Ehrlichia ruminantium

Ehrlichia ruminantium
Systematics
Department :	Proteobacteria
Class :	Alpha Proteobacteria
Order :	Rickettsiales
Family :	Anaplasmataceae
Genre :	Ehrlichia
Type :	Ehrlichia ruminantium
Scientific name
	Ehrlichia ruminantium
	( Cowdry 1925) Dumler et al. 2001

Ehrlichia ruminantium is a microorganism that belongs to the order of the Rickettsiales . As with almost all species of this genus, it is an obligate intracellular parasite, it can only live within host cells. The cell shape is pleomorphic , i. H. Depending on the environment or cell age, there are different forms (cocci or rods). The cell size can vary between 0.5 and 1.7 µm. Ehrlichia ruminantium is the causative agent of water disease in ruminants (cattle, sheep, goats and red deer) and is transmitted by ticks of the genus Amblyomma . Ehrlichia ruminantium parasitizes in the endothelial cells of the blood vessels.

This species is often found in the literature under the name Cowdria ruminantium , but after investigation of 16S rRNA sequences, a strong similarity with species of the genus Ehrlichia was found, so that the genus Cowdria was abandoned. Other synonyms of this species: Rickettsia ruminantium Cowdry 1925, Kurlovia ruminantium (Cowdry 1925) Zhdanov 1953, Nicollea ruminantium (Cowdry 1925) Macchiavello 1947.

Water heart disease

The disease is particularly known in sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean islands, but also in southern Europe in the area of the former Yugoslavia. A permanent reservoir in Africa is formed by some species of antelope in which the disease does not manifest itself clinically. Symptoms of water disease include high fever, gastrointestinal and central nervous disorders. Newborn animals are still under maternal protection, which quickly wears off.

The section of dead animals results in fluid retention in the body cavities, in small ruminants proliferation of pericardial fluid , while beef proliferation of cerebrospinal fluid . The pathogen can be detected from smears from the intima of the large blood vessels in the fresh test material. Ferrets or merino sheep are suitable as test animals . Nowadays, endothelial cell cultures from sheep and cattle are more commonly used.

For therapy are Tetracycline and sulfonamide antibiotics used. Vaccination with live vaccines is also possible.

literature

Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research, Volume 54, 1987 ISSN 0030-2465

Web links

More information about water heart disease

Individual evidence

↑ Dumler (JS), Barbet (AF), Bekker (CPJ), Dasch (GA), Palmer (GH), Ray (SC), Rikihisa (Y.) and Rurangirwa (FR): Reorganization of genera in the families Rickettsiaceae and Anaplasmataceae in the order Rickettsiales: unification of some species of Ehrlichia with Anaplasma, Cowdria with Ehrlichia and Ehrlichia with Neorickettsia, description of six new species combinations and designation of Ehrlichia equi and 'HGE agent' as subjective synonyms of Ehrlichia phagocytophila. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 2001, 51, 2145-2165.

[1] Dumler (JS), Barbet (AF), Bekker (CPJ), Dasch (GA), Palmer (GH), Ray (SC), Rikihisa (Y.) and Rurangirwa (FR): Reorganization of genera in the families Rickettsiaceae and Anaplasmataceae in the order Rickettsiales: unification of some species of Ehrlichia with Anaplasma, Cowdria with Ehrlichia and Ehrlichia with Neorickettsia, description of six new species combinations and designation of Ehrlichia equi and 'HGE agent' as subjective synonyms of Ehrlichia phagocytophila. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 2001, 51, 2145-2165.