Ecotyping of Anaplasma phagocytophilum from Wild Ungulates and Ticks Shows Circulation of Zoonotic Strains in Northeastern Italy.

ABSTRACT: Anaplasma phagocytophilum (A. phagocytophilum) is a tick-borne pathogen causing disease in both humans and animals. Human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA) is an emerging disease, but despite the remarkable prevalence in European ticks and wild animals, human infection appears underdiagnosed. Several genetic variants are circulating in Europe, including the zoonotic ecotype I. This study investigated A. phagocytophilum occurrence in wild ungulates and their ectoparasites in an area where HGA has been reported. Blood samples from wild ungulates and ectoparasites were screened by biomolecular methods targeting the mps2 gene. The groEL gene was amplified and sequenced to perform genetic characterization and phylogenetic analysis. A total of 188 blood samples w

SUBMITTER: Grassi L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7911980 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature