Anaplasma bovis infection in a horse: First clinical report and molecular analysis.
Abstract: A 23-year-old male Thoroughbred horse at the Korean Military Academy appeared thin with visible rib bones and presented clinical signs of fever, anorexia, lethargy, and severe dehydration. To determine the presence of various febrile disease-causing agents, the 23 cohabiting horses at the academy, including this horse, were subjected to hematology, blood chemistry, and molecular analysis using whole blood samples collected during regular medical check-ups. On the basis of clinical history, physical examination, hematology, blood chemistry, and fecal examination, differential diagnosis using molecular analyses was performed for various febrile disease-causing agents, including Lyme borreliae, Coxiella, piroplasms (Babesia and Theileria), Rickettsiales (Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, and Rickettsia), equine herpesvirus, equine infectious anemia virus, and equine arteritis virus. While other pathogens were not detected, PCR and phylogenetic analysis targeting the Anaplasma 16S rRNA gene revealed that the horse was infected with Anaplasma bovis. Although PCR targeting the groEL and gltA genes of A. bovis was not successful, the restriction enzyme fragment length polymorphism assay for differential diagnosis and determination of coinfectivity between Anaplasma phagocytophilum and A. bovis confirmed the pathogen as A. bovis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first clinical report of A. bovis infection in a horse, suggesting a new reservoir host.
Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Publication Date: 2019-04-18 PubMed ID: 31176411DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2019.04.024Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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The study reports the first ever clinical case of a horse infected with Anaplasma bovis, a type of bacteria that causes disease in animals. The research was conducted on a 23-year-old male Thoroughbred horse at the Korean Military Academy and implies the horse could be a new host for this pathogen.
Research Context
- The research focuses on a 23-year-old male Thoroughbred horse at the Korean Military Academy who appeared to be thin with prominent rib bones and exhibited signs of fever, loss of appetite, lethargy, and severe dehydration.
- The 23 cohabiting horses at the academy were subjected to a series of tests during regular medical check-ups, aiming to identify potential febrile disease-causing agents.
Research Methodology
- The researchers performed a differential diagnosis on the basis of clinical history, physical examination, hematology (study of blood), blood chemistry, and fecal examination.
- Molecular analyses were performed to test for various disease-causing agents such as Lyme disease, Coxiella, a series of Rickettsiales including Anaplasma, equine herpesvirus, equine infectious anemia virus, and equine arteritis virus.
- The focus was mainly on the presence of Anaplasma, a genus of bacteria known for being and causing diseases in animals.
Research Findings
- The tests revealed that the horse was infected with Anaplasma bovis. No other pathogens were successfully identified.
- The Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and phylogenetic analysis targeting the Anaplasma 16S rRNA gene were used to identify A. bovis as the cause of the symptoms.
- Although subsequent PCR tests targeting other genes of A. bovis were not successful, a restriction enzyme fragment length polymorphism assay confirmed the presence of A. bovis in the horse.
Research Implications
- This case is the first clinically reported case of a horse being infected by Anaplasma bovis.
- The findings suggest the possibility that horses might be a new reservoir host for this pathogen.
Cite This Article
APA
Seo MG, Kwon OD, Kwak D.
(2019).
Anaplasma bovis infection in a horse: First clinical report and molecular analysis.
Vet Microbiol, 233, 47-51.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetmic.2019.04.024 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, 177 Hyeoksin 8-ro, Gimcheon, Gyeongbuk, 39660, Republic of Korea; College of Veterinary Medicine, Kyungpook National University, 80 Daehakro, Bukgu, Daegu, 41566, Republic of Korea.
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Kyungpook National University, 80 Daehakro, Bukgu, Daegu, 41566, Republic of Korea.
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Kyungpook National University, 80 Daehakro, Bukgu, Daegu, 41566, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: dmkwak@knu.ac.kr.
MeSH Terms
- Anaplasma / genetics
- Anaplasma / isolation & purification
- Anaplasma phagocytophilum / genetics
- Anaplasmosis / diagnosis
- Animals
- Chaperonin 60 / genetics
- DNA, Bacterial / genetics
- Diagnosis, Differential
- Disease Reservoirs / microbiology
- Disease Reservoirs / veterinary
- Horse Diseases / microbiology
- Horses / microbiology
- Male
- Phylogeny
- Polymerase Chain Reaction
- Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length
- RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / genetics
- Republic of Korea
- Sequence Analysis, DNA
Citations
This article has been cited 6 times.- Tang J, Xu J, Liu XH, Lv FZ, Yao QJ, Zhou XF, Lu HY, Yu TM, Jiang ZZ, Jin XZ, Guo F, Yu XJ. Prevalence and genetic diversity of Anaplasma and Ehrlichia in ticks and domesticated animals in Suizhou County, Hubei Province, China. Sci Rep 2024 Jun 1;14(1):12621.
- Espiritu H, Lee HW, Faruk MSA, Jin SJ, Lee SS, Cho YI. Latitude and seasons influence the prevalence of Theileria orientalis and affect the hematology of non-grazed dairy cows in Korea. Parasites Hosts Dis 2024 Feb;62(1):64-74.
- Zhou S, Huang L, Lin Y, Bhowmick B, Zhao J, Liao C, Guan Q, Wang J, Han Q. Molecular surveillance and genetic diversity of Anaplasma spp. in cattle (Bos taurus) and goat (Capra aegagrus hircus) from Hainan island/province, China. BMC Vet Res 2023 Oct 18;19(1):213.
- Seo MG, Ouh IO, Kwak D. Detection and Genotypic Analysis of Anaplasma bovis and A. phagocytophilum in Horse Blood and Lung Tissue. Int J Mol Sci 2023 Feb 7;24(4).
- Yang X, Fu M, Yu Z, Wang J, Song J, Zhao G. Molecular Characterization of Anaplasma spp. among Dairy, Cashmere, and Meat Goats in Shaanxi Province, Northwestern China. Animals (Basel) 2022 Jun 17;12(12).
- Hrnková J, Schneiderová I, Golovchenko M, Grubhoffer L, Rudenko N, Černý J. Role of Zoo-Housed Animals in the Ecology of Ticks and Tick-Borne Pathogens-A Review. Pathogens 2021 Feb 16;10(2).
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