Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Mycoplasma infections in dogs from Cuba and related risk factors
By Roblejo-Arias, Lisset et al.·Published in Acta tropica·2022·Department of Clinical Diagnostics and Services·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: First molecular evidence of Mycoplasma haemocanis and 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haematoparvum' infections and its association with epidemiological factors in dogs from Cuba.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that nearly 18% of dogs tested in Cuba had infections from two types of bacteria called Mycoplasma haemocanis and 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haematoparvum', which can cause anemia, especially in dogs with weakened immune systems. The researchers examined blood samples from 391 dogs and discovered that tick infestations, crossbreeding, and living in kennels were linked to these infections. However, they did not find a direct connection between these infections and the presence of anemia in the dogs. This research is the first to provide molecular evidence of these infections in dogs in Cuba.
People also search for: dog anemia symptoms · Mycoplasma haemocanis treatment · tick-borne diseases in dogs
Abstract
Haemotrophic mycoplasmas (haemoplasmas) are unculturable, epicellular, cell wall-less gram-negative bacteria distributed worldwide, which infect several mammalian species. In dogs, Mycoplasma haemocanis and 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haematoparvum' have been reported as causative agents of infectious anaemia, especially in splenectomised or immunocompromised animals. The present cross-sectional study aims to assess the prevalence, risk factors, and molecular characterization of canine haemoplasmas in Cuba. A total of 391 dog blood samples and 247 tick samples were tested for the presence of canine haemoplasmas by species-specific quantitative TaqMan® real-time PCR assays. Overall, 17.9% (70/391; 95% CI: 14.1-21.7) blood samples were PCR-positive for at least one canine haemoplasmas species, where 15.1% (59/391; 95% CI: 11.5-18.7) for Mycoplasma haemocanis, 4.4% (17/391; 95% CI: 2.3-6.4) for 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haematoparvum', and 1.5% (6/391; 95% CI: 0.3-2.8) were co-infected. All collected ticks were identified morphologically as Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato, and none of the tested tick samples was found PCR-positive for the presence of Mycoplasma haemocanis and 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haematoparvum'. Risk factors for canine haemoplasmas species infection included the presence of tick infestation, crossbreeding and living in kennels, while no association was found with the occurrence of anaemia. Phylogenetic analyses based on the 16S rRNA gene sequences of Mycoplasma haemocanis and 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haematoparvum' revealed >99% identity to other isolates distributed worldwide, indicating low genetic variability amongst these canine haemoplasmas species. To the best of the authors´ knowledge, this is the first molecular evidence of Mycoplasma haemocanis and 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haematoparvum' infections in dogs from Cuba.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35063415/