Johnson Nicholas, Golding Megan, Phipps Laurence Paul
Arbovirus Research Team, Virology Department, Animal and Plant Health Agency (Weybridge), Woodham Lane, Addlestone KT15 3NB, UK.
Pathogens. 2021 May 23;10(6):640. doi: 10.3390/pathogens10060640.
Deer represent a major vertebrate host for all feeding stages of the hard tick in the United Kingdom (UK), and could play a role in the persistence of tick-borne pathogens. However, there have been few studies reporting the presence of spp. and in deer in the UK, and those that detected were unable to confirm the species. To address this, we have investigated blood samples from red deer () for the presence of tick-borne pathogens. Total DNA was extracted from haemolysed blood that was removed from clotted blood sampled from culled, captive red deer. spp. were detected with a pan-piroplasm PCR that amplifies a fragment of the 18S rRNA gene. Species were identified based on identity with published sequences. was detected with a probe-based PCR targeting the gene. In addition, residual serum samples from a subset of animals were tested for the presence of anti-flavivirus antibodies. Of 105 red deer samples tested from three locations in the United Kingdom, 5 were positive for piroplasm and 5 were positive for . Co-infection with both pathogens was detected in two samples from one location. No evidence for antibodies against West Nile virus were detected. However, 12% of sera tested were positive for tick-borne encephalitis virus antibodies.
在英国，鹿是硬蜱各个取食阶段的主要脊椎动物宿主，并且可能在蜱传病原体的持续存在中发挥作用。然而，在英国，很少有研究报告鹿体内存在 spp. 和 ，而且那些检测到 的研究无法确认其物种。为了解决这个问题，我们对马鹿（）的血样进行了调查，以检测蜱传病原体的存在。从采集自被扑杀的圈养马鹿的凝血中分离出的溶血血样中提取总DNA。使用泛焦虫PCR检测 spp.，该PCR可扩增18S rRNA基因的片段。根据与已发表序列的一致性鉴定物种。使用靶向 基因的基于探针的PCR检测 。此外，对一部分动物的残留血清样本进行了抗黄病毒抗体检测。在从英国三个地点采集的105份马鹿样本中，5份焦虫检测呈阳性, 5份 检测呈阳性。在一个地点的两份样本中检测到两种病原体的共同感染。未检测到针对西尼罗河病毒的抗体证据。然而，12% 的检测血清对蜱传脑炎病毒抗体呈阳性。
