Chadi Hafidha, Moraga-Fernández Alberto, Sánchez-Sánchez Marta, Chenchouni Haroun, Fernández de Mera Isabel G, Garigliany Mutien-Marie, de la Fuente José, Tennah Safia, Sedrati Tahar, Ghalmi Farida
Research Laboratory Management of Local Animal Resources, Higher National Veterinary School (ENSV), El Harrach, Algiers 16004, Algeria; Department of Applied Biology, Faculty of Exact Sciences and Nature and Life Sciences, University of Echahid Cheikh Larbi Tebessi, Tebessa 12000, Algeria.
SaBio, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM)-Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha (JCCM), Ronda de Toledo 12, Ciudad Real 13005, Spain.
Acta Trop. 2024 Jan;249:107040. doi: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2023.107040. Epub 2023 Oct 13.
Anaplasma species are obligate intracellular rickettsial pathogens that cause significant diseases in animals and humans. Despite their importance, limited information on Anaplasma infections in Algeria has been published thus far. This study aimed to assess the infection rate, characterize Anaplasma species, and identify associated risk factors in selected sheep farms across Oum El Bouaghi region in Algeria. In 2018, we collected 417 blood samples from sheep (Ovis aries) and performed molecular characterization of Anaplasma species infecting these animals. This characterization involved the use of 16S rRNA, msp2, rpoB, and msp5 genes, which were analyzed through nested PCR, qPCR, cPCR, DNA sequencing, and subsequent phylogenetic analysis. Our findings revealed infection rates of 12.7 % for Anaplasma species detected, with Anaplasma ovis at 10.8 %, Anaplasma marginale at 1.7 %, and Anaplasma platys at 0.2 %. Interestingly, all tested animals were found negative for Anaplasma phagocytophilum. Statistical analyses, including the Chi-square test and Fisher exact test, failed to establish any significant relationships (p > 0.05) between A. ovis and A. platys infections and variables such as age, sex, sampling season, and tick infestation level. However, A. marginale infection exhibited a significant association with age (p < 0.05), with a higher incidence observed in lambs (5.2 %) compared to other age groups. Remarkably, this study represents the first molecular detection of A. platys and A. marginale in Algerian sheep. These findings suggest that Algerian sheep may serve as potential reservoirs for these pathogens. This research contributes valuable insights into the prevalence and characteristics of Anaplasma infections in Algerian sheep populations, emphasizing the need for further investigation and enhanced surveillance to better understand and manage these diseases.
无形体属是专性细胞内立克次氏体病原体，可在动物和人类中引发严重疾病。尽管其具有重要性，但迄今为止，关于阿尔及利亚无形体感染的信息有限。本研究旨在评估感染率，鉴定无形体种类，并确定阿尔及利亚乌姆布阿吉地区选定养羊场中的相关危险因素。2018年，我们从绵羊（ovis aries）采集了417份血样，并对感染这些动物的无形体种类进行了分子特征分析。这种特征分析涉及使用16S rRNA、msp2、rpoB和msp5基因，通过巢式PCR、qPCR、cPCR、DNA测序及后续系统发育分析进行分析。我们的研究结果显示，检测到的无形体种类感染率为12.7%，其中绵羊无形体为10.8%，边缘无形体为1.7%，血小板无形体为0.2%。有趣的是，所有受试动物的嗜吞噬细胞无形体检测均为阴性。包括卡方检验和费舍尔精确检验在内的统计分析未能在绵羊无形体和血小板无形体感染与年龄、性别、采样季节和蜱虫感染水平等变量之间建立任何显著关系（p>0.05）。然而，边缘无形体感染与年龄呈现显著相关性（p<0.05），与其他年龄组相比，羔羊中的发病率更高（5.2%）。值得注意的是，本研究是阿尔及利亚绵羊中血小板无形体和边缘无形体的首次分子检测。这些发现表明，阿尔及利亚绵羊可能是这些病原体的潜在宿主。本研究为阿尔及利亚绵羊群体中无形体感染的流行情况和特征提供了有价值的见解，强调需要进一步调查和加强监测，以更好地了解和管理这些疾病。
