Prevalence of Anaplasma phagocytophila and Borrelia burgdorferi in Ixodes persulcatus ticks from northeastern China.
A total of 1,345 Ixodes persulcatus ticks collected from northeastern China were investigated for the presence of Anaplasma phagocytophila and Borrelia burgdorferi by a nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Sixty-two (4.6%) ticks were positive for A. phagocytophila and 454 (33.8%) were positive for B. burgdorferi. Seven (0.5%) were coinfected with both agents. Sequence analysis of 919-basepair PCR amplicons revealed three types of A. phagocytophila. Type 1 was identical to the published sequences of A. phagocytophilas responsible for human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (HGE). The other two variants differed from the HGE agent sequence at one and four positions, respectively. These findings imply that infection with A. phagocytophila poses a potential health threat to both humans and animals in northeastern China, and that ehrlichiosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of febrile patients with a history of tick bite, particularly when clinical manifestations are atypical for Lyme disease.
Cao
Wu-Chun
WC
Department of Epidemiology, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Fengtai District, Beijing, People's Republic of China. caowc@nic.bmi.ac.cn
Zhao
Qiu-Min
QM
Zhang
Pan-He
PH
Yang
Hong
H
Wu
Xiao-Ming
XM
Wen
Bo-Hai
BH
Zhang
Xi-Tan
XT
Habbema
J Dik F
JD
D041081:Anaplasma phagocytophilum / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D000818:Animals; D001096:Arachnid Vectors / Q000382:microbiology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D025065:Borrelia burgdorferi / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002681:China; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016873:Ehrlichiosis / Q000635:transmission; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018884:Ixodes / Q000382:microbiology*; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000635:transmission; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S