Human ehrlichioses in Brazil: first suspect cases

Abstract

Brazilian spotted fever (BSF) rickettsiosis is the most common and recognized of the human rickettsioses in Brazil. It is difficult to establish the diagnosis of human rickettsiosis infection by routine microbiologic methods, creating a false idea that Rickettsia and Ehrlichia infections are rare and without importance. New tick-borne diseases, like human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA) and human monocytic ehrlichiosis (HME), have been described in many countries. These diseases can present symptoms similar to rickettsioses of the spotted fever group, and they are transmitted by ixodid ticks. The first two suspected cases of human ehrlichiosis in Brazil were first considered to be cases of BSF. The differential diagnosis was made at the Minas Gerais Rickettsiosis Public Health Laboratory. The clinical and laboratory findings, with positive serology for the HME agent, indicated suspected cases of human ehrlichioses in Brazil.

Migratory and Carnivorous Birds in Brazil: Reservoirs forAnaplasmaandEhrlichiaSpecies?

“…Also, the present work showed for the first time the detection of E. chaffeensis in a carnivorous bird. While knowledge about the epidemiology of this zoonotic agent in Brazil lies in its molecular detection in Brazilian marsh deer (Machado et al 2006), and serological detection among dogs and humans (Calic et al 2004;Costa et al 2005), our study highlights the participation of birds in the dispersal of this pathogen, and the possibility of the establishment of new foci of infection among animals and humans. In Slovakia, an Ehrlichia-like species ''Schotti variant'' was detected in a nymph from the song thrush (Turdus philomelos) (Spitalská et al 2006).…”

“…In Brazil, Ehrlichia chaffeensis and Anaplasma phagocytophilum have been detected in Brazilian marsh deer (Blastocerus dichotomus) (Machado et al 2006) and dogs (Santos et al 2011), respectively. Regarding the occurrence of ehrlichiosis among humans in Brazil, only serological studies have been reported (Calic et al 2004;Costa et al 2005). Among wildlife in Brazil, Ehrlichia spp.…”

Antibodies to Rickettsia rickettsii, Rickettsia typhi, Coxiella burnetii, Bartonella henselae, Bartonella quintana, and Ehrlichia chaffeensis among healthy population in Minas Gerais, Brazil

“…Missing information regarding E. chaffeensis infections seems to the rule in Brazil where the first suspected human cases were just recently published by Calic et al (2004). Additional human cases were also described thereafter (Costa 2004) but the only previously published serosurvey carried out in Brazil on E. chaffeensis infection found null seroprevalence among humans but not in dogs from that very same region .…”

Serologic evidence of equine granulocytic anaplasmosis in horses from central West Brazil

“…In South America a few cases of human erlichiosis are described due to E. canis and E. chaffeensis in Venezuela (PEREZ et al, 2006); and serologic evidence of human erlichiosis is found in Chile and Argentina (RIPOLL et al, 1999;LÓPEZ et al, 2003). In Brazil, suspected cases of human were demonstrated with clinical and laboratory findings and with positive serology for human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA) by Calic et al (2004). However, Brazilian spotted fever (BSF) is the most common form of human Rickettsia infection in our country.…”