Phylogenetic analysis of Trypanosoma evansi in cattle in Mosul city, Iraq
2025
Hussam M. Alimam | Khoder A. Al-Azow | Basima A. Albadrani
Trypanosomiasis is a global disease that infects different types of animals, including cattle. Trypanosoma evansi is a zoonotic parasite that mostly affects cattle, and it causes a significant economic loss in the livestock industry in Iraq. This study aimed to determine the infection rate of Trypanosoma spp. in cattle in Mosul city, Iraq, using microscopic examination of buffy coat smear and PCR technique, further phylogenetic analysis of the strains detected in this study. One hundred and twenty-five cattle, ages 1-5 years, were investigated for the existence of trypomastigotes. The results presented that 22 (17.6%) and 27 (21.6%) of the study animals were positive for T. evansi using microscopic examination and PCR techniques, respectively. PCR technique results are considered the gold standard for comparing infected and non-infected cattle. Demonstrating a significant presence of the disease in this cattle group. The parasitemia of T. evansi was determined to be at 2.2%, indicating the parasite’s prevalence in the affected cattle population. Furthermore, phylogenetic analysis was performed to assess the genetic relationships of two strains of Trypanosoma evansi from the infected cattle. These strains are extremely similar (99.60% - 100%) to those pathogen sequences that are recorded in the NCBI GenBank of different countries, such as Thailand, the Philippines, and Taiwan. In conclusion, according to the results, T. evansi is common among cattle in Mosul, Iraq, and these results may be useful for future research and beneficial management of T. evansi in the study region.
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