persistence of ehrlichia phagocytophila infection in two age groups of lambs持久性的埃立克体属phagocytophila感染两个年龄组的羔羊.pdfVIP

Acta vet. scand. 2001, 42, 453-458. Persistence of Ehrlichia phagocytophila Infection in Two Age Groups of Lambs By S. Stuen1 and K. Bergström2 1 Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, Department of Sheep and Goat Research, Sandnes, Norway, and 2National Veterinary Institute, Department of Bacteriology, Uppsala, Sweden. Stuen S, Bergström K: Persistence of Ehrlichia phagocytophila infection in two age groups of lambs. Acta vet. scand. 2001, 42, 453-458. – Tick-borne fever (TBF) is caused by the rickettsiae Ehrlichia phagocytophila and is a common disease in sheep in tick (Ixodes ricinus) infested areas in Norway. Earlier investigations have shown that some sheep could remain infected for several months after the primary infection. In this study, the persistence of E. phagocytophila after experimental infection was investigated in 2 age groups of lambs. Six lambs (1-2 weeks old) and 14 lambs (6-8 months old) were inoculated intravenously with an ovine strain of E. phagocytophila and thereafter ex- amined clinically (including daily body temperature recording) and by haematological and serological (E. equi antibodies) methods for the next 4 months. At the end of this period, the lambs were examined for a TBF infection by blood smear investigation and blood inoculation studies. The infection was demonstrated in 19 (95%) of the 20 lambs. granulocytic Ehrlichia; tick-borne fever; sheep; age. Introduction Tick-borne fever (TBF) caused by Ehrlichia with E. phagocytophila have shown that 1-2- phagocytophila and transmitted by the tick week-old lambs react with less clinical symp- Ixodes ricinus is an old and very common dis- toms than older animals (Stuen et al. 1992, ease in shee