Borrelia persica infection in wild carnivores in Israel: molecular characterization and new potential reservoirs.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Borrelia persica causes tick-borne relapsing fever in Israel, the eastern Mediterranean basin, and Asia. Relapsing fever is associated with severe illness and potentially death in humans and animals. Since B. persica infection has rarely been described in wild animals, the aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of infection with B. persica in wild carnivores in Israel.

Methods

Spleen and blood clot samples from wild carnivores, which underwent necropsy, were tested for the presence of Borrelia DNA by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). PCR products were sequenced, and the spirochete loads were quantified using a specific quantitative PCR (qPCR).

Results

A total of 140 samples from 74 wild carnivores were analyzed for the presence of Borreli

SUBMITTER: Shwartz D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10523677 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature