Abstract
A serological survey in Mozambique to detect antibodies to Cowdria ruminantium, the etiologic agent of heartwater, revealed a seroprevalence of 8.1% (n = 332) for goats in the northern province of Tete and of 65.6% (n = 326) for goats in the southern provinces. Translocation of 10 serologically negative goats from Tete to farms in the south resulted in two clinical cases of heartwater that were fatal. In addition, four goats seroconverted within the study period of 5 weeks. One goat showed no symptoms. Two goats died of other causes, whereas the remaining goat went missing after 1 week. Experimental needle infections of goats and sheep were conducted to confirm results and to isolate different strains of C. ruminantium. These data indicate that translocation of goats from the north to the south of Mozambique bears a high risk of C. ruminantium infection, which can cause fatal disease.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
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Animals
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Antibodies, Bacterial / blood
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Antibodies, Bacterial / immunology
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Antigens, Bacterial / immunology
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Bacterial Proteins / immunology
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Base Sequence
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DNA, Bacterial / blood
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Ehrlichia ruminantium / genetics
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Ehrlichia ruminantium / isolation & purification
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Ehrlichia ruminantium / physiology
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Goat Diseases / epidemiology
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Goat Diseases / microbiology
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Goat Diseases / mortality*
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Goat Diseases / transmission
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Goats
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Heartwater Disease / epidemiology
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Heartwater Disease / microbiology
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Heartwater Disease / mortality*
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Heartwater Disease / transmission
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Membrane Proteins / immunology
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Molecular Sequence Data
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Mozambique / epidemiology
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RNA, Bacterial / analysis
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RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / analysis
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Seroepidemiologic Studies
Substances
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Antibodies, Bacterial
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Antigens, Bacterial
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Bacterial Proteins
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DNA, Bacterial
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MAP1-B protein, Cowdria ruminantium
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Membrane Proteins
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RNA, Bacterial
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RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
Associated data
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GENBANK/AF318021
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GENBANK/AF318022
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GENBANK/AF318023