Gr. an- = without, and plasma = shape, phagocyte + L. phile = loving.
A species of tickborne bacteria that causes human granulocytic anaplasmosis, Anaplasma phagocytophilum (named for its affinity for growing in neutrophils) has gone by many names. First it was named Rickettsia (for Howard Taylor Ricketts) phagocytophilum, then Cytoecetes (for its similarity to Cytoecetes microti) phagocytophilum, and then Ehrlichia (for Paul Ehrlich) phagocytophilum. More recently, E. equi and the agent of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (now anaplasmosis) were combined with E. phagocytophilum as A. phagocytophilum.