Novel Anaplasma (Rickettsiales: Anaplasmataceae) strain and Hepatozoon sp. cf. H. procyonis (Apicomplexa, Hepatozoidae) detected in Procyon cancrivorus (Carnivora, Procyonidae) from Argentina, with note of tick-host association

AbstractThe aim of this work is to report the first detection ofProcyon cancrivorus naturally co-infected withHepatozoon sp. cf.H. procyonis and a novelAnaplasma strain from South America and potential vector tick species associated. On August 30, 2016, a specimen ofP. cancrivorus was found dead on the route in Chaco province, Argentina. A tick and a blood sample by cardiac puncture was collected from the specimen. DNA was extracted from blood sample and the tick was morphological identity as a female ofAmblyomma ovale. Molecular detection of Anaplasmataceae family andHepatozoon spp. agents was performed targeting two different loci: 16  S rRNA and 18 S rRNA gene. The phylogenetic analyses show that theAnaplasma sp. strain detected inP. cancrivorus in this study is similar toAnaplasma sp. strains previously detected inNasua nasua andA. ovale from Brazil. Furthermore,Hepatozoon sp. of theH. procyonis group was amplified that is phylogenetically closely related toH. procyonis reported inN. nasua from Brazil. Since it was not exactly the same as the latter, it was decided to name atHepatozoon sp. cf.H. procyonis. It is possible that, this potential new species ofAnaplasma would be specific for Procyonidae family and there are two species ofHepatozoon linked to this family in South America. These results added to other published studies suggest thatA. ovale could be a potential vector both for the new potential strain ofAnaplasma and for theHepatazoon sp. of theH. procyonis gro...
Source: Veterinary Research Communications - Category: Veterinary Research Source Type: research