Datasheet
Ehrlichia ruminantium
Don't need the entire report?
Generate a print friendly version containing only the sections you need.
Generate report
Pictures
Top of page
Picture Title Caption Copyright Title Adult Caption Amblyomma variegatum (tropical bont tick); adult, male. Copyright ©From Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research. With permission of the editor
Adult Amblyomma variegatum (tropical bont tick); adult, male. ©From Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research. With permission of the editor Title Vector Caption Amblyomma variegatum (tropical bont tick); adult, female. Copyright ©From Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research. With permission of the editor.
Vector Amblyomma variegatum (tropical bont tick); adult, female. ©From Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research. With permission of the editor. Title Histology Caption Cowdria ruminantium organisms in a Giemsa-stained brain smear (original x3000).|Heartwater organisms in a Giemsa-stained brain smear (original x3000). Copyright ©Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research. With permission of the editor.
Histology Cowdria ruminantium organisms in a Giemsa-stained brain smear (original x3000).|Heartwater organisms in a Giemsa-stained brain smear (original x3000). ©Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research. With permission of the editor. Title Vector Caption Amblyomma hebraeum: male. Copyright ©Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research. With permission of the editor.
Vector Amblyomma hebraeum: male. ©Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research. With permission of the editor. Title Vector Caption Amblyomma hebraeum: female. Copyright ©Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research. With permission of the editor.
Vector Amblyomma hebraeum: female. ©Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research. With permission of the editor. Title Histology Caption Brain smear from a goat. Colonies of Cowdria ruminantium are the granular blue areas in the cytoplasm of the capillary endothelial cells. Copyright ©USDA-2002/Foreign Animal Diseases Training Set/USDA-Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
Histology Brain smear from a goat. Colonies of Cowdria ruminantium are the granular blue areas in the cytoplasm of the capillary endothelial cells. ©USDA-2002/Foreign Animal Diseases Training Set/USDA-Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
Identity
Top of page
Preferred Scientific Name Ehrlichia ruminantium (Cowdry, 1925) Dumler et al., 2001 Other Scientific Names Cowdria ruminantium (Cowdry, 1925) Moshkovski, 1947 Rickettsia ruminantium
Taxonomic Tree
Top of page
Domain: Bacteria Phylum: Proteobacteria Class: Alphaproteobacteria Order: Rickettsiales Family: Ehrlichiaceae Genus: Ehrlichia Species: Ehrlichia ruminantium
Distribution Table Top of page The distribution in this summary table is based on all the information available. When several references are cited, they may give conflicting information on the status. Further details may be available for individual references in the Distribution Table Details section which can be selected by going to Generate Report.
Last updated: 10 Jan 2020
Continent/Country/Region
Distribution
Last Reported
Origin
First Reported
Invasive
Reference
Notes
Africa
Algeria Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Benin Present OIE Handistatus (2005) CAB Abstracts Data Mining
Burkina Faso Present OIE Handistatus (2005)
Burundi Present OIE Handistatus (2005)
Cabo Verde Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Cameroon Present OIE Handistatus (2005)
Egypt Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Eswatini Present OIE Handistatus (2005)
Ethiopia Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Guinea Present, Serological evidence and/or isolation of the agent OIE Handistatus (2005)
Kenya Present OIE Handistatus (2005) CAB Abstracts Data Mining
Libya Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Madagascar Present OIE Handistatus (2005)
Malawi Present OIE Handistatus (2005)
Mauritius Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Morocco Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Mozambique Present OIE Handistatus (2005)
Nigeria Present OIE Handistatus (2005) ; Okoh et al. (1987)
São Tomé and Príncipe Present OIE Handistatus (2005) CAB Abstracts Data Mining
Seychelles Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Tanzania Present OIE Handistatus (2005)
Togo Present OIE Handistatus (2005)
Tunisia Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Zambia Present OIE Handistatus (2005)
Zimbabwe Present OIE Handistatus (2005)
Asia
Bhutan Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Brunei Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Georgia Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
India Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Indonesia Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Iran Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Iraq Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Jordan Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Kazakhstan Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Kuwait Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Lebanon Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005) Malaysia
-Peninsular Malaysia Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
-Sabah Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
-Sarawak Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Mongolia Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Myanmar Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
North Korea Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Philippines Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Qatar Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Singapore Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
South Korea Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Sri Lanka Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Syria Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Taiwan Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Thailand Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Turkmenistan Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
United Arab Emirates Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Uzbekistan Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Europe
Andorra Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Austria Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Belarus Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Bosnia and Herzegovina Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Bulgaria Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Croatia Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Cyprus Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Czechia Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Denmark Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Estonia Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Finland Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
France Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Germany Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Greece Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Hungary Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Iceland Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Ireland Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Isle of Man Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Italy Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Jersey Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Latvia Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Liechtenstein Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Lithuania Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Luxembourg Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Malta Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Moldova Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Netherlands Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
North Macedonia Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Norway Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Poland Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Portugal Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Romania Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Russia Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Serbia and Montenegro Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Slovakia Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Slovenia Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Spain Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Sweden Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Switzerland Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Ukraine Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005) United Kingdom
-Northern Ireland Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
North America
Barbados Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Belize Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Bermuda Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
British Virgin Islands Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Canada Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Cayman Islands Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Costa Rica Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Cuba Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Curaçao Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Dominica Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Dominican Republic Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
El Salvador Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Guadeloupe Present OIE Handistatus (2005)
Guatemala Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Haiti Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Honduras Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Jamaica Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Martinique Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Mexico Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Nicaragua Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Panama Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Saint Kitts and Nevis Present OIE Handistatus (2005) CAB Abstracts Data Mining
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Trinidad and Tobago Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
United States Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Oceania
Australia Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
French Polynesia Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
New Caledonia Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
New Zealand Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Samoa Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Vanuatu Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
South America
Argentina Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Bolivia Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Brazil Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Chile Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Colombia Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Ecuador Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Falkland Islands Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
French Guiana Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Guyana Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Paraguay Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Peru Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Uruguay Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Venezuela Absent, No presence record(s) OIE Handistatus (2005)
Pathogen Characteristics
Top of page
E. ruminantium is best demonstrated in fixed sections stained with Giemsa. It resembles a Gram-negative coccus, the colour varying from lilac purple to blue, varying between 0.2 and 2.5 µm in diameter. They most often occur in clumps (from 1 or 2 to several thousand) in a vacuole in the cytoplasm of endothelial cells. Generally the small and medium-sized organisms occur in large colonies, while the larger ones occur in small colonies. Pleomorphic forms; horseshoe, ring and bacillary shaped, are frequently seen in those colonies that contain very large organisms (Pienaar, 1970 ).
The ultrastructural morphology of Ehrlichia reveals that they occur within a bilaminar membrane-bound cytoplasmic vacuole, each organism consisting of a wall, made up of 2 membranes, and an internal structure consisting of electron dense and electron-pale areas. Some authors differentiate elementary, intermediate and reticulated bodies (Prozesky et al., 1986 ; Jongejan et al., 1991 ).
Taxonomy
Traditional rickettsial taxonomy assigned Cowdria ruminantium as the sole member of the genus Cowdria in the tribe Ehrlichieae . This was one of three tribes within the family Rickettsiaceae in the order Rickettsiales which initially encompassed all intracellular bacteria but from which the Chlamydiae were later removed (Moulders, 1984 ). The obligate intracellular nature of E. ruminantium , coupled with morphological features suggestive of a Chlamydia -like life cycle led to confusion as to its position in the ehrlichial hierarchy (Uilenberg, 1983 ). In 2001, Dumler et al. defined after 16S ribosomal DNA and groESL gene comparisons that all members of the tribes Ehrlichieae and Wolbachieae had to be transferred to the family Anaplasmataceae and that the family Rickettsiaceae had to be eliminated. In Anaplasmataceae , four genera are present Anaplasma , Ehrlichia , Wolbachia and Neorickettsia . The genus Ehrlichia now includes E. ruminantium (formerly Cowdria ruminantium ) but no longer Anaplasma bovis , phagocytophila , and HGE (belonging now to genus Anaplasma ) and the genus neorickettsia (including Ehrlichia sennetsu and Ehrlichia risticii ). In this reorganization, E. ruminantium is closer to E. chaffeensis, ewingii, muris, ovis and canis .
Disease(s) associated with this pathogen is/are on the list of diseases notifiable to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). The distribution section contains data from OIE's WAHID database on disease occurrence. Please see the AHPC library for further information from OIE. Also see the website: www.oie.int .
References
Top of page
Adakal H, Gavotte L, Stachurski F, Konkobo M, Henri H, Zoungrana S, Huber K, Vachiery N, Martinez D, Morand S, Frutos R, 2010. Clonal origin of emerging populations of Ehrlichia ruminantium in Burkina Faso. Infection, Genetics and Evolution, 10(7):903-912. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/15671348
Allsopp MTEP, Hattingh CM, Vogel SW, Allsopp BA, 1999. Evaluation of 16S, map1 and pCS20 probes for detection of Cowdria and Ehrlichia species. Epidemiology and Infection, 122(2):323-328; 23 ref
Allsopp MTEP, Visser ES, Plessis JLdu, Vogel SW, Allsopp BA, 1997. Different organisms associated with heartwater as shown by analysis of 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequences. Veterinary Parasitology, 71(4):283-300; 50 ref
Cowdry EV, 1925a. Studies on the etiology of heartwater I. Observation of a rickettsia, Rickettsia ruminantium (n. sp.), in the tissues of infected animals. Journal of Experimental Medicine, 42(2):231-252
Dumler JS, Barbet AF, Bekker CP, Dasch GA, Palmer GH, Ray SC, Rikihisa Y, Rurangirwa FR, 2001. Reorganization of genera in the families Rickettsiaceae and Anaplasmataceae in the order Rickettsiales: unification of some species of Ehrlichia with Anaplasma, Cowdria with Ehrlichia and Ehrlichia with Neorickettsia, descriptions of six new species combinations and designation of Ehrlichia equi and 'HGE agent' as subjective synonyms of Ehrlichia phagocytophila. International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, 51:2145-2165
Faburay B, Geysen D, Munstermann S, Taoufik A, Postigo M, Jongejan F, 2007. Molecular detection of Ehrlichia ruminantium infection in Amblyomma variegatum ticks in The Gambia. Experimental and Applied Acarology, 42(1):61-74. http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/k0053661734l2107/?p=68fefacc431a47b7aabc4be0118f04e5&pi=6
Faburay B, Munstermann S, Geysen D, Bell-Sakyi L, Ceesay A, Bodaan C, Jongejan F, 2005. Point seroprevalence survey of Ehrlichia ruminantium infection in small ruminants in the Gambia. Clinical and Diagnostic Laboratory Immunology, 12(4):508-512. http://cdli.asm.org/cgi/content/abstract/12/4/508
Hart A, Prozesky L, Jacobs PD, Brett S, 1992. A transmission electron microscopical study of the life cycle of Cowdria ruminantium in vitro. Journal of the South African Veterinary Association, 63(2):90
Jongejan F, Zandbergen TA, Wiel PAvan de, Groot Mde, Uilenberg G, 1991. The tick-borne rickettsia Cowdria ruminantium has a Chlamydia-like developmental cycle. Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research, 58(4):227-237; 46 ref
Kocan KM, Bezuidenhout JD, 1987. Morphology and development of Cowdria ruminantium in Amblyomma ticks. Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research, 54(3):177-182; 18 ref
Kocan KM, Bezuidenhout JD, Hart A, 1987. Ultrastructural features of Cowdria ruminantium in midgut epithelial cells and salivary glands of nymphal Amblyomma hebraeum. Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research, 54(1):87-92; 17 ref
Molia S, Frebling M, Vachiéry N, Pinarello V, Petitclerc M, Rousteau A, Martinez D, Lefrançois T, 2008. Amblyomma variegatum in cattle in Marie Galante, French Antilles: prevalence, control measures, and infection by Ehrlichia ruminantium. Veterinary Parasitology, 153(3/4):338-346. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/03044017
OIE Handistatus, 2002. World Animal Health Publication and Handistatus II (dataset for 2001). Paris, France: Office International des Epizooties
OIE Handistatus, 2003. World Animal Health Publication and Handistatus II (dataset for 2002). Paris, France: Office International des Epizooties
OIE Handistatus, 2004. World Animal Health Publication and Handistatus II (data set for 2003). Paris, France: Office International des Epizooties
OIE Handistatus, 2005. World Animal Health Publication and Handistatus II (data set for 2004). Paris, France: Office International des Epizooties
Okoh AEJ, Oyetunde IL, Ibu JO, 1987. Heartwater infection (cowdriosis) in a Sitatunga (Tragelaphus spekei) in Nigeria. Journal of Wildlife Diseases, 23(2):211-214
Pienaar JG, 1970. Electron microscopy of Cowdria (Rickettsia) ruminantium (Cowdry, 1926) in the endothelial cells of the vertebrate host. Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research, 37(1):67-78
Plessis JLdu, Camus E, Oberem PT, Malan L, 1987. Heartwater serology: some problems with the interpretation of results. Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research, 54(3):327-329; 19 ref
Plessis JLdu, Gas Lvan, Olivier JA, Bezuidenhout JD, 1989. The heterogenicity of Cowdria ruminantium stocks: cross-immunity and serology in sheep and pathogenicity to mice. Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research, 56(3):195-201; 23 ref
Prozesky L, Bezuidenhout JD, Paterson CL, 1986. Heartwater: an in vitro study of the ultrastructure of Cowdria ruminatium. Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research, 53(3):153-159
Sulsona CR, Mahan SM, Barbet AF, 1999. The map1 gene of Cowdria ruminantium is a member of a multigene family containing both conserved and variable genes. Biochemical and Biophysiological Research Communications, 257(2):300-305
Villiers EP de, Brayton KA, Zweygarth E et al. , 2000. Genome size and genetic map of Cowdria ruminantium. Microbiology, 146(10):2627-2634
Waghela SD, Rurangirwa FR, Mahan SM, Yunker CE, Crawford TB, Barbet AF, Burridge MJ, 1991. A cloned DNA probe identifies Cowdria ruminantium in Amblyomma variegatum ticks. Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 29(11):2571-2577; [;Abstract number refers to VB volume 63 (1993)]; 43 ref
Distribution Maps
Top of page
You can pan and zoom the map
Save map
Unsupported Web Browser:
One or more of the features that are needed to show you the maps functionality are not available in the web browser that you are using.
Please consider upgrading your browser to the latest version or installing a new browser.
More information about modern web browsers can be found at http://browsehappy.com/
