title: Detection of Mycoplasma haemocanis, Mycoplasma haematoparvum, Mycoplasma suis and other vector-borne pathogens in dogs from Córdoba and Santa Fé, Argentina.
abstract: In Argentina, only very few reports are available for canine tick-borne diseases where most are related to parasitic diseases. The objective of this survey was to investigate the prevalence of tick-borne pathogens in 70 dogs from Santa Fé and Córdoba, Argentina.
  
  
  
  Microscopic blood smear examination as well as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification using species-specific markers of Anaplasma, Babesia, Bartonella, Borrelia, Ehrlichia, Francisella, Mycoplasma (hemotropic group) and Rickettsia, followed by DNA sequencing were used to establish the prevalence of each infecting pathogen.
  
  
  
  Blood smear analysis showed 81% (57/70) prevalence of structures morphologically compatible with hemotropic mycoplasmas. No structures resembling either piroplasms or Anaplasma/Ehrlichia were detected. Hemotropic mycoplasma species (Mycoplasma haematoparvum, Mycoplasma haemocanis and Mycoplasma suis) were the most prevalent pathogens detected with an overall prevalence of 77.1%. Anaplasma platys was detected and identified in 11 of the 70 dogs (15.7%), meanwhile two Bartonella spp. (B. clarridgeiae and an uncharacterized Bartonella sp.) and Babesia vogeli were detected at 3 and 7% prevalence, respectively.
  
  
  
  The work presented here describes a high molecular prevalence for hemotropic mycoplasma species in each of the five locations selected. Three Mycoplasma spp., including Mycoplasma suis, reported for the first time in dogs have been identified by DNA amplification and sequencing. This study highlights the risk that these bacterial pathogens represent for companion animals and, due to their potential zoonotic nature, also for people.
authors.affiliation: Intracellular Pathogens Research Laboratory, Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, 1060 Williams Moore Dr., Raleigh, NC, 27607, USA.
authors.forename: Patricia E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Mascarelli
authors.affiliation: Cátedra de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Bv. Spangemberg and Bv. Colón, 2170, Casilda, Santa Fé, Argentina.
authors.forename: Gustavo P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Tartara
authors.affiliation: Cátedra de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Bv. Spangemberg and Bv. Colón, 2170, Casilda, Santa Fé, Argentina.
authors.forename: Norma B
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Pereyra
authors.affiliation: Intracellular Pathogens Research Laboratory, Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, 1060 Williams Moore Dr., Raleigh, NC, 27607, USA. rgmaggi@ncsu.edu.
authors.forename: Ricardo G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Maggi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001118:Argentina / Q000453:epidemiology; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009174:Mycoplasma / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology; D009175:Mycoplasma Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D017282:Tick-Borne Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*
keywords: Anaplasma phagocytophilum; Anaplasma platys; Argentina; Babesia vogeli; Bartonella spp.; Dogs; Ehrlichia canis; Mycoplasma haematoparvum; Mycoplasma haemocanis; Mycoplasma suis