Prevalence, Genotype Richness, and Coinfection Patterns of Hemotropic Mycoplasmas in Raccoons (Procyon lotor) on Environmentally Protected and Urbanized Barrier Islands

Abstract

Raccoons (Procyon lotor) are successful urban adapters and hosts to a number of zoonotic and nonzoonotic pathogens, yet little is known about their hemoplasma infections and how prevalence varies across habitat types. This study identifies hemotropic Mycoplasma species infection in raccoons from urban and undisturbed habitats and compares hemoplasma infection in sympatric urban cats (Felis catus) from the same geographic region. We collected blood from raccoons (n ϭ 95) on an urban coastal island (n ϭ 37) and an undisturbed coastal island (n ϭ 58) and from sympatric urban cats (n ϭ 39) in Georgia, USA. Based on 16S rRNA gene amplification, 62.1% (59/95) of raccoons and 17.9% (7/39) of feral cats were positive for hemoplasma. There was a greater percentage of hemoplasma-infected raccoons on the undisturbed island (79.3% [46/58]) than on the urban island (35.1% [13/37]; 2 ϭ 16.9, df ϭ 1, P ϭ 0.00004). Sequencing of the full-length 16S rRNA gene amplicons revealed six hemoplasma genotypes in raccoons, including five novel genotypes that were distinct from three known hemoplasma species identified in the sympatric cats. In addition, the hemoplasma genotypes detected in raccoons were not identified in sympatric cats or vice versa. Although all six hemoplasma genotypes were found in raccoons from urban and undisturbed islands, coinfection patterns differed between sites and among individuals, with the proportion of coinfected raccoons being greater in the undisturbed site. This study shows that raccoons are hosts for several novel hemoplasmas and that habitat type influences infection patterns.IMPORTANCE This study provides information about novel hemoplasmas identified in raccoons (Procyon lotor), which can be used for assessments of the prevalence of these hemoplasmas in raccoon populations and for future studies on the potential pathogenic impacts of these hemoplasmas on raccoon health. Raccoons from the undisturbed habitat had a higher prevalence of hemoplasma infection than urban raccoons. There does not appear to be cross-species transmission of hemotropic mycoplasmas between urban raccoons and feral cats. Raccoons appear to be hosts for several novel hemoplasmas, and habitat type influences infection patterns.KEYWORDS raccoons, Procyon lotor, feral cats, Felis catus, hemoplasmas, wildlife, 16S rRNA gene, phylogenetic analysis, hemoplasma U rbanization is a strong ecological driver that causes significant changes in the composition of wildlife communities and in various intra-and interspecies interactions (1). Ecological responses to urbanization can lead to changes in the dynamics

Association of the invasive Haemaphysalis longicornis tick with vertebrate hosts, other native tick vectors, and tick-borne pathogens in New York City

“…Opossum and white-tailed deer fed significantly fewer A. americanum (n = 70; n = 108, respectively) compared to H. longicornis (n = 2,152; n = 855, respectively). Recovering fewer A. americanum from opossums is consistent with other studies (Childs and Paddock, 2003); however, over 3,000 ticks of four different species were recovered from opossums, suggesting that opossums might not be very effective tick groomers (as proposed by Keesing et al, 2010) or that certain tick species avoid feeding on opossums States; however, one study from Georgia found 62.1% of urban raccoons were infected with several genotypes of hemoplasma similar to M. haemocanis (Volokhov et al, 2017); further research should be conducted on the raccoons of Staten Island and the threat they pose to domestic pets and humans.…”

Novel hemotropic mycoplasmas are widespread and genetically diverse in vampire bats

“…All three vampire bat hemoplasma genotypes demonstrated low levels (i.e. <97%) of sequence identity to previously described genotypes (or hemoplasma species) detected in other animal species, which suggests that these vampire bat hemoplasmas are novel hemoplasma genotypes or putatively new hemoplasma species not yet described in other animals [56,57]. …”

“…However, the sensitivity of our PCR has not been quantified, so prevalence in vampire bats could conceivably be higher than we detected. Hemoplasmas have not been cultured in vitro , and their detection in many species has used PCR with or without analysis of Romanowsky–Giemsa and acridine orange–stained blood smears [20,57]. Prior work on bats has relied on PCR only but either with blood preserved in EDTA or with spleen, liver, or heart tissues [16,17,19].…”

Haemoplasmas in wild rodents: Routes of transmission and infection dynamics

“…Their pathogenicity can range, depending on the haemoplasma and mammalian host species, from acutely lifethreatening haemolytic anaemia to chronic infection with no apparent clinical manifestation (Henry, 1979;Hoelzle, Adelt, Hoelzle, Heinritzi, & Wittenbrink, 2003;Strait, Hawkins, & Wilson, 2012;Tasker et al, 2009b). Haemoplasmas are also common in wild animals, infecting a range of mammalian hosts at various prevalence levels, ranging from 3% to 97% (Bajer et al, 2014;Boes et al, 2012;Iso et al, 2013;Mascarelli et al, 2015;Millan, Lopez-Roig, Delicado, Serra-Cobo, & Esperon, 2015;Santos et al, 2013;Sashida, Suzuki, Rokuhara, Nagai, & Harasawa, 2014;Sashida et al, 2013;Sharifiyazdi, Nazifi, Aski, & Shayegh, 2014;Volokhov, Hwang, Chizhikov, Danaceau, & Gottdenker, 2017;Willi et al, 2007c). However, to date, experimental studies and long-term surveys have all been conducted with only a few target haemoplasma species of veterinary importance (e.g., Mycoplasma parvum, M. suis, "Ca.…”