Anaplasma bovis

Anaplasma bovis^[1] is a gram negative, obligate intracellular bacterium, which can be found in wild and domestic ruminants, and potentially a wide variety of other species. It is one of the last species of the family Anaplasmaceae (formerly Ehrlichiaceae) to be formally described. It preferentially infects host monocytes,^[2] and is often diagnosed via blood smears, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). A. bovis is not currently considered zoonotic, and does not frequently cause serious clinical disease in its host (although clinical disease has been noted in calves). This organism is transmitted by tick vectors, so tick bite prevention is the mainstay of A. bovis control, although clinical infections can be treated with tetracyclines. This organism has a global distribution, with infections noted in many areas, including Korea,^[3] Japan,^[4] Europe, Brazil, Africa, and North America.^[2]