Detection of Theileria Species among Imported And Local Breed Feedlot Bulls in Duhok Governorate–kurdistan Region /iraq

Background : Bovine theileriosis is a tick-born disease in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. The study was aimed to detect Theileria sp. at genus level in blood samples of both local and imported feedlot bulls by direct Giemsa staining, ELISA, and nested polymerase chain reaction. Methods: A total of 250 blood samples (125 local and 125 imported feedlot bulls) were collected randomly. The samples were collected from five different districts of the Duhok Governorate in the Kurdistan region, Iraq from 1 st July to 31 st of October 2021. Giemsa stain and ELISA techniques were performed for all cases, while the nPCR was done for seropositive cases recognized by ELISA. Results: The infection with Theileria parasite was 8.8% (n=22) by Giemsa staining and 11.2% (n=28) was seropositive by ELISA. The current study showed that 75% (n=21) of 28 seropositive cases by ELISA were positive by a nPCR technique. Theileria parasite was highest among imported breeds compared to the local breeds. The highest rate of Theileria parasite was in the Shekhan and the Summel districts of both imported and local breeds. Conclusions: This study showed that the imported breeds have a higher rate of Theileria parasite but the overall difference was not statistically different (P=value 0.0772)