persistence of granulocytic ehrlichia infection during wintertime in two sheep flocks in norway持久性的粒细胞埃立克体属感染在冬季两只羊羊群在挪威.pdfVIP

Acta vet. scand. 2001, 42, 347-353. Persistence of Granulocytic Ehrlichia Infection During Wintertime in Two Sheep Flocks in Norway 1 2 3 By S. Stuen , R. Djuve and K. Bergström 1 2 Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, Department of Sheep and Goat Research, Sandnes, Norway, De- partment of Clinical Studies, Internal Medicine, The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Frederiks- berg, Denmark, and 3National Veterinary Institute, Department of Bacteriology, Uppsala, Sweden. Stuen S, Djuve R, Bergström K: Persistence of granulocytic Ehrlichia infection during wintertime in two sheep flocks in Norway. Acta vet. scand. 2001, 42, 347- 353. – Granulocytic Ehrlichia infection in sheep is common in Norway in areas with Ixodes ricinus. In this study, 2 sheep flocks that had been grazing on I. ricinus infested pastures the previous season, were blood sampled after being housed indoors for nearly 6 months during wintertime. Thirty animals from each flock were examined for granu- locytic Ehrlichia infection in the peripheral blood by blood inoculation studies, stained blood smear evaluation, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis and serology (IFA- antibodies). The animals were sampled twice within a three-week period, the first time before and the second time after lambing. Two sheep in one flock were found Ehrlichia positive by both blood smear evaluation and PCR before lambing, and 3 sheep were found positive after lambing; 2 by blood smear examination and 3 by PCR. In the other flock, no sheep was found infected before lambing, but 2 ewes were found posit