Molecular Detection of Anaplasma bovis in Cattle from Central Part of Iran

Anaplasma bovis is a leukocytotropic agent of bovine anaplasmosis and there is no available information about molecular study on this agent in cattle of Iran. In this study a total 150 cattle blood samples were collected from central part of Iran. The presence of A. bovis examined using light microscopic detection and species-specific nested polymerase chain reaction (nested-PCR) based on 16S rRNA gene. Of the 150 cattle, 4 (2.66 %) was positive for A. bovis by nested-PCR. These data is the first A. bovis DNA presence in cattle from central part of Iran

A review on Anaplasma phagocytophilum as a zoonotic agent: review article

Anaplasma phagocytophilum is a gram-negative intracellular bacterium that transmitted by hard ticks. A. phagocytophilum infect and multiply in the organs of ticks, in particular the salivary glands which enable the transmission to vertebrate hosts during feeding. The tick becomes infected by feeding on an infected host and there is transstadial but not transovarial passage of the organism. The majority of ticks are infected with the organism in enzootic areas. There are strains of A. phagocytophilum that have biological and ecological difference, including variations in host pathogenicity, vectors and geographical distribution. The organism has an interesting feature to grow in neutrophils by stopping the antibacterial activity of neutrophils. The bacterium is able to survive in the immune host, using complex mechanisms of antigenic variation. A. phagocytophilum infects humans and various animal species including dogs, sheep, cows, horses, wild deer and rodents. The disease is known as human granulocytic anaplasmosis in humans, canine granulocytic anaplasmosis in dogs, equine granulocytic anaplasmosis in horse and tick borne fever in ruminants. Cattle tick borne fever caused by A. phagocytophilum is characterized by high fever, reduced milk yield, inclusions in circulating neutrophils, leukopenia, abortions, reduced fertility, coughing, respiratory signs and swelling of the hind limbs. Clinical signs of human occur a week after the tick bites, the disease usually presents as an acute, sometimes fatal febrile syndrome, illness characterized by headache, chills, myalgias, arthralgia, malaise, and hematological abnormalities, such as neutropenia, lymphocytopenia, thrombocytopenia, leukopenia, and elevated hepatic aminotransferase levels and may lead to death. In this review article the history, bacteriology, epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of the disease caused by A. phagocytophilum is written based on the latest scientific findings. Several hard tick species are distributed in Iran and they are the most important ectoparasites of animals. A. phagocytophilum has been detected not only in Ixodes ricinus but also in cattle and sheep of Iran using molecular techniques. However, despite the zoonotic potential of the agent, there is no evidence in the identification of A. phagocytophilum in humans, and it seems necessary to research on the prevalence and epidemiology of the disease in the human population

Molecular Detection of Anaplasma bovis in Cattle from Central Part of Iran

Abstract Anaplasma bovis is a leukocytotropic agent of bovine anaplasmosis and there is no available information about molecular study on this agent in cattle of Iran. In this study a total 150 cattle blood samples were collected from central part of Iran. The presence of A. bovis examined using light microscopic detection and species-specific nested polymerase chain reaction (nested-PCR) based on 16S rRNA gene. Of the 150 cattle, 4 (2.66 %) was positive for A. bovis by nested-PCR. These data is the first A. bovis DNA presence in cattle from central part of Iran

Molecular Diagnostic of Anaplasma marginale in Carrier Cattle

"nBackground: Anaplasmosis belongs to the complex of several tick-borne diseases and can cause diseases in the livestock with high economical losses. Cattle that recover from acute infection become carriers and the parasite can persist most probably for the lifetime in the blood. The aim of the present study was the determination of the persistently infected cattle in a region of Iran with the previous history of acute anaplasmosis."nMethods: One hundred and fifty blood samples and corresponding blood smears of cattle without any signs of diseases were prepared from a region in Isfahan/ Iran with the previous history of acute anaplasmosis from March 2007 to July 2007 for cross sectional study of carriers of Anaplasma. The blood smears were first screened by Giemsa staining, the extracted DNA from blood cells were analyzed by Anaplasma marginale specific nested PCR, and PCR-RFLP using primers derived from 16S rRNA gene and restriction endonuclease Bst1107 I."nResults: Anaplasma like structures could be identified in the limited amount of erythrocytes of 75 blood smears. In these samples, the percentage of erythrocytes harboring Anaplasma like structures varied from 10-3% to 10-2%. Nested-PCR and PCR-RFLP analysis showed 58 A. marginale positive cases within 75 Anaplasma suspected blood samples. In 150 total blood samples, 50% were A. marinale positive."nConclusion: Our results revealed that the traditional Giemsa staining method is not applicable for the determination of the persistently infected cattle. In addition, the results showed that the carrier animals must be widespread in the Anaplasma endemic areas in Iran

Molecular Detection of Bovine Leukocytic Anaplasma Species in Isfahan, Iran

Background: A. bovis and A. phagocytophilium are leukocytotropic agents of bovine anaplasmosis. They are obligate intracellular bacteria that can infect and cause Anaplasmosis in human and animals. Therefore, this study was carried out to detect A. bovis and A. phagocytophilum in naturally infected dairy cattle in Isfahan using molecular techniques. Materials and Methods: In this study a total of 209 blood samples were collected from cattle in central part of Iran (Isfahan). The presence of A. bovis and A. phagocytophilium were examined by species-specific nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR) based on 16S rRNA gene. Results: Out of the 209 cattle examined, 4 (1.99%) and 2 (1%) were found positive for A. bovis and A. phagocytophilium by nPCR, respectively. Conclusion: These data showed a relatively low prevalence of leukocytic Anaplasma infection in cattle in central part of Iran

Serological surveillance of bluetongue virus in cattle in central Iran

The aim of this study was to evaluate the seroprevalence and distribution of antibodies to the bluetongue virus (BTV) among dairy Holstein cattle of central Iran. From September 2010 to August 2011, 892 blood samples from Holstein dairy cattle were collected from healthy animals. Blood samples were divided according to type of farm (industrial and non-industrial), season (warm and cold), location (North, South, East, and West), cattle production groups (calf, heifer, dairy and dry) and age groups (under 6 months, 6 months-2 years and over 2 years). The sera were screened using a commercially competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (c-ELISA) kit. Twenty-four sera (2.69 %) were found to be positive for BTV. Bluetongue virus seroprevalence was significantly higher (χ2 = 8.29, df = 3, p < 0.05) in cattle in southern locations as compared to those in other locations. Older animals (> 2 years) showed a relatively higher seroprevalence, but the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.06). No statistically significant difference in BTV seroprevalence was noted between farming systems, seasons and cattle production groups (p > 0.05). The results demonstrate that the seroprevalence of BTV is low in cattle from the Isfahan province, central Iran. Further studies are needed to determine the serotypes and vectors of BTV in the central region of Iran