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The current study was performed to identify Crithidia sp., a blood microparasite, in canines in Al-Qadisiyah Province and its regional districts. The study included collecting blood samples from the cephalic vein from 50 street and domesticated dogs. The study included collecting data on age, sex, clinical signs, and sample collection regions. PCR and partial sequencing of the 18S rRNA gene were performed. The findings revealed that the infection rates were 4/50 and 7/50 for age groups of >1 and ≤1 years old, respectively. Moreover, the rates were 10/50 and 1/50 for males and females. In addition, the rates were 4/50 and 7/50 for symptomatic and asymptomatic animals, respectively. Furthermore, the rates were 1(2%), 3(6%), 6(12%), 0, and 1(2%) for the city center of Al-Diwaniyah, Nuffar, Saniyah, Dagharah, and Sumar, respectively. The sequencing findings revealed that the isolates from the current study were similar to isolates from Czech and Russia. The findings suggest that Crithidia sp. exists in dogs, and these isolates might have a common ancestor of the parasite due to similarities between the isolates of the current study and Czech and Brazil isolates.

Neospora caninum is a protozoan parasite with a global distribution, and there is increasing evidence of its association with abortion in infected ewes. Based on our knowledge, there is no clear information regarding the existence of this infectious agent in ewe milk in Iraq. According to this, the current study was conducted to identify the presence of N. caninum in ewe milk in Al-Diwaniyah Province. Ninety-six milk samples were collected from ewes in different study area sites. These samples were subjected to ELISA, PCR, and Nc5-partial gene sequencing. The sequencing was followed by a phylogenetic study to identify genetic evolution. The ELISA findings revealed the presence of the parasitic antigen in 23/96 (23.96%), while PCR revealed only 5/96 (5.2%). However, The PCR-positive samples were sequenced, and the phylogenetic results demonstrated that the N. caninum isolates were closely similar to those recovered from milk, brain, and milk samples from different countries, such as New Zealand and the United States. The present study indicates that Neospora caninum has existed in milk samples from ewes in Al-Diwaniyah Province. This presence could indicate an essential link to abortion in ewes. The genetic evolution may provide substantial information that the current study isolates may have descended from USA or New Zealand isolates due to different means of dissemination, such as traveling and importing animals.

The current study was conducted to identify the occurrence of Neospora caninum in sheep using molecular techniques. The investigation included 200 sheep samples (20 heart and 80 brain tissues and 100 blood) collected from different Al-Qadisiyah Province, Iraq districts. After extracting the DNA, the samples were subjected to molecular techniques, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and partial gene sequencing accompanied by estimating the phylogenetic status of the N. caninum coccidial microorganism. Both techniques relied on detecting the Nc-5 gene, a repetitive region of the organism's DNA. The finding of the PCR revealed the genetic identification of 7 (3.5%) isolates of N. caninum in the samples of the examined sheep. For the sequencing, seven PCR products were detected as N. caninum with nucleotide close similarity to isolates from some regions, such as New Zealand and Switzerland. The findings demonstrated by the herein study that sheep can be an intermediate host for Neospora caninum; however, all these global isolates were reported only from species other than from sheep; the current study target animals.

Cryptosporidiosis is an opportunistic zoonotic disease considered a global public health concern. Cats are a potential host for transmitting zoonotic diseases to humans as Cryptosporidium spp. infection. The present study aimed to determine the Cryptosporidium spp in stray cats using molecular methods in Al-Qadisiyah governorate, Iraq, from September 2021 to February 2022. A total of 100 fecal samples were collected from different geographical areas. All the samples were investigated using Nested-PCR and sequencing methods to identify and characterize Cryptosporidium spp. in stray cats. The results of the molecular examination showed that 35% of the fecal samples were infected with Cryptosporidium spp. Two species have been identified, C. parvum and C. canis. In conclusion, the results showed that cats are a reservoir host for Cryptosporidium spp for human infection. For the prevention and control of Cryptosporidium spp. Cat infection should get more attention from health officials, especially when the prevalence rate is high.

This study investigated the benzimidazole resistance in Haemonchus contortus parasitic nematodes from sheep from October 2021 to December 2022 in Al-Diwanyiah city/Iraq, and samples were processed at the laboratory of Parasitology in Veterinary Medicine College of Al-Qadissyiah University through the detection of E198A mutation and SNP polymorphism of the β-tubulin gene at this codon position. Ninety adult H. contortus samples were collected from the abomasum of sheep (n = 400) and then tested by qPCR and tetra-primer ARMS-PCR. Of these, three different genotypes have been found for E198A SNP: heterozygous (RS), homozygous (SS), and homozygous resistant genotype (RR). The frequencies for these genotypes were 31.11% heterozygous, 57.77% homozygous, and 11.11% homozygous resistant. The current study indicated the spread of benzimidazole resistance for H. contortus of sheep in Iraq, Al-Diwnayiah by utilizing qPCR and tetra-primer ARMS-PCR for the first time. It is speculated that the BZ-resistance is due to excessive and irregular H. contortus drug abuse and inter-species transfer between ruminants at the commonly grazing pastures and from imported sheep.

Cryptosporidium spp. is a significant parasitic disease that results in diarrhea and gastroenteritis in humans and animals worldwide. The present study aimed to investigate the molecular diversity of Cryptosporidium species in domestic goats. A total of a hundred feces samples were collected from four locations in Babylon city in central Iraq. All the samples were investigated phenotypically using a modified Ziehl-Neelsen stain method and genotypically using conventional and nested PCR methods based on a partial sequence of heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) and 60 kDa glycoprotein (gp60) genes, and finally, phylogenetic analysis method. The molecular results showed five species of Cryptosporidium, including C. parvum, C. hominis, C. ryana, C. xiaoi, and C. bovis. The phylogenetic results of partial sequence of gp60 gene for C. parvum and C. hominis isolate two subtypes were established IIdA21G1 and IIdA19G1 belong to C. parvum. For C. hominis, three subtypes were detected: IbA21G2, IbA13G3, and IbA19G2. This study showed that Cryptosporidium parvum (zoonotic) is more prevalent than other Cryptosporidium species in goats from this area. This suggests that zoonotic transmission is the primary mode of transmission of Cryptosporidium infection in Babylon province.