Researchers from Institute of Biology and Ecology in cooperation with Institute of Parasitology of Slovak Academy of Sciences and University of South Carolina published article in prestigious journal Emerging Infectious Diseases. They found out that green lizard (Lacerta viridis) plays reservoir role and castor bean tick (Ixodes ricinus) vector role for recently newly described bacteria from the genus Cryptoplasma, closely related to Anaplasma phagocytophilum, which causes disease in humans and animals. It represents the first finding of genus Cryptoplasma in Slovakia, or Europe in general and the first finding in host animals – lizards. Cryptoplasma was till now found only in Ixodes pacificus ticks in California, USA.
Contact: Viktória Majláthová (viktoria.majlathova@upjs.sk)
