Abstract:
Theileria parva is a haemoprotozoan parasite that causes fatal lymphoproliferative disease of cattle,
East Coast fever (ECF), transmitted by Rhipicephalus appendiculatus tick. There are many stocks of
T. parva differing in various features. Immunity elicited by immunization is stock specific and
therefore, it is appropriate to characterize T. parva to find most relevant stocks for inclusion in the
vaccine. This study determined molecular epidemiology of T. parva parasite in Eastern Zone of
Tanzania by conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and semi-nested PCR to amplify
antigenic genes coding for sporozoite surface protein (p67) and piroplasm proteins (p104) respectively
using DNA extracted from cattle blood samples naturally infected with T. parva. Restriction fragments
length polymorphism (RFLP) profiles of p104 were generated by Arthrobacter luteus I (Alu I)
restriction enzyme. Results demonstrated two types of p67 bands, 750 bp and 950 bp. Profiles for
p104 PCR-RFLP revealed 5 types of stocks; the first and the second stocks produced PCR-RFLP
profiles identical to T. parva Katete and T. parva Muguga. The p104 PCR-RFLP profiles of the rest
three stocks were distinct novel variant stocks never reported in previous studies. The significance of
the different p67 alleles and the novel variants stocks detected by p104 PCR-RFLP in the
epidemiology of theileriosis in Eastern Zone of Tanzania and the key aspects for vaccine
developement is discussed.
