Goethert Heidi K, Telford Sam R
Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
J Clin Microbiol. 2003 Aug;41(8):3744-7. doi: 10.1128/JCM.41.8.3744-3747.2003.
Serological studies of cottontail rabbits sampled from Nantucket Island, Mass., have suggested exposure to at least two ehrlichiae. The agent of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (Anaplasma phagocytophilum) is intensely enzootic in rabbits there, but the identity of the other ehrlichial infection remains undescribed. We sampled rabbits over five transmission seasons and tested their blood and tissues for evidence of infection using PCR targeting an Ehrlichia genus-wide 16S rDNA target. Sequence analysis of positive amplicons revealed the presence of Anaplasma bovis, an agent not known to be present in North America. The average annual prevalence of A. bovis within rabbits, as determined by PCR of blood samples, was 18%. Haemaphysalis leporispalustris appears to serve as vector. The public health (human or veterinary) significance of this finding remains speculative.
对从马萨诸塞州楠塔基特岛采集的棉尾兔进行的血清学研究表明，这些兔子至少接触过两种埃立克体。人类粒细胞埃立克体病的病原体（嗜吞噬细胞无形体）在那里的兔子中呈高度地方流行性，但另一种埃立克体感染的病原体身份仍未明确。我们在五个传播季节对兔子进行了采样，并使用针对埃立克体属全范围16S rDNA靶点的PCR技术检测它们的血液和组织是否存在感染迹象。对阳性扩增子的序列分析显示存在牛无形体，这是一种在北美尚未发现的病原体。通过对血液样本进行PCR检测确定，兔子体内牛无形体的年平均流行率为18%。沼泽血蜱似乎是其传播媒介。这一发现对公共卫生（人类或兽医）的意义仍有待推测。
