Prevalence and risk factors of Anaplasma infections in Eastern moose (Alces alces americana) and winter ticks (Dermacentor albipictus) in Maine, United States

Eastern moose (Alces alces americana) are heavily parasitized by winter ticks (Dermacentor albipictus), the dominant cause of increased calf mortality in the northeastern United States. Although much work has focused on the direct negative effects of winter tick on moose, it remains unknown whether diseases transmitted by ticks may also affect moose health, or pose a risk to other species. In this study, we explored the role that moose and winter ticks play in transmission of the tick-borne bacterial pathogen, Anaplasma, which causes mild to severe illness in humans and domestic animals. Our objectives were to (1) estimate the prevalence of Anaplasma spp. in moose and winter tick, (2) determine the phylogenetic placement of these strains with respect to those found in other hosts and vectors, and (3) explore risk factors of Anaplasma infection in moose. A total of 157 moose (142 calves, 15 adults) were captured in western (n = 83) and northern (n = 74) Maine in 2017 and 2018. We screene..., Blood samples were collected from moose during live captures, along with associated data on year, location in Maine (by Wildlife Management District, WMD), age (adult, calf), and sex (female, male). Winter ticks were collected from moose, and blacklegged ticks collected from the environment. Whole genomic DNA was extracted from biological samples from both moose and ticks, and used in genetic-based analyes for the detection of the bacteria of the genus Anaplasma. Tick samples were pooled for this analysis, with pool sizes varying between 1-5 ticks. When possible, sex (female, male, mixed) and life stage (adult, nymph) were idenified for each tick pool.
, Detailed information on the metadata is provided within the data file.
, , This README file describes the data included in the Dryad submission for Elliott et al. 2021, \"Prevalence and risk factors of Anaplasma infections in Eastern moose (Alces alces americanus) and winter ticks (Dermacentor albipictus) in Maine, United States\".

**Citation of the associated paper:**

Elliott, J.A., C.C. Dickson, L. Kantar, M.R. O’Neal, A. Lichtenwalner, A. Bryant, W. Jakubas, P.J. Pekins, S.M. De Urioste-Stone, P.L. Kamath (2021). Prevalence and risk factors of Anaplasma infections in Eastern moose (Alces alces americana) and winter ticks (Dermacentor albipictus) in Maine, United States. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 57(4): 844-855.

1. Elliott_et_al_JWD_Data_Dryad.xlsx: Excel file with all data from both individual moose and ticks tested for Anaplasma, including identification numbers, year and region of collection, age, sex, infection status, and GenBank Accession numbers for the associated Anaplasma sequence data. Further explanation of metadata is provided with the file.
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