Comparative Genomics Identifies a Potential Marker of Human-Virulent Anaplasma phagocytophilum.

ABSTRACT: We have previously described a comparative genome analysis of nine strains of Anaplasma phagocytophilum that showed similarity between strains infecting humans and U.S. dogs and a more distant relationship with horse and ruminant strains. This suggested that it may be possible to distinguish human-infective strains using simple DNA sequence-based diagnostic tests. This would be of epidemiologic significance in identifying and tracking the presence of virulent strains in tick vector populations. Further analysis identified a gene that was present in several strains, including U.S. Ap-variant 1 (ruminant), MRK (horse), and European sheep, but was deleted in strains infecting U.S. humans and dogs, suggesting that it could be a useful marker of human virulence. A simple PCR test was developed

SUBMITTER: Al-Khedery B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4235736 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature