First detection of Anaplasma phagocytophilum-like DNA in the French izard Rupricapra pyrenaica.

Various mammal species host Anaplasma phagocytophilum (formerly Ehrlichia phagocytophila). This intracellular bacterium is responsible for tick-borne fever, also named granulocytic anaplasmosis, in domestic ruminants. Moreover, A. phagocytophilum is the agent of granulocytic anaplasmosis in humans. The hard tick Ixodes ricinus is known as the main vector of A. phagocytophilum throughout Europe. A. phagocytophilum infects domestic ruminants, e.g. cattle, sheep and goats, in several European countries, e.g. Spain and France. Wild ruminants such as roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) in many countries, and chamois (Rupricapra rupricapra) in Switzerland, [1] are reservoirsofA. phagocytophilum. The izard (Rupricapra pyrenaica), another wild ruminant, lives in the Pyrenees mountains. Owing to its grazing habits, it is likely to be exposed to infected ticks. However, to our knowledge, no study has been published on this wild ruminant. The purposes of the present studywere to search for evidence of infection by A. phagocytophilum in French izards and to characterize isolates.