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Two USA Ehrlichia spp. cause febrile illness in goats
Amanda D Loftis1, Michael L Levin, J Paul Spurlock
1Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA. adloftis@gmail.com
Veterinary Microbiology
|March 11, 2008
Summary
Ehrlichia ewingii and Panola Mountain Ehrlichia sp. can cause illness in goats in the USA. These tick-borne pathogens lead to fever, reduced appetite, and lethargy in infected goats.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Medicine
- Infectious Diseases
- Bacteriology
Background:
- Ehrlichia spp. are not widely recognized as causes of goat illness in the USA.
- However, related Ehrlichia species cause disease in goats internationally.
- Lone star ticks (Amblyomma americanum) in the eastern USA harbor three Ehrlichia species.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if two USA Ehrlichia species, E. ewingii and Panola Mountain Ehrlichia sp., can cause clinical illness in goats.
- To characterize the clinical signs and disease course of ehrlichiosis in experimentally infected goats.
Main Methods:
- Naïve goats were experimentally exposed to Amblyomma americanum ticks infected with Ehrlichia spp.
- Clinical signs, hematological parameters, and serological responses were monitored.
- Duration of infection and pathogen transmission to ticks were assessed.
Main Results:
- Experimental infection with E. ewingii and Panola Mountain Ehrlichia sp. caused clinical ehrlichiosis in goats.
- Clinical features included pyrexia, serous nasal discharge, inappetance, lethargy, decreased alkaline phosphatase, and neutropenia.
- Goats remained chronically infected for months and transmitted Ehrlichia to naïve ticks.
Conclusions:
- Ehrlichia ewingii and Panola Mountain Ehrlichia sp. are capable of causing clinical disease in goats in the USA.
- Undiagnosed febrile illnesses in eastern USA goats may be attributed to these Ehrlichia species.
- Infected goat pastures pose a risk for tick infestation and disease transmission.
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