Polymerase Chain Reaction Study For Anaplasma Phagocytophilum In Iraqi Cows

Abstract

Basim Kareem Ajel, Alaa kamil Mahmood.

The current research was performed in three provinces (Al-Najaf Al-Ashraf, Babylon and AL-Qadisiya) in Iraq to investigate the prevalence of Anaplasma phagocytophilum in cattle. Surveillance was carried out from February to October 2020. A total of 200 of blood samples were randomly collected from cattle from three governorates. The samples were tested for finding of Anaplasma phagocytophilum infection using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique using a specific primer(EE1f, and EE2r and nested primers: EE3f, EE4r) and subsequent sequencing of positive samples. The results showed the infection rates of Anaplasma phagocytophilum 15/200 (7.5%).The higher infection rate were 11.4% (80/70) in AL-Qadisiyah and 6.15 %( 4/65) in Al-Najaf Al-Ashraf .Whereas the lower infection rate was 4.61% (3/65) in Babylon samples. The highest infection rate months (May, June and July): 3/29 (10.34%), 4/37 (10.18 %), and 4/34 (11.76%), respectively of infection with Anaplasma phagocytophilum. while the lower infection rate months was 0% in February, March, and October. The higher infection rate was recorded in animals aged more than to three years 9.72% (7/72), from two to three year was 7.40% (6/81) and while lower infection rate 4.68% (3/64) was recorded in animals aged less than 2 year. The rate of infection in females was 8.82% (12/136) more than in males 4.68% (3/64).