Mongkolphan C, Saechin A, Chamsai T, Sedwisai P, Boonyarittichaikij R, Tangsudjai S
Monitoring and Surveillance Center for Zoonotic Diseases in Wildlife and Exotic Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand.
Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand.
Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl. 2025 Jun 18;27:101105. doi: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101105. eCollection 2025 Aug.
Captive wildlife can serve as reservoirs for various tick-borne pathogens for both domestic animals and humans. Ecotourism tiger parks, where tigers () engage with humans and other animals, increase the risk of disease transmission. This study aimed to investigate the infection rate, co-infection patterns, and associated risk factors of tick-borne pathogens (, , and ) in captive tigers in Thailand. Blood samples were collected from 100 tigers and analyzed using multiplex PCR to detect the presence of three genera of tick-borne pathogens. The overall infection rate at least one tick-borne pathogen was 17 % (17/100). was the most common, affecting 15 % (15/100) of the tigers, followed by spp. [5 % (5/100)], with no detected spp. infection. and spp. co-infections were confirmed in 3 % (3/100) of the cases. Infection rates were examined according to sex and age. Female tigers exhibited a higher infection rate (22.22 % (10/45)) than males (12.73 % (7/55)), though this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.209). Age was a significant factor, with older tigers showing higher infection rates (p < 0.001). Co-infections were observed in tigers older than seven years. All infected tigers, single or co-infected, commonly exhibited hyperproteinemia, anemia, and elevated creatinine levels in their blood. All pathogens identified in this study posed health risks to captive tigers, with infection rates primarily influenced by age. poses the highest health risk for captive tigers in Thailand. These findings underscore the importance of routine health monitoring and effective tick control strategies to protect these endangered animals.
圈养野生动物可能成为家畜和人类多种蜱传病原体的宿主。在生态旅游虎园，老虎与人类和其他动物接触，增加了疾病传播的风险。本研究旨在调查泰国圈养老虎中蜱传病原体（、和）的感染率、共感染模式及相关危险因素。采集了100只老虎的血样，并用多重PCR分析以检测三种蜱传病原体属的存在情况。至少感染一种蜱传病原体总的感染率为17%（17/100）。最为常见，感染了15%（15/100）的老虎，其次是属（5%（5/100）），未检测到属感染。在3%（3/100）的病例中证实了和属的共感染。根据性别和年龄检查感染率。雌性老虎的感染率（22.22%（10/45））高于雄性（12.73%（7/55）），不过这种差异无统计学意义（p = 0.209）。年龄是一个显著因素，年龄较大的老虎感染率更高（p < 0.001）。在7岁以上的老虎中观察到共感染情况。所有感染的老虎，无论是单一感染还是共感染，血液中通常都表现出高蛋白血症、贫血和肌酐水平升高。本研究中鉴定出的所有病原体都对圈养老虎构成健康风险，感染率主要受年龄影响。在泰国，对圈养老虎构成的健康风险最高。这些发现强调了常规健康监测和有效的蜱虫控制策略对于保护这些濒危动物的重要性。
