Anaplasma phagocytophilum in urban and peri-urban passerine birds in Ile-de-France.

Wild animals in general, birds in particular, play a key role in transporting ticks and propagating tick-borne pathogens. Several studies have confirmed the infection of birds with Anaplasma phagocytophilum, with overall prevalence varying widely from country to country and/or study to study. This zoonotic bacterium, transmitted mainly by ticks of the genus Ixodes, is responsible for granulocytic anaplasmosis in humans (HGA) and domestic animals (cats, dogs, horses).

Tick-borne diseases in Europe: Current prevention, control tools and the promise of aptamers.

In Europe, tick-borne diseases (TBDs) cause significant morbidity and mortality, affecting both human and animal health. Ticks can transmit a wide variety of pathogens (bacteria, viruses, and parasites) and feed on many vertebrate hosts. The incidence and public health burden of TBDs are tending to intensify in Europe due to various factors, mainly anthropogenic and often combined.

Aptamer selection against cell extracts containing the zoonotic obligate intracellular bacterium, Anaplasma phagocytophilum.

A. phagocytophilum is a zoonotic and tick-borne bacterium, threatening human and animal health. Many questions persist concerning the variability of strains and the mechanisms governing the interactions with its different hosts.

Genomic Characterization of Three Novel Strains in a Rodent and Two Bat Species from Mexico.

Rodents and bats are the most diverse mammal group that host species. In the Americas, they were described as harboring species; however, they were mostly characterized to the genotypic level. We describe here isolates obtained from blood samples of one rodent ( from San José Pibtuch, Yucatan) and two bat species ( from Progreso, and from Chamela-Cuitzmala) from Mexico.

Optimized Lambda Exonuclease Digestion or Purification Using Streptavidin-Coated Beads: Which One Is Best for Successful DNA Aptamer Selection?

The high failure rate of the in vitro aptamer selection process by SELEX (Systematic Evolution of Ligands by EXponential enrichment) limits the production of these innovative oligonucleotides and, consequently, limits their potential applications. The generation of single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) is a critical step of SELEX, directly affecting the enrichment and the selection of potential binding sequences. The main goal of this study was to confirm the best method for generating ssDNA by comparing the purification of ssDNA, using streptavidin-coated beads, and lambda exonuclease digestion, and by improving ssDNA recovery through protocol improvements.