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Home / Equine Research Bank / Clin Diagn Lab Immunol / Human granulocytic ehrlichiosis agent infection in a pony va...
Clinical and diagnostic laboratory immunology2000; 7(1); 68-71; doi: 10.1128/CDLI.7.1.68-71.2000

Human granulocytic ehrlichiosis agent infection in a pony vaccinated with a Borrelia burgdorferi recombinant OspA vaccine and challenged by exposure to naturally infected ticks.

Abstract: A pony was vaccinated with recombinant OspA vaccine (rOspA) and then exposed 3 months later to Borrelia burgdorferi-infected ticks (Ixodes scapularis) collected in Westchester County, N.Y. At 2 weeks after tick exposure, the pony developed a high fever (105 degrees F). Buffy coat smears showed that 20% of neutrophils contained ehrlichial inclusion bodies (morulae). Flunixin Meglumine (1 g daily) was given for 2 days, and the body temperature returned to normal. PCR for ehrlichial DNA was performed on blood samples for 10 consecutive days beginning when the pony was first febrile. This pony was monitored for another 3.5 months but developed no further clinical signs. The 44-kDa immunodominant human granulocytic ehrlichiosis antigen gene was amplified by PCR and cloned into a pCR2.1 vector. DNA sequence analysis of this gene showed it was only 8 bp different (99% identity) from the results reported by others (J. W. Ijdo et al., Infect. Immun. 66:3264-3269, 1998). Western blot analysis, growth inhibition assays, and repeated attempts to isolate B. burgdorferi all demonstrated the pony was protected against B. burgdorferi infection. These results highlight the potential for ticks to harbor and transmit several pathogens simultaneously, which further complicates the diagnosis and vaccination of these emerging tick-borne diseases.
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Publication Date: 2000-01-05 PubMed ID: 10618280PubMed Central: PMC95825DOI: 10.1128/CDLI.7.1.68-71.2000Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article
  • Research Support
  • Non-U.S. Gov't

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research discusses a case where a pony, despite being vaccinated with an OspA vaccine against Lyme disease, got infected with another tick-borne disease – Human Granulocytic Ehrlichiosis, when exposed to Lyme-infected ticks.

Background

  • In this study, researchers tried to understand the efficacy of a Lyme disease vaccine (recombinant OspA vaccine) in a pony.
  • Lyme disease, caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, is a tick-borne illness.
  • For this, they exposed the vaccinated pony to ticks infected with Borrelia burgdorferi.

Observations

  • Two weeks after exposing the pony to ticks, it developed a high fever.
  • Microscopic examination of the pony’s blood samples indicated ehrlichial inclusion bodies (morulae), indicating an infection with Human Granulocytic Ehrlichiosis – another tick-borne disease.
  • Despite the infection, the pony’s body temperature returned to normal within two days of treatment with Flunixin Meglumine.

Analysis

  • Following PCR analysis, researchers were able to detect ehrlichial DNA in the pony’s blood samples for consecutive 10 days from the onset of fever.
  • The researchers cloned the ehrlichiosis agent’s gene into a vector and found it to be highly similar (99% identity) to the genetic sequences of the same pathogen reported in previous studies.

Conclusion

  • The pony showed no subsequent signs of Lyme disease, indicating that the recombinant OspA vaccine protected it against Borrelia burgdorferi infection.
  • The results of this study underline the issue of ticks harboring and transmitting multiple pathogens simultaneously, complicating the diagnosis and vaccination against these emerging tick-borne diseases.

Cite This Article

APA
Chang YF, McDonough SP, Chang CF, Shin KS, Yen W, Divers T. (2000). Human granulocytic ehrlichiosis agent infection in a pony vaccinated with a Borrelia burgdorferi recombinant OspA vaccine and challenged by exposure to naturally infected ticks. Clin Diagn Lab Immunol, 7(1), 68-71. https://doi.org/10.1128/CDLI.7.1.68-71.2000

Publication

Clinical and diagnostic laboratory immunology
ISSN: 1071-412X
NlmUniqueID: 9421292
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 7
Issue: 1
Pages: 68-71

Researcher Affiliations

Chang, Y F
  • Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Science, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA. yc42@cornell.edu
McDonough, S P
    Chang, C F
      Shin, K S
        Yen, W
          Divers, T

            MeSH Terms

            • Animals
            • Antigens, Bacterial / genetics
            • Antigens, Surface / immunology
            • Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / immunology
            • Bacterial Vaccines / immunology
            • Borrelia burgdorferi Group / immunology
            • Borrelia burgdorferi Group / isolation & purification
            • Clonixin / analogs & derivatives
            • Clonixin / therapeutic use
            • DNA, Bacterial / blood
            • Ehrlichia chaffeensis / immunology
            • Ehrlichiosis / immunology
            • Ehrlichiosis / microbiology
            • Ehrlichiosis / prevention & control
            • Granulocytes / microbiology
            • Horses
            • Humans
            • Immunodominant Epitopes / genetics
            • Inclusion Bodies, Viral
            • Lipoproteins
            • Polymerase Chain Reaction
            • Ticks / microbiology
            • Vaccines, Synthetic / immunology

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            Citations

            This article has been cited 1 times.
            1. Sprong H, Azagi T, Hoornstra D, Nijhof AM, Knorr S, Baarsma ME, Hovius JW. Control of Lyme borreliosis and other Ixodes ricinus-borne diseases. Parasit Vectors 2018 Mar 6;11(1):145.
              doi: 10.1186/s13071-018-2744-5pubmed: 29510749google scholar: lookup
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