A Case Report of Canine Ehrlichia Infection in a Labrador Dog and its Therapeutic Management

Ehrlichiosis is an important protozoan disease in canine caused by an intracellular gram – negative bacteria of the genus Ehrlichia, under the family Anaplasmataceae. The important species under the genus Ehrlichia are E. canis, E. ewingii and E. chaffeensis. Another two bacteria within the family Anaplasmataceae are Anaplasma platys (Syn: E. platys) and A. phagocytophilum ; on the other hand, E. platys and A. phagocytophilum are synonymous. Prevalence of ehrlichiosis remains high in north eastern region of India especially Assam but it remains undiagnosed due to lack of owner’s awareness. The incidences of ehrlichiosis in dog in Guwahati caused by E. canis and E. platys are recorded which are primarily responsible for canine monocytic ehrlichiosis and canine thrombocytic as well as granulocytic ehrlichiosis, respectively. A case of ehrlichiosis in canine was diagnosed based on clinical signs, blood smear examination and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The dog was treated with two doses of diminazine diaceturate deep intramuscularly at 48 hours interval and doxycycline tablet orally for one month besides supportive therapy rendered during the period. After a month of treatment the dog showed recovery and by two months it recovered completely. Thus it can be inferred that, doxycycline along with other supportive medication for about a month could cure a critical case of canine ehrlichiosis.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjvm.v12i2.21298 Bangl. J. Vet. Med. (2014). 12 (2): 237-239

CHARACTERIZATION OF HUMAN GRANULOCYTIC EHRLICHIOSIS IN EXPERIMENTAL INFECTED HL-60 CELLS WITH ANAPLASMA PHAGOCYTOPHILUM USING NESTED PCR AND A. PHAGOCYTOPHILUM MAJOR SURFACE PROTEIN-2 MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY

The study was carried out to characterize the human granulocytic ehrlichiosis in experimental infected HL-60 cells with Anaplasma phagocytophilum using nested PCR and A. phagocytophilum major surface protein-2 monoclonal antibody. The nested PCR revealed only one band of 926 base pair DNA from A. phagocytophilum infected HL-60 cells. The western blot revealed several bands with a dominant 44-kDa. There were intense band of 100- and 160-kDa bands. The 44-kDa component was at least 10 times more abundant than the 100- and 160-kDa bands. In conclusion, the nested PCR would be a valuable tool for the characterization of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis.

Serologic evidence of equine granulocytic anaplasmosis in horses from central West Brazil

Ehrlichiosis is a zoonotic disease caused by gram-negative and intracellular obligatory bacterial organisms. Equine Granulocytic Anaplasmosis - EGA (formerly Equine Granulocytic Ehrlichiosis, EGE) is a seasonal disease, normally self-limited in horses. There are few reports in Brazil about this ehrlichial agent, as well as its natural vectors. Nowadays, veterinarians are considering the suspicion of EGA in horses with suggestive symptoms of ehrlichiosis and which do not respond to piroplasmosis treatment. The aim of the present study was to identify horses exposed to the agent A. phagocytophilum by serological and molecular techniques. Twenty equine blood and serum samples from the central West region of Brazil were evaluated by microscopic examination of buffy coat smear, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) and nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR). Additionally, the serodiagnosis of Theileria equi by IFA and ELISA were carried out, as well as molecular diagnosis by nPCR. Thirteen (65%) serum samples were positive for A. phagocytophilum by ELISA, but none of them were positive by buffy-coat smear examination or nPCR. Antibodies IgG anti-T. equi were detected in 18 (90%) and 17 (85%) horses by IFA and ELISA, respectively and the agent was detected in 9 (45%) animals by nPCR. Our data may be considered as important information to understanding the occurrence of EGA and equine piroplasmosis in central West Brazil.

Human Granulocytic Ehrlichiosis Complicating Early Pregnancy

Background. The goal of this case is to review the zoonotic infection, human granulocytic ehrlichiosis, presenting with pyrexia.Case. A 22-year-old multigravid female presented to the emergency department with a painful skin rash, high fever, and severe myalgias. The patient underwent a diagnostic evaluation for zoonotic infections due to her geographical and seasonal risk factors. Treatment of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis was successful though the patient spontaneously aborted presumably due to the severity of the acute illness.Conclusion. Treatment of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis in pregnancy presents unique challenges. Management of pyrexia during pregnancy is limited to external cooling in the setting of thrombocytopenia and elevated aminotransferases. Extensive counseling regarding teratogenic potential of medications allows the patient to weigh the pros and cons of treatment.

Human ehrlichiosis

Background. Human ehrlichiosis is a newly recognized disease. It is a tick-borne disease caused by several bacterial species of the genhus Erlichia. These are small gram-negative pleomorphic cocci, that are obligatory intracellular bacteria. Tick Ixodes is the principle vector in Europe, and Amblyomma americanum in the United States. Bacterial organisms replicate in a tick, and are transmited from infected cells in a vector to the blood cells of animals or humans. Human ehrlichiosis is a name for a group of diseases caused by different species of Ehrlichia. One of them is the disease named human monocytic ehrlichiosis, caused by Ehrlichia chaffeensis, and the other is a human granulocytic ehrlichiosis caused by Anaplasma phagocytophilia. Case report. We reported a 23-year-old patient admitted for the clinical treatment with the symptoms of high febrility (above 40 ?C), headache, vomiting, general weakness and exhaustion, but without data on a tick bite. The patient was treated with trimetoprim-sulfamethoxazole for a week when Ehrlichia chaffeensis was confirmed by the immunofluoroscence test, and the therapy contimed with doxacyclin. Conclusion. Human ehrlichiosis is also present in our country, so this disease should be considered everyday, especially in infectology practice.