First molecular detection of Mycoplasma suis in the pig louse Haematopinus suis (Phthiraptera: Anoplura) from Argentina

ACOSTA, DIANA BELÉN; RUIZ, MELANIE; SANCHEZ, JULIANA PATRICIA

ACTA TROPICA

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Año: 2019 vol. 194 p. 165 - 168

0001-706X

Porcine haemoplasmosis caused by Mycoplasma suis affects the global pig industry with significant economiclosses. The main transmission route of M. suis is through the blood and some haematophagous arthropods, likeflies and mosquitoes, could be the vectors to this pathogen. However, the presence of M. suis in pig haematophagousectoparasites in natural conditions has not yet been studied. The most frequent ectoparasite in pigs isthe blood-sucking louse Haematopinus suis, an obligate and permanent parasite. Therefore, this work aims tostudy the occurrence of M. suis in H. suis samples from both domestic and wild pig populations from Argentina;using the 16S rRNA gene. A total of 98 sucking lice, collected from domestic and wild pigs from Buenos AiresProvince in central Argentina, were examined. We found M. suis DNA in 15 H. suis samples (15.30%). Positivelice were detected from all studied populations. This is the first report of M. suis presence in H. suis, being also thefirst detection in a pig ectoparasite species. We conclude that H. suis could serve as a mechanical vector for M.suis. This information not only extends the knowledge about the pathogen spectrum potentially transmitted byH. suis, but may be also useful in epidemiological studies about Mycoplasma.