Pathogen screening in the red fox (Vulpes Vulpes) from Lithuania

Povilas Sakalauskas; Indrė Lipatova; Jana Radzijevskaja; Algimantas Paulauskas

doi:10.6001/biologija.v65i4.4122

Povilas Sakalauskas
Indrė Lipatova
Jana Radzijevskaja
Algimantas Paulauskas

DOI: https://doi.org/10.6001/biologija.v65i4.4122

Keywords: Vulpes vulpes, Anaplasma spp., Bartonella spp., Rickettsia spp., Borrellia spp., Babesia spp., Mycoplasma spp., Dirofilaria spp.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to screen free-ranging red foxes from Lithuania for the presence of different vector-borne pathogens. A total of 31 red foxes from three districts of Lithuania were molecularly tested for the presence of pathogens. Five different pathogens were detected in 83.9% of red foxes: Anaplasma spp., Bartonella spp., Rickettsia spp., Borrellia spp. and Babesia spp. The presence of Mycoplasma spp. and Dirofilaria spp. was not detected in our study.