investigating the level of infection and determining the genotype and phylogenetic analysis of theileria spp. in cows of ilam city

Bovinetheileriosisisanimportanttickbornediseasecausedbyintraerythrocyticparasitesfromgenuudy was conducted with the aim of investigating the level of contamination and determining the genotype and phylogenetic analysis of theileria spp. in cows of ilam city. a total of 100 bovine blood samples were collected from cows in ilam province, iran, to investigate theileria infection. both microscopic and molecular methods (using species-specific primers to screen positive samples for t. annulata and t. lestoquardi) were employed. subsequently, positive samples were sent for sequencing, analyzed in genbank, and a phylogenetic tree was constructed. in our study, the microscopic prevalence of theileria was 1%, and the molecular prevalence of t. annulata was 3%. t. lestoquardi was not detected. the phylogenetic tree divided t. annulata isolates into two subclades, a and b. in total, 2 out of 3 different t. annulata cytb genotypes were obtained and grouped with t. annulata from turkey, india, and sudan in subclade a, while another genotype was grouped in subclade b along with sudan, egypt, and tanzania. the results obtained in this study indicate that theileria annulata is a significant causative agent and vector of theileriosis in cattle in ilam county and reflects a low prevalence of this parasite. furthermore, the results demonstrate that pcr is an excellent tool for epidemiological investigations and control programs.