First molecular evidence of Theileria cervi infection in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in Mexico

Abstract

Theileria cervi is a tick-borne protozoan that infects different deer species around the world. Clinical diseases due to Theileria cervi have been reported in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) in the USA, however, information about this parasite has not been documented in Mexico. Here, blood samples from three white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) from a region in northeastern Mexico were analyzed by blood smear, PCR, and DNA sequencing. The results confirmed the presence of T. cervi for the first time in white-tailed deer in Mexico.