Hemoplasmas (HM) infect a wide range of mammals and may cause hemolytic anemia. We detected HM in a melon-headed whale (Peponocephala electra) stranded in Veracruz, Mexico. Sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of 16S and 23S rDNA indicated the presence of a HM that was previously detected in cetaceans from South America. This study expands the host and geographical range of detection of hemoplasmas in cetaceans from North America.
Keywords: Cetaceans; Emerging pathogen; Hemotropic Mycoplasma; North America; Protected species.
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