New Findings on Anaplasmosis Caused by Infection with Anaplasma phagocytophilum

Abstract

Ixodes ricinus (I. ricinus) is one of the vectors of Anaplasma phagocytophilum (A. phagocytophilum) in Europe, in which rates of infection range from 1.9% to 34%. In 1998, human granulocytic ehrlichiosis-like (HGE-like) Ehrlichia DNA was detected in Italy, by PCR technique in one I. ricinus nymph out of 55 ticks that were examined. In 1996, 6.3% of 310 human sera in high-risk subjects from Italy were found positive for antibodies to Ehrlichia phagocytophila (E. phagocytophila). In the same year, the authors reported the first case of equine granulocytic ehrlichiosis. In 1997, only 2 out of 563 equine blood samples examined were found positive for antibodies to E. phagocytophila in the Latium region. In 1998, serological positivity was not observed in 14 symptomatic race horses. In 2002, a symptomatic horse living in Rome was found positive for Ehrlichia equi (E. equi) antibodies, as confirmed by PCR. E. equi was also demonstrated in horses by detection of specific antibodies from two asymptomatic ponies. We tested 128 sera from sheep in different flocks, and antibodies to E. phagocytophila were detected in 17 sera (13.3%) of these sheep. From 2000 to 2004, 147 dog sera were tested for antibodies against A. phagocytophilum, and 7 of these sera were positive (4.8%). These data confirm the presence of the infection in human, domestic animals, and pets in Italy. Studies are under way to correlate the distributions of the disease and tick vector, I. ricinus.

Detection of the DNA of Borrelia afzelii, Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Babesia canis in blood samples from dogs in Warsaw

“…In Warsaw, the prevalence of A phagocytophilum in I ricinus ticks collected from dogs was 29 per cent (Zygner and others 2008), and 354 per cent of the dogs were infested with the tick (Zygner and Wędrychowicz 2006). This study is the first in which A phagocytophilum DNA has been detected in dogs from Warsaw, and, like B burgdorferi sensu lato, this pathogen threatens both human beings and domesticated animals (Lillini and others 2006). To the authors’ knowledge, there has been no study of the prevalence of human granulocytic anaplasmosis in central Poland, and further studies are necessary to estimate the risk of the disease in other animals and people.…”

Theileria sp. OT3 and other tick-borne pathogens in sheep and ticks in Italy: Molecular characterization and phylogeny

“…However, A. phagocytophilum has also been found to infect a variety of other animals (cattle, horses, foxes, dogs, cats, mice) (Lillini et al, 2006;Ebani et al, 2008;Aureli et al, 2012) in central and southern Italy. In the study area of the present research (Abruzzo Region National Park), the co-existence of domestic (dogs, horses, cattle) and wild animals (deer, small rodents) -all susceptible to rickettsia infection -may allow the maintenance and distribution of A. ovis and A. phagocytophilum and may therefore play an important role in the epidemiology.…”

Comparative analysis of 16S RNA nucleotide sequences of Anaplasma phagocytophilum detected in the blood of horses from various parts of Europe

“…Edelhofer, 1998), the Czech Republic (Jahn et al, 2010), Holland (Butler et al, 2008), France (Bermann et al, 2002), Poland (Adaszek et al, 2009) and Italy (Lillini et al, 2006). Aside from the USA and Europe, bibliographical data also report the occurrence of EGA in Asia (Chan et al, 2010) and Africa (M'ghirbi et al, 2012).…”