title: Characterization of Anaplasma phagocytophilum and A. ovis infection in a naturally infected sheep flock with poor health condition.
abstract: Anaplasma species are transmitted by ticks and cause diseases in humans and animals. These pathogens infect sheep, an economically important domestic animal worldwide. The current study was designed to characterize in 200 animals the infection with Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Anaplasma ovis and the genetic diversity of A. ovis strains collected from a naturally infected sheep flock with poor health condition. Sheep had 98% seroprevalence to Anaplasma spp. antibodies. PCR results confirmed the presence of A. phagocytophilum and A. ovis DNA in 11.5% and 37% of the sheep, respectively. Concurrent infections were detected in 6.5% of the sheep. Seventy-one adult ticks were collected from 45 sheep with infestations ranging from one to 15 ticks per animal. The analysis of A. ovis msp4 sequences demonstrated a previously unreported polymorphism for this pathogen with 17 different haplotypes in infected sheep. These results demonstrated that, although A. ovis msp4 haplotypes may be less variable when compared with Anaplasma marginale and A. phagocytophilum strains on a global scale, genetic polymorphisms occur in this locus in strains obtained from an infected sheep flock with poor health condition.
authors.affiliation: Intituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia, Via G. Marinuzzi N 3, 90129, Palermo, Sicily, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Torina
authors.forename: Ruth C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Galindo
authors.forename: Joaquín
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vicente
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Di Marco
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Russo
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Aronica
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fiasconaro
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Scimeca
authors.forename: Angelina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alongi
authors.forename: Santo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Caracappa
authors.forename: Katherine M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Kocan
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gortazar
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: de la Fuente
mesh_terms: D042323:Anaplasma ovis / Q000235:genetics; D041081:Anaplasma phagocytophilum / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D016873:Ehrlichiosis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006239:Haplotypes; D007558:Italy; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D012756:Sheep / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D013984:Tick Infestations / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial
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