Novel genotype of Ehrlichia canis detected in samples of human blood bank donors in Costa Rica.
This study focuses on the detection and identification of DNA and antibodies to Ehrlichia spp. in samples of blood bank donors in Costa Rica using molecular and serological techniques. Presence of Ehrlichia canis was determined in 10 (3.6%) out of 280 blood samples using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting the ehrlichial dsb conserved gene. Analysis of the ehrlichial trp36 polymorphic gene in these 10 samples revealed substantial polymorphism among the E. canis genotypes, including divergent tandem repeat sequences. Nucleotide sequences of dsb and trp36 amplicons revealed a novel genotype of E. canis in blood bank donors from Costa Rica. Indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) detected antibodies in 35 (35%) of 100 serum samples evaluated. Thirty samples showed low endpoint titers (64-256) to E. canis, whereas five sera yielded high endpoint titers (1024-8192); these five samples were also E. canis-PCR positive. These findings represent the first report of the presence of E. canis in humans in Central America.
Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional, Campus Benjamín Nuñez, Barreal de Heredia, Heredia, Costa Rica. Electronic address: laura.bouza.mora@una.cr.
Laura
L
Bouza-Mora
Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional, Campus Benjamín Nuñez, Barreal de Heredia, Heredia, Costa Rica. Electronic address: gaby.dolz.wiedner@una.cr.
Gaby
G
Dolz
Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional, Campus Benjamín Nuñez, Barreal de Heredia, Heredia, Costa Rica. Electronic address: antony.solorzano.morales@una.cr.
Antony
A
Solórzano-Morales
Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional, Campus Benjamín Nuñez, Barreal de Heredia, Heredia, Costa Rica. Electronic address: juan.romero.zuniga@una.cr.
Juan José
JJ
Romero-Zuñiga
Escuela de Medicina, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica. Electronic address: lizbeth.salazar@gmail.com.
Lizbeth
L
Salazar-Sánchez
Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. Electronic address: labruna@usp.br.
Marcelo B
MB
Labruna
Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso Mato Grosso, Brazil. Electronic address: danmoura@ufmt.br.
Daniel M
DM
Aguiar
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D001782:Blood Donors; D003364:Costa Rica / Q000453:epidemiology; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D041061:Ehrlichia canis / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D010802:Phylogeny
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D004269:DNA, Bacterial
Bacteria; Public health; Ticks; Zoonosis