Zoonotic Bartonella species in Eurasian wolves and other free‐ranging wild mammals from Italy

Abstract

Bartonellae are emerging vector-borne pathogens infecting humans, domestic mammals and wildlife. Ninety-seven red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), 8 European badgers (Meles meles), 6 Eurasian wolves (Canis lupus), 6 European hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus), 3 beech martens (Martes foina) and 2 roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) from Italian Nature Conservatory Parks were investigated for Bartonella infection. Several Bartonella species (9.84%; 95% CI: 4.55-15.12), including zoonotic ones, were molecularly detected among wolves (83.3%; 95% CI: 51-100.00), foxes (4.12%; 95% CI: 0.17-8.08), hedgehogs (33.33%; 95% CI: 0.00-71.05) and a roe deer. Bartonella rochalimae was the most common Bartonella species (i.e. in 4 foxes and 2 wolves) detected. Candidatus B. merieuxii and B. vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii were identified for the first time in wolves. Furthermore, Bartonella schoenbuchensis was identified in a roe deer and a new clone with phylogenetic proximity to B. clarridgeiae was detected in European hedgehogs.Zoonotic and other Bartonella species were significantly more frequent in Eurasian wolves (p < .0001), than in other free-ranging wild mammals, representing a potential reservoir for infection in humans and domestic animals.

Occurrence and bacterial loads of Bartonella and haemotropic Mycoplasma species in privately owned cats and dogs and their fleas from East and Southeast Asia

“…The positive flea ( Ct. felis ) (#39) from Indonesia carried C . B. merieuxii DNA displaying the ssr A sequence identical to clones previously detected from domestic and wild canids in Iran, Iraq and Italy (Chomel et al, 2012; Greco et al, 2021; Greco, Sazmand, et al, 2019) (Table 3).…”

“…B. merieuxii was herein detected for the first time in fleas, particularly, Ct. felis . This Bartonella species had already been detected in the blood of canids including dogs in Iran, jackals in Iraq and wolves in Italy (Chomel et al, 2012; Greco et al, 2021; Greco, Sazmand, et al, 2019).…”

“…Moreover, the higher frequencies (20% to 60%) recorded in stray and hunting dogs (Ebani et al, 2015; Greco, Sazmand, et al, 2019) compared to urban ones, as observed in the present study, suggest that wild wildlife and their ectoparasites are sources for the infection as documented by the detection of Bartonella spp. in wild canids, including foxes, wolves or jackals (Chomel et al, 2012; Greco et al, 2021; Hodžić et al, 2018).…”

Arthropod-Borne Pathogens in Wild Canids

“…berkhoffii , and one harbored DNA sequences similar to Candidatus Bartonella merieuxii clones; furthermore, one wolf was co-infected with B.vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii and B. rochalimae [ 93 ]. The detection of DNA reportable to Candidatus Bartonella merieuxii suggests that this new bartonella is circulating among different canids.…”

Biomolecular Investigation of Bartonella spp. in Wild Rodents of Two Swiss Regions

“…Recently, the number of newly detected Bartonella species increased significantly and, to date, 45 different species have been isolated [ 9 ]. These were identified in humans, domestic [ 10 , 11 , 12 ] and wild animals, including bats [ 13 ], deer [ 14 ], marine mammals [ 15 ], rodents [ 16 ], and sheep [ 17 ]. Molecular evidence of Bartonella spp.…”