Wild and farm breeding cervids infections with Anaplasma phagocytophilum.

The main goal of our study was to determine the prevalence of Anaplasma phagocytophilum infections in wild cervids living in north-eastern part of Poland. Material used in the study was gathered between the years 2004- 2008. The blood samples from 106 red deer (Cervus elaphus), 32 sika deer (Cervus nippon hortulorum), 130 fallow deer (Dama dama) and 31 roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) were collected. DNA was isolated using Genomic Mini AX blood kit (A and A Biotechnology). Molecular detection of A. phagocytophilum was based on nested PCR amplification of a species-specific 16S rRNA fragment gene of A. phagocytophilum. The highest prevalence of infection was detected in Cervus elaphus, Capreolus capreolus, Cervus nippon hortulorum, there were 50.9 percent, 38.7 percent, 34.37 percent of infected animals, respectively. The lowest rate of infection was found in fallow deer (Dama dama) - ony 1.5 percent.