Detection of Ehrlichia spp. in the blood of wild white-tailed deer in Missouri by PCR assay and serologic analysis.
Blood samples collected from wild deer in Missouri in November of 2000 and 2001 were positive by PCR assays for Ehrlichia chaffeensis (50 of 217; 23%), Ehrlichia ewingii (44 of 217; 20%), and Anaplasma species (214 of 217; 99%). Nucleotide sequences of selected amplicons from the assay for anaplasma matched sequences of the white-tailed deer agent. Serologic analysis of 112 deer sampled in 2000 showed a very high prevalence of antibodies to E. chaffeensis (97 of 112; 87%) and a low prevalence of antibodies reactive with Anaplasma phagocytophila (2 of 112; 2%).
Arens
Max Q
MQ
Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine and St. Louis Children's Hospital, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA. arens@kids.wustl.edu
Liddell
Allison M
AM
Buening
Gerald
G
Gaudreault-Keener
Monique
M
Sumner
John W
JW
Comer
James A
JA
Buller
Richard S
RS
Storch
Gregory A
GA
D000820:Animal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D001769:Blood / Q000382:microbiology*; D003670:Deer; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D004536:Ehrlichia / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016873:Ehrlichiosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008923:Missouri / Q000453:epidemiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D012698:Serologic Tests
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial