<it>Anaplasma phagocytophilum</it> in horses and ticks in Tunisia
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it> Anaplasma phagocytophilum </it>, the causative agent of granulocytic anaplasmosis, affects several species of wild and domesticated mammals, including horses. We used direct and indirect methods to compare and evalua...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2012-08-01
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| Series: | Parasites & Vectors |
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| Online Access: | http://www.parasitesandvectors.com/content/5/1/180 |
| _version_ | 1818082000114810880 |
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| author | M’ghirbi Youmna Yaïch Hèla Ghorbel Abderazek Bouattour Ali |
| author_facet | M’ghirbi Youmna Yaïch Hèla Ghorbel Abderazek Bouattour Ali |
| author_sort | M’ghirbi Youmna |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it> Anaplasma phagocytophilum </it>, the causative agent of granulocytic anaplasmosis, affects several species of wild and domesticated mammals, including horses. We used direct and indirect methods to compare and evaluate exposure to <it> A. phagocytophilum </it> in horses in northern Tunisia.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Serum from 60 horses was tested by IFA for antibodies to <it> A. phagocytophilum </it>, and whole blood was tested for <it> A. phagocytophilum </it> 16S rRNA gene using a nested-PCR. To examine the risk of <it> A. phagocytophilum </it> transmission, 154 ticks that had been collected from horses were examined for the presence of <it> A. phagocytophilum </it> by nested-PCR targeting 16S rRNA gene.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>This is the first time that <it>A. phagocytophilum</it> has been detected in horses in Tunisia, with an overall seroprevalence of 40/60 (67%). Six of the seroreactive samples (10%) had an IFA titer of 1:80, 14 (23%) of 1:160, 8 (13%) of 1:320 and 12 (20%) a titer 1 ≥ 640. The seroprevalence revealed no significant regional and sex differences. In contrast, a significant difference was observed between breeds. Eight (13%) of the horses were positive for <it>A. phagocytophilum</it> in the PCR, with no significant breed and age differences. <it>Hyalomma marginatum</it> was a predominant tick species (130/154)<it>,</it> and 3 were infected by <it>A. phagocytophilum</it> (a prevalence of 2.3%). The concordance rate of <it>A. phagocytophilum</it> detection between IFA and PCR had a <it>k</it> value of −0.07.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The results presented in this study suggest that horses infested by ticks in Tunisia are exposed to <it>A. phagocytophilum</it>.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T19:15:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-eba443828fca4e8ba93dec76b6d46082 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1756-3305 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T19:15:08Z |
| publishDate | 2012-08-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Parasites & Vectors |
| spelling | doaj.art-eba443828fca4e8ba93dec76b6d460822022-12-22T01:36:37ZengBMCParasites & Vectors1756-33052012-08-015118010.1186/1756-3305-5-180<it>Anaplasma phagocytophilum</it> in horses and ticks in TunisiaM’ghirbi YoumnaYaïch HèlaGhorbel AbderazekBouattour Ali<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it> Anaplasma phagocytophilum </it>, the causative agent of granulocytic anaplasmosis, affects several species of wild and domesticated mammals, including horses. We used direct and indirect methods to compare and evaluate exposure to <it> A. phagocytophilum </it> in horses in northern Tunisia.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Serum from 60 horses was tested by IFA for antibodies to <it> A. phagocytophilum </it>, and whole blood was tested for <it> A. phagocytophilum </it> 16S rRNA gene using a nested-PCR. To examine the risk of <it> A. phagocytophilum </it> transmission, 154 ticks that had been collected from horses were examined for the presence of <it> A. phagocytophilum </it> by nested-PCR targeting 16S rRNA gene.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>This is the first time that <it>A. phagocytophilum</it> has been detected in horses in Tunisia, with an overall seroprevalence of 40/60 (67%). Six of the seroreactive samples (10%) had an IFA titer of 1:80, 14 (23%) of 1:160, 8 (13%) of 1:320 and 12 (20%) a titer 1 ≥ 640. The seroprevalence revealed no significant regional and sex differences. In contrast, a significant difference was observed between breeds. Eight (13%) of the horses were positive for <it>A. phagocytophilum</it> in the PCR, with no significant breed and age differences. <it>Hyalomma marginatum</it> was a predominant tick species (130/154)<it>,</it> and 3 were infected by <it>A. phagocytophilum</it> (a prevalence of 2.3%). The concordance rate of <it>A. phagocytophilum</it> detection between IFA and PCR had a <it>k</it> value of −0.07.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The results presented in this study suggest that horses infested by ticks in Tunisia are exposed to <it>A. phagocytophilum</it>.</p>http://www.parasitesandvectors.com/content/5/1/180<it>Anaplasma phagocytophilum</it>HorsesTicks16S rRNA genenPCRIFATunisia |
| spellingShingle | M’ghirbi Youmna Yaïch Hèla Ghorbel Abderazek Bouattour Ali <it>Anaplasma phagocytophilum</it> in horses and ticks in Tunisia Parasites & Vectors <it>Anaplasma phagocytophilum</it> Horses Ticks 16S rRNA gene nPCR IFA Tunisia |
| title | <it>Anaplasma phagocytophilum</it> in horses and ticks in Tunisia |
| title_full | <it>Anaplasma phagocytophilum</it> in horses and ticks in Tunisia |
| title_fullStr | <it>Anaplasma phagocytophilum</it> in horses and ticks in Tunisia |
| title_full_unstemmed | <it>Anaplasma phagocytophilum</it> in horses and ticks in Tunisia |
| title_short | <it>Anaplasma phagocytophilum</it> in horses and ticks in Tunisia |
| title_sort | it anaplasma phagocytophilum it in horses and ticks in tunisia |
| topic | <it>Anaplasma phagocytophilum</it> Horses Ticks 16S rRNA gene nPCR IFA Tunisia |
| url | http://www.parasitesandvectors.com/content/5/1/180 |
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