High Molecular Prevalence of Anaplasma spp. in Cattle from the Sertão and Agreste Regions, Northeast Brazil

Bovine anaplasmosis is a tick-borne rickettsial disease of significant sanitary and economic importance to livestock, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions, and is associated with high morbidity and reduced productivity. However, data on its molecular prevalence in cattle from semiarid and transitional areas of the Northeast region of Brazil remain scarce. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of Anaplasma spp. in cattle from smallholder farms located in the Sertão and Agreste mesoregions of the states of Paraíba and Pernambuco, Brazil. A total of 380 whole blood samples from cattle were analyzed by conventional PCR targeting the msp4 gene, following confirmation of DNA extraction by amplification of the endogenous GAPDH gene. Anaplasma spp. was detected in 92.1% of the cattle, with no significant association with sex, age group, breed, production system, or level of tick infestation. Positive cattle exhibited significantly lower hematocrit values compared to negative animals (p = 0.0087). These results represent the first report of molecular detection of Anaplasma spp. in cattle from the states of Pernambuco and Paraíba and suggest the presence of enzootic stability microregions in the Sertão and Agreste mesoregions of Northeast Brazil.