Species Detected in Deer from Southwest England.

Abstract

species have been detected in deer across Europe, and deer grazing in the same location as livestock may increase the risk of transmission of species such as the parasiteBovine babesiosis and the cost of treatment increase the economic burden on farmers. To determine the presence ofspecies in wild deer populations in the counties of Devon and Somerset, Southwest England, blood samples were collected from red () and fallow () deer as part of routine deer management during late 2022 and early 2023. Extracted DNA samples were tested for the presence of piroplasm DNA by polymerase chain reaction. Amplicons were sequenced to identify the species present in samples based on single-nucleotide polymorphisms within the 18S rRNA gene. Two species ofwere detected: aspecies detected in both red and fallow deer and aspecies related toin a single fallow deer, a species that has been detected in deer across Great Britain. The presence ofin deer blood from these areas provides evidence that wild deer could serve as a reservoir for this parasite within Southern England.