Abstract
Rickettsia from the genus Anaplasma is obligated intracellular microorganism of animal host and human. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and distribution of Anaplasma phagocytophilum in domesticated small ruminant of Iran. Three hundred seventy blood samples of sheep and goat were collected from different regions in Hamedan province, Iran. The DNA was extracted from blood samples and subsequently, 16S rRNA and MSP4 genes were analyzed by Nested-PCR method and overall 1.08% (4/370) of domesticated small ruminants were positive for A. phagocytophilum infection. The data recorded were analyzed by the Chi-square test and did not show any significant relation between infection and variables such as location, tick infestion, age, and sex of the host (p > 0.05). No significant correlation was found between the altitude and the Anaplasma species infection (Mann-Whitney test: p > 0.05). The present research is the first report of A. phagocytophilum infection in Iranian domesticated small ruminants and their zoonotic potential as a carrier of A. phagocytophilum.
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Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank Mrs. Fatemeh Khademi, Mr. Abbas Yousefi, and Mr. Masoud Moradi for their help in collecting the samples and to Mis. Fariba Nouri for her constant encouragements, guidance, and support throughout the present study. This paper is a part of Ph.D thesis of the senior author and financially supported by Science and Research Branch of Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
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All applicable international, national, and/or institutional guidelines for the care and use of animals were followed.
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This study was funded by the Science and Research Branch of Islamic Azad University, Tehran.
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Yousefi, A., Rahbari, S., Shayan, P. et al. Molecular evidence of Anaplasma phagocytophilum: an emerging tick-borne pathogen in domesticated small ruminant of Iran; first report. Comp Clin Pathol 26, 637–642 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00580-017-2429-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00580-017-2429-z