Journal
TICKS AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES
Volume 8, Issue 1, Pages 36-40Publisher
ELSEVIER GMBH
DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2016.09.012
Keywords
Zoonosis; Bacteria; Ticks; Public health
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Funding
- Fondo Especial para el Financiamiento de la Educacion Superior, Consejo Nacional de Rectores (FEES-CONARE)
- Vicerrectoria de Investigacion, Universidad Nacional
- Red Iberoamericana de Investigacion y Control de Enfermedades Rickettsiales (RIICER-CYFED)
- Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico of Brazil (CNPq)
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This study focuses on the detection and identification of DNA and antibodies to Ehrlichia spp. in samples of blood bank donors in Costa Rica using molecular and serological techniques. Presence of Ehrlichia canis was determined in 10 (3.6%) out of 280 blood samples using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting the ehrlichial dsb conserved gene. Analysis of the ehrlichial trp36 polymorphic gene in these 10 samples revealed substantial polymorphism among the E. canis genotypes, including divergent tandem repeat sequences. Nucleotide sequences of dsb and trp36 amplicons revealed a novel genotype of E. canis in blood bank donors from Costa Rica. Indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) detected antibodies in 35 (35%) of 100 serum samples evaluated. Thirty samples showed low endpoint titers (64-256) to E. canis, whereas five sera yielded high endpoint titers (1024-8192); these five samples were also E. canis-PCR positive. These findings represent the first report of the presence of E. canis in humans in Central America. (C) 2016 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.
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