Objective: To study the prevalence of Anaplasmosis among human, domestic sheep and tick population in Heshuo area, southern Xinjiang and to investigate the diversity of Anaplasma species.
Methods: Ticks were captured from wild field and blood samples were collected from healthy residents and their domestic sheep. Indirect fluorescent assay was carried out to determine the presence of Anaplasma specific IgG antibodies in blood sample of human and goats, respectively. Nested PCR and sequence alignment of Anaplasma partial 16S rDNA were used to investigate the diversity of Anaplasma species.
Results: 43.31% (55/127) of human beings and 27.50% (55/200) of the goats were found positive for Anaplasma specific IgG. In total, 367 ticks were captured, including 3 genus and 4 species, which mainly consisting of dominate Hyalomma (H.) asiaticum (47.41%) and Rhipicephalus (R.) pumilio (37.60%). 5.00% (18/360) of the questing ticks and 4.49% (7/156) of the goat blood samples were found to have had 16S rDNA, representing Anaplasma sp. by nested PCR, but none was found from human beings. Results from sequential alignment revealed that the positive amplicons were identified to be Anaplasma phagocytophilum (99.2% GU046565, 99.5% GU064897 and 99.5% AB196721) and Anaplasma central (99.2% GU064903).
Conclusion: Human and zoonotic anaplasmosis, which were probably transmitted by H. asiaticum and R. pumilio, were co-circulating in the desert landscape of Heshuo area, Xinjiang.