Data from: Deer keds and blacklegged ticks infesting ungulates in the United States: molecular detection of Bartonella spp., Rickettsia spp., Anaplasma spp., and Borrelia spp.

Deer keds are blood-feeding flies from which several human and animal pathogens have been detected, including the causative agent of Lyme Disease (Borrelia burgdorferi). Cervids, which are the primary hosts of deer keds, are not natural reservoirs of B. burgdorferi, and it has been suggested that deer keds may acquire bacterial pathogens by co-feeding near ticks that are infected with the bacteria. We tested this hypothesis by using a molecular assay to screen for presence of Anaplasma spp., Bartonella spp., Borrelia spp., and Rickettsia spp. in specimens of European deer keds (n=306) and blacklegged ticks (n=315) collected from 38 individual white-tailed deer in Pennsylvania. There was limited similarity in the bacterial DNA detected between these ectoparasites per host, suggesting that co-feeding may not be a mechanism by which deer keds acquire these bacteria. We discuss these results in relation to deer ked feeding biology, life history, and collection timepoints. In addition, we screened specimens of European deer keds (n=410), Neotropical deer keds (n=13), Western American deer keds (n=10), and Pacific deer keds (n=14) for these same bacterial pathogens.

鹿虱蝇（Deer keds）是一类吸血蝇类，目前已在其体内检出多种人类与动物病原体，包括莱姆病的致病原——伯氏疏螺旋体（Borrelia burgdorferi）。作为鹿虱蝇的主要宿主，鹿科动物（Cervids）并非伯氏疏螺旋体的自然储存宿主，有研究推测鹿虱蝇可能通过在感染该细菌的蜱类附近共同取食而获得该细菌性病原体。本研究通过分子检测技术，对采自宾夕法尼亚州38只白尾鹿的欧洲鹿虱蝇标本（n=306）与黑腿蜱（blacklegged ticks）标本（n=315）中的无形体属（Anaplasma spp.）、巴尔通体属（Bartonella spp.）、疏螺旋体属（Borrelia spp.）以及立克次体属（Rickettsia spp.）进行筛查，以验证上述假说。分析发现，单只宿主携带的这两类体表寄生虫体内检出的细菌DNA相似性有限，提示共同取食或许并非鹿虱蝇获取这类细菌性病原体的途径。本研究结合鹿虱蝇的取食生物学特性、生活史及采样时间点对结果进行了讨论。此外，我们还针对欧洲鹿虱蝇（n=410）、新热带鹿虱蝇（n=13）、北美西部鹿虱蝇（n=10）以及太平洋鹿虱蝇（n=14）的标本，开展了上述相同的细菌病原体筛查。