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Ebani VV, Mancianti F. Potential Role of Birds in the Epidemiology of Coxiella burnetii, Coxiella-like Agents and Hepatozoon spp. Pathogens 2022; 11:298. [PMID: 35335622 PMCID: PMC8954922 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11030298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2021] [Revised: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Birds may be involved in the epidemiology of infectious and/or parasitic diseases which affect mammals, including humans. Q fever, caused by Coxiella burnetii, is an important zoonosis causing economic losses mainly due to pathologies induced in ruminants. Even though birds are known to be potential reservoirs of C. burnetii, their role in the epidemiological cycle of the pathogen is not completely verified. In recent years, new bacteria identified as Coxiella-like agents, have been detected in birds affected by different pathologies; the potential role of these bacteria as pathogens for mammals is not currently known. Hepatozoon spp. are haemoprotozoa, causing arthropod borne affections within several vertebrate classes. The infection of vertebrate host develops after ingestion of the arthropod final hosts containing oocysts; different tissues and blood cells are then colonized by other parasite stages, such as merozoites and gamonts. In avian hosts, there are several recognized Hepatozoon species; however, their life cycle and pathogenicity have not been fully elucidated. Referring to a carrier role by avian species and their ticks in the epidemiology of canine hepatozoonosis, the only clinically relevant affection caused by this parasite genus, they would act as carriers of infected ticks and, when Hepatozoon americanum is involved, as paratenic hosts, as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Virginia Ebani
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Viale Delle Piagge, 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy;
- Centre for Climate Change Impact, University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto, 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy
- Interdepartmental Research Center “Nutraceuticals and Food for Health”, University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto, 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Francesca Mancianti
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Viale Delle Piagge, 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy;
- Interdepartmental Research Center “Nutraceuticals and Food for Health”, University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto, 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy
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Dall'Agnol B, McCulloch JA, Mayer FQ, Souza U, Webster A, Antunes P, Doyle RL, Reck J, Ferreira CAS. Molecular characterization of bacterial communities of two neotropical tick species (Amblyomma aureolatum and Ornithodoros brasiliensis) using rDNA 16S sequencing. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2021; 12:101746. [PMID: 34091278 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2021.101746] [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: 12/22/2020] [Revised: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Ticks are one of the main vectors of pathogens for humans and animals worldwide. However, they harbor non-pathogenic microorganisms that are important for their survival, facilitating both their nutrition and immunity. We investigated the bacterial communities associated with two neotropical tick species of human and veterinary potential health importance from Brazil: Amblyomma aureolatum and Ornithodoros brasiliensis. In A. aureolatum (adult ticks collected from wild canids from Southern Brazil), the predominant bacterial phyla were Proteobacteria (98.68%), Tenericutes (0.70%), Bacteroidetes (0.14%), Actinobacteria (0.13%), and Acidobacteria (0.05%). The predominant genera were Francisella (97.01%), Spiroplasma (0.70%), Wolbachia (0.51%), Candidatus Midichloria (0.25%), and Alkanindiges (0.13%). The predominant phyla in O. brasiliensis (adults, fed and unfed nymphs collected at the environment from Southern Brazil) were Proteobacteria (90.27%), Actinobacteria (7.38%), Firmicutes (0.77%), Bacteroidetes (0.44%), and Planctomycetes (0.22%). The predominant bacterial genera were Coxiella (87.71%), Nocardioides (1.73%), Saccharopolyspora (0.54%), Marmoricola (0.42%), and Staphylococcus (0.40%). Considering the genera with potential importance for human and animal health which can be transmitted by ticks, Coxiella sp. was found in all stages of O. brasiliensis, Francisella sp. in all stages of A. aureolatum and in unfed nymphs of O. brasiliensis, and Rickettsia sp. in females of A. aureolatum from Banhado dos Pachecos (BP) in Viamão municipality, Brazil, and in females and unfed nymphs of O. brasiliensis. These results deepen our understanding of the tick-microbiota relationship in Ixodidae and Argasidae, driving new studies with the focus on the manipulation of tick microbiota to prevent outbreaks of tick-borne diseases in South America.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Dall'Agnol
- Centro de Pesquisa em Saúde Animal, Instituto de Pesquisas Veterinárias Desidério Finamor (IPVDF), Eldorado do Sul, RS, Brazil; Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
| | | | - Fabiana Quoos Mayer
- Centro de Pesquisa em Saúde Animal, Instituto de Pesquisas Veterinárias Desidério Finamor (IPVDF), Eldorado do Sul, RS, Brazil
| | - Ugo Souza
- Centro de Pesquisa em Saúde Animal, Instituto de Pesquisas Veterinárias Desidério Finamor (IPVDF), Eldorado do Sul, RS, Brazil
| | - Anelise Webster
- Centro de Pesquisa em Saúde Animal, Instituto de Pesquisas Veterinárias Desidério Finamor (IPVDF), Eldorado do Sul, RS, Brazil
| | - Paola Antunes
- Centro de Pesquisa em Saúde Animal, Instituto de Pesquisas Veterinárias Desidério Finamor (IPVDF), Eldorado do Sul, RS, Brazil
| | - Rovaina Laureano Doyle
- Centro de Pesquisa em Saúde Animal, Instituto de Pesquisas Veterinárias Desidério Finamor (IPVDF), Eldorado do Sul, RS, Brazil
| | - José Reck
- Centro de Pesquisa em Saúde Animal, Instituto de Pesquisas Veterinárias Desidério Finamor (IPVDF), Eldorado do Sul, RS, Brazil.
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Palomar AM, Veiga J, Portillo A, Santibáñez S, Václav R, Santibáñez P, Oteo JA, Valera F. Novel Genotypes of Nidicolous Argas Ticks and Their Associated Microorganisms From Spain. Front Vet Sci 2021; 8:637837. [PMID: 33855055 PMCID: PMC8039128 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.637837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
The knowledge of the distribution, richness and epidemiological importance of soft ticks of the genus Argas is incomplete. In Spain, five Argas species have been recorded, including three ornitophilic nidicolous ticks, but their associated microorganisms remain unknown. This study aimed to investigate ticks from bird nests and their microorganisms. Ticks were collected extensively from natural cavities and nest-boxes used by European rollers (Coracias garrulus) and little owls (Athene noctua) in Southeastern and Central Spain. Ticks were morphologically and genetically identified and corresponding DNA/RNA tick extracts were analyzed [individually (n = 150) or pooled (n = 43)] using specific PCR assays for bacteria (Anaplasmataceae, Bartonella, Borrelia, Coxiella/Rickettsiella, and Rickettsia spp.), viruses (Flaviviruses, Orthonairoviruses, and Phenuiviruses), and protozoa (Babesia/Theileria spp.). Six Argas genotypes were identified, of which only those of Argas reflexus (n = 8) were identified to the species level. Two other genotypes were closely related to each other and to Argas vulgaris (n = 83) and Argas polonicus (n = 33), respectively. These two species have not been previously reported from Western Europe. Two additional genotypes (n = 4) clustered with Argas persicus, previously reported in Spain. The remaining genotype (n = 22) showed low sequence identity with any Argas species, being most similar to the African Argas africolumbae. The microbiological screening revealed infection with a rickettsial strain belonging to Rickettsia fournieri and Candidatus Rickettsia vini group in 74.7% of ticks, mainly comprising ticks genetically related to A. vulgaris and A. polonicus. Other tick endosymbionts belonging to Coxiella, Francisella and Rickettsiella species were detected in ten, one and one tick pools, respectively. In addition, one Babesia genotype, closely related to avian Babesia species, was found in one tick pool. Lastly, Anaplasmataceae, Bartonella, Borrelia, and viruses were not detected. In conclusion, five novel Argas genotypes and their associated microorganisms with unproven pathogenicity are reported for Spain. The re-use of nests between and within years by different bird species appears to be ideal for the transmission of tick-borne microorganisms in cavity-nesting birds of semiarid areas. Further work should be performed to clarify the taxonomy and the potential role of soft Argas ticks and their microorganisms in the epidemiology of zoonoses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana M Palomar
- Centre of Rickettsiosis and Arthropod-Borne Diseases, Hospital Universitario San Pedro-Center for Biomedical Research of La Rioja (CIBIR), Logroño, Spain
| | - Jesús Veiga
- Departamento de Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas -Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (EEZA-CSIC), Ctra. de Sacramento s/n, La Cañada de San Urbano, Almería, Spain
| | - Aránzazu Portillo
- Centre of Rickettsiosis and Arthropod-Borne Diseases, Hospital Universitario San Pedro-Center for Biomedical Research of La Rioja (CIBIR), Logroño, Spain
| | - Sonia Santibáñez
- Centre of Rickettsiosis and Arthropod-Borne Diseases, Hospital Universitario San Pedro-Center for Biomedical Research of La Rioja (CIBIR), Logroño, Spain
| | - Radovan Václav
- Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Paula Santibáñez
- Centre of Rickettsiosis and Arthropod-Borne Diseases, Hospital Universitario San Pedro-Center for Biomedical Research of La Rioja (CIBIR), Logroño, Spain
| | - José A Oteo
- Centre of Rickettsiosis and Arthropod-Borne Diseases, Hospital Universitario San Pedro-Center for Biomedical Research of La Rioja (CIBIR), Logroño, Spain
| | - Francisco Valera
- Departamento de Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas -Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (EEZA-CSIC), Ctra. de Sacramento s/n, La Cañada de San Urbano, Almería, Spain
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Han SW, Chae JB, Jo YS, Cho YK, Kang JG, Shin NS, Youn HJ, Youn HY, Nam HM, Kim HJ, Kang HE, Chae JS. First report of Newly Identified Ornithodoros Species in the Republic of Korea. J Parasitol 2021; 106:546-563. [PMID: 32916707 DOI: 10.1645/19-78] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Ticks and tick-borne diseases are important issues worldwide because of their effects on animal and human health. The genus Ornithodoros, which is included in the family Argasidae, is typically associated with wild animals, including seabirds. In this study, samples from the nests of seabirds and surrounding soil were collected to investigate Ornithodoros spp. from 9 uninhabited islands in the western, eastern, and southern parts of Korea from April 2017 to October 2018. The islands are known as the breeding places of migratory and resident birds. Ticks were collected from soil and nest material of seabirds using a Tullgren funnel and identified using 16S rRNA and the cytochrome c oxidase 1 gene (COI), and host animals of soft ticks were identified using the mitochondrial DNA cytochrome b gene by a polymerase chain reaction. In the sequence identity of the 16S rRNA gene fragment of Ornithodoros sp., Ornithodoros sawaii was identified as the closest homologous sequence, and the new Ornithodoros sp. was newly identified. We found that the newly identified Ornithodoros sp. in the Republic of Korea was located in uninhabited islands used as breeding places by the black-tailed gull, Larus crassirostris.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sun-Woo Han
- Laboratory of Veterinary Internal Medicine, BK21 PLUS Program for Creative Veterinary Science Research, Research Institute for Veterinary Science and College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeong-Byoung Chae
- Laboratory of Veterinary Internal Medicine, BK21 PLUS Program for Creative Veterinary Science Research, Research Institute for Veterinary Science and College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Young-Sun Jo
- Laboratory of Veterinary Internal Medicine, BK21 PLUS Program for Creative Veterinary Science Research, Research Institute for Veterinary Science and College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Yoon-Kyoung Cho
- Laboratory of Veterinary Internal Medicine, BK21 PLUS Program for Creative Veterinary Science Research, Research Institute for Veterinary Science and College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Jun-Gu Kang
- Laboratory of Veterinary Internal Medicine, BK21 PLUS Program for Creative Veterinary Science Research, Research Institute for Veterinary Science and College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Nam-Shik Shin
- Laboratory of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Hee-Jeong Youn
- Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Hwa-Young Youn
- Laboratory of Veterinary Internal Medicine, BK21 PLUS Program for Creative Veterinary Science Research, Research Institute for Veterinary Science and College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyang-Mi Nam
- Foreign Animal Disease Division, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, Gimcheon 39660, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun-Joo Kim
- Foreign Animal Disease Division, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, Gimcheon 39660, Republic of Korea
| | - Hae-Eun Kang
- Foreign Animal Disease Division, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, Gimcheon 39660, Republic of Korea
| | - Joon-Seok Chae
- Laboratory of Veterinary Internal Medicine, BK21 PLUS Program for Creative Veterinary Science Research, Research Institute for Veterinary Science and College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
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Hosseini-Chegeni A, Kayedi MH. Molecular detection of Coxiella (Gammaproteobacteria: Coxiellaceae) in Argas persicus and Alveonasus canestrinii (Acari: Argasidae) from Iran. Microb Pathog 2019; 139:103902. [PMID: 31790790 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2019.103902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2019] [Revised: 11/27/2019] [Accepted: 11/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Coxiella burnetii and non-C. burnetii bacteria or endosymbiotic Coxiella-like were reported in various tick species. We aimed to detect C. burnetii within soft tick species, Argas persicus and Alveonasus canestrinii. METHODS Argasid ticks were collected from different counties of Lorestan province, west of Iran. Partial fragments of 16S rRNA, IS1111 insertion sequence, com1, htpB, and icd genes related to Coxiella genus were sequenced. RESULTS A partial 16S rRNA and com1 gene fragment as well as IS1111 was detected in four Ar. persicus and twelve Al. canestrinii pools. Moreover, partial htpB and icd gene was only detected in one pool of Ar. persicus. CONCLUSIONS Detection of C. burnetii in tick samples was failed due to the occurrence of Coxiella-like endosymbionts and leads to misidentification. Thus, the house-keeping genes should be designated to distinguish C. burnetii within Coxiella-like endosymbionts.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mohammad Hassan Kayedi
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran; Razi Herbal Medicines Research Center, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran.
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A Coxiella mutualist symbiont is essential to the development of Rhipicephalus microplus. Sci Rep 2017; 7:17554. [PMID: 29242567 PMCID: PMC5730597 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-17309-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2017] [Accepted: 11/14/2017] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The cattle tick Rhipicephalus microplus is a hematophagous ectoparasite that causes important economic losses in livestock. Different species of ticks harbor a symbiont bacterium of the genus Coxiella. It was showed that a Coxiella endosymbiont from R. microplus (CERM) is a vertically transmitted mutualist symbiont, comprising 98% of the 16S rRNA sequences in both eggs and larvae. Sequencing of the bacterial genome revealed genes for biosynthetic pathways for several vitamins and key metabolic cofactors that may provide a nutritional complement to the tick host. The CERM was abundant in ovary and Malpighian tubule of fully engorged female. Tetracycline treatment of either the tick or the vertebrate host reduced levels of bacteria in progeny in 74% for eggs and 90% for larvae without major impact neither on the reproductive fitness of the adult female or on embryo development. However, CERM proved to be essential for the tick to reach the adult life stage, as under antibiotic treatment no tick was able to progress beyond the metanymph stage. Data presented here suggest that interference in the symbiotic CERM-R. microplus relationship may be useful to the development of alternative control methods, highlighting the interdependence between ticks and their endosymbionts.
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Khoo JJ, Lim FS, Chen F, Phoon WH, Khor CS, Pike BL, Chang LY, AbuBakar S. Coxiella Detection in Ticks from Wildlife and Livestock in Malaysia. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2016; 16:744-751. [PMID: 27763821 PMCID: PMC5144871 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2016.1959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have shown that ticks harbor Coxiella-like bacteria, which are potentially tick-specific endosymbionts. We recently described the detection of Coxiella-like bacteria and possibly Coxiella burnetii in ticks found from rural areas in Malaysia. In the present study, we collected ticks, including Haemaphysalis bispinosa, Haemaphysalis hystricis, Dermacentor compactus, Dermacentor steini, and Amblyomma sp. from wildlife and domesticated goats from four different locations in Malaysia. Coxiella 16s rRNA genomic sequences were detected by PCR in 89% of ticks tested. Similarity analysis and phylogenetic analyses of the 16s rRNA and rpoB partial sequences were performed for 10 representative samples selected based on the tick species, sex, and location. The findings here suggested the presence of C. burnetii in two samples, each from D. steini and H. hystricis. The sequences of both samples clustered with published C. burnetii sequences. The remaining eight tick samples were shown to harbor 16s rRNA sequences of Coxiella-like bacteria, which clustered phylogenetically according to the respective tick host species. The findings presented here added to the growing evidence of the association between Coxiella-like bacteria and ticks across species and geographical boundaries. The importance of C. burnetii found in ticks in Malaysia warrants further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing-Jing Khoo
- Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Education Centre (TIDREC), University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Fang-Shiang Lim
- Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Education Centre (TIDREC), University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Fezshin Chen
- Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Education Centre (TIDREC), University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Wai-Hong Phoon
- Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Education Centre (TIDREC), University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Chee-Sieng Khor
- Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Education Centre (TIDREC), University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Brian L. Pike
- Naval Medical Research Center-Asia (NMRC-A), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Li-Yen Chang
- Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Education Centre (TIDREC), University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Sazaly AbuBakar
- Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Education Centre (TIDREC), University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Duron O, Sidi-Boumedine K, Rousset E, Moutailler S, Jourdain E. The Importance of Ticks in Q Fever Transmission: What Has (and Has Not) Been Demonstrated? Trends Parasitol 2015; 31:536-552. [PMID: 26458781 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2015.06.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 145] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2015] [Revised: 06/22/2015] [Accepted: 06/24/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Q fever is a widespread zoonotic disease caused by Coxiella burnetii, a ubiquitous intracellular bacterium infecting humans and a variety of animals. Transmission is primarily but not exclusively airborne, and ticks are usually thought to act as vectors. We argue that, although ticks may readily transmit C. burnetii in experimental systems, they only occasionally transmit the pathogen in the field. Furthermore, we underscore that many Coxiella-like bacteria are widespread in ticks and may have been misidentified as C. burnetii. Our recommendation is to improve the methods currently used to detect and characterize C. burnetii, and we propose that further knowledge of Coxiella-like bacteria will yield new insights into Q fever evolutionary ecology and C. burnetii virulence factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Duron
- Laboratoire MIVEGEC (Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs: Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) Unité Mixte de Recherche UMR 5290, Université Montpellier 1 - Université Montpellier 2 - Institut pour la Recherche et le Développement, Unité de Recherche UR 224, Montpellier, France
| | - Karim Sidi-Boumedine
- Anses, Sophia-Antipolis Laboratory, Animal Q fever Unit, Sophia-Antipolis, France
| | - Elodie Rousset
- Anses, Sophia-Antipolis Laboratory, Animal Q fever Unit, Sophia-Antipolis, France
| | - Sara Moutailler
- UMR Biologie Moléculaire et Immunologie Parasitaires et Fongiques (BIPAR), Laboratoire Santé Animale, ANSES, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort (ENVA), Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Elsa Jourdain
- Unité d'Epidémiologie Animale, UR 0346 INRA, Saint Genès Champanelle, France.
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Muñoz-Leal S, González-Acuña D. The tick Ixodes uriae (Acari: Ixodidae): Hosts, geographical distribution, and vector roles. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2015; 6:843-68. [PMID: 26249749 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2015.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2014] [Revised: 06/30/2015] [Accepted: 07/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The seabird tick Ixodes uriae White 1852, has the most extensive geographical distribution of all tick species, including Afrotropical, Australasian, Nearctic, Neotropical and Palearctic Zoogeographic Regions. Additionally, this tick species parasitizes a wide range of seabirds and constitutes a host for several viral and bacterial agents. Considering the current biological knowledge about this tick species, in this article we list localities, hosts, tick-borne microorganisms and viruses transmitted by I. uriae described in the literature and include new geographical records.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastián Muñoz-Leal
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Orlando Marques de Paiva, 87, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP 05508-270, Brasil; Departamento de Ciencias Pecuarias, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad de Concepción, Av. Vicente Méndez 595, CP 3780000, Chillán (Biobío), Chile.
| | - Daniel González-Acuña
- Departamento de Ciencias Pecuarias, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad de Concepción, Av. Vicente Méndez 595, CP 3780000, Chillán (Biobío), Chile.
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Duron O, Jourdain E, McCoy KD. Diversity and global distribution of the Coxiella intracellular bacterium in seabird ticks. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2014; 5:557-63. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2014.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2014] [Revised: 04/04/2014] [Accepted: 04/07/2014] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
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Wilkinson DA, Dietrich M, Lebarbenchon C, Jaeger A, Le Rouzic C, Bastien M, Lagadec E, McCoy KD, Pascalis H, Le Corre M, Dellagi K, Tortosa P. Massive infection of seabird ticks with bacterial species related to Coxiella burnetii. Appl Environ Microbiol 2014; 80:3327-33. [PMID: 24657860 PMCID: PMC4018846 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00477-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2014] [Accepted: 03/12/2014] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Seabird ticks are known reservoirs of bacterial pathogens of medical importance; however, ticks parasitizing tropical seabirds have received less attention than their counterparts from temperate and subpolar regions. Recently, Rickettsia africae was described to infect seabird ticks of the western Indian Ocean and New Caledonia, constituting the only available data on bacterial pathogens associated with tropical seabird tick species. Here, we combined a pyrosequencing-based approach with a classical molecular analysis targeting bacteria of potential medical importance in order to describe the bacterial community in two tropical seabird ticks, Amblyomma loculosum and Carios (Ornithodoros) capensis. We also investigated the patterns of prevalence and host specificity within the biogeographical context of the western Indian Ocean islands. The bacterial community of the two tick species was characterized by a strong dominance of Coxiella and Rickettsia. Our data support a strict Coxiella-host tick specificity, a pattern resembling the one found for Rickettsia spp. in the same two seabird tick species. Both the high prevalence and stringent host tick specificity suggest that these bacteria may be tick symbionts with probable vertical transmission. Detailed studies of the pathogenicity of these bacteria will now be required to determine whether horizontal transmission can occur and to clarify their status as potential human pathogens. More generally, our results show that the combination of next generation sequencing with targeted detection/genotyping approaches proves to be efficient in poorly investigated fields where research can be considered to be starting from scratch.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A. Wilkinson
- Centre de Recherche et de Veille sur les Maladies Émergentes dans l'Océan Indien (CRVOI), GIP CYROI, Ste Clotilde, La Réunion, France
- Université de La Réunion, Ste Clotilde, La Réunion, France
| | - Muriel Dietrich
- Centre de Recherche et de Veille sur les Maladies Émergentes dans l'Océan Indien (CRVOI), GIP CYROI, Ste Clotilde, La Réunion, France
- Université de La Réunion, Ste Clotilde, La Réunion, France
| | - Camille Lebarbenchon
- Centre de Recherche et de Veille sur les Maladies Émergentes dans l'Océan Indien (CRVOI), GIP CYROI, Ste Clotilde, La Réunion, France
- Université de La Réunion, Ste Clotilde, La Réunion, France
| | - Audrey Jaeger
- Laboratoire ECOMAR, FRE3560 INEE-CNRS, Université de La Réunion, Ste Clotilde, La Réunion, France
| | - Céline Le Rouzic
- Centre de Recherche et de Veille sur les Maladies Émergentes dans l'Océan Indien (CRVOI), GIP CYROI, Ste Clotilde, La Réunion, France
- Laboratoire ECOMAR, FRE3560 INEE-CNRS, Université de La Réunion, Ste Clotilde, La Réunion, France
| | - Matthieu Bastien
- Centre de Recherche et de Veille sur les Maladies Émergentes dans l'Océan Indien (CRVOI), GIP CYROI, Ste Clotilde, La Réunion, France
- Laboratoire ECOMAR, FRE3560 INEE-CNRS, Université de La Réunion, Ste Clotilde, La Réunion, France
| | - Erwan Lagadec
- Centre de Recherche et de Veille sur les Maladies Émergentes dans l'Océan Indien (CRVOI), GIP CYROI, Ste Clotilde, La Réunion, France
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Ste Clotilde, La Réunion, France
| | - Karen D. McCoy
- Unité Mixte de Recherche 5290 CNRS IRD UM1 UM2, Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs: Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle, Montpellier, France
| | - Hervé Pascalis
- Centre de Recherche et de Veille sur les Maladies Émergentes dans l'Océan Indien (CRVOI), GIP CYROI, Ste Clotilde, La Réunion, France
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Ste Clotilde, La Réunion, France
| | - Matthieu Le Corre
- Laboratoire ECOMAR, FRE3560 INEE-CNRS, Université de La Réunion, Ste Clotilde, La Réunion, France
| | - Koussay Dellagi
- Centre de Recherche et de Veille sur les Maladies Émergentes dans l'Océan Indien (CRVOI), GIP CYROI, Ste Clotilde, La Réunion, France
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Ste Clotilde, La Réunion, France
| | - Pablo Tortosa
- Centre de Recherche et de Veille sur les Maladies Émergentes dans l'Océan Indien (CRVOI), GIP CYROI, Ste Clotilde, La Réunion, France
- Université de La Réunion, Ste Clotilde, La Réunion, France
- Institut Écologie et Environnement, CNRS, Paris, France
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Liu LM, Liu JN, Liu Z, Yu ZJ, Xu SQ, Yang XH, Li T, Li SS, Guo LD, Liu JZ. Microbial communities and symbionts in the hard tick Haemaphysalis longicornis (Acari: Ixodidae) from north China. Parasit Vectors 2013; 6:310. [PMID: 24499619 PMCID: PMC3813991 DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-6-310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2013] [Accepted: 10/18/2013] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Close relationships between ticks and microbial communities are important for tick fitness and pathogen colonization and transmission. Haemaphysalis longicornis, distributed widely in China, can carry and transmit various pathogens and pose serious damages to public health and economics. However, little is known about the broader array of microbial communities and symbionts in H. longicornis under natural conditions. In the present study, we investigated the composition of bacterial communities associated with H. longicornis and evaluated the putative symbionts. Methods The eubacterial 16S rRNA gene clone libraries of H. longicornis were constructed and analyzed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and DNA sequencing. In addition, diagnostic PCR was performed to assess the prevalence, vertical transmission and infection sites of the symbionts in H. longicornis. Results Vertically-transmitted symbionts, potential pathogens and allochthonous nonpathogenic bacteria were identified from the field-collected H. longicornis. Three types of symbionts (Coxiella-like, Arsenophonus-like and Rickettsia-like symbionts) were identified in a single host simultaneously. A series of analyses revealed the vertical transmission, prevalence, and infection sites of these symbionts. However, only Coxiella-like bacteria were transmitted stably in the laboratory-reared ticks. In addition, we identified a novel Coxiella-like agent with 95.31% sequence similarity to the taxon described previously. Conclusions The present study demonstrated that natural H. longicornis harboured a diverse array of microbial communities. Three types of symbionts were identified in a single host simultaneously. Moreover, high prevalence, vertical transmission and the infection sites supported an obligate symbiotic association between Coxiella symbiont and its host. The role of Coxiella symbiont in the host fitness and the interaction among microbial communities remained to be elucidated. Our investigation of microbial communities in the ticks revealed the complexity of ecological interactions between host and microbe and provided insight for the biological control of ticks.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Jing-Ze Liu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Hebei Province, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Nanerhuan Eastern Road, No, 20, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, P, R, China.
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Coinfection of Dermacentor silvarum olenev (acari: ixodidae) by Coxiella-Like, Arsenophonus-like, and Rickettsia-like symbionts. Appl Environ Microbiol 2013; 79:2450-4. [PMID: 23354701 DOI: 10.1128/aem.03575-12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
We report that multiple symbionts coexist in Dermacentor silvarum. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analyses, we prove that Coxiella-like and Arsenophonus-like symbionts, with 95.6% and 96.7% sequence similarity to symbionts in the closest taxon, respectively, are novel. Moreover, we also provide evidence that the Coxiella-like symbiont appears to be the primary symbiont.
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14
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Mastropaolo M, Turienzo P, Di Iorio O, Nava S, Venzal JM, Guglielmone AA, Mangold AJ. Distribution and 16S rDNA sequences of Argas monachus (Acari: Argasidae), a soft tick parasite of Myiopsitta monachus (Aves: Psittacidae). EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2011; 55:283-291. [PMID: 21739257 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-011-9469-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2011] [Accepted: 06/01/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Specimens of Argas monachus Keirans et al. were collected from Myiopsitta monachus nests in 42 localities in Argentina and Paraguay from 2006 to 2010. A list of localities where this tick has been found is presented. 16S rDNA sequences of specimens of A. monachus from different localities were compared to confirm whether they belong to the same specific taxon. Argas monachus is present in the phytogeographic provinces of Chaco, Espinal, and Monte, but not in the Pampa (all from de Chaco Domain) where the host is well distributed. No differences were found among 16S rDNA sequences of geographically distant specimens.
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Machado-Ferreira E, Dietrich G, Hojgaard A, Levin M, Piesman J, Zeidner NS, Soares CAG. Coxiella symbionts in the Cayenne tick Amblyomma cajennense. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2011; 62:134-142. [PMID: 21611689 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-011-9868-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2010] [Accepted: 01/24/2011] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Members of the Coxiella genus are intracellular bacteria that can infect a variety of animals including humans. A symbiotic Coxiella was recently described in Amblyomma americanum ticks in the Northern Hemisphere with no further investigations of other Amblyomma species in other geographic regions. These ixodid ticks represent a group of important vectors for human infectious agents. In the present work, we have demonstrated that symbiotic Coxiella (SCox) are widespread, occurring in South America and infecting 100% of all life stages and eggs of the Cayenne ticks Amblyomma cajennense from Brazil and the USA. Using light microscopy, in situ hybridization, and PCR, we demonstrated SCox in salivary glands, ovaries, and the intestines of A. cajennense. These symbionts are vertically and transtadially transmitted in laboratory reared A. cajennense, and quantitative PCR analyses indicate that SCox are more abundant in adult female ticks, reaching values corresponding to an 11×, 38×, and 200× increase in SCox 16S rRNA gene copy number in unfed females, compared to unfed nymphs, larvae, and eggs, respectively. Phylogenetic analyses showed distinct SCox subpopulations in the USA and Brazil and demonstrated that SCox bacteria do not group with pathogenic Coxiella burnetii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik Machado-Ferreira
- Laboratório de Genética Molecular de Eucariontes e Simbiontes, Dept. Genética, Inst. Biologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, CEP 21944-970, Brazil
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Dietrich M, Gómez-Díaz E, McCoy KD. Worldwide distribution and diversity of seabird ticks: implications for the ecology and epidemiology of tick-borne pathogens. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2010; 11:453-70. [PMID: 20874222 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2010.0009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The ubiquity of ticks and their importance in the transmission of pathogens involved in human and livestock diseases are reflected by the growing number of studies focusing on tick ecology and the epidemiology of tick-borne pathogens. Likewise, the involvement of wild birds in dispersing pathogens and their role as reservoir hosts are now well established. However, studies on tick-bird systems have mainly focused on land birds, and the role of seabirds in the ecology and epidemiology of tick-borne pathogens is rarely considered. Seabirds typically have large population sizes, wide geographic distributions, and high mobility, which make them significant potential players in the maintenance and dispersal of disease agents at large spatial scales. They are parasitized by at least 29 tick species found across all biogeographical regions of the world. We know that these seabird-tick systems can harbor a large diversity of pathogens, although detailed studies of this diversity remain scarce. In this article, we review current knowledge on the diversity and global distribution of ticks and tick-borne pathogens associated with seabirds. We discuss the relationship between seabirds, ticks, and their pathogens and examine the interesting characteristics of these relationships from ecological and epidemiological points of view. We also highlight some future research directions required to better understand the evolution of these systems and to assess the potential role of seabirds in the epidemiology of tick-borne pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muriel Dietrich
- Génétique et Evolution des Maladies Infectieuses, UMR 2724 CNRS-IRD, Centre IRD, Montpellier, France.
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