Molecular detection and phylogenetic analysis of Mycoplasma spp. isolated from Awassi sheep in Al-Muthana province, Iraq

• Main Authors: Q. H. KSHASH, L. A. Al-Raowf
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Trakia University, Stara Zagora, Bulgaria 2020-03-01
• Series: Bulgarian Journal of Veterinary Medicine
• Subjects: iraq; mycoplasma; pcr; phylogeny; sequence; sheep
• Online Access: http://tru.uni-sz.bg/bjvm/BJVM-March%202020%20p.21-28.pdf

This study was carried out for molecular detection and phylogenetic analysis of Mycoplasma spp. in Awassi sheep in Al-Muthana province, Iraq. A total of 270 milk samples and swabs were collected from infected sheep. A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique was performed to detect a specific 16S rRNA gene of Mycoplasma spp. in these samples. Forty-four positive samples (16.2%) were identified, from which eight samples were selected for partial-gene sequencing. Then, alignment, comparison with referencing isolates in GenBank, and phylogenetic tree were performed using mean (UPGMA tree) in a MEGA software. The analyses revealed high homology between the current Iraqi isolates and American and Sweden Mycoplasma strains. The present molecular study showed that the studied Iraqi Awassi sheep were infected with Mycoplasma spp. with higher detection percentage from ocular swabs than from other types of samples. The phylogenic analysis registered eight Iraqi isolates with accession numbers in the GenBank with high similarity to five referencing Mycoplasma species.