• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.113-120
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• 1998

To investigate the distribution of Borrelia burgdorferi and human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (HGE) agent in ticks, adult ixodid ticks of Ixodes spp. and Haemaphysalis spp. were collected from the high mountain areas of Kangwon Province. Using DNAs extracted and purified in the collected ticks, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed to amplify the specific nucleotide sequences of both agents. Of the 516 ticks, a total of 68 (13.2%) ticks was positive for Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato with PCR analysis (2 for B. burgdorferi sensu stricto； 1 for B. afzelii；33 for B. garinii； 8 for B. tanukii；4 for B. turdae). However a little more than half of PCR-positive ticks (37/68) was found to be positive in the southern blot analysis with Bl6S oligonucleotide probe. One hundred and one (19.2%) ticks were positive for Ehrlichia spp. in PCR, and a quarter of them (25/101) was positive in southern blot with El6S oligonucleotide probe. But none of them was found to be the DNA of HGE agent. And 0.6% (3/516) ticks were positive for both of B. burgdorferi sensu late and Ehrlirhia spp. These findings might implicate the possibility of the outbreak of Iyme borreliosis and ehrlichiosis in Korea, and more extensive studies may be need for the diagnosis of multiple tick-borne diseases.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.126-128
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• 2019

A 5-year-old male Labrador Retriever that lived outdoors was presented to the animal hospital with a right hind limb lameness. The lameness had been present for more than 10 days, and there was a severe swelling of the right stifle joint. The dog underwent physical, laboratory, and radiographic examinations. As a result, the dog was diagnosed with infectious monoarthropathy secondary to granulocytic ehrlichiosis. The dog received medication for the rickettsial arthritis and surgical treatment for reconstruction of the soft tissue damage caused by the infection. After treatment, the function of the dog's leg was recovered. This report describes a case of atypical monoarthropathy caused by ehrlichiosis in a dog.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Veterinary Clinics Conference
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• 2009.10a
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• pp.134-141
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• 2009

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Veterinary Clinics Conference
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• 2006.11a
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• pp.69-69
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• 2006

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.289-291
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• 2008

3-year-old female Pitbull terrier dog that had been moved to Republic of Korea was diagnosed with Ehrlichia canis infection. Abnormal findings on a complete blood count (CBC) and serum chemistry profile were moderate anemia, mild thrombocytopenia, hyperproteinemia and hyperglobulinemia. Serologic screening test by a commercial ELISA kit for Ehrlichia canis was positive, and serum antibody titer was markedly high (> 1 : 10240). The morula of Ehrlichia organisms was not detected in buffy coat blood smears. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was done using the peripheral blood and the result was negative. Based on the serologic test results and the clinical signs, the dog was diagnosed as ehrlichiosis. The dog responded well to doxycycline and was uneventfully recovered.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.187-193
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• 2008

Ehrlichia chaffeensis infects human and animals, and causes human monocytotropic ehrlichiosis (HME). It is emerging as a tick-borne zoonosis of concern. Although deer are important natural reservoir hosts of E chaffeensis, few surveys of deer in Korea for E chaffeensis have been conducted. Therefore, we conducted this study to confirm the occurrence of E chaffeensis in deer. To accomplish this study, we collected blood from total 27 deer and then polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and 16S rRNA sequence analyse to evaluate the samples for the presence of E chaffeensis. The results of this study indicated that 9 (33%) of the deer were infected with E chaffeensis. This is the first study to demonstrate that deer in Korea are infected with E chaffeensis, which indicates that they can act as a natural reservoir host for E chaffeensis.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.56 no.5
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• pp.521-525
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• 2018

Rodents are well-known reservoirs and vectors of many emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, but little is known about their role in zoonotic disease transmission in Bhutan. In this study, a cross-sectional investigation of zoonotic disease pathogens in rodents was performed in Chukha district, Bhutan, where a high incidence of scrub typhus and cases of acute undifferentiated febrile illness had been reported in people during the preceding 4-6 months. Twelve rodents were trapped alive using wire-mesh traps. Following euthanasia, liver and kidney tissues were removed and tested using PCR for Orientia tsutsugamushi and other bacterial and rickettsial pathogens causing bartonellosis, borreliosis, human monocytic ehrlichiosis, human granulocytic anaplasmosis, leptospirosis, and rickettsiosis. A phylogenetic analysis was performed on all rodent species captured and pathogens detected. Four out of the 12 rodents (33.3%) tested positive by PCR for zoonotic pathogens. Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Bartonella grahamii, and B. queenslandensis were identified for the first time in Bhutan. Leptospira interrogans was also detected for the first time from rodents in Bhutan. The findings demonstrate the presence of these zoonotic pathogens in rodents in Bhutan, which may pose a risk of disease transmission to humans.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.204-210
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• 2011

The presence of the tick-borne pathogens Ehrlichia and Borrelia in German Shepherd dogs in Korea was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). A total of 291 dogs were randomly selected from five Korean provinces from October 2005 through September 2006. The seroprevalence of antibodies to canine Ehrlichia and Borrelia agents detected by ELISA (Snap$^{(R)}$ 3Dx$^{(R)}$ Test, IDEXX Laboratories) was 7.56% (22 dogs) and 1.72% (5 dogs) respectively, throughout the country. Positive antibodies against both pathogens were detected in two dogs (0.69%). The provincial distribution of seroprevalence against Ehrlichia was 1.28% (1 of 78) in Gyeonggi-do, 12.64% (11 of 87) in Gangwon-do, 9.76% (4 of 41) in Chungcheong-do, 8.93% (5 of 56) in Gyeongsang-do, and 3.45% (1 of 29) in Jeolla-do. According to PCR analysis, Ehrlichia chaffeensis target DNA was amplified in 3.09% (9 of 291 dogs) of blood samples, 2.41% (7 of 291) from Gangwon-do and 0.69% (2 of 291) from Chungcheong-do. The oligonucleotide sequences (SNU-EC3 and SNU-EC5) from the PCR fragment examined in Korea were closely related to E. chaffeensis isolated from the tick Haemaphysalis longicornis, in China and the state of Arkansas in the US. Based on these results, the presence of E. chaffeensis infection was identified in German Shepherds being bred in Korea. These results bring to light the importance of paying close attention to tick-borne infections such as Lyme disease during clinical diagnosis. This infectious disease should be included as a differential diagnosis for patients who participate in outdoor activity from spring to fall or who have thrombocytopenia or leucopenia.