Wild ungulates as sentinels of flaviviruses and tick-borne zoonotic pathogen circulation: an Italian perspective

BMC Veterinary Research

Research

Daniela Pasotto¹  Claudia Maria Tucciarone¹  Laura Grassi¹  Rudi Cassini¹  Elena Vidorin¹  Giovanni Franzo¹  Alessandra Mondin¹  Michele Drigo¹  Martina Ossola¹  Maria Luisa Menandro¹  Hana Zelená² 

[1] Department of Animal Medicine, Production and Health (MAPS), University of Padua, Viale dell’Università, 16, 35020, Legnaro, PD, Italy;Department of Virology, Institute of Public Health, Ostrava, Czech Republic;

关键词: Vector-borne zoonotic pathogens;    Flavivirus;    Wild ungulates;    Ixodes ricinus;    Molecular biology;    Virus neutralization test;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12917-023-03717-x

 received in 2023-01-09, accepted in 2023-09-01,  发布年份 2023

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundVector-borne zoonotic diseases are a concerning issue in Europe. Lyme disease and tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) have been reported in several countries with a large impact on public health; other emerging pathogens, such as Rickettsiales, and mosquito-borne flaviviruses have been increasingly reported. All these pathogens are linked to wild ungulates playing roles as tick feeders, spreaders, and sentinels for pathogen circulation. This study evaluated the prevalence of TBEV, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, Rickettsia spp., Ehrlichia spp., and Coxiella spp. by biomolecular screening of blood samples and ticks collected from wild ungulates. Ungulates were also screened by ELISA and virus neutralization tests for flaviviral antibody detection.ResultsA total of 274 blood samples were collected from several wild ungulate species, as well as 406 Ixodes ricinus, which were feeding on them. Blood samples tested positive for B. burgdorferi s.l. (1.1%; 0-2.3%) and Rickettsia spp. (1.1%; 0-2.3%) and showed an overall flaviviral seroprevalence of 30.6% (22.1–39.2%): 26.1% (17.9–34.3%) for TBEV, 3.6% (0.1–7.1%) for Usutu virus and 0.9% (0-2.7%) for West Nile virus. Ticks were pooled when possible and yielded 331 tick samples that tested positive for B. burgdorferi s.l. (8.8%; 5.8–11.8%), Rickettsia spp. (26.6%; 21.8–31.2%) and Neoehrlichia mikurensis (1.2%; 0-2.4%). TBEV and Coxiella spp. were not detected in either blood or tick samples.ConclusionsThis research highlighted a high prevalence of several tick-borne zoonotic pathogens and high seroprevalence for flaviviruses in both hilly and alpine areas. For the first time, an alpine chamois tested positive for anti-TBEV antibodies. Ungulate species are of particular interest due to their sentinel role in flavivirus circulation and their indirect role in tick-borne diseases and maintenance as Ixodes feeders and spreaders.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature 2023

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