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Borrelia theileri is a tick-borne spirochete causative agent of fever, apathy and reduced food consumption in cattle. Molecular diagnosis has expanded the understanding of Borrelia theileri with new hosts and geographical locations being described. The present study aimed to describe the first molecular detection of B. theileri in wild tapirs (Tapirus terrestris) from South America. Blood DNA samples obtained from 99 tapirs sampled in Pantanal (n = 61) and Cerrado (n = 38) biomes were screened using a qPCR assay based on the 16 S rRNA gene of Borrelia sp. Positive samples in the qPCR assay were subjected to PCR assays to allow characterization of fragments from 16 S rRNA and flaB genes. Two (2/99; 2.0%) animals from Pantanal biome were positive in the qPCR and one sample presented bands of expected size for the flaB protocol. Amplicons from this sample were successfully cloned and sequenced. In the phylogenetic analysis, Borrelia sp. from T. terrestris grouped together with B. theileri sequences previously detected in Rhipicephalus microplus ticks and cattle from Minas Gerais State in Brazil, Rhipicephalus geigyi from Mali, and R. microplus and Haemaphysalis sulcata from Pakistan. This finding contributes to our knowledge regarding susceptible hosts species for B. theileri. More studies are necessary to understand the potential effects of B. theileri on tapir's health., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Borrelia theileri is a relapsing fever group Borrelia that is transmitted to cattle by ticks of the genus Rhipicephalus. In this study, we describe the first molecular detection of B. theileri subclinical infection in a cow in Brazil. During the examination of stained blood smears of 10 cows from a farm with a recent history of fatal Trypanosoma vivax trypanosomiasis, spirochete-like structures were incidentally detected in one of the cows. The animal presented good body score, normal hematocrit and normal-colored ocular mucosa. Temperature, heart rate and respiratory rate were all normal. The animal was infested by ticks, which were morphologically identified as Rhipicephalus microplus. The diagnosis was confirmed by testing DNA extracted from a blood sample using a PCR targeting a ≈ 650 bp fragment of the flagellin B (flaB) gene of Borrelia spp. The partial flaB sequence obtained showed 99.83% similarity with B. theileri. Phylogenetically, the flaB partial sequence generated herein clustered with other B. theileri sequences, being separated from B. lonestari. This is the first molecular detection of B. theileri subclinical infection in a cow in Brazil. The possible implications of this finding are discussed., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

The present study aimed to describe the occurrence of Borrelia spp. in cattle in the states of Minas Gerais and Pará in southeastern and northern Brazil, respectively. Bovine whole blood samples were examined by blood smear and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect the flagellin B (flaB) gene of Borrelia spp. Frequencies of positive animals for Borrelia spp. were 1.52% (2/132) in the municipality of Unaí, Minas Gerais, and 14.2% (2/7) in the municipality of Marabá, Pará. Subsequent genetic sequencing confirmed that the detected spirochetes close to the species B. theileri. In both locations, the animals positive for B. theileri were also highly infested by Rhipicephalus microplus ticks. Despite the low frequency of Borrelia spp., the occurrence of this spirochete indicates that further studies are needed to determine the consequences in cattle herds., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

A total of thirty-eight (38) Nigerian indigenous cattle were used to evaluate the genetic relatedness, diversity, and population structure of four indigenous cattle breeds. Blood samples were collected from the experimental animals into vacutainer tubes containing EDTA, and genomic DNA extracted, quantified, and evaluated for integrity. Fourteen (14) microsatellite primers were used for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and PCR amplification performed under standard conditions followed by electrophoresis in 2.5% Metaphor Agarose gel. Genomic parameter estimates included allele number (Na), observed (H o ) and expected (H e ) heterozygosity, polymorphism information content (PIC), test of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, and genetic diversity; pairwise Nei's genetic distance, Wright's F-statistics (FIT, FST, and FIS), and gene flow (Nm); and breed relationship, population structure, and degree of admixture. A total of 112 alleles were detected and mean number of alleles was 4.02 ± 0.190, while mean fixation index was 0.461 ± 0.068. Mean H o and H e were 0.352 ± 0.05 and 0.605 ± 0.018, respectively. Pairwise estimates of genetic differentiation, F ST , were significantly different (p < 0.001) implying distinct breeds. Estimates of Nm were less than 4 but greater than 1, indicating that the cattle breeds do not belong to one panmictic population. Estimates of pairwise genetic distance revealed that White Fulani and Sokoto Gudali were more closely related than Muturu and N'Dama. The results of STRUCTURE, principal coordinate, and phylogenetic analyses revealed four clusters which implies that the breeds were genetically distinct. It is recommended that the four cattle breeds can be used to develop composites with higher genetic potentials for beef production and resistance to endemic diseases and pests. Further efforts should be made to conserve and genetically improve these breeds to meet present and future production and breeding imperatives., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Vector-borne bacterial diseases (VBBD) are a diverse group of tropical and subtropical zoonotic diseases. This study investigated the possibility of domestic animals to carry certain vector-borne bacterial microorganisms (VBBMs), as well as the presence of these targeted DNAs in their ectoparasites in different localities of Egypt using molecular analyses. For this study, 234 animal hosts (112 cattle, 38 sheep, 28 goats, 26 buffaloes, 22 donkeys, and 8 horses) in addition to 115 ectoparasites (95 ticks and 20 lice) were investigated for the molecular detection of Bartonella spp., Borrelia spp., and Rickettsia spp., targeting 16S-23S rRNAITS, 16S rRNA, and gltA genes, respectively. The results indicated that the overall prevalence of VBBD was observed in 17 animals (7.26%), of which 16 (6.84%) were positive for Bartonella spp. and one (0.43%) was positive for Borrelia theileri. All blood samples were negative for the DNA of Rickettsia spp. In addition, the results demonstrated that all ectoparasites were free from VBBDNA. Furthermore, of the animals examined for ectoparasite infestation, 28 (11.97%) and 5 (2.14%) represented Rhipicephalus annulatus ticks and Haematopinus tuberculatus lice, respectively, which infested animals. Analysis of epidemiological factors revealed that gender, age, and ectoparasitic infestation of animals had a significant effect on Bartonella infection, whereas no significant difference between animal species was observed. Hence, we report a potential novel Bartonella sp. from cattle and buffaloes, including a new genotype of Bo. theileri from cattle, in Egypt., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)