title: Anaplasma phagocytophilum in horses and ticks: a preliminary survey of Central Italy.
abstract: Anaplasma phagocytophilum, the causative agent of granulocytic ehrlichiosis, affects several species of wild and domesticated mammals, including horses. In this work we compared direct and indirect methods to evaluate A. phagocytophilum presence in Central Italy: 135 sera were screened by IFA for A. phagocytophilum and other haemopathogens (Theileria equi and Babesia caballi). Each horse was also tested for A. phagocytophilum 16S rRNA with a nested-PCR technique. In order to examine the risk of A. phagocytophilum transmission, 114 ticks were examined for the presence of A. phagocytophilum by PCR targeting the 16S rRNA. The seroprevalence against A. phagocytophilum was 17.03% and 11 horses (8.14%) showed positive PCR results. The concordance rate of A. phagocytophilum detection between IFAT and PCR had a K value of 0.34.
authors.affiliation: Pathology, Diagnostic and Veterinary Clinic Department, Sport Horse Research Centre, University of Perugia, Via San Costanzo 4, 06126 Perugia, Italy. fabrizio.passamonti@unipg.it
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Passamonti
authors.forename: Fabrizia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Veronesi
authors.forename: Katia
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cappelli
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Capomaccio
authors.forename: Giacomo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Coppola
authors.forename: Maria Luisa
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Marenzoni
authors.forename: Fioretti Daniela
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: Piergili
authors.forename: Supplizi Andrea
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Verini
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Coletti
mesh_terms: D041081:Anaplasma phagocytophilum / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D000818:Animals; D016873:Ehrlichiosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D019085:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Direct; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D006736:Horses / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000032:analysis; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D013987:Ticks / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S