Animals ; Ehrlichia/isolation & purification* ; Ehrlichiosis/veterinary* ; Prevalence ; Rodent Diseases/microbiology* ; Rodentia ; Species Specificity

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

The incidence of mite- and tick-borne infectious disease is increasing with climate change and the development of diagnostic tools. Tick-borne infectious diseases include Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS), and Japanese spotted fever. Rickettsial pox and scrub typhus are mite-borne infectious diseases. Scrub typhus and SFTS are the most common mite- and tick-borne infectious diseases in Korea, respectively. They are often difficult to diagnose at an early stage of disease. To make a definite diagnosis of mite- and tick-borne infectious disease, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests or serologic testing for antibodies during the acute and convalescent periods are necessary. If patients with nonspecific symptoms, such as fever, headache, nausea, and vomiting, have a history of outdoor activity or a tick bite, it is reasonable to consider the possibility of mite- or tick-borne infectious diseases clinically. There are no vaccinations against mite- and tick-borne infectious diseases. Therefore, preventing mite or tick bites is the best way to prevent the diseases.
Anaplasmosis ; Animals ; Antibodies ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Climate Change ; Communicable Diseases* ; Diagnosis ; Ehrlichiosis ; Fever* ; Headache ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea* ; Lyme Disease ; Mites ; Nausea ; Phlebovirus ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Scrub Typhus* ; Serologic Tests ; Thrombocytopenia* ; Tick Bites ; Tick-Borne Diseases ; Vaccination ; Vomiting

Amplification of the 16S rRNA gene from a blood sample obtained from a dog in southeastern Brazil was used to confirm a naturally acquired Ehrlichia (E.) canis infection. Following isolation and culturing of the new bacterial strain called Uberlandia, partial sequences of the dsb and p28 genes were obtained. The dsb partial sequence of the novel strain was 100% similar to dsb gene sequences of E. canis obtained from different geographic areas around the world. Conversely, the p28 partial sequence for the E. canis Uberlandia strain differed at several nucleotides from other sequences available in GenBank. To confirm the antigenic profile of the Uberlandia strain, an indirect immunofluorescence assay against E. canis antigens was performed using dog sera collected from two different areas in Brazil (Uberlandia and Sao Paulo). The results suggest that both antigens were able to identify animals seropositive for E. canis in Brazil since these Brazilian strains appear to be highly conserved.
Animals ; Antigens, Bacterial/blood/*diagnostic use ; Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins/genetics/metabolism ; Bacterial Proteins/*genetics/metabolism ; Base Sequence ; Brazil ; Dog Diseases/diagnosis/*microbiology ; Dogs ; Ehrlichia canis/*genetics/*immunology/isolation & purification ; Ehrlichiosis/diagnosis/microbiology/*veterinary ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect/veterinary ; Male ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Polymerase Chain Reaction/veterinary ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics/metabolism ; Sequence Alignment/veterinary

Ehrlichia ; Ehrlichiosis ; microbiology

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the Anaplasma phagocytophilum (A. phagocytophilum), Ehrlichia canis (E. canis), Dirofilaria immitis (D. immitis) (canine heartworm), Borrelia burgdorferi (B. burgdorferi) infections in countryside dogs from Yunnan, Hainan and Anhui provinces.

METHODSSerum samples were collected from 26 dogs in Yunnan, Hainan and Anhui provinces. The samples were tested using a commercial ELISA rapid diagnostic assay kit (SNAP(®) 4Dx(®); IDEXX Laboratories, Inc. U.S.A.). Meanwhile, indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) recommended by WHO was conducted to detect IgG to A. phagocytophilum. Two methods were analyzed and compared.

RESULTSThe number of serologically positive dogs for IgG to A. phagocytophilum was only 2 which was from Hainan province and none of the 26 dogs responded positive for E. canis, D. immitis (canine heartworm), and B. burgdorferi by ELISA rapid diagnostic method. The number of serologically positive dogs for IgG to A. phagocytophilum was 13 (50%) by IFA method. Data of the two methods were analyzed by statistical software and the difference was statistically significant (P=0.002).

CONCLUSIONSIt can be concluded that IFA method was more sensitive than ELISA rapid diagnostic method. However, we need conduct further and intensive epidemiology survey on tick-born diseases pathogens including A. phagocytophilum, E. canis, D. immitis (canine heartworm), and B. burgdorferi which have public health significance.

Anaplasma phagocytophilum ; immunology ; Animals ; Borrelia burgdorferi ; immunology ; China ; epidemiology ; Dirofilaria immitis ; immunology ; Dirofilariasis ; blood ; epidemiology ; immunology ; Disease Vectors ; Dog Diseases ; epidemiology ; Dogs ; Ehrlichia canis ; immunology ; Ehrlichiosis ; blood ; epidemiology ; immunology ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; methods ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect ; methods ; Immunoglobulin G ; blood ; Lyme Disease ; blood ; epidemiology ; immunology ; Tick-Borne Diseases ; epidemiology

Anaplasma ; Anaplasma phagocytophilum ; Ehrlichiosis ; Humans

Animals ; China ; Ehrlichia ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Ehrlichiosis ; microbiology ; transmission ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Sheep ; parasitology ; Ticks ; microbiology

A total of 1,618 ticks [420 individual (adults) and pooled (larvae and nymphs) samples], 369 rodents (Apodemus arius, Rattus norvegicus, Tscherskia triton, Mus musculus, and Myodes regulus), and 34 shrews (Crocidura lasiura) that were collected in northern Gyeonggi-do near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) of Korea during 2004-2005, were assayed by PCR for selected zoonotic pathogens. From a total of 420 individual and pooled tick DNA samples, Anaplasma (A.) phagocytophilum (16), A. platys (16), Ehrlichia (E.) chaffeensis (63), Borrelia burgdorferi (16), and Rickettsia spp. (198) were detected using species-specific PCR assays. Out of 403 spleens from rodents and shrews, A. phagocytophilum (20), A. platys (34), E. chaffeensis (127), and Bartonella spp. (24) were detected with species-specific PCR assays. These results suggest that fevers of unknown causes in humans and animals in Korea should be evaluated for infections by these vector-borne microbial pathogens.
Anaplasma phagocytophilum/genetics/isolation & purification ; Animals ; Biological Warfare ; DNA, Bacterial/genetics/isolation & purification ; Ehrlichiosis/transmission/veterinary ; Humans ; Korea ; Mice/*microbiology ; Rats/*microbiology ; Seasons ; Shrews/*microbiology ; Ticks/*microbiology ; Zoonoses

Adult ; Aged ; Anaplasma phagocytophilum ; isolation & purification ; China ; epidemiology ; Ehrlichiosis ; blood ; epidemiology ; Environment ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Rural Population ; Seroepidemiologic Studies