| Summary: | Anaplasma phagocytophilum is a small zoonotic intragranulocytic alpha-proteobacterium, reported to cause human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA), tick-borne fever (TBF) in ruminants and granulocytic anaplasmosis in horses and dogs. These days tick-borne fever and anaplasmosis are one of the widest spread vector-borne diseases in Europe. There are case reports of A. phagocytophilum-associated mortality in roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) fawns and a moose calf (Alces alces) from Norway. Abortion in ewes and reduced fertility in rams have also been reported. In addition, reduced weight gain in A. phagocytophilum infected bullocks and lambs have been observed. Ixodes ricinus are the primary vectors of this pathogen in Europe and red deer (Cervus elaphus) is considering to be one of the main large hosts of these ticks. In addition, red deer (Cervus elaphus) have been suspected to be one of the major A. phagocytophilum reservoir host. In this study, spleen samples from 133 red deer (Cervus elaphus), collected from 11 different farms in Norway, were analysed for presence of A. phagocytophilum DNA by real-time and nested PCR, using msp2 and 16S rRNA gene. The overall prevalence of A. phagocytophilum DNA by using real-time PCR was 75% and nested PCR - 36%. The present work indicates that red deer (Cervus elaphus) is exposed to A. phagocytophilum in Norway.
|
|---|