Baker Eliza, Dennis Michelle M, Miller Debra, Rajeev Sreekumari, Abouelkhair Mohamed A, Jensen Alex, Black Carmen, Gerhold Richard
Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences, University of Tennessee, 2407 River Drive, Room A233, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, USA.
Center for Wildlife Health, School of Natural Resources, University of Tennessee, 2431 Joe Johnson Drive, Room 401, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, USA.
J Wildl Dis. 2025 Sep 4. doi: 10.7589/JWD-D-24-00206.
Coyotes (Canis latrans) can serve as hosts for many pathogens of concern and may be useful for monitoring the prevalence and emergence of these pathogens. We collected serum and/or whole blood antemortem from 43 coyotes from South Carolina, US, and collected samples from opportunistically collected carcasses from 71 Tennessee, US and 15 South Carolina, US coyotes. We tested samples with SNAP 4Dx PLUS rapid ELISA tests for Ehrlichia spp., Anaplasma spp., Dirofilaria immitis, and Borrelia burgdorferi and with microscopic agglutination tests for Leptospira spp. Real-time and conventional PCR for B. burgdorferi were performed on Ixodes scapularis ticks from Tennessee coyotes, detecting B. burgdorferi DNA in 5% of tested ticks. We found 43% (28/65) of Tennessee coyotes were seropositive for B. burgdorferi compared to only 2% (1/52) of South Carolina coyotes. Coyotes were also seropositive for Ehrlichia spp. (66% [43/65] in Tennessee; 21% [11/52] in South Carolina) and Anaplasma spp. (26% [14/65] in Tennessee). Three Tennessee coyotes were PCR-positive for Leptospira spp., including two sequences most similar to Leptospira santarosai and one most similar to Leptospira interrogans. A total of 25% of coyotes (23/91) were seropositive for Leptospira spp., and interstitial nephritis was associated with Leptospira spp. seropositivity. This study demonstrates the expanded geographic range of B. burgdorferi in the southeast and the high prevalence of zoonotic pathogens in the coyote populations of Tennessee and South Carolina.
郊狼（犬属）可作为多种受关注病原体的宿主，可能有助于监测这些病原体的流行情况和新出现情况。我们从美国南卡罗来纳州的43只郊狼身上采集了生前血清和/或全血，并从美国田纳西州的71只和美国南卡罗来纳州的15只郊狼的机会性采集尸体上采集了样本。我们使用SNAP 4Dx PLUS快速ELISA检测试剂盒对样本进行检测，以检测埃立克体属、无形体属、犬恶丝虫和伯氏疏螺旋体，并用显微镜凝集试验检测钩端螺旋体属。对来自田纳西州郊狼的肩突硬蜱进行了伯氏疏螺旋体的实时和常规PCR检测，在5%的检测蜱中检测到伯氏疏螺旋体DNA。我们发现，田纳西州43%（28/65）的郊狼伯氏疏螺旋体血清学检测呈阳性，而南卡罗来纳州只有2%（1/52）的郊狼呈阳性。郊狼埃立克体属血清学检测也呈阳性（田纳西州为66%[43/65]；南卡罗来纳州为21%[11/52]），无形体属血清学检测也呈阳性（田纳西州为26%[14/65]）。三只田纳西州郊狼钩端螺旋体属PCR检测呈阳性，其中两个序列与圣塔罗莎钩端螺旋体最相似，一个与问号钩端螺旋体最相似。共有25%的郊狼（23/91）钩端螺旋体属血清学检测呈阳性，间质性肾炎与钩端螺旋体属血清学阳性有关。这项研究表明伯氏疏螺旋体在东南部的地理分布范围扩大，以及田纳西州和南卡罗来纳州郊狼种群中动物源性病原体的高流行率。
