Ecological correlates of a tick-borne disease, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, in moose in southern Norway
This is the postprint version of the article published in European Journal of Wildlife Research. The published version can be located at www.springerlink.com As the distribution and abundance of ticks increase, so do the risks of tick-borne diseases. Anaplasma phagocytophilum, transmitted by Ixodes...
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fthsinnlandet:oai:brage.inn.no:11250/134560 2024-03-03T08:36:22+00:00 Ecological correlates of a tick-borne disease, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, in moose in southern Norway Milner, Jos M. 2013 application/pdf http://hdl.handle.net/11250/134560 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-012-0685-4 eng eng Springer Milner, J. M., & van Beest, F. (2013). Ecological correlates of a tick-borne disease, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, in moose in southern Norway. European Journal of Wildlife Research, 59(3), 399-406. doi:10.1007/s10344-012-0685-4 http://hdl.handle.net/11250/134560 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-012-0685-4 399-406 59 European Journal of Wildlife Research 3 alces alces climate change deer ehrlichiosis wildlife disease VDP::Mathematics and natural science: 400::Zoology and botany: 480 Journal article Peer reviewed 2013 fthsinnlandet https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-012-0685-4 2024-02-02T12:42:18Z This is the postprint version of the article published in European Journal of Wildlife Research. The published version can be located at www.springerlink.com As the distribution and abundance of ticks increase, so do the risks of tick-borne diseases. Anaplasma phagocytophilum, transmitted by Ixodes spp. ticks, is a widespread tick-borne infection causing tick-borne fever (TBF) in domestic ruminants and human granulocytic anaplasmosis. However, the role of wildlife in its epidemiology is poorly understood. Evidence of infection has been detected in wild cervids, but the pathogenicity and ecological consequences are unknown. We conducted a serological study of moose (Alces alces) in two populations in southern Norway, one where TBF was endemic (Telemark) and the other where sheep ticks (Ixodes ricinus) were essentially absent (Hedmark). Seroprevalence to A. phagocytophilum antibodies was 79 and 0 %, respectively. In Telemark, seroprevalence was significantly higher among females that calved successfully (85 %) than among others (50 %). Body mass and winter mass change were unrelated to serostatus. Relative abundance of questing ticks in Telemark was highest in deciduous forest and lowest in mature coniferous forest and higher at easterly aspects and altitudes below 350 m. Habitat factors associated with high tick abundance were risk factors for seropositivity among moose. Our findings were consistent with anaplasmosis causing a persistent subclinical infection in moose without population-level effects. Further work is needed to establish the importance of moose as a reservoir for the disease in sympatric domestic livestock. Article in Journal/Newspaper Alces alces Høgskolen i Innlandet: Brage INN Norway European Journal of Wildlife Research 59 3 399 406 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Høgskolen i Innlandet: Brage INN |
op_collection_id |
fthsinnlandet |
language |
English |
topic |
alces alces climate change deer ehrlichiosis wildlife disease VDP::Mathematics and natural science: 400::Zoology and botany: 480 |
spellingShingle |
alces alces climate change deer ehrlichiosis wildlife disease VDP::Mathematics and natural science: 400::Zoology and botany: 480 Milner, Jos M. Ecological correlates of a tick-borne disease, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, in moose in southern Norway |
topic_facet |
alces alces climate change deer ehrlichiosis wildlife disease VDP::Mathematics and natural science: 400::Zoology and botany: 480 |
description |
This is the postprint version of the article published in European Journal of Wildlife Research. The published version can be located at www.springerlink.com As the distribution and abundance of ticks increase, so do the risks of tick-borne diseases. Anaplasma phagocytophilum, transmitted by Ixodes spp. ticks, is a widespread tick-borne infection causing tick-borne fever (TBF) in domestic ruminants and human granulocytic anaplasmosis. However, the role of wildlife in its epidemiology is poorly understood. Evidence of infection has been detected in wild cervids, but the pathogenicity and ecological consequences are unknown. We conducted a serological study of moose (Alces alces) in two populations in southern Norway, one where TBF was endemic (Telemark) and the other where sheep ticks (Ixodes ricinus) were essentially absent (Hedmark). Seroprevalence to A. phagocytophilum antibodies was 79 and 0 %, respectively. In Telemark, seroprevalence was significantly higher among females that calved successfully (85 %) than among others (50 %). Body mass and winter mass change were unrelated to serostatus. Relative abundance of questing ticks in Telemark was highest in deciduous forest and lowest in mature coniferous forest and higher at easterly aspects and altitudes below 350 m. Habitat factors associated with high tick abundance were risk factors for seropositivity among moose. Our findings were consistent with anaplasmosis causing a persistent subclinical infection in moose without population-level effects. Further work is needed to establish the importance of moose as a reservoir for the disease in sympatric domestic livestock. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Milner, Jos M. |
author_facet |
Milner, Jos M. |
author_sort |
Milner, Jos M. |
title |
Ecological correlates of a tick-borne disease, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, in moose in southern Norway |
title_short |
Ecological correlates of a tick-borne disease, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, in moose in southern Norway |
title_full |
Ecological correlates of a tick-borne disease, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, in moose in southern Norway |
title_fullStr |
Ecological correlates of a tick-borne disease, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, in moose in southern Norway |
title_full_unstemmed |
Ecological correlates of a tick-borne disease, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, in moose in southern Norway |
title_sort |
ecological correlates of a tick-borne disease, anaplasma phagocytophilum, in moose in southern norway |
publisher |
Springer |
publishDate |
2013 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/11250/134560 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-012-0685-4 |
geographic |
Norway |
geographic_facet |
Norway |
genre |
Alces alces |
genre_facet |
Alces alces |
op_source |
399-406 59 European Journal of Wildlife Research 3 |
op_relation |
Milner, J. M., & van Beest, F. (2013). Ecological correlates of a tick-borne disease, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, in moose in southern Norway. European Journal of Wildlife Research, 59(3), 399-406. doi:10.1007/s10344-012-0685-4 http://hdl.handle.net/11250/134560 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-012-0685-4 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-012-0685-4 |
container_title |
European Journal of Wildlife Research |
container_volume |
59 |
container_issue |
3 |
container_start_page |
399 |
op_container_end_page |
406 |
_version_ |
1792502493770416128 |