Molecular Detection of Novel Genetic Variants Associated to Anaplasma ovis among Dromedary Camels in Iran

To the best of our knowledge, little information is available regarding the presence of Anaplasma species in camels in Iran. This study sought to investigate the presence of Anaplasma species by microscopy and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays in 100 healthy dromedaries (Camelus dromedarius) arriving for slaughter. The microscopic examination of Giemsa-stained blood films revealed that Anaplasma like structures could be identified in the erythrocytes of two blood smears. To confirm the presence of and to identify the species of Anaplasma spp., a PCR technique was performed using primers amplifying a 750 bp fragment of the 16S rRNA gene of Anaplasma and the PCR products were analyzed by sequencing. The nucleotide sequence was compared to the sequences available in GenBank using the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST). According to the results, the sequences of two 16S rRNA PCR products clearly fit within the Anaplasma genus in the family Anaplas mataceae. In this study, phylogenetic analysis using the 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that two sequences obtained from monophyletic clusters included Anaplasma ovis (A. ovis). The obtained sequences had 99.6-100% similarity with previously published 16S rRNA gene sequences. This study aimed to evaluate the presence of novel genetic variants associated to A. ovis in dromedaries in the world. Further studies are recommended to establish the vector(s), as well as the veterinary and medical significance of these apparently novel variants in Iran.To the best of our knowledge, little information is available regarding the presence of Anaplasma species in camels in Iran. This study sought to investigate the presence of Anaplasma species by microscopy and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays in 100 healthy dromedaries (Camelus dromedarius) arriving for slaughter. The microscopic examination of Giemsa-stained blood films revealed that Anaplasma like structures could be identified in the erythrocytes of two blood smears. To confirm the presence of and to identify the species of Anaplasma spp., a PCR technique was performed using primers amplifying a 750 bp fragment of the 16S rRNA gene of Anaplasma and the PCR products were analyzed by sequencing. The nucleotide sequence was compared to the sequences available in GenBank using the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST). According to the results, the sequences of two 16S rRNA PCR products clearly fit within the Anaplasma genus in the family Anaplas mataceae. In this study, phylogenetic analysis using the 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that two sequences obtained from monophyletic clusters included Anaplasma ovis (A. ovis). The obtained sequences had 99.6-100% similarity with previously published 16S rRNA gene sequences. This study aimed to evaluate the presence of novel genetic variants associated to A. ovis in dromedaries in the world. Further studies are recommended to establish the vector(s), as well as the veterinary and medical significance of these apparently novel variants in Iran.