S. Ochai
M. Troskie
A. Hartmann
J. Godfroid
L.-M. de Klerk
Wendy Christine Turner
P.L. Kamath
O. Louis van Schalkwyk
R. Cassini
R. Bhoora
H. van Heerden
C.A. Cossu
2024
<p><strong>Background:</strong><span> </span>Although the rate of emerging infectious diseases that originate in wildlife has been increasing globally in recent decades, there is currently a lack of epidemiological data from wild animals.</p><p><strong>Methodology:</strong><span> </span>We used serology to determine prior exposure to foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV),<span> </span><i>Brucella</i><span> </span>spp., and<span> </span><i>Coxiella burnetii</i><span> </span>and used genetic testing to detect blood-borne parasitic infections in the genera<span> </span><i>Ehrlichia</i>,<span> </span><i>Anaplasma</i>,<span> </span><i>Theileria</i>, and<span> </span><i>Babesia</i><span> </span>from wildlife in two national parks, Kruger National Park (KNP), South Africa, and Etosha National Park (ENP), Namibia. Serum and whole blood samples were obtained from free-roaming plains zebra (<i>Equus quagga</i>), greater kudu (<i>Tragelaphus strepsiceros</i>), impala (<i>Aepyceros melampus</i>), and blue wildebeest (<i>Connochaetes taurinus</i>). Risk factors (host species, sex, and sampling park) for infection with each pathogen were assessed, as well as the prevalence and distribution of co-occurring infections.</p><p><strong>Results:</strong><span> </span>In KNP 13/29 (45%; confidence interval [CI]: 26%–64%) kudus tested positive for FMD, but none of these reacted to SAT serotypes. For brucellosis, seropositive results were obtained for 3/29 (10%; CI: 2%–27%) kudu samples. Antibodies against<span> </span><i>C. burnetii</i><span> </span>were detected in 6/29 (21%; CI: 8%–40%) kudus, 14/21 (67%; CI: 43%–85%) impalas, and 18/39 (46%; CI: 30%–63%) zebras. A total of 28/28 kudus tested positive for<span> </span><i>Theileria</i><span> </span>spp. (100%; CI: 88%–100%) and 27/28 for<span> </span><i>Anaplasma/Ehrlichia</i><span> </span>spp. (96%; CI: 82%–100%), whereas 12/19 impalas (63%) and 2/39 zebra (5%) tested positive for<span> </span><i>Anaplasma centrale</i>. In ENP, only 1/29 (3%; CI: 0%–18%) wildebeest samples tested positive for FMD. None of the samples tested positive for brucellosis, while<span> </span><i>C. burnetii</i><span> </span>antibodies were detected in 26/30 wildebeests (87%; CI: 69%–96%), 16/40 kudus (40%; CI: 25%–57%), and 26/26 plains zebras (100%; CI: 87%–100%). A total of 60%<span> </span><i>Anaplasma/Ehrlichia</i><span> </span>spp. and 35%<span> </span><i>Theileria/Babesia</i><span> </span>spp. in kudu and 37% wildebeest tested positive to<span> </span><i>Theileria</i><span> </span>sp. (sable), 30% to<span> </span><i>Babesia occultans</i>, and 3%–7% to<span> </span><i>Anaplasma</i><span> </span>spp. The seroprevalence of Q fever was significantly higher in ENP, while<span> </span><i>Brucella</i><span> </span>spp.,<span> </span><i>Anaplasma</i>,<span> </span><i>Ehrlichia</i>,<span> </span><i>Theileria</i>, and<span> </span><i>Babesia</i><span> </span>species were significantly higher in KNP. Significant coinfections were also identified.</p><p><strong>Conclusion:</strong><span> </span>This work provided baseline serological and molecular data on 40+ pathogens in four wildlife species from two national parks in southern Africa.</p>
application/pdf
10.1155/tbed/2417717
en
Wiley
Detection of tick-borne pathogen coinfections and coexposures to foot-and-mouth disease, brucellosis, and Q fever in selected wildlife from Kruger National Park, South Africa, and Etosha National Park, Namibia
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