author(s)
Rabeya Begam, S Talukdar, PC Sarmah, KH Bulbul, P Kakati, R Neog, A Saleque, S Tamuly and SM Tamuli

abstract
Blood samples were collected by vein puncture from clinically affected goats (n=11), which showed pyrexia, anaemia, weakness and depression, and prepared blood smear for microscopic examination. Microscopic examination (ME) of blood smear stained with Giemsa’s stain revealed occurrence of Theileria spp. 72.73% (8/11) based on morphological features, where a dot, ring, pyriform, tail, crescent, rod and comma shaped form were found to be noticed inside the erythrocytes. Genomic DNA extracted from all the blood samples were subjected to PCR, which amplified 18S ribosomal RNA (18S rRNA) gene of Theileria spp. that produced 1098 base pairs DNA fragment for 100% (11/11) samples. The present study indicated that false negative in microscopic examination showed positive result for theileriosis in PCR. Further sequencing analysis of the PCR product of Theileria spp. positive genomic DNA confirmed the presence of Theileria luwenshuni, which is reported in the present communication for the first time from north-eastern region of India.