Anaplasma and Ehrlichia species are important tick-borne pathogens that cause
disease in cattle, dogs, horses and humans; with little information available about these
agents in Colombia. The aim of this study was to provide molecular evidence for the presence
of Anaplasma sp. and Ehrlichia sp. species in ticks collected from horses, dogs and cattle in
Cordoba, Colombia. In this study, 1.105 ticks were removed from 226 zebu cattle (Bos indicus),
87 dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) and 19 horses (Equus caballus), from different localities of
Cordoba. Ticks were identified taxonomically and PCR assays were used for the amplification
of Anaplasma sp. and Ehrlichia sp. DNA. The amplification products were sequenced and
analyzed. From the 1,105 ticks examined, 679 (61.5%) were Rhipicephalus microplus, collected
from cattle, 353 (32%) were Rhipicephalus sanguineus from dogs and 73 (6,6%) Dermacentor
nitens collected on horses; 332 pools were formed to develop the PCR assay. Anaplasma sp.
and Ehrlichia sp. DNA was detected in 5.7% (19/332 pools). Direct sequencing of amplicons
showed that seven sequences had similarities between 99–100% with Anaplasma marginale,
one sequence showed 100% identical with Anaplasma phagocytophilum, seven sequences
showed 100% identity with Ehrlichia ewingii, one sequence had 100% identity with E.
chaffensis and three sequences showed similarities of 99% and 95% with Ehrlichia mineirensis
and Ehrlichia canis respectively. In conclusion, several tick-borne pathogens identified in
this survey suggests that there is a risk for the emergence of tick-borne diseases in domestic
animals and humans in Colombia. Our data provides evidence of Ehrlichia and Anaplasma
species circulating in ticks from Cordoba.