LAUSR

Abstract Piroplasmic parasites such as Theileria and Babesia commonly infect important livestock animals, leading to economic losses in the livestock industry. These parasites are primarily transmitted by ticks found infesting livestock animals. In Malaysia, livestock diseases caused by tick-borne pathogens are still under-studied, even though tick infestations are common in many livestock farms. Here, we molecularly detect a Theileria sp. from Haemaphysalis bispinosa ticks infesting goats in a privately-owned farm in Perak, peninsular Malaysia. PCR was performed on the DNA extracted from ticks to determine the presence of piroplasms. Three ticks were found PCR-positive for piroplasms. Sequence analyses of partial 18S rRNA gene sequences revealed the presence of a Theileria species at 100% identity to Theileria luwenshuni. Our findings suggest the presence of T. luwenshuni, a highly pathogenic Theileria sp. to sheep and goats, in the small ruminant industry in Malaysia.