anaplasmosis

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Anaplasmosis is a tick-borne disease affecting ruminants, dogs, and horses, and is caused by Anaplasma bacteria. Anaplasmosis is an infectious but not contagious disease transmitted through mechanical and biological vector processes. Also referred to as "yellow bag" or "yellow fever" because the infected animal can develop a jaundiced look, other signs of infection include weight loss, diarrhea, paleness of the skin, aggressive behavior, and high fever. Many different tick species can carry the bacteria that cause anaplasmosis. The two major bacterial pathogens are Anaplasma marginale and Anaplasma phagocytophilum. These microorganisms are Gram-negative, and infect red blood cells. Once the host is infected with anaplasmosis, the immune system will try to fight off and kill the infected red blood cells, but will also kill healthy red blood cells. The Anaplasma sparouinense species is responsible for a rare zoonosis, the Sparouine anaplasmosis, detected only in French Guiana, South America. This disease was described from a clandestine gold miner working deep in rainforest. Infection of his red blood cells led to a severe deterioration of his health and required his hospitalization. Molecular typing showed that Anaplasma sparouinense is distinct from all known species and more genetically related to recently described Anaplasma species causing infections in rainforest wild fauna of Brazil. While there are no current live or inactivated vaccines effective for all strains of A. marginale approved by the USDA for anaplasmosis, there are other means of prevention. Tick and fly control for herds of ruminants can be effective, but also labor-intensive. Chemical methods can also be used, including sanitizing surgical equipment after each use. Tetracycline drugs are the most common treatment for anaplasmosis, and can provide the animal with immunity for some time. The disease is more common in the South and West parts of the United States, but is no longer...