The Prevalence of Anaplasma spp. Infection in Blood Samples of Puerto Rican Cattle.

Anaplasma spp., the causative agent of Anaplasmosis in bovine species, is a rickettsial parasite that is transmitted through tick-vectors. The species of Anaplasma that are known to infect cattle are Anaplasma centrale, Anaplasma marginale, and Anaplasma phagocytophilum. Of the three, A. marginale and A. phagocytophilum infections are usually the most significant and acutely detrimental to the health and production of the cattle population. Once infected, individuals remain carriers for life. This study aims to evaluate the prevalence of the various strains of Anaplasma spp. in blood samples of Puerto Rican Cattle. Collaboration with the USDA Cattle Tick Fever Research Laboratory provided our team with extracted DNA from Puerto Rican Cattle blood samples. Using conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR), the 16S rRNA gene region was amplified from 198 cattle-DNA samples. After the samples were screened for positive Anaplasma spp., the positive amplicons were then sequenced and analyzed using the “Basic Local Alignment Search Tool” (BLAST®) for the various species. The analysis of these samples will allow for better understanding of the diversity of the parasite in the tested Puerto Rican area and may serve as a paradigm for future research that may promote ecological control of Anaplasmosis and formation of effective preventive techniqu