A 4‐year study of Anaplasma phagocytophilum in Portugal

Anaplasma phagocytophilum has traditionally been regarded as a worldwide veterinary tick-borne bacterium, and more recently as an emerging human pathogen causing human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA) [1]. The growing interest in this agent in Europe [2], along with its detection in Portugal, has signalled the need for detailed study that addresses the ecobiology and disease occurrence in our country. Using serological, molecular and ⁄ or isolation attempts, we studied potential A. phagocytophilum infections in ticks, rodents, horses, dogs and humans. The present work summarises the main results obtained during a 4-year study started in 2002.