Hemoplasma Infections in Cattle and Ticks in Republic of Srpska
Hemotropic Mycoplasma spp. (hemoplasmas) represented neglected, tick-associated agents in cattle and could have been indistinguishable from other intraerythrocytic findings on microscopy. During 2024–2025, EDTA blood samples from clinically healthy, tick-exposed cattle in the Republic of Srpska were analyzed; enrollment was based on owner/veterinary reports of heavy tick infestation during the preceding spring. Thin smears were prepared and Giemsa-stained for light microscopy. Total nucleic acids were extracted from EDTA blood using a commercial kit and were stored at -20 °C. Hemoplasmas were detected by conventional PCR targeting the 16S rRNA gene, followed by Sanger sequencing and phylogenetic analysis for taxonomic assignment and strain comparison. The study estimated hemoplasma prevalence and evaluated associations with available epidemiological metadata, including sampling locality and animal characteristics.