Ticks and wild small mammals in Zoological garden Brno, Czech Republic – reservoir of agents with zoonotic potential?
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| Year of publication | 2022 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Description | In zoo, there is a diverse collection of exotic animals living in small area with high concentration of different infectious agents. Rodents are reservoirs of tick-borne pathogens causing zoonotic diseases and ticks play an important role spreading of zoonoses in nature but also in captive animals. The aim of this study was to monitor selected agents with zoonotic potential in reservoirs and vectors in zoo, and to draw attention on the risk of possible contact with these pathogens. In total, 117 wild rodents and 166 ticks were collected in area of zoo Brno. Heart rinses of rodents were examined by modified enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to detect antibodies to Coxiella burnetii, Francisella tularensis, and Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. Antibodies to Leptospira spp. were detected by microscopic agglutination test in heart-printing of rodents. Antibodies to C. burnetii, F. tularensis, B. burgdorferi, and Leptospira spp. were detected in 17%, 4%, 15%, and 6% of rodents, respectively. Prevalence of C. burnetii statistically differed according to the years of trapping. Parasites Toxoplasma gondii and Encephalitozoon spp. were detected by PCR in brain tissue of 16% and 20% of rodents, respectively. Bacteria B. burgdorferi s.l., Rickettsia sp. and A. phagocytophilum were detected by PCR in 16%, 6% and 1% of ticks, respectively without coinfection. Sequences of four samples showed homology with Rickettsia Helvetica and sequence of one sample shoved homology with A. phagocytophilum. The results of our study showed that wild small mammals and ticks in zoo are reservoirs of infectious agents that are circulating in zoo. |
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