Authors: Zhang Jinchao, Ma Hejia, Ai Jingkai, Qi Tongsheng, Kang Ming, Li Jixu, Sun Yali
Journal: Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
Summary
# Editorial Summary Anaplasmosis, transmitted through tick bites and capable of affecting both animals and humans, remains poorly characterised in high-altitude regions; this Chinese research used a recombinant major surface protein 5 (MSP5) based indirect ELISA to screen 3,952 animals across ten species on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau for Anaplasma spp. antibodies. Overall IgG seropositivity reached 14.6% with IgM at 7.9%, though prevalence varied dramatically by species—donkeys showed the highest IgG positivity at 82.5%, whilst horses recorded 11.8% IgG and notably high IgM positivity (13.4%), and altitude significantly influenced antibody levels in equines and camelids, suggesting exposure risk correlates with elevation. These findings establish horses, donkeys, and yaks as confirmed carrier populations in plateau ecosystems, carrying important implications for grazing management, tick control strategies, and zoonotic risk assessment in mountainous regions where multiple species cohabitate. For equine practitioners working in endemic areas, serological testing of at-risk populations and targeted vector control merit consideration, particularly given that both acute (IgM-positive) and chronic (IgG-positive) infections coexist within herds.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Multiple animal species in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau region are confirmed carriers of Anaplasma spp., indicating risk of zoonotic transmission to humans and cross-species infection
- •Horses and donkeys show particularly high seroprevalence of Anaplasma antibodies in plateau regions, warranting consideration in clinical diagnosis and herd health management
- •Altitude appears to be a risk factor for Anaplasma exposure in plateau livestock, suggesting different transmission dynamics at varying elevations
Key Findings
- •Overall Anaplasma IgG positivity was 14.6% (578/3952) and IgM positivity was 7.9% (312/3952) across all animals tested
- •Donkeys showed the highest IgG positivity at 82.5%, while stray dogs showed the highest IgM positivity at 30.1%
- •123 animals (3.1%) were positive for both IgG and IgM antibodies, indicating active or recent infection
- •Significant differences in Anaplasma antibody prevalence were observed at different altitudes for yaks, Tibetan sheep, and horses