Antibodies to West Nile virus in feral swine from Florida, Georgia, and Texas, USA.

West Nile virus (WNV) exposure has not yet been reported in feral swine (Sus scrofa) despite the broad geographic range and population density of this species. The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of antibodies to WNV in feral pigs, and to evaluate serologic diagnostics as applied to this species. Feral pig serum from three states was evaluated for antibodies to WNV.

Detection of Babesia and Anaplasma species in rabbits from Texas and Georgia, USA.

Rabbits have been shown to harbor a suite of zoonotic organisms, including a Babesia species, Borrelia burgdorferi, and Anaplasma phagocytophilum. In this study, we conducted a molecular survey for various tick-borne pathogens in three species of rabbits from Texas and Georgia. Of 18 black-tailed jackrabbits (Lepus californicus) tested from Texas, six (28%) were polymerase chain reaction (PCR) positive for Babesia, and nucleotide sequencing revealed two distinct species or strains.