Faculty of Veterinary Science
Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases
Selected Highlights from Research Findings
Corridor disease, cased by the tick-borne protozoan parasite, Theileria parva, is of major economic importance. A real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test for detection of T. parva DNA in African buffalo and cattle was developed to improve the sensitivity and specificity of the official diagnostic package in South Africa. The RT-PCR assay requires less time to perform, is more sensitive than the other molecular assays previously used in T. parva diagnostics and can reliably detect the parasite in carrier animals with an extremely low piroplasm parasitaemia. A novel Theileria species, which was recovered from canine blood specimens, was characterised molecularly. This adds yet another microorganism to the growing list of haemoprotozoa known to infect dogs. A novel Babesia parasite from a sable antelope was characterised molecularly and its phylogenetic affinities were determined. The RNA small segment 10 nucleotide sequences of African horse sickness (AHS) virus isolates were determined and their phylogeny investigated. The small size of the gene and the conserved terminal regions facilitate easy and rapid sequencing. This will be an essential resource for elucidating the epidemiology of AHS. Sheep were inoculated with a virulent strain of bluetongue (BT) virus serotype 4 to develop a reliable model for experimental reproduction of fulminant BT to better characterise the pathogenesis of this important disease of sheep
Contact person: Prof BL Penzhorn.
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