Reeves Will K, Loftis Amanda D, Nicholson William L, Czarkowski Alan G
USDA-ARS-ABADRL, Laramie, WY, USA.
J Med Case Rep. 2008 Apr 30;2:139. doi: 10.1186/1752-1947-2-139.
Two species of Ehrlichia are known to cause human illness. Several other species have been discovered in ticks and animals, and recent reports suggest that some of these Ehrlichia species might be human pathogens. We report here the first association of a recently discovered pathogen, the Panola Mountain Ehrlichia species, with a case of human illness.
A 31-year-old man from Atlanta, Georgia (GA) in the United States of America (USA) presented with a persistent sore neck of 3 weeks duration following a tick bite. DNA from the Panola Mountain Ehrlichia species, which was recently discovered in a goat in Georgia, was detected in an acute blood sample. Serologic testing was inconclusive. Polymerase chain reaction tests for other tick-borne diseases found in this region were negative. The patient rapidly improved in response to doxycycline therapy.
Detection of Ehrlichia DNA in an acute blood sample meets the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention laboratory confirmation criteria for ehrlichiosis, and response to doxycycline provides supporting clinical evidence. The Panola Mountain Ehrlichia species, an emerging pathogen transmitted by ticks in the eastern USA, should be considered as a possible cause of tick-borne illness in this region.
已知两种埃立克体可导致人类疾病。在蜱虫和动物体内还发现了其他几种埃立克体，最近的报告表明其中一些埃立克体物种可能是人类病原体。我们在此报告一种最近发现的病原体——帕诺拉山埃立克体物种与一例人类疾病的首次关联。
一名来自美国佐治亚州亚特兰大的31岁男性，在被蜱虫叮咬后出现持续3周的颈部疼痛。在一份急性血样中检测到了最近在佐治亚州一只山羊身上发现的帕诺拉山埃立克体物种的DNA。血清学检测结果不明确。针对该地区发现的其他蜱传疾病的聚合酶链反应检测均为阴性。患者接受强力霉素治疗后迅速好转。
在急性血样中检测到埃立克体DNA符合美国疾病控制与预防中心关于埃立克体病的实验室确认标准，对强力霉素的反应提供了支持性的临床证据。帕诺拉山埃立克体物种是美国东部由蜱虫传播的一种新兴病原体，应被视为该地区蜱传疾病的可能病因。
