Anaplasma phagocytophilum in European bison (Bison bonasus) and their ticks from Lithuania and Poland.

The increasing population of European bison (Bison bonasus) can contribute to the prevalence of zoonotic pathogens. The aim of the present study was to assess the presence of A. phagocytophilum infection in European bison tissues as well as ticks removed from European bison in Lithuania and Poland. A further objective of this work was to compare the detected A. phagocytophilum strains. A total of 85 tissue samples (spleen) of European bison and 560 ticks belonging to two species, Ixodes ricinus (n = 408) and Dermacentor reticulatus (n = 152) were tested. DNA of A. phagocytophilum was detected based on RT-PCR in 40% of the European bison samples, 8.8% of the I. ricinus and 5.9% of the D. reticulatus ticks. Analysis of the obtained partial 16S rRNA gene sequences of A. phagocytophilum revealed the presence of three variants with two polymorphic sites. Furthermore, phylogenetic analysis with partial msp4 gene sequences grouped A. phagocytophilum variants into three clusters. This study revealed that the groEL gene sequences of A. phagocytophilum from European bison and their ticks grouped into ecotype I and only one sequence from Lithuanian European bison belonged to ecotype II. The results of the present study indicated that European bison may play a role as a natural reservoir of A. phagocytophilum.

First Molecular Detection of Bartonella bovis and Bartonella schoenbuchensis in European Bison (Bison bonasus).

Bartonella bacteria infect the erythrocytes and endothelial cells of mammalians. The spread of the Bartonella infection occurs mainly via bloodsucking arthropod vectors. Studies on Bartonella infection in European bison, the largest wild ruminant in Europe, are lacking. They are needed to clarify their role in the maintenance and transmission of Bartonella spp. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of the Bartonella pathogen in European bison and their ticks in Lithuania. A total of 38 spleen samples from bison and 258 ticks belonging to the Ixodes ricinus and Dermacentor reticulatus species were examined. The bison and tick samples were subjected to ssrA, 16S-23S rRNA ITS, gltA, and rpoB partial gene fragment amplification using various variants of PCR. Bartonella DNA was detected in 7.9% of the tissue samples of European bison. All tick samples were negative for Bartonella spp. The phylogenetic analysis of 16S-23S rRNA ITS, gltA, and rpoB partial gene fragment revealed that European bison were infected by B. bovis (2.6%) and B. schoenbuchensis (5.3%). This is the first report addressing the occurrence of B. bovis and B. schoenbuchensis in European bison in Europe.