Abstract
BackgroundPiroplasmosis are among the most relevant diseases of domestic animals. Babesia is emerging as cause of tick-borne zoonosis worldwide and free-living animals are reservoir hosts of several zoonotic Babesia species. We investigated the epidemiology of Babesia spp. and Theileria spp. in wild ungulates and carnivores from Northern Italy to determine which of these apicomplexan species circulate in wildlife and their prevalence of infection.MethodsPCR amplification of the V4 hyper-variable region of the 18S rDNA of Babesia sp./Theileria sp was carried out on spleen samples of 1036 wild animals: Roe deer Capreolus capreolus (n = 462), Red deer Cervus elaphus (n = 52), Alpine Chamois Rupicapra rupicapra (n = 36), Fallow deer Dama dama (n = 17), Wild boar Sus scrofa (n = 257), Red fox Vulpes vulpes (n = 205) and Wolf Canis lupus (n = 7). Selected positive samples were sequenced to determine the species of amplified Babesia/Theileria DNA.ResultsBabesia/Theileria DNA was found with a mean prevalence of 9.94% (IC95% 8.27-11.91). The only piroplasms found in carnivores was Theileria annae, which was detected in two foxes (0.98%; IC95% 0.27-3.49). Red deer showed the highest prevalence of infection (44.23%; IC95% 31.6-57.66), followed by Alpine chamois (22.22%; IC95% 11.71-38.08), Roe deer (12.55%; IC95% 9.84-15.89), and Wild boar (4.67%; IC95% 2.69-7.98). Genetic analysis identified Babesia capreoli as the most prevalent piroplasmid found in Alpine chamois, Roe deer and Red deer, followed by Babesia bigemina (found in Roe deer, Red deer and Wild boar), and the zoonotic Babesia venatorum (formerly Babesia sp. EU1) isolated from 2 Roe deer. Piroplasmids of the genus Theileria were identified in Wild boar and Red deer.ConclusionsThe present study offers novel insights into the role of wildlife in Babesia/Theileria epidemiology, as well as relevant information on genetic variability of piroplasmids infecting wild ungulates and carnivores.
Highlights
Piroplasmosis are among the most relevant diseases of domestic animals
DNA in wildlife Piroplasm DNA was detected with an overall prevalence of 9.94% (IC95% 8.27-11.91)
Herbivores (P = 15.7%; IC95% 12.93-18.92) were significantly more infected (χ2 = 32.55, p < 0.0000; OR = 19.55, 4.77-80.14) than carnivores (P = 0.94%; IC95% 0.26-3.37) as Babesia/Theileria DNA was amplified from two foxes, while all the results from the wolves examined were negative by PCR
Summary
Piroplasmosis are among the most relevant diseases of domestic animals. Babesia is emerging as cause of tick-borne zoonosis worldwide and free-living animals are reservoir hosts of several zoonotic Babesia species. Babesia spp. and Theileria spp. are protozoan parasites transmitted mainly by ticks and able to infect erythrocytes and/or leukocytes of a wide variety of domestic and wild animals [1] and Babesia is the second most common parasite found in the blood of mammals after trypanosomes [2]. Piroplasmosis is among the most relevant diseases of domestic animals [8,9], many unknowns remain concerning their epidemiology and life cycle in the Ixodid tick vector as well as in the vertebrate host, especially for factors involved in the role of wildlife as reservoirs of infection [2,10]. White-tailed deer were indicated as being responsible for reintroducing the tick vector of Cattle Tick
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