A field evaluation of an isothermal DNA amplification assay for the detection of Theileria annulata infection in cattle

•A LAMP assay for specific detection of Theileria annulata in cattle was evaluated in a field trial.•A detection of a 0.00025% parasitaemia was achieved.•The assay is useful for simple and rapid detection of T. annulata from clinical samples.

A loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay was evaluated for the detection of Theileria annulata infection in cattle. The results were compared with a real-time PCR used for the quantification of T. annulata parasitaemia. One hundred bovine blood samples from 16 cattle farms were tested with LAMP and real-time PCR, with T. annulata DNA being detected in 66% and 67% of the samples, respectively. The results showed that the LAMP assay detects a parasitaemia as low as 0.00025%, indicating a high analytical sensitivity of LAMP for clinical diagnosis of bovine theileriosis.