Prevalence and Associated Risk Factors of Bovine Babesiosis in West Kordofan State, Sudan

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Bovine babesiosis is a tick-borne disease with great economic impacts on the cattle sector globally, caused by Babesia species and transmitted by Rhipicephalus and Ixodes ticks. This study aimed to determine its prevalence and risk factors in West Kordofan State, Sudan. A cross-sectional study was conducted from June to December 2022. Blood samples from 154 cattle were randomly collected from Mayram (n=50), Muglad (n=54), and Debab (n=50). Babesia spp. were detected using microscopic examination of Giemsa-stained blood smears, and risk factor data were collected thorough a structured questionnaire. The overall prevalence of Babesia spp. Infection was 37.0%. prevalence was highest in Mayram (48.0%), followed by Muglad (35.2%) and Debab (28.0%). Univariate analysis revealed significant associations with age, purpose of raising, cross-border movement, treatment history, and tick infestation. Multivariate analysis identified strong associations with cattle age (OR = 3.048, 95% CI: 1.219-7.621), cross-border movement (OR = 11.912 95% CI: 2.627-54.011), and lack of previous antiparasitic treatment (OR = 2.706). No significant associations were found for location, sex, breed, body condition, herd size, grazing system, or owner awareness. Bovine babesiosis is highly prevalent in West Kordofan. Key risk factors include cattle age, cross-border movement, and no prior treatment. The study recommends movement restrictions, regular antiparasitic treatments, improved veterinary surveillance, and molecular diagnostic methods for accurate species identification.

Keywords: Bovine babesiosis; Babesia species; cattle disease; risk factors; prevalence; tick-borne diseases; Sudan.

CCDC174 Gene Expression as a Molecular Marker of Bull Fertility

Janeth D. Mbuma, George M. Msalya, Isaac P. Kashoma — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Conventional semen evaluation methods do not fully capture molecular differences among ejaculates with similar motility profiles. The CCDC174 gene has been associated with sperm motility and fertility in dairy bulls, but its predictive value across breeds under field classification systems remains unclear. This study evaluated whether CCDC174 expression differs between fertile and sub-fertile ejaculates and whether it predicts progressive motility. A total of 53 ejaculates from nine bulls of three dairy breeds (Friesian, Ayrshire, and Jersey) were analyzed at the National Artificial Insemination Centre, Tanzania. Ejaculates were classified as fertile or sub-fertile based on progressive motility . CASA was used to assess sperm kinetics. CCDC174 expression was quantified using qPCR, with GAPDH as the reference gene. Associations between variables were analyzed using appropriate statistical tests, and a linear mixed-effects model was used to evaluate predictors of progressive motility. Most ejaculates (81.1%) were classified as fertile. CCDC174 expression differed significantly between fertile and sub-fertile groups. Progressive motility was associated with breed and gene expression in unadjusted analysis. In the mixed-effects model, CCDC174 expression and specific sperm kinetic parameters were significant predictors of progressive motility, while breed and season were not significant after adjustment. The study concludes that CCDC174 gene expression is associated with sperm progressive motility and independently predicts fertility-related parameters beyond conventional semen evaluation. These findings support its potential use as a complementary molecular marker in bull fertility assessment.

Tanzania Veterinary Journal

Prevalence and Associated Risk Factors of Bovine Babesiosis in West Kordofan State, Sudan

CCDC174 Gene Expression as a Molecular Marker of Bull Fertility