Survey of infectious agents in the endangered Darwin’s fox (Lycalopex fulvipes): High prevalence and diversity of hemotrophic mycoplasmas Javier Cabello a,b , Laura Altet c , Constanza Napolitano d , Natalia Sastre e , Ezequiel Hidalgo f , Jose ´ Antonio Da ´ vila a , Javier Milla ´n g, * a Instituto de Investigacio ´n en Recursos Cinege ´ticos, IREC (UCLM, CSIC, JCCM), Ronda de Toledo s/n, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain b Centro de Conservacio ´n de la Biodiversidad, Chiloe-Silvestre, Las Ame ´ricas 1060, Ancud, Chiloe ´, Chile c Vetgenomics, Edifici Eureka, Campus de la UAB, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain d Laboratorio de Ecologı´a Molecular & Instituto de Ecologı´a y Biodiversidad, Departamento de Ciencias Ecolo ´gicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile e SVGM, Facultat de Veterina `ria, Universitat Auto `noma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain f Conservation and Research Department (CIBZ), Parque Zoolo ´gico Buin Zoo, Panamericana Sur Km 32, Buin, Chile g Servei d’Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS) (Wildlife Diseases Research Group), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Auto `noma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain Veterinary Microbiology 167 (2013) 448–454 A R T I C L E I N F O Article history: Received 15 March 2013 Received in revised form 25 September 2013 Accepted 29 September 2013 Keywords: Canidae Hemoplasma Hemobartonella Pseudalopex fulvipes South America A B S T R A C T Very little is known about the diseases affecting the Darwin’s fox (Lycalopex fulvipes), which is considered to be one of the most endangered carnivores worldwide. Blood samples of 30 foxes captured on Chiloe ´ Island (Chile) were tested with a battery of PCR assays targeting the following pathogens: Ehrlichia/Anaplasma sp., Rickettsia sp., Bartonella sp., Coxiella burnetti, Borrelia sp., Mycoplasma sp., Babesia sp., Hepatozoon canis, Hepatozoon felis, Leishmania donovani complex, and Filariae. Analysis of the 16S rRNA gene revealed the presence of Mycoplasma spp. in 17 samples (56.7%, 95% Confidence Intervals= 38.2–73.7). Of these, 15 infections were caused by a Mycoplasma belonging to the M. haemofelis/ haemocanis (Mhf/Mhc) group, whereas two were caused by a Mycoplasma showing between 89% and 94% identity with different Candidatus Mycoplasma turicensis from felids and rodents hemoplasmas. The analysis of the sequence of the RNA subunit of the RNase P gene of 10 of the foxes positive for Mhf/Mhc showed that eight were infected with M. haemocanis (Mhc), one with a Mycoplasma showing 94% identity with Mhc, and one by M. haemofelis (Mhf). One of the foxes positive for Mhc was infected with a Ricketssia closely related to R. felis. All foxes were negative for the other studied pathogens. Our results are of interest because of the unexpectedly high prevalence of Mycoplasma spp. detected, the variability of species identified, the presence of a potentially new species of hemoplasma, and the first time a hemoplasma considered to be a feline pathogen (Mhf) has been identified in a canid. Though external symptoms were not observed in any of the infected foxes, further clinical and epidemiological studies are necessary to determine the importance of hemoplasma infection in this unique species. ß 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. * Corresponding author at: Servei d’Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Facultat de Veterina ` ria, Universitat Auto ` noma de Barcelona, 08193-Bellaterra (Spain) Tel.: +34 935861090; fax: +34 935812006. E-mail address: syngamustrachea@hotmail.com (J. Milla ´ n). Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Veterinary Microbiology jou r nal h o mep ag e: w ww .els evier .co m/lo c ate/vetm ic 0378-1135/$ – see front matter ß 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.vetmic.2013.09.034