Replication Data for: A multi-pathogen screening of captive reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) in Germany based on serological and molecular assays

A dataset for multi-pathogen screening of captive reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) in Germany based on serological and molecular assays.
Abstract: Captive reindeer in German zoos and wildlife parks live outside their natural geographic range and are exposed to a variety of viral, bacterial and protozoan pathogens, some host-specific and some which they are not exposed to in their native habitat. Reindeer blood samples and ticks collected in 2013 from 125 reindeer at 16 different zoological facilities were available from a previous study. The aims of this study were to assess the serological status of these animals with regards to various microorganisms as well as to test ticks (Ixodes ricinus) and blood samples for the presence of Anaplasma spp. DNA in order to evaluate the exposure of captive reindeer in Germany to a variety of pathogens. Antibodies were detected by ELISA (seropositive/tested, prevalence, confidence interval) against alphaherpesvirus (24/119, 20.3 %, CI: 13.9-28.3), bluetongue virus (BTV; 4/119, 3.4 %, CI: 1.0-8.7), gammaherpesvirus (7/119, 5.9 %, CI: 2.7-11.9), pestivirus (5/118, 4.2 %, CI: 1.6-9.8), Schmallenberg virus (SBV; 70/118, 59.3 %, CI: 50.3-67.8), smooth Brucella spp. (1/118; 0.9 %, CI: 0-5.1), Neospora caninum (5/118, 4.2 %, CI: 1.6-9.8) and Toxoplasma gondii (62/119, 52.1 %, CI: 43.2-60.9). These results confirmed the exposure of reindeer to all tested pathogens. Moreover, real-time PCR for Anaplasma phagocytophilum was performed on whole blood samples from reindeer (n = 123) and 49 ticks (Ixodes ricinus) collected from 22 reindeer in seven different facilities. The samples were tested with real-time PCR and DNA of A. phagocytophilum was detected in 17 reindeer (13.8 %) and 15 ticks (30.6 %). Three of the five reindeer with ticks having A. phagocytophilium DNA also had such DNA in the blood. These results indicate that captive reindeer may be susceptible to several ruminant pathogens that they hitherto had no known exposure to through their natural geographical distribution and habitats. Further, captive reindeer may serve as reservoir hosts for pathogens circulating in local domestic, captive and wild ruminant species and populations and arthropod vectors.

本数据集基于血清学与分子生物学检测方法，用于对德国境内圈养驯鹿（*Rangifer tarandus*）开展多病原筛查。
德国动物园与野生动物园内的圈养驯鹿，其生存环境脱离其自然地理分布范围，因此会接触到多种病毒、细菌及原生生物病原，其中部分病原具有宿主特异性，另有部分则是其在自然原生栖息地中未曾接触过的。本研究前期已收集到2013年采自16家不同动物园设施内125头驯鹿的血液样本与蜱虫样本。本研究的目标为：评估该批驯鹿针对各类微生物的血清学状态，同时对蜱虫（蓖麻硬蜱，*Ixodes ricinus*）与血液样本开展无形体属（*Anaplasma* spp.）DNA检测，以评估德国圈养驯鹿对多种病原的暴露情况。
研究人员采用酶联免疫吸附试验（ELISA，Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay）检测了受试动物针对多种病原体的抗体（阳性数/检测数、阳性率、置信区间）：α疱疹病毒（alphaherpesvirus，24/119，20.3%，置信区间CI：13.9~28.3）、蓝舌病病毒（bluetongue virus, BTV，4/119，3.4%，CI：1.0~8.7）、γ疱疹病毒（gammaherpesvirus，7/119，5.9%，CI：2.7~11.9）、瘟病毒（pestivirus，5/118，4.2%，CI：1.6~9.8）、沙布伦贝格病毒（Schmallenberg virus, SBV，70/118，59.3%，CI：50.3~67.8）、光滑型布鲁氏菌属（smooth Brucella spp.，1/118，0.9%，CI：0~5.1）、犬新孢子虫（Neospora caninum，5/118，4.2%，CI：1.6~9.8）以及刚地弓形虫（Toxoplasma gondii，62/119，52.1%，CI：43.2~60.9）。上述结果证实，驯鹿已对所有受试病原产生暴露。
此外，本研究针对7家不同动物园设施内22头驯鹿采集的全血样本（n=123）以及49只蜱虫样本，开展了嗜吞噬细胞无形体（*Anaplasma phagocytophilum*）的实时荧光定量PCR（real-time PCR）检测。经检测，17头驯鹿（13.8%）与15只蜱虫（30.6%）样本中均检出该菌的DNA。其中5头携带有嗜吞噬细胞无形体DNA蜱虫的驯鹿中，有3头的血液样本同样检出了该菌的DNA。
上述结果表明，圈养驯鹿可能对多种反刍动物病原易感，而这些病原此前未被证实会在其自然地理分布与栖息环境中使驯鹿产生暴露。此外，圈养驯鹿或可作为当地家养、圈养及野生反刍动物类群与节肢动物媒介中传播病原的储存宿主。