First Molecular Detection of Bartonella bovis and Bartonella schoenbuchensis in European Bison (Bison bonasus)

SIMPLE SUMMARY: The European bison is the largest ruminant in Europe. The population of European bison in Lithuania is increasing and several free-ranging herds exist. Owing to their protected status, studies of vector-borne pathogens in European bison are still lacking. By analyzing European bison and ticks collected from them in Lithuania, we checked for the presence of Bartonella spp. and found a low frequency (7.9%) of positive animals. This study showed that European bison may be infected by at least two Bartonella species, namely B. bovis and B. schoenbuchensis. Our results demonstrated that further research is needed to determine the distribution of Bartonella species in wild and domestic ruminants, and it is important to identify the transmission route. ABSTRACT: Bartonella bacteria infect the erythrocytes and endothelial cells of mammalians. The spread of the Bartonella infection occurs mainly via bloodsucking arthropod vectors. Studies on Bartonella infection in European bison, the largest wild ruminant in Europe, are lacking. They are needed to clarify their role in the maintenance and transmission of Bartonella spp. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of the Bartonella pathogen in European bison and their ticks in Lithuania. A total of 38 spleen samples from bison and 258 ticks belonging to the Ixodes ricinus and Dermacentor reticulatus species were examined. The bison and tick samples were subjected to ssrA, 16S–23S rRNA ITS, gltA, and rpoB partial gene fragment amplification using various variants of PCR. Bartonella DNA was detected in 7.9% of the tissue samples of European bison. All tick samples were negative for Bartonella spp. The phylogenetic analysis of 16S–23S rRNA ITS, gltA, and rpoB partial gene fragment revealed that European bison were infected by B. bovis (2.6%) and B. schoenbuchensis (5.3%). This is the first report addressing the occurrence of B. bovis and B. schoenbuchensis in European bison in Europe.