标题:PREVALENCE OF ANAPLASMA PHAGOCYTOPHILUM IN IXODES RICINUS TICKS DETERMINED BY POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION WITH TWO PAIRS OF PRIMERS DETECTING 16S rRNA AND anka GENES
期刊名称:Annals of Agricultural and Environmental Medicine
印刷版ISSN:1232-1966
电子版ISSN:1898-2263
出版年度:2007
卷号:14
期号:02
页码:281-281
出版社:Institute of Agricultural Medicine in Lublin
摘要:A total of 684 Ixodes ricinus ticks (321 nymphs, 184 males, and 179 females)
were collected by fl agging lower vegetation in 6 forest districts located on the territory
of Lublin province (eastern Poland). Ticks were examined by polymerase chain reaction
(PCR) method for the presence of Anaplasma phagocytophilum DNA with two pairs of
primers: EHR521/EHR747 for detecting 16S rRNA gene, and LA6/LA1 for detecting
ankA gene. To study the relationship between infection in ticks and people occupationally
exposed to tick bite, blood serum samples of 261 forestry workers employed in the
same forest districts were examined by immunofl uorescence method for the presence of
specifi c antibodies against A. phagocytophilum. A total of 70 ticks out of 684 examined
(10.2%) showed the presence of A. phagocytophilum 16S rRNA gene. The prevalence
of infection was signifi cantly dependent on tick’s stage (χ2=49.2, p<0.00001) and geographical
locality (χ2=34.4, p<0.00001). The percentage of I. ricinus females infected
with A. phagocytophilum (24.6%) was signifi cantly greater compared to males (6.5%)
and nymphs (4.4%) (p<0.00001). Only 19 ticks out of 684 examined (2.8%) showed the
presence of A. phagocytophilum ankA gene, signifi cantly less compared to 16S rRNA
gene (p<0.00001). The prevalence of infection demonstrated by the presence of ankA
gene was also signifi cantly dependent on tick’s stage (χ2=23.6, p<0.00001) but not on
locality (χ2=9.8, p=0.082). A signifi cant correlation was found between the presence of
A. phagocytophilum 16S rRNA gene in I. ricinus female ticks from the particular forest
districts and the serologic response to A. phagocytophilum of forestry workers employed
in the same districts (p<0.05). No signifi cant correlation was found between the presence
of A. phagocytophilum ankA gene in I. ricinus ticks and serologic response of exposed
workers. In conclusion, detection of A. phagocytophilum infection in ticks by PCR with
the use of EHR521/EHR747 primers detecting 16S rRNA gene is signifi cantly more sensitive
compared to LA6/LA1 primers detecting ankA gene.