Human-pathogenic Anaplasma spp., and Rickettsia spp. in animals in Xi'an, China

PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2018 Nov 12;12(11):e0006916. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0006916. eCollection 2018 Nov.

Abstract

In China, thirteen species of tick-borne rickettsiales bacteria pathogenic to human have been reported in ticks and host animals, and human patients caused by them also has been identified. However, investigation for rickettsiales bacteria circulating in Xi'an wasn't performed although diseases resembling human diseases caused by these organisms have been found. In this study, domestic animals and ticks in Xi'an, China, were tested for the presence of rickettsiales bacteria pathogenic to humans. Besides A. ovis, a high prevalence of A. capra was observed suggesting a high public health risk exists. In addition, two novel Anaplasma species closely related to A. phagocytophilum were identified and formed distinct lineages in the phylogenetic trees, with more than 98.3% identities for rrs gene, while divergences up to 20.2% and 37.0% for groEL and gltA genes, respectively. Both of these two novel Anaplasma species were found to circulate in goats and further assessment of their pathogenicity is needed. Ca. R. jingxinensis, with potential pathogenicity, was also detected in H. longicomis ticks with high prevalence. However, other causative agents were not identified although they were distributed in other areas of China.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Anaplasma / genetics
  • Anaplasma / isolation & purification*
  • Anaplasma / pathogenicity
  • Anaplasmosis / blood
  • Anaplasmosis / epidemiology*
  • Animals
  • Animals, Domestic / microbiology
  • Asymptomatic Infections / epidemiology
  • Cattle
  • Chaperonin 60 / genetics
  • China / epidemiology
  • Citrate (si)-Synthase / genetics
  • DNA, Bacterial / genetics
  • Goats / microbiology
  • Humans
  • Phylogeny
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction / veterinary
  • Rickettsia / genetics
  • Rickettsia / isolation & purification*
  • Rickettsia / pathogenicity
  • Rickettsia Infections / blood
  • Rickettsia Infections / epidemiology
  • Rickettsia Infections / veterinary*
  • Sheep / microbiology
  • Tick Infestations / epidemiology
  • Tick Infestations / microbiology
  • Tick Infestations / veterinary*
  • Ticks / microbiology

Substances

  • Chaperonin 60
  • DNA, Bacterial
  • Citrate (si)-Synthase

Grants and funding

This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant 31700159) and Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities. The funders had no role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or the preparation of the manuscript.