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Home / Equine Research Bank / Trop Anim Health Prod / Confirmation of the presence of Hemotropic Mycoplasma specie...
Tropical animal health and production2025; 57(5); 225; doi: 10.1007/s11250-025-04465-w

Confirmation of the presence of Hemotropic Mycoplasma species in working equids from Veracruz, Mexico.

Abstract: Hemotropic mycoplasmas (HM) are emerging pathogens known to infect a wide range of mammals, including ungulates like horses. These infections can lead to severe haematological conditions, posing a threat to animal health and welfare. Recent studies have begun shedding light on the prevalence and impact of HM on horse populations worldwide. For instance, in Germany, Iran, Nigeria, and Brazil, at least three species of HM have been identified in horses, with a lack in knowledge in Latin American countries like Mexico. Our research aims to fill a crucial knowledge gap regarding the presence of HM in equine populations in the coastal state of Veracruz, Mexico. We collected blood samples from 134 horses and extracted genomic DNA, to target a fragment of 900 bp of the 16S-rDNA gene of HM for amplification and sequencing. Three animals (2.24% = 3/134) tested positive for the presence of HMs. Through phylogenetic reconstruction, the identity of the recovered HMs could be confirmed, providing insight into the specific species present in the equine population. The detection of Candidatus Mycoplasma haemovis and Mycoplasma haemocanis in three horses from the municipalities of Alvarado and Vega de Alatorre highlights the presence of these pathogens in the studied area. This finding not only contributes to the understanding of HM distribution in Mexico and the Mesoamerican region, but also underscores the need for further research and surveillance efforts to monitor and manage these infections in equine populations.
© 2025. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.
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Publication Date: 2025-05-19 PubMed ID: 40388007PubMed Central: 6366081DOI: 10.1007/s11250-025-04465-wGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research article is about a study conducted to identify the presence of Hemotropic Mycoplasma species in the horse population in Veracruz, Mexico. It discusses the collection and analysis of blood samples from 134 horses and reveals the detection of Hemotropic Mycoplasma species in three horses.

Objective and Methodology

  • The researchers aimed to investigate the presence of Hemotropic mycoplasmas (HM), which are emerging pathogens known to infect numerous mammals including horses, in the equine population of Veracruz, Mexico. This is critical given that there’s a gap in the knowledge around HM infections in Latin American countries like Mexico.
  • To achieve this, they collected blood samples from 134 horses and extracted genomic DNA from these samples.
  • The isolated DNA was then used to amplify and sequence a specific fragment of the 16S-rDNA gene of Hemotropic Mycoplasma for identification.

Findings

  • Upon analysis, it was found that three out of the 134 horses (approximately 2.24%) tested positive for the presence of Hemotropic mycoplasma species.
  • The researchers were able to confirm the identity of the Hemotropic mycoplasma species present in the equine population using phylogenetic reconstruction.
  • The specific Hemotropic Mycoplasma species detected were Candidatus Mycoplasma haemovis and Mycoplasma haemocanis. These were found in three horses from the municipalities of Alvarado and Vega de Alatorre.

Significance

  • This research has identified that Hemotropic Mycoplasma species are present in the horse population in certain regions of Veracruz, Mexico.
  • The findings contribute to the understanding of Hemotropic mycoplasma distribution in Mexico and the Mesoamerican region. This can aid in planning for equine health and welfare measures.
  • The detection of these pathogens also emphasises the need for more research and surveillance to effectively monitor and manage these infections in the equine populations.

Cite This Article

APA
Ballados-González GG, Cruz-Romero A, Martínez-Hernández JM, Aguilar-Domínguez M, Vieira RFC, Grostieta E, Becker I, Sánchez-Montes S. (2025). Confirmation of the presence of Hemotropic Mycoplasma species in working equids from Veracruz, Mexico. Trop Anim Health Prod, 57(5), 225. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-025-04465-w

Publication

Tropical animal health and production
ISSN: 1573-7438
NlmUniqueID: 1277355
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 57
Issue: 5
Pages: 225

Researcher Affiliations

Ballados-González, Gerardo G
  • Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Veracruzana, Miguel Ángel de Quevedo S/N, Esq. Yáñez, Veracruz, 91710, México.
Cruz-Romero, Anabel
  • Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Veracruzana, Miguel Ángel de Quevedo S/N, Esq. Yáñez, Veracruz, 91710, México. anabcruz@uv.mx.
Martínez-Hernández, José M
  • Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Veracruzana, Miguel Ángel de Quevedo S/N, Esq. Yáñez, Veracruz, 91710, México. manuelmartinez@uv.mx.
Aguilar-Domínguez, Mariel
  • Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Veracruzana, Miguel Ángel de Quevedo S/N, Esq. Yáñez, Veracruz, 91710, México.
Vieira, Rafael F C
  • Department of Epidemiology and Community Health, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, USA.
  • Center for Computational Intelligence to Predict Health and Environmental Risks (CIPHER), The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, USA.
Grostieta, Estefania
  • Centro de Medicina Tropical, División de Investigación, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico.
Becker, Ingeborg
  • Centro de Medicina Tropical, División de Investigación, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico.
Sánchez-Montes, Sokani
  • Centro de Medicina Tropical, División de Investigación, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico.
  • Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Región Poza Rica-Tuxpan, Universidad Veracruzana, Tuxpan de Rodríguez Cano, Veracruz, Mexico.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Mexico / epidemiology
  • Mycoplasma Infections / veterinary
  • Mycoplasma Infections / epidemiology
  • Mycoplasma Infections / microbiology
  • Mycoplasma / isolation & purification
  • Mycoplasma / classification
  • Mycoplasma / genetics
  • Horses
  • Horse Diseases / microbiology
  • Horse Diseases / epidemiology
  • Phylogeny
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / genetics
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / analysis
  • DNA, Bacterial / genetics
  • Prevalence
  • Male
  • Female

Grant Funding

  • PAPIIT IG201221 / Instituto de Ecologu00eda, Universidad Nacional Autu00f3noma de Mu00e9xico
  • IG2000924 / Instituto de Ecologu00eda, Universidad Nacional Autu00f3noma de Mu00e9xico
  • 781775 / Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnologu00eda

Conflict of Interest Statement

Declarations. Conflict of interest: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest. Ethical approval: This study was approved by the Ethics and Research Committee of the School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Veracruz, Veracruz, Mexico, following the U.K. Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act, 1986.

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