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Veiga J, Baltà O, Figuerola J. Does bird life-history influence the prevalence of ticks? A citizen science study in North East Spain. One Health 2024; 18:100718. [PMID: 38644969 PMCID: PMC11026695 DOI: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2024.100718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024] Open
Abstract
After mosquitoes, ticks are among the most important vector of pathogens of concern for animal and public health, but unless mosquitoes ticks remain attached to their hosts for long time periods providing an opportunity to analyse their role in the dispersal and dynamics of different zoonotic pathogens. Given their interest in public health it is important to understand which factors affect their incidence in different hosts and to stablish effective surveillance programs to determine the risk of transmission and spill-over of zoonotic pathogens. Taking benefit of a large network of volunteer ornithologists, we analysed the life-history traits associated to the presence of ticks using information of 620,609 individuals of 231 avian species. Bird phylogeny, locality and year explained a large amount of variance in tick prevalence. Non-colonial species non breeding in grasslands and non-spending the non-breeding season as gregarious groups or isolated individuals (e.g. thrushes, quails and finches) had the higher prevalence of ticks and appear as good candidates for zoonosis surveillance programs based on the analyses of ticks collected from wild birds. Ringers underestimated tick prevalence but can be considered as an important source of information of ticks for public and animal health surveillance programs if properly trained for the detection and collection of the different tick development phases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesus Veiga
- Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Oriol Baltà
- Institut Català d'Ornitologia, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jordi Figuerola
- Estación Biológica de Doñana – CSIC, Sevilla, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
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2
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Byun HR, Rieu MS, Han SW, Ji SR, Nam HY, Seo S, Choi CY, Linh BK, Thanh HL, Kaewthamasorn M, Sahara A, Galay RL, Wang SL, Erdenechimeg T, Batbayar N, Matsui S, Kawaji N, Moulin A, Yu YT, Avais M, Chae JS. Ixodid ticks from wild and domestic animals in East and Central Asian flyways. Acta Trop 2024; 249:107091. [PMID: 38065376 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2023.107091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
Tick-borne diseases have a significant impact on human and animal populations, posing an increasing threat to public health, particularly in the context of climate change. Along with the various natural hosts of ticks, birds play a notable role in transmitting ticks and tick-borne pathogens, indicating the importance of monitoring flyways and establishing a cooperative network for comprehensive surveillance and to collect diverse tick samples across various regions. This study aimed to develop an international network for surveillance of disease, collection of sufficient tick samples, and overall identification of the geographical distribution of host and ticks in Asian regions, especially in 11 countries on East Asian and Central Asian flyways. Ticks were collected from wild animals, domestic animals, and vegetation to identify the differences between Ixodid ticks and understand tick distribution. We collected a total 6,624 of ticks from 11 collaborating Asian countries, the Republic of Korea (ROK), Japan, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Mongolia and Pakistan. We identified 17 host animals and 47 species of both residential and migratory birds. Ticks from birds collected from four countries (ROK, Japan, Hong Kong and Mongolia) belonged to two genera, Haemaphysalis and Ixodes, including Haemaphysalis (H.) longicornis, H. flava, H. concinna, H. hystricis, H. formosensis, Ixodes (I.) nipponensis and I. persulcatus. The potential of migratory birds to cross ecological barriers with ticks and tick-borne diseases indicated the need for further investigations to understand the migration of birds as potential vectors and the new influx of zoonotic diseases along migratory bird flyways. This study suggests the potential risk of spreading tick-borne diseases through birds, thus highlighting the importance of international cooperative networking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hye-Ryung Byun
- Laboratory of Veterinary Internal Medicine, BK21 FOUR Future Veterinary Medicine Leading Education and Research Center, Research Institute for Veterinary Science and College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Gwanak-ro 1, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Mi-Sun Rieu
- Laboratory of Veterinary Internal Medicine, BK21 FOUR Future Veterinary Medicine Leading Education and Research Center, Research Institute for Veterinary Science and College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Gwanak-ro 1, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Sun-Woo Han
- Laboratory of Veterinary Internal Medicine, BK21 FOUR Future Veterinary Medicine Leading Education and Research Center, Research Institute for Veterinary Science and College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Gwanak-ro 1, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Seong-Ryeong Ji
- Laboratory of Veterinary Internal Medicine, BK21 FOUR Future Veterinary Medicine Leading Education and Research Center, Research Institute for Veterinary Science and College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Gwanak-ro 1, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun-Young Nam
- School of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Seulgi Seo
- Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Chang-Yong Choi
- Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea; Department of Agriculture, Forestry, and Bioresources, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Bui Khanh Linh
- Vietnam National University of Agriculture, Trau Quy, Gia Lam, Ha Noi, Vietnam
| | - Hien Le Thanh
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Nong Lam University Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
| | - Morakot Kaewthamasorn
- Veterinary Parasitology Research Unit, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Ana Sahara
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia
| | - Remil L Galay
- Department of Veterinary Paraclinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of the Philippines Los Baños, Laguna 4031, Philippines
| | - Shang-Lin Wang
- Institute of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, National Taiwan University, No.1 Sec.4, Roosevelt Rd., Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | | | - Nyambayar Batbayar
- Wildlife Science and Conservation Center of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar 14210, Mongolia
| | - Shin Matsui
- School of Biological Sciences, Tokai University, Hokkaido 005-8601, Japan
| | - Noritomo Kawaji
- Hokkaido Research Center, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, Sapporo 062-8516, Japan
| | - Anna Moulin
- The Hong Kong Bird Watching Society, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - Yat-Tung Yu
- The Hong Kong Bird Watching Society, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - Muhammad Avais
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore 54000, Pakistan
| | - Joon-Seok Chae
- Laboratory of Veterinary Internal Medicine, BK21 FOUR Future Veterinary Medicine Leading Education and Research Center, Research Institute for Veterinary Science and College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Gwanak-ro 1, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea.
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3
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Bland J, McGowan C, Bush E, Lloyd V. Constructing an ELISA for Detection of Anti-Borrelia in Wildlife and Agricultural Animals. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2742:47-67. [PMID: 38165614 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3561-2_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2024]
Abstract
Zoonotic diseases have major impacts on human and animal health, as well as being ecologically significant. Lyme Borreliosis or Lyme disease, caused by infection by pathogenic members of the Borrelia genus, is among these zoonotic diseases. Serology is one of the most accessible means for indirect surveillance of pathogen presence by monitoring the presence, abundance, and type of immune response to the pathogen or pathogen-associated epitopes. Serological surveillance of wild animals is important as wild animals are the primary reservoirs of many zoonotic diseases. Similarly, serological surveillance of agricultural animals is important due to their economic importance, in addition to animal welfare concerns. However, serology in any non-model animal such as wildlife or agricultural animals is difficult because serology necessarily relies on blood samples from the animals being tested. While companion or laboratory animals are generally sufficiently accustomed to humans that blood samples can be obtained, obtaining blood samples from wild or agricultural animals is more challenging. This initial challenge is compounded by the absence of validated serological tools to evaluate antibody titres in the sera. In this chapter, we provide methods for constructing an ELISA for the detection of anti-Borrelia antibodies in non-model animals, using studies on horses and cows as a proof of principle. The methods focus on the problems specific to non-model animals including obtaining sera, options for determining positive and negative controls without the ability to perform controlled infections, and methods for test optimization and validation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Bland
- Department of Biology, Mount Allison University, Sackville, NB, Canada
- Atlantic Veterinary College, Charlottetown, PE, Canada
| | - Caitlin McGowan
- Atlantic Veterinary College, Charlottetown, PE, Canada
- Nova Scotia, Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), Dartmouth, NS, Canada
| | - Emma Bush
- Department of Biology, Mount Allison University, Sackville, NB, Canada
- Atlantic Veterinary College, Charlottetown, PE, Canada
| | - Vett Lloyd
- Department of Biology, Mount Allison University, Sackville, NB, Canada.
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4
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Combs MA, Tufts DM, Adams B, Lin YP, Kolokotronis SO, Diuk-Wasser MA. Host adaptation drives genetic diversity in a vector-borne disease system. PNAS NEXUS 2023; 2:pgad234. [PMID: 37559749 PMCID: PMC10408703 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgad234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Abstract
The range of hosts a pathogen can infect is a key trait, influencing human disease risk and reservoir host infection dynamics. Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto (Bb), an emerging zoonotic pathogen, causes Lyme disease and is widely considered a host generalist, commonly infecting mammals and birds. Yet the extent of intraspecific variation in Bb host breadth, its role in determining host competence, and potential implications for human infection remain unclear. We conducted a long-term study of Bb diversity, defined by the polymorphic ospC locus, across white-footed mice, passerine birds, and tick vectors, leveraging long-read amplicon sequencing. Our results reveal strong variation in host breadth across Bb genotypes, exposing a spectrum of genotype-specific host-adapted phenotypes. We found support for multiple niche polymorphism, maintaining Bb diversity in nature and little evidence of temporal shifts in genotype dominance, as would be expected under negative frequency-dependent selection. Passerine birds support the circulation of several human-invasive strains (HISs) in the local tick population and harbor greater Bb genotypic diversity compared with white-footed mice. Mouse-adapted Bb genotypes exhibited longer persistence in individual mice compared with nonadapted genotypes. Genotype communities infecting individual mice preferentially became dominated by mouse-adapted genotypes over time. We posit that intraspecific variation in Bb host breadth and adaptation helps maintain overall species fitness in response to transmission by a generalist vector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew A Combs
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY 11203-2098, USA
- Institute for Genomics in Health, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY 11203-2098, USA
| | - Danielle M Tufts
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
- Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Department, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Ben Adams
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, BA27AY, UK
| | - Yi-Pin Lin
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY 12201, USA
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University at Albany, Albany, NY 12203, USA
| | - Sergios-Orestis Kolokotronis
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY 11203-2098, USA
- Institute for Genomics in Health, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY 11203-2098, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY 11203-2098, USA
- Department of Cell Biology, College of Medicine, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY 11203-2098, USA
| | - Maria A Diuk-Wasser
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
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5
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Lange RE, Dupuis AP, Ciota AT. Diversification of Bourbon Virus in New York State. Microorganisms 2023; 11:1590. [PMID: 37375092 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11061590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2023] [Revised: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Bourbon virus (BRBV, family Orthomyxoviridae) is a tickborne virus recently detected in the United States (US). BRBV was first identified from a fatal human case in 2014 in Bourbon County, Kansas. Enhanced surveillance in Kansas and Missouri implicated Amblyomma americanum as the primary vector for BRBV. Historically, BRBV was only detected in the lower midwestern US, but since 2020 it has been reported in North Carolina, Virginia, New Jersey, and New York State (NYS). This study aimed to elucidate genetic and phenotypic characteristics of BRBV strains from NYS through whole genome sequencing and the assessment of replication kinetics in mammalian cultures and A. americanum nymphs. Sequence analysis revealed the existence of two divergent BRBV clades circulating in NYS. BRBV NY21-2143 is closely related to the midwestern BRBV strains but has unique substitutions in the glycoprotein. Two other NYS BRBV strains, BRBV NY21-1814 and BRBV NY21-2666, form a distinct clade unique from previously sequenced BRBV strains. Phenotypic diversification was also detected in NYS BRBV strains compared to each other and midwestern BRBV strains, with BRBV NY21-2143 displaying attenuation in rodent-derived cell culture and a fitness advantage in experimentally infected A. americanum. These data suggest genetic and phenotypic diversification of emergent BRBV strains circulating in NYS that could contribute to increased spread of BRBV in the northeastern US.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel E Lange
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Public Health, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1 University Place, Rensselaer, NY 12144, USA
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Griffin Laboratory, 5668 State Farm Road, Slingerlands, NY 12159, USA
| | - Alan P Dupuis
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Griffin Laboratory, 5668 State Farm Road, Slingerlands, NY 12159, USA
| | - Alexander T Ciota
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Public Health, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1 University Place, Rensselaer, NY 12144, USA
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Griffin Laboratory, 5668 State Farm Road, Slingerlands, NY 12159, USA
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6
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Hassall RMJ, Burthe SJ, Schäfer SM, Hartemink N, Purse BV. Using mechanistic models to highlight research priorities for tick-borne zoonotic diseases: Improving our understanding of the ecology and maintenance of Kyasanur Forest Disease in India. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2023; 17:e0011300. [PMID: 37126514 PMCID: PMC10174626 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The risk of spillover of zoonotic diseases to humans is changing in response to multiple environmental and societal drivers, particularly in tropical regions where the burden of neglected zoonotic diseases is highest and land use change and forest conversion is occurring most rapidly. Neglected zoonotic diseases can have significant impacts on poor and marginalised populations in low-resource settings but ultimately receive less attention and funding for research and interventions. As such, effective control measures and interventions are often hindered by a limited ecological evidence base, which results in a limited understanding of epidemiologically relevant hosts or vectors and the processes that contribute to the maintenance of pathogens and spillover to humans. Here, we develop a generalisable next generation matrix modelling framework to better understand the transmission processes and hosts that have the greatest contribution to the maintenance of tick-borne diseases with the aim of improving the ecological evidence base and framing future research priorities for tick-borne diseases. Using this model we explore the relative contribution of different host groups and transmission routes to the maintenance of a neglected zoonotic tick-borne disease, Kyasanur Forest Disease Virus (KFD), in multiple habitat types. The results highlight the potential importance of transovarial transmission and small mammals and birds in maintaining this disease. This contradicts previous hypotheses that primates play an important role influencing the distribution of infected ticks. There is also a suggestion that risk could vary across different habitat types but currently more research is needed to evaluate this relationship. In light of these results, we outline the key knowledge gaps for this system and future research priorities that could inform effective interventions and control measures.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sarah J Burthe
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | | | - Nienke Hartemink
- Biometris, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Quantitative Veterinary Epidemiology group, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Bethan V Purse
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Wallingford, United Kingdom
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7
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Monti F, Baratti M, Viviano A, Mori E. Ticks in the box: Argas persicus occurrence in nest boxes of secondary cavity-nesting bird species in Italy. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-023-01656-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
AbstractMigratory organisms can be vectors of parasitic host organisms that can then be transported along seasonal migratory journeys and spread across continents. Ornithophilic nidicolous ticks (e.g. soft ticks) include species responsible for the transmission of pathogens and bacteria, thus representing a health problem not only for wild species that are directly parasitized, but also for those that share the same environments or reproductive sites with them. In this regard, artificial nests for birds may turn out to be site-sources of parasites. Here, we document the occurrence of different life stages of Argas persicus ticks in nest boxes of wild birds in a natural area (not associated with poultry activities) of central coastal Italy (Maremma Regional Park, Tuscany). Between 2018 and 2022, 168 ticks were collected from nest boxes occupied by different secondary cavity-nesting birds, such as European rollers Coracias garrulus and scops owl Otus scops. Ticks were analysed morphologically, and selected specimens were also identified by mitochondrial ribosomal 16S (16S) subunit gene to ascertain their taxonomic status. All ticks were identified as Argas persicus. This finding not only suggests that this tick species has formed a viable population in this Italian region, but also further confirms the previously doubtful natural origin of the species at country level and sheds new light on its underestimated and little investigated distribution. Possible pathways of introduction and its potential impacts on local avian community are discussed.
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8
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Pandey M, Piedmonte NP, Vinci VC, Falco RC, Daniels TJ, Clark JA. First Detection of the Invasive Asian Longhorned Tick (Acari: Ixodidae) on Migratory Passerines in the Americas. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2022; 59:2176-2181. [PMID: 36166571 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjac144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The Asian longhorned tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis Neumann), native to East Asia, was first reported in the United States in 2017 and is now established in at least 17 states. Haemaphysalis longicornis feeds on birds in its range outside of the United States, and migratory birds disperse this tick and tick-borne pathogens. However, early studies in the United States did not find H. longicornis on migrating passerine birds. The transport of the parthenogenetic H. longicornis on birds has the potential to greatly expand its range. We report the first discovery of H. longicornis on migratory passerine birds in the Americas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Medha Pandey
- Louis Calder Center Biological Field Station, Fordham University, 31 Whippoorwill Road, Armonk, NY 10504, USA
| | - Nicholas P Piedmonte
- New York State Department of Health, Empire State Plaza, Corning Tower Albany, NY 12237, USA
- New York State Department of Health, Louis Calder Center, Fordham University, 31 Whippoorwill Road, Armonk, NY 10504, USA
| | - Vanessa C Vinci
- New York State Department of Health, Louis Calder Center, Fordham University, 31 Whippoorwill Road, Armonk, NY 10504, USA
| | - Richard C Falco
- New York State Department of Health, Louis Calder Center, Fordham University, 31 Whippoorwill Road, Armonk, NY 10504, USA
| | - Thomas J Daniels
- Louis Calder Center Biological Field Station, Fordham University, 31 Whippoorwill Road, Armonk, NY 10504, USA
| | - J Alan Clark
- Louis Calder Center Biological Field Station, Fordham University, 31 Whippoorwill Road, Armonk, NY 10504, USA
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9
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Leber M, Moncrief ND, Gatens LJ, Michel M, Brinkerhoff RJ. Use of mammalian museum specimens to test hypotheses about the geographic expansion of Lyme disease in the southeastern United States. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2022; 13:102018. [PMID: 35964455 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2022.102018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
Lyme disease, caused primarily in North America by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, is the most frequently reported vector-borne disease in North America and its geographic extent is increasing in all directions from foci in the northeastern and north central United States. Several southeastern states, including Virginia and North Carolina, have experienced large increases in Lyme disease incidence in the past two decades, with the biggest changes in incidence occurring in the western portion of each state. We tested the hypothesis that B. burgdorferi s.s. was present in western Virginia and North Carolina Peromyscus leucopus populations prior to the recent emergence of Lyme disease. Specifically, we examined archived P. leucopus museum specimens, sampled between 1900 and 2000, for B. burgdorferi s.s. DNA. After confirming viability of DNA extracted from ear punch biopsies from P. leucopus study skins collected between 1945 and 2000 in 19 Virginia counties and 17 North Carolina counties, we used qPCR of two species-specific loci to test for the presence of B. burgdorferi s.s. DNA. Ten mice, all collected from the Eastern Shore of Virginia in 1989, tested positive for presence of B. burgdorferi; all of the remaining 344 specimens were B. burgdorferi-negative. Our results suggest that B. burgdorferi s.s was not common in western Virginia or North Carolina prior to the emergence of Lyme disease cases in the past two decades. Rather, the emergence of Lyme disease in this region has likely been driven by the relatively recent expansion of B. burgdorferi s.s. in southward-moving ticks and reservoir hosts in the mountainous counties of these two states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghan Leber
- Department of Biology, University of Richmond, Richmond, VA 23173, United States
| | - Nancy D Moncrief
- Virginia Museum of Natural History, Martinsville, VA, 24112, United States
| | - Lisa J Gatens
- North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh, NC, 27601, United States
| | - Maggie Michel
- Department of Biology, University of Richmond, Richmond, VA 23173, United States
| | - R Jory Brinkerhoff
- Department of Biology, University of Richmond, Richmond, VA 23173, United States; School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.
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10
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Morozov A, Tischenkov A, Silaghi C, Proka A, Toderas I, Movila A, Frickmann H, Poppert S. Prevalence of Bacterial and Protozoan Pathogens in Ticks Collected from Birds in the Republic of Moldova. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10061111. [PMID: 35744630 PMCID: PMC9227923 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10061111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Epidemiological knowledge on pathogens in ticks feeding on birds in Moldova is scarce. To reduce this gap of information, a total of 640 migrating and native birds of 40 species were caught from 2012 to 2015 and examined for the presence of ticks in the Republic of Moldova. Altogether, 262 ticks belonging to five tick species (Ixodes ricunus n = 245, Ixodes frontalis n = 12, Haemaphysalis punctata n = 2, Hyalomma marginatum n = 2 (only males), Dermacentor marginatus n = 1) were collected from 93 birds. Of these ticks, 250 (96%) were at the stage of a nymph and 9 at the stage of a larva (3%). One imago of I. frontalis and two imagoes of Hy. marginatum were found. Generally, ticks infested 14.1% of the assessed birds belonging to 12 species. DNA was extracted from individual ticks with subsequent PCR targeting Rickettsia spp., Borrelia spp. in general, as well as relapsing fever-associated Borrelia spp., in particular, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Neoehrlichia mikurensis, Babesia spp. and Coxiella burnetii. The bird species Turdus merula showed the heaviest infestation with ticks and the highest incidence of infected ticks. Altogether, 32.8% of the assessed ticks (n = 86) were positive for one of the pathogens. DNA of Borrelia spp. was found in 15.2% (40/262) of the investigated ticks; in 7.6% of ticks (20/262), DNA of rickettsiae was detected; 6.9% (18/262) of the ticks were positive for A. phagocytophilum DNA; in 1.5% of the ticks (4/262), DNA of Neoehrlichia mikurensis was detected, followed by 1.5% (4/262) Babesia microti and 1.5% (4/262) Borrelia miyamotoi. Within the B. burgdorferi complex, B. garinii (n = 36) was largely predominant, followed by B. valaisiana (n = 2) and B. lusitaniae (n = 2). Among the detected Rickettsia spp., R. monacensis (n = 16), R. helvetica (n = 2) and R. slovaca (n = 1) were identified. In conclusion, the study provided some new information on the prevalence of ticks on birds in Moldova, as well as the presence of DNA of pathogens in the ticks. By doing so, it provided an additional piece in the puzzle of the global epidemiology of tick-transmitted infectious diseases from a geographic side from where respective surveillance data are scarce.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandr Morozov
- Center of Research of Biological Invasions, Institute of Zoology, MD-2012 Chisinau, Moldova; (A.P.); (I.T.); (A.M.)
- Correspondence: (A.M.); (S.P.)
| | - Alexei Tischenkov
- Natural Geography Department, Shevchenko Transnistria State University, MD-3300 Tiraspol, Moldova;
| | - Cornelia Silaghi
- Comparative Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 80802 Munich, Germany;
- Institute of Infectology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, 17493 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Andrei Proka
- Center of Research of Biological Invasions, Institute of Zoology, MD-2012 Chisinau, Moldova; (A.P.); (I.T.); (A.M.)
| | - Ion Toderas
- Center of Research of Biological Invasions, Institute of Zoology, MD-2012 Chisinau, Moldova; (A.P.); (I.T.); (A.M.)
| | - Alexandru Movila
- Center of Research of Biological Invasions, Institute of Zoology, MD-2012 Chisinau, Moldova; (A.P.); (I.T.); (A.M.)
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Comprehensive Care, Indiana University School of Dentistry, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Hagen Frickmann
- Department of Microbiology and Hospital Hygiene, Bundeswehr Hospital Hamburg, 20359 Hamburg, Germany;
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Virology and Hygiene, University Medicine Rostock, 18057 Rostock, Germany
| | - Sven Poppert
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine Hamburg, 20359 Hamburg, Germany
- Correspondence: (A.M.); (S.P.)
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11
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Transmission patterns of tick-borne pathogens among birds and rodents in a forested park in southeastern Canada. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0266527. [PMID: 35390092 PMCID: PMC8989207 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0266527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Ixodes scapularis ticks are expanding their range in parts of northeastern North America, bringing with them pathogens of public health concern. While rodents like the white-footed mouse, Peromyscus leucopus, are considered the primary reservoir of many emerging tick-borne pathogens, the contribution of birds, as alternative hosts and reservoirs, to local transmission cycles has not yet been firmly established. From 2016 to 2018, we collected host-seeking ticks and examined rodent and bird hosts for ticks at 48 sites in a park where blacklegged ticks are established in Quebec, Canada, in order to characterize the distribution of pathogens in ticks and mammalian and avian hosts. We found nearly one third of captured birds (n = 849) and 70% of small mammals (n = 694) were infested with I. scapularis. Five bird and three mammal species transmitted Borrelia burgdorferi to feeding larvae (n larvae tested = 2257) and we estimated that about one fifth of the B. burgdorferi-infected questing nymphs in the park acquired their infection from birds, the remaining being attributable to mice. Ground-foraging bird species were more parasitized than other birds, and species that inhabited open habitat were more frequently infested and were more likely to transmit B. burgdorferi to larval ticks feeding upon them. Female birds were more likely to transmit infection than males, without age differentiation, whereas in mice, adult males were more likely to transmit infection than juveniles and females. We also detected Borrelia miyamotoi in larvae collected from birds, and Anaplasma phagocytophilum from a larva collected from a white-footed mouse. This study highlights the importance of characterising the reservoir potential of alternative reservoir hosts and to quantify their contribution to transmission dynamics in different species assemblages. This information is key to identifying the most effective host-targeted risk mitigation actions.
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Lilly M, Amaya-Mejia W, Pavan L, Peng C, Crews A, Tran N, Sehgal R, Swei A. Local Community Composition Drives Avian Borrelia burgdorferi Infection and Tick Infestation. Vet Sci 2022; 9:55. [PMID: 35202308 PMCID: PMC8875765 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci9020055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Revised: 01/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Globally, zoonotic vector-borne diseases are on the rise and understanding their complex transmission cycles is pertinent to mitigating disease risk. In North America, Lyme disease is the most commonly reported vector-borne disease and is caused by transmission of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) from Ixodes spp. ticks to a diverse group of vertebrate hosts. Small mammal reservoir hosts are primarily responsible for maintenance of B. burgdorferi s.l. across the United States. Nevertheless, birds can also be parasitized by ticks and are capable of infection with B. burgdorferi s.l. but their role in B. burgdorferi s.l. transmission dynamics is understudied. Birds could be important in both the maintenance and spread of B. burgdorferi s.l. and ticks because of their high mobility and shared habitat with important mammalian reservoir hosts. This study aims to better understand the role of avian hosts in tick-borne zoonotic disease transmission cycles in the western United States. We surveyed birds, mammals, and ticks at nine sites in northern California for B. burgdorferi s.l. infection and collected data on other metrics of host community composition such as abundance and diversity of birds, small mammals, lizards, predators, and ticks. We found 22.8% of birds infected with B. burgdorferi s.l. and that the likelihood of avian B. burgdorferi s.l. infection was significantly associated with local host community composition and pathogen prevalence in California. Additionally, we found an average tick burden of 0.22 ticks per bird across all species. Predator and lizard abundances were significant predictors of avian tick infestation. These results indicate that birds are relevant hosts in the local B. burgdorferi s.l. transmission cycle in the western United States and quantifying their role in the spread and maintenance of Lyme disease requires further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Lilly
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave., San Francisco, CA 94132, USA; (N.T.); (R.S.)
| | - Wilmer Amaya-Mejia
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, 612 Charles E. Young Drive East, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA;
| | - Lucas Pavan
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, 371 Jane Stanford Way, Stanford, CA 94305, USA;
| | - Ceili Peng
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 31 Ames St., Cambridge, MA 02142, USA;
| | - Arielle Crews
- San Mateo County Mosquito and Vector Control District, 1351 Rollins Road, Burlingame, CA 94010, USA;
| | - Nghia Tran
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave., San Francisco, CA 94132, USA; (N.T.); (R.S.)
| | - Ravinder Sehgal
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave., San Francisco, CA 94132, USA; (N.T.); (R.S.)
| | - Andrea Swei
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave., San Francisco, CA 94132, USA; (N.T.); (R.S.)
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13
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Tick infestation of birds across a gradient of urbanization intensity in the United States Great Plains. Urban Ecosyst 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s11252-021-01160-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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14
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Rataud A, Henry PY, Moutailler S, Marsot M. Research effort on birds' reservoir host potential for Lyme borreliosis: A systematic review and perspectives. Transbound Emerg Dis 2021; 69:2512-2522. [PMID: 34453490 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.14305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Revised: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Zoonotic tick-borne diseases threat human and animal health. Understanding the role of hosts in the production of infected ticks in an epidemiological system is essential to be able to design effective measures to reduce the exposure of humans and animals to infectious tick bites. The reservoir host potential, that is, number of infected ticks produced by a host species, depends on three components: tick production, realized reservoir competence and host density. The parameters and factors that determine the reservoir host potential need to be characterized to achieve a robust understanding of the dynamics of pathogen-tick-host systems, and thus to mitigate the acarological risk of emerging infections. Few studies have investigated the role of birds in the local spread of Lyme borreliosis Borrelia. Knowledge of the research effort on the reservoir host potential of birds in Lyme borreliosis Borrelia circulation is necessary to prioritize future research on this topic. We provide a systematic review of the research effort on components of the reservoir host potential of wild birds for Lyme borreliosis Borrelia circulation, and factors that modulate these components in the European epidemiological system. Our review of 242 selected publications showed that tick production has been 1.4 and 21 times more studied than realized reservoir competence and bird density respectively. Only one study achieved to characterize the global host reservoir potential of birds in a given epidemiological system. Investigated factors were mostly related to bird species identity, individual characteristics of birds and tick characteristics, whereas the influence of bird life-history traits have been largely under-investigated. Because simultaneous characterization of all parameters is notoriously complex, interdisciplinary research is needed to combine and accumulate independent field and laboratory investigations targeting each parameter on specific epidemiological system or host species. This can help gain an integrated appraisal of the functioning of the studied system at a local scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amalia Rataud
- Université Paris Est, ANSES, Laboratory for Animal Health, Epidemiology Unit, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Pierre-Yves Henry
- Mécanismes Adaptatifs et Evolution (MECADEV UMR 7179), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Brunoy, France.,Centre de Recherches sur la Biologie des Populations d'Oiseaux (CRBPO), Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO UMR 7204), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Sara Moutailler
- ANSES, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Maud Marsot
- Université Paris Est, ANSES, Laboratory for Animal Health, Epidemiology Unit, Maisons-Alfort, France
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15
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Tsao JI, Hamer SA, Han S, Sidge JL, Hickling GJ. The Contribution of Wildlife Hosts to the Rise of Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases in North America. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 58:1565-1587. [PMID: 33885784 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjab047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Wildlife vertebrate hosts are integral to enzootic cycles of tick-borne pathogens, and in some cases have played key roles in the recent rise of ticks and tick-borne diseases in North America. In this forum article, we highlight roles that wildlife hosts play in the maintenance and transmission of zoonotic, companion animal, livestock, and wildlife tick-borne pathogens. We begin by illustrating how wildlife contribute directly and indirectly to the increase and geographic expansion of ticks and their associated pathogens. Wildlife provide blood meals for tick growth and reproduction; serve as pathogen reservoirs; and can disperse ticks and pathogens-either through natural movement (e.g., avian migration) or through human-facilitated movement (e.g., wildlife translocations and trade). We then discuss opportunities to manage tick-borne disease through actions directed at wildlife hosts. To conclude, we highlight key gaps in our understanding of the ecology of tick-host interactions, emphasizing that wildlife host communities are themselves a very dynamic component of tick-pathogen-host systems and therefore complicate management of tick-borne diseases, and should be taken into account when considering host-targeted approaches. Effective management of wildlife to reduce tick-borne disease risk further requires consideration of the 'human dimensions' of wildlife management. This includes understanding the public's diverse views and values about wildlife and wildlife impacts-including the perceived role of wildlife in fostering tick-borne diseases. Public health agencies should capitalize on the expertise of wildlife agencies when developing strategies to reduce tick-borne disease risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean I Tsao
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Sarah A Hamer
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, and Schubot Center for Avian Health, Department of Veterinary Pathology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Seungeun Han
- Department of Disease Control and Epidemiology, National Veterinary Institute (SVA), Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jennifer L Sidge
- Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Graham J Hickling
- Center for Wildlife Health, Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
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16
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Poulin R, de Angeli Dutra D. Animal migrations and parasitism: reciprocal effects within a unified framework. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 96:1331-1348. [PMID: 33663012 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Revised: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Migrations, i.e. the recurring, roundtrip movement of animals between distant and distinct habitats, occur among diverse metazoan taxa. Although traditionally linked to avoidance of food shortages, predators or harsh abiotic conditions, there is increasing evidence that parasites may have played a role in the evolution of migration. On the one hand, selective pressures from parasites can favour migratory strategies that allow either avoidance of infections or recovery from them. On the other hand, infected animals incur physiological costs that may limit their migratory abilities, affecting their speed, the timing of their departure or arrival, and/or their condition upon reaching their destination. During migration, reduced immunocompetence as well as exposure to different external conditions and parasite infective stages can influence infection dynamics. Here, we first explore whether parasites represent extra costs for their hosts during migration. We then review how infection dynamics and infection risk are affected by host migration, thereby considering parasites as both causes and consequences of migration. We also evaluate the comparative evidence testing the hypothesis that migratory species harbour a richer parasite fauna than their closest free-living relatives, finding general support for the hypothesis. Then we consider the implications of host migratory behaviour for parasite ecology and evolution, which have received much less attention. Parasites of migratory hosts may achieve much greater spatial dispersal than those of non-migratory hosts, expanding their geographical range, and providing more opportunities for host-switching. Exploiting migratory hosts also exerts pressures on the parasite to adapt its phenology and life-cycle duration, including the timing of major developmental, reproduction and transmission events. Natural selection may even favour parasites that manipulate their host's migratory strategy in ways that can enhance parasite transmission. Finally, we propose a simple integrated framework based on eco-evolutionary feedbacks to consider the reciprocal selection pressures acting on migratory hosts and their parasites. Host migratory strategies and parasite traits evolve in tandem, each acting on the other along two-way causal paths and feedback loops. Their likely adjustments to predicted climate change will be understood best from this coevolutionary perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Poulin
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand
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17
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Rollins RE, Mouchet A, Margos G, Chitimia-Dobler L, Fingerle V, Becker NS, Dingemanse NJ. Repeatable differences in exploratory behaviour predict tick infestation probability in wild great tits. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-02972-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Ecological factors and individual-specific traits affect parasite infestation in wild animals. Ixodid ticks are important ectoparasites of various vertebrate hosts, which include passerine bird species such as the great tit (Parus major). We studied various key ecological variables (breeding density, human disturbance) and phenotypic traits (exploratory behaviour, body condition) proposed to predict tick infestation probability and burden in great tits. Our study spanned 3 years and 12 nest box plots located in southern Germany. Breeding, adult great tits were assessed for exploration behaviour, body condition, and tick burden. Plots were open to human recreation; human disturbance was quantified in each plot as a recreation pressure index from biweekly nest box inspections. Infested individuals were repeatable in tick burden across years. These repeatable among-individual differences in tick burden were not attributable to exploration behaviour. However, faster explorers did have a higher infestation probability. Furthermore, body condition was negatively correlated to tick burden. Recreation pressure was correlated to increased infestation probability, although this relationship was just above the threshold of statistical significance. Our study implies that avian infestation probability and tick burden are each determined by distinct phenotypic traits and ecological factors. Our findings highlight the importance of animal behaviour and human disturbance in understanding variation in tick burden among avian hosts.
Significance statement
Various abiotic and biotic factors, including personality type, influence tick parasitism in birds, but exactly how all these factors interplay remains unclear. We studied a wild population of great tits over a 3-year period and assessed birds for their exploration behaviour and tick infestation. We found that more explorative great tits were more likely to be infested with ticks. By contrast, faster explorers did not have higher tick burdens. Tick burden was nevertheless moderately repeatable among individuals. Our results imply that animal personality influences the probability of parasite infestation, and that infestation likelihood versus intensity are determined by distinct mechanisms. Our work highlights the importance of animal behaviour to understand parasite infestation in wild populations.
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18
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Passerine birds as hosts for Ixodes ticks infected with Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto in southeastern Virginia. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2021; 12:101650. [PMID: 33486431 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2021.101650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Revised: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The ecology of vector-borne diseases in a region can be attributed to vector-host interactions. In the United States, tick-borne pathogens are the cause of the highest number of reported vector-borne diseases. In the mid-Atlantic region of the eastern United States, tick-borne diseases such as Lyme disease, have increased in incidence, with tick-host-pathogen interactions considered a contributing factor to this increase. Ticks become infected with pathogens after taking a blood meal from a systemically infected host or through a localized infection while co-feeding on a host with other infected ticks. The host not only plays a role in pathogen acquisition by the tick, but can also facilitate dispersal of the tick locally within a region or over greater distances into new geographical ranges outside of their historical distributional range. In this study conducted in southeastern Virginia (USA), we examined the interaction between both resident and migratory bird species and Ixodes ticks, the primary vectors of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto (s.s.) the main causative agent of Lyme disease on the East coast of the United States. Over a two-year period (2012-2014), 1879 passerine birds were surveyed, with 255 Ixodes ticks tested for the presence of Borrelia spp. Eighty passerine birds (4.3 %) representing 17 bird species were parasitized by at least one Ixodes tick, but only three bird species were parasitized by Ixodes ticks that tested positive for B. burgdorferi s.s. Twenty Ixodes ticks (7.8 %) tested positive for B. burgdorferi s.s. with nearly all collected from resident bird species including the Carolina wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) and brown thrasher (Toxostoma rufum). Given that millions of birds pass through southeastern Virginia during migration, even with the low number of Ixodes ticks parasitizing passerine birds and the low prevalence of B. burgdorferi s.s. found within Ixodes ticks collected, the sheer volume of passerine birds suggests they may play a role in the maintenance and dispersal of B. burgdorferi s.s. in southeastern Virginia.
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19
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Porter WT, Barrand ZA, Wachara J, DaVall K, Mihaljevic JR, Pearson T, Salkeld DJ, Nieto NC. Predicting the current and future distribution of the western black-legged tick, Ixodes pacificus, across the Western US using citizen science collections. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0244754. [PMID: 33400719 PMCID: PMC7785219 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0244754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
In the twenty-first century, ticks and tick-borne diseases have expanded their ranges and impact across the US. With this spread, it has become vital to monitor vector and disease distributions, as these shifts have public health implications. Typically, tick-borne disease surveillance (e.g., Lyme disease) is passive and relies on case reports, while disease risk is calculated using active surveillance, where researchers collect ticks from the environment. Case reports provide the basis for estimating the number of cases; however, they provide minimal information on vector population or pathogen dynamics. Active surveillance monitors ticks and sylvatic pathogens at local scales, but it is resource-intensive. As a result, data are often sparse and aggregated across time and space to increase statistical power to model or identify range changes. Engaging public participation in surveillance efforts allows spatially and temporally diverse samples to be collected with minimal effort. These citizen-driven tick collections have the potential to provide a powerful tool for tracking vector and pathogen changes. We used MaxEnt species distribution models to predict the current and future distribution of Ixodes pacificus across the Western US through the use of a nationwide citizen science tick collection program. Here, we present niche models produced through citizen science tick collections over two years. Despite obvious limitations with citizen science collections, the models are consistent with previously-predicted species ranges in California that utilized more than thirty years of traditional surveillance data. Additionally, citizen science allows for an expanded understanding of I. pacificus distribution in Oregon and Washington. With the potential for rapid environmental changes instigated by a burgeoning human population and rapid climate change, the development of tools, concepts, and methodologies that provide rapid, current, and accurate assessment of important ecological qualities will be invaluable for monitoring and predicting disease across time and space.
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Affiliation(s)
- W. Tanner Porter
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, United States of America
- Translational Genomics Research Institute, Flagstaff, AZ, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Zachary A. Barrand
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, United States of America
| | - Julie Wachara
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, United States of America
| | - Kaila DaVall
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, United States of America
| | - Joseph R. Mihaljevic
- School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, United States of America
| | - Talima Pearson
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, United States of America
| | - Daniel J. Salkeld
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States of America
| | - Nathan C. Nieto
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, United States of America
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20
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O'Bier NS, Hatke AL, Camire AC, Marconi RT. Human and Veterinary Vaccines for Lyme Disease. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2020; 42:191-222. [PMID: 33289681 DOI: 10.21775/cimb.042.191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Lyme disease (LD) is an emerging zoonotic infection that is increasing in incidence in North America, Europe, and Asia. With the development of safe and efficacious vaccines, LD can potentially be prevented. Vaccination offers a cost-effective and safe approach for decreasing the risk of infection. While LD vaccines have been widely used in veterinary medicine, they are not available as a preventive tool for humans. Central to the development of effective vaccines is an understanding of the enzootic cycle of LD, differential gene expression of Borrelia burgdorferi in response to environmental variables, and the genetic and antigenic diversity of the unique bacteria that cause this debilitating disease. Here we review these areas as they pertain to past and present efforts to develop human, veterinary, and reservoir targeting LD vaccines. In addition, we offer a brief overview of additional preventative measures that should employed in conjunction with vaccination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathaniel S O'Bier
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| | - Amanda L Hatke
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| | - Andrew C Camire
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| | - Richard T Marconi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
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21
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Fecchio A, Martins TF, Bell JA, De LaTorre GM, Bueno ER, Malaquias MJ, Pinho JB, Labruna MB, Dias RI. Host movement and time of year influence tick parasitism in Pantanal birds. EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2020; 82:125-135. [PMID: 32856170 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-020-00530-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Ticks are among the best studied parasitic groups as they spread important pathogens of medical and veterinary importance worldwide. Migratory birds can play an important role in transporting ticks infected with pathogens across wide geographic regions. It is therefore important to understand which factors promote tick parasitism rates across their avian hosts and the associated potential for disease spread. Here, we identified the host attributes of infestation probability of ticks from the genus Amblyomma in 955 birds from Pantanal, Brazil. Infestation rates exhibited considerable variation across the 129 avian species surveyed and were explained by both host ecological traits and evolutionary history. The probability of an individual bird being infested with immature ticks (larvae and/or nymphs) was higher across resident bird species that forage at ground level and during the wet season. Bird species that feed on vertebrates were less likely to be infested by ticks. Other ecological traits known to promote tick exposure (age, body mass, social behavior, and sex) did not predict infestation probability. Our findings demonstrate that tick occurrence in Pantanal birds is determined by avian host attributes, but tick occurrence throughout the year constrains exposure to host-seeking ticks. Moreover, the ecology of the avian host might prevent the potential spread of tick-borne diseases outside Pantanal as migratory hosts are likely less infested by ticks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan Fecchio
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Conservação da Biodiversidade, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Avenida Fernando Corrêa da Costa 2367, Cuiabá, MT, 78060900, Brazil.
| | - Thiago F Martins
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Jeffrey A Bell
- Department of Biology, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, USA
| | - Gabriel M De LaTorre
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Laboratório de Ecologia E Interações Antagonísticas, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Elaine R Bueno
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Aves, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, MT, Brazil
| | - Moises J Malaquias
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Aves, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, MT, Brazil
| | - João B Pinho
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Conservação da Biodiversidade, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Avenida Fernando Corrêa da Costa 2367, Cuiabá, MT, 78060900, Brazil
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Aves, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, MT, Brazil
| | - Marcelo B Labruna
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Raphael I Dias
- Faculdade de Ciências da Educação e Saúde, Centro Universitário de Brasília, Brasília, DF, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Zoologia, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF, Brazil
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22
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Heylen DJ, Reinoso-Pérez MT, Goodman L, Dhondt KV, Dhondt AA. Ectoparasitism during an avian disease outbreak: An experiment with Mycoplasma-infected house finches and ticks. Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl 2020; 12:53-63. [PMID: 32426219 PMCID: PMC7225381 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2020.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2019] [Revised: 04/01/2020] [Accepted: 04/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Hosts are typically co-parasitized by multiple species. Parasites can benefit or suffer from the presence of other parasites, which can reduce or increase the overall virulence due to competition or facilitation. Outcomes of new multi-parasite systems are seldom predictable. In 1994 the bacterium Mycoplasma gallisepticum jumped from poultry to songbirds in which it caused an epidemic throughout North America. Songbirds are often parasitized by hard ticks, and can act as reservoirs for tick-borne pathogens. We tested the hypothesis that Mycoplasma infection in house finches influences North America's most important tick vector Ixodes scapularis, by affecting the tick's feeding success, detachment behaviour and survival to the next stage. Most ticks detached during the daylight hours irrespective of the bird's disease status and time since infestation. Birds incrementally invested in anti-tick resistance mechanisms over the course of the experiment; this investment was made earlier in the Mycoplasma-infected birds. At higher tick densities, the feeding success on birds with more severe conjunctivitis was lower than in the uninfected birds. Throughout the experiment we found positive density dependent effects on the tick's feeding success. More diseased hosts suffered more from the tick infestations, as shown by reduced haematocrits. Three Mycoplasma-infected birds died during the weeks following the experiment, although all birds were kept in optimal housing conditions. Mycoplasma made the bird a less accessible and valuable host for ticks, which is an example of ecological interference. Therefore, Mycoplasma has the potential to ultimately reduce transmission outcomes of tick-borne pathogens via songbird hosts. Songbird hosts show signs of acquired immunological resistance against ticks. Resistance acquisition was accelerated under the influence of Mycoplasma. Mycoplasma infection had no strong effects on diurnal detachments. Mycoplasma made birds a less accessible and valuable host for ticks. Virulence increased under co-parasitism on the same host tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dieter J.A. Heylen
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Interuniversity Institute for Biostatistics and Statistical Bioinformatics, Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium
- Eco-Epidemiology Group, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
- Corresponding author. Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
| | - María Teresa Reinoso-Pérez
- Laboratory of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
- Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Laura Goodman
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Keila V. Dhondt
- Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - André A. Dhondt
- Laboratory of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
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23
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Roselli MA, Cady SM, Lao S, Noden BH, Loss SR. Variation in Tick Load Among Bird Body Parts: Implications for Studying the Role of Birds in the Ecology and Epidemiology of Tick-Borne Diseases. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2020; 57:845-851. [PMID: 31883003 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjz228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Wild birds play important roles in the maintenance and dispersal of tick populations and tick-borne pathogens, yet in field studies of tick-borne disease ecology and epidemiology there is limited standardization of how birds are searched for ticks. We conducted a qualitative literature review of 100 field studies where birds were searched for ticks to characterize which parts of a bird's anatomy are typically sampled. To increase understanding of potential biases associated with different sampling approaches, we described variation in tick loads among bird body parts using field-collected data from 459 wild-caught birds that were searched across the entire body. The literature review illustrated a lack of clarity and consistency in tick-searching protocols: 57% of studies did not explicitly report whether entire birds or only particular body parts were searched, 34% reported concentrating searches on certain body parts (most frequently the head only), and only 9% explicitly reported searching the entire bird. Based on field-collected data, only 22% of ticks were found on the head, indicating that studies focusing on the head likely miss a large proportion of ticks. We provide tentative evidence that feeding locations may vary among tick species; 89% of Amblyomma americanum, 73% of Ambloyomma maculatum, and 56% of Haemaphysalis leporispalustris were on body parts other than the head. Our findings indicate a need for clear reporting and increased standardization of tick searching methodologies, including sampling the entire bird body, to provide an unbiased understanding of the role of birds in the maintenance and emergence of tick-borne pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan A Roselli
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK
| | - Samantha M Cady
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK
| | - Sirena Lao
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK
| | - Bruce H Noden
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK
| | - Scott R Loss
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK
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Abstract
Introduction: Infection with Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) causes the disease toxoplasmosis in humans and animals. Oral transmission alone may not explain the widespread distribution of this parasite over large species of host animals and geographic areas.Areas covered: Limited studies indicate the potential role of ticks in the distribution of T. gondii. The possibility of transmission of T. gondii has been demonstrated in Dermacentor variabilis, Dermacentor andersoni, Amblyomma americanum, Dermacentor reticulatus, Ixodes ricinus, Ixodes amblyomma, Amblyomma cajennense, Ornithodorus moubata and Haemaphysalis longicornis. Tick transmission of T. gondii, spread of ticks and pathogens by migratory birds and presence in the United States (US) of tick vectors of human and animal disease like Haemaphysalis longicornis indigenous to other parts of the world provide a possible mechanism for the widespread distribution of T. gondii, and a potentially expanding disease threat.Expert opinion: The evidence indicates that T. gondii is potentially an unrecognized tick-borne pathogen spreading toxoplasmosis, and that clinicians might consider toxoplasmosis in the differential diagnosis of tickborne diseases.
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25
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Pacheco A, Cordeiro MD, Cepeda MB, Luz HR, Cardozo SV, Berto BP, Guterres A, Fonseca AHD. Hemoparasites in ticks of wild birds of Serra dos Órgãos National Park, state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 28:238-244. [PMID: 31188943 DOI: 10.1590/s1984-29612019017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2018] [Accepted: 03/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study is to detect the presence of tick-borne agents of genera Rickettsia, Borrelia, Babesia, Ehrlichia and Anaplasma in ticks collected from native wild birds in the state of Rio de Janeiro. Birds were captured and observed carefully to find the ectoparasites. DNA detection of hemoparasites was performed by means of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The sequences obtained were analyzed and their homologies were compared to the available isolates in the GenBank platform database. A total of 33 birds were captured from 20 different species, of which 14 were parasitized by Amblyomma longirostre (n = 22). There was absence of DNA from agents of the genera Babesia, Anaplasma and Ehrlichia in the evaluated samples. The phylogenetic analysis indicated that one sample had 100% identity with Rickettsia bellii (KJ534309), the other two samples showed 100% identity with Rickettsia sp. Aranha strain and strain AL (EU274654 and AY360216). The positive sample for R. bellii was also demonstrated to be positive for Borrelia sp., which presented a similarity of 91% with Borrelia turcica (KF422815). This is the first description of Borrelia sp. in ticks of the genus Amblyomma in South America.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adlilton Pacheco
- Departamento de Epidemiologia e Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro - UFRRJ, Seropédica, RJ, Brasil
| | - Matheus Dias Cordeiro
- Departamento de Epidemiologia e Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro - UFRRJ, Seropédica, RJ, Brasil
| | - Marcio Barizon Cepeda
- Departamento de Epidemiologia e Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro - UFRRJ, Seropédica, RJ, Brasil
| | - Hermes Ribeiro Luz
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Pública, Universidade de São Paulo - USP, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - Sergian Vianna Cardozo
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Biomedicina Translacional, Departamento de Saúde, Universidade do Grande Rio - UNIGRANRIO, Duque de Caxias, RJ, Brasil
| | - Bruno Pereira Berto
- Departamento de Epidemiologia e Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro - UFRRJ, Seropédica, RJ, Brasil.,Departamento de Biologia Animal, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro - UFRRJ, Seropédica, RJ, Brasil
| | - Alexandro Guterres
- Laboratório de Hantaviroses e Rickettsioses, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz - FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | - Adivaldo Henrique da Fonseca
- Departamento de Epidemiologia e Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro - UFRRJ, Seropédica, RJ, Brasil
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26
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Mysterud A, Heylen DJA, Matthysen E, Garcia AL, Jore S, Viljugrein H. Lyme neuroborreliosis and bird populations in northern Europe. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20190759. [PMID: 31138073 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.0759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Many vector-borne diseases are transmitted through complex pathogen-vector-host networks, which makes it challenging to identify the role of specific host groups in disease emergence. Lyme borreliosis in humans is now the most common vector-borne zoonosis in the Northern Hemisphere. The disease is caused by multiple genospecies of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato bacteria transmitted by ixodid (hard) ticks, and the major host groups transmit Borrelia genospecies with different pathogenicity, causing variable clinical symptoms in humans. The health impact of a given host group is a function of the number of ticks it infects as well as the pathogenicity of the genospecies it carries. Borrelia afzelii, with mainly small mammals as reservoirs, is the most common pathogen causing Lyme borreliosis, and it is often responsible for the largest proportion of infected host-seeking tick nymphs in Europe. The bird-borne Borrelia garinii, though less prevalent in nymphal ticks, is more likely to cause Lyme neuroborreliosis, but whether B. garinii causes disseminated disease more frequently has not been documented. Based on extensive data of annual disease incidence across Norway from 1995 to 2017, we show here that 69% of disseminated Lyme borreliosis cases were neuroborreliosis, which is three times higher than predicted from the infection prevalence of B. garinii in host-seeking ticks (21%). The population estimate of migratory birds, mainly of thrushes, explained part of the annual variation in cases of neuroborreliosis, with a one-year time lag. We highlight the important role of the genospecies' pathogenicity and the host associations for understanding the epidemiology of disseminated Lyme borreliosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atle Mysterud
- 1 Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo , PO Box 1066, Blindern, 0316 Oslo , Norway.,2 Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp , Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk , Belgium
| | - Dieter J A Heylen
- 3 Interuniversity Institute for Biostatistics and Statistical Bioinformatics, Hasselt University , Diepenbeek , Belgium.,4 Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University , Princeton, NJ , USA
| | - Erik Matthysen
- 2 Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp , Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk , Belgium
| | | | - Solveig Jore
- 6 Department of Food, Water, Zoonotic and Vector-borne Infections, The Norwegian Public Health Institute , PO Box 4404, Nydalen, 0403 Oslo , Norway
| | - Hildegunn Viljugrein
- 1 Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo , PO Box 1066, Blindern, 0316 Oslo , Norway.,7 Norwegian Veterinary Institute , PO Box 750, Sentrum, 0106 Oslo , Norway
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27
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Lydecker HW, Hochuli DF, Banks PB. Peri-urban black rats host a rich assembly of ticks and healthier rats have more ticks. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2019; 10:749-753. [PMID: 30894289 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2019.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2018] [Revised: 03/08/2019] [Accepted: 03/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The black rat Rattus rattus has a distribution that includes much of Earth's terrestrial surface, and has adapted to exploit both habitats extensively modified by humans and rural habitats. Despite the fact that R. rattus are nearly ubiquitous, few studies have investigated urban or peri-urban R. rattus as potential hosts for ticks. In this study, we identified the species of ticks that parasitize R. rattus in a remnant bush area within Sydney, Australia. We then examined the relationship between ticks and R. rattus by testing several rat body characteristics as predictors of tick abundance. We show that larva and nymphs of five species of native Australian tick parasitize R. rattus in urban Australia. The most abundance species was Ixodes holocyclus, a tick of veterinary and human health concern. We found that ticks were more abundant on R. rattus in better condition, for larva and nymphs of I. holocyclus and I. tasmani. Rattus rattus supports a rich assembly of ticks in a remnant forest in urban Australia, and as the R. rattus in best condition have the most ticks, tick parasitism at the levels observed does not appear to negatively impact R. rattus. Our findings illustrate that R. rattus, and other human commensal species, may be important hosts for ticks in human modified environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henry W Lydecker
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, the University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia; Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, the University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia.
| | - Dieter F Hochuli
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, the University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia
| | - Peter B Banks
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, the University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia
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28
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Brinkerhoff RJ, Dang L, Streby HM, Gimpel M. Life history characteristics of birds influence patterns of tick parasitism. Infect Ecol Epidemiol 2018; 9:1547096. [PMID: 30598737 PMCID: PMC6263100 DOI: 10.1080/20008686.2018.1547096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2018] [Accepted: 11/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Birds serve as reservoirs for tick-borne pathogens as well as hosts for multiple tick species of public health relevance. Birds may perpetuate life cycles of vectors and vector-borne pathogens and disperse disease vectors over long distances, supplementing populations at range margins or seeding invading populations beyond the edges of current tick distributions. Our goal for this study was to identify life history characteristics of birds that most strongly affect tick parasitism. Materials and Methods: We collected 6203 ticks from 5426 birds from two sites in eastern North America and used field-derived parasitism data and published literature to analyze impacts of life history factors on tick parasitism in birds. Results and Discussion: We identified body size and nest site to have the strongest impact on tick prevalence and abundance in the songbird species included in this study. Our findings reveal site-independent patterns in tick parasitism on birds and suggest that physical more than behavioral characteristics may influence a bird species’ suitability as a host for ticks. Conclusions: The data and results published here will contribute to a growing body of literature and information on bird-tick interactions and will help elucidate patterns of tick and tick-borne pathogen geographic expansion.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Jory Brinkerhoff
- Department of Biology, University of Richmond, Richmond, VA, USA.,School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
| | - Lena Dang
- Department of Biology, University of Richmond, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Henry M Streby
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA.,Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, USA
| | - Maren Gimpel
- Forman's Branch Bird Observatory, Washington College, Chestertown, MD, USA
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29
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Saegerman C, Bertagnoli S, Meyer G, Ganière JP, Caufour P, De Clercq K, Jacquiet P, Fournié G, Hautefeuille C, Etore F, Casal J. Risk of introduction of lumpy skin disease in France by the import of vectors in animal trucks. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0198506. [PMID: 29889905 PMCID: PMC5995388 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0198506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2017] [Accepted: 05/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV) is a dsDNA virus belonging to the Poxviridae family and the Capripoxvirus genus. Lumpy skin diseases (LSD) is a highly contagious transboundary disease in cattle producing major economic losses. In 2014, the disease was first reported in the European Union (in Cyprus); it was then reported in 2015 (in Greece) and has spread through different Balkan countries in 2016. Indirect vector transmission is predominant at small distances, but transmission between distant herds and between countries usually occurs through movements of infected cattle or through vectors found mainly in animal trucks. METHODS AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS In order to estimate the threat for France due to the introduction of vectors found in animal trucks (cattle or horses) from at-risk countries (Balkans and neighbours), a quantitative import risk analysis (QIRA) model was developed according to the international standard. Using stochastic QIRA modelling and combining experimental/field data and expert opinion, the yearly risk of LSDV being introduced by stable flies (Stomoxys calcitrans), that travel in trucks transporting animals was between 6 x 10-5 and 5.93 x 10-3 with a median value of 89.9 x 10-5; it was mainly due to the risk related to insects entering farms in France from vehicles transporting cattle from the at-risk area. The risk related to the transport of cattle going to slaughterhouses or the transport of horses was much lower (between 2 x 10-7 and 3.73 x 10-5 and between 5 x 10-10 and 3.95 x 10-8 for cattle and horses, respectively). The disinsectisation of trucks transporting live animals was important to reduce this risk. CONCLUSION AND SIGNIFICANCE The development of a stochastic QIRA made it possible to quantify the risk of LSD being introduced in France through the import of vectors that travel in trucks transporting animals. This tool is of prime importance because the LSD situation in the Balkans is continuously changing. Indeed, this model can be updated to process new information on vectors and the changing health situation, in addition to new data from the TRAde Control and Expert System (TRACES, EU database). This model is easy to adapt to different countries and to other vectors and diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claude Saegerman
- Centre of Fundamental and Applied Research for Animals and Health (FARAH), University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
- Members of the Expert Committee for Animal Health and Welfare, ANSES, Maisons-Alfort, France
- * E-mail:
| | | | - Gilles Meyer
- Members of the Expert Committee for Animal Health and Welfare, ANSES, Maisons-Alfort, France
- IHAP, University of Toulouse, INRA, ENVT, Toulouse, France
| | - Jean-Pierre Ganière
- Members of the Expert Committee for Animal Health and Welfare, ANSES, Maisons-Alfort, France
- ONIRIS, Nantes, France
| | - Philippe Caufour
- CIRAD-INRA ASTRE Joint Research Unit (UMR), BIOS Department, CIRAD, Montpellier, France
| | | | | | - Guillaume Fournié
- Members of the Expert Committee for Animal Health and Welfare, ANSES, Maisons-Alfort, France
- Veterinary Epidemiology, Economics and Public Health Group, Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, United Kingdom
| | - Claire Hautefeuille
- French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES), Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Florence Etore
- French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES), Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Jordi Casal
- Members of the Expert Committee for Animal Health and Welfare, ANSES, Maisons-Alfort, France
- Departament de Sanitat I Anatomia Animals. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona / IRTA-CReSA, Barcelona, Spain
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30
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Kuo CC, Lin YF, Yao CT, Shih HC, Chung LH, Liao HC, Hsu YC, Wang HC. Tick-borne pathogens in ticks collected from birds in Taiwan. Parasit Vectors 2017; 10:587. [PMID: 29178908 PMCID: PMC5702202 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-017-2535-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2017] [Accepted: 11/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background A variety of human diseases transmitted by arthropod vectors, including ticks, are emerging around the globe. Birds are known to be hosts of ticks and can disperse exotic ticks and tick-borne pathogens. In Taiwan, previous studies have focused predominantly on mammals, leaving the role of birds in the maintenance of ticks and dissemination of tick-borne pathogens undetermined. Methods Ticks were collected opportunistically when birds were studied from 1995 to 2013. Furthermore, to improve knowledge on the prevalence and mean load of tick infestation on birds in Taiwan, ticks were thoroughly searched for when birds were mist-netted at seven sites between September 2014 and April 2016 in eastern Taiwan. Ticks were identified based on both morphological and molecular information and were screened for potential tick-borne pathogens, including the genera Anaplasma, Babesia, Borrelia, Ehrlichia and Rickettsia. Finally, a list of hard tick species collected from birds in Taiwan was compiled based on past work and the current study. Results Nineteen ticks (all larvae) were recovered from four of the 3096 unique mist-netted bird individuals, yielding a mean load of 0.006 ticks/individual and an overall prevalence of 0.13%. A total of 139 ticks from birds, comprising 48 larvae, 35 nymphs, 55 adults and one individual of unknown life stage, were collected from 1995 to 2016, and 11 species of four genera were identified, including three newly recorded species (Haemaphysalis wellingtoni, Ixodes columnae and Ixodes turdus). A total of eight tick-borne pathogens were detected, with five species (Borrelia turdi, Anaplasma sp. clone BJ01, Ehrlichia sp. BL157-9, Rickettsia helvetica and Rickettsia monacensis) not previously isolated in Taiwan. Overall, 16 tick species of five genera have been recorded feeding on birds, including nine species first discovered in this study. Conclusion Our study demonstrates the paucity of information on ticks of birds and emphasizes the need for more research on ticks of birds in Taiwan and Southeast Asia. Moreover, some newly recorded ticks and tick-borne pathogens were found only on migratory birds, demonstrating the necessity of further surveillance on these highly mobile species. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13071-017-2535-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi-Chien Kuo
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan.
| | - Yi-Fu Lin
- Department of Life Science, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Te Yao
- Endemic Species Research Institute, Council of Agriculture, Chi-chi, Nantou, Taiwan
| | - Han-Chun Shih
- Center for Diagnostics and Vaccine Development, Centers for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Lo-Hsuan Chung
- Center for Diagnostics and Vaccine Development, Centers for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hsien-Chun Liao
- Center for Diagnostics and Vaccine Development, Centers for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Cheng Hsu
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Studies, National Dong Hwa University, Hualien, Taiwan.
| | - Hsi-Chieh Wang
- Center for Diagnostics and Vaccine Development, Centers for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taipei, Taiwan.
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31
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Stone BL, Tourand Y, Brissette CA. Brave New Worlds: The Expanding Universe of Lyme Disease. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2017; 17:619-629. [PMID: 28727515 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2017.2127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Projections around the globe suggest an increase in tick-vectored disease incidence and distribution, and the potential for emergence of novel tick-borne pathogens. Lyme disease is the most common reported tick-borne illness in the Unites States and is prevalent throughout much of central Europe. In recent years, the worldwide burden of Lyme disease has increased and extended into regions and countries where the disease was not previously reported. In this review, we discuss the trends for increasing Lyme disease, and examine the factors driving Lyme disease expansion, including the effect of climate change on the spread of vector Ixodid ticks and reservoir hosts; and the impacts of increased awareness on disease reporting and diagnosis. To understand the growing threat of Lyme disease, we need to study the interplay between vector, reservoir, and pathogen. In addition, we need to understand the contributions of climate conditions to changes in disease risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandee L Stone
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences , Grand Forks, North Dakota
| | - Yvonne Tourand
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences , Grand Forks, North Dakota
| | - Catherine A Brissette
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences , Grand Forks, North Dakota
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