1In-charge, Biophysics and Electron Microscopy Section, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar-243122, Uttar Pradesh, India
Division of Parasitology, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar-243122, Uttar Pradesh, India
*Corresponding author. Email: rainaok@rediffmail.com
Online published on 18 December, 2018.
Babesia gibsoni is a tick borne intraerythrocytic protozoan parasite causing piroplasmosis in dogs and is mainly distributed in Southeast Asian countries. Recombinant B. gibsoni thrombospondin related adhesive protein (rBgTRAP) was expressed in a prokaryotic expression system using pET-32a+ expression vector. The recombinant TRAP protein was evaluated using ELISA and Dot-ELISA for its utility in the sero-detection B. gibsoni. Both indirect ELISA and Dot-ELISA with rBgTRAP were highly sensitive in the detection of B. gibsoni infected dogs. A comparison of 18S rRNA nested-PCR and indirect ELISA with rBgTRAP showed 45/134 (33.6%) and 37/134 (27.6%) dogs positive for B. gibsoni infection in the respective assays, when these dogs were randomly screened. However, rBgTRAP-ELISA with 45 nested-PCR positive dogs showed 33 (73.3%) positive for antibodies. No cross-reactivity of the recombinant antigen was detected with some common blood parasites of the dog including B. canis vogeli, Ehrlichia canis, Hepatozoon Results of the present study show potential of the rBgTRAP in the sero-detection of B. gibsoni infection in dogs.
Dogs, Babesia gibsoni, rBgTRAP, Sero-detection, Dot-ELISA
