Prevalence and genotypes of Anaplasma species and habitat suitability for ticks in a Mediterranean ecosystem.

ABSTRACT: Anaplasma species are tick-transmitted pathogens that impact veterinary and human health. Sicily is one of the locations where these pathogens are endemic. Sicily represents a typical Mediterranean ecosystem to study Anaplasma infection and tick habitat suitability. The aims of this study were (i) to characterize by 16S rRNA and species-specific msp4 gene PCR the prevalence and genotypes of A. marginale, A. phagocytophilum, and A. ovis in the most abundant host species in Sicilian provinces and (ii) to correlate differences between hosts and between western and eastern Sicily with the habitat suitability for ticks in these regions. Differences were found in the prevalence of Anaplasma spp. between different hosts and between western and eastern provinces. The differences in Anaplasma preva

SUBMITTER: Torina A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2607149 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature