australia, Brazil, Turkey and Japan. It was found that aged, exotic and crossbreed cattle were more susceptible to A. marginale infection in summer season compared to the younger and indigenous cattle breeds, respectively (P?0.01). Moreover, the study revealed widespread prevalence of A. marginale in the subtropical areas of KP, Pakistan.