Alvi Mughees Aizaz, Javaid Talha, Yameen Abu Bakar, Asghar Fakiha, Ali Aliza, Zaheer Iqra, Fadladdin Yousef Abdal Jalil, Yan Hong-Bin, Jia Wan-Zhong, Saqib Muhammad, Li Li
State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, College of Veterinary Medicine, Lanzhou University, Gansu Province Research Center for Basic Disciplines of Pathogen Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology and Key Laboratory of Ruminant Disease Prevention and Control (West), Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Affairs, National Para-reference Laboratory for Animal Echinococcosis, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou 730046, P.R. China; Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan.
Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan.
Acta Trop. 2025 Jun 16:107700. doi: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107700.
Tick-borne pathogens of the genera Anaplasma and Ehrlichia pose notable threat to animal and human health worldwide, contributing to substantial economic and public health losses. These obligate intracellular bacteria, transmitted via tick vectors, infect several mammalian hosts, including ruminants, canines, and humans. In Pakistan, the prevalence and genetic diversity of these pathogens remain insufficiently studied despite the diverse agro-climatic conditions and extensive livestock populations of the country. In this study, molecular characterization of Anaplasma and Ehrlichia species from cattle, goats, and dogs across three major livestock-rearing regions in Pakistan: Faisalabad, Islamabad, and Okara was investigated. During April 2024, a total of 33 cattle, 80 goats, and 150 dogs blood samples were collected and analyzed through 16S rRNA gene amplification. Of the collected 67 samples were PCR positive and were sent for sequencing to conduct molecular analyses. The results showed that Anaplasma ovis (46 isolates), Anaplasma marginale (10 isolates), Anaplasma platys (6 isolates), Candidatus Anaplasma camelli (1 isolate), and Ehrlichia canis (4 isolates) were identified. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed that Pakistani isolates clustered closely with reference strains from Asia, Africa, and Europe, suggesting possible transboundary or intercontinental spread of these pathogens. Genetic diversity analysis indicated moderate haplotype diversity (Hd = 0.602) and low nucleotide diversity (π = 0.01718). Thus, this study highlights the need for continuous molecular surveillance of Anaplasma and Ehrlichia species to assess their genetic variability and zoonotic potential. It also provides crucial data to help understand tick-borne pathogens in Pakistan and informs policy-making for effective disease management in livestock and public health sectors.
无形体属（Anaplasma）和埃立克体属（Ehrlichia）的蜱传病原体对全球动物和人类健康构成重大威胁，造成了巨大的经济和公共卫生损失。这些专性细胞内细菌通过蜱虫媒介传播，感染包括反刍动物、犬类和人类在内的多种哺乳动物宿主。在巴基斯坦，尽管该国农业气候条件多样且牲畜数量众多，但对这些病原体的流行情况和遗传多样性仍研究不足。在本研究中，对来自巴基斯坦三个主要牲畜养殖地区（费萨拉巴德、伊斯兰堡和奥卡拉）的牛、山羊和犬的无形体属和埃立克体属物种进行了分子特征分析。2024年4月期间，共采集了33份牛血样、80份山羊血样和150份犬血样，并通过16S rRNA基因扩增进行分析。在采集的样本中，67份PCR呈阳性，并送去测序以进行分子分析。结果显示，鉴定出了绵羊无形体（46株分离株）、边缘无形体（10株分离株）、血小板无形体（6株分离株）、嗜吞噬细胞无形体（1株分离株）和犬埃立克体（4株分离株）。系统发育分析证实，巴基斯坦分离株与来自亚洲、非洲和欧洲的参考菌株紧密聚类，表明这些病原体可能存在跨界或洲际传播。遗传多样性分析表明单倍型多样性中等（Hd = 0.602），核苷酸多样性较低（π = 0.01718）。因此，本研究强调了对无形体属和埃立克体属物种进行持续分子监测以评估其遗传变异性和人畜共患病潜力的必要性。它还提供了关键数据，有助于了解巴基斯坦的蜱传病原体，并为牲畜和公共卫生部门有效疾病管理的决策提供信息。
