First Molecular Record of Theileria and Anaplasma in Sucking Lice Infesting Sheep and Buffaloes in Mosul, Iraq

Concerning lice as a vector for blood protozoan parasites, the current study was carried during the period from Jan. till the end of Dec.2022. Molecular results by conventional PCR revealed that the sucking lice Linognathus africanus of sheep by amplifying 18SrRNA gene was affirmative for Theileria sp. at bp1750 and also positive for buffalo Haematopinus tuberculatus lice for Anaplasma sp. at bp345 while free from Trypanasoma spp. when amplified with the 16SrRNA gene. Sequences outcomes and phylogenetic tree analysis of the of partial gene 18SrRNA also confirmed the existence of the blood parasite Theileria in L.africanus isolated from sheep with the accession number PQ012980 with high degree of molecular similarity to other Theileria spp. recorded 98.20% to 99.53% in USA, China, Indonesia and India with the accession numbers: U97048 and U97049 in the USA, OR067885 in India, DQ286801 in China, AB000274 in Indonesia, U97053 and U97050 in the USA, AB000273 in Indonesia, U97051 in the USA, DQ256380 in China. While sequence results and phylogenetic tree analysis of the partial gene 16SrRNA confirmed the existence of the Anaplasma spp. in the H. tuberculatus lice isolated from buffaloes with the accession number PQ012927 which is close to other Anaplasma sp. with 100% match in different countries worldwide, KX165361 in Brazil and MN401148, OQ909488, OQ909474, OQ909471, OQ909468, OQ909463, OQ909458, OQ909452, OQ909445 in Brazil. This study showed that sucking H.tuberculatus and L.africanus lice are potential vectors for the blood parasites Anaplasma spp. and Theileria and this study is considered the first in Mosul, Iraq.