Unravelling the diversity of species circulating in selected African wildlife hosts by targeted 16S microbiome analysis.

Organisms in the genus are obligate intracellular alphaproteobacteria. Bovine anaplasmosis, predominantly caused by , is the most prevalent tick-borne disease (TBD) of cattle worldwide. Other species are known to cause disease; these include in dogs, in goats and humans, and in humans. The rapid advancement of next-generation sequencing technologies has led to the discovery of many novel sequences ascribed to the genus , with over 20 putative new species being proposed since the last formal organization of the genus. Most 16S rRNA gene surveys for were conducted on cattle and to a lesser extent on rodents, dogs, and ticks. Little is known about the occurrence, diversity, or impact of species circulating in wildlife species. Therefore, we conducted a 16S rRNA gene survey with the goal of identifying species in a variety of wildlife species in the Kruger National Park and neighbouring game reserves, using an unbiased 16S rRNA gene microbiome approach. An /-group specific quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) assay revealed the presence of and/or species in 70.0% (21/30) of African buffalo, 86.7% (26/30) of impala, 36.7% (11/30) of greater kudu, 3.2% (1/31) of African wild dog, 40.6% (13/32) of Burchell's zebra, 43.3% (13/30) of warthog, 22.6% (7/31) of spotted hyena, 40.0% (12/30) of leopard, 17.6% (6/34) of lion, 16.7% (5/30) of African elephant and 8.6% (3/35) of white rhinoceros samples. Microbiome sequencing data from the qPCR positive samples revealed four 16S rRNA sequences identical to previously published sequences, as well as nine novel 16S genotypes. Our results reveal a greater diversity of putative species circulating in wildlife than currently classified within the genus. Our findings highlight a potential expansion of the host range and the need for more genetic information from other important genes or genome sequencing of putative novel species for correct classification and further assessment of their occurrence in wildlife, livestock and companion animals.