Molecular detection of Anaplasma marginale and Anaplasma ovis in sheep and goat in west highland pasture of Iran

Objective:To determine the prevalence of Anaplasma marginale(A.marginale) and Anaplasma ovis from sheep and goat in different highland pasture in west of Iran.Methods:From July 2015 to October 2015,370 blood samples of sheep and goat were collected from different regions in Hamedan province,Iran.The DNA extracted from blood and subsequently,16 S r RNA and MSP4 genes were analyzed by nested-PCR,semi nested-PCR and RFLP methods.Results:In the PCR assessment,overall 27.5%(102/370) of sheep and goat were positive for Anaplasma ovis and A.marginale infection,which was lower than reports from tropical and subtropical regions of Iran.Statistical analysis(the Chi-square test) did not show any significant relation between infection and variables such as location,tick infestation age and sex(P > 0.05).No significant correlation between the altitude and the Anaplasma species infection was found(Mann–Whitney test:P > 0.05).However,Anaplasma infection in goat significantly is more than the sheep(P = 0.008).Conclusions:The ecological changes affect the frequency and distribution of Anaplasma species.Furthermore,our results indicate that sheep as potential reservoirs of A.marginale.