血清流行病学研究
在无症状人群中开展的血清流行病学研究显示,儿童和成人都存在抗埃立克体或抗无形体抗体。在某些疫区,血清阳性率范围为 2% 至 22%(人嗜单核细胞/单核细胞埃立克体病 [HME])和 15% 至 36%(人嗜粒细胞/粒细胞边虫病 [HGA])。这些病例最有可能代表致病性埃立克体既往感染或通过蜱叮咬暴露于非致病性埃立克体。[20]Bakken JS, Goellner P, Van Etten M, et al. Seroprevalence of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis among permanent residents of northwestern Wisconsin. Clin Infect Dis. 1998 Dec;27(6):1491-6.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9868666?tool=bestpractice.com[63]Comer JA, Nicholson WL, Olson JG, et al. Serologic testing for human granulocytic ehrlichiosis at a national referral center. J Clin Microbiol. 1999 Mar;37(3):558-64.http://jcm.asm.org/cgi/content/full/37/3/558http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9986812?tool=bestpractice.com[102]Bakken JS, Krueth J, Tilden RL, et al. Serological evidence of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis in Norway. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis. 1996;15:829-832.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8950565?tool=bestpractice.com[103]Dumler JS, Dotevall L, Gustafson R, et al. A population-based seroepidemiologic study of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis and Lyme borreliosis on the west coast of Sweden. J Infect Dis. 1997;175:720-722.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9041353?tool=bestpractice.com[104]Brouqui P, Dumler JS. Serologic evidence of human monocytic and granulocytic ehrlichiosis in Israel. Emerg Infect Dis. 2000;6:314-315.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10827125?tool=bestpractice.com[105]Heo EJ, Park JH, Koo JR, et al. Serologic and molecular detection of Ehrlichia chaffeensis and Anaplasma phagocytophila (human granulocytic ehrlichiosis agent) in Korean patients. J Clin Microbiol. 2002;40:3082-3085.http://jcm.asm.org/cgi/content/full/40/8/3082http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12149387?tool=bestpractice.com[106]Park JH, Heo EJ, Choi KS, et al. Detection of antibodies to Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Ehrlichia chaffeensis antigens in sera of Korean patients by western immunoblotting and indirect immunofluorescence assays. Clin Diagn Lab Immunol. 2003;10:1059-1064.http://cvi.asm.org/cgi/content/full/10/6/1059http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14607867?tool=bestpractice.com[107]Guillaume B, Heyman P, Lafontaine S, et al. Seroprevalence of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis infection in Belgium. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis. 2002;21:397-400.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12072927?tool=bestpractice.com[108]Heppner DG, Wongsrichanalai C, Walsh DS, et al. Human ehrlichiosis in Thailand. Lancet. 1997;350:785-786.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9298007?tool=bestpractice.com
不对无症状人群实施筛查,因为这是一种急性疾病,在人类中没有已知的慢性进展,这与动物宿主中常见的慢性感染相反。