Molecular Detection of <i>Anaplasma phagocytophilum</i> in Ixodid Ticks Infesting White Fulani Cattle in Zaria and its Environs, Kaduna State, Nigeria

Abstract

Anaplasmosis, a disease caused by various species of Anaplasma, poses important economic constraints to animal breeders. In Zaria, molecular detection of tick-borne pathogens infecting cattle is very sketchy. Being hematophagous, ticks are capable of
transmitting disease-causing agents such as viruses, bacteria and protozoa. In this investigation, a Polymerase Chain Reaction was employed to detect the presence of Anaplasma pathogen in the various species of tick infesting white Fulani breed of cattle
in Zaria and environs. Three hundred and eighty-four (n=384) white Fulani breed of cattle of varying age and sex were sampled from 32 herds in 4 villages (Bomo, Tofu, Ungwan Dabosa and Majeru). The DNA was extracted using Qiagen commercial kit following manufacturer’s instructions. Genomic DNA of the species of ticks was amplified in a semi-nested PCR targeting the 16S rRNA fragment of the Anaplasma spp at expected amplicon size of 711bp. Following manufacturer’s directions, the amplicon was purified using a Gel Extraction Kit. To ascertain their identities and evaluate their homologues and similarity to those in the GenBank, all sequences were subject to a Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) to determine their identities and assess their homologues and similarities to those in the GenBank. Using the Molecular Engineering Genetic Analysis, a neighbor-joining tree was created to determine the close relationship between the isolates. The findings of this study imply that all five species of ticks infesting cattle in Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria harbor Anaplasma phagocytophilum (MN044909), which poses a serious threat to both human and animal health.