Molecular evidence of Anaplasma phagocytophilumin aborted goat fetuses and placenta
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12834/VetIt.1173.6516.2Keywords:
Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Abortion, Goats, TreatmentAbstract
Anaplasma phagocytophilum, transmitted by Ixodes ticks, is an intracellular pathogen of zoonotic interest. Regarding animals of veterinary importance, infection by this agent has been linked mainly to high fever, neutropenia, reduced milk production, but hemorrhagic diathesis, abortion and impaired spermatogenesis have also sporadically been reported. In Greece, A. phagocytophilum has been detected in dogs, ticks and humans, while so far only A. ovis had been detected in farm animals. Following the occurrence of multiple abortions in two goat farms in Northern Greece, samples were collected from aborted animals. Stomach contents and placental tissue from aborted animals tested positive for A. phagocytophilum by molecular assays and negative for other infectious and parasitic agents. Treatment with oxytetracycline LA stopped the abortions. In tick risk areas clinicians should consider A. phagocytophilum as a cause of abortion in goats.
References
Aktas M. & Özübek S. 2015. Bovine anaplasmosis in Turkey: first laboratory confirmed clinical cases caused by Anaplasma phagocytophilum. Vet Microbiol, 178 (3‑4), 246‑251.
Chianini F., Adams C. & Buxton D. 2004. Neuropathological changes in ovine fetuses caused by tick‑borne fever. Vet Rec, 155, 805‑806. Garcia‑Perez A.L., Barandika J., Oporto B., Povedano J. & Juste R.A. 2003. Anaplasma phagocytophila as an abortifacient agent in sheep farms from northern Spain. Ann N Y Acad Sci, 990, 429‑432.
Giadinis N.D., Chochlakis D., Ioannou I., Kritsepi‑Konstantinou M., Papadopoulos E., Psaroulaki A. & Karatzias H. 2011. Haemorrhagic diathesis in a ram with Anaplasma phagocytophilum infection. J Comp Pathol, 144, 82‑85.
Giadinis N.D., Chochlakis D., Tselentis Y., Petridou E., Karatzias H. & Psaroulaki A. 2012. Hypogalactia in dairy sheep attributed to Anaplasma ovis. Proceedings of 2nd Veterinary Congress of Farm Animals, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Giadinis N.D., Lafi S.Q., Ioannidou E., Papadopoulos E., Terpsidis K., Karanikolas G., Petridou E.J., Brozos C. & Karatzias H. 2013. Reduction of the abortion rate due to Toxoplasma gondii in 3 goat herds with sulfadimidine administration. Can Vet J, 54, 1080‑1082.
Giudice E., Giannetto C., Torina A. & Gianesella M. 2011. Anaplasma phagocytophilum intragranulocytic morulae in aborting ewes: a herd case in Sicily. Transbound Emerg Dis, 58, 263‑267.
Granquist E.G., Bardsen K., Bergström K. & Stuen S. 2010. Variant‑ and individual dependent nature of persistent Anaplasma phagocytophilum infection. Acta Vet Scand, 52, 25.Jones G.L. & Davies I.H. 1995. An ovine abortion storm caused by infection with Cytoecetes phagocytophila. Vet Rec, 136, 127.
Kachrimanidou M., Papa A., Chochlakis D., Pavlidou V. & Psaroulaki A. 2011. Molecular evidence for Anaplasma phagocytophilum in Ixodes ricinus ticks from Greece. Vector Borne Zoon Dis, 11, 1391‑1393.
Lillini E., Macri G., Proietti G. & Scarpulla M. 2006. New findings on anaplasmosis caused by infection with Anaplasma phagocytophilum. Ann N Y Acad Sci, 1081, 360‑370.
Papa A., Tsioka K., Kontana A. Papadopoulos C. & Giadinis N. 2017. Bacterial pathogens and endosymbionts in ticks. Ticks Tick Borne Dis, 8 (1), 31‑35.
Parola P., Beati L., Cambon M., Brouqui P. & Raoult D. 1998. Ehrlichial DNA amplified from Ixodes ricinus (Acari: Ixodidae) in France. Med Entomol, 35, 180‑183.
Psaroulaki A., Koliou M., Chochlakis D., Ioannou I., Mazeri S. & Tselentis Y. 2008. Anaplasma phagocytophilum infection in a child. Ped Infect Dis J,27, 664‑666.
Reppert E., Galindo R.C., Breshears M.A., Kocan K.M., Blouin E.F. & de la Fuente J. 2013. Demonstration of transplacental transmission of a human isolate of Anaplasma phagocytophilum in an experimentally infected sheep. Transbound Emerg Dis, 60 (Suppl. 2), 93‑96.
Smith M.C. & Sherman D.M. 2009. Goat Medicine. 2nd ed., Wiley‑Blackwell, USA.Stuen S. 2007. Anaplasma phagocytophilum ‑ the most widespread tick‑borne infection in animals in Europe. Vet Res Commun, 31 (Suppl. 1), 79‑84.
Stuen S., Bergström K., Petrovec M., Van de Pol I. & Schouls L.M. 2003. Differences in clinical manifestations and hematological and serological responses after experimental infection with genetic variants of Anaplasma phagocytophilum in sheep. Clin Diagn Lab Immunol, 10, 692‑695.
Sumner J.W., Nicholson W.L. & Massung R.F. 1997. PCR amplification and comparison of nucleotide sequences from the groESL heat shock operon of Ehrlichia species. J Clin Microbiol, 35, 2087‑2092.
Teglas M.B. & Foley J. 2006. Differences in the transmissibility of two Anaplasma phagocytophilum strains by the North American tick vector species, Ixodes pacificus and Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae). Exp Appl Acarol, 38, 47‑58.
Thomas R.J., Birtles R.J., Radford A.D. & Woldechiwet Z. 2012. Recurrent bacteraemia in sheep infected persistently with Anaplasma phagocytophilum. J Comp Pathol, 147, 360‑367.Woldechiwet Z. 2006. Anaplasma phagocytophilum in ruminants in Europe. Ann N Y Acad Sci, 1078, 446‑460.
