AUTHOR=Shi Ke , Li Junqiang , Yan Yaqun , Chen Qian , Wang Kunlun , Zhou Yongchun , Li Dongfang , Chen Yuancai , Yu Fuchang , Peng Yongshuai , Zhang Longxian , Ning Changshen 

TITLE=Dogs as New Hosts for the Emerging Zoonotic Pathogen Anaplasma capra in China

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology

VOLUME=9

YEAR=2019

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cellular-and-infection-microbiology/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2019.00394

DOI=10.3389/fcimb.2019.00394

ISSN=2235-2988

ABSTRACT=<p><italic>Anaplasma capra</italic> is an emerging zoonotic tick-borne pathogen with a broad host range, including many mammals. Dogs have close physical interactions with humans and regular contact with the external environment. Moreover, they have been previously reported to be hosts of <italic>Anaplasma phagocytophilum, A. platys, A. ovis</italic>, and <italic>A. bovis</italic>. To confirm whether dogs are also hosts of <italic>A. capra</italic>, pathogen DNA was extracted from blood samples of 521 dogs, followed by PCR amplification of the citrate synthase (<italic>gltA</italic>) gene, heat shock protein (<italic>groEL</italic>) gene, and major surface protein 4 (<italic>msp4</italic>) gene of the <italic>A. capra</italic>. A total of 12.1% (63/521) of blood samples were shown to be <italic>A. capra</italic>-positive by PCR screening. No significant differences were observed between genders (<italic>P</italic> = 0.578) or types (<italic>P</italic> = 0.154) of dogs with <italic>A. capra</italic> infections. However, significantly higher <italic>A. capra</italic> infections occurred in dogs with regular contact with vegetation (<italic>P</italic> = 0.002), those aged over 10 years (<italic>P</italic> = 0.040), and during the summer season (<italic>P</italic> = 0.006). Phylogenetic analysis based on <italic>gltA, groEL</italic>, and <italic>msp4</italic> sequences demonstrated that the isolates obtained in this study were clustered within the <italic>A. capra</italic> clade, and were distinct from other <italic>Anaplasma</italic> species. In conclusion, dogs were shown to be a host of the human pathogenic <italic>A. capra</italic>. Considering the affinity between dogs and humans and the zoonotic tick-borne nature of <italic>A. capra</italic>, dogs should be carefully monitored for the presence of <italic>A. capra</italic>.</p>