Molecular Evidence for Anaplasma phagocytophilum in Ixodes ricinus Ticks from Greece

Human granulocytic anaplasmosis is increasingly being recognized in the United States and Europe. Ixodes ricinus tick is considered the primary vector of the causative pathogen, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, in Europe. Although previous studies in humans support the presence of A. phagocytophilum in Greece, detection of A. phagocytophilum DNA in I. ricinus ticks has been not yet reported. A total of 405 I. ricinus ticks (45 pools) collected from goats in eight prefectures of northern Greece were tested for the presence of A. phagocytophilum DNA. Four pools of ticks collected in three prefectures revealed a sequence with 99%-100% similarity to known A. phagocytophilum sequences, providing the first molecular evidence for the circulation of A. phagocytophilum in I. ricinus ticks in Greece.