First detection and molecular identification of Anaplasma phagocytophilum in an introduced population of Reeve's muntjac (Muntiacus reevesi) in United Kingdom

Georg G Duscher; Elena Battisti; Adnan Hodžić; Kristin Wäber; Peter Steinbach; Michael Stubbe; Mike Heddergott

doi:10.1016/j.mcp.2020.101582

First detection and molecular identification of Anaplasma phagocytophilum in an introduced population of Reeve's muntjac (Muntiacus reevesi) in United Kingdom

Mol Cell Probes. 2020 Aug:52:101582. doi: 10.1016/j.mcp.2020.101582. Epub 2020 Apr 22.

Authors

Georg G Duscher¹, Elena Battisti², Adnan Hodžić³, Kristin Wäber⁴, Peter Steinbach⁵, Michael Stubbe⁶, Mike Heddergott⁷

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Parasitology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Moedling, Austria. Electronic address: georg.duscher@ages.at.
² Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
³ Institute of Parasitology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
⁴ Forestry Commission, East England, Santon Downham, Brandon, UK.
⁵ University of Göttingen, Faculty of Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany; Musée National d'Histoire Naturelle, Luxembourg, Luxembourg.
⁶ Institute of Biology, Department of Zoology/Molecular Ecology, Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle/Saale, Germany.
⁷ Musée National d'Histoire Naturelle, Luxembourg, Luxembourg.

PMID: 32334005
DOI: 10.1016/j.mcp.2020.101582

Abstract

In the present study, we investigated blood samples of 196 invasive Reeve's muntjac (Muntiacus reevesi) and 91 native roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) originating from the same area in Thetford Forest in Eastern England for the occurrence of blood pathogens such as Anaplasmatacae, Rickettsiales and Piroplasmida (Babesia spp., Theileria spp.) by using PCR. Babesia spp., Rickettsia spp. and Theileria spp. were not detected. Only two male (1%) Reeve's muntjacs and six (6.6%) roe deer were positive for Anaplasma phagocytophilum with 100% identity among their sequences. However, it is not clear whether Reeve's muntjac is less susceptible to infection, less susceptible to infestation by I. ricinus, or an infection in Reeve's muntjac is more lethal and therefore less positive animals are taken during hunting events.

Keywords: Anaplasma phagocytophilum; Blood; Cervidae; PCR; United Kingdom; Wildlife.

MeSH terms

Anaplasma phagocytophilum / isolation & purification*
Animals
Introduced Species
Likelihood Functions
Muntjacs / microbiology*
Phylogeny
RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / genetics
United Kingdom

Substances

RNA, Ribosomal, 16S