Anaplasma phagocytophilum is an important tick-borne zoonotic agent of human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA). In Europe, the Ixodes ticks are the main vector responsible for A. phagocytophilum transmission. A wide range of wild animals is involved in the circulation of this pathogen in the environment. Changes in populations of vertebrates living in different ecosystems impact the ecology of ticks and the epidemiology of tick-borne diseases. In this study, we investigated four species, Western European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus), northern white-breasted hedgehog (Erinaceus roumanicus), Eurasian red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris), and the common blackbird (Turdus merula), to describe their role in the circulation of A. phagocytophilum in urban and periurban ecosystems. Ten different tissues were collected from cadavers of the four species, and blood and ear/skin samples from live blackbirds and hedgehogs. Using qPCR, we detected a high rate of A. phagocytophilum: Western European hedgehogs (96.4%), northern white-breasted hedgehogs (92.9%), Eurasian red squirrels (60%), and common blackbirds (33.8%). In the groEL gene, we found nine genotypes belonging to three ecotypes; seven of the genotypes are associated with HGA symptoms. Our findings underline the role of peridomestic animals in the ecology of A. phagocytophilum and indicate that cadavers are an important source of material for monitoring zoonotic pathogens. Concerning the high prevalence rate, all investigated species play an important role in the circulation of A. phagocytophilum in municipal areas; however, hedgehogs present the greatest anaplasmosis risk for humans. Common blackbirds and squirrels carry different A. phagocytophilum variants some of which are responsible for HGA.

Biology Centre Institute of Parasitology Czech Academy of Sciences Branišovská 31 České Budějovice Czech Republic

CEITEC VFU University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Palackého třída 1946 1 Brno Czech Republic

Department of Botany and Zoology Faculty of Science Masaryk University Kotlářská 2 Brno Czech Republic

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Mendel University Zemědělská 1665 Brno Czech Republic

Department of Microbiology Nutrition and Dietetics Faculty of Agrobiology Food and Natural Resources Czech University of Life Sciences Prague Kamýcka 129 Prague Czech Republic Czech Republic

Department of Parasitology Faculty of Science Charles University Vinicna 7 Prague Czech Republic

Department of Pathology and Parasitology Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Palackého třída 1946 1 Brno Czech Republic

Department of Veterinary Sciences CINeZ Faculty of Agrobiology Food and Natural Resources Czech University of Life Sciences Prague Kamýcka 129 Prague Czech Republic

Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen Biomedical Center Charles University alej Svobody 1655 76 Plzeň Czech Republic

Laboratory for Zoonoses and Environmental Microbiology National Institute for Public Health and Environment Antonie van Leeuwenhoeklaan 9 P O Box 1 Bilthoven The Netherlands

Veterinary Research Institute Brno Hudcova 70 Brno Czech Republic

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