title: Case report: Molecular evidence of Anaplasma platys infection in two women from Venezuela.
abstract: This article presents two case reports of Anaplasma platys detection in two women from Venezuela. Both patients were exposed to Rhipicephalus sanguineus, the presumed tick vector, and experienced chronic, nonspecific clinical signs including headaches and muscle pains. Intra-platelet inclusion bodies resembling A. platys were observed in buffy coat smears and A. platys DNA was amplified and sequenced from whole blood; however, treatment with doxycycline did not alleviate their symptoms. These cases provide further support for A. platys as a zoonotic tick-borne pathogen, most likely of low pathogenicity; nonetheless, the cause of illness in humans by A. platys is yet to be confirmed.
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Investigaciones Clínicas, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad del Zulia, Maracaibo, Venezuela; Intracellular Pathogens Research Laboratory, Center for Comparative Medicine and Translational Research, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina.
authors.forename: Cruz M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Arraga-Alvarado
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Investigaciones Clínicas, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad del Zulia, Maracaibo, Venezuela; Intracellular Pathogens Research Laboratory, Center for Comparative Medicine and Translational Research, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina.
authors.forename: Barbara A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Qurollo
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Investigaciones Clínicas, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad del Zulia, Maracaibo, Venezuela; Intracellular Pathogens Research Laboratory, Center for Comparative Medicine and Translational Research, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina.
authors.forename: Omaira C
authors.initials: OC
authors.lastname: Parra
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Investigaciones Clínicas, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad del Zulia, Maracaibo, Venezuela; Intracellular Pathogens Research Laboratory, Center for Comparative Medicine and Translational Research, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina.
authors.forename: Maribel A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Berrueta
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Investigaciones Clínicas, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad del Zulia, Maracaibo, Venezuela; Intracellular Pathogens Research Laboratory, Center for Comparative Medicine and Translational Research, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina.
authors.forename: Barbara C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Hegarty
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Investigaciones Clínicas, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad del Zulia, Maracaibo, Venezuela; Intracellular Pathogens Research Laboratory, Center for Comparative Medicine and Translational Research, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina ed_breitschwerdt@ncsu.edu.
authors.forename: Edward B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Breitschwerdt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000709:Anaplasma / Q000235:genetics*; D000712:Anaplasmosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001483:Base Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014687:Venezuela
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D004269:DNA, Bacterial