Abstract
Hemotropic mycoplasmosis is an emerging vector-borne infection in goats caused by hemotropic mycoplasmas, which leads to anemia, poor growth, abortion, and reduced productivity. In Northeastern Thailand, smallholder meat goat systems expose animals to blood-feeding vectors and gastrointestinal parasites; however, epidemiological data on these issues are limited. This study examined the prevalence of hemotropic mycoplasmosis, its co-infection with gastrointestinal parasites, and the associated risk factors in anemic goats. PCR and sequence analyses confirmed the presence of Mycoplasma ovis, Candidatus Mycoplasma haematobovis and Candidatus Mycoplasma haematovis, with herd-level and individual-level prevalences of all hemotropic mycoplasmas (HMs) at 93.3% (14/15; 95% CI: 68.1-99.8%) and 59.8% (52/87; 95% CI: 48.7-70.1%), respectively. Ca. M. haematobovis was identified as the predominant species. Multivariable analysis indicated that age ≥ 1 year is a significant risk factor for HM infection (adjusted OR: 9.88; 95% CI: 1.73-56.48; p = 0.01). Co-infection between HM and gastrointestinal nematodes was found to be associated with age (p < 0.05). Effective management requires targeted selective treatment, post-treatment monitoring of infection status, vector control, and farmer education on zoonotic risks. These findings provide critical insights for designing evidence-based surveillance, control, and prevention strategies to improve goat health and productivity in smallholder tropical systems.