During the period 2000-2003, patients hospitalized for suspected tick-borne encephalitis in the Czech Republic were screened for possible A. phagocytophilum co-infection. Blood samples taken at admission were tested for the presence of A. phagocytophilum DNA by nested PCR using a modified target sequence as an internal control, and sera were tested for the presence of antibodies by indirect immunofluorescence and western blotting methods using cell-culture-derived antigens. To verify the assay specificity, a set of 45 sera of Patagonian residents served as a non-tick-exposed control group, and a set of 14 B. henselae-positive sera was used to check cross-reactivity. Of 809 patients hospitalized, 80 (9.9

作者：Petr, Zeman；Petr, Pazdiora；Vaclav, Chmelik；Jiri, Januska；Karel, Sedivy；Alberto A, Guglielmone；Jorge A, Iriarte；Zuzana, Medkova

来源：Wiener klinische Wochenschrift 2007 年 119卷 17-18期