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El-Alfy ES, Abbas I, Elseadawy R, El-Sayed SAES, Rizk MA. Genetic Diversity of Merozoite Surface Antigens in Global Babesia bovis Populations. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:1936. [PMID: 37895285 PMCID: PMC10606690 DOI: 10.3390/genes14101936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Cattle can be severely infected with the tick-borne protozoa Babesia bovis, giving rise to serious economic losses. Invasion of the host's RBCs by the parasite merozoite/sporozoites depends largely on the MSA (merozoite surface antigens) gene family, which comprises various fragments, e.g., MSA-1, MSA-2a1, MSA-2a2, MSA-2b and MSA-2c, highlighting the importance of these antigens as vaccine candidates. However, experimental trials documented the failure of some developed MSA-based vaccines to fully protect animals from B. bovis infection. One reason for this failure may be related to the genetic structure of the parasite. In the present study, all MSA-sequenced B. bovis isolates on the GenBank were collected and subjected to various analyses to evaluate their genetic diversity and population structure. The analyses were conducted on 199 MSA-1, 24 MSA-2a1, 193 MSA-2b and 148 MSA-2c isolates from geographically diverse regions. All these fragments displayed high nucleotide and haplotype diversities, but the MSA-1 was the most hypervariable and had the lowest inter- and intra-population gene flow values. This fragment also displayed a strong positive selection when testing its isolates for the natural selection, which suggests the potential occurrence of more genetic variations. On the contrary, the MSA-2c was the most conserved in comparison to the other fragments, and displayed the highest inter- and intra-population gene flow values, which was evidenced by a significantly negative selection and negative neutrality indices (Fu's Fs and Tajima's D). The majority of the MSA-2c tested isolates had two conserved amino acid repeats, and earlier reports have found these repeats to be highly immunogenic, which underlines the importance of this fragment in developing vaccines against B. bovis. Results of the MSA-2a1 analyses were also promising, but many more MSA-2a1 sequenced isolates are required to validating this assumption. The genetic analyses conducted for the MSA-2b fragment displayed borderline values when compared to the other fragments.
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Affiliation(s)
- El-Sayed El-Alfy
- Parasitology Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt; (E.-S.E.-A.); (I.A.); (R.E.)
| | - Ibrahim Abbas
- Parasitology Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt; (E.-S.E.-A.); (I.A.); (R.E.)
| | - Rana Elseadawy
- Parasitology Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt; (E.-S.E.-A.); (I.A.); (R.E.)
| | - Shimaa Abd El-Salam El-Sayed
- Department of Biochemistry and Chemistry of Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt;
| | - Mohamed Abdo Rizk
- Department of Internal Medicine, Infectious and Fish Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt
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Zheng W, Zhao G, Xia Q. Assessment of Tick-Borne Diseases in Hainan Province, China. China CDC Wkly 2023; 5:822-828. [PMID: 37814632 PMCID: PMC10560333 DOI: 10.46234/ccdcw2023.157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023] Open
Abstract
China's six tropical regions include Guangdong Province, Yunnan Province, Hainan Province, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), Macau SAR, and Taiwan, China. Hainan, seated in the southernmost tropical region of China, is home to ticks that remain active throughout all four seasons. This heightens their potential to transmit tick-borne diseases to both animals and humans. This study provides a succinct overview of the prevailing tick species' spatial distribution and offers an outline of the range and dispersion of emerging tick-borne infections in tick vectors, animal hosts, and human populations within Hainan, China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiqing Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Translational Medicine of Ministry of Education, NHC Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control, School of Tropical Medicine, Hainan Medical University, Haikou City, Hainan Province, China
| | - Guangyuan Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Translational Medicine of Ministry of Education, NHC Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control, School of Tropical Medicine, Hainan Medical University, Haikou City, Hainan Province, China
| | - Qianfeng Xia
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Translational Medicine of Ministry of Education, NHC Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control, School of Tropical Medicine, Hainan Medical University, Haikou City, Hainan Province, China
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Spotin A, Dalir F, Hazratian T, Shekarchi AA, Mahami-Oskouei M, Farmani M, Dolatkhah A, Ahmadpour E. Global haplotype distribution of Babesia ovis inferred by 18S rRNA sequences; a phylogeographical systematic review. Microb Pathog 2023; 181:106179. [PMID: 37245631 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2023.106179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Revised: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
The genetic variability of apicomplexan parasite Babesia species is a principal strategy used by piroplasma to evade their hosts' immune responses. The purpose of this review was to evaluate our current knowledge on global haplotype distribution and phylogeography of Babesia ovis derived from sheep, goat, horse and ixodid (hard) ticks. Bibliographic English databases were searched from 2017 to 2023, identifying a total of 11 publications. The 18S ribosomal RNA (18S rRNA) sequences of B. ovis from Asia, Europe, and Africa were retrieved and subjected to estimate the genetic diversity and phylogenetic assessment. A haplotype network indicated a total of 29 haplotypes being classified into two distinct geographical haplogroups I and II including Nigeria and Uganda-derived B. ovis isolates. A moderately high level of genetic diversity was characterized in sheep/tick-derived B. ovis isolates originating from Iraq (Haplotype diversity: 0.781) and Turkey (Hd: 0.841). Based on the cladistic phylogenetic tree, two geographically different lineages of A and B were genetically differentiated except for Turkish isolates, indicating haplotype migration occurred between various geographical clades. In addition, the topology of UPGMA tree indicated that B. ovis population has a distinct clade compared to the rest clades of ovine babesiosis (B. crassa and B. motasi). The present results strengthen our knowledge to evaluate the evolutionary paradigms and transmission dynamics of B. ovis in different regions of the world; also it will provide groundwork for public health policy to control ovine babesiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adel Spotin
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical, Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
| | - Fahimeh Dalir
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical, Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Teimour Hazratian
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical, Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Ali Akbar Shekarchi
- Department of Pathology, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Mahmoud Mahami-Oskouei
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical, Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Mostafa Farmani
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical, Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Afsaneh Dolatkhah
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical, Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Ehsan Ahmadpour
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical, Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
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He Y, Chen W, Ma P, Wei Y, Li R, Chen Z, Tian S, Qi T, Yang J, Sun Y, Li J, Kang M, Li Y. Molecular detection of Anaplasma spp., Babesia spp. and Theileria spp. in yaks (Bos grunniens) and Tibetan sheep (Ovis aries) on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, China. Parasit Vectors 2021; 14:613. [PMID: 34949216 PMCID: PMC8697493 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-021-05109-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Anaplasma, Babesia and Theileria are tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) that affect livestock worldwide. However, information on these pathogens in yaks (Bos grunniens) and Tibetan sheep (Ovis aries) on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP), China, is limited. In this study, Anaplasma spp., Babesia spp. and Theileria spp. infections were assessed in yaks and Tibetan sheep from Qinghai Province. METHODS A total of 734 blood samples were collected from 425 yaks and 309 Tibetan sheep at nine sampling sites. Standard or nested polymerase chain reaction was employed to screen all the blood samples using species- or genus-specific primers. RESULTS The results showed that 14.1% (60/425) of yaks and 79.9% (247/309) of Tibetan sheep were infected with at least one pathogen. Anaplasma ovis, Anaplasma bovis, Anaplasma capra, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Babesia bovis and Theileria spp. were detected in this study, with total infection rates for all the assessed animals of 22.1% (162/734), 16.3% (120/734), 23.6% (173/734), 8.2% (60/734), 2.7% (20/734) and 19.3% (142/734), respectively. For yaks, the infection rate of A. bovis was 6.4% (27/425), that of B. bovis was 4.7% (20/425) and that of Theileria spp. was 3.3% (14/425). Moreover, 52.4% (162/309) of the Tibetan sheep samples were infected with A. ovis, 30.1% (93/309) with A. bovis, 56.0% (173/309) with A. capra, 19.4% (60/309) with A. phagocytophilum and 41.4% (128/309) with Theileria spp. CONCLUSIONS This study revealed the prevalence of Anaplasma spp., Babesia spp. and Theileria spp. in yaks and Tibetan sheep in Qinghai Province, China, and provides new data for a better understanding of the epidemiology of TBPs in these animals in this area of the QTP, China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongcai He
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining, 810016 China
- College of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Qinghai University, Xining, 810016 China
| | - Wangkai Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining, 810016 China
- College of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Qinghai University, Xining, 810016 China
| | - Ping Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining, 810016 China
- College of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Qinghai University, Xining, 810016 China
| | - Yaoping Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining, 810016 China
- College of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Qinghai University, Xining, 810016 China
| | - Ruishan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining, 810016 China
- College of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Qinghai University, Xining, 810016 China
| | - Zhihong Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining, 810016 China
- College of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Qinghai University, Xining, 810016 China
| | - Shuyu Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining, 810016 China
- College of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Qinghai University, Xining, 810016 China
| | - Tongsheng Qi
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining, 810016 China
- College of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Qinghai University, Xining, 810016 China
| | - Jinfang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining, 810016 China
- College of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Qinghai University, Xining, 810016 China
| | - Yali Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining, 810016 China
- College of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Qinghai University, Xining, 810016 China
| | - Jixu Li
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining, 810016 China
- College of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Qinghai University, Xining, 810016 China
| | - Ming Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining, 810016 China
- College of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Qinghai University, Xining, 810016 China
| | - Ying Li
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining, 810016 China
- College of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Qinghai University, Xining, 810016 China
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Pre-clinical evaluation of a whole-parasite vaccine to control human babesiosis. Cell Host Microbe 2021; 29:894-903.e5. [PMID: 33989514 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2021.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Revised: 03/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Babesia spp. are tick-transmitted intra-erythrocytic protozoan parasites that infect humans and animals, causing a flu-like illness and hemolytic anemia. There is currently no human vaccine available. People most at risk of severe disease are the elderly, immunosuppressed, and asplenic individuals. B. microti and B. divergens are the predominant species affecting humans. Here, we present a whole-parasite Babesia vaccine. To establish proof-of-principle, we employed chemically attenuated B. microti parasitized red blood cells from infected mice. To aid clinical translation, we produced liposomes containing killed parasite material. Vaccination significantly reduces peak parasitemia following challenge. B cells and anti-parasite antibodies do not significantly contribute to vaccine efficacy. Protection is abrogated by the removal of CD4+ T cells or macrophages prior to challenge. Importantly, splenectomized mice are protected by vaccination. To further facilitate translation, we prepared a culture-based liposomal vaccine and demonstrate that this performs as a universal vaccine inducing immunity against different human Babesia species.
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