title: Novel hemotropic Mycoplasma species in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus).
abstract: Globally, hemotropic Mycoplasma spp. are emerging or re-emerging zoonotic pathogens that affect livestock, wildlife, companion animals, and humans, potentially causing serious and economically important disease problems. Little is known about hemotropic Mycoplasma spp. prevalence, host-specificity, or route of transmission in most species, including wildlife. DNA amplification by PCR targeting the 16SrRNA and the RNaseP genes was used to establish the presence and prevalence of hemotropic Mycoplasma spp. in a white-tailed deer (O. virginianus) population in eastern North Carolina. Sixty-five deer (89%) tested positive for hemotropic Mycoplasma spp. where sequence analysis of the 16SsRNA and the RNaseP genes indicated the presence of at least three distinct species. This study represents the first detection of three distinct hemotropic Mycoplasma species in white-tailed deer and the first report of two novel hemotropic Mycoplasma species.
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, 1060 William Moore Drive, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA. Electronic address: rgmaggi@ncsu.edu.
authors.forename: Ricardo G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Maggi
authors.forename: M Colter
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Chitwood
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kennedy-Stoskopf
authors.forename: Christopher S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: DePerno
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003670:Deer / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009174:Mycoplasma / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010802:Phylogeny; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
keywords: Hemoplasma; Hemotropic Mycoplasma; Odocoileus virginianus; White-tailed deer; Zoonotic diseases