Molecular detection of tick-borne pathogens in wild red foxes (<i>Vulpes vulpes</i>) from Central Italy

Ebani, Valentina Virginia, Rocchigiani, Guido ORCID: 0000-0002-3742-7636, Nardoni, Simona, Bertelloni, Fabrizio, Vasta, Violetta, Papini, Roberto Amerigo, Verin, Ranieri ORCID: 0000-0001-9366-5682, Poli, Alessandro and Mancianti, Francesca (2017) Molecular detection of tick-borne pathogens in wild red foxes (<i>Vulpes vulpes</i>) from Central Italy. ACTA TROPICA, 172. pp. 197-200.

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Abstract

Spleen samples from 153 red foxes, shot during regular hunting season in the province of Pisa (Central Italy), were examined to detect DNA of Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Ehrlichia canis, Coxiella burnetii, Francisella tularensis, Hepatozoon canis and Babesia sp./Theileria sp. DNA of vector-borne pathogens was detected in 120 (78.43%; 95% CI: 71.06-84.66%) foxes. Specifically, 75 (49%; 95% CI: 40.86-57.22%) animals scored PCR-positive per H. canis, 68 (44.44%; 95% CI: 36.42-52.69%) for E. canis, 35 (22.88%; 95% CI: 16.48-30.35%) for piroplasms (Theileria annae), 3 (1.96%; 95% CI: 0.41-5.62%) for C. burnetii and 1 (0.65%; 95% CI: 0.02-3.59%) for A. phagocytophilum. No positive reaction was observed for F. tularensis. Fifty-six animals (36.6%; 95% CI: 28.97-44.76%) were positive for two or three pathogens. Red foxes result to be involved in the cycle of vector-borne pathogens that are associated to disease in dogs and humans.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Red fox (Vulpes vulpes), Vector-borne pathogens, Zoonoses, Ticks
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	22 May 2017 11:30
Last Modified:	12 Oct 2023 19:56
DOI:	10.1016/j.actatropica.2017.05.014
Related URLs:	Author Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3007549