# Molecular Investigation of Anaplasma spp. and Genotype Profile of A. ovis in Sheep from Different Farms in Türkiye

## TL;DR

This study found a high prevalence of Anaplasma spp., particularly A. ovis, in sheep across different regions of Türkiye, with variations based on farming systems and geographic location.

## Contribution

The study provides new insights into the molecular prevalence and genotype diversity of A. ovis in Turkish sheep populations.

## Key findings

- The overall molecular prevalence of Anaplasma spp. in sheep was 43.9%.
- A. ovis was the only species identified in all sequenced positive samples.
- Three sub-clusters of A. ovis were identified, with Sub-cluster 2 being the most prevalent.

## Abstract

Anaplasmosis is a tick-borne disease which is caused by different Anaplasma species. Among Anaplasma species, A. ovis which can infect sheep and goats cause ovine anaplasmosis. In this study, the prevalence of Anaplasma spp. was investigated in 31 different breeds of sheep from different regions of Türkiye.

Anaplasma spp. was investigated by PCR targeting MSP-4 gene in blood samples of sheep breeds (n = 366) collected from different regions of Türkiye. Also, some Anaplasma spp. positive samples were sequenced for species identification and sub-cluster analyses.

The molecular prevalence of Anaplasma spp. was 43.9% (161/366). In Anatolian Merino (n = 10) and Akkaraman (n = 11) breeds, the molecular prevalence of Anaplasma spp. reached to 100%. Also, the highest molecular prevalence was detected in Black Sea region by 70% (28/40) and the lowest molecular prevalence was detected in Marmara region by 32% (16/50). While the prevalence of Anaplasma spp. was 59.7% in sheep produced in the extensive system, it was found as 39.2% and 9.8% in sheep produced in semi-extensive and intensive systems, respectively. Accordingly, these findings suggest that the production of sheep in the intensive system protects them from tick-borne diseases, which are of great economic importance. According to BLAST results, all sequenced Anaplasma spp. positive samples (n = 29) were identified as A. ovis. Also, mixed infections were detected in 6 positive samples. The phylogenetic tree constructed by 38 sequence data showed the presence of three different sub-clusters for A. ovis (Sub-cluster 1, 2, and 3). Sub-cluster 2 was found as the most prevalent sub-cluster with 42.1% frequency compared to the other sub-clusters.

This study showed that sheep grown in different regions of Türkiye have a high molecular prevalence value for Anaplasma spp.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11686-025-01021-2.