Gray Foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) as a Potential Reservoir of aBartonella clarridgeiae-Like Bacterium and Domestic Dogs as Part of a Sentinel System for Surveillance of Zoonotic Arthropod-Borne Pathogens in Northern California

Abstract

Two species of Bartonella, a novel Bartonella clarridgeiae-like bacterium and B. vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii, were isolated from rural dogs and gray foxes in northern California. A novel B. clarridgeiae-like species was isolated from 3 (1.7%) of 182 dogs and 22 (42%) of 53 gray foxes, while B. vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii was isolated from 1 dog (0.5%) and 5 gray foxes (9.4%). PCR and DNA sequence analyses of the citrate synthase (gltA) gene and the 16S-23S intergenic spacer region suggested that strains infecting dogs and gray foxes were identical. Fifty-four dogs (29%) and 48 gray foxes (89%) had reciprocal titers of antibodies against Bartonella spp. of >64. The high prevalence of bacteremia and seroreactivity to Bartonella spp. in gray foxes suggests that they may act as a reservoir species for the B. clarridgeiae-like species in this region. Domestic dogs were also tested for other arthropod-borne infectious agents. Fifty-one dogs (28%) were positive for Dirofilaria immitis antigen, seventyfour (40%) were seroreactive to Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and five (2.7%) were seropositive for Yersinia pestis. Fourteen dogs (7.6%) were PCR positive for A. phagocytophilum. Polytomous logistic regression models were used to assess the association of Bartonella antibody titer categories with potential risk factors and the presence of other vector-borne agents in domestic dogs. Older dogs were more likely to be seroreactive to Bartonella spp. There was no association between the exposure of dogs to Bartonella and the exposure of dogs to A. phagocytophilum in this study.

BARTONELLA ROCHALIMAEANDB. VINSONIISUBSP.BERKHOFFIIIN WILD CARNIVORES FROM COLORADO, USA

“…Further, the fairly high prevalence suggests that striped skunks can be a reservoir of B. rochalimae in addition to previously demonstrated species such as gray and red foxes (Henn et al 2007). Unlike striped skunks, coyotes and red foxes showed little specificity to a particular Bartonella species but are the preferable reservoirs of B. v. berkhoffii and B. rochalimae, respectively.…”

Seroprevalence of Bartonella vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii in Urban and Rural Dogs in Turkey

“…berkhoffii was isolated from a dog with endocarditis in 1993 and later identified using a 16S rRNA sequence [15]. In subsequent studies, it was also isolated from coyotes and foxes [10,13]. Endocarditis is the most common manifestation of B. vinsonii subsp.…”

Pathogen and Rodenticide Exposure in American Badgers (Taxidea taxus) in California

“…berkhoffii. These Bartonella species are not uncommonly reported in other domestic and wild carnivores (Chomel et al, 2006;Henn et al, 2009); however, this is the first detection of badger seroreactivity to Bartonella in North America. Our results need to be validated by isolation of these various Bartonella species, because cross-reactivity may occur between Bartonella species or subspecies (La Scola and Raoult, 1996).…”