First Molecular Detection and Characterization of Hemotropic Mycoplasma Species in Cattle and Goats from Uganda
Benedicto Byamukama, Maria Agnes Tumwebaze, Dickson Stuart Tayebwa, Joseph Byaruhanga, Martin Kamilo Angwe, Jixu Li, Eloiza May Galon, Mingming Liu, Yongchang Li, Shengwei Ji, Paul Frank Adjou Moumouni, Aaron Edmond Ringo, Seung‐Hun Lee, Patrick Vudriko, Xuenan Xuan
Abstract
Hemoplasmas (hemotropic mycoplasmas) are small pleomorphic bacteria that parasitize the surface of red blood cells of several mammalian species including cattle, goats, and humans, causing infectious anemia. However, studies on hemoplasmas have been neglected and to date, there are no studies on bovine and caprine hemoplasmas in Uganda or the entire East African region. In this study, a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay targeting the 16S rRNA gene was used to investigate the presence of hemoplasma in 409 samples (cattle = 208; goats = 201) collected from Kasese district, western Uganda. Results showed that 32.2% (67/208) of cattle samples and 43.8% (88/201) of goat samples were positive for hemoplasmas. Sequencing analysis identified Candidatus Mycoplasma haemobos and Mycoplasma wenyonii in cattle, while Candidatus Mycoplasma erythrocervae and Mycoplasma ovis were identified in goats. Statistical analysis showed that goats were at a higher risk of infection with hemoplasmas compared with cattle. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first molecular evidence of hemoplasmas in bovine and caprine animals in Uganda and the entire east African region.