Road-killed vertebrates as sentinel hosts for active surveillance of tick-borne pathogens

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F62157124%3A16170%2F18%3A43876322" target="_blank" >RIV/62157124:16170/18:43876322 - isvavai.cz</a>

Alternative codes found

RIV/62157124:16170/22:43880078

Result on the web

—

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

—

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Road-killed vertebrates as sentinel hosts for active surveillance of tick-borne pathogens

Original language description

Tick-borne zoonoses represent a serious threat for human and animal health. Thus, efforts are made to monitor the spatial distribution, intensity and diversity of their causative agents. Nevertheless, most of the studies focus on the tick vectors, whereas the vertebrate hosts remain neglected, mostly due to issues associated with complicated sampling (laborious, skill-demanding, legislative/species protection etc.). The main aim of our project is verify whether carcasses of accidentally killed (mostly road-killed) animals are suitable source of biological materiál for monitoring of selected tick-borne pathogens. Considering the epidemiological significance, we have focused specifically on urban habitats. Hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus and E. roumanicus), squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) and blackbirds (Turdus merula) were chosen as representatives of wild animals that thrive in urban areas, that are ordinarily infested by ticks and seems to be suitable hosts for many important zoonotic pathogens. A total of 169 specimens (75 hedgehogs, 22 squirrels and 72 blackbirds) were collected with the help of general public. Altogether 1 267 samples of different tissues were screened by multiplex qPCR assays. The prevalence of the main target pathogens reached for hedgehogs, squirrels and blackbirds respectively was 72 %, 100 %, 58 % for Borrelia burgdorferi s.l., 89 %, 82%, 51% for Anaplasma phagocytophilum, 21 %, 77 %, 3 % for Bartonella spp. and 33 %, 4 %, 4 % for Rickettsia Helvetica. In conclusion, carcasses of accidentally killed vertebrates were confirmed as a useful source of biological material for monitoring of several tick-borne pathogens in urban environments.

Czech name

—

Czech description

—

Type

O - Miscellaneous

CEP classification

—

OECD FORD branch

40301 - Veterinary science

Project

—

Continuities

V - Vyzkumna aktivita podporovana z jinych verejnych zdroju

Publication year

2018

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů