Vet World Vol.14 August-2021 Article-36
Research Article
Veterinary World, 14(8): 2260-2266
https://doi.org/10.14202/vetworld.2021.2260-2266
The first report on internal transcribed spacer region-based characterization of microfilaria in Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) in Thailand
2. Monitoring and Surveillance Center for Zoonotic Diseases in Wildlife and Exotic Animals, Mahidol University, Salaya, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand.
3. Center of Excellence in Elephant and Wildlife Research, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
4. Bureau of Conservation and Research, Zoological Park Organization of Thailand, Bang Sue, Bangkok, Thailand.
5. Kamphaeng Saen Veterinary Diagnostic Center, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kasetsart University, Kamphaeng Saen, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand.
6. Department of Farm Resources and Production Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kasetsart University, Kamphaeng Saen, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand.
7. Department of Large Animal and Wildlife Clinical Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kasetsart University, Kamphaeng Saen, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand.
Background and Aim: Filarial infections can significantly impact the health of both humans and animals. In elephants, filariasis has been associated with cutaneous dermatitis and skin nodules. However, molecular evidence for such infections is limited in Thailand. This study aimed to identify the morphological and molecular characteristics of microfilaria in captive Asian elephants in Thailand.
Materials and Methods: Whole blood collected from the ear vein of 129 captive Asian elephants was hematologically analyzed, and the blood parasites were evaluated using three standard techniques: The microcapillary test, thin blood smears, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
Results: Conventional PCR revealed that approximately 17% (22/129) of the sampled elephants were positive for microfilaria. Microscopy revealed that microfilariae are large, unsheathed, with extended nuclei, a short headspace, and a curved tail tapering at the end. Results of internal transcribed spacer region analysis show that the elephant microfilariae are closely related to Onchocerca spp. All of the elephants positive for microfilaria presented with neither skin lesion nor anemic signs. Microfilaria infection was not associated with age; however, microfilariae were more likely to be detected in male elephants due to differences in management systems.
Conclusion: This is the first study to provide both morphological and molecular evidence of microfilaria in Thai elephants. There is an urgent need to investigate the long-term and large-scale effects of microfilaria on the health of elephants. Keywords: Asian elephant, genotype, internal transcribed spacer, microfilaria, Thailand.
Keywords: Asian elephant, genotype, internal transcribed spacer, microfilaria, Thailand.
How to cite this article: Pabutta C, Bangkaew N, Inthawong P, Mahadthai P, Jairak W, Soda N, Sukmak M, Sripiboon S (2021) The first report on internal transcribed spacer region-based characterization of microfilaria in Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) in Thailand, Veterinary World, 14(8): 2260-2266.
Received: 28-04-2021 Accepted: 27-07-2021 Published online: 28-08-2021
Corresponding author: Supaphen Sripiboon E-mail: ssripiboon@gmail.com
DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2021.2260-2266
Copyright: Pabutta, et al. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http:// creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.