European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

MOLECULAR DETECTION OF EHRLICHIA SPECIES IN IXODIDAE TICKS AND RUMINANTS IN SELECTED LOCALITIES IN EGYPTIAN DESERT

Sayed M.M. Abdel-Baky*, Nesreen A.T. Allam, Yasser M. Kamel and Amani A. Hafez*

ABSTRACT

Hard ticks are ectoparasites that infest animals, prompting severe transmittable infections. The aim of this study was identifying the presence of Ehrlichia spp. In ticks and their hosts from selected localities in Egypt. The 5223 adult ixodid ticks were collected from 270 ruminants; 110 camels, 120 sheep, and 40 cattle. Collected tick and animals’ blood were examined. The statistical analysis of incidence of Ehrlichiaspp. Within both ticks spp. And the examined animal soap. Was highly significant. The highest infested incidence in tick (24%) was in Boophilusannulatus, Hylommadromedarii, and Rhipicephalus sanguineus while the highest incidence of infection in animals was in camels (69.1%), followed by cattle (23.35%) and sheep (7.35%). The highest localities for ticks’ Ehrlichiosis (14.7%) were Bir Al-Abid, Dakhla Oasis, and Shalateen whereas Dakhla Oasis showed the highest animal ehrlichiosis incidence (21.47%) followed by Tina Plain (12.88%) and Shalateen (12.27%). The positive Ehrlichia spp. Sequence were 100% identical to those in Africa and Iran. To conclude, ehrlichiosis seems to be endemic with Zoonotic potentials in the examined regions. Moreover, host specificity and transmission, including tick carriers, are requiring further researches and should not be neglected.

Keywords: Ixodes, Ehrlichiosis, Ehrlichiaspp., Tick-borne pathogen, Zoonosis.