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Reservoir Competence of Vertebrate Hosts for Anaplasma phagocytophilum |
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| Authors: | Felicia Keesing Michelle H. Hersh Michael Tibbetts Diana J. McHenry Shannon Duerr Jesse Brunner Mary Killilea Kathleen LoGiudice Kenneth A. Schmidt Richard S. Ostfeld |
| Affiliation: | Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, USA (F. Keesing, M.H. Hersh, M. Tibbetts, D.J. McHenry); ;Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, NY, USA (F. Keesing, M.H. Hersh, S. Duerr, R.S. Ostfeld); ;Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA (J. Brunner); ;New York University, New York, New York, USA (M. Killilea); ;Union College, Schenectedy, NY, USA (K. LoGiudice);;Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA (K.A. Schmidt) |
| Abstract: | Fourteen vertebrate species (10 mammals and 4 birds) were assessed for their ability to transmit Anaplasma phagocytophilum, the bacterium that causes human granulocytic anaplasmosis, to uninfected feeding ixodid ticks. Small mammals were most likely to infect ticks but all species assessed were capable of transmitting the bacterium, in contrast to previous findings. |
| Keywords: | Anaplasma phagocytophilum bacteria reservoir competence vertebrate hosts bacteria infectivity prevalence tick-borne diseases ticks zoonoses |