Publications

a 4-year study of anaplasma phagocytophilum in portugal.		2009	20584163
anaplasma phagocytophilum propagation is enhanced in human complement-containing medium.		2009	20584164
detection of anaplasma phagocytophilum in wild boar in slovenia.		2009	20584165
anaplasma phagocytophilum in danish sheep: confirmation by dna sequencing.	the presence of anaplasma phagocytophilum, an ixodes ricinus transmitted bacterium, was investigated in two flocks of danish grazing lambs. direct pcr detection was performed on dna extracted from blood and serum with subsequent confirmation by dna sequencing.	2009	20025738
human granulocytic anaplasmosis: first reported case in canada.	human granulocytic anaplasmosis (hga) is a tick-borne rickettsial infection of peripheral blood neutrophils caused by anaplasma phagocytophilum. while this infection is increasingly recognized as endemic throughout much of the united states, no canadian cases have been previously described, despite the agent being identified in canadian ticks. herein we present a case of hga acquired in an urban alberta centre. canadian physicians must be aware of the possibility of tick-borne rickettsial diseas ...	2009	20808448
molecular evaluation of the incidence of ehrlichia canis, anaplasma platys and babesia spp. in dogs from ribeirão preto, brazil.	canine monocytic ehrlichiosis caused by ehrlichiacanis is endemic in many regions of brazil. since thrombocytopenia is a common finding in infected dogs, many clinicians tend to use it as an indication for antibiotic treatment. polymerase chain reaction (pcr) and nested pcr were used to study the presence of e. canis, anaplasma platys and babesia spp. in thrombocytopenic and non-thrombocytopenic dogs from ribeirão preto, brazil. despite the high prevalence of e. canis infection among thrombocyto ...	2009	17920967
cloning, expression, and characterization of the msp1a and msp1b recombinant proteins from pr1 anaplasma marginale strain, brazil.	the anaplasma marginale is a bacterium that has obligate intraerythrocytic multiplication in cattle causing important economic loss. the a. marginale major surface protein 1 (msp1) complex, heterodimer composed of msp1a and msp1b, has been identified as adhesins for bovine erythrocytes. the objectives of this study were to sequences the msp1beta gene and produce and characterize recombinant msp1a and msp1b from a brazilian strain of a. marginale, pr1. the msp1alpha and msp1beta genes from the pr ...	2009	18603273
detection of anaplasma phagocytophilum and borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in dogs in the czech republic.	the aim of this study is to present molecular, serologic, and clinical findings for dogs that were naturally infected with anaplasma phagocytophilum or borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s. l.) in the czech republic. this data can provide information relevant to human infection. in total, blood samples from 296 dogs and 118 engorged ticks were examined. samples were tested for a. phagocytophilum using polymerase chain reaction (pcr) amplification, nested pcr, and direct sequencing of the 16s rdna, ...	2009	19271998
molecular characterization of ehrlichia interactions with tick cells and macrophages.	several tick-transmitted anaplasmataceae family rickettsiales of the genera ehrlichia and anaplasma have been discovered in recent years. some species are classified as pathogens causing emerging diseases with growing health concern for people. they include human monocytic ehrlichiosis, human granulocytic ewingii ehrlichiosis and human granulocytic anaplasmosis which are caused by ehrlichia chaffeensis, e. ewingii and anaplasma phagocytophilum, respectively. despite the complex cellular environm ...	2009	19273271
an entropy-optimized multilocus approach for characterizing the strains of anaplasma phagocytophilum infecting horses in the czech republic.	anaplasma phagocytophilum is a tick-borne rickettsial pathogen that has measurable genetic heterogeneity across its geographical range and reservoir spectrum. in the present study, publicly available sequences of the genes that have prevailingly been used for typing a. phagocytophilum were analysed to identify the segments giving the highest resolution with respect to the predictability of host and geographical provenances of the strains. selected partial sequences of 16s rrna, grol, msp4 and an ...	2009	19273636
reptile infection with anaplasma phagocytophilum, the causative agent of granulocytic anaplasmosis.	granulocytic anaplasmosis (ga) is a potentially fatal tick-borne rickettsial disease that occurs sporadically in the far western united states. we evaluated the prevalence of anaplasma phagocytophilum in multiple species of lizards and snakes from enzootic sites in northern california, described the infestation prevalence of its tick vector ixodes pacificus on reptiles, and conducted an experimental challenge of western fence lizards (sceloporus occidentalis) and pacific gopher snakes (pituophis ...	2009	19281295
carriage of rickettsia spp., coxiella burnetii and anaplasma spp. by endemic and migratory wild birds and their ectoparasites in cyprus.		2009	19281460
cholesterol-dependent anaplasma phagocytophilum exploits the low-density lipoprotein uptake pathway.	in eukaryotes, intracellular cholesterol homeostasis and trafficking are tightly regulated. certain bacteria, such as anaplasma phagocytophilum, also require cholesterol; it is unknown, however, how this cholesterol-dependent obligatory intracellular bacterium of granulocytes interacts with the host cell cholesterol regulatory pathway to acquire cholesterol. here, we report that total host cell cholesterol increased >2-fold during a. phagocytophilum infection in a human promyelocytic leukemia ce ...	2009	19283084
genetic diversity of anaplasma marginale in argentina.	bovine anaplasmosis caused by anaplasma marginale is a worldwide major constraint to cattle production. the a. marginale major surface protein 1 alpha (msp1alpha) gene contains a variable number of tandem repeats in the amino terminal region and has been used for the characterization of pathogen genetic diversity. this study reports the first characterization of a. marginale genetic diversity in argentina based on msp1alpha genotypes and its putative relationship with rhipicephalus (boophilus) m ...	2009	19285808
comparative moleculo-immunological analysis of swamp- and riverine-type water buffaloes responses.	this moleculo-epidemiological and immunological study through cytokine response assessment was done to know the dynamics of cytokines in the initiation, persistence and association to physiological changes of a particular pathogen in water buffaloes. this is important to understand the magnitude and behavior of disease progression. water buffalo blood samples gathered from different places in the philippines revealed a 9.4%, 27.6%, 10.3% and 4.4% prevalence of bovine viral diarrhea virus (bvdv), ...	2009	19285880
molecular characterisation of two strains of anaplasma platys in brazil.		2009	19287032
isolated fever in horses: a new case of equine anaplasmosis in france.		2009	19298402
first detection of anaplasma phagocytophilum-like dna in the french izard rupricapra pyrenaica.		2009	19298404
dynamics of natural infection by anaplasma phagocytophilum in a dairy cattle herd in brittany, france.		2009	19298405
characterization of p44/msp2 multigene family of anaplasma phagocytophilum from two different tick species, ixodes persulcatus and ixodes ovatus, in japan.	anaplasma phagocytophilum, which belongs to the order rickettsiales, is an obligate intracellular bacterium and causes an emerging, tickborne, and febrile infectious disease, anaplasmosis, in humans and other mammals. this bacterium expresses a variety of 44-kda immunodominant proteins encoded by the p44/msp2 multigene family on the surface for the purpose of avoiding the host immune defense due to the antigenic variation. in japan, little is known about the molecular and biological features of ...	2009	19305056
silencing of host cell cybb gene expression by the nuclear effector anka of the intracellular pathogen anaplasma phagocytophilum.	coevolution of intracellular bacterial pathogens and their host cells resulted in the appearance of effector molecules that when translocated into the host cell modulate its function, facilitating bacterial survival within the hostile host environment. some of these effectors interact with host chromatin and other nuclear components. in this report, we show that the anka protein of anaplasma phagocytophilum, which is translocated into the host cell nucleus, interacts with gene regulatory regions ...	2009	19307214
reservoir competence of the redwood chipmunk (tamias ochrogenys) for anaplasma phagocytophilum.	granulocytic anaplasmosis (ga) is an emerging tick-transmitted disease that persists in rodent- ixodes ricinus-complex tick cycles across the holarctic. although the putative reservoir for anaplasmosis in the western united states is the dusky-footed woodrat (neotoma fuscipes), this rodent was not shown reservoir-competent because of failure of infection from woodrats to other animals via ticks. redwood chipmunks are common in habitats where anaplasma phagocytophilum is common, have high pcr- an ...	2009	19327022
a possible systemic rheumatic disorder in the nova scotia duck tolling retriever.	a disease complex with chronic musculoskeletal signs, including stiffness and joint pain, and to which there is a strong predisposition in the canine breed nova scotia duck tolling retriever (toller) has been recognized in sweden. the aim of this first clinical description of the disorder in tollers was to describe the clinical manifestations and laboratory findings, as well as to try to identify a possible immune-mediated background of the disease and to show the outcome of treatment in 33 toll ...	2009	19331658
correlation between tick density and pathogen endemicity, new hampshire.	to assess the endemicity of tick-borne pathogens in new hampshire, we surveyed adult tick vectors. pathogens were more prevalent in areas of high tick density, suggesting a correlation between tick establishment and pathogen endemicity. infection rates in ticks correlated with disease frequency in humans.	2009	19331738
seroprevalence estimation and management factors associated with high herd seropositivity for anaplasma marginale in commercial dairy farms of puerto rico.	a cross-sectional study was conducted to determine individual cow seroprevalence of anaplasma marginale in adult lactating dairy cattle of puerto rico (pr) and to assess the associations of farm management factors on herd seroprevalence. antibody activity against a. marginale was determined using the msp-5 competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. serum samples were obtained from 2,414 adult lactating dairy cattle from 76 randomly selected commercial dairy farms. herd seroprevalence ranged ...	2009	19337849
anaplasma phagocytophilum and borrelia burgdorferi in rabbits from southeastern china.	a total of 54 wild rabbits captured from southeastern china were examined for anaplasma phagocytophilum and borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato by polymerase chain reaction (pcr) assays. one and three samples were positive for a. phagocytophilum and b. burgdorferi, respectively. sequence analyses of pcr products identified a variant of a. phagocytophilum and a b. garinii genotype. this is the first detection of the two tick-borne agents in chinese rabbits, the role of which in the maintenance of the ...	2009	19345508
human ehrlichiosis: a case study.	ehrlichiosis is an infection of white blood cells that affects various mammals, including mice, cattle, dogs, and humans. it was first reported in dogs in 1935, and the first human case was documented in the united states in 1986. ehrlichia are obligate, intracellular bacteria that are transmitted by ticks to humans. they grow as a cluster (morula) in neutrophils (anaplasma phagocytophilum and e. ewingii) and in monocytes (e. chaffeensis). the infection may cause prolonged fever and general ache ...	2009	19354021
detection of the dna of borrelia afzelii, anaplasma phagocytophilum and babesia canis in blood samples from dogs in warsaw.	each month, from march 2003 to february 2004, 34 blood samples from dogs were randomly selected from the blood samples delivered to two veterinary laboratories in warsaw and tested for the dna of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, anaplasma phagocytophilum, babesia canis and hepatozoon canis. borrelia dna was detected in seven of the 408 dogs, a phagocytophilum dna was found in two, and b canis dna was found in 48 (11.8 per cent). the dna of h canis was not found in any of the blood samples. seque ...	2009	19363228
a 78-year-old man with the "summer flu" and cytopenias.		2009	19374559
anaplasma phagocytophilum is not an aetiological agent of fever of intermediate duration in gran canaria (spain).		2009	19374638
serology, pcr and culture of ehrlichia/anaplasma species in asymptomatic and symptomatic cats from central spain.		2009	19374640
differential impairment of neutrophil function by strains of anaplasma phagocytophilum.		2009	19374649
anaplasma phagocytophilum infection in patients with early lyme borreliosis, erythema migrans, in north-eastern poland.		2009	19374650
update on emerging infections: news from the centers for disease control and prevention. anaplasma phagocytophilum transmitted through blood transfusion - minnesota 2007.		2009	19380038
viability assays of intra-erythrocytic organisms using fluorescent dyes.	three intra-erythrocytic tick fever organisms of cattle (babesia bovis, babesia bigemina and anaplasma centrale) were subjected to a range of stressors, including heat, storage over time, specific chemotherapy and cryopreservation. various stains, both alone and in combination, were used in an attempt to assess viability of these organisms before and after the stressors were applied. carboxyfluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester (cfse) stained live babesia spp. very well while fluorescein diac ...	2009	19380205
serological and molecular detection of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and anaplasmataceae in rodents.	the presence of anaplasma spp. and borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in rodents from eastern slovakia were followed by serological and molecular methods. the seroprevalence for borrelia was detected in 16.6 %, for anaplasmataceae (apt) in 13.2 % and co-occurrence of borrelia and apt in 7.5 %. out of 110 ear biopsies of rodents, 5 were b. afzelii-positive. five biopsies tested positive with the ehr521-ehr747 primers amplifying all the members of the family apt. a. phagocytophilum was detected in 1. ...	2009	19381473
clinical and haematological features in anaplasma phagocytophilum seropositive dogs.		2009	19392892
anaplasma in ticks feeding on migrating birds and questing ticks in lithuania and norway.		2009	19392894
ecology of anaplasma phagocytophilum infection in gray foxes (urocyon cinereoargenteus) in northwestern california.	although granulocytic anaplasmosis, caused by infection of anaplasma phagocytophilum, is an emerging human and domestic animal disease, the ecology and natural history of the parasite is not well understood. gray foxes (urocyon cinereoargenteus) are relatively common, occasionally peri-urban mesocarnivores whose geographic distribution overlaps the reported distribution of granulocytic anaplasmosis in humans and domestic animals in north america. we evaluated the potential of foxes as hosts and ...	2009	19395744
ticks and tick-borne pathogens from wildlife in the free state province, south africa.	eight ixodid tick species, associated with 59 free-ranging mammals belonging to 10 species, were collected at five different localities in the free state province, south africa. four of the study areas were nature reserves (willem pretorius, sandveld, tussen-die-riviere, and soetdoring), and one site was a private farm located in senekal district. the collection was performed from march 2006 until june 2006. ticks (n=569) and tissues from animals (n=52) were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction ...	2009	19395753
distinct ecologically relevant strains of anaplasma phagocytophilum.		2009	19402993
ticks and tick-borne pathogens and putative symbionts of black bears (ursus americanus floridanus) from georgia and florida.	ticks were collected from 38 black bears (ursus americanus floridanus) from northwestern florida (n = 18) from 2003 to 2005 and southern georgia (n = 20) in 2006. five species (amblyomma americanum, a. maculatum, dermacentor variabilis, ixodes scapularis, and i. affinis) were collected from florida bears, and 4 species (a. americanum, a. maculatum, d. variabilis, i. scapularis) were collected from bears in georgia. ixodes scapularis was the most frequently collected tick, followed by d. variabil ...	2009	19413369
first report of trypanosoma vivax infection in dairy cattle from costa rica.	an outbreak of haemoparasitoses occurred from october 2007 to july 2008 in cattle from the district of rio cuarto, province of alajuela, costa rica. fifty animals of various ages out of 450 brown swiss were affected. the animals presented fever, severe anemia, jaundice, abortion or premature birth, loss of appetite, decrease milk production and accentuated weight loss in a short period of time. haemoparasites were observed in the blood smears: anaplasma marginale was present in 17 animals (60.7% ...	2009	19414224
evidence of bartonella spp., rickettsia spp. and anaplasma phagocytophilum in domestic, shelter and stray cat blood and fleas, portugal.		2009	19416279
prevalence of anaplasma species and habitat suitability for ticks in sicily.		2009	19416281
isolation of coxiella burnetii from the blood of a patient with positive anaplasma phagocytophilum serological results.		2009	19416284
concomitant human granulocytic anaplasmosis and lyme neuroborreliosis.		2009	19416290
cerebrospinal fluid pcr and antibody concentrations against anaplasma phagocytophilum and borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in dogs with neurological signs.	the tick-borne bacteria borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (sl) and anaplasma phagocytophilum have been suspected to cause neurological signs in dogs. diagnosis often has been made based on positive antibody titers in serum of dogs with neurological signs, but a high seroprevalence in dogs in at-risk populations makes diagnosis difficult.	2009	19422467
molecular evidence of anaplasma phagocytophilum infection in wild cervids and feeding ixodes ricinus ticks from west-central poland.		2009	19438657
phylogentic analysis of anaplasma ovis strains isolated from sheep and goats using groel and mps4 genes.	evidence of anaplasma spp. in goats and sheep in cyprus has been demonstrated by previous research. herein, further research was performed for the identification of the exact anaplasma spp. resulting in the identification of anaplasma ovis strains in all samples examined. we used a bioinformatics as well as a molecular approach (study of groel and mps4 genes) in order to verify the validity of the results. all samples depicted the presence of a. ovis regardless of the host (goat or sheep).	2009	19443140
a molecular and serological study of exposure to tick-borne pathogens in sick dogs from italy.		2009	19456799
sub-clinical infection of dogs from the ivory coast and gabon with ehrlichia, anaplasma, mycoplasma and rickettsia species.		2009	19456802
spotted fever rickettsiae, ehrlichia and anaplasma, in ticks from peridomestic environments in panama.		2009	19456809
diversity of groesl sequences of anaplasma phagocytophilum among dogs in slovenia.		2009	19456815
conservation in the face of diversity: multistrain analysis of an intracellular bacterium.	with the recent completion of numerous sequenced bacterial genomes, notable advances have been made in understanding the level of conservation between various species. however, relatively little is known about the genomic diversity among strains. we determined the complete genome sequence of the florida strain of anaplasma marginale, and near complete (>96%) sequences for an additional three strains, for comparative analysis with the previously fully sequenced st. maries strain genome.	2009	19134224
anaplasma marginale infection in a japanese black cow 13 years after eradication of rhipicephalus (boophilus) microplus in okinawa, japan.	in october 2007, a 15-year-old japanese black cow on ishigaki island, okinawa, japan, was diagnosed with anaplasma marginale infection based on clinical symptoms, blood examination, smear observation, 16s rrna and groel gene sequence analysis, and the result of a cf test. the cow was introduced into the farm from mainland japan as a calf in 1993, one year before the eradication of rhipicephalus (boophilus) microplus, the main vector of a. marginale in okinawa prefecture. it is possible that the ...	2009	19135309
prevalence and geographic distribution of dirofilaria immitis, borrelia burgdorferi, ehrlichia canis, and anaplasma phagocytophilum in dogs in the united states: results of a national clinic-based serologic survey.	we evaluated a comprehensive national database that documents canine infection with, or exposure to, four vector-borne disease agents, dirofilaria immitis, borrelia burgdorferi, ehrlichia canis, and anaplasma phagocytophilum in order to assess geographic trends in rates of positive tests. while the percent positive test results varied by agent in different regions of the united states, with d. immitis antigen and antibodies to e. canis more commonly identified in dogs from the south (3.9% and 1. ...	2009	19150176
propagation of a brazilian isolate of anaplasma marginale with appendage in a tick cell line (bme26) derived from rhipicephalus (boophilus) microplus.	anaplasma marginale is a tick-borne pathogen of cattle responsible for the disease anaplasmosis. data suggest that rhipicephalus (boophilus) microplus and r. annulatus may be the major tick vectors of a. marginale in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. in this work we demonstrated the first infection and propagation of a brazilian isolate of a. marginale (ufmg1) in the bme26 cell line derived originally from embryos of r. (boophilus) microplus. the establishment of a. marginale infect ...	2009	19150177
positive selection in tick saliva proteins of the salp15 family.	when taking their blood meal on the mammalian host, ticks transfer a multitude of different proteins from their saliva into the host. some of these proteins are hijacked by pathogens for their own purposes. borrelia burgdorferi, the lyme disease agent, is critically dependent on the presence of the tick protein salp15 when infecting the host. similarly, anaplasma phagocytophilum, which causes anaplasmosis, needs salp16, a homologue of salp15, to get transferred from the host into the tick. here ...	2009	19159966
pcr survey of vectorborne pathogens in dogs living in and around barcelona, an area endemic for leishmaniasis.	blood samples from 153 dogs living in and around barcelona were assayed for leishmania infantum and ehrlichia, anaplasma, rickettsia, bartonella, hepatozoon, babesia and theileria species by pcr amplification of dna, and the amplicons obtained were sequenced. the prevalence of the infectious agents was l infantum (29.4 per cent), ehrlichia and anaplasma species (4.0 per cent), hepatozoon canis (3.3 per cent), babesia canis vogeli (2.0 per cent), babesia gibsoni (2.0 per cent), babesia canis cani ...	2009	19168881
molecular survey for anaplasma bovis and anaplasma phagocytophilum infection in cattle in a pastureland where sika deer appear in hokkaido, japan.	anaplasma bovis and anaplasma phagocytophilum infection were examined by species-specific nested polymerase chain reaction in cattle in a pastureland where sika deer appear in hokkaido, japan. of the 78 cattle examined, 12 (15%) and 1 (1%) tested positive for infection by a. bovis and a. phagocytophilum, respectively. one cattle tested positive for both. a. phagocytophilum infection rates were significantly lower in cattle than in sika deer (46%), but the infection rate by a. bovis was not signi ...	2009	19168967
cyclic di-gmp (c-di-gmp) goes into host cells--c-di-gmp signaling in the obligate intracellular pathogen anaplasma phagocytophilum.		2009	19047357
ultrastructural and fluorochromatic changes of anaplasma marginale exposed to oxytetracycline, imidocarb and enrofloxacin in short-term erythrocyte cultures.	anaplasma marginale causes mild to severe hemoparasitic disease resulting in significant morbidity and mortality in cattle worldwide. in the absence of universally efficacious vaccines, antimicrobial therapy combined with biocontainment and biosecurity strategies are critical to control anaplasmosis. herein, we compared the effect of oxytetracycline, imidocarb and enrofloxacin on a. marginale isolates in short-term erythrocyte cultures. electron micrographs detailing antimicrobial-induced change ...	2009	19054634
clinical, serological, and molecular evidence of ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis in dogs in tunisia.	a seroepidemiological survey was conducted in five bioclimatic areas of tunisia to determine the prevalence of antibodies to ehrlichia canis and anaplasma phagocytophilum antigens, surrogate markers of the agents of canine monocytic ehrlichiosis (cme) and canine granulocytic ehrlichiosis, respectively. among 286 collected sera, 54.2% and 25.2% were seropositive for e. canis and a. phagocytophilum, respectively, by the indirect immunofluorescence antibody (ifa) test. clinical and hematological te ...	2009	19018569
use of tick surveys and serosurveys to evaluate pet dogs as a sentinel species for emerging lyme disease.	to evaluate dogs as a sentinel species for emergence of lyme disease in a region undergoing invasion by ixodes scapularis.	2009	19119948
seroprevalence of tick-borne diseases among cattle in the sudan.	this study was carried out to determine the prevalence of theileria annulata, theileria mutans, babesia bigemina, and anaplasma marginale antibodies among cattle in the sudan. a total of 600 serum samples were collected from indigenous (zebu) and crossbred cattle (zebu x friesian) of both sex and different age groups. indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to assess antibodies against tick-borne diseases in apparently healthy cattle. the overall prevalence rates of t. annulata, t. m ...	2009	19030878
seroprevalence of anaplasma phagocytophilum in a high-risk human population.		2009	19081633
genetic diversity of major surface protein 1a of anaplasma marginale in beef cattle.	the present study was aimed to demonstrate genotypic diversity of anaplama marginale in infected beef herds grazing within anaplasmosis endemic regions. the genotypic diversity was identified among different herds, within each herd, and also within single animals. the israeli strains revealed unique characteristics of msp1a repeats and, in addition to the published repeats, six new tandem repeats designated is1-5, and is9 were identified. the superinfections of individual anaplama centrale vacci ...	2009	19081688
molecular characterization of two different strains of haemotropic mycoplasmas from a sheep flock with fatal haemolytic anaemia and concomitant anaplasma ovis infection.	after the first outbreak of fatal mycoplasma ovis infection (eperythrozoonosis) in a sheep flock in hungary (1997), a second wave of the disease was noted in 2006, with different seasonal pattern and affected age group, as well as increased mortality (5.5%). the aim of the present study was to molecularly characterize the causative agent and to reveal underlying factors of the second wave of the disease. remarkably, among the 33 sheep examined, 17 were infected with two strains of haemotropic my ...	2009	19091491
experimental transmission of field anaplasma marginale and the a. centrale vaccine strain by hyalomma excavatum, rhipicephalus sanguineus and rhipicephalus (boophilus) annulatus ticks.	the cattle rickettsia anaplasma marginale is distributed worldwide and is transmitted by about 20 tick species, but only rhipicephalus simus, a strictly african tick species, has been shown to transmit the vaccine strain of a. centrale. the aim of the present study was to examine transmission of field strains of a. marginale and of the vaccine strain of a. centrale by three tick species -hyalomma excavatum, rhipicephalus sanguineus and rhipicephalus (boophilus) annulatus - to susceptible calves. ...	2009	18823724
detection of tick-borne pathogens by masstag polymerase chain reaction.	masstag polymerase chain reaction (pcr) is a platform that enables microbe detection using primers labeled through a photocleavable link with tags that vary in molecular weight. after multiplex pcr, tags are released by ultraviolet irradiation and analyzed by mass spectroscopy. the identification of a microbe in a sample is determined by its cognate tags. here we describe establishment and implementation of a masstag pcr panel for surveillance of microbes implicated in tick-vectored infectious d ...	2009	18800864
quantitative differences in salivary pathogen load during tick transmission underlie strain-specific variation in transmission efficiency of anaplasma marginale.	the relative fitness of arthropod-borne pathogens within the vector can be a major determinant of pathogen prevalence within the mammalian host population. strains of the tick-borne rickettsia anaplasma marginale differ markedly in transmission efficiency, with a consequent impact on pathogen strain structure. we have identified two a. marginale strains with significant differences in the transmission phenotype that is effected following infection of the salivary gland. we have proposed competin ...	2009	18955472
kawasaki disease and anaplasma sp. infection of an infant in cyprus.	this report describes the case of an infant suffering from kawasaki disease with a concomitant anaplasma sp. infection. further studies are required to demonstrate a possible association between kawasaki disease and bacterial infections.	2009	18848483
prevalence of anaplasma sp. in goats and sheep in cyprus.	a seroprevalence study of anaplasma infection was conducted in a stratified random sample of goats and sheep in cyprus in which the sample locations were recorded using a geographical information system (gis). the aim of the study was to estimate the prevalence of anaplasma phagocytophilum and other anaplasma species in sheep and goats, and to identify high-risk regions. a total of 689 serum samples (343 from sheep and 346 from goats) were randomly collected and tested for the detection of antib ...	2009	18945185
anaplasma phagocytophilum groel gene heterogeneity in ixodes ricinus larvae feeding on roe deer in northeastern italy.	anaplasma phagocytophilum is an emerging tick-borne pathogen with both veterinary and human health implications. the role of wildlife hosts for this pathogen are not well defined, even thought roe deer (capreolus capreolus) has been suggested to contribute to the occurrence of this tick-borne diseases in europe. therefore the aim of the present study was to investigate the potential role of this ungulate species as a reservoir of human pathogenic strains of a. phagocytophilum in a tick-borne dis ...	2009	18945191
inoculation of white-tailed deer (odocoileus virginianus) with ap-v1 or ny-18 strains of anaplasma phagocytophilum and microscopic demonstration of ap-v1 in ixodes scapularis adults that acquired infection from deer as nymphs.	four white-tailed deer were inoculated with either the ap-v1 or ny-18 strain of anaplasma phagocytophilum. ixodes scapularis nymphs were then allowed to acquistion feed on the inoculated deer and molt to adults. only an ap-v1 infected deer was infected persistently and able to infect nymphal ixodes scapularis. molted adult ticks maintained ap-v1 infection as demonstrated by pcr and microscopy. we report, for the first time, a morphologic description of a. phagocytophilum in i. scapularis.	2009	18973438
ectoparasites and associated pathogens of free-roaming and captive animals in zoos of south carolina.	a survey of ectoparasites and their associated pathogens was conducted in two south carolina zoos, from 2004 to 2007. dead, wild birds and mammals, as well as captive animals examined during routine veterinary checks constituted the study populations. ectoparasites were tested for species of anaplasma, bartonella, coxiella burnetii, ehrlichia, rickettsia, and trypanosoma. forty-six species of ectoparasites were collected from 133 free-roaming and captive hosts and their associated nesting and be ...	2009	18973443
detection of antibodies against anaplasma phagocytophilum in algerian mice (mus spretus), portugal.	the recent detection of anaplasma phagocytophilum in portugal stimulated further research on the agent's enzootic cycle, which usually involves rodents. thus a total 322 rodents belonging to five species, including 30 apodemus sylvaticus (wood mouse), 65 mus musculus (house mouse), 194 m. spretus (algerian mouse), 5 rattus norvegicus (brown rat) and 28 r. rattus (black rat), were studied by indirect immunofluorescent assay (ifa) and/or polymerase chain reaction (pcr) for a. phagocytophilum expos ...	2009	18973448
parasitism and mutualism in wolbachia: what the phylogenomic trees can and cannot say.	ecological and evolutionary theories predict that parasitism and mutualism are not fixed endpoints of the symbiotic spectrum. rather, parasitism and mutualism may be host or environment dependent, induced by the same genetic machinery, and shifted due to selection. these models presume the existence of genetic or environmental variation that can spur incipient changes in symbiotic lifestyle. however, for obligate intracellular bacteria whose genomes are highly reduced, studies specify that discr ...	2009	18974066
the anaplasma phagocytophilum plec histidine kinase and pled diguanylate cyclase two-component system and role of cyclic di-gmp in host cell infection.	anaplasma phagocytophilum, the etiologic agent of human granulocytic anaplasmosis (hga), has genes predicted to encode three sensor kinases, one of which is annotated plec, and three response regulators, one of which is pled. prior to this study, the roles of plec and pled in the obligatory intracellular parasitism of a. phagocytophilum and their biochemical activities were unknown. the present study illustrates the relevance of these factors by demonstrating that both plec and pled were express ...	2009	18978058
increased prevalence of rickettsia aeschlimannii in castilla y león, spain.	we report the increased prevalence recorded in recent years of rickettsia aeschlimannii in hyalomma marginatum marginatum ticks removed from human subjects in castilla y león (nw, spain). additionally, a simultaneous infection with r. aeschlimannii and anaplasma phagocytophilum in two h. marginatum marginatum ticks is reported for the first time.	2009	18998174
pcr-based detection of blood parasites in cattle and adult rhipicephalus appendiculatus ticks.	to ascertain the infection rate for tick-borne pathogens in zambia, an epidemiological survey of theileria parva, babesia bigemina and anaplasma marginale in traditionally managed sanga cattle was conducted using pcr. of the 71 native zambian cattle, 28 (39.4%) were positive for t. parva, 16 (22.5%) for b. bigemina and 34 (47.9%) for a. marginale. the mixed infection rate in cattle was 8.5% (6/71), 16.9% (12/71), 7.0% (5/71) and 2.8% (2/71) for t. parva/b. bigemina, t. parva/a. marginale, b. big ...	2009	18700182
development of a mathematical model for mechanical transmission of trypanosomes and other pathogens of cattle transmitted by tabanids.	mechanical transmission of pathogens by biting insects is a non-specific phenomenon in which pathogens are transmitted from the blood of an infected host to another host during interrupted feeding of the insects. a large range of pathogens can be mechanically transmitted, e.g. hemoparasites, bacteria and viruses. some pathogens are almost exclusively mechanically transmitted, while others are also cyclically transmitted. for agents transmitted both cyclically and mechanically (mixed transmission ...	2009	18755195
anaplasma phagocytophilum in horses and ticks: a preliminary survey of central italy.	anaplasma phagocytophilum, the causative agent of granulocytic ehrlichiosis, affects several species of wild and domesticated mammals, including horses. in this work we compared direct and indirect methods to evaluate a. phagocytophilum presence in central italy: 135 sera were screened by ifa for a. phagocytophilum and other haemopathogens (theileria equi and babesia caballi). each horse was also tested for a. phagocytophilum 16s rrna with a nested-pcr technique. in order to examine the risk of ...	2010	18805584
molecular detection of anaplasma platys and ehrlichia canis in dogs from the north of portugal.	tick-transmitted rickettsial pathogens belonging to the ehrlichia and anaplasma genera can infect dogs and humans. in this study, four dogs from the north of portugal, in which an ehrlichial disease was suspected clinically, were tested by molecular methods. after dna extraction from blood on filter paper, a 345 bp fragment of the ehrlichia/anaplasma 16s rrna gene was amplified by the polymerase chain reaction (pcr). sequence analysis of pcr products revealed one dog infected with ehrlichia cani ...	2010	19056304
high prevalence of tick-borne pathogens in dogs from an indian reservation in northeastern arizona.	we evaluated the serological and molecular prevalence of selected organisms in 145 dogs during late spring (may/june) of 2005 and in 88 dogs during winter (february) of 2007 from the hopi indian reservation. additionally, in 2005, 442 ticks attached to dogs were collected and identified as rhipicephalus sanguineus. infection with or exposure to at least one organism was detected in 69% and 66% of the dogs in may/june 2005 and february 2007, respectively. exposure to spotted fever group (sfg) ric ...	2010	19469667
identification of anaplasma centrale major surface protein-2 pseudogenes.	the present study was aimed to identify msp2 pseudogenes and msp2 variants in the vaccine anaplama centrale strain. five msp2 pseudogenes were identified in the a. centrale genome, and multiple msp2 variants that emerged during both acute and persistent infection were detected. the pseudogene copies of msp2 were truncated; they contained a central hypervariable region flanked by short portions of the 5' and 3' conserved regions. alignment of the hypervariable region sequence of the expression si ...	2010	20036077
first detection of the anaplasma phagocytophilum groel-a genotype in man.	human granulocytic anaplasmosis (hga) is an emerging disease caused by the gram-negative bacterium anaplasma phagocytophilum which is transmitted by ticks of the genus ixodes ricinus. for molecular detection of the pathogen by pcr, a conserved portion of the groel gene within the groesl operon is frequently used as a target. a single g/a polymorphism in this region allows to discriminate between two genotypes, groel-g and groel-a.	2010	20036281
infections with anaplasma phagocytophilum in dogs in germany.	the main objectives of this prospective study were to establish prevalence of anaplasma phagocytophilum infections in dogs from northeast germany; and to evaluate the hematological parameters of sero- or real-time pcr-positive clinically healthy dogs. the mean prevalence of a. phagocytophilum seropositivity of 522 dogs (258 suspected to have anaplasmosis, 264 healthy) was 43%. there was no difference between sick (46.9%) and healthy dogs (39.8%) (p=0.100). the pcr test was positive in 30 dogs (2 ...	2010	20832089
prevention of endemic canine vector-borne diseases using imidacloprid 10% and permethrin 50% in young dogs: a longitudinal field study.	canine vector-borne diseases (cvbds) are highly prevalent and increasing in distribution worldwide. a longitudinal study was conducted in southern italy to determine the incidence of and protection against cvbd-causing pathogens in dogs treated with a combination of imidacloprid 10% and permethrin 50% (imper). one hundred eleven autochthonous young dogs were divided into group a (n=63) and group b (n=48), both groups containing dogs positive and negative for one or more cvbd-causing pathogens. a ...	2010	20591573
anaplasma phagocytophilum aph_0032 is expressed late during infection and localizes to the pathogen-occupied vacuolar membrane.	anaplasma phagocytophilum infects neutrophils and myeloid, endothelial, and tick cell lines to reside within a host cell-derived vacuole that is indispensible for its survival. here, we identify aph_0032 as an anaplasma-derived protein that associates with the a. phagocytophilum-occupied vacuolar membrane (avm). aph_0032 is a 66.1 kda acidic protein that electrophoretically migrates with an apparent molecular weight of 130 kda. it contains a predicted transmembrane domain and tandemly arranged d ...	2010	20600793
survival rates of immature ixodes pacificus (acari: ixodidae) ticks estimated using field-placed enclosures.	granulocytic anaplasmosis (ga) and lyme borreliosis are emerging tick-borne diseases caused by infection with anaplasma phagocytophilum and borrelia burgdorferi, respectively, and maintained in rodent-ixodes spp. tick cycles, including i. pacificus in the western u.s. ixodes pacificus has a multiple-year life cycle and b. burgdorferi and a. phagocytophilum are transstadially, but not transovarially, transmitted within ticks, thus ticks function importantly in maintaining infection in nature. in ...	2010	20618646
coexistence of pathogens in host-seeking and feeding ticks within a single natural habitat in central germany.	the importance of established and emerging tick-borne pathogens in central and northern europe is steadily increasing. in 2007, we collected ixodes ricinus ticks feeding on birds (n = 211) and rodents (n = 273), as well as host-seeking stages (n = 196), in a habitat in central germany. in order to find out more about their natural transmission cycles, the ticks were tested for the presence of lyme disease borreliae, anaplasma phagocytophilum, spotted fever group (sfg) rickettsiae, francisella tu ...	2010	20729315
[usage of real time polymerase chain reaction for diagnostics of different tick-borne infections].	to create and test the complex of polymerase chain reaction-based methods for detection of pathogens vectored by ticks in clinical and environmental samples.	2010	20734723
fitness and freezing: vector biology and human health.	microbes transmitted to mammals by arthropods contend with many factors that could impede survival. to survive, host fitness with infection must outweigh costs. in this issue of the jci, neelakanta et al. demonstrate that ticks infected with anaplasma phagocytophilum show enhanced fitness against freezing injury owing to induced expression of tick "antifreeze glycoprotein." this allows a. phagocytophilum to successfully propagate and survive to cause disease in nonnatural hosts, such as humans. ...	2010	20739748
anaplasma phagocytophilum induces ixodes scapularis ticks to express an antifreeze glycoprotein gene that enhances their survival in the cold.	in the united states, ixodes scapularis ticks overwinter in the northeast and upper midwest and transmit the agent of human granulocytic anaplasmosis, anaplasma phagocytophilum, among other pathogens. we now show that the presence of a. phagocytophilum in i. scapularis ticks increases their ability to survive in the cold. we identified an i. scapularis antifreeze glycoprotein, designated iafgp, and demonstrated via rnai knockdown studies the importance of iafgp for the survival of i. scapularis ...	2010	20739755
diagnosis of canine vector-borne diseases in young dogs: a longitudinal study.	canine vector-borne diseases (cvbds) pose a diagnostic challenge, particularly when a dog is coinfected with more than one pathogen. the purpose of this study was to generate information about the diagnosis of cvbds in young dogs following their first exposure to flea, tick, sand fly, louse, and mosquito vectors. from march 2008 to may 2009, 10 purpose-bred young naive beagle dogs and a cohort of 48 mixed-breed dogs living in an area to which cvbd is endemic in southern italy were monitored usin ...	2010	20660218
anaplasma phagocytophilum induces actin phosphorylation to selectively regulate gene transcription in ixodes scapularis ticks.	anaplasma phagocytophilum, the agent of human anaplasmosis, persists in ticks and mammals. we show that a. phagocytophilum induces the phosphorylation of actin in an ixodes ricinus tick cell line and ixodes scapularis ticks, to alter the ratio of monomeric/filamentous (g/f) actin. a. phagocytophilum-induced actin phosphorylation was dependent on ixodes p21-activated kinase (ipak1)-mediated signaling. a. phagocytophilum stimulated ipak1 activity via the g protein-coupled receptor gbetagamma subun ...	2010	20660616
a novel ehrlichia genotype detected in naturally infected cattle in north america.	during a research investigation to determine if cattle from british columbia (bc), canada were infected with anaplasma marginale or other related rickettsial blood parasites, a novel ehrlichia genotype was revealed. blood from seven bc source cattle was bioassayed by intravenous inoculation into naïve splenectomised calves. additional splenectomised calves were used as uninoculated negative control or a. marginale-inoculated positive control. newly designed sets of primers specific for the msp5 ...	2010	20663613
type iv secretion in the obligatory intracellular bacterium anaplasma phagocytophilum.	anaplasma phagocytophilum is an obligatory intracellular bacterium that infects neutrophils, the primary host defence cells. consequent effects of infection on host cells result in a potentially fatal systemic disease called human granulocytic anaplasmosis. despite ongoing reductive genome evolution and deletion of most genes for intermediary metabolism and amino acid biosynthesis, anaplasma has also experienced expansion of genes encoding several components of the type iv secretion (t4s) appara ...	2010	20670295