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Parasites & Vectors Feb 2015Canine ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis are important tick-borne diseases with a worldwide distribution. Information has been continuously collected on these infections in... (Review)
Review
Canine ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis are important tick-borne diseases with a worldwide distribution. Information has been continuously collected on these infections in Europe, and publications have increased in recent years. Prevalence rates are high for Ehrlichia and Anaplasma spp. infections in dogs from different European countries. The goal of this article was to provide a practical guideline for veterinary practitioners on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis in dogs from Europe. This guideline is intended to answer the most common questions on these diseases from a practical point of view.
Topics: Anaplasma; Anaplasmosis; Animals; Dog Diseases; Dogs; Ehrlichia; Ehrlichiosis; Europe; Practice Guidelines as Topic
PubMed: 25649069
DOI: 10.1186/s13071-015-0649-0 -
Emerging Infectious Diseases Nov 2021Ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis are emerging tickborne diseases that can also be transmitted through blood transfusions or organ transplants. Since 2000, ehrlichiosis and... (Review)
Review
Ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis are emerging tickborne diseases that can also be transmitted through blood transfusions or organ transplants. Since 2000, ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis cases in the United States have increased substantially, resulting in potential risk to transplant and transfusion recipients. We reviewed ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis cases among blood transfusion and solid organ transplant recipients in the United States from peer-reviewed literature and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention investigations. We identified 132 cases during 1997-2020, 12 transfusion-associated cases and 120 cases in transplant recipients; 8 cases were donor-derived, and in 13 cases illness occurred <1 year after transplant. Disease in the remaining 99 cases occurred ≥1 year after transplant, suggesting donor-derived disease was unlikely. Severe illness or death were reported among 15 transfusion and transplant recipients. Clinicians should be alert for these possible infections among transfusion and transplant recipients to prevent severe complications or death by quickly treating them.
Topics: Anaplasmosis; Animals; Blood Transfusion; Ehrlichiosis; Humans; Organ Transplantation; Transplant Recipients; United States
PubMed: 34670661
DOI: 10.3201/eid2711.211127 -
Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 2002Within the past several decades, the number of Ehrlichia spp. recognized to infect cats, dogs, and human beings has expanded substantially. The recent application of... (Review)
Review
Within the past several decades, the number of Ehrlichia spp. recognized to infect cats, dogs, and human beings has expanded substantially. The recent application of advanced techniques in molecular biology has changed how ehrlichiosis is diagnosed and has provided new tools for the assessment of treatment. As these techniques are applied, the numerous questions that relate to the management of dogs and cats with ehrlichiosis ultimately will be answered. We hope this consensus statement will assist veterinarians in the management of their patients.
Topics: Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Cat Diseases; Cats; Diagnosis, Differential; Dog Diseases; Dogs; Ehrlichia; Ehrlichiosis; Geography; Prognosis; Serologic Tests; Ticks
PubMed: 12041661
DOI: 10.1892/0891-6640(2002)016<0309:csoedo>2.3.co;2 -
Clinics in Laboratory Medicine Mar 2010Human ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis are acute febrile tick-borne diseases caused by various members of the genera Ehrlichia and Anaplasma (Anaplasmataceae). Human... (Review)
Review
Human ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis are acute febrile tick-borne diseases caused by various members of the genera Ehrlichia and Anaplasma (Anaplasmataceae). Human monocytotropic ehrlichiosis has become one of the most prevalent life-threatening tick-borne disease in the United States. Ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis are becoming more frequently diagnosed as the cause of human infections, as animal reservoirs and tick vectors have increased in number and humans have inhabited areas where reservoir and tick populations are high. Ehrlichia chaffeensis, the etiologic agent of human monocytotropic ehrlichiosis (HME), is an emerging zoonosis that causes clinical manifestations ranging from a mild febrile illness to a fulminant disease characterized by multiorgan system failure. Anaplasma phagocytophilum causes human granulocytotropic anaplasmosis (HGA), previously known as human granulocytotropic ehrlichiosis. This article reviews recent advances in the understanding of ehrlichial diseases related to microbiology, epidemiology, diagnosis, pathogenesis, immunity, and treatment of the 2 prevalent tick-borne diseases found in the United States, HME and HGA.
Topics: Anaplasma; Anaplasmosis; Animals; Ehrlichia; Ehrlichiosis; Humans; Ixodes
PubMed: 20513551
DOI: 10.1016/j.cll.2009.10.004 -
Revista Brasileira de Parasitologia... 2011Ehrlichiosis is a disease caused by rickettsial organisms belonging to the genus Ehrlichia. In Brazil, molecular and serological studies have evaluated the occurrence of... (Review)
Review
Ehrlichiosis is a disease caused by rickettsial organisms belonging to the genus Ehrlichia. In Brazil, molecular and serological studies have evaluated the occurrence of Ehrlichia species in dogs, cats, wild animals and humans. Ehrlichia canis is the main species found in dogs in Brazil, although E. ewingii infection has been recently suspected in five dogs. Ehrlichia chaffeensis DNA has been detected and characterized in mash deer, whereas E. muris and E. ruminantium have not yet been identified in Brazil. Canine monocytic ehrlichiosis caused by E. canis appears to be highly endemic in several regions of Brazil, however prevalence data are not available for several regions. Ehrlichia canis DNA also has been detected and molecularly characterized in three domestic cats, and antibodies against E. canis were detected in free-ranging Neotropical felids. There is serological evidence suggesting the occurrence of human ehrlichiosis in Brazil but its etiologic agent has not yet been established. Improved molecular diagnostic resources for laboratory testing will allow better identification and characterization of ehrlichial organisms associated with human ehrlichiosis in Brazil.
Topics: Animals; Brazil; Dog Diseases; Dogs; Ehrlichiosis; Pets; Public Health
PubMed: 21439224
DOI: 10.1590/s1984-29612011000100002 -
Microbiology Spectrum Jun 2016A vast number of novel tick-related microorganisms and tick-borne disease agents have been identified in the past 20 years, and more are being described due to several... (Review)
Review
A vast number of novel tick-related microorganisms and tick-borne disease agents have been identified in the past 20 years, and more are being described due to several factors, from the curiosity of clinicians faced with unusual clinical syndromes to new tools used by microbiologists and entomologists. Borrelioses, ehrlichioses, anaplasmosis, and tick-borne rickettsial diseases are some of the emerging diseases that have been described throughout the world in recent years. In this article, we focus on the bacterial agents and diseases that have been recognized in the past 3 years and refer to major recent reviews of other recognized infections.
Topics: Animals; Argasidae; Borrelia; Ehrlichia; Ehrlichiosis; Humans; Ixodidae; Lyme Disease; Rickettsia; Rickettsia Infections; Tick-Borne Diseases
PubMed: 27337487
DOI: 10.1128/microbiolspec.EI10-0012-2016 -
Annals of Agricultural and... 2003Ehrlichia spp. are obligate intracellular bacteria with tropism for hematopoietic cells. Monocytic ehrlichioses in dogs and humans are transmitted by ticks and primarily... (Review)
Review
Ehrlichia spp. are obligate intracellular bacteria with tropism for hematopoietic cells. Monocytic ehrlichioses in dogs and humans are transmitted by ticks and primarily caused by E. canis and E. chaffeensis, respectively. E. canis causes canine monocytic ehrlichioses (CME), a potentially fatal disease in dogs that requires rapid and accurate diagnosis in order to initiate appropriate therapy leading to a favorable prognosis. CME is characterized by three stages; 1) acute, 2) subclinical and 3) chronic. Dogs infected with E. canis remain infected for their entire lives, even after receiving antibiotic treatment with doxycycline. The prevalence of E. canis is dependent on the distribution of the vector, Rhipicephalus sanguineus tick, which occurs mainly in tropical and subtropical regions. The agent causing canine granulocytic ehrlichiosis (CGE) in Europe has been determined by nucleotide sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene to be similar to both Ehrlichia equi and E. phagocytophila (Anaplasma phagocytophila), and is identical to the agent of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (HGE). The vector of this pathogen in Europe is the common European tick, Ixodes ricinus and its reservoir - wild and domestic animals. Two distinct clinical disease syndromes, including chronic, moderate to sever anemia and polyarthritis, are associated with CGE. In areas infested with vectors of tick-borne agents known to be endemic for Lyme disease, veterinarians may suspect ehrlichiosis in dogs.
Topics: Animals; Dog Diseases; Dogs; Ehrlichiosis; Europe
PubMed: 14677903
DOI: No ID Found -
Journal of Internal Medicine Jun 2000To test the hypothesis that some cases of primary vasculitis are caused by ehrlichiosis.
OBJECTIVE
To test the hypothesis that some cases of primary vasculitis are caused by ehrlichiosis.
DESIGN
A retrospective case study and serological analysis of stored sera.
SETTING
University hospital.
SUBJECTS
Fifty-five patients discharged with any type of vasculitis over a 6-year period.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Serology for human monocytic ehrlichiosis, and the human granulocytic ehrlichiosis agent, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of biopsy specimens.
RESULTS
Three patients (5.5%) had titres of 1 : 128 or higher against E. chaffeensis; none was positive for the human granulocytic ehrlichiosis agent. Skin biopsies of these patients showed lesions compatible with polyarteritis nodosa, allergic purpura and unspecified vasculitis. PCR analysis of the biopsies was unrevealing.
CONCLUSIONS
Infection with human monocytic ehrlichiosis may underlie some forms of vasculitis. If confirmed, these findings may help identify patients with vasculitis who would benefit from antibiotic treatment.
Topics: Adult; Antibodies, Bacterial; Biopsy; Diagnosis, Differential; Ehrlichia chaffeensis; Ehrlichiosis; Female; Humans; IgA Vasculitis; Male; Middle Aged; Polyarteritis Nodosa; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Retrospective Studies; Skin; Vasculitis
PubMed: 10886489
DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2796.2000.00680.x -
BMC Veterinary Research Sep 2023Canine ehrlichiosis is an important tick-borne disease caused by bacteria in the Ehrlichia genus with species such as E. canis, E. ewingii and E. chaffeensis resulting...
Canine ehrlichiosis is an important tick-borne disease caused by bacteria in the Ehrlichia genus with species such as E. canis, E. ewingii and E. chaffeensis resulting in a severe dog illness. This study determined the occurrence of canine ehrlichiosis antibodies and its associated factors in Kenya and Tanzania. This was a retrospective study that evaluated laboratory records of 400 samples from Kenya and Tanzania submitted to Pathologists Lancet Kenya for the IDEXX SNAP 4Dx™ Plus test between the years 2016 and 2021. Records of all samples submitted to the Pathologists Lancet Kenya veterinary laboratory for the diagnostic tests were retrieved, examined, and compiled. Descriptive statistics and univariable and multivariable logistic regression were considered during analysis. The overall proportion of samples that tested positive for canine ehrlichiosis was 23% (92/400). Samples from Kenya accounted for 61% (245/400) of samples, and the percent positive was 31% (29/245). The samples from Tanzania accounted for 39% (155/400), and the percent positive was 69% (63/155). In the final model, the odds of a sample testing positive was 1.7 times for those submitted from July to December compared with those submitted from January to June. Blood samples of dogs from Tanzania had 5.31 times the odds of testing positive on the SNAP test when compared with those from Kenya. This study reports high percent positive in samples originating from Tanzania and those received during the year's second half.
Topics: Animals; Dogs; Retrospective Studies; Anaplasmosis; Tanzania; Kenya; Ehrlichiosis; Antibodies, Bacterial; Dog Diseases
PubMed: 37770863
DOI: 10.1186/s12917-023-03746-6 -
Cells Nov 2023Activating inflammatory caspases and releasing pro-inflammatory mediators are two essential functions of inflammasomes which are triggered in response to... (Review)
Review
Activating inflammatory caspases and releasing pro-inflammatory mediators are two essential functions of inflammasomes which are triggered in response to pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) or danger-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). The canonical inflammasome pathway involves the activation of inflammasome and its downstream pathway via the adaptor ASC protein, which causes caspase 1 activation and, eventually, the cleavage of pro-IL-1b and pro-IL-18. The non-canonical inflammasome pathway is induced upon detecting cytosolic lipopolysaccharide (LPS) by NLRP3 inflammasome in Gram-negative bacteria. The activation of NLRP3 triggers the cleavage of murine caspase 11 (human caspase 4 or caspase 5), which results in the formation of pores (via gasdermin) to cause pyroptosis. is an obligately intracellular bacterium which is responsible for causing human monocytic ehrlichiosis (HME), a potentially lethal disease similar to toxic shock syndrome and septic shock syndrome. Several studies have indicated that canonical and non-canonical inflammasome activation is a crucial pathogenic mechanism that induces dysregulated inflammation and host cellular death in the pathophysiology of HME. Mechanistically, the activation of canonical and non-canonical inflammasome pathways affected by virulent infection is due to a block in autophagy. This review aims to explore the significance of non-canonical inflammasomes in ehrlichiosis, and how the pathways involving caspases (with the exception of caspase 1) contribute to the pathophysiology of severe and fatal ehrlichiosis. Improving our understanding of the non-canonical inflammatory pathway that cause cell death and inflammation in ehrlichiosis will help the advancement of innovative therapeutic, preventative, and diagnostic approaches to the treatment of ehrlichiosis.
Topics: Animals; Mice; Humans; Inflammasomes; NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein; Caspase 1; Ehrlichiosis; Caspases; Inflammation; Pyroptosis
PubMed: 37998332
DOI: 10.3390/cells12222597