ABSTRACT
Objective: To investigate whether Babesia odocoilei could be detected from farmed and wild cervid diagnostic submissions prior to its first reported occurrence in Saskatchewan. Procedure: Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for B. odocoilei was used to survey 85 fresh-frozen samples and 112 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded samples from Saskatchewan cervids submitted for necropsy between 2000 and 2014. Results: The PCR was positive for B. odocoilei in 1/84 white-tailed deer, 1/41 moose, 0/37 mule deer, and 1/35 elk. The positive elk was from a farmed herd, but the remaining 2 positive samples were from wild cervids. The positive moose sample was the earliest confirmed infection, dating back to 2008. Therefore, 1.5% of the study population tested positive over the 14-year period. Conclusion: There were low numbers of cervids infected with B. odocoilei in the study population. Clinical relevance: Babesiosis should be included as a differential diagnosis for disease in susceptible cervids when clinical signs are compatible; however, a lack of suggestive clinical signs or necropsy findings does not preclude infection. Thus, monitoring prevalence of the disease within Saskatchewan (and Canada) will likely require targeted surveillance.
Objectif: Déterminer si Babesia odocoilei pouvait être détectée dans les soumissions de diagnostic de cervidés d'élevage et sauvages avant sa première occurrence signalée en Saskatchewan. Procédure: La réaction d'amplification en chaîne par la polymérase (PCR) pour B. odocoilei a été utilisée pour étudier 85 échantillons fraîchement congelés et 112 échantillons fixés au formol et inclus en paraffine de cervidés de la Saskatchewan soumis à l'autopsie entre 2000 et 2014. Résultats: La PCR était positive pour B. odocoilei chez 1/84 cerf de Virginie, 1/41 orignal, 0/37 cerf mulet et 1/35 wapiti. Le wapiti positif provenait d'un troupeau d'élevage, mais les deux autres échantillons positifs provenaient de cervidés sauvages. L'échantillon d'orignal positif était la première infection confirmée, remontant à 2008. Par conséquent, 1,5 % de la population étudiée a été testée positive au cours de la période de 14 ans. Conclusion: Il y avait un faible nombre de cervidés infectés par B. odocoilei dans la population étudiée. Pertinence clinique: La babésiose devrait être incluse comme diagnostic différentiel de maladie chez les cervidés sensibles lorsque les signes cliniques sont compatibles; cependant, l'absence de signes cliniques évocateurs ou de résultats d'autopsie n'exclut pas l'infection. Ainsi, la surveillance de la prévalence de la maladie en Saskatchewan (et au Canada) nécessitera probablement une surveillance ciblée.(Traduit par Dr Serge Messier).
Subject(s)
Babesia , Babesiosis , Deer , Animals , Babesiosis/epidemiology , Farms , Saskatchewan/epidemiologyABSTRACT
National West Nile virus (WNV) surveillance was established in partnership with the federal, provincial and territorial governments starting in 2000, with the aim to monitor the emergence and subsequent spread of WNV disease in Canada. As the disease emerged, national WNV surveillance continued to focus on early detection of WNV disease outbreaks in different parts of the country. In Canada, the WNV transmission season occurs from May to November. During the season, the system adopts a One Health approach to collect, integrate, analyze and disseminate national surveillance data on human, mosquito, bird and other animal cases. Weekly and annual reports are available to the public, provincial/territorial health authorities, and other federal partners to provide an ongoing national overview of WNV infections in Canada. While national surveillance allows a jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction comparison of data, it also helps to guide appropriate disease prevention strategies such as education and awareness campaigns at the national level. This paper aims to describe both the establishment and the current structure of national WNV surveillance in Canada.
