Granulocytic anaplasmosis in a horse from Saskatchewan.

Abstract: This report describes a case of equine granulocytic anaplasmosis in a horse from Saskatchewan. Morulae were visualized within blood neutrophils, and the diagnosis was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The organism was identified as the human pathogenic strain of Anaplasma phagocytophilum by PCR and DNA sequencing of 3 independent genes. RésuméAnaplasmose granulocytaire chez un cheval de la Saskatchewan. Ce rapport décrit un cas d’anaplasmose granulocytaire chez un cheval de la Saskatchewan. Des morulas ont été visualisées dans les neutrophiles sanguins et le diagnostic a été confirmé par une réaction d’amplificaton en chaîne par la polymérase (PCR). L’organisme a été identifié comme la souche pathogène humaine d’Anaplasma phagocytophilum par PCR et séquençage d’ADN de 3 gènes indépendants.(Traduit par Isabelle Vallières).
Publication Date: 2013-02-02 PubMed ID: 23372198PubMed Central: PMC3398529
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Summary

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The research article discusses a case of granulocytic anaplasmosis in a horse from Saskatchewan and uses polymerase chain reaction for diagnosing and identifying the disease-causing strain of Anaplasma phagocytophilum.

Case Identity and Diagnosis

  • The research revolves around a horse based in Saskatchewan which was diagnosed with equine granulocytic anaplasmosis.
  • The disease was identified through the visualization of morulae, which are a type of structures within cells formed by certain bacteria, in blood neutrophils. Neutrophils are a type of white blood cell, integral to the immune system.
  • The diagnosis of this disease was confirmed via Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). PCR is a technique used in molecular biology to amplify a single or a few copies of a piece of DNA across several orders of magnitude, generating thousands to millions of copies of a particular DNA sequence.

Organism Identification

  • The organism causing the disease was identified as the human pathogenic strain of Anaplasma phagocytophilum.
  • This identification was made using PCR and further DNA sequencing of three independent genes. DNA sequencing is the process of determining the nucleic acid sequence – the order of nucleotides in DNA.
  • Anaplasma phagocytophilum is a bacterium that is typically pathogenic to humans and causes human granulocytic anaplasmosis. Its presence in the horse implies the possibility of inter-species transmission.

Cite This Article

APA
Burgess H, Chilton NB, Krakowetz CN, Williams C, Lohmann K. (2013). Granulocytic anaplasmosis in a horse from Saskatchewan. Can Vet J, 53(8), 886-888.

Publication

ISSN: 0008-5286
NlmUniqueID: 0004653
Country: Canada
Language: English
Volume: 53
Issue: 8
Pages: 886-888

Researcher Affiliations

Burgess, Hilary
  • Department of Pathology (Burgess) and Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences (Lohmann), Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5B4.
Chilton, Neil B
    Krakowetz, Chantel N
      Williams, Charlotte
        Lohmann, Katharina

          MeSH Terms

          • Anaplasma phagocytophilum / isolation & purification
          • Animals
          • Ehrlichiosis / diagnosis
          • Ehrlichiosis / epidemiology
          • Ehrlichiosis / veterinary
          • Horse Diseases / diagnosis
          • Horse Diseases / epidemiology
          • Horses
          • Male
          • Polymerase Chain Reaction / veterinary
          • Saskatchewan / epidemiology

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          Citations

          This article has been cited 5 times.
          1. El Hamiani Khatat S, Daminet S, Duchateau L, Elhachimi L, Kachani M, Sahibi H. Epidemiological and Clinicopathological Features of Anaplasma phagocytophilum Infection in Dogs: A Systematic Review.. Front Vet Sci 2021;8:686644.
            doi: 10.3389/fvets.2021.686644pubmed: 34250067google scholar: lookup
          2. Diyes CP, Dergousoff SJ, Yunik MEM, Chilton NB. Reproductive output and larval survival of American dog ticks (Dermacentor variabilis) from a population at the northern distributional limit.. Exp Appl Acarol 2021 Feb;83(2):257-270.
            doi: 10.1007/s10493-020-00581-4pubmed: 33394199google scholar: lookup
          3. Kulkarni MA, Berrang-Ford L, Buck PA, Drebot MA, Lindsay LR, Ogden NH. Major emerging vector-borne zoonotic diseases of public health importance in Canada.. Emerg Microbes Infect 2015 Jun 10;4(6):e33.
            doi: 10.1038/emi.2015.33pubmed: 26954882google scholar: lookup
          4. Schvartz G, Epp T, Burgess HJ, Chilton NB, Pearl DL, Lohmann KL. Seroprevalence of equine granulocytic anaplasmosis and lyme borreliosis in Canada as determined by a point-of-care enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).. Can Vet J 2015 Jun;56(6):575-80.
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          5. Schvartz G, Epp T, Burgess HJ, Chilton NB, Armstrong JS, Lohmann KL. Passive surveillance for ticks on horses in Saskatchewan.. Can Vet J 2015 May;56(5):486-9.
            pubmed: 25969582