Occurrence and molecular characterization of hemoplasmas in domestic dogs and wild mammals in a Brazilian wetland

Abstract

Hemotropic mycoplasmas are known to cause anemia in several mammalian species. The present work aimed to investigate the occurrence of Mycoplasma spp. in wild mammals, domestic dogs and their respective ectoparasites, in southern Pantanal region, central-western Brazil. Between August 2013 and March 2015, 31 Nasua nasua, 78 Cerdocyon thous, seven Leopardus pardalis, 42 dogs, 110 wild rodents, and 30 marsupials were trapped and ectoparasites (ticks and fleas) found parasitizing the animals were collected. Mammals and ectoparasites DNA samples were submitted to conventional PCR assays for Mycoplasma spp. targeting 16S rRNA and RnaseP genes. Twenty-four N. nasua, three C. thous, two domestic dogs, one L. pardalis and one wild rodent were positive for 16S rRNA PCR protocols. Fourteen N. nasua samples were also positive in RnaseP PCR. No marsupial or arthropod showed positivity for Mycoplasma spp. The phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene showed that all sequences obtained from dogs, two sequences obtained from C. thous and ten sequences obtained from N. nasua showed to be closely related to Mycoplasma haemocanis/Mycoplasma haemofelis species. Genotypes closely related to ‘Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum' and Mycoplasma haemomuris were detected in the L. pardalis and in the wild rodent, respectively. Probably a novel Mycoplasma genotype, closely related to a sequence obtained from a Brazilian capybara was detected in 14 N. nasua, based on a concatenated phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA and RnaseP genes. The present study revealed that wild animals in southern Pantanal region, Brazil, are exposed to different species of hemoplasmas.