Graduate Program

Biological Sciences

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Semester of Degree Completion

Summer 2024

Thesis Director

Elliott Zieman

Thesis Committee Member

Scott J. Meiners

Thesis Committee Member

Antony O. Oluoch

Abstract

Feral swine (Sus scrofa) have been proposed as part of the lifecycles of multiple tickborne pathogens (TBP). This is a result of the increase in feral swine populations and increased tick populations and geographic ranges. Few surveys exist on the TBP relevant to human and wildlife of feral swine in the US. The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence of 10 TBP: Anaplasma spp., Borrelia spp., Cytauxzoon felis, Hepatozoon spp., Babesia spp., Mycoplasma spp., Trypanosoma cruzi, Toxoplasma gondii, Yersinia pestis, and Rickettsia spp. A total of 87 feral swine blood samples were acquired from 27 counties in 7 different states by the USDA Wildlife Services as part of feral swine control. Blood samples were screened via polymerase chain reaction for the detection of the aforementioned TBP DNA. The result indicated the presence of Mycoplasma spp. in 59 out of 87 (67.8%) of the samples. The 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis (170-193 bp) indicates a close relationship to the M. suis/M. parvum cluster. The presence of Babesia spp. was detected in 15 out of 87 (17%). The presence of Anaplasma spp. was detected in 3 feral swine. These findings imply that feral swine may be crucial to the expansion of TBP and the maintenance of its vectors. The presence of Babesia spp., Mycoplasma spp., and Anaplasma spp. are the first in feral swine as a host in the United States.

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Available for download on Wednesday, July 02, 2025

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