Molecular detection of hemoplasms in domestic cats from Distrito Federal

• Grant number: 24/20335-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: February 01, 2025
• End date: January 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Preventive Veterinary Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Marcos Rogério André
• Grantee: Giovanna Fabricio Lima
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias (FCAV). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Jaboticabal. Jaboticabal , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Hemotropic mycoplasmas (hemoplasmas) are Gram-negative epierythrocytic bacteria that infect a wide variety of mammals, including cats, in which they can cause anemia. Felines can be infected by Mycoplasma haemofelis (Mhf), 'Candidatus Mycoplasma turicensis' (CMt), and 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum' (CMhm), with the first being the most pathogenic species and the third the most frequently detected species. Hemoplasmas can be transmitted through aggressive interactions between mammals, blood transfusions, transplacental transmission, and potentially by the flea Ctenocephalides felis. Although there are several studies on the occurrence of hemoplasmas in cats from various regions of Brazil, the actual prevalence of these agents in blood donor cats is unknown. The present study aims to investigate the molecular occurrence of hemoplasmas in blood samples from domestic cats undergoing clinical-laboratory exams and registered as blood donors in the Distrito Federal. For this purpose, 200 blood samples were collected from cats (both males and females), 100 of which were from donor felines at the blood bank, and the other 100 were blood samples from cats undergoing clinical pathology exams at a clinical analysis laboratory and blood center in Brasília, Distrito Federal. The blood samples will be subjected to DNA extraction with a commercial kit and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) for hemoplasmas based on the 16S rRNA gene. Positive samples will additionally be subjected to conventional PCR assays based on two molecular markers (16S rRNA and 23S rRNA), followed by sequencing and phylogenetic analyses. This study will contribute to the understanding the molecular epidemiology of hemoplasmas in Brazil and the possible risk of hemoplasma transmission through blood transfusion.