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Feeding of Ticks on Animals for Transmission and Xenodiagnosis in Lyme Disease Research
Published on: August 31, 2013
Molecular detection of tick-borne pathogens in wild red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) from Central Italy
Valentina Virginia Ebani1, Guido Rocchigiani1, Simona Nardoni1
1Department of Veterinary Science, University of Pisa, Viale delle Piagge 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy.
Abstract:
Spleen samples from 153 red foxes, shot during regular hunting season in the province of Pisa (Central Italy), were examined to detect DNA of Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Ehrlichia canis, Coxiella burnetii, Francisella tularensis, Hepatozoon canis and Babesia sp./Theileria sp. DNA of vector-borne pathogens was detected in 120 (78.43%; 95% CI: 71.06-84.66%) foxes. Specifically, 75 (49%; 95% CI: 40.86-57.22%) animals scored PCR-positive per H. canis, 68 (44.44%; 95% CI: 36.42-52.69%) for E. canis, 35 (22.88%; 95% CI: 16.48-30.35%) for piroplasms (Theileria annae), 3 (1.96%; 95% CI: 0.41-5.62%) for C. burnetii and 1 (0.65%; 95% CI: 0.02-3.59%) for A. phagocytophilum. No positive reaction was observed for F. tularensis. Fifty-six animals (36.6%; 95% CI: 28.97-44.76%) were positive for two or three pathogens. Red foxes result to be involved in the cycle of vector-borne pathogens that are associated to disease in dogs and humans.
