Anaplasma ; Anaplasma phagocytophilum ; Ehrlichiosis ; Humans

Anaplasma ; Anaplasmosis ; Humans

Members of the genus Anaplasma are important emerging tick-borne pathogens in both humans and animals in tropical and subtropical areas. Here, we investigated the presence of Anaplasma spp. in 621 sheep and 710 goats from six provinces of China. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA sequencing were conducted to determine the prevalence of Anaplasma (A.) phagocytophilum, A. ovis and A. bovis targeting the 16S ribosomal RNA or the major surface protein 4 gene. PCR revealed Anaplasma in 39.0% (240/621) of sheep and 45.5% (323/710) of goats. The most frequently detected species was A. ovis (88/621, 14.2% for sheep; 129/710, 18.2% for goats), followed by A. bovis (60/621, 9.7% for sheep; 74/710, 10.4% for goats) and A. phagocytophilum (33/621, 5.3% for sheep; 15/710, 2.1% for goats). Additionally, eight sheep and 20 goats were found to be infected with three pathogens simultaneously. DNA sequencing confirmed the presence of these three Anaplasma species in the investigated areas, and phylogenetic analysis indicated that there was geographic segregation to a certain extent, as well as a relationship between the host and cluster of A. ovis. The results of the present study provide valuable data that helps understand the epidemiology of anaplasmosis in ruminants from China.
Anaplasma ovis ; Anaplasma phagocytophilum ; Anaplasma* ; Anaplasmosis ; Animals ; China* ; Epidemiology ; Goats* ; Humans ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prevalence ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S ; Ruminants ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Sheep*

A total of 1,395 Haemaphysalis longicornis ticks collected from Jeju Island of Korea were examined by 16S rRNA gene-based nested PCR for the presence of infection with Anaplasma and Ehrlichia species. Template DNAs to detect the tick-borne pathogens were prepared from a total 506 tick pools. Eight genera of Anaplasma and six Ehrlichia by 16S rRNA gene PCR and sequencing analysis were identified. A. phagocytophilum was the most prevalent (27 [1.9%]) by nested PCR, followed by A. bovis (5 [0.4%]), E. chaffeensis (4 [0.2%]), and A. centrale (1 [0.1%]). In the phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA sequences, eight genera of Anaplasma group (> 99.4% homology) and six Ehrlichia group (> 99.5% homology) were close to deposited A. marginale strains (AF309867, AF414874, and FJ226454) and Ehrlichia sp. (DQ324547), respectively. Three Anaplasma species groups A. phagocytophilum (group A), A. bovis (group B), and A. centrale (group C) and one Ehrlichia species E. chaffeensis (group D) were determined by comparing with Anaplasma and Ehrlichia related sequences. First, twenty-eight A. phagocytophilum clones belonging to group A were divided into 7 genotypes. The sequence similarity among genotypes A1 to A4 was very high (> 99.6%). Genotype B2 was close to A. bovis from Korea (99.7%). Genotype D1 was close to known E. chaffeensis strains (M73222, AF147752, and AY350424) and their similarity value was 99.7%. In conclusion, the genera of Anaplasma/Ehrlichia, A. phagocytophilum, and E. chaffeensis identified in predominant H. longicornis ticks were ubiquitous throughout the Jeju Island. The various native groups have been found through sequence identities and phylogenetic analysis.
Anaplasma ; Anaplasma phagocytophilum ; Clone Cells ; DNA ; Ehrlichia ; Ehrlichia chaffeensis ; Genes, rRNA ; Genotype ; Korea ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Ticks

Anaplasma marginale and A. platys were detected and characterized (16S rDNA sequence analysis) from dairy and indigenous cattle, and the latter in domestic dogs in Vietnam. A phylogenetic tree was inferred from 26 representative strains/species of Anaplasma spp. including 10 new sequences from Vietnam. Seven of our Vietnamese sequences fell into the clade of A. marginale and 3 into A. platys, with strong nodal support of 99 and 90%, respectively. Low genetic distances (0.2–0.4%) within each species supported the identification. Anaplasma platys is able to infect humans. Our discovery of this species in cattle and domestic dogs raises considerable concern about zoonotic transmission in Vietnam. Further systematic investigations are needed to gain data for Anaplasma spp. and members of Anaplasmataceae in animal hosts, vectors and humans across Vietnam.
Anaplasma marginale ; Anaplasma ; Anaplasmataceae ; Animals ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Cattle ; DNA, Ribosomal ; Dogs ; Humans ; Phylogeny ; Trees ; Vietnam

Anaplasmosis is a tick-borne, non-contagious, zoonotic disease caused by Anaplasma spp., which include Anaplasma marginale, A. centrale, A. phagocytophilum, A. platys, A. ovis, and A. bovis. Recently, in Korea, the prevalence of Anaplasma spp. has been investigated in some animals, such as dogs, horses, goats, cats, and Korean water deer. In cattle, A. marginale is the most virulent species and regarded as the typical type of species. However, data on the seroprevalence of Anaplasma spp. in cattle in Korea during the last decade is limited. This study was designed to investigate the seroprevalence of bovine anaplasmosis in Korea. From 2010 to 2013, blood samples were collected from 568 cattle. Forty animals (7.0%) tested seropositive for Anaplasma spp. by cELISA. Despite that current bovine anaplasmosis seropositivity rate in the Gyeongsangbuk-do is lower than those in tropical countries, anaplasmosis needs to be regarded as a concerning disease. The identification of the specific Anaplasma species infecting cattle in this province requires additional molecular studies. Moreover, further monitoring and control programs for bovine anaplasmosis is required, and the information from this study will be beneficial to develop these programs.
Anaplasma marginale ; Anaplasma ; Anaplasmosis ; Animals ; Antibodies ; Cats ; Cattle ; Deer ; Dogs ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Goats ; Gyeongsangbuk-do ; Horses ; Korea ; Prevalence ; Seroepidemiologic Studies ; Sheep ; Water ; Zoonoses

OBJECTIVETo type the Chinese Anaplasma phagocytophilum isolates by Multispacer typing (MST).

METHODSBased on the genomes of the 4 published Anaplasma strains, 4 genomic sequences were analyzed by Mauve 2.3.1 software and variable spacer sequences were selected for designing primers with the bio-software Primer Premier 5.0. A total of 11 Chinese A. phagocytophilum isolates, obtained from different areas of China during 2009-2012 were assayed by the MST. Twenty two intergenic sequences for each isolate tested and the reference A. phagocytophilum strain Webster and A. phagocytophilum strain HZ were concatenated in the order of HGA-mst 1F/1R-mst 2F/2R, HGA-mst 22F/22R.

RESULTSTwenty two pairs of primers were successfully used for typing the Human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA) strains in the study. Those 22 intergenic sequences exhibited a great diversity among the strains tested and each of the strain tested was identified as unique genotype, according to the alignment analysis of the 22 concatenated intergenic sequences. Of these single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) identified in the study, the nucleotide transitions shared the highest percentage (60.2%, 251/417) and then the nucleotide transversion, accounted for 23.0% (96/417) and the indel events (insertion/deletion) were observed of 16.7% (70/417)SNPs. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the 5 strains from patients (LZ-H1, LZ-H2, LZ-H3, LZ-H4, LZ-H5) from Laizhou areas, Shandong province and 1 tick strain (LZ-T1) from Haemaphysalis longicornis collected from the same areas where the patients lived were grouped in the same clan with the reference A. phagocytophilum strain Webster and strain HZ. Beijing isolates (BJ-H1) grouped with Xinjiang isolates (XJ-H1 and XJ-H3) while another tick isolates from Laizhou areas (LZ-T2) and another Xinjiang human isolate(XJ-H2)were in the same clan, which was closely related to the isolates from severe patients in Laizhou.

CONCLUSIONChinese HGA isolates exhibited a great diversity of intergenic regions. MST seemed a valuable tool for the detection and tracing for any endemic strains of Anaplasma during the outbreak investigations in the public health events.

Anaplasma phagocytophilum ; Anaplasmosis ; epidemiology ; Animals ; China ; epidemiology ; Dermacentor ; microbiology ; Humans ; Molecular Epidemiology

North Korea is located on the northern part of the Korean Peninsula in East Asia. While tick-borne pathogens of medical and veterinary importance have been reported from China and South Korea, they have not been reported from North Korea. To screen for zoonotic tick-borne pathogens in North Korea, ticks were collected from domestic goats. A total of 292 (27 nymph, 26 male, 239 female) Haemaphysalis (H.) longicornis were collected and assayed individually for selected tick-borne pathogens. A total of 77 (26.4%) were positive for Anaplasma bovis, followed by Bartonella (B.) grahamii (15, 5.1%), Anaplasma phagocytophilum (12, 4.1%), Bartonella henselae (10, 3.4%), and Borrelia spp. (3, 1.0%) based on 16S ribosomal RNA and ITS species-specific nested polymerase chain reaction. Using the groEL-based nested PCR, a total of 6 and 1 H. longicornis were positive for B. grahamii and B. henselae, respectively. All products were sequenced and demonstrated 100% identity and homology with previously reported sequences from other countries in GenBank. This is the first report of the detection of tick-borne pathogens in the North Korea and suggests that farm animals may act as reservoirs for zoonotic tick-borne pathogens.
Anaplasma phagocytophilum ; Anaplasma* ; Animals, Domestic ; Bartonella henselae ; Bartonella* ; Borrelia* ; China ; Databases, Nucleic Acid ; Democratic People's Republic of Korea* ; Far East ; Goats* ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Nymph ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prevalence* ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S ; Ticks

Rodents are well-known reservoirs and vectors of many emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, but little is known about their role in zoonotic disease transmission in Bhutan. In this study, a cross-sectional investigation of zoonotic disease pathogens in rodents was performed in Chukha district, Bhutan, where a high incidence of scrub typhus and cases of acute undifferentiated febrile illness had been reported in people during the preceding 4–6 months. Twelve rodents were trapped alive using wire-mesh traps. Following euthanasia, liver and kidney tissues were removed and tested using PCR for Orientia tsutsugamushi and other bacterial and rickettsial pathogens causing bartonellosis, borreliosis, human monocytic ehrlichiosis, human granulocytic anaplasmosis, leptospirosis, and rickettsiosis. A phylogenetic analysis was performed on all rodent species captured and pathogens detected. Four out of the 12 rodents (33.3%) tested positive by PCR for zoonotic pathogens. Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Bartonella grahamii, and B. queenslandensis were identified for the first time in Bhutan. Leptospira interrogans was also detected for the first time from rodents in Bhutan. The findings demonstrate the presence of these zoonotic pathogens in rodents in Bhutan, which may pose a risk of disease transmission to humans.
Anaplasma ; Anaplasma phagocytophilum ; Anaplasmosis ; Animals ; Bartonella ; Bartonella Infections ; Bhutan ; Communicable Diseases, Emerging ; Ehrlichiosis ; Euthanasia ; Humans ; Incidence ; Kidney ; Leptospira ; Leptospira interrogans ; Leptospirosis ; Liver ; Orientia tsutsugamushi ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Rodentia ; Scrub Typhus ; Zoonoses