Hemotrophic mycoplasma (hemoplasmas) is a cell wall-less bacterium causing infectious anemia in animals. As data on hemoplasmas infecting cattle in Malaysia is scarce, specific polymerase chain reaction assays were used for detection of hemoplasmas from blood samples of cattle and ticks in this study. Hemoplasma DNA was detected in 69 (69.0%) of 100 cattle blood samples obtained from different breeds. A total of 50.0% of the cattle in this study were infected with only Mycoplasma wenyonii, while 2.0% were infected with only Candidatus Mycoplasma haemobos and 17% were infected with both species. Based on sequence analysis of the partial or nearly full length sequences of hemoplasma 16S rRNA gene, the presence of M. wenyonii and Candidatus M. haemobos was confirmed. Hemoplasmapositive cattle of less than three years appeared to have higher infection rate compared to other age groups. M. wenyonii was identified for the first time in approximately 30% of cattle ticks (Rhipicephalus microplus and Haemaphysalis sp.) in this study. This study presents the first molecular evidence of hemoplasmas in Malaysian cattle and ticks.

This study was conducted to determine the occurrence of Anaplasma spp. in the blood samples of cattle, goats, deer and ticks in a Malaysian farm. Using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing approach, Anaplasma spp. was detected from 81(84.4%) of 96 cattle blood samples. All blood samples from 23 goats and 22 deer tested were negative. Based on the analysis of the Anaplasma partial 16S ribosomal RNA gene, four sequence types (genotypes 1 to 4) were identified in this study. Genotypes 1-3 showed high sequence similarity to those of Anaplasma platys/ Anaplasma phagocytophilum, whilst genotype 4 was identical to those of Anaplasma marginale/ Anaplasma centrale/ Anaplasma ovis. Anaplasma DNA was detected from six (5.5%) of 109 ticks which were identified as Rhipicephalus (formely known as Boophilus) microplus ticks collected from the cattle. This study reported for the first time the detection of four Anaplasma sequence types circulating in the cattle population in a farm in Malaysia. The detection of Anaplasma DNA in R. microplus ticks in this study provides evidence that the ticks are one of the potential vectors for transmission of anaplasmosis in the cattle.

Rickettsioses are a common health problem in many geographical areas, including rural areas in Southeast Asia. Co-infection of rickettsioses and malaria has been reported in Africa, where common reservoir and vectors are available. In this study, blood samples of Malaysian patients microscopically positive (n=148) and negative (n=88) for malaria parasites (Plasmodium knowlesi, Plasmodium malariae, Plasmodium falciparum, and Plasmodium vivax) were screened for the presence of rickettsial DNA, using PCR assays targeting specific genes. A partial fragment of rickettsial ompB gene was successfully amplified and sequenced from a patient microscopically positive for Plasmodium spp. and PCR-positive for P. vivax. BLAST analysis of the ompB sequence demonstrated the highest sequence similarity (99.7% similarity, 408/409nt) with Rickettsia sp. RF2125 (Genbank accession no. JX183538) and 91.4% (374/409 nt) similarity with Rickettsia felis URRWXCal2 (Genbank accession no. CP000053). This study reports rickettsial infection in a malaria patient for the first time in the Southeast Asia region.