Abstract
The bacterial species Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Rickettsia helvetica are pathogenic for
humans and domestic animals and are transmitted by ticks, e.g., of the Ixodes genus. Most of the
vertebrate species constituting reservoirs for anaplasmas are known, but the potential reservoirs
of rickettsiae are still under discussion. This study presents an analysis of the DNA of tick-borne
pathogens isolated from the whole blood of goats grazing on meadows in West Pomerania, Poland.
No DNA of A. phagocytophilum was found in the blood of the goats, while the DNA of R.
helvetica was detected in 5.5% of the animals. The potential role of ruminants in the circulation
of R. helvetica remains unknown.
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