title: Detection of Hepatozoon felis in Ticks Collected from Free-Ranging Amur Tigers ( Panthera tigris altaica), Russian Far East, 2002-12.
abstract: We collected 69 ticks from nine, free-ranging Amur tigers ( Panthera tigris altaica) between 2002 and 2011 and investigated them for tick-borne pathogens. DNA was extracted using alkaline digestion and PCR was performed to detect apicomplexan organisms. Partial 18S rDNA amplification products were obtained from 14 ticks from four tigers, of which 13 yielded unambiguous nucleotide sequence data. Comparative sequence analysis revealed all 13 partial 18S rDNA sequences were most similar to those belonging to strains of Hepatozoon felis (>564/572 base-pair identity, >99% sequence similarity). Although this tick-borne protozoon pathogen has been detected in wild felids from many parts of the world, this is the first record from the Russian Far East.
authors.affiliation: 1 Manor Vets, 373 Hagley Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham B17 8DL, UK;
authors.forename: Lindsay H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.affiliation: 2 Pacific Geographical Institute Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladivostok 690041, Russia;|3 Far Eastern Federal University, Vladivostok 690091, Russia;
authors.forename: Ivan V
authors.initials: IV
authors.lastname: Seryodkin
authors.affiliation: 4 Panthera, 8 W 40th Street, 18th Fl., New York, New York 10018, USA;
authors.forename: John M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Goodrich
authors.affiliation: 5 Wildlife Conservation Society, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York 10460, USA;
authors.forename: Dale G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Miquelle
authors.affiliation: 6 School of Environment and Life Sciences, University of Salford, M5 4WT, UK;
authors.forename: Richard J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Birtles
authors.affiliation: 7 Wildlife Vets International, Station House, Parkwood Street, Keighley BD21 4NQ, UK;
authors.forename: John C M
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Lewis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016782:Apicomplexa / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012426:Russia / Q000453:epidemiology; D013984:Tick Infestations / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D013987:Ticks / Q000469:parasitology*; D046010:Tigers
keywords: Amur tiger; Hepatozoon felis; Russian Far East; tick-borne disease