First detection and molecular identification of the zoonoticAnaplasma caprain deer in France

Abstract

13Cervids are known to be reservoir of zoonotic tick-transmitted bacteria. The aim of this study was 14 to perform a survey in a wild fauna reserve to characterize Anaplasma species carried by captive red 15 deer and swamp deer. Blood from 59 red deer and 7 swamp deer was collected and analyzed over a 16 period of two years. A semi-nested PCR that targets the 23S rRNA was performed to detect and 17 characterise Anaplasma spp. and determine zoonotic species presence. Anaplasma phagocytophilum 18 was identified in 14/59 deer (23.7%) but not in swamp deer. Few sequences could not be assigned 19to any particular species based on the 23S rRNA sequences. Nested PCR targeting 16S rRNA, gltA 20 and groEL genes and sequencing analysis detected a recently reported zoonotic species, Anaplasma 21 capra in red deer as well as in swamp deer. This is the first reporting of the tick-borne zoonotic 22 bacterium A. capra in France, a species otherwise described only in China and Japan, in goats, 23sheep, deer and japanese serows. Even if this bacterium may have been introduced in the Park with 24 infected imported animals, its local epidemiological cycle through tick transmission seems possible 25 as locally born deer were found infected. Diagnostic methods, especially molecular ones, should 26 take into account the potential infection of animals and humans with this species. 27 28 Keywords : Anaplasma capra, zoonotic tick-borne bacteria, red deer, swamp deer, 23S rRNA, 16S 29 rRNA, groEL, gltA 30 31 32