Molecular survey on the presence of arthropod-borne bacteria and protozoans in roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) and ticks from Central Italy

Ebani, Valentina Virginia, Guardone, Lisa, Rocchigiani, Guido ORCID: 0000-0002-3742-7636, Bascherini, Alice, Cagnoli, Giulia, Bertelloni, Fabrizio, Bongi, Paolo, Russo, Claudia, Riccioli, Francesco and Mancianti, Francesca (2022) Molecular survey on the presence of arthropod-borne bacteria and protozoans in roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) and ticks from Central Italy ACTA TROPICA, 233. 106586-. ISSN 0001-706X, 1873-6254

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Abstract

Environmental changes, due to climatic emergency and to anthropogenic activities severely impact on the epidemiology of vector borne diseases, mostly when transmitted by ticks. The data about the distribution of microorganisms responsible for them in roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) population living in Italy are scanty and completely lacking in Tuscany, so a molecular survey was carried out to estimate the prevalence of some zoonotic tick-borne pathogens in roe deer, and ticks removed from them, living in areas of Central Italy with high risk of arthropod exposure. Spleen samples from 72 roe deer were tested by PCR for Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Borrelia burgdorferi s.l., Francisella tularensis and piroplasms. Moreover, 345 ticks were removed from 65 roe deer, morphologically or molecularly identified and grouped into 162 pools that were submitted to PCR for detecting the same pathogens. Forty-six (63.88%) roe deer were positive for at least one investigated pathogen: 43 (59.72%) for A. phagocytophilum, 2 (2.78%) for Babesia capreoli, 1 (1.39%) for B. burgdorferi, and 1 (1.39%) for Babesia sp. No animals were PCR positive for F. tularensis. All ticks were identified as Ixodes ricinus. Seventy-six (46.91%) tick pools showed DNA of one or more pathogens: 66 (40.74%) were positive for A. phagocytophilum, 22 (13.58%) for B. burgodorferi s.l., 6 (3.70%) for B. venatorum and 3 (1.85%) for B. capreoli. No pools were positive for F. tularensis. Two or three pathogens were detected in 23 (14.19%) pools.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Anaplasma phagocytophylum, Babesia spp, Borrelia burgdorferi s, Capreolus capreolus, Ixodes ricinus, l, PCR
Divisions:	Faculty of Health & Life Sciences Faculty of Health & Life Sciences > Inst. Infection, Vet & Ecological Sciences
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	14 Sep 2022 08:07
Last Modified:	22 May 2026 15:40
DOI:	10.1016/j.actatropica.2022.106586
Related Websites:	Author Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3164602
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