title: Molecular investigation for bacterial and protozoan tick-borne pathogens in wild boars (Sus scrofa) from southern Germany.
abstract: Wild boars (Sus scrofa) have been suggested to be involved in the enzootic cycle of the tick-borne pathogen Anaplasma phagocytophilum. This observation raises the question whether they serve as reservoir hosts for A. phagocytophilum and potentially for other tick-borne pathogens of public health relevance. The aim of this study was to investigate wild boars and their ticks from a forest site in southern Germany for the presence of A. phagocytophilum, Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis, Rickettsia spp., Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.), Borrelia spp. of the relapsing fever group, and Babesia spp. Therefore, 24 wild boars collected from October, 2010, to February, 2013, were investigated by molecular methods. DNA of A. phagocytophilum was detected in three out of 24 (12.5%) wild boars and in four out of 16 (25%) ticks. DNA of none of the other pathogens was found in any wild boar, but Rickettsia spp., B. burgdorferi s.l., and Cand. N. mikurensis were found in one of the investigated ticks each. Sequences of the partial 16S rRNA gene of A. phagocytophilum from one spleen and two ticks showed 100% similarity to GenBank entries from human anaplasmosis cases (accession nos. U02521 and AY886761). The sequence from the third tick was 100% similar to sequences obtained from Ixodes ricinus and roe deer from the same study area previously. Detecting a potentially human pathogenic A. phagocytophilum variant in wild boar confirms previous findings and is of public health interest. To our knowledge, this is the first report of A. phagocytophilum in wild boars in Germany. Whether wild boars support the enzootic cycle of A. phagocytophilum variants involved in human disease requires further attention in future systematic studies.
authors.affiliation: Comparative Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München , Munich, Germany .
authors.forename: Cornelia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Silaghi
authors.forename: Kurt
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pfister
authors.forename: Evelyn
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Overzier
mesh_terms: D041081:Anaplasma phagocytophilum / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000710:Anaplasmataceae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000711:Anaplasmataceae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D000818:Animals; D001096:Arachnid Vectors / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D001403:Babesia / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001404:Babesiosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D001483:Base Sequence; D015748:Borrelia burgdorferi Group / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D016873:Ehrlichiosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D018884:Ixodes / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012281:Rickettsia / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA / Q000662:veterinary; D034421:Sus scrofa
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial
references.citation: Parasit Vectors. 2012 Aug 30;5:181
references.pmid: 22935149
references.citation: Ticks Tick Borne Dis. 2012 Dec;3(5-6):406-10
references.pmid: 23182274
references.citation: Acta Vet Hung. 2012 Dec;60(4):441-8
references.pmid: 23160026
references.citation: Emerg Infect Dis. 2012 Jun;18(6):998-1001
references.pmid: 22607827
references.citation: Appl Environ Microbiol. 2003 Jan;69(1):509-16
references.pmid: 12514035
references.citation: Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2003 Jun;990:103-6
references.pmid: 12860608
references.citation: Ticks Tick Borne Dis. 2013 Jun;4(4):320-8
references.pmid: 23571115
references.citation: Parasit Vectors. 2012 Dec 07;5:285
references.pmid: 23216786
references.citation: Clin Microbiol Infect. 2009 Dec;15 Suppl 2:50-2
references.pmid: 20584165
references.citation: Emerg Infect Dis. 2012 Dec;18(12):2094-5
references.pmid: 23171572