In:
European Journal of Wildlife Research, Springer Science and Business Media LLC, Vol. 67, No. 5 ( 2021-10)
Abstract:
Treponema paraluisleporidarum infects both rabbits (ecovar Cuniculus) and hares (ecovar Lepus). While the occurrence of the bacterium has previously been reported for European brown hares ( Lepus europaeus ) and domestic rabbits ( Oryctolagus cuniculus f. domestica ), there are no data available that report infection in the European context. We tested a total of 1,995 serum samples and 287 genital swabs from opportunistically sampled European brown hares ( Lepus europaeus ; n = 2135), Mountain hares ( Lepus timidus ; n = 4), European rabbits ( Oryctolagus cuniculus ; n = 138), and pet rabbits ( O. cuniculus f. domestica ; n = 5). The samples originated from eight European countries. In case only serum was available, we tested the samples for the presence of anti-treponemal antibodies. For this, we utilized the Treponema pallidum -particle agglutination test (TP-PA), which is suited for the use in lagomorphs due to the antigenic cross-reactivity of anti- T. pallidum and anti- T. paraluisleporidarum antibodies . In addition, the results of 380 sera were confirmed using the fluorescent- Treponema antibody absorption test (FTA-ABS). In all cases where swab samples were available, DNA was extracted and tested using quantitative PCR to test for the presence of the lagomorph syphilis-bacterium. We were able to detect antibodies in 825 of 1,995 lagomorph sera (41.4%; brown hare: 825/1,868; rabbit: 0/127) and obtained positive qPCR results from 182 of 287 swab samples (63.4%; European brown hare: 167/267; mountain hare: 4/4; rabbit: 11/16). While all rabbit sera ( n = 127) tested negative for anti-treponemal antibodies, the presence of the bacterium was confirmed in eight wild ( n = 8/11) and three domestic rabbits ( n = 3/5) from Germany using qPCR.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
1612-4642
,
1439-0574
DOI:
10.1007/s10344-021-01535-w
Language:
English
Publisher:
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Publication Date:
2021
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2140087-8
SSG:
12
SSG:
23
