<div>Background: Clinical theileriosis of small ruminants is tick-borne disease caused by Theileria lestoquardi, Theileria uilenbergi and Theileria luwenshuni. Theileria annulata, the causative agent of bovine tropical theileriosis in cattle, can also infect sheep but does not cause any significant illness. It is one of the economically important diseases. There are no reports of ovine clinical theileriosis from Maharashtra state and there is paucity of information on its epidemiology. This paper reports first confirmed outbreak of ovine theileriosis based on clinical signs, microscopic examination, PCR and sequencing in the Maharashtra State of India.&nbsp; 
 
Methods: Whole blood samples from 22 ailing sheep were collected and subjected to hematological examination. Blood smears stained with Leishman&rsquo;s stain were examined under 100X objective of the microscope. The blood samples from sheep found positive by microscopic method were subjected to PCR detection of 18S rRNA gene of hemoprotozoa and then for nucleotide sequencing and sequence analysis. 
 
Conclusion: Samples from 14 out of 22 sheep were found positive for piroplasms of Theileria spp by light microscopy. All positive samples were further confirmed by PCR detection of 18S rRNA gene of hemoprotozoa. PCR amplification yielded expected product of 1750 bp for all samples. BLAST and phylogenetic analysis of one sample revealed high sequence homology with T. luwenshuni reported from India and other countries. Characteristic clinical signs like fever, progressive anaemia, laboured breathing, lymphadenopathy, debility and non-responsiveness to antibiotic therapy were recorded. The animals responded to specific treatment against theileriosis. It is the first ever confirmed report of ovine theileriosis in Maharashtra state of India and hence reported.</div>

Investigations on First Confirmed Outbreak of Ovine Theileriosis (Theileria luwenshuni) from Maharashtra State, India

Background: Anaemia is a common and important clinical presentation in goats due to infectious, traumatic, nutritional, haemoprotozoal, endo and ecto parasitic causes. Haemoprotozoan are obligate intracellular pathogens transmitted by ticks with an impact on animal health. Anaplasma ovis, Babesia ovis, Babesia motasi and Theileria luwenshuni that infects goats can be diagnosed by different methods like giemsa staining, PCR or competitive ELISA. 
 
Methods: Goats presented to Large Animal Clinics of Madras Veterinary College Teaching Hospital, Chennai, India, were screened for the signs of anaemia. In this study, PCR method was used for the detection of Anaplasma, Babesia and Theileria infection. 
 
Result: Among 25 blood samples collected from anaemic goats, 48 per cent were found positive for haemoprotozoan disease. Out of which 32 per cent were Anaplasma ovis followed by 4 per cent of Babesia motasi and Babesia ovis each whereas remaining 8 per cent showed mixed infection. This indicated a high incidence of haemoprotozoan infection as a major cause of anaemia in goats reared under field conditions.

Investigations on First Confirmed Outbreak of Ovine Theileriosis (Theileria luwenshuni) from Maharashtra State, India

Molecular Detection of Haemoprotozoan Diseases in Anaemic Goats of Southern India: A Pilot Study