1. FIRST YEAR PHD SYMPOSIUM
ECOLOGY AND EPIDEMIOLOGY OF EHRLICHIA RUMINANTIUM IN NORTH WESTERN NIGERIA
FIRST YEAR PHD SYMPOSIUM
Student: Babagana Mohammed Adam
Supervisors:
Prof Richard Birtles
Dr Kevin Bown
Dr Vincenzo Lorusso

2. BACKGROUND Ehrlichia ruminantium is the agent of heartwater.
MICROBIOLOGY
Ehrlichia ruminantium is the agent of heartwater.
It is an obligate intracellular bacterium that infects vascular endothelial cells of ruminants.

3. BACKGROUND TRANSMISSION
E. ruminantium is transmitted (trans-stadially) by ticks
Most important vector = Amblyomma species

4. BACKGROUND DISTRIBUTION
An estimated number 150,000,000 animals at risk across much of Africa – and infections have recently been diagnosed in the Caribbean

5. RATIONALE OF THE STUDY Incidence and prevalence not yet documented
Increased death rates associated with heartwater
Missing epidemiological information
HEARTWATER
disease.
In West Africa, the economic losses resulting from the disease are not yet documented because incidence and prevalence have not yet been researched
Efforts to enhance local breeds via crossing with highly productive dairy cattle or susceptible small ruminants from regions that are non-endemic have led to increased death rates associated with heartwater.
Presently, there is no safe vaccine. In endemic areas, the controls of heartwater are dependent on acaricides to hinder the transmission, as well as antibiotic therapy
missing epidemiological information regarding the diseases in Nigeria. Research focusing on the prevalence and incidence of infections have of late, been hindered by the absence of sensitive and specific tools for diagnosis that are relevant for application in the country.
Presently, there is no safe vaccine. In endemic areas, the control of heartwater is dependent on acaricides to hinder the transmission, as well as antibiotic therapy.

6. AIM
To quantify the ecology of E. ruminantium and the epidemiology of heartwater through cross-sectional and longitudinal surveys of livestock, wildlife and ticks in Nigeria

7. OBJECTIVES
To complete a cross-sectional survey of ticks, livestock and selected wildlife to determine the presence/abundance of E. ruminantium and to begin to delineate its transmission pathway. The presence of the organism will be demonstrated using a range of molecular methods including reverse line blotting, semi-nested PCR and real-time PCR, accompanied by comparative sequence analysis of PCR products.
To complete a cross-sectional sero-survey of livestock to obtain basic information about exposure rates to E. ruminantium.
To complete a longitudinal survey of livestock and tick samples for E. ruminantium to define the seasonal dynamics of (i) tick populations and (ii) E. ruminantium infections in ticks and blood samples of livestock.

8. STUDY AREA Ecological zone: Guinea savannah Season : Raining (May-Sep)
Dry season (Oct-Apr)
Land Area :
33,411 Hectares
People: 5,252
Cattle: 23,327
Sheep: 5,914
Goats: 5,058

9. BLOOD SAMPLE COLLECTION
10ml Blood
Jugular vein
A drop on FTA Card
5ml
To EDTA bottle
5ml
To plain bottle
Haematology analysis
Serology analysis
Molecular analysis
Salford University Laboratory
Ahmadu Bello University Laboratory

10. TICK SAMPLE COLLECTION
70% Ethanol
Molecular analysis
University of Salford

11. Agarose gel electrophoresis
MOLECULAR ANALYSIS
Blood
Tick
DNA EXTRACTION
Chelex Method
Ammonium Hydroxide
Ehrlichia primers
Presence of pathogen was determined using Ehrlichia
Agarose gel electrophoresis

12. RESULT PREVALENCE OF EHRLICHIA RUMINANTIUM IN TICKS
Number of ticks = Number of positives = 28
Presence of pathogen was determined using Ehrlichia
RESULT
Anaplasma platys

13. RESULTS PREVALENCE AND DISTRIBUTION OF TICKS Genus Frequency
Percentage
Valid
Ambloymma
113
33.8
Rhiphicephalus 22
6.6
Hyalomma 6
1.8
Total
141
42.2
Missing
System
193
57.8
334
100
Number of animals = Number of ticks = 141

14. RESULTS CATTLE: High prevalence in adult 19.70% and low 2% young
PREVALENCE AND DISTRIBUTION OF TICK INFESTATION WITH AGE
Species
Total
Sheep
Goat
Cattle
AGE
Young
Count 46 50 2 98
% within AGE
46.90%
51.00%
2.00%
100.00%
% within Species
31.10%
36.80%
4.20%
29.50%
% of Total
13.90%
15.10%
0.60%
Adult
102 86
234
43.60%
19.70%
68.90%
63.20%
95.80%
70.50%
30.70%
25.90%
CATTLE: High prevalence in adult 19.70% and low 2% young
SHEEP: Low prevalence in adult 43.6% and high in young 46.9%
GOAT: High prevalence in young 46.90% in and in adult

15. RESULTS PREVALENCE AND DISTRIBUTION OF TICK INFESTATION BASED ON SEX
Sex
Total
Male
Female
Genus
Ambloymma
Count 59 53
112
% within Genus
52.70%
47.30%
100.00%
% within Sex
88.10%
72.60%
80.00%
% of Total
42.10%
37.90%
Rhiphicephalus 5 17 22
22.70%
77.30%
7.50%
23.30%
15.70%
3.60%
12.10%
Hyalomma 3 6
50.00%
4.50%
4.10%
4.30%
2.10% 67 73
140
47.90%
52.10%
SEX: High tick infestation was recorded in female 52.1% than male 47.9%

16. CONCLUSION This study revealed that hard ticks of three genera namely;
Ambloymma
Rhipicephalus
Hyalomma were prevalent
Soft ticks were not encountered during the study.
Young animals were found to have the lowest prevalence than the adult animals group.
Furthermore, female animals were more susceptible to tick infestation than their male counterparts and sheep are more infested with ticks compared to goat and cattle.

17. WORK SCHEDULE Fieldwork between July to September 2016
During the 3-month fieldwork period, the blood samples collected will be centrifuge to separate it from the serum
October 2016 to July 2017, the blood and tick samples collected will be analysed