Prevalence of vector-borne diseases among reindeer (<i>Rangifer tarandus</i>) Bolshezemelskaya and Malozemelskaya tundr

Abstract

The purpose of the research is to establish the prevalence of vector-borne diseases in reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) Bolshezemelskaya and Malozemelskaya tundra.Materials and methods. The research was carried out in 2022–2023 on domesticated reindeer living in the Bolshezemelskaya and Malozemelskaya tundra of the Nenets Autonomous Okrug and the Komi Republic. Stabilized blood was obtained from animals by random sampling and PCR studies were performed for the presence of genetic material of pathogens of the genera Anaplasma, Babesia and Theileria.Results and discussion. The DNA of the causative agent of anaplasmosis was isolated from 14.3% of reindeer from Malozemelskaya (family-tribal community «Vy Tu» (VTU) and «Opseda» (OPS)) and 30.6% of Bolshezemelskaya tundra (Аgricultural production cooperative «Harp» (HARP) and Collective Farm «Izhemsky olenevod and Co» (IZHM)). To a greater extent, vazhenki and calves were infected with anaplasmosis, to a lesser extent – choirs. Genetic material of Babesia pathogens was found in 53.1% of VTU and OPS deer and 36.7% of HARP and IZHM, while babesiosis was most often observed in the chorus group. Teileriosis was found in 10.2% and 4.1% of animal samples among the herds of the Malozemelskaya and Bolshezemelskaya tundra, respectively. The genetic material of the causative agent of teileriosis was isolated mainly from the blood obtained from calves. The causative agent of theileriosis was not found in the biological material of the choirs. The presence of DNA Anaplasma spp. and Babesia spp. in one sample, the proportion of deer from Malozemelskaya tundra herds was 2.4%, from Bolshezemelskaya – 26.5%. The combined course of babesiosis and teileriosis was found to be 8.2% only in VTU and OPS deer. Thus, studies have shown that vector-borne diseases is widespread among the reindeer of the studied farms of the Bolshezemelskaya and Malozemelskaya tundra.

Keywords

• polymerase chain reaction
• reindeer
• anaplasmosis
• teileriosis
• babesiosis
• bolshezemelskaya tundra
• malozemelskaya tundra