Abstract
American bison (Bison bison) is listed as near-threatened and in danger of extinction in Mexico. Recent studies have demonstrated the presence of several emerging pathogens at the Janos Biosphere Reserve (JBR), inhabited by one wild herd of American bison. Blood samples were collected from 26 American bison in the JBR. We tested for the presence of Anaplasma marginale, Babesia bigemina, B. bovis, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, and Rickettsia rickettsii DNA using nested and semi-nested PCR protocols performing duplicates in two different laboratories. Results showed three animals (11.5%) positive for B. burgdorferi s. l., three more (11.5%) for Rickettsia rickettsii, and four (19.2%) for B. bovis. Two individuals were co-infected with B. burgdorferi s. l. and B. bovis. We found no animals positive for A. marginale and B. bigemina. This is the first report in America of R. rickettsii in American bison. American bison has been described as an important reservoir for pathogens of zoonotic and veterinary importance; thus, the presence of tick-borne pathogen DNA in the JBR American bison indicates the importance of continuous wildlife health surveys.
Highlights
The American bison (Bison bison) is listed as near-threatened under the red list and is in danger of extinction in Mexico (“NOM-059-SEMARNAT-2010” 2010) [1]
We collected bison blood from 26 American bison in the Janos Biosphere Reserve (JBR), and used pathogen-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays of Borrelia burgdorferi s. l., Rickettsia rickettsii, Babesia bovis, Babesia bigemina, and Anaplasma marginale, followed by DNA sequencing of purified amplicons, and performed a genetic distance analysis of Rickettsia and Babesia DNA found in bison blood
Bison’s extensive grooming behavior during fall [29] might reduce tick-infestation, many authors suggest that bison are reservoirs of important pathogens [23]
Summary
The American bison (Bison bison) is listed as near-threatened under the red list and is in danger of extinction in Mexico (“NOM-059-SEMARNAT-2010” 2010) [1]. Conservation efforts have allowed restoration of numbers, with four wild herds in North America [2], one present for a little less than a century in northern Mexico [3] at Janos, Chihuahua, and recently at Maderas del Carmen, Coahuila. The transmission of infectious diseases between wildlife and livestock is threatening wildlife conservation efforts [4]; as a result, some wildlife remains isolated [5] to avoid wildlife–domestic animal interactions. In North America, only 5% of the bison population remains in wild herds, while the rest are subject to animal production standards and are in close contact with humans and domestic cattle. We report the molecular detection of tick-borne pathogens found in a wild herd of American bison located in the JBR. We used pathogen-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays, followed by DNA sequencing of purified amplicons, and performed a genetic distance analysis of Rickettsia and Babesia DNA found in bison blood
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