Utvrđivanje prisutnosti bakterije Anaplasma Phagocytophilum u populaciji mišolikiih glodavaca

Anaplasmosis is an infectious disease caused by bacteria from the genus Anaplasma. A. phagocytophilum is the cause of equine anaplasmosis, ruminant tick fever, canine and feline granulocytic anaplasmosis, and human granulocytic anaplasmosis. Deer and wild rodents are natural reservoirs of A. phagocytophilum, and in addition, rodents are also host tick development stages. The aim of this study was to determine the presence of A. phagocytophilum in a wild rodent population. Spleen tissue samples were examined by nested polymerase chain reaction and positive results were found in 15% of the samples. For the purpose of confirming the determination of A. phagocytophilum by EC9/EC12a and SSAP2f/SSAP2r primers used in this study, five positive samples were randomly selected and sent for sequencing. The sequences were analyzed by a BLAST program that determined 100% identity with Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis, a bacterial species belonging to the family Anaplasmataceae,. The results of this preliminary study showed that without sequencing all positive samples and using different primer sets the presence of A. phagocytophilum could not be determined. In certain animal species in certain geographic area there is a possibility of cross-reactions occurring with other bacterial species in the family Anaplasmataceae.