Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Identification of a granulocytic Ehrlichia strain isolated from a horse in Switzerland and comparison with other rickettsiae of the Ehrlichia phagocytophila genogroup.
- Journal:
- Journal of clinical microbiology
- Year:
- 1998
- Authors:
- Pusterla, N et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Veterinary Internal Medicine
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 12-year-old Arabian mare in Switzerland was diagnosed with a type of infection called granulocytic ehrlichiosis. She showed several symptoms, including a fever, low energy, not eating, yellowing of her skin and eyes, swelling in her legs, and being hesitant to move. Tests of her blood showed the presence of Ehrlichia bacteria, and genetic analysis confirmed that the strain was closely related to one that affects humans. The treatment details were not provided, but the report focuses on identifying the specific strain of the bacteria.
Abstract
This case report describes a 12-year-old Arabian mare with granulocytic ehrlichiosis. Clinical signs included fever, apathy, anorexia, icterus, limb edema, and reluctance to move. Examination of buffy coat smears revealed Ehrlichia organisms in neutrophils and eosinophils. A band of 1,428 bp was amplified from DNA of leukocytes via nested PCR and was identified as part of the Ehrlichia 16S rRNA gene. It differed from the gene sequences of Ehrlichia phagocytophila and E. equi at two and three positions, respectively. Interestingly, the nucleotide sequence of the 16S rRNA was 100% identical to that of the agent of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9650957/