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Background and Aim: Anaplasma platys is a dog pathogen that causes anaplasmosis in various hosts, including humans. It is a rickettsial pathogen that causes cyclic thrombocytopenia in primary canine recipients and is spread by the brown dog tick Rhipicephalus sanguineus. This study aimed to map the genetic sequences of Anaplasma spp. isolates comparable with those of different global locations and determine the infection status of Pshdar Kurdish shepherd dogs from three regions in Sulaymaniyah province who did not exhibit clinical indications for Anaplasma. Materials and Methods: A total of 75 dog blood samples were collected from the center of the Sulaymaniyah, Dukan, and Ranya districts in the Sulaymaniyah province and subjected to polymerase chain reaction to determine the 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) gene of A. platys. Results: Only two dogs (2.7%) were positive for A. platys. The 16S rRNA gene of A. platys was sequenced and registered in the National Center for Biotechnology Information GenBank with accession number OR467538. With four nucleotide changes, the sequence exhibited 99.72% similarity to strains identified as human infections and those found in recognized tick vectors. Conclusion: We conclude that the blood of Pshdar Kurdish shepherd dogs in the Sulaymaniyah region of Iraq contains a small number of A. platys. Moreover, the phylogenetic tree of the isolated species, A. platys, was significantly similar to other strains of A. platys found worldwide. In the Kurdistan region of Iraq, this study represents the first molecular detection of the 16S rRNA gene of A. platys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: The nasal cavity of a pig serves as an entry point and a habitat for the colonization of commensal microbes and pathogenic bacteria. Based on biochemical and serological tests, Streptococcus β-hemolytic Group C was identified as the Gram-positive bacteria, which resulted in the 1994 outbreak and death of thousands of pigs in Bali. Furthermore, this agent is zoonotic and frequently results in the development of meningitis lesions in the infected pig. Recently, a meningitis outbreak in humans was also reported after the consumption of pig-derived foods at Sibang Kaja, Badung-Bali. This study aimed to identify and characterize Gram-positive β-hemolytic organisms collected from nasal swab of pigs from the outbreak area, as well as to compare API Kit and 16S rRNA gene analysis methods. Materials and Methods: This study commenced with the cultivation of two isolates, Punggul Swab Nasal (PSN) 2 and PSN 19, which were characterized by β-hemolysis activity. These samples were then conventionally and molecularly identified using Kit API 20 Strep and 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene primers, respectively. Results: Using the Kit API 20 Strep, both isolates were identified as Enterococcus faecium, which was previously classified as Group D Streptococci. Based on the 16S rRNA gene sequencing, PSN 2 and PSN 19 were molecularly confirmed to have 99 and 98.1% similarities with E. faecium (NR042054), respectively. Furthermore, both isolates share the same clade in the phylogenetic tree analysis. Conclusion: Using Kit API 20 Strep and 16S rRNA gene analysis, the PSN 2 and PSN 9 Gram-positive isolates with β-hemolysis activity from pig nasal swabs were identified as E. faecium.