Ehrlichia spp. and Anaplasma spp. in Xenarthra mammals from Brazil, with evidence of novel ‘Candidatus Anaplasma spp.’

Abstract

Anaplasmataceae agents are obligatory intracellular Gram-negative α-proteobacteria that are transmitted mostly by arthropod vectors. Although mammals of the Superorder Xenarthra (sloths, anteaters, and armadillos) have been implicated as reservoirs for several zoonotic agents, only few studies have sought to detect Anaplasmataceae agents in this group of mammals. This study aimed to investigate the occurrence and genetic diversity of Anaplasma spp. and Ehrlichia spp. in blood and spleen samples of free-living Xenarthra from four different states in Brazil (São Paulo, Mato Grosso do Sul, Rondônia, and Pará). Nested and conventional PCR screening assays were performed to detect the rrs and dsb genes of Anaplasma spp. and Ehrlichia spp., respectively. The assays were positive in 27.57% (91/330) of the Anaplasma spp. and 24.54% (81/330) of the Ehrlichia spp. Of the 91 positive Anaplasma spp. samples, 56.04% were positive in a conventional PCR assay targeting the 23S–5S intergenic region. Phylogenetic and distance analyses based on the rrs gene allocated Anaplasma sequences from sloths captured in Rondônia and Pará states in a single clade, which was closely related to the A. marginale , A. ovis, and A. capra clades. The sequences detected in southern anteaters from São Paulo were allocated in a clade closely related to sequences of Anaplasma spp. detected in Nasua nasua , Leopardus pardalis , and Cerdocyon thous in Brazil. These sequences were positioned close to A. odocoilei sequences. Genotype analysis corroborated previous findings and demonstrated the circulation of two distinct Anaplasma genotypes in animals from north and southeast Brazil. The first genotype was new. The second was previously detected in N. nasua in Mato Grosso do Sul state. The intergenic region analyses also demonstrated two distinct genotypes of Anaplasma . The sequences detected in Xenarthra from Pará and Rondônia states were closely related to those in A. marginale , A. ovis, and A. capra . Anaplasma spp. sequences detected in Xenarthra from São Paulo and were allocated close to those in A. phagocytophilum . The analyses based on the dsb gene grouped the Ehrlichia spp. sequences with sequences of E. canis (São Paulo, Mato Grosso do Sul, and Pará) and E. minasensis (Rondônia and Pará). The data indicate the occurrence of E....

Molecular Survey of Anaplasmataceae Agents and Coxiellaceae in Non-Hematophagous Bats and Associated Ectoparasites from Brazil

“…This agent has been described in cattle and R. microplus from Brazil [5,59,60], potentially causing disease in cattle [61]. Recently, Ehrlichia dsb genotypes closely related to E. minasensis were detected in Xenarthra mammals in Brazil [29]. These results suggest that E. minasensis may infect a broader range of hosts than previously recognized.…”

“…Indeed, new 'Candidatus Anaplasma spp. ', namely 'Candidatus Anaplasma brasiliensis' and 'Candidatus Anaplasma amazonensis' have been recently detected in mammals from the Superorder Xenarthra from Brazil [29]. Future studies aiming at obtaining larger fragments of different molecular markers are needed in order to check the phylogenetic relatedness of bat-associated Anaplasma spp.…”

“…is not recognized as a new genus, mainly due to the difficulty of isolation [14][15][16][17]. Additionally, a plethora of uncultured agents was also described in the literature with the 'Candidatus' status [18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29].…”

Closing the Gaps to Understand the Tick Transmission of Anaplasma marginale among Giant Anteaters (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) in Argentina

“…Ticks from the genus Amblyomma were also collected from M. tridactyla in the study reported by Calchi et.al. from Brazil [ 10 ]. Amblyomma nodosum ticks were found in the Anaplasma sp.…”

“…The strain was characterized through MSP1a tandem repeats analysis and a multi locus sequence typing (MLST) scheme [ 9 ]. Furthermore, Calchi et al [ 10 ], reported the molecular identification of Anaplasma spp. in Xenarthra mammals (including M. tridactyla ) from Brazil.…”