First detection and molecular identification of the zoonotic Anaplasma capra in deer in France

Abstract

Cervids are known to be reservoirs of zoonotic bacteria transmitted by ticks. This study aimed to identify the Anaplasma species carried by captive red deer and swamp deer in a wild fauna reserve in France. Blood from 59 red deer and 7 swamp deer was collected and analyzed over a period of two years. A semi-nested PCR targeting the 23S rRNA was performed to detect and characterize Anaplasma spp. and determine the presence of zoonotic species. Anaplasma phagocytophilum was identified in 14/59 red deer (23.7%) but it was not identified in any of the swamp deer (7 animals). Three sequences could not be assigned to any particular species based on the 23S rRNA sequences. Complementary nested PCR targeting 16S rRNA, gltA and groEL genes and sequencing analysis then identified these sequences as a recently reported zoonotic species, Anaplasma capra; this species was found in 2 red deer ( Cervus elaphus ) and 1 swamp deer ( Rucervus duvaucelii ). This is the first report of the tick-borne zoonotic bacterium A . capra in France, a species otherwise described only in China, Japan, Malaysia and South Korea in goats, sheep, deer, cattle and Japanese serows ( Capricornis crispus ). While this bacterium may have been introduced into the reserve by infected imported animals, its local epidemiological cycle via tick transmission seems possible as locally born deer were found infected. Diagnostic methods, especially molecular ones, should take into account the potential infection of animals and humans with this species.

Molecular detection of Anaplasma phagocytophilum in roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) in eastern Poland

“…However, infection with AP in deer is long-term and subclinical, and any species of this family may be a reservoir for the bacteriae [7]. The presence of AP has been confirmed in the following: red deer, elk, roe deer and fallow deer [13,26,27]. Long-term bacteremia makes the deer a competent reservoir of Rickettsia and contributes to the circulation of the pathogen in nature.…”

Improved Microbial Community Characterization of 16S rRNA via Metagenome Hybridization Capture Enrichment

“…For decades, the 16S small subunit ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene has been the gold standard marker for microbial molecular taxonomic research ( Woese and Fox, 1977 ; Meola et al, 2015 ), as this highly conserved gene contains nine rapidly evolving hypervariable regions that aid in species identification ( Yuan et al, 2015 ). Amplicon sequencing, targeting the 16S rRNA, is a cost-effective and high-throughput method used to study aquatic, terrestrial, food- and host-associated microbial communities ( Logares et al, 2014 ; Polka et al, 2015 ; Jiang et al, 2016 ; Jousselin et al, 2016 ; Jouglin et al, 2019 ; Suenami et al, 2019 ; Ziegler et al, 2019 ). However, studies relying on 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing have limitations and biases.…”

Improved microbial community characterization of 16S rRNA via metagenome hybridization capture enrichment

“…For decades, the 16S small subunit ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene has been the gold standard marker for microbial molecular taxonomic research (Woese and Fox, 1977;Meola et al, 2015), as this highly conserved gene contains nine rapidly evolving hypervariable regions that aid in species identification (Yuan et al, 2015). Amplicon sequencing, targeting the 16S rRNA, is a cost-effective and high-throughput method used to study aquatic, terrestrial, food-and host-associated microbial communities (Logares et al, 2014;Polka et al, 2015;Jiang et al, 2016;Jousselin et al, 2016;Jouglin et al, 2019;Suenami et al, 2019;Ziegler et al, 2019). However, studies relying on 16S…”