title: Prevalence of granulocytic Ehrlichiae in Ixodes ricinus ticks in Middle Germany (Thuringia) detected by PCR and sequencing of a 16S ribosomal DNA fragment.
abstract: A total of 305 Ixodes ricinus ticks (243 nymphs and 62 adults) were collected from three different regions of Thuringia in Middle Germany which are known to be endemic for Borrelia burgdorferi. Our aim was to investigate the carrier rate of ticks for granulocytic Ehrlichia species. The presence of ehrlichial 16S ribosomal DNA was investigated by polymerase chain reaction. Using primers specific for the Ehrlichia phagocytophila group PCR fragments of 151 bp and 943 bp, respectively, were produced in positive samples. Adult ticks showed a significantly higher infection rate (4/62; 6.5%) compared to nymphs (3/243; 1.2%). Prevalence rates varied between 0 and 3.8% regarding the different areas under investigation. The nucleotide sequences showed high similarity (between 97.5% and 99% identity) to the known sequences of the three E. phagocytophila group members HGE agent, E. phagocytophila and Ehrlichia equi. The sequence data did not allow a final classification to a particular member of this group.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Hospital, Friedrich-Schiller-University, Semmelweisstrasse 4, D-07743, Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Anke
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hildebrandt
authors.forename: Karl-Hermann
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: Volker
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Fingerle
authors.forename: Bettina
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wilske
authors.forename: Eberhard
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Straube
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001179:Arthropod Vectors; D001483:Base Sequence; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000032:analysis; D004536:Ehrlichia / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D018884:Ixodes / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S