Anaplasma phagocytophilum in the highly endangered Père David's deer Elaphurus davidianus

Abstract

Eighteen of 43 (41.8%) Père David's deer from Dafeng Elk National Natural Reserve, China, were positive for Anaplasma phagocytophilum based on real-time FRET-PCR and species-specific PCRs targeting the 16S rRNA or msp4. To our knowledge this is the first report of A. phagocytophilum in this endangered animal.