Detection of Antibodies toAnaplasma phagocytophilumandEhrlichia chaffeensisAntigens in Sera of Korean Patients by Western Immunoblotting and Indirect Immunofluorescence Assays

Abstract
Two hundred seventy one serum samples from South Korean patients were tested to detect antibodies againstAnaplasma phagocytophilum(the human granulocytic ehrlichiosis agent) andEhrlichia chaffeensis(the human monocytic ehrlichiosis agent) by indirect fluorescent-antibody assay (IFA) and the Western blot assay. These sera were collected from patients with symptoms of high fever. The rate of seropositivity forOrientia tsutsugamushiwas 50.9% by IFA at the Public Health & Environmental Research Institute and National Institute of Health in South Korea. By IFA, 30 (11.1%) and 39 (14.4%) of the serum samples reacted withA. phagocytophilumandE. chaffeensisantigens, respectively. By the Western blot assays, 24 (8.9%) and 29 (10.7%) of the serum samples reacted with purifiedA. phagocytophilumandE. chaffeensisprotein antigens, respectively. This report strengthens other evidence regarding the presence ofA. phagocytophilumandE. chaffeensisinfections in humans in South Korea.

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