Molecular evidence of Anaplasma phagocytophilum in wild boar (Sus scrofa) in Belgium.
BACKGROUND
Anaplasma phagocytophilum is a tick-borne pathogen of veterinary and human importance. Both ticks as vectors and vertebrates as reservoir hosts are essential for the cycle maintenance of this bacterium. Currently, the whole range of animal species reservoirs for A. phagocytophilum in natural environment is still unknown. Therefore, the aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of infection with A. phagocytophilum in the wild boar population in southern Belgium.


RESULTS
In the frame of a targeted surveillance program, 513 wild boars were sampled during the hunting season 2011. A nested 16S rRNA PCR was used to screen the presence of A. phagocytophilum DNA in spleen of boars. Within 513 samples, 5 (0,97%) were tested PCR positive and identification was confirmed by sequencing.


CONCLUSIONS
This study gives the first insight of presence of A. phagocytophilum in wild boars in southern Belgium.
Adrien
A
Nahayo
Marjorie
M
Bardiau
Rosario
R
Volpe
Jessica
J
Pirson
Julien
J
Paternostre
Thomas
T
Fett
Surveillance Network of Wildlife Diseases, Department of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium. a.linden@ulg.ac.be.
Annick
A
Linden
D041081:Anaplasma phagocytophilum / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000382:microbiology*; D001530:Belgium / Q000453:epidemiology; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000382:microbiology; D016873:Ehrlichiosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D015995:Prevalence; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D034421:Sus scrofa / Q000382:microbiology; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*
D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S