Abstract:
The eastern black and the white rhinoceros are endangered mainly due to poaching. Besides poaching diseases
are another impediment to the species recovery. Infection with pirolasms has been linked to rhinoceros posttranslocation
mortality in South Africa and Tanzania. Presence of such piroplasms in the Kenyan rhinoceroses
has not been investigated. This study aimedat evaluating occurrence of piroplasms in selected rhino subpopulations
in Kenya. Blood samples were collected from 114 rhinoceroses, genomic DNA extracted, 18S rRNA
genes of Babesia and Theileria amplified, and PCR products analyzed by gel electrophoresis. Fifty six samples
tested positive for piroplasms. White rhinoceroses were significantly infected (65.6%) compared to black
rhinoceroses (42.7%, p =0.028). Males were insignificantly highly infected compared to females (p = 0.353).
Sub adults were insignificantly highly infected compared to adults and juveniles (p = 0.465). Infection rates
among the sub-populations varied insignificantly (p = 0.140). The study concluded that Kenyan rhinoceroses
are infected with piroplasms and recommends further studies to be carried out on piroplasm tick vectors, and
piroplasm- vector- host interaction so as to understand the transmission dynamics, and possible diseasetransmission
in the human-wildlife-livestock ecosystem.
