Investigation of the tick-borne pathogens Rickettsia helvetica and Anaplasma phagocytophilum in the blood of the domestic goat (Capra hircus)

The bacterial species Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Rickettsia helvetica are pathogenic for humans and domestic animals and are transmitted by ticks, e.g., of the Ixodes genus. Most of the vertebrate species constituting reservoirs for anaplasmas are known, but the potential reservoirs of rickettsiae are still under discussion. This study presents an analysis of the DNA of tick-borne pathogens isolated from the whole blood of goats grazing on meadows in West Pomerania, Poland. No DNA of A. phagocytophilum was found in the blood of the goats, while the DNA of R. helvetica was detected in 5.5% of the animals. The potential role of ruminants in the circulation of R. helvetica remains unknown.