{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,12]],"date-time":"2025-10-12T02:01:47Z","timestamp":1760234507769,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":28,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,5,29]],"date-time":"2021-05-29T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1622246400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Veterinary Sciences"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Babesia odocoilei is a tick-borne protozoal parasite which infects the erythrocytes of members of the families Cervidae and Bovidae. Infection can result in hemolytic anemia, lethargy, anorexia, and death. The reservoir host of B. odocoilei is the white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus); however, infections with overt disease have only been documented in reindeer (Rangider tarandu tarandus), caribou (Rangider tarandu caribou) and captive elk (Cervus elaphus canadensis). Infected elk may remain asymptomatic, creating the risk for dissemination of the pathogen when elk are relocated. Additionally, infected asymptomatic elk may contribute to the spread of B. odocoilei in the local wildlife\/captive population via feeding ticks. Information regarding endemic regions of B. odocoilei infection is limited due to frequent asymptomatic infections and a lack of targeted surveillance of B. odocoilei in wildlife. To obtain data on B. odocoilei infection in wild elk in Pennsylvania, we tested blood samples collected from 190 hunter-harvested wild elk between 2016 and 2017. Of the 190 blood samples tested, 18.4% (35\/190) tested positive for Babesia spp. Genetic sequencing of the positive samples showed a 98.0\u2013100.0% match for B. odocoilei. No other Babesia species were identified. Results of this study documents B. odocoilei infection within hunter-harvested wild elk from Pennsylvania.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/vetsci8060094","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,5,31]],"date-time":"2021-05-31T03:45:29Z","timestamp":1622432729000},"page":"94","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Surveillance for Babesia odocoilei in Hunter-Harvested Wild-Elk (Cervus elaphus canadensis) from Pennsylvania, USA (2016\u20132017)"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"8","author":[{"given":"Elizabeth Jean","family":"Calvente","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Dr. Jane Huffman Wildlife Genetics Institute, 562 Independence Rd., Suite 114 East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania, East Stroudsburg, PA 18301, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Clay","family":"Steber","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Dr. Jane Huffman Wildlife Genetics Institute, 562 Independence Rd., Suite 114 East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania, East Stroudsburg, PA 18301, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9185-9288","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Justin","family":"Brown","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, Penn State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Holly","family":"Brown","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"VCA Metzger Animal Hospital, 1044 Benner Pike, State College, PA 16801, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Jeremiah","family":"Banfield","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pennsylvania Game Commission, 2001 Elmerton Avenue, Harrisburg, PA 17001, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Nicole","family":"Chinnici","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Dr. Jane Huffman Wildlife Genetics Institute, 562 Independence Rd., Suite 114 East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania, East Stroudsburg, PA 18301, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,5,29]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"451","DOI":"10.1128\/CMR.13.3.451","article-title":"Babesiosis","volume":"13","author":"Homer","year":"2000","journal-title":"Clin. Microbiol. Rev."},{"key":"ref_2","first-page":"14","article-title":"Natural History of Zoonotic Babesia: Role of Wildlife Reservoirs","volume":"6","author":"Yabsley","year":"2013","journal-title":"Int. J. Parasitol."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"189","DOI":"10.1016\/S0304-4017(03)00078-5","article-title":"Molecular Studies on Babesia, Theileria and Hepatozoon in Southern Europe: Part I. Epizootiological Aspects","volume":"113","year":"2003","journal-title":"Vet. Parasitol."},{"key":"ref_4","unstructured":"Milnes, E.L. (2018). Eco-Epidemiology and Treatment of Babesiosis in Cervids. [Ph.D. Thesis, University of Guelph]."},{"key":"ref_5","first-page":"52","article-title":"Babesia odocoilei as a Cause of Mortality in Captive Cervids in Canada","volume":"59","author":"Mathieu","year":"2018","journal-title":"Can. Vet. J."},{"key":"ref_6","first-page":"142","article-title":"The Isolation of A Babesia In White-Tailed Deer","volume":"4","author":"Emerson","year":"1968","journal-title":"Bull. Wildl. Dis. Assoc."},{"key":"ref_7","unstructured":"(1970). CORRECTION Emerson, H.R.; Wright, W.T. The Isolation of A Babesia In White-Tailed Deer. Bull. Wildl. Dis. Assoc., 6, 519."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"683","DOI":"10.7589\/0090-3558-41.4.683","article-title":"New Ruminant Hosts and Wider Geographic Range Identified for Babesia odocoilei","volume":"41","author":"Schoelkopf","year":"2005","journal-title":"J. Wildl. Dis."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1027","DOI":"10.2460\/javma.2003.223.1027","article-title":"Babesia odocoilei Infection in Elk","volume":"223","author":"Gallatin","year":"2003","journal-title":"J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"535","DOI":"10.1177\/1040638713491746","article-title":"Babesia odocoilei Infection in a Saskatchewan Elk (Cervus elaphus canadensis) Herd","volume":"25","author":"Pattullo","year":"2013","journal-title":"J. Vet. Diagn. Invest."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"455","DOI":"10.4269\/ajtmh.2003.69.455","article-title":"Enzootic Transmission of Babesia divergens Among Cottontail Rabbits on Nantucket Island, Massachusetts","volume":"69","author":"Goethert","year":"2003","journal-title":"Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg."},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"739","DOI":"10.4269\/ajtmh.1998.58.739","article-title":"Diversity of Babesia Infecting Deer Ticks (Ixodes dammini)","volume":"58","author":"Armstrong","year":"1998","journal-title":"Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"363","DOI":"10.1007\/s00580-012-1428-3","article-title":"Babesia odocoilei Infection in a North American Elk (Cervus elaphus canadensis)","volume":"21","author":"Ameri","year":"2012","journal-title":"Comp. Clin. Pathol."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Puraite, I., Rosef, O., Radzijevskaja, J., Lipatova, I., and Paulauskas, A. (2016). The First Detection of Species of Babesia Starcovici, 1893 in Moose, Alces alces (Linnaeus), in Norway. Folia Parasitol. (Praha), 63.","DOI":"10.14411\/fp.2016.009"},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"903","DOI":"10.1128\/JCM.05848-11","article-title":"A New Real-Time PCR Assay for Improved Detection of the Parasite Babesia Microti","volume":"50","author":"Teal","year":"2012","journal-title":"J. Clin. Microbiol."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"378","DOI":"10.1007\/s00436-003-0984-5","article-title":"Ribosomal RNA Analysis of Babesia odocoilei Isolates from Farmed Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) and Elk (Cervus elaphus canadensis) in Wisconsin","volume":"91","author":"Holman","year":"2003","journal-title":"Parasitol. Res."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2694","DOI":"10.1128\/JCM.42.6.2694-2700.2004","article-title":"Comparison of Blood Smear, Antigen Detection, and Nested-PCR Methods for Screening Refugees from Regions Where Malaria Is Endemic after a Malaria Outbreak in Quebec, Canada","volume":"42","author":"Ndao","year":"2004","journal-title":"J. Clin. Microbiol."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"797","DOI":"10.1007\/s00436-006-0345-2","article-title":"Determination of Prevalence and Risk Factors for Infection with Babesia ovis in Small Ruminants from Turkey by Polymerase Chain Reaction","volume":"100","author":"Aktas","year":"2007","journal-title":"Parasitol. Res."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"111","DOI":"10.1292\/jvms.63.111","article-title":"Detection of Babesia Species from Infected Dog Blood by Polymerase Chain Reaction","volume":"63","author":"Ano","year":"2001","journal-title":"J. Vet. Med. Sci."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"538","DOI":"10.1177\/1040638714535600","article-title":"Use of the Polymerase Chain Reaction Assay for the Detection of Babesia odocoilei 18S Ribosomal RNA in Formalin-Fixed Tissues","volume":"26","author":"Lockerbie","year":"2014","journal-title":"J. Vet. Diagn. Invest."},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"277","DOI":"10.1016\/j.vetpar.2005.05.057","article-title":"Development of a Polymerase Chain Reaction Method for Diagnosis of Babesia ovis Infection in Sheep and Goats","volume":"133","author":"Altay","year":"2005","journal-title":"Vet. Parasitol."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2791","DOI":"10.1128\/jcm.34.11.2791-2794.1996","article-title":"Comparison of PCR with Blood Smear and Inoculation of Small Animals for Diagnosis of Babesia microti Parasitemia","volume":"34","author":"Krause","year":"1996","journal-title":"J. Clin. Microbiol."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"518","DOI":"10.7589\/0090-3558-36.3.518","article-title":"Antigenic, Phenotypic and Molecular Characterization Confirms Babesia odocoilei Isolated from Three Cervids","volume":"36","author":"Holman","year":"2000","journal-title":"J. Wildl. Dis."},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"189","DOI":"10.1186\/s13071-019-3451-6","article-title":"A 117-Year Retrospective Analysis of Pennsylvania Tick Community Dynamics","volume":"12","author":"Pak","year":"2019","journal-title":"Parasit. Vectors"},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Calvente, E., Pelletier, S., Banfield, J., Brown, J., and Chinnici, N. (2020). Prevalence of Winter Ticks (Dermacentor albipictus) in Hunter-Harvested Wild Elk (Cervus canadensis) from Pennsylvania, USA (2017\u20132018). Vet. Sci., 7.","DOI":"10.3390\/vetsci7040177"},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"460","DOI":"10.7589\/0090-3558-30.3.460","article-title":"Culture Isolation and Partial Characterization of a Babesia Sp. from a North American Elk (Cervus elaphus)","volume":"30","author":"Holman","year":"1994","journal-title":"J. Wildl. Dis."},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"247","DOI":"10.7589\/2019-02-046","article-title":"Winter Tick (Dermacentor albipictus)-Associated Dermatitis in a Wild Elk (Cervus canadensis) in Pennsylvania, USA","volume":"56","author":"Calvente","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. Wildl. Dis."},{"key":"ref_28","unstructured":"Banfield, J., and Rosenbury, C. (2020). Elk Management in Pennsylvania a Five-Year Plan (2020\u20132025), Pennsylvania Game Commission."}],"container-title":["Veterinary Sciences"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2306-7381\/8\/6\/94\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T06:08:51Z","timestamp":1760162931000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2306-7381\/8\/6\/94"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2021,5,29]]},"references-count":28,"journal-issue":{"issue":"6","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,6]]}},"alternative-id":["vetsci8060094"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/vetsci8060094","relation":{},"ISSN":["2306-7381"],"issn-type":[{"type":"electronic","value":"2306-7381"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2021,5,29]]}}}