engleski

Molecular detection of piroplasms infecting cervids in Croatia

Wildlife can act as reservoir of different tick-borne pathogens of veterinary and zoonotic importance including intra-cellular protozoa species of genus Babesia and Thelieria. Since the data on piroplasms infecting cervids are missing in Croatia, we have examined the spleens of 55 red deers (Cervus elaphus) and one roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) from North-western and Eastern Croatia for the presence of piroplasm species. Infected animals were detected by PCR assay based on the fragment of nuclear SSU rRNA gene and species were identified by subsequent sequencing. The survey detected overall piroplasmal prevalence of 63.63 % in red deer. The distribution among regions revealed the absence of infected animals in North-western region, while 83.3 % were infected in Eastern part. The only identified species was Theileria sp., 99.6% identical to the Spanish isolate 3185/02 (DQ866842), the most prevalent isolate in red deer. In the single roe deer Babesia identical to B. capreoli (AY726010) from roe deer and B. divergens (AY098643) from reindeer was detected. The results suggest that a high number of red deers are infected with Theileria sp. and therefore may serve as reservoirs of infection as asymptomatic carriers. Non-zoonotic Babesia isolate was detected in the roe deer, which implicates minor importance for the transmission to humans, but more animals have to be examined in purpose of clearing the picture about the pathogen reservoirs in wildlife.

Piroplasms; Babesia; Theileria; cervids; PCR

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