Anaplasma phagocytophilum in livestock and small rodents

To identify the prevalence of Anaplasma phagocytophilum in both wild rodents and domestic animals and to make clear the genetic characteristics of the agents from different animals in China, a total of 105 livestock and 159 small rodents were analyzed by real-time-PCR and sequence analysis. The prevalence rate was 6.7% (7/105) and 14.5% (23/159), respectively. The nucleotide sequences of 16S rRNA (rrs) from the positive livestock and rodents were identical to each other. The phylogenetic analysis based on partial A. phagocytophilum p44ESup1 gene revealed that A. phagocytophilum identified in this study was placed on a separate clade distinct from those in other continents. These findings indicated A. phagocytophilum in rodents might be able to infect livestock and intensified the threats of anaplasmosis to livestock in the area. Further studies on public health significance of the agent are worth investigation in future.