# Molecular characterization of Theileria species in bovine theileriosis in Zimbabwe

Valérie Pinarello Kleiber, E. Waniwa, M. Mutseekwa, T. Nemaungwe, David Wilkinson, E. Kupahwana, T. Chikaka, Mathieu Bourgarel, Davies Pfukenyi, T. Hove, et al.

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## To cite this version:

Valérie Pinarello Kleiber, E. Waniwa, M. Mutseekwa, T. Nemaungwe, David Wilkinson, et al.. Molecular characterization of Theileria species in bovine theileriosis in Zimbabwe. International Symposium on Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases (ISTTBD XVI), ISTTBD, Mar 2025, Weimar, Germany. pp.137. hal-05249245

HAL Id: hal-05249245

https://hal.science/hal-05249245v1

Submitted on 11 Sep 2025

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Distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
DRAWB

XVII INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON TICKS AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES

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OF

TICKS

26-28 MARCH 2025

LEONARDO HOTEL WEIMAR
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Molecular characterisation of *Theileria* species in bovine theileriosis in Zimbabwe

V. Pinarello Kleiber¹,², E. Waniwa³, M. Mutseekwa⁴, T. Nemaungwe³, D. Wilkinson²,⁵

E. Kupahwana⁶, T. Chikaka⁶, M. Bourgarel²,⁷, D. Fukenyi⁸, T. Hove⁹, P. V. Makaya³, L. Guerrini²,¹⁰

H. De Nys¹,²

¹CIRAD, UMR ASTRE, Harare, Zimbabwe

²CIRAD, ASTRE, CIRAD, INRAE, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France

³Central Veterinary Laboratory, Department of Veterinary Technical Services, Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries Water and Rural Development, Harare, Zimbabwe

⁴University of Zimbabwe, Department of Biological Sciences and Ecology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Harare, Zimbabwe

⁵CIRAD, UMR ASTRE, Sainte-Clotilde, RÉunion

⁶Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development, Department of Veterinary Field Services, Harare, Zimbabwe

⁷Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Faculdade de Veterinaria, Maputo, Mozambique

⁸Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Faculty of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Private Bag 0027, Gaborone, Botswana

⁹University of Zimbabwe, Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Harare, Zimbabwe

¹⁰CIRAD, UMR ASTRE, Montpellier, France

Several species of the tick-transmitted apicomplexans of the genus *Theileria* infect cattle and wildlife in eastern and southern Africa. *Theileria* (T.) *parva*, the most important economically, is the cause of a disease that is a heavy burden for livestock production in Zimbabwe. In recent years, the spatio-temporal patterns of theileriosis outbreaks have changed. Investigating the causative *Theileria* species and strains is key to understanding the infection process and adapting control measures. Samples were collected from suspected bovine theileriosis cases (n=158) in three provinces from November 2020 to April 2021. Frozen blood samples (n= 147) and organs (n=22) were tested by a combination of pan-*Theileria* 18S rRNA PCR, specific *T. parva* PCR and Sanger sequencing to determine the *Theileria* species present. *Theileria* was detected in 83.3% of the sampled clinical cases. *Theileria parva* (63%), *T. velifera* (24%), *T. taurotragi* (2.3%), *T. mutans* (2.3%), and co-infections (3.1%) were detected in the positive samples. To characterise the *T. parva* strains, we sequenced the sporozoite surface antigen p67 and the CD8+ antigens *Tp2* from 44 and 23 of the *T. parva* positive samples, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the *T. parva* present was cattle-derived, closely related to the Kenyan Muguga isolate which is part of the widely used *T. parva* vaccine cocktail. Dried blood spots (n=145) and faeces (n=87) were also screened by the 18S rRNA PCR to evaluate their suitability in *Theileria* diagnosis. Sensitivity was less in dried blood spots (59.3%) and faeces (12.7%) than frozen blood, whilst the specificity for blood spots and faeces was 64% and 85.7%, respectively. The use of non-invasive samples such as faeces can however be suitable to study the circulation of *Theileria* at population level, e.g. in a wild animal population. Overall, our data contribute to the knowledge of *Theileria* species circulating in Zimbabwe, informing control strategies and guiding future research.