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Volume 8, Number 5—May 2002
Research

Genetic Variants of Ehrlichia phagocytophila1, Rhode Island and Connecticut

Robert F. Massung*, Michael J. Mauel†, Jessica H. Owens*, Nancy Allan*, Joshua W. Courtney*, Kirby C. Stafford‡, and Thomas N. Mather†Comments to Author 
Author affiliations: *Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA; †University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island, USA; ‡Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, Connecticut, USA

Main Article

Table 1

Spatial and temporal variation in the occurrence and distribution of Ehrlichia phagocytophila-human agent (EP-ha) and E. phagocytophila variants, Connecticut and Rhode Island, 1996–1999

Collection site Year No. Adult Nymph No. of PCR-positive ticks (%) No. of PCR products sequenced Proportion infected with—
EP-ha Variant 1 Variant 2
Bridgeport, CT 1996 30 + 7 (23.3) 7 100%
1997 60 + 7 (11.7) 7 100%
1998 82 + 5 (6.1) 5 100%
1998 101 + 19 (18.8) 19 100%
1999 102 + 12 (11.8) 12 100%a 8.3%a
Bluff Point, CT 1997 79 + 9 (11.4) 9 55.6% 44.4%
South Kingstown, RI 1996 31 + 5 (16.1) 5 60% 40%
1997 112 + 52 (46.4) 30 10% 3.3% 86.7%
1997 120 + 46 (38.3) 37 13.5% 13.5% 73%
1998 91 + 5 (5.5) 5 20% 80%
1999 103 + 5 (4.9) 5 80% 20%
1999 81 + 10 (12.3) 10 80% 20%

aIncludes one tick that was positive for both the human granulocytic ehrlichiosis agent and variant 1.
PCR = polymerase chain reaction.

Main Article

1Since this study was conducted, new nomenclature (Anaplasma phagocytophila) has been proposed; see Dumler JS, Barbet AF, Bekker CP, Dasch GA, Palmer GH, Ray SC, et al. Reorganization of genera in the families Rickettsiaceae and Anaplasmataceae in the order Rickettsiales: unification of some species of Ehrlichia with Anaplasma, Cowdria with Ehrlichia, and Ehrlichia with Neorickettsia, descriptions of six new species combinations and designation of Ehrlichia equi and ‘HGE agent’ as subjective synonyms of Ehrlichia pagocytophila. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2001;51:2145-65.

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