Anaplasma phagocytophilum
| Anaplasma phagocytophilum | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Bacteria |
| Phylum: | Proteobacteria |
| Class: | Alphaproteobacteria |
| Order: | Rickettsiales |
| Family: | Ehrlichiaceae |
| Genus: | Anaplasma |
| Species: | A. phagocytophilum |
| Binomial name | |
|
Anaplasma phagocytophilum (Foggie 1949) Dumler et al. 2001 |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Rickettsia phagocytophila ovis |
|
Rickettsia phagocytophila ovis
Rickettsia phagocytophila
Cytoecetes phagocytophila
Cytoecetes phagocytophila
Anaplasma phagocytophilum (formerly Ehrlichia phagocytophilum) is a gram-negative bacterium that is unusual in its tropism to neutrophils. It causes anaplasmosis in sheep and cattle, also known as tick-borne fever and pasture fever, and also causes the zoonotic disease human granulocytic anaplasmosis.
Anaplasma phagocytophilum is a Gram-negative, obligate bacterium of neutrophils. It causes human granulocytic anaplasmosis, which is a tick-borne rickettsial disease. Because this bacterium invades neutrophils, it has a unique adaptation and pathogenetic mechanism.
Anaplasma phagocytophilum is a small, obligate, intracellular bacterium with a Gram-negative cell wall. It is 0.2–1.0 μm and lacks a lipopolysaccharide biosynthetic machinery. The bacterium first resides in an early endosome, where it acquires nutrients for binary fission and grows into small groups called morulae. This bacterium prefers to grow within myeloid or granulocytic cells.
Anaplasma phagocytophilum causes human granulocytic anaplasmosis. This disease was first identified in 1990, although this pathogen was known to cause veterinary disease since 1932. Since 1990, incidence of this disease has increased, and it is now recognized in Europe. This disease was first identified due to a Wisconsin patient who died with a severe febrile illness two weeks after a tick bite. During the last stage of the infection, a group of small bacteria were seen within the neutrophils in the blood. Other symptoms include fever, headache, absence of skin rash, leucopenia, thrombocytopenia and mild injury to the liver.
The disease is multisystemic, but the most severe changes are anaemia and leukopenia. This organism causes lameness which can be confused with symptoms of Lyme disease, another tick-borne illness. It is a vector borne zoonotic disease whose morula can be visualized within neutrophils (a type of white blood cell) from the peripheral blood and synovial fluid. It can cause lethargy, ataxia, loss of appetite, and weak or painful limbs.
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