ABSTRACT
The present study reports the presence of the beta2 toxin gene cpb[2] in both C and B strains of C. perfringens but with a great degree of heterogeneity on the bases of nucleotides sequence. The gene was found associated with the chromosomal but not with the plasmid DNA. The DNA sequencing revealed that the difference in the nucleotide sequence found in the middle of the gene between nt 35 - 220 with the most diversity lies between nt 550-700 downstream to 5' end of the gene. At nt 36 - 45, lies a pronounced divergence of the cpb[2] from B strain from the consensus sequence where C strain marked the divergence at nt 140 - 150. On the other hand there is a great diversity lies between B and C strains at the position of nt 105-150 but all come with consensus sequence
ABSTRACT
Twenty-three blood samples were used in this study; five were from five naturally infected horses with Babesia equi [B. equi], while eighteen were from asymptomatic horses with equine babesiasis from different localities in Egypt. All samples were subjected to microscopic examination, indirect fluorescent antibody test [IFA] and polymerase chain reaction [PCR]. The carrier animals were microscopically detected in 7 out of 18 samples [38.8%] and in 9 of 18 by using IFA [50%], whereas PCR revealed that 14 samples were positive [78%]. Two synthetic oligonucleotide primers, based on the B. equi merozoite antigen gene [EMA-1] were used. A 819 bps DMA fragment is specifically amplified from the gene encoding EMA-1 of B. equi. Our results demonstrate that PCR is a valuable technique for routine detection of B. equi in chronically infected horses, even at low parasitaemia levels