About the Authors

Salama Al-Hamidhi

Affiliation Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, P.O Box 35 Postal Code 123, Al-Khod, Sultanate of Oman

Mohammed. H. Tageldin

Affiliation Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, P.O Box 34 Postal Code 123, Al-Khod, Sultanate of Oman

William Weir

Affiliation Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom

Amira Al-Fahdi

Affiliation Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, P.O Box 35 Postal Code 123, Al-Khod, Sultanate of Oman

Eugene H. Johnson

Affiliation Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, P.O Box 34 Postal Code 123, Al-Khod, Sultanate of Oman

Patrick Bobade

Affiliation Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, P.O Box 34 Postal Code 123, Al-Khod, Sultanate of Oman

Badar Alqamashoui

Affiliation Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Muscat, Oman

Albano Beja-Pereira

Affiliation Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources (CIBIO), University of Porto, Rua Padre Armando Quintas 7, Vairão, 4485–661, Portugal

Joanne Thompson

Affiliation Centre for Immunity, Infection & Evolution. Institutes of Evolution, Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, Ashworth Laboratories, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Jane Kinnaird

Affiliation Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom

Brian Shiels

Affiliation Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom

Andy Tait

Affiliation Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom

Hamza Babiker

hbabiker@squ.edu.om

Affiliations Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, P.O Box 35 Postal Code 123, Al-Khod, Sultanate of Oman, Centre for Immunity, Infection & Evolution. Institutes of Evolution, Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, Ashworth Laboratories, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Competing Interests

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Author Contributions

Conceived and designed the experiments: HB AT BS JT EJ PB. Performed the experiments: SA AA BA JK. Analyzed the data: SA WW ABP. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: MT BA. Wrote the paper: SA HB WW BS.