Molecular Detection of Arthropod-Borne Pathogens in Eurasian Badgers (<i>Meles meles</i>) from the United Kingdom
Lisa Guardone | Valentina Virginia Ebani | Ranieri Verin | Simona Nardoni | Antonio Consolazione | Malcolm Bennett | Francesca Mancianti
Arthropod-borne diseases (ABD) are of increasing interest in veterinary and public health. Eurasian badgers (<i>Meles meles</i>) are known to harbor a wide range of pathogens, but information on their role as ABD reservoirs and their potential epidemiological relevance is limited. This study aimed to investigate the occurrence of arthropod-borne pathogens, specifically piroplasmids and the bacteria <i>Anaplasma phagocytophilum</i>, <i>Ehrlichia canis</i>, <i>Coxiella burnetii</i>, <i>Francisella tularensis</i> and <i>Bartonella</i> spp., in badgers from Great Britain (GB). Blood and heart samples from 18 badgers were examined using PCR and sequencing. A neighbour-joining (NJ) phylogram was also produced. Nine animals tested positive for <i>Babesia</i> sp., while none of the samples was positive for the investigated bacteria. The sequences obtained clustered with other sequences of <i>Babesia</i> sp. from badgers from GB and elsewhere, including China, Hungary, Spain and Italy, showing a widespread distribution of this parasite in badgers. Badger-associated <i>Babesia</i> DNA was also found recently in a wild cat in Bosnia Herzegovina, in a wolf in Italy and in dogs in Hungary. Further investigations are needed to understand the epidemiology of this putative pathogen and its impact on the health of wild and domestic carnivores.
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