DIFFERENCES AND SIMILARITIES BETWEEN Anaplasma marginale AND Anaplasma phagocytophylum

Abstract

Anaplasma marginale and A. phagocytophilum are intracellular rickettsial pathogens causing bovine anaplasmosis and human granulocytic anaplasmosis, respectively. Effective vaccines for the control of anaplasmosis are not available despite attempts using different approaches, such as attenuated strains, infected erythrocyte and tick cell-derived purified antigens. Recent reports demonstrated that A. marginale and A. phagocytophilum co-exist in geographic areas, that concurrent infections may occur in ruminants and ticks and that there are similarities and differences at molecular level between both species. The aim of this article is to make a comparison between the main characteristics of Anaplasma marginale and Anaplasma phagocytophilum.