Abstract：
Borrelia theileri is a tick-borne spirochete causative agent of fever, apathy and reduced food consumption in cattle. Molecular diagnosis has expanded the understanding of Borrelia theileri with new hosts and geographical locations being described. The present study aimed to describe the first molecular detection of B. theileri in wild tapirs (Tapirus terrestris) from South America. Blood DNA samples obtained from 99 tapirs sampled in Pantanal (n = 61) and Cerrado (n = 38) biomes were screened using a qPCR assay based on the 16 S rRNA gene of Borrelia sp. Positive samples in the qPCR assay were subjected to PCR assays to allow characterization of fragments from 16 S rRNA and flaB genes. Two (2/99; 2.0%) animals from Pantanal biome were positive in the qPCR and one sample presented bands of expected size for the flaB protocol. Amplicons from this sample were successfully cloned and sequenced. In the phylogenetic analysis, Borrelia sp. from T. terrestris grouped together with B. theileri sequences previously detected in Rhipicephalus microplus ticks and cattle from Minas Gerais State in Brazil, Rhipicephalus geigyi from Mali, and R. microplus and Haemaphysalis sulcata from Pakistan. This finding contributes to our knowledge regarding susceptible hosts species for B. theileri. More studies are necessary to understand the potential effects of B. theileri on tapir\'s health.
摘要：
疏螺旋体是一种蜱传螺旋体发热的病原体，牛的冷漠和食物消耗减少。分子诊断扩大了对疏螺旋体的理解，描述了新的宿主和地理位置。本研究旨在描述南美野生tap（Tapirusterrestris）中对B.theileri的首次分子检测。使用基于疏螺旋体属的16SrRNA基因的qPCR分析，筛选了从潘塔纳尔（n=61）和Cerrado（n=38）生物群落中采样的99个tap中获得的血液DNA样品。对qPCR测定中的阳性样品进行PCR测定以允许表征来自16SrRNA和flaB基因的片段。来自潘塔纳尔生物群落的两只(2/99;2.0%)动物在qPCR中呈阳性,并且一个样品呈现flaB方案的预期大小的条带。来自该样品的扩增子被成功地克隆和测序。在系统发育分析中，疏螺旋体sp.来自T.terrestris，与先前在巴西米纳斯吉拉斯州的Rhipicephalusmicrotick和牛中检测到的B.theileri序列一起，来自马里的Rhipicephalusgeigyi，以及来自巴基斯坦的R.microplus和sumaphysalissulcata。这一发现有助于我们了解B.theileri的易感宿主物种。需要更多的研究来了解B.theileri对tapir健康的潜在影响。
