Subclinical infections of Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Anaplasma bovis in dogs in Ibaraki, Japan

Abstract

The prevalence of Anaplasma infection in 332 dogs from Ibaraki, Japan, was evaluated by serological and molecular surveys. Immunofluorescence antibody assay (IFA) against Anaplasma phagocytophilum indicated that 7 (2.1%) of 328 dogs were positive for A. phagocytophilum. Screening PCR demonstrated that 8 (2.4%) of 331 dogs were positive for Anaplasmataceae. Phylogenetic analysis of the partial 16S rRNA sequence of PCR amplicons revealed that 6 sequences were most similar to the 16S rRNA sequence of Wolbachia sp. and the remaining 2 to Anaplasma bovis. Further analysis by A. phagocytophilum-specific nested PCR demonstrated that 1 dog infected with A. bovis was also positive for A. phagocytophilum. This is the first study to report the dual infection of a dog in Japan with A. bovis and A. phagocytophilum.