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Serological evidence of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis in Switzerland

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Abstract

To investigate whether human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (HGE) is prevalent in Switzerland, 1515 human serum samples from individuals with different risks for tick exposure were tested for antibodies toEhrlichia phagocytophila, a surrogate marker of the agent of HGE. The distribution of titres showed marked differences between sera of individuals with no or low risk for tick exposure and those with a high risk. The results of serological testing provided evidence of HGE in Switzerland as well as evidence of two types of coinfections: those with the agent of HGE andBorrelia burgdorferi, and those with the agent of HGE and the central European tickborne encephalitis virus.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Veterinary Internal Medicine, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 260, CH-8057, Zurich, Switzerland

    N. Pusterla, C. Wolfensberger & H. Lutz

  2. Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital of Zurich, CH-8091, Zurich, Switzerland

    R. Weber

  3. Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Zurich, CH-8028, Zurich, Switzerland

    G. Schär & R. Zbinden

  4. Institute of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, CH-9000, St. Gallen, Switzerland

    W. Fierz

  5. School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, 95616, Davis, California, USA

    J. E. Madigan

  6. Department of Pathology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 21287, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

    J. S. Dumler

Authors
  1. N. Pusterla
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  2. R. Weber
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  3. C. Wolfensberger
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  4. G. Schär
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  5. R. Zbinden
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  6. W. Fierz
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  7. J. E. Madigan
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  8. J. S. Dumler
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  9. H. Lutz
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Pusterla, N., Weber, R., Wolfensberger, C. et al. Serological evidence of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis in Switzerland. Eur. J. Clin. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. 17, 207–209 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01691120

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01691120

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