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Human exposure to Anaplasma phagocytophilum in Portugal

  • Ana Sofia Santos*
  • , F. Bacellar
  • , J. S. Dumler
  • *Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

11 Scopus citations

Abstract

A retrospective study to detect Anaplasma phagocytophilum antibodies by indirect immunofluorescence (IFA) and Western blot (WB) assay was conducted in 367 potentially exposed patients from Portugal. The study included 26 patients with confirmed Lyme borreliosis (LB), 77 with suspected LB, 264 seronegative patients studied for possible tick-transmitted LB and boutonneuse fever (LB/BF) infection, and 96 healthy blood donors. Overall, patients with LB and suspected LB (n = 2 [7.7%] and n = 6 [7.8%], respectively) were more often seropositive (n = 8 [7.8%]; P < 0.001), whereas only 1 (0.4%; P = 0.046) patient in the LB/BF seronegative group had confirmed disease. This study is the first evidence of human exposure to A. phagocytophilum or an antigenically similar bacterium in Portugal, and suggests that LB patients are significantly more likely to contact A. phagocytophilum.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationCentury of Rickettsiology; Emerging, Reemerging Rickettsioses, Molecular Diagnostics. amd Emerging Veterinary Rickettsioses
PublisherBlackwell Publishing Inc.
Pages100-105
Number of pages6
ISBN (Print)1573316393, 9781573316392
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 2006

Publication series

NameAnnals of the New York Academy of Sciences
Volume1078
ISSN (Print)0077-8923
ISSN (Electronic)1749-6632

Keywords

  • Anaplasma phagocytophilum exposure
  • Lyme borreliosis
  • Portugal
  • Serologic study

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