Possible death of a buffalo calf (Syncercus caffer) due to suspected heartwater (Ehrlichia ruminantium).

Draft Genome Sequences of Three Strains of Ehrlichia ruminantium, a Tick-Borne Pathogen of Ruminants, Isolated from Zimbabwe, The Gambia, and Ghana

The rickettsial bacterium Ehrlichia ruminantium is the causative pathogen of heartwater in ruminants. Here, we report the draft genome sequences of three strains of E. ruminantium, namely, the Crystal Springs strain from Zimbabwe, the Kerr Seringe strain from The Gambia, and the Sankat 430 strain from Ghana.

Identification of drugs effective against Cowdria ruminantium using a mouse screening system.

Heartwater is a tick-transmitted rickettsial infection of ruminants, caused by Cowdria ruminantium. The tetracyclines are the only compounds available for therapy of the disease. A screen, using mice infected with C. ruminantium, was developed and used to identify new compounds with potential for the control of heartwater. A series of di-4-methyl-thiosemicarbazones was shown to be highly active...

DFID ANIMAL HEALTH PROGRAMME PROJECT R7363 FINAL TECHNICAL REPORT Investigation of the immunogenic potential of heartwater (Cowdria ruminantium) grown in tick cell lines

Diagnosis of heartwater at post-mortem in ruminants and the confirmation of Cowdria ruminantium in mice.

Criteria that are required to confirm heartwater in ruminants and mice are discussed. In ruminants it entails the macroscopical and microscopical lesions as well as the identification of Cowdria ruminantium in brain smears or histological sections. Macroscopical lesions in the majority of animals that die of the disease include effusion of body cavities, hydropericardium, oedema of the lungs, b...

Protection against heartwater by DNA immunisation with four Ehrlichia ruminantium open reading frames.

We have reported previously that a recombinant DNA vaccine consisting of four Ehrlichia ruminantium (Welgevonden) open reading frames (ORFs) known as the 1H12 cocktail provided protection against a virulent E. ruminantium (Welgevonden) needle challenge in sheep. In this study, we have investigated the vaccine effectiveness of two other cocktails of E. ruminantium (Welgevonden) ORFs, as well as ...