Publications

serological evidence of infection with ehrlichia spp. in red foxes (vulpes vulpes) in switzerland.	serum samples from 1,550 red foxes in switzerland were tested for antibodies to the agents of canine granulocytic and monocytic ehrlichiosis by an indirect immunofluorescent technique. forty-four (2.8%) of the samples were positive for ehrlichia phagocytophila, which is an antigen marker for granulocytic ehrlichiosis. in contrast, none of the samples had antibodies specific to ehrlichia canis, the agent of monocytic ehrlichiosis.	1999	10074544
anaplasma phagocytophilum: an emerging tick-borne pathogen in hungary and central eastern europe.	anaplasma phagocytophilum (formerly ehrlichia phagocytophila, ehrlichia equi and anaplasma phagocytophila) is the causative agent of granulocytic ehrlichiosis (anaplasmosis) in humans, horses, sheep, cattle, dogs and cats. in the present study, 452 european sheep ticks (ixodes ricinus) collected from 100 red foxes (vulpes vulpes) in hungary were tested for the pathogen, as 112 pools each containing five or fewer ticks from one fox. six of the pools, representing ticks from six different foxes, w ...	2004	15228721
anaplasma phagocytophilum infection of red foxes (vulpes vulpes).	the investigation of anaplasma phagocytophilum infection covered 111 red foxes from the mazovian province. determination was based on pcr amplification of 16s rrna gene and the portion of msp4 gene coding msp4 major surface protein. the presence of a. phagocytophilum was found in 2.7 % of foxes.	2009	20047265
molecular survey of anaplasma phagocytophilum and ehrlichia canis in red foxes (vulpes vulpes) from central italy.	during the 2007-2008 hunting season, 150 spleen samples were collected from free-ranging red foxes (vulpes vulpes) in central italy. the specimens were tested by two nested pcr assays to detect dna of anaplasma phagocytophilum, etiologic agent of granulocytic ehrlichiosis of animals and humans, and dna of ehrlichia canis, which causes the monocytic ehrlichiosis in canids. none of the foxes were pcr-positive for e. canis; 25 (16.6%) were positive for a. phagocytophilum. no specific gross alterati ...	2011	21719836
a molecular survey of anaplasma spp., rickettsia spp., ehrlichia canis and babesia microti in foxes and fleas from sicily.	fleas (insecta: siphonaptera) are obligate bloodsucking insects, which parasitize birds and mammals, and are distributed throughout the world. several species have been implicated in pathogen transmission. this study aimed to monitor red foxes and the fleas isolated from them in the palermo and ragusa provinces of sicily, italy, as these organisms are potential reservoirs and vectors of pathogens. thirteen foxes (vulpes vulpes) and 110 fleas were analysed by polymerase chain reaction (pcr) to de ...	2013	24589112
detection of anaplasma phagocytophilum in red foxes (vulpes vulpes) and raccoon dogs (nyctereutes procyonoides) from brandenburg, germany.	anaplasma phagocytophilum is an obligate intracellular and tick-transmitted bacterium, which causes granulocytic anaplasmosis in animals and humans. although infection with a. phagocytophilum in domestic animals and vector ticks is documented, there is sparse information on the occurrence of a. phagocytophilum in wild animals. red foxes (vulpes vulpes) as well as raccoon dogs (nyctereutes procyonoides) are wildlife species highly abundant in certain areas of germany and represent a potential wil ...	2014	24512760
wildlife reservoirs for vector-borne canine, feline and zoonotic infections in austria.	austria's mammalian wildlife comprises a large variety of species, acting and interacting in different ways as reservoir and intermediate and definitive hosts for different pathogens that can be transmitted to pets and/or humans. foxes and other wild canids are responsible for maintaining zoonotic agents, e.g. echinococcus multilocularis, as well as pet-relevant pathogens, e.g. hepatozoon canis. together with the canids, and less commonly felids, rodents play a major role as intermediate and par ...	2014	25830102
molecular detection of anaplasma phagocytophilum and borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato genospecies in red foxes (vulpes vulpes) from romania.	red foxes (vulpes vulpes) are one of the most widespread wild carnivores in the world, being recognized to harbor and transmit a wide range of vector-borne diseases. anaplasma phagocytophilum and borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato are zoonotic tick-borne pathogens causing emerging diseases. wild animals play an essential role in the transmission of diseases and pathogens maintenance in nature. epidemiological studies regarding the prevalence of tick-borne pathogens in red foxes are of public health ...	2015	26449360
spatial distribution of anaplasma phagocytophilum and hepatozoon canis in red foxes (vulpes vulpes) in hungary.	in recent years, ehrlichia canis and hepatozoon canis transmitted by rhipicephalus sanguineus were reported from hungary. the aim of the present study was to reveal the spatial distribution pattern of pathogens transmitted by r. sanguineus in a sentinel species, red fox (vulpes vulpes) in hungary and to analyse the relationship of these patterns with landscape and climate by geographical information systems. fox carcasses, representing 0.5% of the total fox population were randomly selected out ...	2015	26065623
detection of 'candidatus neoehrlichia mikurensis' and other anaplasmataceae and rickettsiaceae in canidae in switzerland and mediterranean countries.	'candidatus neoehrlichia mikurensis' is an emerging tick-borne zoonotic agent that primarily affects immunocompromised human patients. dogs and foxes are frequently exposed to ticks, and both species are in close proximity to humans. this is the first study to systematically investigate the occurrence of 'candidatus neoehrlichia mikurensis' in canidae in europa. we analyzed 1'739 blood samples from dogs in switzerland, italy, spain and portugal and 162 blood samples from free-ranging red foxes ( ...	2016	27707682
multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis potentially reveals the existence of two groups of anaplasma phagocytophilum circulating in cattle in france with different wild reservoirs.	anaplasma phagocytophilum is the causative agent of tick-borne fever, a disease with high economic impact for domestic ruminants in europe. epidemiological cycles of this species are complex, and involve different ecotypes circulating in various host species. to date, these epidemiological cycles are poorly understood, especially in europe, as european reservoir hosts (i.e. vertebrate hosts enabling long-term maintenance of the bacterium in the ecosystem), of the bacterium have not yet been clea ...	2016	27876073
occurrence and diversity of arthropod-transmitted pathogens in red foxes (vulpes vulpes) in western austria, and possible vertical (transplacental) transmission of hepatozoon canis.	red fox (vulpes vulpes) is the most abundant wild canid species in austria, and it is a well-known carrier of many pathogens of medical and veterinary concern. the main aim of the present study was to investigate the occurrence and diversity of protozoan, bacterial and filarial parasites transmitted by blood-feeding arthropods in a red fox population in western austria. blood (n = 351) and spleen (n = 506) samples from foxes were examined by pcr and sequencing and the following pathogens were id ...	2017	28835291
molecular detection of tick-borne pathogens in wild red foxes (vulpes vulpes) from central italy.	spleen samples from 153 red foxes, shot during regular hunting season in the province of pisa (central italy), were examined to detect dna of anaplasma phagocytophilum, ehrlichia canis, coxiella burnetii, francisella tularensis, hepatozoon canis and babesia sp./theileria sp. dna of vector-borne pathogens was detected in 120 (78.43%; 95% ci: 71.06-84.66%) foxes. specifically, 75 (49%; 95% ci: 40.86-57.22%) animals scored pcr-positive per h. canis, 68 (44.44%; 95% ci: 36.42-52.69%) for e. canis, 3 ...	2017	28502642