First molecular detection of hemotropic Mycoplasma spp. and molecular screening of other vector-borne pathogens in camels from the greater Cairo metropolitan area, Egypt

Abstract

In Egypt, knowledge about vector-borne bacterial pathogens in camels remains limited. To address thisgap, 181 blood samples from adult one-humped camels (Camelus dromedarius) in the greater Cairometropolitan area were collected from October 2021 to March 2022. Through PCR assays, four pathogenswere detected, where Anaplasmataceae being the most common (54.7%), followed by hemotropicMycoplasma spp. (29.3%), Rickettsia spp. (12.2%), and Coxiella burnetii (1.7%). Comparative sequenceanalysis revealed novel findings, including: 1) the identification of two distinct hemotropic Mycoplasmaspp., one closely related to bovine Mycoplasma sp. (Mycoplasma wenyonii), and the other closely relatedto porcine Mycoplasma sp. (Candidatus Mycoplasma haemosuis); and 2) the detection of Anaplasmabovis and Anaplasma phagocytophilum. Additionally, Anaplasma platys, Rickettsia africae, and Coxiellaburnetii were identified as well. It’s worth noting that these vector-borne pathogens possess zoonoticpotential, emphasizing the need for adopting a “One Health” approach in Egypt to safeguard the well-being of both humans and animals.