PCR detection of Anaplasma phagocytophilum in stray dogs in Batman, Turkey

Abstract

Anaplasma phagocytophilum causes high-grade fever in humans, ruminants, horses, cats, and dogs. A. phagocytophilum, which causes granulocytic anaplasmosis in dogs, has a wide geographical distribution in the world, but there are not many studies on the Anaplasma species in dogs in Turkey. A. phagocytophilum, which infects leukocytes in dog, might also be zoonotic. This study aimed to investigate the A. phagocytophilum prevalence in stray dogs in Batman province of Turkey using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) technique. Blood samples were drawn into EDTA tubes from the venae cephalica antebrachii of randomly selected 97 asymptomatic dogs in total. Identification of A. phagocytophilum was carried out using the conventional PCR method that was conducted by using the DNAs obtained from the samples. A. phagocytophilum prevalence was found to be 3.1% in the examined blood samples. In conclusion, infection of dogs in Batman province with A. phagocytophilum has been revealed molecularly for the first time with this study. It is considered that detection of this species, which can cause disease (Human granulocytic anaplasmosis) in humans as well, has contributed epidemiologically to the data on the spread of the disease throughout Turkey. Moreover, investigating the tick species that transmit the disease in the region where the study was conducted is important for developing effective control strategies against the disease.