title: First molecular survey of Anaplasma bovis in small ruminants from Tunisia.
abstract: To date, no information is available regarding the presence of Anaplasma bovis in the South Mediterranean area. In this study, prevalence, risk factors, and genetic diversity of A. bovis were assessed in small ruminants. A total of 563 healthy small ruminants (260 sheep and 303 goats), from 25 randomly selected flocks located in 5 localities from two bioclimatic areas in Tunisia, were investigated for the detection of A. bovis in blood by nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR) assay. The overall infection rates of A. bovis were 42.7 and 23.8% in sheep and goats, respectively. Goats located in a sub-humid area were statistically more infected than those located in a humid area. A. bovis prevalence rate varied significantly according to sheep and goat flocks, and to the sheep breed. Infection with A. bovis was validated by sequencing. Sequence analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene showed that A. bovis from Tunisian goats and sheep clustered with other strain sequences detected from wild and domestic animals and published in GenBank. This study gives the first insight of presence of A. bovis DNA in small ruminants in Tunisia and suggests that these animal species may be playing an important role in the bovine anaplasmosis natural cycle caused by A. bovis in the South Mediterranean ecosystem.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Microbiologie, Ecole Nationale de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de La Manouba, 2020 Sidi Thabet, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Mourad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ben Said
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Microbiologie, Ecole Nationale de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de La Manouba, 2020 Sidi Thabet, Tunisia; Faculté des Sciences de Bizerte, Université de Carthage, 7021 Jarzouna, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Hanène
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Belkahia
authors.affiliation: Unité de recherche de signaux et Systèmes (U2S), Ecole Nationale d'Ingénieurs de Tunis (ENIT), Université de Tunis-El Manar, 1002 Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Maroua
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karaoud
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Microbiologie, Ecole Nationale de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de La Manouba, 2020 Sidi Thabet, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Maha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bousrih
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Microbiologie, Ecole Nationale de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de La Manouba, 2020 Sidi Thabet, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Mouna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yahiaoui
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Microbiologie, Ecole Nationale de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de La Manouba, 2020 Sidi Thabet, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Monia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Daaloul-Jedidi
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Microbiologie, Ecole Nationale de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de La Manouba, 2020 Sidi Thabet, Tunisia. Electronic address: lilia_messadi@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: Lilia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Messadi
mesh_terms: D000709:Anaplasma / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D000712:Anaplasmosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D014644:Genetic Variation; D015511:Goat Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D006041:Goats / Q000235:genetics; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D015995:Prevalence; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D012307:Risk Factors; D012756:Sheep / Q000235:genetics; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D014416:Tunisia / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
keywords: 16S rRNA gene; Molecular prevalence; Risk factors; Small ruminants; Tunisia