A Newly Discovered Anaplasma phagocytophilumVariant in Rodents from Southeastern China.

Anaplasma phagocytophilumwas detected by polymerase chain reaction in 13 (14.1) of 92 rodents captured from a mountainous area of Zhejiang Province in southeastern China. The nucleotide sequences of 1442-bp, nearly entire 16S rRNA gene amplified from these rodents, had 100 identity, but varied from all known corresponding sequences of A. phagocytophilumdeposited in GenBank. To further identify and classify the variant, fragments of 357-bp partial citrate synthase gene (gltA), 849-bp major surface protein 4 gene (msp4), and 443-bp groESLheat-shock operon gene, were amplified and analyzed. The nucleotide sequences of the partial gltAgene amplified from the rodents were identical to each other, but distinct from previously reported A. phagocytophilumsequences, as were msp4and groESL. These findings indicate that the newly discovered agent represents a novel A. phagocytophilumvariant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]