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Vector-borne pathogens in arctic foxes, Vulpes lagopus, from Canada.
Patricia E Mascarelli1, Stacey A Elmore2, Emily J Jenkins2
1Intracellular Pathogens Research Laboratory (IPRL), Center for Comparative Medicine and Translational Research College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, NC, USA.
Research in Veterinary Science
|January 18, 2015
Summary
Arctic foxes may indicate changes in vector-borne zoonotic pathogens. This study found DNA from Bartonella, Mycoplasma, Ehrlichia, and Anaplasma in foxes in Nunavut, Canada.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Pathogen research
- Arctic biology
Background:
- Arctic ecosystems have low biodiversity, making them sensitive to ecological changes.
- Arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus) can act as sentinels for monitoring vector-borne zoonotic pathogens.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the molecular prevalence of five genera of vector-borne pathogens in arctic foxes.
- To investigate the presence of Anaplasma, Babesia, Bartonella, Ehrlichia, and Hemotropic Mycoplasma spp. in arctic foxes.
Main Methods:
- Blood samples were collected from 28 live-trapped arctic foxes in Karrak Lake, Nunavut, Canada.
- Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and DNA sequencing were used to detect pathogens.
Main Results:
- DNA from Bartonella henselae (3 foxes), Mycoplasma haemocanis (1 fox), Ehrlichia canis (1 fox), and Anaplasma sp. (1 fox) was detected.
- Pathogen prevalence was low in the studied arctic fox population.
Conclusions:
- Vector-borne pathogens, not typically found in the Arctic, were detected in arctic foxes.
- Further research is needed on vector exposure, pathogen transmission, and geographic distribution changes.
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