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A Case of Equine Granulocytic Ehrlichiosis Provides Molecular Evidence for the Presence of Pathogenic Anaplasma phagocytophilum (HGE Agent) in Germany

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Abstract

Based on seroprevalence studies and tick infection rates, tick-borne human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (HGE) is thought to occur in Germany, but to date no clinical case has been detected. Reported here are the first ehrlichial sequences derived from a German horse that fell ill with granulocytic ehrlichiosis. The analysis of three different genes (16S rRNA gene, groESL, and ankA) revealed up to 100% identity with ehrlichial sequences derived from patients with HGE in other countries or from infected ticks in Germany. Thus, the current lack of clinical cases of HGE in Germany is unlikely to result from the absence of pathogenic granulocytic ehrlichiae strains in German ticks.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by grants from the German Ministry for Education and Research, the Interdisciplinary Center for Clinical Research of the Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen (Project A14) and from the German Research Foundation (SFB263 project A5).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Clinical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, University of Erlangen, Wasserturmstrasse 3-5, 91054, Erlangen, Germany

    F. D. von Loewenich, B. U. Baumgarten, M. Röllinghoff & C. Bogdan

  2. Clinic of Veterinary Surgery, University of Giessen, Frankfurter Strasse 108, 35392, Frankfurt, Germany

    G. Stumpf

  3. Division of Medical Microbiology, Department of Pathology, The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Ross 624, 720 Rutland Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA

    J. S. Dumler

Authors
  1. F. D. von Loewenich
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  2. G. Stumpf
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  3. B. U. Baumgarten
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  4. M. Röllinghoff
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  5. J. S. Dumler
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  6. C. Bogdan
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Correspondence to C. Bogdan.

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von Loewenich, F.D., Stumpf, G., Baumgarten, B.U. et al. A Case of Equine Granulocytic Ehrlichiosis Provides Molecular Evidence for the Presence of Pathogenic Anaplasma phagocytophilum (HGE Agent) in Germany. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 22, 303–305 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-003-0935-1

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