AI Article Synopsis

  • Anaplasma phagocytophilum causes granulocytic anaplasmosis, affecting humans and various mammals, including horses.
  • The study aimed to investigate the presence of this pathogen in Slovakian horses, testing 200 animals for antibodies and using PCR to detect the bacteria's genetic material.
  • Out of 200 horses, 42.5% tested positive for antibodies, but no infections were found through genetic testing, highlighting significant seropositivity in Central Europe and raising concerns about potential risks to other species.

Article Abstract

Anaplasma phagocytophilum is the causative agent of granulocytic anaplasmosis. It affects humans and several wild and domesticated mammals, including horses. The aim of our study was a preliminary survey of the occurrence of these re-emerging pathogens in horses in Slovakia. The sera from 200 animals of different ages and both sexes were tested for the presence of A. phagocytophilum antibodies by indirect immunofluorescence assay. Subsequently, detection of the 16S rRNA gene fragment of A. phagocytophilum was attempted by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in each blood sample. Our results confirmed the presence of specific antibodies in 85 out of 200 individuals (42.5%), but no significant changes were found between the animals of different ages and sexes. However, the PCR analysis did not detect any positive animals. Our data represent one of the highest values of seropositivity to A. phagocytophilum in horses in Central Europe. These results may contribute to a better understanding of the circulation of A. phagocytophilum in this region, thus indicating a potential risk to other susceptible species.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1556/004.2021.00007DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

anaplasma phagocytophilum
8
phagocytophilum horses
8
horses slovakia
8
animals ages
8
ages sexes
8
phagocytophilum
6
serological evidence
4
evidence anaplasma
4
horses
4
slovakia anaplasma
4

Similar Publications

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!