title: Seroprevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and tick-borne encephalitis virus in zoo animal species in the Czech Republic.
abstract: This study was conducted to evaluate the prevalence of antibodies against Borrelia bugdorferi (Bb) s.l. and tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) in zoo animals in the Czech Republic. We collected 133 serum samples from 69 animal species from 5 zoos located in different parts of the country. The samples were obtained from even-toed ungulates (n=78; 42 species), odd-toed ungulates (n=32; 11 species), carnivores (n=13; 9 species), primates (n=2, 2 species), birds (n=3; 2 species), and reptiles (n=5; 3 species). A high antibody prevalence (60%) was observed for Bb s.l. On the other hand, only two animals had TBEV-specific antibodies: a markhor (Capra falconeri) and a reindeer (Rangifer tarandus), both from the same zoo, located in an area endemic for TBEV. Both of these animals were also positive for Bb s.l. antibodies. Our results indicate that a high number of animal species in the Czech zoos were exposed to Bb s.l. and that TBEV infection occurred at least in one of the investigated zoos. Considering the pathogenic potential of these two tick-borne pathogens, clinical and serological monitoring should be continued, and therapeutic and preventive measures should be taken when necessary.
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Veterinary Research Institute, Hudcova 70, CZ-62100 Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Jana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sirmarová
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, CZ-37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Lucie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tichá
authors.affiliation: Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Branišovská 31, CZ-37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Golovchenko
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Veterinary Research Institute, Hudcova 70, CZ-62100 Brno, Czech Republic; Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Branišovská 31, CZ-37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Jiří
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Salát
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, CZ-37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Libor
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Grubhoffer
authors.affiliation: Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Branišovská 31, CZ-37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Nataliia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rudenko
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinaerplatz 1, A-1210 Vienna, Austria; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman.
authors.forename: Norbert
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nowotny
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Veterinary Research Institute, Hudcova 70, CZ-62100 Brno, Czech Republic; Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, CZ-37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Branišovská 31, CZ-37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic. Electronic address: ruzekd@paru.cas.cz.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Růžek
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000836:Animals, Zoo; D015748:Borrelia burgdorferi Group / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D018153:Czech Republic / Q000453:epidemiology; D004669:Encephalitis Viruses, Tick-Borne / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004675:Encephalitis, Tick-Borne / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
keywords: Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato; Lyme borreliosis; Seroprevalence; Tick-borne encephalitis virus; Zoo animals