Exposure of American Black Bears (Ursus americanus) to Ticks, Tick-Borne Diseases, and Intestinal Parasites in Wisconsin

Abstract

We surveyed 159 American black bears (Ursus americanus) over a period of three years for the occurrence of ticks, tick-borne diseases, and intestinal parasites in Wisconsin. We collected blood from the bears to test for the presence of antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme disease), Rickettsia rickettsii (Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF)), Babesia, Ehrlichia, Ehrlichia canis, Brucella canis, and Anaplasma phagocytophilum. We also examined scat samples for intestinal parasites. We commonly found the tick Dermacentor variabilis, but also present the first report of Rhipicephalus sanguineus on black bears. We detected antibodies to Lyme disease and RMSF. We detected antibodies to E. canis for the first time in a bear and both antibodies to R. rickettsii and A. phagocytophilum for the first time in a black bear in Wisconsin. No antibodies for Babesia or Br. canis were detected. We found eggs of the intestinal parasite Baylasascaris transfuga as well as a low number of Toxascara leonina and unknown Capillaria species occurrences in the examined feces.