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- Title
Detection of Tick-Borne Pathogens in Red Deer (Cervus elaphus), United Kingdom.
- Authors
Johnson, Nicholas; Golding, Megan; Phipps, Laurence Paul
- Abstract
Deer represent a major vertebrate host for all feeding stages of the hard tick Ixodes ricinus in the United Kingdom (UK), and could play a role in the persistence of tick-borne pathogens. However, there have been few studies reporting the presence of Babesia spp. and Anaplasma phagocytophilum in deer in the UK, and those that detected Babesia were unable to confirm the species. To address this, we have investigated blood samples from red deer (Cervus elaphus) for the presence of tick-borne pathogens. Total DNA was extracted from haemolysed blood that was removed from clotted blood sampled from culled, captive red deer. Babesia spp. were detected with a pan-piroplasm PCR that amplifies a fragment of the 18S rRNA gene. Species were identified based on identity with published sequences. Anaplasma phagocytophilum was detected with a probe-based PCR targeting the msp2 gene. In addition, residual serum samples from a subset of animals were tested for the presence of anti-flavivirus antibodies. Of 105 red deer samples tested from three locations in the United Kingdom, 5 were positive for piroplasm and 5 were positive for A. phagocytophilum. Co-infection with both pathogens was detected in two samples from one location. No evidence for antibodies against West Nile virus were detected. However, 12% of sera tested were positive for tick-borne encephalitis virus antibodies.
- Subjects
UNITED Kingdom; RED deer; CASTOR bean tick; BABESIA; TICK-borne encephalitis viruses; ANAPLASMA phagocytophilum; WEST Nile virus; VIRAL antibodies
- Publication
Pathogens, 2021, Vol 10, Issue 6, p640
- ISSN
2076-0817
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.3390/pathogens10060640