Prevalence of Anaplasma and Ehrlichia Infection with Molecular Characterization of Anaplasma Species in Cattle from Northeastern Anatolia, Türkiye

OpenAlex İngilizce

This study aimed to molecularly identify and characterize Anaplasma species and detect Ehrlichia species in cattle from Kars, Ardahan, and Iğdır provinces.Blood samples from 1000 clinically healthy cattle were analyzed using PCR and Reverse Line Blotting (RLB) techniques.The prevalence of Anaplasma and Ehrlichia spp.and their association with age, sex, and breed were evaluated using the "prevalence" package (version 0.2.0) and Pearson's chi-square test.The results revealed that only Anaplasma species (36.6%) were detected, whereas Ehrlichia spp.were not found in any of the samples.The species distribution was as follows: A. marginale (17.9%), A. phagocytophilum (14.0%), and A. bovis (4.2%).Mixed infections were observed in 1.37% of the cases.Anaplasma marginale was most frequently detected in Kars (23.60%) and Iğdır (10.66%), while A. phagocytophilum was most prevalent in Ardahan (23.28%).Sequence analysis of A. marginale, A. phagocytophilum, and A. bovis isolates showed 100% identity with previously published sequences in GenBank.In conclusion, the detection of A. marginale, A. phagocytophilum, and A. bovis in cattle demonstrates that the ecological and epidemiological conditions in Northeastern Anatolia are favorable for the circulation of these pathogens.The high prevalence of A. marginale underscores its potential impact on regional livestock health.Anaplasma phagocytophilum may represent a threat not only to cattle but also to public health in the region.