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Matsuyama H, Doi K, Agetsuma N, Suzuki M. Quantifying the direct and indirect effects of sika deer (Cervus nippon) on the prevalence of infection with Rickettsia in questing Haemaphysalis megaspinosa: A field experimental study. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2023; 14:102201. [PMID: 37245254 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Sika deer (Cervus nippon) are important hosts for all life stages of Haemaphysalis megaspinosa, a suspected Rickettsia vector. Because some Rickettsia are unlikely to be amplified by deer in Japan, the presence of deer may decrease the prevalence of Rickettsia infection in questing H. megaspinosa. As sika deer decrease vegetation cover and height and thereby indirectly cause changes in the abundance of other hosts, including reservoirs of Rickettsia, the prevalence of Rickettsia infection in questing ticks can also change. We investigated these possible effects of deer on the prevalence of infection with Rickettsia in questing ticks in a field experiment in which deer density was manipulated at three fenced sites: a deer enclosure (Deer-enclosed site); a deer enclosure where deer had been present until 2015 and only indirect effects remained (Indirect effect site); and a deer exclosure in place since 2004 (Deer-exclosed site). Density of questing nymphs and the prevalence of infection with Rickettsia sp. 1 in questing nymphs at each site were compared from 2018 to 2020. The nymph density at the Deer-exclosed site did not significantly differ from that at the Indirect effect site, suggesting that the deer herbivory did not affect the nymph density by reducing vegetation and increasing the abundance of other host mammals. However, the prevalence of infection with Rickettsia sp. 1 in questing nymphs was higher at the Deer-exclosed site than at the Deer-enclosed site, possibly because ticks utilized alternative hosts when deer were absent. The difference in Rickettsia sp. 1 prevalence between the Indirect effect and Deer-exclosed sites was comparable to that between the Indirect effect and Deer-enclosed sites, indicating that the indirect effects of deer were as strong as the direct effects. Examining the indirect effects of ecosystem engineers in the study of tick-borne diseases may be more important than previously recognized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyuki Matsuyama
- Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 5F Environmental Building, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8563, Japan; Department of Infectious Diseases, Hokkaido Institute of Public Health, N19W12, Kita, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0819, Japan.
| | - Kandai Doi
- Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University, 1-7-1 Kyonan-cho, Musashino, Tokyo 180-8602, Japan.
| | - Naoki Agetsuma
- Field Science Center for Northern Biosphere, Hokkaido University, N9W9, Kita, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0809, Japan.
| | - Maki Suzuki
- Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 5F Environmental Building, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8563, Japan.
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Molecular detection of Babesia spp. and Rickettsia spp. in coatis (Nasua nasua) and associated ticks from midwestern Brazil. Parasitol Res 2023; 122:1151-1158. [PMID: 36890298 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-023-07815-5] [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: 01/29/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/10/2023]
Abstract
Procyonids are reservoirs of many zoonotic infectious diseases, including tick-borne pathogens. The role of coatis (Nasua nasua) in the epidemiology of piroplasmids and Rickettsia has not been fully addressed in Brazil. To molecularly study these agents in coatis and associated ticks, animals were sampled in two urban areas in Midwestern Brazil. Blood (n = 163) and tick (n = 248) DNA samples were screened by PCR assays targeting the 18S rRNA and gltA genes of piroplasmids and Rickettsia spp., respectively. Positive samples were further molecularly tested targeting cox-1, cox-3, β-tubulin, cytB, and hsp70 (piroplasmid) and ompA, ompB, and htrA 17-kDa (Rickettsia spp.) genes, sequenced and phylogenetically analyzed. All coatis' blood samples were negative for piroplasmids, whereas five pools of ticks (2%) were positive for two different sequences of Babesia spp.. The first from Amblyomma sculptum nymphs was close (i.e., ≥ 99% nucleotide identity) to a Babesia sp. previously found in capybaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris); the second from Amblyomma dubitatum nymphs and Amblyomma spp. larvae was identical (100% nucleotide identity) to a Babesia sp. detected in opossums (Didelphis albiventris) and associated ticks. Four samples (0.8%) were positive by PCR to two different Rickettsia spp. sequences, being the first from Amblyomma sp. larva identical to Rickettsia belli and the second from A. dubitatum nymph identical to Rickettsia species from Spotted Fever Group (SFG). The detection of piroplasmids and SFG Rickettsia sp. highlights the importance of Amblyomma spp. in the maintenance of tick-borne agents in urban parks where humans and wild and domestic animals are living in sympatry.
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Incidence of tick-borne spotted fever group Rickettsia species in rodents in two regions in Kazakhstan. Sci Rep 2022; 12:14872. [PMID: 36050456 PMCID: PMC9437098 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-19145-0] [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: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Records on the distribution of Rickettsia spp. in their natural hosts in Central Asia are incomplete. Rodents and small mammals are potential natural reservoirs for Rickettsiae in their natural lifecycle. Studies about the maintenance of Rickettsia in wild animals are available for Western nations, but—to our knowledge—no studies and data are available in the Republic of Kazakhstan so far. The first case description of Rickettsioses in Kazakhstan was made in the 1950ies in the Almaty region and now Kyzylorda, East Kazakhstan, Pavlodar and North Kazakhstan are endemic areas. The existence of murine and endemic typhus was proven in arthropod vectors in the regions Kyzylorda and Almaty. Here we show for the first time investigations on tick-borne Rickettsia species detected by a pan-rickettsial citrate synthase gene (gltA) real-time PCR in ear lobes of small mammals (n = 624) in Kazakhstan. From all analysed small mammals 2.72% were positive for Rickettsia raoultii, R. slovaca or R. conorii. Sequencing of the rickettsial gene OmpAIV and the 23S–5S interspacer region revealed a similar heritage of identified Rickettsia species that was observed in ticks in previous studies from the region. In summary, this study proves that rodents in Kazakhstan serve as a natural reservoir of Rickettsia spp.
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Fongsaran C, Jirakanwisal K, Tongluan N, Latour A, Healy S, Christofferson RC, Macaluso KR. The role of cofeeding arthropods in the transmission of Rickettsia felis. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2022; 16:e0010576. [PMID: 35759517 PMCID: PMC9269922 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Revised: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Rickettsia felis is an emerging etiological agent of rickettsioses worldwide. The cosmopolitan cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis) is the primary vector of R. felis, but R. felis has also been reported in other species of hematophagous arthropods including ticks and mosquitoes. Canines can serve as a bacteremic host to infect fleas under laboratory conditions, yet isolation of R. felis from the blood of a vertebrate host in nature has not been realized. Cofeeding transmission is an efficient mechanism for transmitting rickettsiae between infected and uninfected fleas; however, the mechanism of transmission among different orders and classes of arthropods is not known. The potential for R. felis transmission between infected fleas and tick (Dermacentor variabilis) and mosquito (Anopheles quadrimaculatus) hosts was examined via cofeeding bioassays. Donor cat fleas infected with R. felis transmitted the agent to naïve D. variabilis nymphs via cofeeding on a rat host. Subsequent transstadial transmission of R. felis from the engorged nymphs to the adult ticks was observed with reduced prevalence in adult ticks. Using an artificial host system, An. quadrimaculatus exposed to a R. felis-infected blood meal acquired rickettsiae and maintained infection over 12 days post-exposure (dpe). Similar to ticks, mosquitoes were able to acquire R. felis while cofeeding with infected cat fleas on rats infection persisting in the mosquito for up to 3 dpe. The results indicate R. felis-infected cat fleas can transmit rickettsiae to both ticks and mosquitoes via cofeeding on a vertebrate host, thus providing a potential avenue for the diversity of R. felis-infected arthropods in nature. Primarily associated with the common cat flea, Rickettsia felis is an intracellular bacterial pathogen that can be transmitted from the flea to vertebrate hosts. This flea-borne infection has now been identified worldwide as a human pathogen. In addition to fleas, other blood feeding arthropods including ticks and mosquitoes are being recognized as possible vectors of R. felis. Although the mammalian infectious source for arthropods is still unknown, cofeeding transmission of Rickettsia is known to occur between vectors of the same species. However, potential for flea transmission of R. felis to other orders and classes of arthropods is unknown. Here, we examined the potential for fleas to transmit R. felis to American dog ticks and mosquitoes during feeding events on rat hosts. Our data suggested that ticks and mosquitoes can be infected when simultaneously feeding on a host with R. felis-infected cat fleas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chanida Fongsaran
- Vector-Borne Disease Laboratories, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States of America
| | - Krit Jirakanwisal
- Vector-Borne Disease Laboratories, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States of America
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama, United States of America
| | - Natthida Tongluan
- Vector-Borne Disease Laboratories, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States of America
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama, United States of America
| | - Allison Latour
- Vector-Borne Disease Laboratories, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States of America
| | - Sean Healy
- Vector-Borne Disease Laboratories, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States of America
| | - Rebecca C. Christofferson
- Vector-Borne Disease Laboratories, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States of America
| | - Kevin R. Macaluso
- Vector-Borne Disease Laboratories, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States of America
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Pathogens in ticks collected in Israel: II. Bacteria and protozoa found in Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato and Rhipicephalus turanicus. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2022; 13:101986. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2022.101986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Revised: 05/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Usananan P, Kaenkan W, Sudsangiem R, Baimai V, Trinachartvanit W, Ahantarig A. Phylogenetic Studies of Coxiella-Like Bacteria and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiae in Ticks Collected From Vegetation in Chaiyaphum Province, Thailand. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:849893. [PMID: 35464383 PMCID: PMC9020810 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.849893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ticks can transmit a wide variety of pathogens, including bacteria. Here, we report the detection of tick-associated bacteria in Chaiyaphum Province, northeastern Thailand. There have been few reports of tick-borne bacterial pathogens in the study areas, which are evergreen forests dominated by plateaus at elevations of approximately 1,000 m. In total, 94 ticks were collected from vegetation. They were screened for the presence of Coxiella, Francisella, Rickettsia, and Borrelia bacteria using PCR assays. In this study, we found ticks from two genera, Haemaphysalis and Amblyomma, that were positive for Coxiella-like bacteria (CLB) and Rickettsia. Francisella and Borrelia spp. were not detected in these two tick genera. The results revealed the evolutionary relationships of CLB in Amblyomma testudinarium, Haemaphysalis lagrangei, and Haemaphysalis obesa ticks using the 16S rRNA and rpoB markers, which clustered together with known isolates of ticks from the same genera. In contrast, the groEL marker showed different results. On the basis of the groEL phylogenetic analysis and BLAST results, three groups of CLB were found: (1) CLB from A. testudinarium grouped as a sister clade to CLB from Ixodes ricinus; (2) CLB from Haemaphysalis lagrangei was distantly related to CLB from Haemaphysalis wellingtoni; and (3) CLB from A. testudinarium grouped as sister clade to CLB from Amblyomma from French Guiana and Brazil. For Rickettsia studies, phylogenetic trees of the gltA, ompB, and sca4 genes revealed two groups of Spotted Fever Group (SFG) Rickettsiae: (1) SFG Rickettsiae that formed a sister clade with Rickettsia tamurae AT-1 (belong to the Rickettsia helvetica subgroup) in A. testudinarium and (2) SFG Rickettsiae that formed a distantly related group to Rickettsia rhipicephali 3-7-female6-CWPP (belong to the Rickettsia massiliae subgroup) in A. testudinarium. This study expanded our knowledge of the diversity of tick-borne Coxiella and Rickettsia bacteria. The pathogenic roles of these bacteria also need to be investigated further.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pawiga Usananan
- Biodiversity Research Cluster, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Warissara Kaenkan
- Biodiversity Research Cluster, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Ronnayuth Sudsangiem
- Biodiversity Research Cluster, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Visut Baimai
- Biodiversity Research Cluster, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | - Arunee Ahantarig
- Biodiversity Research Cluster, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Center of Excellence for Vectors and Vector-Borne Diseases, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
- *Correspondence: Arunee Ahantarig
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Latifian M, Khalili M, Farrokhnia M, Mostafavi E, Esmaeili S. Rickettsia conorii subsp. israelensis infection: a case report from southeast Iran. BMC Infect Dis 2022; 22:320. [PMID: 35365079 PMCID: PMC8974134 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-022-07291-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Mediterranean spotted fever (MSF) is a zoonotic and vector-borne disease caused by Rickettsia conorii. We report a case (36 year-old-woman) of MSF caused by Rickettsia conorii from Iran. Case presentation In September 2019, the patient was admitted to the hospital in Kerman province with flu-like symptoms and maculopapular lesions. According to the laboratory results, thrombocytopenia, elevated liver enzymes, and cardiac enzymes were observed. Skin biopsy was examined for Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) and MSF using the Real-Time-PCR and ELISA method. Finally, the sample was positive for Rickettsia conorii subsp. israelensis and treated with doxycycline and completely recovered. Conclusions This study showed that MSF could be present in Iran. Therefore, identifying endemic areas in Iran for this disease should be on the agenda.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mina Latifian
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatics, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.,National Reference Laboratory for Plague, Tularemia and Q Fever, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Akanlu, KabudarAhang, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Mohammad Khalili
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran
| | - Mehrdad Farrokhnia
- Infectious and Tropical Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Ehsan Mostafavi
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatics, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.,National Reference Laboratory for Plague, Tularemia and Q Fever, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Akanlu, KabudarAhang, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Saber Esmaeili
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatics, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran. .,National Reference Laboratory for Plague, Tularemia and Q Fever, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Akanlu, KabudarAhang, Hamadan, Iran.
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Remesar S, Castro-Scholten S, Cano-Terriza D, Díaz P, Morrondo P, Jiménez-Martín D, Rouco C, García-Bocanegra I. Molecular identification of zoonotic Rickettsia species in Ixodidae parasitizing wild lagomorphs from Mediterranean ecosystems. Transbound Emerg Dis 2021; 69:e992-e1004. [PMID: 34738325 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.14379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
A survey study was carried out to identify tick species parasitizing wild lagomorphs in Mediterranean ecosystems in southern Spain and to determine the occurrence of Rickettsia species present in these ticks in this region. A total of 1304 European wild rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and 58 Iberian hares (Lepus granatensis) were individually examined for the presence of ticks. Ticks were found in 42.9% and 50% of the wild rabbits and hares sampled, respectively. A total of 1122 ticks were collected and five species, including Rhipicephalus pusillus, Hyalomma lusitanicum, Haemaphysalis hispanica, Ixodes ventalloi and Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato (s.l.), were microscopically and molecularly identified at the 16S rRNA gene. This is the first study on Ixodidae parasitizing Iberian hares. The presence of Rickettsia DNA was assessed in 254 tick pools (according to hunting states, lagomorph species, tick species and tick development stage) using PCR assays targeting the rOmpA, rOmpB and gltA. Twenty-seven pools (10.6%) were positive to Rickettsia DNA. Five zoonotic Rickettsia species were identified, being Rickettsia massiliae the most frequent (4.7%), followed by Rickettsia sibirica subsp. mongolitimonae (2.8%), Rickettsia slovaca (2.0%), Rickettsia aeschlimannii (0.8%) and Rickettsia africae (0.4%). The results suggest that wild rabbits and Iberian hares are parasitized by a wide range of tick species and that these lagomorphs may play an important role in the sylvatic cycle of some zoonotic Rickettsia species in Mediterranean ecosystems. Our data represent the first report of R. massiliae, R. aeschlimannii, R. slovaca and R africae in ticks collected in wild lagomorphs in Europe, and the first report of not imported R. africae in this continent. Since R. slovaca and R. africae DNA was detected in tick species different to their main vectors, further studies are warranted to unravel the role of wild lagomorphs in the epidemiology of these vector-borne pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susana Remesar
- Investigación en Sanidad Animal: Galicia (Grupo INVESAGA), Facultade de Veterinaria, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain
| | - Sabrina Castro-Scholten
- Animal Health and Zoonosis Research Group (GISAZ), Department of Animal Health, University of Cordoba, Córdoba, Spain
| | - David Cano-Terriza
- Animal Health and Zoonosis Research Group (GISAZ), Department of Animal Health, University of Cordoba, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Pablo Díaz
- Investigación en Sanidad Animal: Galicia (Grupo INVESAGA), Facultade de Veterinaria, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain
| | - Patrocinio Morrondo
- Investigación en Sanidad Animal: Galicia (Grupo INVESAGA), Facultade de Veterinaria, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain
| | - Débora Jiménez-Martín
- Animal Health and Zoonosis Research Group (GISAZ), Department of Animal Health, University of Cordoba, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Carlos Rouco
- Departamento de Botánica, Ecología y Fisiología Vegetal, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Ignacio García-Bocanegra
- Animal Health and Zoonosis Research Group (GISAZ), Department of Animal Health, University of Cordoba, Córdoba, Spain
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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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Knoll S, Springer A, Hauck D, Schunack B, Pachnicke S, Strube C. Regional, seasonal, biennial and landscape-associated distribution of Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Rickettsia spp. infections in Ixodes ticks in northern Germany and implications for risk assessment at larger spatial scales. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2021; 12:101657. [PMID: 33524939 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2021.101657] [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: 09/04/2020] [Revised: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Tick-associated Rickettsiales are important pathogens with relevance for public and animal health; therefore, knowledge regarding their distribution is essential for risk assessment and disease prevention. To investigate the prevalence of Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Rickettsia spp. in northern Germany, Ixodes ticks were flagged monthly from April to October in 2018 and 2019 at three collection sites each in the regions of Bremen, Emsland, Hanover, Kassel and Uelzen. A total of 3150 ticks (1052 females, 1048 males and 1050 nymphs) were individually examined for rickettsial infections using probe-based quantitative real-time PCR. Overall prevalence of A. phagocytophilum was 6.4 % (202/3150; 6.7 % [71/1052] in females, 7.5 % [79/1048] in males and 5.0 % [52/1050] in nymphs). For Rickettsia spp., the overall prevalence was 29.6 % (931/3150; 33.4 % [351/1052] in females, 28.3 % [297/1048] in males and 27.0 % [283/1050] in nymphs). Rickettsia species identification by real-time pyrosequencing on a subset of 409 positive samples was successful in 407 cases (99.5 %). Rickettsia helvetica was the predominant species with a detection rate of 99.8 % (406/407). Additionally, Rickettsia monacensis was detected in one tick (0.2 %). Generalized linear mixed models showed significant regional as well as monthly differences regarding the prevalence of both pathogens. In addition, the prevalence of both pathogens was significantly higher in 2018 (A. phagocytophilum: 8.0 % [126/1575], Rickettsia spp.: 35.4 % [558/1575]) than in 2019 (A. phagocytophilum: 4.8 % [76/1575], Rickettsia spp.: 23.9 % [373/1575]). In contrast, no effect of landscape type on pathogen prevalence was found. As Rickettsia spp.-detection was based on the single-copy gene gltA, it was possible to calculate the individual pathogen load per tick, which was significantly higher in female ticks than in nymphs (mean values: 8.19 × 104 vs. 9.58 × 103). Regional, seasonal and biennial prevalence differences of tick-transmitted Rickettsiales show the necessity to investigate ticks from multiple locations, over several months and in more than one year to reliably assess the infection risk on a larger geographical scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steffen Knoll
- Institute for Parasitology, Centre for Infection Medicine, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Buenteweg 17, 30559, Hanover, Germany
| | - Andrea Springer
- Institute for Parasitology, Centre for Infection Medicine, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Buenteweg 17, 30559, Hanover, Germany
| | - Daniela Hauck
- Institute for Parasitology, Centre for Infection Medicine, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Buenteweg 17, 30559, Hanover, Germany
| | - Bettina Schunack
- Bayer Animal Health GmbH (Part of Elanco Animal Health), 51373, Leverkusen, Germany
| | | | - Christina Strube
- Institute for Parasitology, Centre for Infection Medicine, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Buenteweg 17, 30559, Hanover, Germany.
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Springer A, Shuaib YA, Isaa MH, Ezz-Eldin MIE, Osman AY, Yagoub IA, Abdalla MA, Bakiet AO, Mohmed-Noor SET, Schaper S, Rieß R, Dobler G, Strube C, Bakkes DK, Chitimia-Dobler L. Tick Fauna and Associated Rickettsia, Theileria, and Babesia spp. in Domestic Animals in Sudan (North Kordofan and Kassala States). Microorganisms 2020; 8:E1969. [PMID: 33322349 PMCID: PMC7763929 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8121969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Revised: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Ticks and tick-borne diseases (TBDs) have a major economic impact on animal production worldwide. In the present study, 2410 ticks were collected from January to August 2017 from livestock and other domestic animals in North Kordofan and Kassala, Sudan, for species identification and investigation of Rickettsia spp. and piroplasms, either individually or as pools containing up to 10 ticks by molecular methods. In total, 13 tick species were identified by morphology and 16S rDNA sequencing. The most frequent tick species were Hyalomma impeltatum (24.90%), Rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi (18.84%), Amblyomma lepidum (16.06%), and Rhipicephalus camicasi (12.49%). A pan-Rickettsia real-time PCR revealed an overall minimum infection rate (MIR) with Rickettsia spp. of 5.64% (136 positive tick pools/2410 total ticks). Rickettsia africae and Rickettsia aeschlimannii were the most frequently identified species by sequencing. Furthermore, the following highly pathogenic livestock parasites were detected: Theileria annulata, Theileria lestoquardi, Theileria equi, and Babesia caballi. The present study documented Rhipicephalus afranicus as well as Rickettsia conorii israelensis, Rickettsia massiliae, and Babesia pecorum for the first time in Sudan. These findings are significant for the animal production sector as well as in terms of One Health, as the detected Rickettsia spp. can cause serious illness in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Springer
- Institute for Parasitology, Centre for Infection Medicine, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Buenteweg 17, 30559 Hanover, Germany;
| | - Yassir Adam Shuaib
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Sudan University of Science and Technology, Hilat Kuku, Khartoum North 13321, Sudan; (Y.A.S.); (M.A.A.); (A.O.B.)
| | - Makarim Habib Isaa
- Veterinary Research Institute, Soba, Khartoum 11121, Sudan; (M.H.I.); (I.A.Y.)
| | | | - Abdinasir Yusuf Osman
- The Royal Veterinary College, University of London, Hawkshead Lane, North Mymms, Hatfield AL9 7TA, Hertfordshire, UK;
| | - Idris Ahmed Yagoub
- Veterinary Research Institute, Soba, Khartoum 11121, Sudan; (M.H.I.); (I.A.Y.)
| | - Mohamed Abdalsalam Abdalla
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Sudan University of Science and Technology, Hilat Kuku, Khartoum North 13321, Sudan; (Y.A.S.); (M.A.A.); (A.O.B.)
| | - Amel Omer Bakiet
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Sudan University of Science and Technology, Hilat Kuku, Khartoum North 13321, Sudan; (Y.A.S.); (M.A.A.); (A.O.B.)
| | | | - Sabine Schaper
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, 80937 Munich, Germany; (S.S.); (R.R.); (G.D.); (L.C.-D.)
| | - Ramona Rieß
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, 80937 Munich, Germany; (S.S.); (R.R.); (G.D.); (L.C.-D.)
| | - Gerhard Dobler
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, 80937 Munich, Germany; (S.S.); (R.R.); (G.D.); (L.C.-D.)
- Department of Parasitology, University of Hohenheim, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Christina Strube
- Institute for Parasitology, Centre for Infection Medicine, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Buenteweg 17, 30559 Hanover, Germany;
| | - Deon K. Bakkes
- Gertrud Theiler Tick Museum, Onderstepoort Veterinary Research, Pretoria 0001, South Africa;
- Evolutionary Genomics Group, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Matieland, 7602 Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Lidia Chitimia-Dobler
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, 80937 Munich, Germany; (S.S.); (R.R.); (G.D.); (L.C.-D.)
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12
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Epidemiology, Clinical Aspects, Laboratory Diagnosis and Treatment of Rickettsial Diseases in the Mediterranean Area During COVID-19 Pandemic: A Review of the Literature. Mediterr J Hematol Infect Dis 2020; 12:e2020056. [PMID: 32952967 PMCID: PMC7485464 DOI: 10.4084/mjhid.2020.056] [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: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The purpose of the present review is to give an update regarding the classification, epidemiology, clinical manifestation, diagnoses, and treatment of the Rickettsial diseases present in the Mediterranean area. We performed a comprehensive search, through electronic databases (Pubmed – MEDLINE) and search engines (Google Scholar), of peer-reviewed publications (articles, reviews, and books). The availability of new diagnostic tools, including Polymerase Chain Reaction and nucleotide sequencing has significantly modified the classification of intracellular bacteria, including the order Rickettsiales with more and more new Rickettsia species recognized as human pathogens. Furthermore, emerging Rickettsia species have been found in several countries and are often associated with unique clinical pictures that may challenge the physician in the early detection of the diseases. Rickettsial infections include a wide spectrum of clinical presentations ranging from a benign to a potentially life treating disease that requires prompt recognition and proper management. Recently, due to the spread of SARS-CoV-2 infection, the differential diagnosis with COVID-19 is of crucial importance. The correct understanding of the clinical features, diagnostic tools, and proper treatment can assist clinicians in the management of Rickettsioses in the Mediterranean area.
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13
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Mora-Rivera C, Suarez-Páez F, Pacheco-Sierra G, Vargas-Cuevas L, Padilla-Barreto M. Tick Infection of Caiman crocodilus fuscus at the Hidroprado Hydroelectric Dam in Colombia: New Records, Parasite Prevalence, and Blood Loss Rate. SOUTH AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HERPETOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.2994/sajh-d-18-00080.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Mora-Rivera
- Grupo de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Dinámica de Ecosistemas Tropicales, Universidad de Tolima, Ibagué 730006299, Colombia
| | - Fernando Suarez-Páez
- Semillero de Investigación en Fauna Silvestre, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia sede Ibagué-Espinal, Ibagué, Colombia
| | - Gualberto Pacheco-Sierra
- Centro de Investigaciones Científicas y Transferencia de Tecnología a la Producción, Matteri y España E3105BWA, Diamante, Argentina
| | - Laura Vargas-Cuevas
- Semillero de Investigación en Fauna Silvestre, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia sede Ibagué-Espinal, Ibagué, Colombia
| | - Mónica Padilla-Barreto
- Grupode Investigación Impronta, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia sede Ibagué-Espinal, Ibagué, Tolima, Colombia
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14
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Alieva E, Bondarenko E, Maliy K, Shvalov A, Verbenets E, Gafarova M. The role of Rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks parasitizing dogs in the spread of tick-borne rickettsial pathogens in the city of Sevastopol. New Microbes New Infect 2020; 36:100704. [PMID: 32577290 PMCID: PMC7303988 DOI: 10.1016/j.nmni.2020.100704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2019] [Revised: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The occurrence of Mediterranean fever with periods of increase and decrease has been recorded in the Crimean peninsula. The city of Sevastopol and its vicinity are known endemic areas for this disease. Some of the most active agents in the spread of this rickettsiosis are feral and abandoned dogs. The aim of this study was to test ticks parasitizing dogs in Sevastopol for the presence of Rickettsia using molecular methods. The testing of ticks was carried out using real-time PCR and the 'Real Best DNA Rickettsia species' kit (AO 'Vector-Best') followed by sequence identification of the rickettsial DNA detected. The DNA marker for Rickettsia species (a conservative area of citrate synthase gene, gltA) was detected in 16 of 84 (19.1%) samples of Rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks tested. Larger fragments of gltA, ompA and sca4 were amplified and sequenced for 10 of 16 PCR-positive samples. Rickettsia DNA amplified from eight of the samples matched the sequence of Rickettsia conorii conorii Malish, the causative agent of Mediterranean fever. The sequences of Rickettsia DNA from two other ticks had the closest match to homologous fragments of Rickettsia massiliae, a pathogenic spotted fever rickettsia that was identified in the Crimean Peninsula for the first time as part of this study. The detection of two pathogenic species of Rickettsia in the studied ticks suggests the potential for two rickettsial diseases in the region and warrants further epidemiological and clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- E.E. Alieva
- Federal State Budgetary Institution ‘N.I. Pirogov Saki Military Clinical Sanatorium’, Ministry of Defence of Russia, Saki, Russia
| | | | - K.D. Maliy
- S.I. Georgievsky Medical Academy (Academic Unit), V.I. Vernadsky Crimean Federal University, Simferopol, Russia
| | - A.N. Shvalov
- State Research Centre of Virology and Biotechnology ‘Vector’, Koltsovo, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - E.A. Verbenets
- Centre for Prevention and Control of HIV/AIDS, Sevastopol, Crimea, Russia
| | - M.T. Gafarova
- S.I. Georgievsky Medical Academy (Academic Unit), V.I. Vernadsky Crimean Federal University, Simferopol, Russia
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15
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Krawczyk AI, van Duijvendijk GLA, Swart A, Heylen D, Jaarsma RI, Jacobs FHH, Fonville M, Sprong H, Takken W. Effect of rodent density on tick and tick-borne pathogen populations: consequences for infectious disease risk. Parasit Vectors 2020; 13:34. [PMID: 31959217 PMCID: PMC6971888 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-3902-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2019] [Accepted: 01/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rodents are considered to contribute strongly to the risk of tick-borne diseases by feeding Ixodes ricinus larvae and by acting as amplifying hosts for pathogens. Here, we tested to what extent these two processes depend on rodent density, and for which pathogen species rodents synergistically contribute to the local disease risk, i.e. the density of infected nymphs (DIN). METHODS In a natural woodland, we manipulated rodent densities in plots of 2500 m2 by either supplementing a critical food source (acorns) or by removing rodents during two years. Untreated plots were used as controls. Collected nymphs and rodent ear biopsies were tested for the presence of seven tick-borne microorganisms. Linear models were used to capture associations between rodents, nymphs, and pathogens. RESULTS Investigation of data from all plots, irrespective of the treatment, revealed a strong positive association between rodent density and nymphal density, nymphal infection prevalence (NIP) with Borrelia afzelii and Neoehrlichia mikurensis, and hence DIN's of these pathogens in the following year. The NIP, but not the DIN, of the bird-associated Borrelia garinii, decreased with increasing rodent density. The NIPs of Borrelia miyamotoi and Rickettsia helvetica were independent of rodent density, and increasing rodent density moderately increased the DINs. In addition, NIPs of Babesia microti and Spiroplasma ixodetis decreased with increasing rodent density, which had a non-linear association with DINs of these microorganisms. CONCLUSIONS A positive density dependence for all rodent- and tick-associated tick-borne pathogens was found, despite the observation that some of them decreased in prevalence. The effects on the DINs were variable among microorganisms, more than likely due to contrasts in their biology (including transmission modes, host specificity and transmission efficiency). The strongest associations were found in rodent-associated pathogens that most heavily rely on horizontal transmission. Our results draw attention to the importance of considering transmission mode of a pathogen while developing preventative measures to successfully reduce the burden of disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra I Krawczyk
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University and Research Centre, Wageningen, The Netherlands. .,Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Antonie van Leeuwenhoeklaan 9, 3721 MA, Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
| | | | - Arno Swart
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Antonie van Leeuwenhoeklaan 9, 3721 MA, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Dieter Heylen
- Interuniversity Institute for Biostatistics and statistical Bioinformatics, Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, 106A Guyot Ln, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA
| | - Ryanne I Jaarsma
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Antonie van Leeuwenhoeklaan 9, 3721 MA, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Frans H H Jacobs
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University and Research Centre, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Manoj Fonville
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Antonie van Leeuwenhoeklaan 9, 3721 MA, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Hein Sprong
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Antonie van Leeuwenhoeklaan 9, 3721 MA, Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
| | - Willem Takken
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University and Research Centre, Wageningen, The Netherlands
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16
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Moraes-Filho J, Costa FB, Gerardi M, Soares HS, Labruna MB. Rickettsia rickettsii Co-feeding Transmission among Amblyomma aureolatum Ticks. Emerg Infect Dis 2019; 24:2041-2048. [PMID: 30334709 PMCID: PMC6200015 DOI: 10.3201/eid2411.180451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Amblyomma aureolatum ticks are vectors of Rickettsia rickettsii, the etiologic agent of Rocky Mountain spotted fever in Brazil. Maintenance of R. rickettsii in nature depends on horizontal transmission along tick generations. Although such transmission is known to occur when uninfected and infected ticks feed simultaneously on susceptible animals (co-feeding systemic transmission), we investigated co-feeding nonsystemic transmission, which was based on R. rickettsii-infected and -uninfected A. aureolatum ticks feeding simultaneously on guinea pigs immune to R. rickettsii. Our acquisition and transmission infestations demonstrated that horizontal transmission of R. rickettsii by co-feeding ticks on immune hosts with no systemic infection did not occur when uninfected larvae fed distantly from infected nymphs but did occur in a few cases when uninfected larvae fed side-by-side with infected nymphs, suggesting that they shared the same feeding site. The co-feeding nonsystemic transmission type might have no epidemiologic importance for Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
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17
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Kohn M, Krücken J, McKay-Demeler J, Pachnicke S, Krieger K, von Samson-Himmelstjerna G. Dermacentor reticulatus in Berlin/Brandenburg (Germany): Activity patterns and associated pathogens. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2018; 10:191-206. [PMID: 30385074 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2018.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2018] [Revised: 09/03/2018] [Accepted: 10/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Dermacentor reticulatus is one of the most important European tick species. However, its spatial distribution, seasonality and regional vector role are not well known. This study aimed to gather information about abundance patterns of questing ticks and associated pathogens in unfed female adult D. reticulatus in the Berlin/Brandenburg area. Using the flagging method, questing ticks were collected at four sites in 2010-2012 and 2000 D. reticulatus were analysed regarding infection with Rickettsia, Babesia, Borrelia and Anaplasmataceae by conventional or real-time PCR. Dermacentor reticulatus showed a bimodal activity pattern: highest numbers of adult ticks were recorded between March and end of May (mean 50 ticks/h) and from mid-August until end of November (mean 102 ticks/h). During summer, almost complete inactivity was observed (mean 0.4 ticks/h). Sporadic samplings from December to February revealed tick activity also during winter (mean 47 ticks/h), which was characterised by large fluctuations. Using negative binomial regression analysis, significant influences of the variables sampling site, season and temperature on the abundance of questing D. reticulatus were determined. The parameters relative humidity and year were not of significant importance. PCR analyses showed an average prevalence of 64% for Rickettsia sp. Large differences in pathogen frequencies were observed between sampling sites (31.4-78.3%). Regression analysis demonstrated a significant influence of the sampling site but not of season and year. Examinations regarding other pathogen groups indicated prevalences of 0.25% (Borrelia sp.) and 0.05% (Anaplasmataceae) but absence of Babesia sp. Sequencing of positive samples revealed infections with Rickettsia raoultii, Borrelia miyamotoi, Borrelia afzelii and Anaplasma phagocytophilum. The study shows stable populations of D. reticulatus in Berlin/Brandenburg. People should be aware of ticks throughout the year since Ixodes ricinus is co-endemic and active in spring, summer and autumn while adult D. reticulatus are active throughout the year and even in winter during periods of frost as long as it is warming up during the day. Prevalence of R. raoultii in the present study is among the highest described for D. reticulatus. Borrelia miyamotoi was detected for the first time in D. reticulatus, illustrating the importance of screening studies to evaluate the pathogen structure in D. reticulatus populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mareen Kohn
- Institute for Parasitology and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Robert-von-Ostertag-Str. 7-13, 14163, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jürgen Krücken
- Institute for Parasitology and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Robert-von-Ostertag-Str. 7-13, 14163, Berlin, Germany
| | - Janina McKay-Demeler
- Institute for Parasitology and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Robert-von-Ostertag-Str. 7-13, 14163, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Klemens Krieger
- Bayer Animal Health GmbH, Alfred-Nobel-Straße 50, 40789, Monheim, Germany
| | - Georg von Samson-Himmelstjerna
- Institute for Parasitology and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Robert-von-Ostertag-Str. 7-13, 14163, Berlin, Germany.
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18
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Detection and molecular characterization of Mogiana tick virus (MGTV) in Rhipicephalus microplus collected from cattle in a savannah area, Uberlândia, Brazil. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2018; 10:162-165. [PMID: 30348511 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2018.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2018] [Revised: 10/06/2018] [Accepted: 10/10/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
In Brazil, recent studies have reported viruses detected in ticks with pathogenic potential in vertebrate hosts. Ticks of the species Rhipicephalus microplus collected from bovines in a savannah area were tested by RT-PCR for the presence of RNA targetting a segment of NS3-like protein gene of Mogiana tick virus, a member of the recently-described Jingmenvirus group. Amplification with size similar to the expected was observed with 25% (7/28) RNA samples of ticks that were collected from 39% (7/18) of the bovines. Nucleotide sequence analysis of three PCR products revealed divergence that varied from 3.3 to 5.0% in a single farm. Although Jingmen tick virus, another member belonging to the Jingmenvirus group, has been detected in human patients with Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever in Kosovo, whether or not MGTV causes disease in cattle and other animals remains to be investigated.
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19
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Igolkina Y, Rar V, Vysochina N, Ivanov L, Tikunov A, Pukhovskaya N, Epikhina T, Golovljova I, Tikunova N. Genetic variability of Rickettsia spp. in Dermacentor and Haemaphysalis ticks from the Russian Far East. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2018; 9:1594-1603. [PMID: 30121164 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2018.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2018] [Revised: 07/11/2018] [Accepted: 07/31/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The Russian Far East is an endemic region for tick-borne rickettsioses. However, the prevalence and genetic variability of Rickettsia species in this region have not been extensively investigated. In this study, 188 Dermacentor silvarum, 439 Haemaphysalis concinna, and 374 Haemaphysalis japonica adult ticks were collected from four locations in Khabarovsk Province and three locations in Amur Province in the Russian Far East. These ticks were examined for the presence of Rickettsia spp. by amplifying a fragment of the gltA gene. Identified rickettsiae were genotyped by sequencing of the gltA, 16S rRNA, ompA, ompB, and sca4 genes. In the examined ticks, Rickettsia heilongjiangensis, the causative agent of Far-Eastern tick-borne rickettsiosis, was found in 10.5% of H. concinna and in 1.9% of H. japonica ticks, while Rickettsia sibirica, the agent of Siberian tick typhus, was detected in only one H. concinna tick. In addition, Rickettsia raoultii was found predominantly in D. silvarum (>70%) and significantly less frequently in Haemaphysalis ticks (<3%). "Candidatus Rickettsia tarasevichiae" was found in all examined tick species (1.6-5.3% in different species). Notably, this study is the first observation of "Candidatus R. tarasevichiae" in D. silvarum ticks. Moreover, DNA of Rickettsia canadensis was found for the first time in a H. japonica tick; DNA of Rickettsia aeschlimannii was revealed for the first time in H. concinna and H. japonica ticks. "Candidatus Rickettsia principis" and "Candidatus Rickettsia rara" were found in Haemaphysalis spp. ticks. "Candidatus R. principis" was associated with H. japonica and identified in 5.6% of the examined ticks, while "Candidatus R. rara" was found more frequently in H. concinna (3.0%) compared to H. japonica ticks (1.1%). In this study, "Candidatus R. principis" and "Candidatus R. rara" were characterized for the first time by the 16S rRNA, ompA, ompB, and sca4 genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yana Igolkina
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation.
| | - Vera Rar
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation
| | - Nelya Vysochina
- Khabarovsk Antiplague Station, Khabarovsk, Russian Federation
| | - Leonid Ivanov
- Khabarovsk Antiplague Station, Khabarovsk, Russian Federation
| | - Artem Tikunov
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation
| | | | - Tamara Epikhina
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation
| | - Irina Golovljova
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation; Department of Virology, National Institute for Health Development, Estonia
| | - Nina Tikunova
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation
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20
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Cotes-Perdomo A, Santodomingo A, Castro LR. Hemogregarine and Rickettsial infection in ticks of toads from northeastern Colombia. Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl 2018; 7:237-242. [PMID: 29988825 PMCID: PMC6032028 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2018.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2018] [Revised: 06/08/2018] [Accepted: 06/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The toads Rhinella spp. are in constant contact with humans and domestic animals and are commonly parasitized by ticks, which are also potential vectors of pathogenic microorganisms, such as apicomplexans and rickettsia. However, little is known about microorganisms associated with toad ticks. In this work, we molecularly evaluated the presence of Rickettsia spp. and hemogregarines in ticks of Rhinella horribilis and R. humboldti in the Colombian Caribbean, finding two different species of Rickettsia: the colombianensi strain and one close to R. bellii. In the case of hemogregarines, since only 18S gene sequences are available, it is difficult to define species and place them correctly in a phylogeny, but most of our samples show a 99% identity with Hemolivia stellata, while others identical to each other seem to form another clade within this genre. All collected ticks were identified as Amblyomma dissimile, representing the first time that H. stellata was recorded in this tick. The prevalence of both microorganisms was very high, which makes it necessary to generate robust phylogenies to clarify their taxonomic diversity and to correctly define their ecological role and pathogenicity, which should be taken into account in amphibian conservation plans and veterinary medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Lyda R. Castro
- Grupo de Investigación Evolución, Sistemática y Ecología Molecular (GIESEMOL), Universidad del Magdalena, Santa Marta, Magdalena, Colombia
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21
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Lee JK, Stokes JV, Moraru GM, Harper AB, Smith CL, Wills RW, Varela-Stokes AS. Transmission of Amblyomma maculatum-Associated Rickettsia spp. During Cofeeding on Cattle. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2018; 18:511-518. [PMID: 30063189 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2017.2228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Amblyomma maculatum is the primary vector for the spotted fever group rickettsiae, Rickettsia parkeri, a known pathogen, and "Candidatus Rickettsia andeanae," currently considered nonpathogenic. Spotted fever group rickettsiae are typically endothelial cell associated and rarely circulate in the blood. Horizontal transmission to naïve ticks through blood feeding from an infected host is likely rare. Cofeeding provides an opportunity for rickettsial transmission to naïve ticks in the absence of circulating rickettsiae. We evaluated R. parkeri transmission through cofeeding between A. maculatum adults and nymphs on beef calves. Six calves in each of two trials were infested with A. maculatum that had been capillary fed R. parkeri. Four days later, calves each received recipient A. maculatum that were either capillary fed "Ca. R. andeanae" or not capillary fed before infestation. Trials differed by whether we included a barrier to minimize adjacent feeding between recipient and donor ticks. After cofeeding, we detected R. parkeri in 27% of "Ca. R. andeanae"-free recipient ticks, whereas R. parkeri was not detected in any recipient ticks that were capillary fed "Ca. R. andeanae." Rickettsia parkeri transmission efficiency to naïve ticks was greater when ticks freely cofed in proximity. No rickettsial DNA was detected in calf blood. Results confirm cofeeding as a method of horizontal transmission of R. parkeri in the absence of host rickettsemia and suggest no evidence of transmission by cofeeding when recipient ticks are first exposed to "Ca. R. andeanae" through capillary feeding. While cofeeding may provide an opportunity for maintaining the pathogen, R. parkeri, the mechanisms driving any potential effect of "Ca. R. andeanae" on R. parkeri transmission are unclear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jung Keun Lee
- 1 Department of Basic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University , Mississippi State, Mississippi
| | - John V Stokes
- 1 Department of Basic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University , Mississippi State, Mississippi
| | - Gail M Moraru
- 1 Department of Basic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University , Mississippi State, Mississippi
| | - Amanda B Harper
- 1 Department of Basic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University , Mississippi State, Mississippi
| | - Catherine L Smith
- 1 Department of Basic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University , Mississippi State, Mississippi
| | - Robert W Wills
- 2 Department of Pathobiology and Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University , Mississippi State, Mississippi
| | - Andrea S Varela-Stokes
- 1 Department of Basic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University , Mississippi State, Mississippi
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Takhampunya R, Korkusol A, Promsathaporn S, Tippayachai B, Leepitakrat S, Richards AL, Davidson SA. Heterogeneity of Orientia tsutsugamushi genotypes in field-collected trombiculid mites from wild-caught small mammals in Thailand. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2018; 12:e0006632. [PMID: 30011267 PMCID: PMC6062101 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0006632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2018] [Revised: 07/26/2018] [Accepted: 06/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Trombiculid mites are the vectors of scrub typhus, with infected larval mites (chiggers) transmitting the causative agent, Orientia tsutsugamushi, during feeding. Co-existence of multiple O. tsutsugamushi strains within infected mites has previously been reported in naturally infected, laboratory-reared mite lines using molecular methods to characterize the 56-kDa type-specific antigen (TSA) gene. In the current study, more advanced next-generation sequencing technology was used to reveal the heterogeneity of O. tsutsugamushi genotypes in field-collected trombiculid mites from rodents and small mammals in scrub typhus-endemic areas of Thailand. Twenty-eight trombiculid mites collected from 10 small mammals were positive for O. tsutsugamushi, corresponding to a prevalence rate of 0.7% within the mite population. Twenty-four of the infected mites were Leptotrombidium spp., indicating that this genus is the main vector for O. tsutsugamushi transmission in Thailand. In addition, O. tsutsugamushi was detected in the mite genera Ascoschoengastia, Blankaartia, Gahrliepia, and Lorillatum. Of the 10 infested small animal hosts, six had 2-10 infected mites feeding at the time of collection. Deep sequencing was used to characterize mixed infections (two to three O. tsutsugamushi genotypes within an individual mite), and 5 of the 28 infected mites (17.9%) contained mixed infections. Additionally, 56-kDa TSA gene sequence analysis revealed identical bacterial genotypes among co-feeding mites with single or mixed infections. These results suggest that co-feeding transmission may occur during the feeding process, and could explain the occurrence of mixed infections in individual mites, as well as the recovery of multiple infected mites from the same host. This study also revealed highly diverse within-host O. tsutsugamushi genotypes. The occurrence of multiple O. tsutsugamushi genotypes within individual mites has important implications, and could provide a mechanism for pathogen evolution/diversification in the mite vector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ratree Takhampunya
- Department of Entomology, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences-United States Army Medical Directorate, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Achareeya Korkusol
- Department of Entomology, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences-United States Army Medical Directorate, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Sommai Promsathaporn
- Department of Entomology, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences-United States Army Medical Directorate, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Bousaraporn Tippayachai
- Department of Entomology, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences-United States Army Medical Directorate, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Surachai Leepitakrat
- Department of Entomology, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences-United States Army Medical Directorate, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Allen L. Richards
- Viral and Rickettsial Diseases Department, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Silas A. Davidson
- Department of Entomology, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences-United States Army Medical Directorate, Bangkok, Thailand
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Tomassone L, Portillo A, Nováková M, de Sousa R, Oteo JA. Neglected aspects of tick-borne rickettsioses. Parasit Vectors 2018; 11:263. [PMID: 29690900 PMCID: PMC5937841 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-018-2856-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2017] [Accepted: 04/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Rickettsioses are among the oldest known infectious diseases. In spite of this, and of the extensive research carried out, many aspects of the biology and epidemiology of tick-borne rickettsiae are far from being completely understood. Their association with arthropod vectors, the importance of vertebrates as reservoirs, the rarity of clinical signs in animals, or the interactions of pathogenic species with rickettsial endosymbionts and with the host intracellular environment, are only some examples. Moreover, new rickettsiae are continuously being discovered. In this review, we focus on the ‘neglected’ aspects of tick-borne rickettsioses and on the gaps in knowledge, which could help to explain why these infections are still emerging and re-emerging threats worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Tomassone
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Largo Braccini 2, 10095, Grugliasco (Torino), Italy.
| | - Aránzazu Portillo
- Center of Rickettsiosis and Arthropod-Borne Diseases, Hospital San Pedro-CIBIR, C/ Piqueras 98, 26006, Logroño, Spain
| | - Markéta Nováková
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic.,Department of Biology and Wildlife Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackého 1946/1, 612 42, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Rita de Sousa
- National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge, Av. da Liberdade 5, 2965-575, Aguas de Moura, Portugal
| | - José Antonio Oteo
- Center of Rickettsiosis and Arthropod-Borne Diseases, Hospital San Pedro-CIBIR, C/ Piqueras 98, 26006, Logroño, Spain
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24
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Varela-Castro L, Zuddas C, Ortega N, Serrano E, Salinas J, Castellà J, Castillo-Contreras R, Carvalho J, Lavín S, Mentaberre G. On the possible role of ticks in the eco-epidemiology of Coxiella burnetii in a Mediterranean ecosystem. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2018; 9:687-694. [PMID: 29478883 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2018.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2017] [Revised: 02/13/2018] [Accepted: 02/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Ruminant livestock is the main reservoir of Coxiella burnetii (Cb), but little is known about the role of wildlife and ticks in its epidemiology. The Iberian ibex (Capra pyrenaica, Schinz 1838) population of "Ports de Tortosa i Beseit" (NE Spain) suffers intense tick infestations and low reproduction rates. This study aims to (1) assess the relationship between infection in ibexes (detection of serum antibodies and/or of Cb DNA in tissues) and Cb DNA presence in ticks hosted by the same ibexes; and (2) identify Cb associated risk factors. Between 2011 and 2015, serum (n = 130), spleen (n = 72), lymph node (n = 89) and tick (n = 669) samples from 134 hunter-harvested ibexes were collected. Antibody detection was performed by ELISA and Cb DNA presence was assessed by PCR. Potential risk factors were assessed with regression tree models. Although 30% of the ibexes (39/130; 95%CI, [10%-29.8%]) had antibodies, Cb DNA was detected in only 9.8% of the ibexes (11/112; 95%CI [7.6%-27.25%]). The prevalence of Cb-carrier ticks averaged 10% and exceeded 20% for the genus Haemaphysalis. However, lacking correlation between infection in ibexes and their ticks does not support tick-to-ibex transmission or vice versa. Tree modelling points to host, population and environmental factors as drivers of Cb infection in ticks and suggests connections with the domestic cycle. The percentage of Cb-carrier ticks detected is noteworthy. Along with heavy tick infestations, it suggests vector potential for these tick species, especially for the genera Rhipicephalus and Haemaphysalis. Since vector competence has not been assessed in these tick species, a classic vector role cannot be proposed nor discarded, but promoter factors of vector capacity occur. In addition, the risk of tick-borne infection through tick excreta should not be neglected. While the airborne route is the preeminent route for Cb infection, ticks' contribution to Cb epidemiology deserves further attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucía Varela-Castro
- Wildlife Ecology & Health group (WEH) and Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carla Zuddas
- Wildlife Ecology & Health group (WEH) and Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain; Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, Murcia, Spain
| | - Nieves Ortega
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, Murcia, Spain
| | - Emmanuel Serrano
- Wildlife Ecology & Health group (WEH) and Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain; Departamento de Biologia & CESAM, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Jesús Salinas
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, Murcia, Spain
| | - Joaquim Castellà
- Departament de Sanitat i d'Anatomia Animals, Àrea de Sanitat Animal, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Raquel Castillo-Contreras
- Wildlife Ecology & Health group (WEH) and Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - João Carvalho
- Wildlife Ecology & Health group (WEH) and Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain; Departamento de Biologia & CESAM, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Santiago Lavín
- Wildlife Ecology & Health group (WEH) and Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gregorio Mentaberre
- Wildlife Ecology & Health group (WEH) and Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain; Departament de Ciència Animal, Escola Tècnica Superior d'Enginyeria Agraria (ETSEA), Universitat de Lleida (UdL), Lleida, Spain.
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Heylen D, Fonville M, Docters van Leeuwen A, Stroo A, Duisterwinkel M, van Wieren S, Diuk-Wasser M, de Bruin A, Sprong H. Pathogen communities of songbird-derived ticks in Europe's low countries. Parasit Vectors 2017; 10:497. [PMID: 29047399 PMCID: PMC5648423 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-017-2423-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2017] [Accepted: 10/04/2017] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Birds play a major role in the maintenance of enzootic cycles of pathogens transmitted by ticks. Due to their mobility, they affect the spatial distribution and abundance of both ticks and pathogens. In the present study, we aim to identify members of a pathogen community [Borrelia burgdorferi (s.l.), B. miyamotoi, 'Ca. Neoehrlichia mikurensis', Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Rickettsia helvetica] in songbird-derived ticks from 11 locations in the Netherlands and Belgium (2012-2014). RESULTS Overall, 375 infested songbird individuals were captured, belonging to 35 species. Thrushes (Turdus iliacus, T. merula and T. philomelos) were trapped most often and had the highest mean infestation intensity for both Ixodes ricinus and I. frontalis. Of the 671 bird-derived ticks, 51% contained DNA of at least one pathogenic agent and 13% showed co-infections with two or more pathogens. Borrelia burgdorferi (s.l.) DNA was found in 34% of the ticks of which majority belong to so-called avian Borrelia species (distribution in Borrelia-infected ticks: 47% B. garinii, 34% B. valaisiana, 3% B. turdi), but also the mammal-associated B. afzelii (16%) was detected. The occurrence of B. miyamotoi was low (1%). Prevalence of R. helvetica in ticks was high (22%), while A. phagocytophilum and 'Ca. N. mikurensis' prevalences were 5% and 4%, respectively. The occurrence of B. burgdorferi (s.l.) was positively correlated with the occurrence of 'Ca. N. mikurensis', reflecting variation in susceptibility among birds and/or suggesting transmission facilitation due to interactions between pathogens. CONCLUSIONS Our findings highlight the contribution of European songbirds to co-infections in tick individuals and consequently to the exposure of humans to multiple pathogens during a tick bite. Although poorly studied, exposure to and possibly also infection with multiple tick-borne pathogens in humans seems to be the rule rather than the exception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dieter Heylen
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
| | - Manoj Fonville
- Centre for Zoonoses & Environmental Microbiology, Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Arieke Docters van Leeuwen
- Centre for Zoonoses & Environmental Microbiology, Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Arjan Stroo
- Centre for Monitoring of Vectors, Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | | | - Sip van Wieren
- Resource Ecology Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | | | - Arnout de Bruin
- Centre for Zoonoses & Environmental Microbiology, Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Hein Sprong
- Centre for Zoonoses & Environmental Microbiology, Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
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26
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Šimo L, Kazimirova M, Richardson J, Bonnet SI. The Essential Role of Tick Salivary Glands and Saliva in Tick Feeding and Pathogen Transmission. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2017; 7:281. [PMID: 28690983 PMCID: PMC5479950 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2017.00281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 182] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2017] [Accepted: 06/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
As long-term pool feeders, ticks have developed myriad strategies to remain discreetly but solidly attached to their hosts for the duration of their blood meal. The critical biological material that dampens host defenses and facilitates the flow of blood-thus assuring adequate feeding-is tick saliva. Saliva exhibits cytolytic, vasodilator, anticoagulant, anti-inflammatory, and immunosuppressive activity. This essential fluid is secreted by the salivary glands, which also mediate several other biological functions, including secretion of cement and hygroscopic components, as well as the watery component of blood as regards hard ticks. When salivary glands are invaded by tick-borne pathogens, pathogens may be transmitted via saliva, which is injected alternately with blood uptake during the tick bite. Both salivary glands and saliva thus play a key role in transmission of pathogenic microorganisms to vertebrate hosts. During their long co-evolution with ticks and vertebrate hosts, microorganisms have indeed developed various strategies to exploit tick salivary molecules to ensure both acquisition by ticks and transmission, local infection and systemic dissemination within the vertebrate host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ladislav Šimo
- UMR BIPAR, INRA, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, ANSES, Université Paris-EstMaisons-Alfort, France
| | - Maria Kazimirova
- Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of SciencesBratislava, Slovakia
| | - Jennifer Richardson
- UMR Virologie, INRA, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, ANSES, Université Paris-EstMaisons-Alfort, France
| | - Sarah I. Bonnet
- UMR BIPAR, INRA, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, ANSES, Université Paris-EstMaisons-Alfort, France
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27
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Levin ML, Zemtsova GE, Killmaster LF, Snellgrove A, Schumacher LBM. Vector competence of Amblyomma americanum (Acari: Ixodidae) for Rickettsia rickettsii. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2017; 8:615-622. [PMID: 28433728 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2017.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2016] [Revised: 03/03/2017] [Accepted: 04/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Rickettsia rickettsii - the etiologic agent of Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) - is widely spread across the Americas. In the US, Dermacentor spp. ticks are identified as primary vectors of R. rickettsii and Rhipicephalus sanguineus s.l. has been implicated in transmission of this pathogen in several locations in the Southwest. Conversely, ticks of the genus Amblyomma are recognized vectors of RMSF in Central and South America, but not in the US. A. americanum is one of the most aggressive human-biting ticks in the US, whose geographical range overlaps with that of reported RMSF cases. Despite sporadic findings of R. rickettsii DNA in field-collected A. americanum and circumstantial association of this species with human RMSF cases, its vector competence for R. rickettsii has not been appropriately studied. Therefore, we assessed the ability of A. americanum to acquire and transmit two geographically distant isolates of R. rickettsii. The Di-6 isolate of R. rickettsii used in this study originated in Virginia and the AZ-3 isolate originated in Arizona. Under laboratory conditions, A. americanum demonstrated vector competence for both isolates, although the efficiency of acquisition and transovarial transmission was higher for Di-6 than for AZ-3 isolate. Uninfected larvae acquired the pathogen from systemically infected guinea pigs, as well as while feeding side by side with Rickettsia-infected ticks on non-rickettsiemic hosts. Once acquired, R. rickettsii was successfully maintained through the tick molting process and transmitted to susceptible animals during subsequent feedings. Guinea pigs and dogs infested with infected A. americanum developed fever, scrotal edema and dermatitis or macular rash. R. rickettsii DNA was identified in animal blood, skin, and internal organs. The prevalence of infection within tick cohorts gradually increased due to side-by-side feeding of infected and uninfected individuals from 33 to 49% in freshly molted nymphs to 71-98% in engorged females. Moreover, R. rickettsii was transmitted transovarially by approximately 28% and 14% of females infected with Di-6 and AZ-3 isolates, respectively. Hence, A. americanum is capable of acquiring, maintaining and transmitting R. rickettsii isolates originating from two different geographical regions of the US, at least under laboratory conditions. Its role in ecology and epidemiology of RMSF in the US deserves further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael L Levin
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States.
| | - Galina E Zemtsova
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Lindsay F Killmaster
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Alyssa Snellgrove
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Lauren B M Schumacher
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
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28
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Extensive genetic diversity of Rickettsiales bacteria in multiple mosquito species. Sci Rep 2016; 6:38770. [PMID: 27934910 PMCID: PMC5146937 DOI: 10.1038/srep38770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2016] [Accepted: 11/10/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Rickettsiales are important zoonotic pathogens, causing severe disease in humans globally. Although mosquitoes are an important vector for diverse pathogens, with the exception of members of the genus Wolbachia little is known about their role in the transmission of Rickettsiales. Herein, Rickettsiales were identified by PCR in five species of mosquitoes (Anopheles sinensis, Armigeres subalbatus, Aedes albopictus, Culex quinquefasciatus and Cu. tritaeniorhynchus) collected from three Chinese provinces during 2014–2015. Subsequent phylogenetic analyses of the rrs, groEL and gltA genes revealed the presence of Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, Candidatus Neoehrlichia, and Rickettsia bacteria in mosquitoes, comprising nine documented and five tentative species bacteria, as well as three symbionts/endosybionts. In addition, bacteria were identified in mosquito eggs, larvae, and pupae sampled from aquatic environments. Hence, these data suggest that Rickettsiales circulate widely in mosquitoes in nature. Also of note was that Ehrlichia and Rickettsia bacteria were detected in each life stage of laboratory cultured mosquitoes, suggesting that Rickettsiales may be maintained in mosquitoes through both transstadial and transovarial transmission. In sum, these data indicate that mosquitoes may have played an important role in the transmission and evolution of Rickettsiales in nature.
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29
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Levin ML, Snellgrove AN, Zemtsova GE. Comparative value of blood and skin samples for diagnosis of spotted fever group rickettsial infection in model animals. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2016; 7:1029-1034. [PMID: 27282078 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2016.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2016] [Revised: 05/23/2016] [Accepted: 05/25/2016] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
The definitive diagnosis of spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsioses in humans is challenging due to the retrospective nature and cross reactivity of the serological methods and the absence of reliable and consistent samples for molecular diagnostics. Existing data indicate the transient character of bacteremia in experimentally infected animals. The ability of arthropod vectors to acquire rickettsial infection from the laboratory animals in the absence of systemic infection and known tropism of rickettsial agents to endothelial cells of peripheral blood vessels underline the importance of local infection and consequently the diagnostic potential of skin samples. In order to evaluate the diagnostic sensitivity of rickettsial DNA detection in blood and skin samples, we compared results of PCR testing in parallel samples collected from model laboratory animals infected with Rickettsia rickettsii, Rickettsia parkeri and Rickettsia slovaca-like agent at different time points after infection. Skin samples were collected from ears - away from the site of tick placement and without eschars. Overall, testing of skin samples resulted in a higher proportion of positive results than testing of blood samples. Presented data from model animals demonstrates that testing of skin samples from sites of rickettsial proliferation can provide definitive molecular diagnosis of up to 60-70% of tick-borne SFG rickettsial infections during the acute stage of illness. Detection of pathogen DNA in cutaneous samples is a valuable alternative to blood-PCR at least in model animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael L Levin
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States.
| | - Alyssa N Snellgrove
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Galina E Zemtsova
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
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30
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Persichetti MF, Solano-Gallego L, Serrano L, Altet L, Reale S, Masucci M, Pennisi MG. Detection of vector-borne pathogens in cats and their ectoparasites in southern Italy. Parasit Vectors 2016; 9:247. [PMID: 27160725 PMCID: PMC4862052 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-016-1534-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2016] [Accepted: 04/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Vector-borne pathogens are the subject of several investigations due to the zoonotic concern of some of them. However, limited data are available about the simultaneous presence of these pathogens in cats and their ectoparasites. The aim of the present study was to define the species of ectoparasites found on cats as well as to investigate vector-borne pathogens in cats and their ectoparasites in southern Italy. METHODS Blood from 42 cats and fleas or flea pools (n = 28) and ticks (n = 73) collected from them were investigated by quantitative PCR for the detection of vector-borne pathogens. Feline serum samples were tested by IFAT to detect IgG antibodies against Leishmania infantum, Bartonella henselae, Rickettsia conorii, Rickettsia felis, Rickettsia typhi, Babesia microti, Ehrlichia canis and Anaplasma phagocytophilum antigens. RESULTS Only one flea species (Ctenocephalides felis) and four tick species belonging to the genera Rhipicephalus and Ixodes were identified on cats from southern Italy. Molecular evidence of Bartonella spp., Rickettsia spp., hemoplasmas, Babesia vogeli and L. infantum was found in ectoparasites (fleas and/or ticks) while DNA from Hepatozoon felis and Ehrlichia/Anaplasma spp. was not detected. Likewise, DNAs from Bartonella, hemoplasma and Leishmania were the only pathogens amplified from feline blood samples. Cats had also antibodies against all the investigated pathogens with the exception of Rickettsia typhi. Agreement between serological and molecular results in individual cats and their ectoparasites was not found. The only exception was for Bartonella with a fair to moderate agreement between individual cats and their ectoparasites. Bartonella clarridgeiae was the species most frequently found in cats and their fleas followed by B. henselae. CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, cats harboring ticks and fleas are frequently exposed to vector-borne pathogens. Furthermore, ticks and fleas harbored by cats frequently carry pathogens of zoonotic concern therefore appropriate feline ectoparasiticide preventative treatments should be used in cats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria-Flaminia Persichetti
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia Adelmo Mirri, Via G. Marinuzzi 3, 90129, Palermo, Italy
| | - Laia Solano-Gallego
- Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animal, Facultat de Veterinària. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Lorena Serrano
- Vetgenomics, Edifici Eureka, PRUAB, 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Laura Altet
- Vetgenomics, Edifici Eureka, PRUAB, 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Stefano Reale
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia Adelmo Mirri, Via G. Marinuzzi 3, 90129, Palermo, Italy
| | - Marisa Masucci
- Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie, Università di Messina, Polo Universitario Annunziata, 98168, Messina, Italy
| | - Maria-Grazia Pennisi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie, Università di Messina, Polo Universitario Annunziata, 98168, Messina, Italy
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Brown LD, Christofferson RC, Banajee KH, Del Piero F, Foil LD, Macaluso KR. Cofeeding intra- and interspecific transmission of an emerging insect-borne rickettsial pathogen. Mol Ecol 2016; 24:5475-89. [PMID: 26414611 PMCID: PMC4831916 DOI: 10.1111/mec.13403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2015] [Revised: 09/09/2015] [Accepted: 09/22/2015] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Cat fleas (Ctenocephalides felis) are known as the primary vector and reservoir of Rickettsia felis, the causative agent of flea-borne spotted fever; however, field surveys regularly report molecular detection of this infectious agent from other blood-feeding arthropods. The presence of R. felis in additional arthropods may be the result of chance consumption of an infectious bloodmeal, but isolation of viable rickettsiae circulating in the blood of suspected vertebrate reservoirs has not been demonstrated. Successful transmission of pathogens between actively blood-feeding arthropods in the absence of a disseminated vertebrate infection has been verified, referred to as cofeeding transmission. Therefore, the principal route from systemically infected vertebrates to uninfected arthropods may not be applicable to the R. felis transmission cycle. Here, we show both intra- and interspecific transmission of R. felis between cofeeding arthropods on a vertebrate host. Analyses revealed that infected cat fleas transmitted R. felis to naïve cat fleas and rat fleas (Xenopsylla cheopis) via fleabite on a nonrickettsemic vertebrate host. Also, cat fleas infected by cofeeding were infectious to newly emerged uninfected cat fleas in an artificial system. Furthermore, we utilized a stochastic model to demonstrate that cofeeding is sufficient to explain the enzootic spread of R. felis amongst populations of the biological vector. Our results implicate cat fleas in the spread of R. felis amongst different vectors, and the demonstration of cofeeding transmission of R. felis through a vertebrate host represents a novel transmission paradigm for insect-borne Rickettsia and furthers our understanding of this emerging rickettsiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa D Brown
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Skip Bertman Drive, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA
| | - Rebecca C Christofferson
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Skip Bertman Drive, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA
| | - Kaikhushroo H Banajee
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Skip Bertman Drive, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA
| | - Fabio Del Piero
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Skip Bertman Drive, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA
| | - Lane D Foil
- Department of Entomology, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, LSB-413, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA
| | - Kevin R Macaluso
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Skip Bertman Drive, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA
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Zemtsova GE, Killmaster LF, Montgomery M, Schumacher L, Burrows M, Levin ML. First Report of Rickettsia Identical to R. slovaca in Colony-Originated D. variabilis in the United States: Detection, Laboratory Animal Model, and Vector Competence of Ticks. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2016; 16:77-84. [PMID: 26808054 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2015.1844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ticks of the genus Dermacentor are known vectors of rickettsial pathogens in both the Old World and New World. In North America, Dermacentor variabilis and D. andersoni are vectors of Rickettsia rickettsii, while in Europe, D. marginatus and D. reticulatus transmit R. slovaca and R. raoultii, respectively. Neither the presence of R. slovaca in the Americas nor the ability of American tick species to maintain this pathogen have been reported. Here we describe detection of Rickettsia genetically identical to R. slovaca in D. variabilis, its molecular characterization, assessment of pathogenicity to guinea pigs, and vector competence of D. variabilis ticks. Ticks from a laboratory colony of D. variabilis, established from wild ticks and maintained on naïve NZW rabbits, tested positive for spotted fever group (SFG) Rickettsia by PCR. Analysis of 17 kDa gltA, rpoB, ompA, ompB, and sca4 genes revealed 100% identity to R. slovaca sequences available in the GenBank. New Zealand white rabbits fed upon by infected ticks seroconverted to SFG Rickettsia. Guinea pigs inoculated with the Rickettsia culture or infested by the infected ticks developed antibodies to SFG Rickettsia. The intensity of clinical signs and immune response were dependent on dose and route of infection. The identified Rickettsia was detected in all life stages of D. variabilis ticks, confirming transstadial and transovarial transmission. Thirty-six percent of uninfected larvae co-fed with infected nymphs on guinea pigs were PCR-positive and able to pass rickettsia to at least 11.7% of molted nymphs. To our knowledge, this is a first report of identification of a European pathogen R. slovaca or a highly similar agent in the American dog tick, D. variabilis. Considering pathogenicity of R. slovaca in humans, further laboratory and field studies are warranted to assess the relevance of the above findings to the public health and epidemiology of SFG rickettsioses in the United States.
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Affiliation(s)
- Galina E Zemtsova
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Lindsay F Killmaster
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Merrill Montgomery
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Lauren Schumacher
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Matt Burrows
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Michael L Levin
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , Atlanta, Georgia
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Heylen D, Fonville M, van Leeuwen AD, Sprong H. Co-infections and transmission dynamics in a tick-borne bacterium community exposed to songbirds. Environ Microbiol 2016; 18:988-96. [DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.13164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2015] [Revised: 11/19/2015] [Accepted: 11/27/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dieter Heylen
- Evolutionary Ecology Group; Department of Biology; University of Antwerp; Antwerpen Belgium
| | - Manoj Fonville
- Laboratory for Zoonoses and Environmental Microbiology; National Institute for Public Health and Environment (RIVM); Bilthoven the Netherlands
| | - Arieke Docters van Leeuwen
- Laboratory for Zoonoses and Environmental Microbiology; National Institute for Public Health and Environment (RIVM); Bilthoven the Netherlands
| | - Hein Sprong
- Laboratory for Zoonoses and Environmental Microbiology; National Institute for Public Health and Environment (RIVM); Bilthoven the Netherlands
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Experimental vertical transmission of Rickettsia parkeri in the Gulf Coast tick, Amblyomma maculatum. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2015; 6:568-73. [PMID: 25958197 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2015.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2014] [Revised: 04/16/2015] [Accepted: 04/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Rickettsia parkeri, an obligate intracellular bacterium, is a member of the spotted fever group of rickettsiae (SFGR), and is transmitted to humans and other animals by invertebrate vectors. In the United States, the primary vector of R. parkeri is the Gulf Coast tick, Amblyomma maculatum Koch. This study investigates the vertical transmission dynamics of R. parkeri within a field-derived, naturally infected colony of A. maculatum. Transovarial and transstadial transmission of the pathogen was observed over three generations, with transovarial transmission efficiency averaging 83.7% and transstadial transmission rates approaching 100%. Fitness costs were determined by comparing reproduction values of the R. parkeri-infected A. maculatum colony to values from a R. parkeri-free colony. No significant reproductive fitness costs to the host ticks were detected in the R. parkeri-infected A. maculatum colony. Significantly fewer engorged F1 nymphs and F2 larvae of the R. parkeri-free colony succeeded in molting, suggesting that there may be some advantage to survival conferred by R. parkeri. The results of this study indicate that R. parkeri is maintained in A. maculatum populations efficiently by transovarial and transstadial transmission without any noticeable effects on tick reproduction or survival.
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Eremeeva ME, Dasch GA. Challenges posed by tick-borne rickettsiae: eco-epidemiology and public health implications. Front Public Health 2015; 3:55. [PMID: 25954738 PMCID: PMC4404743 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2015.00055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2014] [Accepted: 03/18/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Rickettsiae are obligately intracellular bacteria that are transmitted to vertebrates by a variety of arthropod vectors, primarily by fleas and ticks. Once transmitted or experimentally inoculated into susceptible mammals, some rickettsiae may cause febrile illness of different morbidity and mortality, and which can manifest with different types of exhanthems in humans. However, most rickettsiae circulate in diverse sylvatic or peridomestic reservoirs without having obvious impacts on their vertebrate hosts or affecting humans. We have analyzed the key features of tick-borne maintenance of rickettsiae, which may provide a deeper basis for understanding those complex invertebrate interactions and strategies that have permitted survival and circulation of divergent rickettsiae in nature. Rickettsiae are found in association with a wide range of hard and soft ticks, which feed on very different species of large and small animals. Maintenance of rickettsiae in these vector systems is driven by both vertical and horizontal transmission strategies, but some species of Rickettsia are also known to cause detrimental effects on their arthropod vectors. Contrary to common belief, the role of vertebrate animal hosts in maintenance of rickettsiae is very incompletely understood. Some clearly play only the essential role of providing a blood meal to the tick while other hosts may supply crucial supplemental functions for effective agent transmission by the vectors. This review summarizes the importance of some recent findings with known and new vectors that afford an improved understanding of the eco-epidemiology of rickettsiae; the public health implications of that information for rickettsial diseases are also described. Special attention is paid to the co-circulation of different species and genotypes of rickettsiae within the same endemic areas and how these observations may influence, correctly or incorrectly, trends, and conclusions drawn from the surveillance of rickettsial diseases in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina E Eremeeva
- Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health, Georgia Southern University , Statesboro, GA , USA
| | - Gregory A Dasch
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , Atlanta, GA , USA
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Clinical presentation, convalescence, and relapse of rocky mountain spotted fever in dogs experimentally infected via tick bite. PLoS One 2014; 9:e115105. [PMID: 25542001 PMCID: PMC4277292 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0115105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2014] [Accepted: 11/18/2014] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) is a tick-borne disease caused by R. rickettsii in North and South America. Domestic dogs are susceptible to infection and canine RMSF can be fatal without appropriate treatment. Although clinical signs of R. rickettsii infection in dogs have been described, published reports usually include descriptions of either advanced clinical cases or experimental infections caused by needle-inoculation of cultured pathogen rather than by tick bite. The natural progression of a tick-borne R. rickettsii infection has not been studied in sufficient detail. Here, we provide a detailed description of clinical, hematological, molecular, and serological dynamics of RMSF in domestic dogs from the day of experimental exposure to infected ticks through recovery. Presented data indicate that neither the height/duration of fever nor detection of rickettsial DNA in dogs' blood by PCR are good indicators for clinical prognosis. Only the apex and subsequent subsidence of neutrophilia seem to mark the beginning of recovery and allow predicting a favorable outcome in Rickettsia-infected dogs, even despite the continuing persistence of mucosal petechiae and skin rash. On the other hand the appropriate (doxycycline) antibiotic therapy of sufficient duration is crucial in prevention of RMSF relapses in dogs.
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Monje LD, Nava S, Antoniazzi LR, Colombo VC, Beldomenico PM. In vitro isolation and infection intensity of Rickettsia parkeri in Amblyomma triste ticks from the Paraná River Delta region, Argentina. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2014; 5:924-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2014.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2014] [Revised: 06/11/2014] [Accepted: 07/13/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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Eremeeva ME, Shpynov SN, Tokarevich NK. MODERN APPROACHES TO LABORATORY DIAGNOSIS OF RICKETTSIAL DISEASES. RUSSIAN JOURNAL OF INFECTION AND IMMUNITY 2014. [DOI: 10.15789/2220-7619-2014-2-113-134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Abstract. We present a concise review of contemporary laboratory methods for diagnosis of rickettsioses with special emphasis on diseases known in Russian Federation. Classic and emerging rickettsioses are transmitted by a diverse and expanding group of arthropod vectors including ticks, fleas, lice and mites. While epidemiological and clinical clues can provide information important for initial suspicion of rickettsial infection, sensitive and specific laboratory methods are necessary for providing probable or confirmed diagnosis of the rickettsial infection. Accurate and rapid confirmation of rickettsial infection is important for ensuring proper clinical care and prompt initiation of antibiotic therapy. Correct identification of the etiology of rickettsial diseases is also important for early identification of clustered cases, novel foci of infections, and for timely initiation of public health responses to these potentially fatal infections.
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Levin ML, Zemtsova GE, Montgomery M, Killmaster LF. Effects of homologous and heterologous immunization on the reservoir competence of domestic dogs for Rickettsia conorii (israelensis). Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2014; 5:33-40. [PMID: 24201056 PMCID: PMC5659121 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2013.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2013] [Revised: 06/24/2013] [Accepted: 07/03/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
A number of spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsiae cause serious infections in humans. Several antigenically related rickettsial agents may coexist within the same geographical area, and humans or vertebrate hosts may be sequentially exposed to multiple SFG agents. We assessed whether exposure of a vertebrate reservoir to one SFG Rickettsia will affect the host's immune response to a related pathogen and the efficiency of transmission to uninfected ticks. Two pairs of dogs were each infected with either Rickettsia massiliae or Rickettsia conorii israelensis, and their immune response was monitored twice weekly by IFA. The four immunized dogs and a pair of naïve dogs were each challenged with R. conorii israelensis-infected Rhipicephalus sanguineus nymphs. Uninfected Rh. sanguineus larvae were acquisition-fed on the dogs on days 1, 7, and 14 post-challenge. These ticks were tested for the presence of rickettsial DNA after molting to the nymphal stage. The naive dogs became infected with R. conorii israelensis and were infectious to ticks for at least 3 weeks, whereas reservoir competence of dogs previously infected with either R. massiliae or R. conorii was significantly diminished. This opens an opportunity for decreasing the efficiency of transmission and propagation of pathogenic Rickettsia in natural foci by immunizing the primary hosts with closely related nonpathogenic SFG bacteria. However, neither homologous immunization nor cross-immunization significantly affected the efficiency of R. conorii transmission between cofeeding infected nymphs and uninfected larvae. At high densities of ticks, the efficiency of cofeeding transmission may be sufficient for yearly amplification and persistent circulation of a rickettsial pathogen in the vector population.
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Affiliation(s)
- M L Levin
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA.
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Martello E, Selmi M, Ragagli C, Ambrogi C, Stella MC, Mannelli A, Tomassone L. Rickettsia slovaca in immature Dermacentor marginatus and tissues from Apodemus spp. in the northern Apennines, Italy. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2013; 4:518-21. [PMID: 24120274 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2013.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2013] [Revised: 06/20/2013] [Accepted: 07/04/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Immature Dermacentor marginatus ticks and tissues from small rodents were tested for infection with Rickettsia slovaca in the northern Apennines, Lucca Province, where tick-borne lymphadenopathy (TIBOLA) was previously reported in people. Prevalence of infestation with D. marginatus was 30.5% (n=131, 95% CI: 22.8-39.2%) in Apodemus spp. and 26.5% (n=34, 95% CI: 12.9-44.4%) in Myodes glareolus, which were captured during 1980 trap nights in 2009 and 2010. Rickettsia slovaca was identified by polymerase chain reaction, targeting the gltA and OmpA genes, in ear biopsies from 8 out of 37 tested Apodemus (22%, 95% CI: 9.8-38.2%), but not from 9 M. glareolus. The prevalence of R. slovaca in D. marginatus feeding on Apodemus spp. was 53% in larvae (n=51, 95% CI: 38.5-67.1%) and 47.5% in nymphs (n=59, 95% CI: 34.3-60.9%). No larvae (0.0%, 95% CI: 0-36.9%), but one nymph removed from M. glareolus was positive (10%, 95% CI: 0.3-44.5%). Prevalence of R. slovaca in host-seeking D. marginatus larvae, collected in the same area, was 42% (n=38; 95% CI: 26.3-59.2%). Prevalence of R. slovaca was greater in larvae feeding on PCR-positive Apodemus than in those feeding on negative mice (78.6% vs. 37.1%). Furthermore, levels of infestation with D. marginatus larvae were greater for R. slovaca-positive mice. The infection of Apodemus spp. was probably the result of repeated bites by transovarially infected larvae. On the other hand, the finding of R. slovaca in mice tissues would be compatible with transmission from these hosts to feeding D. marginatus. Based on such a hypothesis, the most heavily infested Apodemus might play a role as amplifiers of the infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Martello
- Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie, University of Torino, Italy
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Parola P, Paddock CD, Socolovschi C, Labruna MB, Mediannikov O, Kernif T, Abdad MY, Stenos J, Bitam I, Fournier PE, Raoult D. Update on tick-borne rickettsioses around the world: a geographic approach. Clin Microbiol Rev 2013; 26:657-702. [PMID: 24092850 PMCID: PMC3811236 DOI: 10.1128/cmr.00032-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 908] [Impact Index Per Article: 82.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Tick-borne rickettsioses are caused by obligate intracellular bacteria belonging to the spotted fever group of the genus Rickettsia. These zoonoses are among the oldest known vector-borne diseases. However, in the past 25 years, the scope and importance of the recognized tick-associated rickettsial pathogens have increased dramatically, making this complex of diseases an ideal paradigm for the understanding of emerging and reemerging infections. Several species of tick-borne rickettsiae that were considered nonpathogenic for decades are now associated with human infections, and novel Rickettsia species of undetermined pathogenicity continue to be detected in or isolated from ticks around the world. This remarkable expansion of information has been driven largely by the use of molecular techniques that have facilitated the identification of novel and previously recognized rickettsiae in ticks. New approaches, such as swabbing of eschars to obtain material to be tested by PCR, have emerged in recent years and have played a role in describing emerging tick-borne rickettsioses. Here, we present the current knowledge on tick-borne rickettsiae and rickettsioses using a geographic approach toward the epidemiology of these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philippe Parola
- Aix Marseille Université, Unité de Recherche en Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes (URMITE), UM63, CNRS 7278, IRD 198, Inserm 1095, WHO Collaborative Center for Rickettsioses and Other Arthropod-Borne Bacterial Diseases, Faculté de Médecine, Marseille, France
| | | | - Cristina Socolovschi
- Aix Marseille Université, Unité de Recherche en Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes (URMITE), UM63, CNRS 7278, IRD 198, Inserm 1095, WHO Collaborative Center for Rickettsioses and Other Arthropod-Borne Bacterial Diseases, Faculté de Médecine, Marseille, France
| | - Marcelo B. Labruna
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia Universidade de São Paulo, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Oleg Mediannikov
- Aix Marseille Université, Unité de Recherche en Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes (URMITE), UM63, CNRS 7278, IRD 198, Inserm 1095, WHO Collaborative Center for Rickettsioses and Other Arthropod-Borne Bacterial Diseases, Faculté de Médecine, Marseille, France
| | - Tahar Kernif
- Service d'Ecologie des Systèmes Vectoriels, Institut Pasteur d'Algérie, Algiers, Algeria
| | - Mohammad Yazid Abdad
- Division of Veterinary and Biomedical Science, Murdoch University, Australian Rickettsial Reference Laboratory, Barwon Health, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | - John Stenos
- Division of Veterinary and Biomedical Science, Murdoch University, Australian Rickettsial Reference Laboratory, Barwon Health, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | - Idir Bitam
- University of Boumerdes, Boumerdes, Algeria
| | - Pierre-Edouard Fournier
- Aix Marseille Université, Unité de Recherche en Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes (URMITE), UM63, CNRS 7278, IRD 198, Inserm 1095, WHO Collaborative Center for Rickettsioses and Other Arthropod-Borne Bacterial Diseases, Faculté de Médecine, Marseille, France
| | - Didier Raoult
- Aix Marseille Université, Unité de Recherche en Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes (URMITE), UM63, CNRS 7278, IRD 198, Inserm 1095, WHO Collaborative Center for Rickettsioses and Other Arthropod-Borne Bacterial Diseases, Faculté de Médecine, Marseille, France
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Moraru GM, Goddard J, Paddock CD, Varela-Stokes A. Experimental infection of cotton rats and bobwhite quail with Rickettsia parkeri. Parasit Vectors 2013; 6:70. [PMID: 23497681 PMCID: PMC3606396 DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-6-70] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2012] [Accepted: 02/19/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Amblyomma maculatum is the primary vector for Rickettsia parkeri, a spotted fever group rickettsia (SFGR) and human pathogen. Cotton rats and quail are known hosts for larval and nymphal A. maculatum; however, the role of these hosts in the ecology of R. parkeri is unknown. Methods Cotton rats and quail were inoculated with low or high doses of R. parkeri (strain Portsmouth) grown in Vero cells to evaluate infection by R. parkeri in these two hosts species. Animals were euthanized 2, 4, 7, 10, and 14 days post-injection (dpi) and blood, skin, and spleen samples were collected to analyze by Vero cell culture and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). In a second trial, cotton rats and quail were inoculated with R. parkeri and nymphal A. maculatum ticks were allowed to feed on animals. Animals were euthanized on 14, 20, 28, 31, and 38 dpi and blood and tissues were collected for serology and PCR assays. Fed ticks were tested for R. parkeri by PCR and Vero cell culture. Results Rickettsia parkeri was isolated in cell culture and detected by PCR in skin, blood, and spleen tissues of cotton rats in the initial trial 2, 4, and 7 dpi, but not in quail tissues. In the second trial, no ticks tested positive for R. parkeri by PCR or cell culture. Conclusions These studies demonstrate that viable R. parkeri rickettsiae can persist in the tissues of cotton rats for at least 7 days following subcutaneous inoculation of these bacteria; however, quail are apparently resistant to infection. Rickettsia parkeri was not detected in nymphal ticks that fed on R. parkeri-inoculated cotton rats or quail, suggesting an alternate route of transmission to naïve ticks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gail Miriam Moraru
- Department of Basic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Wise Center, Spring Street, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA
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In vitroisolation fromAmblyomma ovale(Acari: Ixodidae) and ecological aspects of the Atlantic rainforestRickettsia, the causative agent of a novel spotted fever rickettsiosis in Brazil. Parasitology 2013; 140:719-28. [DOI: 10.1017/s0031182012002065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
SUMMARYRecently, a novel human rickettsiosis, namely Atlantic rainforest spotted fever, was described in Brazil. We herein report results of a survey led around the index case in an Atlantic rainforest reserve in Peruibe municipality, southeastern Brazil. ARickettsia parkeri-like agent (Rickettsiasp. Atlantic rainforest genotype) andRicketsia belliiwere isolated from adultAmblyomma ovaleticks collected from dogs. Molecular evidence of infection with strain Atlantic rainforest was obtained for 30 (12·9%) of 232A. ovaleadult ticks collected from dogs. As many as 88·6% of the 35 examined dogs had anti-Rickettsiaantibodies, with endpoint titres at their highest toR. parkeri. High correlation among antibody titres in dogs,A. ovaleinfestations, and access to rainforest was observed.Amblyomma ovalesubadults were found predominantly on a rodent species (Euryoryzomys russatus). From 17E. russatustested, 6 (35·3%) displayed anti-Rickettsiaantibodies, with endpoint titres highest toR. parkeri. It is concluded that Atlantic rainforest genotype circulates in this Atlantic rainforest area at relatively high levels. Dogs get infected when bitten byA. ovaleticks in the forest, and carry infected ticks to households. The role ofE. russatusas an amplifier host ofRickettsiatoA. ovaleticks deserves investigation.
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Levin ML, Killmaster LF, Zemtsova GE. Domestic Dogs (Canis familiaris) as Reservoir Hosts forRickettsia conorii. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2012; 12:28-33. [DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2011.0684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Michael L. Levin
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Lindsay F. Killmaster
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Galina E. Zemtsova
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
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Fornadel CM, Zhang X, Smith JD, Paddock CD, Arias JR, Norris DE. High rates of Rickettsia parkeri infection in Gulf Coast ticks (Amblyomma maculatum) and identification of "Candidatus Rickettsia andeanae" from Fairfax County, Virginia. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2011; 11:1535-9. [PMID: 21867421 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2011.0654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The Gulf Coast tick, Amblyomma maculatum, is a vector of Rickettsia parkeri, a recently identified human pathogen that causes a disease with clinical symptoms that resemble a mild form of Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Because the prevalence of R. parkeri infection in geographically distinct populations of A. maculatum is not fully understood, A. maculatum specimens collected as part of a tick and pathogen surveillance system in Fairfax County, Virginia, were screened to determine pathogen infection rates. Overall, R. parkeri was found in 41.4% of the A. maculatum that were screened. Additionally, the novel spotted fever group Rickettsia sp., tentatively named "Candidatus Rickettsia andeanae," was observed for the first time in Virginia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christen M Fornadel
- The W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21205-2179, USA
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