Continuous cell lines have been established from several ixodid and argasid tick species, representing an excellent tool suitable for the isolation of pathogens and their subsequent propagation, which in turn allows the production of antigenic material for diagnostic tests, antibody and vaccine production, and also for studies on host-vector-pathogen relationships. This paper reviews the use of...

Anaplasma phagocytophilum is a zoonotic tick-borne intracellular bacterium responsible for granulocytic anaplasmosis. As it is difficult to isolate and cultivate, only 20 A. phagocytophilum genomes have been sequenced to date. Here, we present eight A. phagocytophilum genome sequences obtained using alternative approaches based on sequence capture technology.

The presence of Anaplasma phagocytophilum, a tick-transmitted zoonotic pathogen, was investigated in Sardinia using a molecular approach. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that Sardinian strains are genetically distinct from the two lineages previously described in Europe and are closely related to strains isolated in different areas of the United States.

Ovine anaplasmosis is a tick-borne rickettsial disease, widespread in tropical and subtropical areas. In the present study, a PCR-RFLP method based on major surface protein 4 (MSP4) gene, was utilized for the detection of Anaplasma infection in 119 sheep blood samples collected from different parts of Ahvaz in the southwest of Iran. PCR identified Anaplasma infections in 87.4% (104/119) of the ...

Serological methods were utilized to detect Anaplasma and Ehrlichia infection in domestic animals in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China. By using an indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA), antibodies that reacted with Anaplasmaphagocytophilum and Ehrlichiachaffeensis were detected mainly in ruminants kept on pastureland in Altai, Ili and Kashgar area. Antibody titers up to 1:320 were reco...

That lurks inside white-footed mice and white-tailed deer. Ferried by blood-thirsty ticks in the sticks, This Anaplasma soul is passed on to its bodily incarnations— Larva to nymph to tick. A new generation of infected vampires is born. Our love for the outdoors encroaches on tick territory. A tick bite injects Anaplasma storming defender neutrophils, Using MSP2 hooks to scale the walls. Zombie...

A context-aware personal agent (CPA) adapts to the changing contexts of its user. Platys is an agent-oriented software engineering (AOSE) framework that supports the development and execution of CPAs. Specifically, the framework (1) facilitates modeling a CPA via cognitive constructs, simplifying development, and (2) delegates the concerns of context elicitation (from end users) and acquisition...

Tick-borne diseases are often encountered in canine clinical practice. In the present study, a molecular epidemiological survey of dogs in Japan was conducted to understand the prevalence and geographical distribution of Babesia spp., Hepatozoon spp., Ehrlichia spp. and Anaplasma spp. Pathogen-derived DNA in blood samples obtained from 722 dogs with a history of exposure to ticks and/or fleas w...

Anaplasma phagocytophilum is an obligate intracellular bacterial parasite of verterbrate granulocytes. This bacterium is the aetiologic agent of human granulocytic anaplasmosis. The msp2 gene encoding major surface protein 2 is unique for Anaplasma and displays high antigenic variation. A fragment of the msp2 gene (334 bp) of A. phagocytophilum, amplified with DNA isolated from Ixodes ricinus, ...