‘Candidatus Mycoplasma haemoalbiventris’ and tick-borne pathogens screening in white-eared opossums (Didelphis albiventris) from Curitiba and Foz do Iguaçu Cities, Paraná State, southern Brazil

Abstract

Hemoplasmas are epierythrocytic bacteria that infect mammals. ‘Candidatus Mycoplasma haemoalbiventris’ was detected in white-eared opossums (Didelphis albiventris) from southern and central-western Brazil. The present study aimed at: i) screening opossums for tick-borne (TBP) pathogens (Piroplasmida and Anaplasmataceae) and ii) detecting and characterizing hemoplasma species infecting opossums from Curitiba and Foz do Iguaçu cities in the Paraná State, southern Brazil. Thirty blood samples from white-eared opossums were evaluated by PCR assays. Animals were not infested by ectoparasites. The mammalian endogenous gapdh gene was consistently amplified in all samples. All opossums tested negative for Theileria/Babesia spp. and Ehrlichia/Anaplasma spp. by PCR based on 18S rRNA and 16S rRNA genes, respectively. A genus-specific PCR assay based on the 16S rRNA gene of hemoplasmas showed that three/13 (23.08%; CI 95%: 8.18-50.26%) opossums from Foz do Iguaçu were positive for hemotropic Mycoplasma sp. All opossums from Curitiba tested negative for hemoplasmas. Sequencing of both the 16S and 23S rRNA genes revealed that the animals were infected by ‘Ca. M. haemoalbiventris’. Although ‘Ca. M. haemoalbiventris’ is prevalent in opossums in Brazil, clinical signs associated with its infection and its putative vectors remain unknown.

‘Candidatus Mycoplasma Haemoalbiventris’ and Tick-Borne Pathogens in Black-Eared Opossum (Didelphis aurita) from Southeastern Brazil

“…Previous studies have reported ‘ Ca. M. haemoalbiventris’ in D. albiventris from different Brazilian regions and biomes with prevalence data ranging from 32.5–87.5% by PCR [ 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 ]. Herein, 73.3% D. aurita tested positive for ‘ Ca.…”

“…is scarce. Two species of hemoplasmas are known to infect Didelphis , ‘ Candidatus Mycoplasma haemodidelphis’, detected in the Virginia opossum ( Didelphis virginiana ) from USA [ 6 ], and ‘ Candidatus Mycoplasma haemoalbiventris’, detected in white-eared opossum ( Didelphis albiventris ) from Brazil [ 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 ].…”

Parasitological, epidemiological, and hematological findings in Spix's yellow-toothed cavy (Galea spixii Wangler, 1831) in the State of Paraiba, northeastern Brazil

“…After that, all DNA samples were screened utilizing a genus-specific PCR assay targeting a fragment (900 bp) of the 16S rRNA gene of hemoplasmas (R. P. A. Oliveira et al, 2021;Machado et al, 2017). (Machado et al, 2017), Babesia vogeli and Ehrlichia canis obtained from naturally infected dogs, and Bartonella henselae obtained from a naturally infected cat, and nuclease-free water were used as positive and negative controls, respectively.…”

Molecular detection of hemoplasmas in rescued black-eared opossums (Didelphis aurita Wied-Neuwied, 1826) from southeastern Brazil, with evidence of a novel genotype infecting marsupials

“…The mechanisms of natural transmission in animals have not yet been fully elucidated. To date, hemoplasmas known to infect Didelphis are ' Candidatus Mycoplasma haemoalbiventris', described in white-eared opossums ( D. albiventris ) in the south and central-west regions of Brazil ( Massini et al, 2019 ; Gonçalves et al, 2020 ; Pontarolo et al, 2021 ; Oliveira et al, 2021 ) and black-eared opossums ( D. aurita ) in southeastern Brazil ( Orozco et al, 2022 ). Additionally, ‘ Candidatus Mycoplasma haemodidelphis’ have been detected in the Virginia opossum ( D. virginiana ) from USA ( Messick et al, 2002 ).…”