Use of pan-hemoplasma PCR for screening horses highly exposed to tick bites from southern Brazil

Abstract

Mycoplasma sp. are hemotropic bacteria of red blood cells and the causative agent of hemoplasmosis. Diagnosis of infection is reached by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and real-time PCR (qPCR) of the 16S RNA gene of this bacteria. The aim of this study was to screen horses for Mycoplasma sp. infection using a pan-hemoplasma SYBR green qPCR assay. A total of 198 blood samples from horses were collected, DNA extracted and pan-hemoplasma qPCR performed. All samples were negative by qPCR. To verify the presence of amplifiable DNA, PCR for glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene was performed on all samples. This study was part of an active surveillance program, which is critical for monitoring animal health status, particularly in horses.