title: Haemotrophic Mycoplasma infection in horses.
abstract: Haemotrophic mycoplasmas (HM) are parasites on the surface of red blood cells and known to infect a wide range of animals. However, there are no previous evidences of HM infections in horses. In this study HM were detected for the first time in the blood of two horses suffering from poor performance, apathy, weight loss, and anaemia. Using a HM specific PCR assay and subsequent sequencing the infective agents isolated from the blood of said horses were confirmed as closely related to the HM species Mycoplasma haemofelis and 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haemobos'.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Veterinary Bacteriology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 270, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Sarah M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Dieckmann
authors.forename: Margit
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Winkler
authors.forename: Katrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Groebel
authors.forename: Michael P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Dieckmann
authors.forename: Regina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hofmann-Lehmann
authors.forename: Katharina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hoelzle
authors.forename: Max M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Wittenbrink
authors.forename: Ludwig E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Hoelzle
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D006402:Hematologic Diseases / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000382:microbiology*; D006736:Horses; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009174:Mycoplasma / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009175:Mycoplasma Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D016415:Sequence Alignment
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S