Detecção molecular de Anaplasma spp. em gatos domésticos

Abstract

Epidemiological studies of tick-borne agents are more frequently described in dogs compared to cats. Anaplasma spp. is one of the main causes of vector-borne diseases, these agents are Gram-negative bacteria from the Anaplasmataceae family, which is made up of species such as A. phagocytophilum, A. marginale, A. bovis, A. centrale, A. ovis and A. platys. They are responsible for infecting blood cells such as erythrocytes, platelets and leukocytes of vertebrates, being capable of forming morulas inside the infected cells. The pathogenesis of anaplasmosis is best understood in relation to the species A. phagocytophilum, especially in dogs, but it can affect horses, ruminants, cats and even humans. In general, the agents are transmitted by the bite of ticks belonging to the genus Ixodes or Rhipicephalus sanguineus, which are among the main vectors of the disease. Its clinical signs are non-specific, as anorexia, lethargy, fever, dehydration and anemia are found in symptomatic hosts, however asymptomatic cases can occur, where the animal is a carrier and can transmit it even if it does not present clinical manifestations. The diagnosis of the disease can be direct or indirect, but molecular methods have greater sensitivity in detecting the agent. Therefore, this study sought to report the occurrence of Anaplasma spp. in domestic cats using PCR, however, it showed negativity in the tested samples. Therefore, an epidemiological analysis was carried out regarding sex, race, age and status for some infectious diseases, as well as theorizing about the possible reasons why the samples were negative.