Published Date
01/12/2014
Case report: Molecular evidence of Anaplasma platys infection in two women from Venezuela
Journal
The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Citation
Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2014 Dec;91(6):1161-5
DOI
10.4269/ajtmh.14-0372
Authors
Arraga-Alvarado CM, Qurollo BA, Parra OC, Berrueta MA, Hegarty BC, Breitschwerdt EB
Abstract
This article presents two case reports of Anaplasma platys detection in two women from Venezuela. Both patients were exposed to Rhipicephalus sanguineus, the presumed tick vector, and experienced chronic, nonspecific clinical signs including headaches and muscle pains. Intra-platelet inclusion bodies resembling A. platys were observed in buffy coat smears and A. platys DNA was amplified and sequenced from whole blood; however, treatment with doxycycline did not alleviate their symptoms. These cases provide further support for A. platys as a zoonotic tick-borne pathogen, most likely of low pathogenicity; nonetheless, the cause of illness in humans by A. platys is yet to be confirmed.
URL
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