Molecular Characterization of Anaplasma spp. among Dairy, Cashmere, and Meat Goats in Shaanxi Province, Northwestern China

Simple Summary Anaplasmosis is an important tick-borne disease caused by Anaplasma spp., significantly threating public health safety and breeding industry. The present study reported the occurrence of Anaplasma infection among dairy, cashmere, and meat goats in Shaanxi province, northwestern China, with the total prevalence of 58.5% (298/509) in goats. Anaplasma phagocytophilum, A. bovis, and A. ovis were the dominant species in meat, dairy, and cashmere goats, respectively, with the absence of A. ovis in meat goats. Furthermore, the different influencing factors (production categories, species, regions, and ages) were analyzed, and statistically significant differences were found. Frequent occurrence of Anaplasma in this study indicated One Health-based intervention approaches were urgently needed to block the transmission between humans and animals. Anaplasma spp. are important tick-borne pathogens endangering the health of humans and various animals. Although several studies have reported Anaplasma infection in livestock in China, little is known about the impact of production categories on the occurrence of Anaplasma species. In the present study, PCR tools targeting the 16S rRNA and msp4 genes were applied to investigate the prevalence of Anaplasma spp. in 509 blood samples of dairy (n = 249), cashmere (n = 139), and meat (n = 121) goats from Shaanxi province. The prevalence of Anaplasma spp. was 58.5% (298/509) in goats, and significant differences (p < 0.001) were identified in the prevalence among production categories, with the highest in meat goats (84.3%, 102/121), followed by cashmere goats (58.3%, 81/139) and dairy goats (46.2%, 115/249). Significant differences (p < 0.001) in prevalence were also found among sampling sites and age groups. Meanwhile, the prevalence was 36.9% (188/509) for A. phagocytophilum, 36.1% (184/509) for A. bovis, and 11.0% (56/509) for A. ovis, and significant differences (p < 0.001) in prevalence of A. phagocytophilum, A. bovis and A. ovis were recognized among production categories and sampling sites. A. phagocytophilum, A. bovis and A. ovis were dominant species in meat, dairy, and cashmere goats, respectively, and A. ovis was absent in meat goats. Co-infections were found in 124 (24.4%) investigated samples. Goats aged < 2, 3-6, and 7-12 months, and goats from Qingjian and Zhenba were risk factors associated with the occurrence of Anaplasma. Phylogenetic analysis indicated separate clades for the distribution of A. phagocytophilum from different ruminant, reflecting potential host adaption within this species. This study reported the colonization occurrence of Anaplasma spp. among production categories in goats in Shaanxi province and enriched our knowledge on the transmission of Anaplasma spp. in goats in China. Considering the existence of zoonotic A. phagocytophilum in goats in this study and previous reports, interventions based on One Health are needed to be developed to control the transmission of Anaplasma spp. between humans and animals.

Automated summary

The study in Shaanxi province, northwestern China, reported the occurrence of Anaplasma infection among dairy, cashmere, and meat goats, and identified significant differences in prevalence among production categories, species, regions, and ages. The findings emphasized the urgent need for One Health-based intervention approaches to block the transmission between humans and animals.