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There are several infectious agents of domestic cattle that can also be present in free-living ruminant populations. These include bovine herpesvirus 1 (BoHV-1) and bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) which are the causative agents of infectious bovine rhinotracheitis and bovine viral diarrhea, respectively. The study was conducted on serum samples from 59 red deer, 24 roe deer, and 3 fallow deer (86 in total), originating from two geographically separate areas of Poland. The samples were tested with commercially available ELISA tests for BoHV-1 and BVDV. The overall seroprevalence was 5.8% and 3.5%, respectively. All positive samples originated exclusively from red deer. Because of BoHV-1 ELISA cross reactivity with cervid herpesvirus 1 and 2 (CvHV-1 and -2) the nature of alphaherpesviruses infecting the sampled animals could not be assessed., (Copyright© by the Polish Academy of Sciences.)

Background: The aim of the study was to determine the role of game animals as reservoirs of Anaplasma phagocytophilum, a bacteria species transmitted by Ixodes ricinus ticks, from north-western Poland (Zachodniopomorskie vovoidship). The area under question is endemic for A. phagocytophilum., Material and Methods: Blood and spleen samples were taken from 72 roe deer between April and December 2003. Animals culled during winter did not harbour ticks, on the other hand 155 individuals of Ixodes ricinus were collected from 35 of 43 animals taken during spring. We tested all samples for A. phagocytophilum by PCR amplification of the msp2 gene. An individual was considered infected if pathogens were detected in at least one isolate (blood or a tissue sample)., Results: DNA from A. phagocytophilum was not found in isolates from ticks collected from the animals. The general level of infection for the roe deer was 31.94% (23/72). DNA of A. phagocytophilum was most commonly detected in blood samples; only in three cases was anaplasma DNA detected in spleen and not in blood. Ruminants seem to be the most competent reservoir for A. phagocytophilum in north-western Poland.

Capreolus capreolus and Ixodes ricinus as a reservoir of Bartonella in north-western Poland. The purpose of the study was to assess the prevalence Bartonella in Capreolus capreolus from north-western Poland forest. Supplementary, ticks infesting roe deer were also screened in order to ascertain their role as vectors and reservoirs of Bartonella. The samples of blood from 98 animals from north-western Poland were PCR-screened. Bartonella DNA was detected by using primers complementary to the intergenic spacer (ITS) between the 16S and 23S rRNA genes, which is used for identification of over a dozen species of this genus. Products of three different sizes were detected: 230 bp and 290 bp may represent two strains of B. capreoli, and 190 bp may be identify as B. bovis. All three amplicons were detected in blood, the 290 bp fragment from B. capreoli was present only in ticks, Ixodes ricinus. Generally, Bartonella infection in C. capreolus amounted to 21.4% of individuals, but was much higher during the autumn-winter seasons (62%), than in spring (4.3%). The results show that C. capreolus may be a reservoir for at least two species, i.e. B. capreoli and B. bovis, and probably do not cause persistent infection in roe deer. The high percentage of infested individuals during spring (84%) and infection detected in I. ricinus (5.2%) show that ticks are reservoir and vector of Bartonella.