Molecular survey of Bartonella spp., Ehrlichia spp., Anaplasma spp. and hemoplasmas in small synanthropic mammals in urban areas of Brazil’s northern Amazon region

Abstract Representatives of the families Didelphidae, Echimyidae, Cricetidae, and Muridae have been identified as significant reservoirs or amplifiers of zoonotic agents. This study aimed to investigate the molecular occurrence of Bartonella spp., Ehrlichia spp., Anaplasma spp., and hemotropic Mycoplasma spp. (hemoplasmas) in small synanthropic mammals in different urban complexes in Brazil’s northern Amazon region. Between January and August 2022, blood samples were collected from 36 small mammal specimens, belonging to ten different species living in three vegetation fragments located in the metropolitan areas of Macapá, in the state of Amapá, and in Santarém and Marabá, state of Pará, Brazil. After DNA extraction, samples were subjected to real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) for Bartonella spp. based on the nuoG gene, and to conventional PCR assays for Ehrlichia spp., Anaplasma spp., and hemoplasmas based on the dsb and 16S rRNA genes, respectively. This is the first record of Anaplasma spp. and hemotropic Mycoplasma sp. in marsupials in northern Brazil. Bartonella spp. was detected only in small mammals from Macapá, expanding the list of known hosts. This study describes findings on potentially zoonotic pathogens associated with small mammals living in green areas of large urban complexes in the Brazilian Amazon.