Abstract

Abstract
A cross-sectional study was performed from November 2023 to October 2024 to investigate the prevalence and molecular characterization of tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) in sheep from four districts of Baghdad governorate, Iraq. A total of 505 blood samples were collected and examined microscopically and molecularly. Thin blood smears were stained with Giemsa and examined under oil immersion, revealing an overall TBPs prevalence of 27.52% (139/505). Three pathogens were identified: Babesia spp. (46.76%), Anaplasma spp. (41.72%), and Theileria spp. (40.28). Epidemiological analysis revealed significant associations with season, age, and locality. Higher infection rates were recorded in Summer (64.07%) and in sheep aged 2–3 years (43.35%), where females showed higher but non-significant prevalence compared to males. PCR confirmed the presence of TBPs in all microscopically positive samples, amplifying the 18S rRNA gene (piroplasms) and 16S rRNA gene (Anaplasma spp.). Sequencing identified Babesia ovis, Theileria ovis, and Anaplasma ovis, which were deposited in GenBank under accession numbers PP964812.1–PP961318.1.

Key words: Babesia ovis, TBPs, PCR, Sheep, Iraq.