{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,15]],"date-time":"2026-07-15T05:07:17Z","timestamp":1784092037038,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":23,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,15]],"date-time":"2026-07-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1784073600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Cell. Infect. Microbiol."],"abstract":"\n The geographic expansion of ticks in Europe has increased exposure to tick-borne pathogens, particularly\n Anaplasma phagocytophilum<\/jats:italic>\n , the causative agent of anaplasmosis in humans and animals. The recently described\n A. capra<\/jats:italic>\n has raised interest as an emerging tick-borne agent with potential veterinary and public health relevance. This study aimed primarily to assess the molecular occurrence of\n A. phagocytophilum<\/jats:italic>\n in domestic ruminants and secondarily to screen for the presence of\n A. capra<\/jats:italic>\n in Slovakia. From 2023 to 2025, 466 blood samples were collected from sheep (n = 183), goats (n = 118), and cattle (n = 165) from farms in Slovakia. Samples were tested by nested PCR targeting the\n 16S rRNA<\/jats:italic>\n gene of\n Anaplasma<\/jats:italic>\n spp. Subsequently,\n Anaplasma<\/jats:italic>\n -positive samples were screened for\n A. capra<\/jats:italic>\n using a\n groEL<\/jats:italic>\n gene-based assay. All\n Anaplasma<\/jats:italic>\n -positive amplicons were confirmed by Sanger sequencing. No\n Anaplasma<\/jats:italic>\n DNA was detected in cattle, whereas 15 sheep (8.2%) and 13 goats (11.0%) were PCR-positive for\n Anaplasma<\/jats:italic>\n spp. Sequencing and phylogenetic analysis confirmed all positive samples as\n A. phagocytophilum<\/jats:italic>\n , with 99.08-100% identity to reference sequences. Comparative analysis of the partial\n 16S rRNA<\/jats:italic>\n fragment revealed nine sequence variants among domestic ruminants, including a dominant variant shared by sheep and goats.\n A. capra<\/jats:italic>\n DNA was not detected in any screened sample. The detection of\n A. phagocytophilum<\/jats:italic>\n DNA in sheep and goats provides baseline molecular evidence of its occurrence in small ruminants in Slovakia. However, because only a partial\n 16S rRNA<\/jats:italic>\n fragment was analysed and no tick samples were included, conclusions regarding strain-level diversity, local transmission cycles, and zoonotic relevance should be interpreted cautiously.\n <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fcimb.2026.1890232","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,15]],"date-time":"2026-07-15T04:39:49Z","timestamp":1784090389000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Anaplasma spp. in domestic ruminants: evidence of circulation and molecular analysis of Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Anaplasma capra in Slovakia"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"Maro\u0161","family":"Kosti\u010d\u00e1k","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Epizootiology, Parasitology and Protection of One Health, University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Ko\u0161ice","place":["Ko\u0161ice, Slovakia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Monika","family":"Dr\u00e1\u017eovsk\u00e1","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Epizootiology, Parasitology and Protection of One Health, University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Ko\u0161ice","place":["Ko\u0161ice, Slovakia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Bo\u017eena","family":"Ko\u010d\u00edkov\u00e1","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Epizootiology, Parasitology and Protection of One Health, University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Ko\u0161ice","place":["Ko\u0161ice, Slovakia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jakub","family":"Lipinsk\u00fd","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Epizootiology, Parasitology and Protection of One Health, University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Ko\u0161ice","place":["Ko\u0161ice, Slovakia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Andrea","family":"Pelegrinov\u00e1","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Epizootiology, Parasitology and Protection of One Health, University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Ko\u0161ice","place":["Ko\u0161ice, Slovakia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Patr\u00edcia","family":"Petrou\u0161kov\u00e1","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Epizootiology, Parasitology and Protection of One Health, University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Ko\u0161ice","place":["Ko\u0161ice, Slovakia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Anna","family":"Ondrejkov\u00e1","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Epizootiology, Parasitology and Protection of One Health, University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Ko\u0161ice","place":["Ko\u0161ice, Slovakia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"\u013dubo\u0161","family":"Koryt\u00e1r","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Epizootiology, Parasitology and Protection of One Health, University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Ko\u0161ice","place":["Ko\u0161ice, Slovakia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Boris","family":"Vojtek","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Epizootiology, Parasitology and Protection of One Health, University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Ko\u0161ice","place":["Ko\u0161ice, Slovakia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Katar\u00edna","family":"Frankov\u00e1","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Epizootiology, Parasitology and Protection of One Health, University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Ko\u0161ice","place":["Ko\u0161ice, Slovakia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jana","family":"Moj\u017ei\u0161ov\u00e1 Va\u0161\u010dinec","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Epizootiology, Parasitology and Protection of One Health, University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Ko\u0161ice","place":["Ko\u0161ice, Slovakia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Krist\u00edna","family":"Hud\u00e1kov\u00e1","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Epizootiology, Parasitology and Protection of One Health, University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Ko\u0161ice","place":["Ko\u0161ice, Slovakia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mari\u00e1n","family":"Proke\u0161","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Epizootiology, Parasitology and Protection of One Health, University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Ko\u0161ice","place":["Ko\u0161ice, 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