Abstract
<title>Abstract</title><p><italic>Anaplasma phagocytophilum</italic> is an emergent hemoparasite in regions where ticks are regularly found. In order to investigate the rate of anti-<italic>A. phagocytophilum</italic> antibody in horses of the Mounted Police of Rio de Janeiro state and therefore the presence of this agent, 41 horses from the Cavalry Squadron (CS) and 50 from the Regiment of Mounted Police (RMP) were selected. For the serologic diagnosis the Indirect Fluorescent Antibody test was performed. In the present work, among 91 equine sera samples anti-<italic>A. phagocytophilum</italic> antibodies, with titer ≥ 1:80, were detected in 11 animals (12%), being five (5%) from males and six (7%) females, with no statistical difference. The adult animals with ages varying between five and 14 years presented the highest rate of positive reaction, although antibodies were detected in animals of all ages. We did not observe statistic differences in relation to the presence of anti-<italic>A. phagocytophilum</italic> antibodies among the animals bred in the CS and RMP. The presence of anti-<italic>A.phagocytophilim</italic> antibodies in horses of the Mounted Police with no clinical signs is indicative that the parasite is present in the enzootic form among the horses of the urban area. The circulation of the parasite among the animals is not dependent of the presence of tick infestations.</p>
Highlights
Anaplasma phagocytophilum is an obligate intracellular bacterium of neutrophils in wild and domestic mammals, birds and humans[1, 2]
Anaplasma phagocytophilum should be included in the differential diagnosis in cases of suspected equine babesiosis, especially when horses exhibit clinical signs and either the protozoan is not detected in peripheral blood smears or there is no response to chemotherapy[16]
Considering that Brazil's Southeastern Region has the largest population of horses in the country due to the intensification of activities that put these animals in close contact with humans, the objectives of this study were to assess the rate of anti-A. phagocytophilum antibodies in the horses of the mounted police of Rio de Janeiro state, which are used in activities such as patrolling, classic equestrian and hippotherapy; to determine possible risks of infection by the parasite associated to breedings, and to draw attention to the importance of the detection of A. phagocytophilum
Summary
Anaplasma phagocytophilum is an obligate intracellular bacterium of neutrophils in wild and domestic mammals, birds and humans[1, 2]. Even though the disease caused by A. phagocytophilum, granulocytic anaplasmosis (GA), is considered a zoonosis, the transmission dynamics of this bacterium, which involve ticks, reservoirs and hosts, have not been extensively studied in Brazil[4, 7, 8], especially in animals that are in close contact with humans, such as horses. GA incidence in horses is poorly known and, infection by A. phagocytophilum has been frequently diagnosed as a selflimiting disease with no apparent clinical signs[10, 12, 13]. These data highlight the potential role of horses as a reservoir for this bacterium[14]. In Central America some thick species were reported as probable vectors of A. phagocytophilum, like Amblyomma cajennense, Anocentor nittens e Riphicephalus microti[22]
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