Intravascular persistence of Anaplasma platys, Ehrlichia chaffeensis, and Ehrlichia ewingii DNA in the blood of a dog and two family members

Abstract

BackgroundAnaplasmosis, caused by Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Anaplasma platys, and ehrlichiosis, caused by Ehrlichia chaffeensis, Ehrlichia ewingii, the "Panola Mountain Ehrlichia" and Ehrlichia muris-like pathogens have been identified as emerging tick borne infectious diseases in dogs and human patients. Persistent intravascular infection with these bacteria is well documented in dogs, but is less well documented in human beings.MethodsSerology and PCR targeting multiple microbial genes, followed by DNA sequencing, was used to test sequential blood samples. Tissue culture isolation was attempted in two laboratories.ResultsA. platys, E. chaffeensis, and E. ewingii DNA was amplified from two Anaplasma and Ehrlichia seronegative family members and their dog, all lacking typical symptoms of anaplasmosis or ehrlichiosis. Following treatment with doxycycline, the dog and mother were Anaplasma and Ehrlichia spp. PCR negative.ConclusionsSequential PCR testing provided molecular evidence supporting intravascular persistence of A. platys and Ehrlichia spp. in two humans and their dog. Diagnosticians and clinicians should consider the potential for co-infections due to these tick borne organisms.

Molecular Detection ofEhrlichia chaffeensisin Humans, Costa Rica

“…Comparison of clinical and laboratory findings of patients with PCR-positive and -negative results showed no clear differences, possibly related to the length of time between the acute phase of illness and the sampling for molecular analysis, which was usually 1 year. Nevertheless, it is noteworthy that the patients’ samples harbored detectable Ehrlichia DNA 1 year after the acute phase, which was similar to findings in recent reports ( 9 ). Equally, related to the 2 patients evaluated in this study who had a recent history of infection (CR1 and CR2), no major physical or biochemical alterations were observed, suggesting that disease manifestation was mild or that samples were taken during the convalescent phase.…”

Development of a new PCR-based assay to detect Anaplasmataceae and the first report of Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Anaplasma platys in cattle from Algeria

“…Zobba et al reported this bacterium that infects ruminants as being A. platys-like [11]. Indeed, the infectivity of A. platys for ruminant, previously reported only as an agent of infectious cyclic thrombocytopenia in dogs, had already been documented in ovine from Senegal ( [13] and personal data), and in human [34][35][36]. A. platys like A. bovis is not yet cultured species [37] and recently, analyses of 16S, groEL and gltA genes showed that A. bovis is closely related to A. phagocytophilum [38].…”

Attenuated Mutants of Ehrlichia chaffeensis Induce Protection against Wild-Type Infection Challenge in the Reservoir Host and in an Incidental Host

“…hrlichia chaffeensis, an Amblyomma americanum tick-transmitted rickettsial pathogen, is responsible for human monocytic ehrlichiosis (HME) and also causes persistent infections in people and several other vertebrates (1)(2)(3). The white-tailed deer is the reservoir host for E. chaffeensis, while humans, dogs, and other vertebrate hosts, such as coyotes and goats, are regarded as incidental hosts (4)(5)(6)(7).…”