Ehrlichia chaffeensis str. Arkansas

Ehrlichia chaffeensis (strain Arkansas) is an intracellular vector-borne pathogen that causes human ehrlichiosis. It depends on hematophagous ticks as a vector and wild mammals as a reservoir host. It has been most commonly identified in the Lone Star tick (Amblyomma americanum), with white-tailed deer considered to be the major reservoir. E. chaffeensis is the causative agent of human monocytic ehrlichiosis (HME), a disease that was discovered in 1986. It is a systemic disease that is indistinguishable from human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (HGA) caused by Anaplasma phagocytophilum. It replicates in monocytes/macrophages. The genome of E. chaffeensis is made up of a singular chromosome. Despite the limited ability of Rickettsiales to synthesize amino acids, E.chaffeensis seems to be able to synthesize arginine and lysine. (EBI Integr8)