Ibulaimu Kakoma
Associate Professor, Pathobiology
Professional Interests: Pathophysiology
of tropical infectious diseases, antigenic, molecular and pathogenic
characteristics of intracellular pathogens, e.g., Ehrlichia, Babesia,
Theileria, and a variety of clinically important bacteria causing mastitis
and other systemic diseases.
Ehrlichia species are heterogeneous antigenically,
genetically and in their host specificity. Our laboratory has been defining
the cultural, molecular and immunologic markers for this group of organisms.
For example, a recent study funded in part by the University of Illinois
Research Board demonstrated a shift in host specificity by Ehrlichia
risticii when dogs were shown to be naturally susceptible to this organism
that ordinarily causes Potomac Horse Fever in horses. The patterns
of PCR amplification products from various isolates were compared to
those obtained from the prototype strain. The 16S RNA sequences were
found to be unique to those of E . risticii. A PCR product corresponding
to the 16S RNA gene was obtained from amplification of DNA from E.
risticii and other isolates obtained from dogs. The percentages of
relatedness between the major Ehrlichia species was found to be 100,
98.9, 83.7, 83, 83, 82.2, 81.8 and 81.5 for E. risticii, E. sennetsu,
E. platys, E. equi, E. pagocytophila, E. canis, E. chaffensis and E.
ewingii respectively.
The PCR protocol has also been extended to detection
of pathogens in acute and subclinical bovine mastitis, thereby providing
a potential for screening milk and by-products for safety from microbial
contamination. Using universal primers, it has been possible to detect
babesia, malaria and theileria parasites in an international collaborative
project between the University of Illinois, Makerere University, Uganda
and Chonbuk National University, Chonju, Korea. He lectures on tropical
and miscellaneous foreign and reportable animal diseases (see ../frads/).
Selected Publications:
Baek BK, Kim BS, Hur JH, Lee BO, Jung JM, Onuma M, Oluoch AO, Kim C-H and Kakoma I. (2003) Verification by Polymerase Chain Reaction of Vertical Transmission of Theileria sergenti in cows. Canadian J of Vet Research, 67:278.
Baek BK, Islam MK, Kim BS, Lin CW, Hur J, Oluoch AO, Kim C-H and Kakoma I. (2003) Characterization of the protective response against homologous challenge infection with Strongyloides venezuelensis in rats. Vet Parasitology, 113:217-227.
Matousek JL, KL Campbell, DJ Schaeffer, I Kakoma and PF Solter. (2003) Influence of pH on the in vitro growth of Malassezia pachydermatis. Canadian Journal of Veterinary Research, 67(1):56-59.
Kakoma I, Sainz A, Tesouro M, Amusategui I, Kim C-H, Biggerstaff J and McPeak J. (2001) Standardization of the diagnostic criteria for canine ehrlichiosis: Towards a universal case definition. Ann NY Acad Science, 916:396-403.
Hinkle KM, Gerding P, Kakoma I and Schaeffer DJ. (1999) Evaluation of activity of selected ophthalamic antimicrobial agents in combination against common ocular micro-organisms. Am J Vet Res, 60:316-318.
Khan MA, Kim C-H, Kakoma I, Morin DE, Hansen RD, Hurley WL, Tripathy DN, Baek BK. (1998) Detection of Staphylococcus aureus in Milk BY USE OF Poly-merase Chain Reaction analysis. Am J Vet Res, 59:807-813.
Rowan L, Morin DE , Hurley WL, Shanks RD, Kakoma I, Hoffmann WE, Goetz TE and Cullor JS. (1996) Evaluation of Udder Health and Mastitis in Llamas. J Am Vet Med Assoc, 209:1457-1463.
Kakoma I, Hansen RD, Anderson BE, Hanley TA, Sims KG, Liu L, Bellamy K, Long MT and Baek BK. (1994) Cultural, molecular and immunological characterization of the etiologic agent for atypical canine ehrlichiosis. J Clin Microbiol, 32:170-175.
Nyindo MBA, Kakoma I and Hansen R. (1991) Antigenic profiles of Ehrlichiae using Western immunoblot. Am J Vet Res, 52:1225-1230.
