EXOone Ehrlichia spp.

Description

Ehrlichia spp. are obligate intracellular Gram-negative bacteria transmitted by ticks that infect a wide range of animal species. These pathogens primarily target leukocytes and are responsible for ehrlichiosis, a group of emerging vector-borne diseases affecting companion animals, livestock and wildlife.
Infection may cause fever, lethargy, weight loss, thrombocytopenia, anemia and other hematological alterations, with clinical severity varying according to the host species and the infecting agent. In ruminants, E. ruminantium is the causative agent of heartwater, a severe disease associated with significant economic losses.
Conventional methods such as microscopy and serology may have limited sensitivity or may not distinguish between closely related species. Real-time PCR enables rapid, sensitive and specific detection of Ehrlichia DNA directly from clinical samples, supporting analytical detection and surveillance.
This assay detects multiple Ehrlichia species, including E. canis, E. chaffeensis, E. ewingii, E. muris, E. ruminantium and E. minasensis, as well as closely related Ehrlichia species reported in domestic and wild animals.