Molecular detection and characterization of piroplasms infecting cervids and chamois in Northern Spain

Abstract

Wildlife can act as reservoir of different tick-borne pathogens of veterinary and zoonotic importance. To investigate the role of wild ruminants as reservoir of piroplasm infection, 28 red deer, 69 roe deer and 38 chamois from Northern Spain were examined by reverse line blot (RLB) hybridization. The survey detected a prevalence of 85.7% in red deer, 62.3% in roe deer and 28.9% in chamois. Four different piroplasms were identified: Theileria sp. OT3 (previously described in sheep) as the most prevalent (85.7% in red deer, 46.4% in roe deer and 26.3% in chamois); Theileria sp. 3185/02 (previously described in a red deer in Central Spain) more abundant in red deer (53.6%) than in roe deer (10.1%) but absent from chamois; Babesia divergens detected in 6 roe deer; Theileria ovis present in 1 chamois. Mixed infections (Theileria sp. OT3 and Theileria sp. 3185/02) were only found in red and roe deer. Sequencing analysis of the 18S rRNA gene confirmed the RLB results and showed 99.7% identity between Theileria sp. 3185/02 and T. capreoli, suggesting that they are the same species. Tick distribution and contact of wild ruminants with domestic animals are discussed in terms of piroplasm infection. The results suggest that a considerable number of wildlife ruminants are asymptomatic carriers that may serve as reservoirs of the infection posing a serious concern in terms of piroplasmosis control.

Molecular characterization of arthropod-borne hematozoans in wild mammals from Brazil, Venezuela and Spain

“…Cervids have previously been reported carriers of theilerids in the Iberian Peninsula (Hofle et al 2004, García-Sanmartín et al 2007. However, the present study is the first to describe the occurrence of T. annulata in deer.…”

“…Theileria sp. (3185/02) from Spanish red deer has been reported from northern Spain (Hofle et al 2004, García-Sanmartín et al 2007), but a different Theileria sp. (CNY3A), identical to that found in Cervus nippon in Japan (Inokuma et al 2004), was diagnosed by molecular methods in the present survey.…”

Coexistence of tick-borne pathogens in game animals and ticks in western Poland

“…Sequencing of the ssu rDNA fragments showed the highest similarity with B. capreoli and B. divergens. Currently, morphological, serological and molecular data do not allow to differentiate between these two species (Garcia-Sanmartin et al, 2007).…”

Babesia Species Occurring in Austrian Ixodes ricinus Ticks

“…However, the current species designations have not been supported by recent molecular studies. On the one hand, species have been shown to be molecularly identical, and therefore it has been suggested that they should be considered the same taxon parasitizing different hosts (13). On the other hand, the different strains currently classified as Babesia divergens have been shown to probably belong to more than one species (16).…”