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Microorganisms 2022 Jun 15;10(6). Epub 2022 Jun 15.

Division of Vectors and Parasitic Diseases, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, 187 Osongsaenmyeong 2-ro, Osong-eup, Heungdeok-gu, Cheongju 28159, Chungbuk, Korea.

Human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA) and human monocytic ehrlichiosis (HME) are zoonotic tick-borne diseases transmitted via tick bites. To determine the state of human and infections caused by tick bites in the Republic of Korea (ROK), we conducted a nationwide investigation of human cases of tick bites in 2020. A total of 180 ticks were obtained, comprising (70. Read More

Vet Parasitol Reg Stud Reports 2022 Jul 9;32:100746. Epub 2022 Jun 9.

Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Valenzano, Bari, Italy.

Many vector-borne pathogens (VBPs), including Ehrlichia canis and Dirofilaria immitis, may infect simultaneously dogs in areas where Leishmania infantum is endemic, especially in the tropics, where highly abundant arthropod vectors thrive. The aim of this study was to compare the frequency of simultaneous VBPs infection in Leishmania-positive and Leishmania-negative dogs. Animals enrolled in this study were divided in two groups (G1 and G2), G1 being comprised of L. Read More

PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2022 06 10;16(6):e0010469. Epub 2022 Jun 10.

Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, United States of America.

Domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) can transmit a variety of pathogens due to their ubiquitousness in urban, rural and natural environments, and their close interactions with wildlife and humans. In this study, we used a mixed-methods approach to assess the role of domestic dogs as potential intermediaries of disease transmission from wildlife to humans among indigenous Waiwai in the Konashen Community Owned Conservation Area, Guyana. To address these objectives we 1) performed physical examinations and collected biological samples to assess Waiwai domestic dog health, and 2) administered questionnaires to characterize the role of dogs in the community and identify potential transmission pathways between wildlife, dogs, and humans. Read More

Parasit Vectors 2022 Jun 6;15(1):189. Epub 2022 Jun 6.

Institute for Parasitology and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.

Background: Canine vector-borne disease (CVBD) has been an area of increasing interest in Europe over the last few decades, and there have been changes in the prevalence and distribution of many of these diseases. Monitoring CVBD infections in Europe is often done by individual countries, but aggregated data for the European countries are helpful to understand the distribution of CVBDs.

Methods: We used an extensive retrospective database of results from point-of-care rapid enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) tests on dogs across Europe to identify distribution and seropositivity in animals tested for selected CVBDs (Anaplasma spp. Read More

Vet Sci 2022 May 21;9(5). Epub 2022 May 21.

College of Veterinary Medicine, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA 91766, USA.

Ticks and tick-borne diseases such as babesiosis, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever pose a significant threat to animal and human health. Tick-borne diseases cause billions of dollars of losses to livestock farmers annually. These losses are partially attributed to the lack of sensitive, robust, cost effective and efficient diagnostic approaches that could detect the infectious pathogen at the early stages of illness. Read More

Vet Clin Pathol 2022 May 23. Epub 2022 May 23.

Department of Neurology, Centre Hospitalier Vétérinaire Frégis, Paris, France.

A 2-year-old castrated male Creole Shepherd mixed dog was presented for non-ambulatory paraparesis of the pelvic limbs. The magnetic resonance imaging and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis were consistent with meningomyelitis. Positive serology for Ehrlichia canis/Ehrlichia ewingii suggested exposure to a pathogen; qPCR on the serum and the CSF confirmed active infection. Read More

Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2022 05;22(5):273-280

Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA.

is an emerging zoonotic vector-borne parasite infecting dogs and other mammals in the United States. In this study we evaluated shelter dogs in one northeastern and one southeastern county in Oklahoma for prevalence of exposure to . Dogs were tested for antibodies against using the Chagas STAT PAK assay and for in circulation by PCR. Read More

PLoS Pathog 2022 05 16;18(5):e1010345. Epub 2022 May 16.

Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America.

Ehrlichia chaffeensis (E. chaffeensis) has evolved eukaryotic ligand mimicry to repurpose multiple cellular signaling pathways for immune evasion. In this investigation, we demonstrate that TRP120 has a novel repetitive short linear motif (SLiM) that activates the evolutionarily conserved Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway to inhibit apoptosis. Read More

JAMA Netw Open 2022 05 2;5(5):e2212334. Epub 2022 May 2.

Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Importance: Tick-borne diseases (TBD), including spotted fever group rickettsiosis (SFGR), ehrlichiosis, and, increasingly, Lyme disease, represent a substantial public health concern throughout much of the southeastern United States. Yet, there is uncertainty about the epidemiology of these diseases because of pitfalls in existing diagnostic test methods.

Objective: To examine patterns of diagnostic testing and incidence of TBD in a large, academic health care system. Read More

Parasit Vectors 2022 May 10;15(1):105. Epub 2022 May 10.

Hospital Clínic Veterinari, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Carrer de l´Hospital s/n, 08193, Bellaterra, Spain.

Background: Cranial cruciate ligament rupture (CCLR) results from a multifactorial degenerative process that leads to rupture of the ligament. Vector-borne pathogens (VBP) in dogs can induce joint disease but their role in CCLR has not been previously investigated. The aim of the present work is to evaluate the prevalence of VBP in dogs with CCLR. Read More

Acta Trop 2022 Aug 18;232:106502. Epub 2022 May 18.

Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70010 Valenzano (Bari), Italy; Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran. Electronic address:

Dogs are commonly exposed to vector-borne pathogens (VBPs), yet few data are available on hunting dogs, which are often at high risk of infection due to their involvement in field activities. To investigate the occurrence of VBPs and evaluate the relative performance of different diagnostic tools, blood and serum samples were collected from hunting dogs (n = 1,433) in rural areas of southern Italy. All samples were tested by Knott's technique for filarioids, serologically (SNAP® 4Dx® Plus) for Anaplasma spp. Read More

Tierarztl Prax Ausg K Kleintiere Heimtiere 2022 Apr 6;50(2):124-136. Epub 2022 May 6.

Medizinische Kleintierklinik, Zentrum für klinische Tiermedizin, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München.

Kidney diseases represent a common problem as well as a frequent cause of death in dogs. Infectious agents may be responsible for glomerulopathies and acute kidney injuries. Many infections commonly associated with the development of immune complex glomerulonephritis in central and southern Europe are important as travel-associated diseases in Germany. Read More

J Vet Med Sci 2022 Jun 27;84(6):831-840. Epub 2022 Apr 27.

Department of Veterinary Technology, Faculty of Veterinary Technology, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand.

Canine monocytic ehrlichiosis caused by Ehrlichia canis infection is a life-threatening vector-borne disease in dogs worldwide. Routine blood smear has very low sensitivity and cannot accurately provide a quantitative result. Conventional PCR (cPCR) and real-time PCR (qPCR) are widely used as molecular methods for E. Read More

Microbiol Spectr 2022 Jun 25;10(3):e0168721. Epub 2022 Apr 25.

Laboratory of Gene Engineering of Pathogenic Microorganisms, N. F. Gamaleya National Research Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology, Moscow, Russia.

Tick-borne spotted fevers caused by occur worldwide. The symptoms of this bacterial infection are similar to those of viral infection, and thus, diagnostic accuracy has special clinical importance. One of the commonly used methods for the diagnosis of tick-borne spotted fever is enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), which is based on estimation of the presence of specific IgM antibodies in blood. Read More

Rev Bras Parasitol Vet 2022 8;31(2):e021621. Epub 2022 Apr 8.

Departamento de Patologia, Reprodução e Saúde Única, Faculdade Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias - FCAV, Universidade Estadual Paulista - UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP, Brasil.

Canine monocytic ehrlichiosis (CME) is one of the most important tick-borne diseases worldwide, with multisystemic presentations. Immune dysregulation has been proposed as the primary mechanism involved in its pathogenesis and in tissue injury in dogs with CME. Experimental infection of German Shepherd dogs in the present study demonstrated that CME caused marked pathological changes in their lymph nodes and spleen, and also gave rise to mononuclear infiltration in organs and tissues. Read More

Parasit Vectors 2022 Apr 11;15(1):126. Epub 2022 Apr 11.

Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Wrocław, Wrocław, Poland.

In recent decades, populations of the raccoon (Procyon lotor) and the raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonides) have increased and adapted to peri-urban and urban environments in many parts of the world. Their ability to rapidly colonize new territories, high plasticity and behavioral adaptation has enabled these two species to be considered two of the most successful invasive alien species. One of the major threats arising from continually growing and expanding populations is their relevant role in maintaining and transmitting various vector-borne pathogens among wildlife, domestic animals and humans. Read More

Prev Vet Med 2022 Jun 29;203:105634. Epub 2022 Mar 29.

University of the Free State, Department of Agricultural Economics, P.O. Box 339, Internal box 58, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa. Electronic address:

Heartwater is a dangerous tick-borne disease for livestock farmers in South Africa and results in annual economic losses for the livestock industry. This study determined the total economic impact of heartwater in South Africa by calculating this disease's direct and indirect costs. Survey data from 272 livestock farmers from six provinces of South Africa was used for this study. Read More

mBio 2022 04 31;13(2):e0007622. Epub 2022 Mar 31.

Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA.

Ehrlichia chaffeensis evades innate host defenses by reprogramming the mononuclear phagocyte through mechanisms that involve the exploitation of multiple evolutionarily conserved cellular signaling pathways, including Notch. This immune evasion strategy is directed in part by tandem repeat protein (TRP) effectors. Specifically, the TRP120 effector activates and regulates Notch signaling through interactions with the Notch receptor and the negative regulator, F-Box and WD repeat domain-containing 7 (FBW7). Read More

Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2022 05 20;13(3):101942. Epub 2022 Mar 20.

Agricultural Research Council-Onderstepoort Veterinary Research, Onderstepoort, Pretoria, 0110, South Africa; School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, Westville, 4001, South Africa. Electronic address:

Heartwater, Ehrlichia ruminantium infection in cattle, sheep, goats, and some wild ruminants, is an economically important disease in Africa characterized by high mortality rates in susceptible populations. In South Africa, the current commercial heartwater vaccine is an infection and treatment type of immunization using virulent live E. ruminantium organisms generated from blood of infected sheep with subsequent treatment of the animals with antibiotics at specific times during the course of infection. Read More

Curr Res Parasitol Vector Borne Dis 2021 13;1:100022. Epub 2021 Apr 13.

Laboratorio de Vectores y Enfermedades Transmitidas, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, CENUR Litoral Norte - Salto, Universidad de la República, Rivera 1350, CP 50000 Salto, Uruguay.

are small intracellular Gram-negative bacteria transmitted by ticks. These microorganisms cause ehrlichiosis, a complex of life-threatening emerging zoonoses and diseases of global veterinary relevance. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of in free-living collected in Uruguay. Read More

Cureus 2022 Jan 27;14(1):e21668. Epub 2022 Jan 27.

Infectious Diseases, Saint Vincent Hospital, Erie, USA.

Unlike the tick-borne diseases ehrlichiosis and Lyme disease, human granulocytic anaplasmosis is rarely associated with neurological complications. In this case report, we present a patient who developed a severe, lancinating headache shortly after known tick exposure. A tick-borne PCR panel was positive for and neurology evaluation yielded a concomitant diagnosis of new-onset trigeminal neuralgia. Read More

Health Sci Rep 2022 Mar 23;5(2):e509. Epub 2022 Feb 23.

Research Institute Bassett Medical Center Cooperstown New York USA.

Background: Outdoor workers, such as forestry workers, are at an increased risk for contracting tick-borne diseases due to their prolonged time spent in tick habitats. Although well studied in Europe, no studies have been conducted with forestry workers in the Northeastern United States since 1990s.

Methods: Full-time forestry workers and two comparison groups (volunteer firefighter/first responders and indoor/healthcare workers) within New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Regions 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 were recruited for this cross-sectional seroprevalence study. Read More

J Vet Sci 2022 Mar 7;23(2):e20. Epub 2022 Jan 7.

Laboratory of Veterinary Internal Medicine, BK21 FOUR Future Veterinary Medicine Leading Education and Research Center, Research Institute for Veterinary Science and College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea.

Background: Emergent and re-emergent canine tick-borne infections are attracting increasing attention worldwide. The rise in pet ownership and the close relationship between dogs and their owners are the most concerning factors because dogs may act as competent reservoirs for human tick-transmitted infectious agents.

Objectives: This study contributes to the epidemiological surveillance of canine tick-transmitted infections with zoonotic risk in the Republic of Korea (ROK) by investigating the seroprevalence of the pathogens, spp. Read More

Parasitology 2022 01 8;149(1):65-75. Epub 2021 Sep 8.

Parasitology Research Laboratory (PRL), Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Mahidol University, Salaya, Nakhon Pathom73170, Thailand.

There was little information regarding the occurrence of canine vector-borne disease (CVBDs) in shelter dogs in Thailand. This work is the first report regarding a molecular method used to determine the occurrence and genetic diversity of three canine tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) (Hepatozoon canis, Anaplasma platys and Ehrlichia canis) in blood samples from 275 shelter dogs in the north and central areas of Thailand. The PCR results based on the 18S rRNA and 16S rRNA genes showed that 71 (25. Read More

Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021 14;11:830180. Epub 2022 Jan 14.

Laboratory of Molecular, Cellular, and Environmental Rickettsiology, Department of Veterinary Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Infectious Diseases Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States.

is an obligatory intracellular bacterium that causes human monocytic ehrlichiosis, an emerging, potentially fatal tick-borne infectious disease. The bacterium enters human cells the binding of its unique outer-membrane invasin EtpE to the cognate receptor DNase X on the host-cell plasma membrane; this triggers actin polymerization and filopodia formation at the site of binding, and blocks activation of phagocyte NADPH oxidase that catalyzes the generation of microbicidal reactive oxygen species. Subsequently, the bacterium replicates by hijacking/dysregulating host-cell functions using Type IV secretion effectors. Read More

Vet Parasitol Reg Stud Reports 2022 02 6;28:100685. Epub 2022 Jan 6.

Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, AL 36849, USA. Electronic address:

Vector-borne pathogens (VBP) associated with ectoparasitism are of concern for animal health, and there are many gaps in surveillance and reporting data. The purpose of this study was to test for four VBPs in a subset of non-owned dogs from county humane societies in Alabama and Georgia that were admitted to the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine Hoerlein Spay/Neuter Program for health exams and routine procedures, including bloodwork and testing with the 4Dx® SNAP® Plus (IDEXX Laboratories, Inc., Westbrook, Maine). Read More

Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2022 05 25;13(3):101909. Epub 2022 Jan 25.

CSIRO, Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness, Geelong, VIC, Australia. Electronic address:

Ehrlichia canis (Rickettsiales; Anaplasmataceae) is one of the most prevalent tick-borne pathogens of dogs globally. The bacterium infects monocytes and is the aetiological agent of canine monocytic ehrlichiosis. For many decades Australia was thought to be free of the pathogen, but this abruptly changed in May 2020 when E. Read More

Pediatr Infect Dis J 2022 02;41(2):155

Biomed Environ Sci 2021 Dec;34(12):1020-1023

National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China.

(Anaplasmataceae family) are obligatory intracellular bacteria that infect humans and animals. They are hosted by mammals such as canines, bovines and wild rodents, and are vectored by ticks. In this study, we collected 121 rodent samples comprising 67 , 27 , 24 sp. Read More

Methods Mol Biol 2022 ;2410:423-429

Lankenau Institute for Medical Research, Wynnewood, PA, USA.

The obligately Gram-negative intracellular bacterium Ehrlichia that resides in mononuclear phagocytes is the etiologic agent of human monocytotropic ehrlichiosis (HME). HME is an emerging and often life-threatening, tick-transmitted infectious disease in the USA. Currently, three different Ehrlichia species can cause ehrlichiosis in humans in the USA-Ehrlichia chaffeensis, Ehrlichia ewingii, and Ehrlichia muris subspecies eauclairensis. Read More