Kelly Patrick, Marabini Lisa, Dutlow Keith, Zhang Jilei, Loftis Amanda, Wang Chengming
Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis.
AWARE Trust, Harare, Zimbabwe.
Parasit Vectors. 2014 Nov 18;7:514. doi: 10.1186/s13071-014-0514-6.
The populations of wild felids in Africa, of especially lions (Panthera leo) and cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus), are declining and the species are classified as vulnerable to extinction by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. As infections with tick-borne pathogens (TBP) can become more of a problem in wild felids, there are relatively few studies on TBP in wild felids in Africa and on how these infections might influence population numbers.
To gain further knowledge on TBP in captive wild felids in Southern Africa, we collected whole blood from captive lions, Southern African wildcats, cheetahs and servals in Zimbabwe for PCRs against the 18S rRNA gene of the piroplasmids (Babesia, Theileria, Cytauxzoon) and Hepatozoon spp., and the 16S rRNA gene of Ehrlichia and Anaplasma spp.
Overall, 78% of the lions (67/86) and all the Southern African wildcats (6/6), cheetahs (4/4) and servals (2/2) had evidence of infection with at least one organism. The organisms most commonly detected in the lions were B. leo (59%; 51/86), B. vogeli (12%; 10/86) and H. felis (11%; 9/86) while all the Southern African wildcats and servals were positive for B. vogeli and all the cheetahs were positive for B. leo. Mixed infections were found in 22% (15/67) of the PCR positive lions, most commonly B. leo and H. felis (27%; 4/15), and in 1 (50%) of the servals (B. vogeli and A. phagocytophilum). Two lions were infected with three TBP, mainly B. leo, H. canis and T. parva, and B. leo, A. phagocytophilum and T. sinensis. Mixed infections with B. vogeli and A. phagocytophilum were seen in a serval and a Southern African wildcat. Other TBP were detected at a low prevalence (≤2%) in lions, mainly H. canis, T. sinensis, T. parva, C. manul, E. canis, and E. canis-like and B. odocoilei-like organisms.
Infections with tick-borne agents are common in captive wild felids in Zimbabwe.
非洲野生猫科动物种群，尤其是狮子（ Panthera leo ）和猎豹（ Acinonyx jubatus ）的数量正在减少，这些物种被国际自然保护联盟列为易危灭绝物种。由于蜱传播病原体（TBP）感染在野生猫科动物中可能成为更严重的问题，关于非洲野生猫科动物中TBP以及这些感染如何影响种群数量的研究相对较少。
为了进一步了解南部非洲圈养野生猫科动物中的TBP，我们从津巴布韦的圈养狮子、南非野猫、猎豹和薮猫中采集全血，用于针对梨形虫（巴贝斯虫、泰勒虫、嗜吞噬细胞无形体）和肝簇虫属的18S rRNA基因以及埃立克体属和无形体属的16S rRNA基因进行PCR检测。
总体而言，78%的狮子（67/86）以及所有南非野猫（6/6）、猎豹（4/4）和薮猫（2/2）都有感染至少一种病原体的证据。在狮子中最常检测到的病原体是狮巴贝斯虫（59%；51/86）、沃氏巴贝斯虫（12%；10/86）和猫肝簇虫（11%；9/86），而所有南非野猫和薮猫对沃氏巴贝斯虫呈阳性，所有猎豹对狮巴贝斯虫呈阳性。在PCR检测呈阳性的狮子中有22%（15/67）发现混合感染，最常见的是狮巴贝斯虫和猫肝簇虫（27%；4/15），在1只薮猫（50%）中发现混合感染（沃氏巴贝斯虫和嗜吞噬细胞无形体）。两只狮子感染了三种TBP，主要是狮巴贝斯虫、犬肝簇虫和小泰勒虫，以及狮巴贝斯虫、嗜吞噬细胞无形体和中华泰勒虫。在1只薮猫和1只南非野猫中发现了沃氏巴贝斯虫和嗜吞噬细胞无形体的混合感染。其他TBP在狮子中的检出率较低（≤2%），主要是犬肝簇虫、中华泰勒虫、小泰勒虫、荒漠猫泰勒虫、犬埃立克体、类犬埃立克体和类犬恶丝虫巴贝斯虫样生物。
蜱传播病原体感染在津巴布韦的圈养野生猫科动物中很常见。
