Delineating Anaplasma phagocytophilum ecotypes in coexisting, discrete enzootic cycles.

ABSTRACT: The emerging tick-borne pathogen Anaplasma phagocytophilum is under increasing scrutiny for the existence of subpopulations that are adapted to different natural cycles. Here, we characterized the diversity of A. phagocytophilum genotypes circulating in a natural system that includes multiple hosts and at least 2 tick species, Ixodes ricinus and the small mammal specialist I. trianguliceps. We encountered numerous genotypes, but only 1 in rodents, with the remainder limited to deer and host-seeking I. ricinus ticks. The absence of the rodent-associated genotype from host-seeking I. ricinus ticks was notable because we demonstrated that rodents fed a large proportion of the I. ricinus larval population and that these larvae were abundant when infections caused by the rodent-associated genot

SUBMITTER: Bown KJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3044514 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature