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Occurrence of hemotrophic mycoplasmas in horses with correlation to hematological findings.
Abstract: Hemotrophic mycoplasmas (HM) are small, cell wall-less bacteria and infections are known for a wide range of animals. One possible indication of equine HM infection was given in 1978, when a 'haemobartonellosis' outbreak was diagnosed in Nigerian horses by microscopy. However the first molecular proof of HM in horses was not reported until 2010, when a fragment of about 900 bp of the 16S rRNA of the equine HM was obtained. This sequence was used for the development of a SYBR green I real-time PCR assay specific for equine HM. The lower detection limit of the PCR was ten 16S rDNA copy numbers per ml of blood. The newly designed assay was successfully applied for the detection and quantification of HM in horses in Germany. A high sample prevalence of 26.5% (95% CI: 18.8-35.5%) was found (31 out of 117 horses). The mean bacterial load was 1.10×10(6) 16S rDNA copy number/ml blood (range: minimum 1.05×10(3), maximum 1.27×10(7)). Equine HM were also detected by microscopy (Giemsa and acridine orange stained blood smears), but results do not correlate very well with PCR results, as microscopy proved rather unspecific and not sensitive. In horses younger than one year, a significant correlation between PCR positive status and anemia was found. No correlation was found in PCR-positive animals older than one year. Therefore we assume that HM infection has a higher clinical relevance in young animals.
Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Publication Date: 2012-05-22 PubMed ID: 22664221DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2012.05.016Google Scholar: Lookup The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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The study uncovers the prevalence and impact of hemotrophic mycoplasmas (HM), a type of bacteria, in horses. The research makes use of a newly developed real-time PCR assay to detect and quantify these bacteria and finds a significant connection between the presence of HM and anemia in horses younger than one year old.
Identification of Hemotrophic Mycoplasmas
- The research is focused on Hemotrophic mycoplasmas (HM), types of bacteria known for their infection across a wide range of animals. These are particularly unique for their ability to survive without a cell wall.
- The study refers to an outbreak reported in 1978 involving Nigerian horses, which were initially diagnosed with ‘haemobartonellosis’ via microscopy. However, the first molecular evidence of HM in horses didn’t emerge until 2010 when a fragment of equine HM was obtained.
Development of a Real-Time PCR Assay
- The 2010 discovery of the 16S rRNA fragment of equine HM led to the creation of a SYBR green I real-time PCR assay that was specific to equine HM, effectively developing a method to detect and measure HM levels in horses.
- The newly developed assay was able to identify as few as ten 16S rDNA copies of the bacteria in a milliliter of blood, thus ensuring the accurate detection of HM even at very low levels.
- This detection technique was applied in Germany for the detection and quantification of HM in horses.
Prevalence and Impact of HM in Horses
- The assay’s application led to a high detection rate of about 26.5% (31 out of 117 horses), with each milliliter of blood carrying an average bacterial load of 1.10×10(6) 16S rDNA copy number.
- The researchers also tried to detect equine HM through microscopy, specifically using Giemsa and acridine orange stained blood smears. However, this method proved unspecific and lacked the sensitivity of the PCR assay.
- The study also identified a significant correlation between PCR positive status (indicating the presence of HM) and anemia, but only in horses younger than one year. Older horses, despite their PCR positive status, didn’t show any such correlation.
- These findings led to the conclusion that HM infection likely poses a greater clinical risk to younger animals.
Cite This Article
APA
Dieckmann SM, Hoelzle K, Dieckmann MP, Straube I, Hofmann-Lehmann R, Hoelzle LE.
(2012).
Occurrence of hemotrophic mycoplasmas in horses with correlation to hematological findings.
Vet Microbiol, 160(1-2), 43-52.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetmic.2012.05.016 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Institute of Environmental and Animal Hygiene and Veterinary Medicine, University of Hohenheim, D-70593 Stuttgart, Germany.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Benzothiazoles
- DNA Primers
- DNA, Bacterial / blood
- DNA, Bacterial / genetics
- Diamines
- Germany
- Horse Diseases / blood
- Horse Diseases / microbiology
- Horses
- Mycoplasma / genetics
- Mycoplasma / isolation & purification
- Mycoplasma Infections / blood
- Mycoplasma Infections / microbiology
- Mycoplasma Infections / veterinary
- Organic Chemicals / chemistry
- Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods
- Polymerase Chain Reaction / veterinary
- Quinolines
- RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / analysis
- RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / genetics
- Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods
Citations
This article has been cited 6 times.- Dawood A, Algharib SA, Zhao G, Zhu T, Qi M, Delai K, Hao Z, Marawan MA, Shirani I, Guo A. Mycoplasmas as Host Pantropic and Specific Pathogens: Clinical Implications, Gene Transfer, Virulence Factors, and Future Perspectives. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022;12:855731.
- Volokhov DV, Hwang J, Chizhikov VE, Danaceau H, Gottdenker NL. Prevalence, Genotype Richness, and Coinfection Patterns of Hemotropic Mycoplasmas in Raccoons (Procyon lotor) on Environmentally Protected and Urbanized Barrier Islands. Appl Environ Microbiol 2017 May 1;83(9).
- Conrado Fde O, do Nascimento NC, dos Santos AP, Zimpel CK, Messick JB, Biondo AW. Occurrence and identification of hemotropic mycoplasmas (Hemoplasmas) in free ranging and laboratory rats (Rattus norvegicus) from two Brazilian zoos. BMC Vet Res 2015 Nov 23;11:286.
- Vieira RF, Vidotto O, Vieira TS, Guimaraes AM, Santos AP, Nascimento NC, Santos NJ, Martins TF, Labruna MB, Marcondes M, Biondo AW, Messick JB. MOLECULAR INVESTIGATION OF HEMOTROPIC MYCOPLASMAS IN HUMAN BEINGS, DOGS AND HORSES IN A RURAL SETTLEMENT IN SOUTHERN BRAZIL. Rev Inst Med Trop Sao Paulo 2015 Jul-Aug;57(4):353-7.
- Konstantinović N, Gotić J, Baban M, Csik G, Listeš E, Gagović E, Jurković Žilić D, Arežina I, Šubara G, Čulina FE, Delić N, Višal D, Zvonar Z, Beck R, Kostelić A. Absence of Host-Specific Hemotropic Mycoplasmas in Horses and Donkeys from Croatia: First Systematic Survey in Southeastern Europe. Animals (Basel) 2026 Jan 15;16(2).
- Ballados-González GG, Cruz-Romero A, Martínez-Hernández JM, Aguilar-Domínguez M, Vieira RFC, Grostieta E, Becker I, Sánchez-Montes S. Confirmation of the presence of Hemotropic Mycoplasma species in working equids from Veracruz, Mexico. Trop Anim Health Prod 2025 May 19;57(5):225.
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