Ehrlichia ruminantium
Ehrlichia ruminantium is a microorganism which belongs to the order Rickettsiales. As with almost all species of this genus is a obligate intracellular parasite, he can only live within host cells. The cell shape is pleomorphic, that is, depending on the environment or cell age one can find various shapes ( cocci or rods). The cell size can vary from 0.5 to 1.7 microns. Ehrlichia ruminantium is the causative agent of heartwater disease in ruminants ( cattle, sheep, goats and deer ) and is transmitted by ticks of the genus Amblyomma. Ehrlichia ruminantium parasitizes in the endothelial cells of blood vessels.
This type is found in the literature often under the name of Cowdria ruminantium, after examination of 16S rRNA sequences, however, a strong similarity was found with species of the genus Ehrlichia, so that the genus Cowdria was abandoned. Other synonyms of this species: Rickettsia ruminantium Cowdry 1925 Kurlovia ruminantium ( Cowdry 1925) Zhdanov 1953 Nicollea ruminantium ( Cowdry 1925) Macchiavello 1947.
Heartwater disease
The disease is known particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean islands, but also in southern Europe in the area of the former Yugoslavia. A permanent reservoir make some antelope species in which the disease is not clinically manifest in Africa. Symptoms of heart disease include high fever water, gastrointestinal and central nervous system disorders. Newborn animals are still under maternal protection that wears off quickly.
The section of deceased animals results in fluid accumulation in the body cavities, in small ruminants increase of pericardial fluid in cattle reproduction of the cerebrospinal fluid. Pathogen detection is possible from swabs of the intima of large blood vessels in the fresh specimen. Suitable experimental animals ferret or Merino sheep are. Today, we rather use endothelial cell of sheep and cattle.
For therapy tetracyclines and Sulfonamidantibiotika be used. Also, vaccination with live vaccines is possible.