PREVALENCE OF ANTIBODY TO AND DNA OFLAWSONIA INTRACELLULARISIN SAMPLES FROM WILD ANIMALS IN KOREA

Abstract

We evaluated the prevalence of Lawsonia intracellularis infection in three wild animal species in Korea; the Korean water deer ( Hydropotes inermis ), Siberian roe deer ( Capreolus pygargus ), and raccoon dogs ( Nyctereutes procyonoides ). We collected 136 sera and 109 fecal samples from individuals in 10 Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Centers. Serum samples were tested for anti- L. intracellularis antibodies using a blocking enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (bELISA), and fecal samples were subjected to a real-time PCR assay for L. intracellularis . Thirty-five (25.7%) sera and 36 (33.0%) fecal samples were positive. We found a higher proportion of positive sera (64.7%, χ=15.439, P<0.01) and feces (58.8%, χ=6.126, P<0.05) in raccoon dogs (χ=11.855, P<0.01) than in the other species (20% positive sera and 29% positive feces in Korean water deer; 20% positive sera and 25% positive feces in Siberian roe deer). Our data indicate infection by L. intracellularis in Korean water deer, Siberian roe deer, and raccoon dogs throughout the country. It is imperative to know whether these infected animal species are natural hosts for L. intracellularis in addition to domestic pigs ( Sus scrofa domesticus).

Molecular and serological investigation of Lawsonia intracellularis in weanling foals in Türkiye

“…Lawsonia intracellularis (L. intracellularis), the causative agent of equine proliferative enteropathy (EPE), is an obligate Gram-negative, intracellular bacterium. EPE has been diagnosed increasingly in horse populations in the world (6,8,12). L. intracellularis mainly infects pigs and horses but a number of other animal species were also reported to be susceptible including rabbits, rodents, foxes, wild pigs, deer, ferrets, ostriches racoon dogs, Korean water deer, non human primates and domestic dogs (11).…”