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Keve G, Sándor AD, Hornok S. Hard ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) associated with birds in Europe: Review of literature data. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:928756. [PMID: 36090176 PMCID: PMC9453168 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.928756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Hard ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) are considered the most important transmitters of pathogens in the temperate zone that covers most of Europe. In the era of climate change tick-borne diseases are predicted to undergo geographical range expansion toward the north through regions that are connected to southern areas of the continent by bird migration. This alone would justify the importance of synthesized knowledge on the association of tick species with avian hosts, yet birds also represent the most taxonomically and ecologically diverse part of urban vertebrate fauna. Birds frequently occur in gardens and near animal keeping facilities, thus playing a significant role in the dispersal of ticks and tick-borne pathogens in synanthropic environments. The primary aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive reference source (baseline data) for future studies, particularly in the context of discovering new tick-host associations after comparison with already published data. The records on the ixodid tick infestations of birds were assessed from nearly 200 papers published since 1952. In this period, 37 hard tick species were reported from 16 orders of avian hosts in Europe. Here we compile a list of these tick species, followed by the English and Latin name of all reported infested bird species, as well as the tick developmental stage and country of origin whenever this information was available. These data allowed a first-hand analysis of general trends regarding how and at which developmental stage of ticks tend to infest avian hosts. Five tick species that were frequently reported from birds and show a broad geographical distribution in the Western Palearctic (Ixodes arboricola, I. frontalis, I. ricinus, Haemaphysalis concinna and Hyalomma marginatum) were also selected for statistical comparisons. Differences were demonstrated between these tick species regarding their association with bird species that typically feed from the ground and those that rarely occur at the soil level. The ecology of these five bird-infesting tick species is also illustrated here according to avian orders, taking into account the ecology (habitat type) and activity (circadian rhythm and feeding level) of most bird species that represent a certain order.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gergő Keve
- Department of Parasitology and Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
- ELKH-ÁTE Climate Change: New Blood-Sucking Parasites and Vector-Borne Pathogens Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Attila D. Sándor
- Department of Parasitology and Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
- ELKH-ÁTE Climate Change: New Blood-Sucking Parasites and Vector-Borne Pathogens Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- *Correspondence: Attila D. Sándor
| | - Sándor Hornok
- Department of Parasitology and Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
- ELKH-ÁTE Climate Change: New Blood-Sucking Parasites and Vector-Borne Pathogens Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
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Rataud A, Galon C, Bournez L, Henry PY, Marsot M, Moutailler S. Diversity of Tick-Borne Pathogens in Tick Larvae Feeding on Breeding Birds in France. Pathogens 2022; 11:pathogens11080946. [PMID: 36015066 PMCID: PMC9414652 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11080946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Birds play a role in maintaining tick-borne diseases by contributing to the multiplication of ticks and pathogens on a local scale during the breeding season. In the present study, we describe the diversity of tick and pathogen species of medical and veterinary importance in Europe hosted by 1040 captured birds (56 species) during their breeding season in France. Of the 3114 ticks collected, Ixodes ricinus was the most prevalent species (89.5%), followed by I. frontalis (0.8%), I. arboricola (0.7%), Haemaphysalis concinna (0.5%), H. punctata (0.5%), Hyalomma spp. (0.2%), and Rhipicephalus spp. (0.06%). Because they may be representative of the bird infection status for some pathogen species, 1106 engorged tick larvae were screened for pathogens. Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato was the most prevalent pathogen genus in bird-feeding larvae (11.7%), followed by Rickettsia spp. (7.4%), Anaplasma spp. (5.7%), Babesia spp. (2.3%), Ehrlichia spp. (1.4%), and B. miyamotoi (1%). Turdidae birds (Turdus merula and T. philomelos), Troglodytes troglodytes, and Anthus trivialis had a significantly higher prevalence of B. burgdorferi s.l.-infected larvae than other pathogen genera. This suggests that these bird species could act as reservoir hosts for B. burgdorferi s.l. during their breeding season, and thus play an important role in acarological risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amalia Rataud
- Laboratory for Animal Health, Epidemiology Unit, Université Paris Est, ANSES, 94700 Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Clemence Galon
- ANSES, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort, UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, 94700 Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Laure Bournez
- ANSES, Nancy Laboratory for Rabies and Wildlife, 54220 Malzéville, France
| | - Pierre-Yves Henry
- Mécanismes Adaptatifs et Evolution (MECADEV UMR 7179), Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, 91800 Brunoy, France
- Centre de Recherches sur la Biologie des Populations d’Oiseaux (CRBPO), Centre d’Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO UMR 7204), Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Maud Marsot
- Laboratory for Animal Health, Epidemiology Unit, Université Paris Est, ANSES, 94700 Maisons-Alfort, France
- Correspondence: (M.M.); (S.M.)
| | - Sara Moutailler
- ANSES, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort, UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, 94700 Maisons-Alfort, France
- Correspondence: (M.M.); (S.M.)
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Ebani VV, Mancianti F. Potential Role of Avian Populations in the Epidemiology of Rickettsia spp. and Babesia spp. Vet Sci 2021; 8:vetsci8120334. [PMID: 34941861 PMCID: PMC8709085 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci8120334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2021] [Revised: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Birds often are carriers of hard and/or soft ticks harboring pathogens of humans and veterinary concern. Migratory avian species, which cover long distance by their flight, may deeply influence the ticks’ distribution worldwide; in particular, they can introduce in a given geographic area new tick species and related tick-borne pathogens. Studies about the detection of tick-borne agents in birds are not numerous, whereas more attention has been turned to the presence of these microorganisms in ticks carried by birds. The present review focused on the role of avian populations in the epidemiology of rickettsioses and babesioses, which represent two severe problems for the health of humans and other mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Virginia Ebani
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Viale delle Piagge 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy;
- Centre for Climate Change Impact, University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy
- Interdepartmental Research Center “Nutraceuticals and Food for Health”, University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-050-221-6968
| | - Francesca Mancianti
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Viale delle Piagge 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy;
- Interdepartmental Research Center “Nutraceuticals and Food for Health”, University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy
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Korobitsyn IG, Moskvitina NS, Tyutenkov OY, Gashkov SI, Kononova YV, Moskvitin SS, Romanenko VN, Mikryukova TP, Protopopova EV, Kartashov MY, Chausov EV, Konovalova SN, Tupota NL, Sementsova AO, Ternovoi VA, Loktev VB. Detection of tick-borne pathogens in wild birds and their ticks in Western Siberia and high level of their mismatch. Folia Parasitol (Praha) 2021; 68. [PMID: 34825655 DOI: 10.14411/fp.2021.024] [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: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 07/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The Tomsk region located in the south of Western Siberia is one of the most high-risk areas for tick-borne diseases due to elevated incidence of tick-borne encephalitis and Lyme disease in humans. Wild birds may be considered as one of the reservoirs for tick-borne pathogens and hosts for infected ticks. A high mobility of wild birds leads to unpredictable possibilities for the dissemination of tick-borne pathogens into new geographical regions. The primary goal of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of tick-borne pathogens in wild birds and ticks that feed on them as well as to determine the role of different species of birds in maintaining the tick-borne infectious foci. We analysed the samples of 443 wild birds (60 species) and 378 ticks belonging to the genus Ixodes Latraille, 1795 collected from the wild birds, for detecting occurrence of eight tick-borne pathogens, the namely tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), West Nile virus (WNV), and species of Borrelia, Rickettsia, Ehrlichia, Anaplasma, Bartonella and Babesia Starcovici, 1893, using RT-PCR/or PCR and enzyme immunoassay. One or more tick-borne infection markers were detected in 43 species of birds. All markers were detected in samples collected from fieldfare Turdus pilaris Linnaeus, Blyth's reed warbler Acrocephalus dumetorum Blyth, common redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus (Linnaeus), and common chaffinch Fringilla coelebs Linnaeus. Although all pathogens have been identified in birds and ticks, we found that in the majority of cases (75.5 %), there were mismatches of pathogens in birds and ticks collected from them. Wild birds and their ticks may play an extremely important role in the dissemination of tick-borne pathogens into different geographical regions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Yulia V Kononova
- State Research Centre of Virology and Biotechnology 'Vector', World-Class Genomic Research Center for Biological Safety and Technological Independence, Koltsovo, Novosibirsk Region, Russia
| | | | | | - Tamara P Mikryukova
- State Research Centre of Virology and Biotechnology 'Vector', World-Class Genomic Research Center for Biological Safety and Technological Independence, Koltsovo, Novosibirsk Region, Russia
| | - Elena V Protopopova
- State Research Centre of Virology and Biotechnology 'Vector', World-Class Genomic Research Center for Biological Safety and Technological Independence, Koltsovo, Novosibirsk Region, Russia
| | - Mikhail Yu Kartashov
- State Research Centre of Virology and Biotechnology 'Vector', World-Class Genomic Research Center for Biological Safety and Technological Independence, Koltsovo, Novosibirsk Region, Russia
| | - Eugene V Chausov
- State Research Centre of Virology and Biotechnology 'Vector', World-Class Genomic Research Center for Biological Safety and Technological Independence, Koltsovo, Novosibirsk Region, Russia
| | - Svetlana N Konovalova
- State Research Centre of Virology and Biotechnology 'Vector', World-Class Genomic Research Center for Biological Safety and Technological Independence, Koltsovo, Novosibirsk Region, Russia
| | - Natalia L Tupota
- State Research Centre of Virology and Biotechnology 'Vector', World-Class Genomic Research Center for Biological Safety and Technological Independence, Koltsovo, Novosibirsk Region, Russia
| | - Alexandra O Sementsova
- State Research Centre of Virology and Biotechnology 'Vector', World-Class Genomic Research Center for Biological Safety and Technological Independence, Koltsovo, Novosibirsk Region, Russia
| | - Vladimir A Ternovoi
- State Research Centre of Virology and Biotechnology 'Vector', World-Class Genomic Research Center for Biological Safety and Technological Independence, Koltsovo, Novosibirsk Region, Russia
| | - Valery B Loktev
- State Research Centre of Virology and Biotechnology 'Vector', World-Class Genomic Research Center for Biological Safety and Technological Independence, Koltsovo, Novosibirsk Region, Russia
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Pathogenic microorganisms in ticks removed from Slovakian residents over the years 2008-2018. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2020; 12:101626. [PMID: 33385938 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2020.101626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2020] [Revised: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
A total of 750 ticks feeding on humans were collected during the years 2008-2018. The majority of ticks (94.8 %) came from Slovakia, with 3.5 % from the Czech Republic, 0.9 % from Austria, and 0.3 % from Hungary. Travellers from Ukraine, Croatia, France, and Cuba also brought one tick from each of these countries. The majority of the analysed ticks were identified as Ixodes ricinus (94.3 %). Dermacentor reticulatus (0.93 %), Haemaphysalis concinna (0.1 %), Haemaphysalis sp. (0.1 %), Ixodes arboricola (0.1 %), and Rhipicephalus sp. (0.1 %) were also encountered. The most frequently found stage of I. ricinus was the nymph (69.9 %) followed by adult females (20.4 %) and larvae (8.3 %). Ticks were predominantly found on children younger than 10 years (46.3 %) and adults between 30-39 years (21.4 %). In children younger than 10 years, the ticks were usually found on the head, while in other age categories, the ticks were predominantly attached to legs. Ticks were further individually analysed for the presence of Rickettsia spp., Coxiella burnetii, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Neoehrlichia mikurensis, Bartonella spp. and Babesia spp. The overall prevalences of tick-borne bacteria assessed in I. ricinus ticks acquired in Slovakia were: rickettsiae 25.0 % (95 % CI: 21.7-28.2), B. burgdorferi s.l. 20.5 % (95 % CI: 17.4-23.5), A. phagocytophilum 13.5 % (95 % CI: 10.9-16.0), Babesia spp. 5.2 % (95 % CI: 3.5-6.9), C. burnetii 3.0 % (95 % CI: 1.5-4.6), and N. mikurensis 4.4 % (95 % CI: 2.0-6.8). Pathogenic species Rickettsia raoultii, Rickettsia helvetica, Rickettsia monacensis, A. phagocytophilum, Borrelia garinii, Borrelia afzelii, Borrelia valaisiana, Babesia microti, and Babesia divergens were identified in D. reticulatus and I. ricinus ticks.
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Al-Khafaji AM, Bell-Sakyi L, Fracasso G, Luu L, Heylen D, Matthysen E, Oteo JA, Palomar AM. Isolation of Candidatus Rickettsia vini from Belgian Ixodes arboricola ticks and propagation in tick cell lines. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2020; 11:101511. [PMID: 32993931 PMCID: PMC7545694 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2020.101511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2020] [Revised: 07/07/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Candidatus Rickettsia vini was originally detected in Ixodes arboricola ticks from Spain, and subsequently reported from several other Western Palearctic countries including Belgium. Recently, the bacterium was isolated in mammalian (Vero) cell culture from macerated male I. arboricola from Czech Republic, but there have been no reports of propagation in tick cells. Here we report isolation in a tick cell line of three strains of Ca. R. vini from I. arboricola collected from nests of great tits (Parus major) in Belgium. Internal organs of one male and two engorged female ticks were dissected aseptically, added to cultures of the Rhipicephalus microplus cell line BME/CTVM23 and incubated at 28 °C. Rickettsia-like bacteria were first seen in Giemsa-stained cytocentrifuge smears between 2 and 15 weeks later. Two of the isolates grew rapidly, destroying the tick cells within 2–4 weeks of onward passage in BME/CTVM23 cells, while the third isolate grew much more slowly, only requiring subculture at 4−5-month intervals. PCR amplification of bacterial 16S rRNA and Rickettsia gltA, sca4, ompB, ompA and 17-kDa genes revealed that all three isolates were Ca. R. vini, with 100 % identity to each other and to published Ca. R. vini sequences from other geographical locations. Transmission electron microscopy revealed typical single Rickettsia bacteria in the cytoplasm of BME/CTVM23 cells. The Ca. R. vini strain isolated from the male I. arboricola tick, designated Boshoek1, was tested for ability to grow in a panel of Ixodes ricinus, Ixodes scapularis and R. microplus cell lines and in Vero cells. The Boshoek1 strain grew rapidly, causing severe cytopathic effect, in the R. microplus line BME26, the I. ricinus line IRE11 and Vero cells, more slowly in the I. ricinus line IRE/CTVM19, possibly established a low-level infection in the I. ricinus line IRE/CTVM20, and failed to infect cells of any of four I. scapularis lines over a 12-week observation period. This study confirmed the applicability of the simple tick organ-cell line co-cultivation technique for isolation of tick-borne Rickettsia spp. using BME/CTVM23 cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alaa M Al-Khafaji
- Department of Infection Biology and Microbiomes, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool Science Park IC2, 146 Brownlow Hill, Liverpool, L3 5RF, UK; College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Al-Qadisiyah, Qadisiyah Province, Iraq.
| | - Lesley Bell-Sakyi
- Department of Infection Biology and Microbiomes, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool Science Park IC2, 146 Brownlow Hill, Liverpool, L3 5RF, UK.
| | - Gerardo Fracasso
- Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium.
| | - Lisa Luu
- Department of Infection Biology and Microbiomes, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool Science Park IC2, 146 Brownlow Hill, Liverpool, L3 5RF, UK.
| | - Dieter Heylen
- Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, M26 Guyot Hall, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA; Interuniversity Institute for Biostatistics and Statistical Bioinformatics, Hasselt University, Agoralaan Building D, 3590, Diepenbeek, Belgium.
| | - Erik Matthysen
- Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium.
| | - José A Oteo
- Centre of Rickettsiosis and Arthropod-Borne Diseases, Hospital Universitario San Pedro-CIBIR, C/ Piqueras, 98, Logroño, 26006, La Rioja, Spain.
| | - Ana M Palomar
- Centre of Rickettsiosis and Arthropod-Borne Diseases, Hospital Universitario San Pedro-CIBIR, C/ Piqueras, 98, Logroño, 26006, La Rioja, Spain.
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Nováková M, Heneberg P, Heylen DJA, Medvecký M, Muñoz-Leal S, Šmajs D, Literák I. Isolated populations of Ixodes lividus ticks in the Czech Republic and Belgium host genetically homogeneous Rickettsia vini. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2018; 9:479-484. [PMID: 29373306 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2017.12.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2017] [Revised: 12/03/2017] [Accepted: 12/28/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
In the last two decades, the advent of molecular methods has revealed a remarkable diversity of rickettsiae (Rickettsiales: Rickettsiaceae) in invertebrates. Several species of these obligate intracellular bacteria are known to cause human infections, hence more attention has been directed towards human-biting ectoparasites. A spotted fever group Rickettsia sp. was previously detected in Ixodes lividus ticks (Ixodidae) associated with sand martins (Hirundinidae: Riparia riparia). In order to identify whether this rickettsia varies among isolated tick populations, a total of 1758 I. lividus ticks and five Ixodes ricinus ticks (Ixodidae) were collected in the Czech Republic and 148 I. lividus ticks were collected in Belgium, from nests of sand martins, European bee-eaters (Meropidae: Merops apiaster), Eurasian tree sparrows (Passeridae: Passer montanus), and from captured sand martins. We screened 165 and 78 I. lividus ticks (from the Czech Republic and Belgium, respectively) and all five I. ricinus ticks for the presence of rickettsial DNA. Only I. lividus samples were positive for Rickettsia vini, a spotted fever group rickettsia that commonly infects the tree-hole tick Ixodes arboricola (Ixodidae). Maximum likelihood analysis of the rickettsial sequences showed that the most closely related organism to R. vini corresponds to an uncharacterized rickettsia detected in Argas lagenoplastis (Argasidae), a nidicolous soft tick of the fairy martin (Hirundinidae: Petrochelidon ariel) in Australia. The observed variability of R. vini sequences from isolated tick populations was low; all 85 sequenced samples were identical to each other in five out of six partial rickettsial genes, except for the sca4 sequence (99.9% identity, 808/809 nt) that differed in I. lividus ticks from two sampling sites in the Czech Republic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markéta Nováková
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Biology and Wildlife Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Petr Heneberg
- Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.
| | - Dieter J A Heylen
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
| | - Matej Medvecký
- Veterinary Research Institute, Brno, Czech Republic; National Centre for Biomolecular Research, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Sebastián Muñoz-Leal
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
| | - David Šmajs
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Ivan Literák
- Department of Biology and Wildlife Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Brno, Czech Republic; CEITEC VFU, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Brno, Czech Republic.
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Van Oosten AR, Duron O, Heylen DJA. Sex ratios of the tick Ixodes arboricola are strongly female-biased, but there are no indications of sex-distorting bacteria. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2017; 9:307-313. [PMID: 29150322 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2017.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2017] [Revised: 10/25/2017] [Accepted: 11/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Studies on sex ratio are of fundamental importance for understanding the biology of populations and biological control of pests and pathogens. In most Ixodes tick species, only females feed in the adult stage and, hence, contribute to pathogen transmission. The tree-hole tick Ixodes arboricola infests cavity-nesting birds and has limited dispersal possibilities. It plays an important role in the maintenance of zoonotic disease cycles. Here, we quantified the sex ratio of 718 adult I. arboricola ticks obtained from a laboratory stock at nine distinct periods (cohorts) from 2008 to 2015. In addition, we screened 93 specimens, collected from four study sites in 2011 and 2012, for the presence of six maternally inherited bacterial parasites known to manipulate arthropod sex ratios. We found significantly female-biased sex ratios in seven out of nine cohorts. There were no infections with members of the Wolbachia, Arsenophonus or Cardinium bacterial genera, whereas 96.8% of the screened ticks were infected with Rickettsia vini, 22.6% with Rickettsiella sp., and 14.0% with Spiroplasma ixodetis. Male and female I. arboricola were found equally infected. Our results suggest skewed sex ratios in I. arboricola are not caused by these bacterial infections, although there may be other, untested candidates driving sex ratios. Alternatively, female-biased sex ratios may be an adaptation in females to high local densities and low dispersal, where the production of daughters has a selective advantage because a few sons can fertilise all daughters.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Raoul Van Oosten
- Department of Animal Ecology, VU Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands; University of Antwerp, Evolutionary Ecology Group, Universiteitsplein 1, B-2610 Wilrijk, Belgium.
| | - Olivier Duron
- Laboratoire MIVEGEC (Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs: Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS UMR5290), Université de Montpellier, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (UR224), Montpellier, France
| | - Dieter J A Heylen
- University of Antwerp, Evolutionary Ecology Group, Universiteitsplein 1, B-2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
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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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10
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Flaisz B, Sulyok KM, Kováts D, Kontschán J, Csörgő T, Csipak Á, Gyuranecz M, Hornok S. Babesia genotypes in Haemaphysalis concinna collected from birds in Hungary reflect phylogeographic connections with Siberia and the Far East. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2017; 8:666-670. [PMID: 28499722 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2017.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2017] [Revised: 03/31/2017] [Accepted: 04/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Haemaphysalis concinna is the second most common tick species attaching to birds in Hungary. Recently, Babesia genotypes, found in Siberia and the Far East, have been detected in this tick species collected from the vegetation in Hungary and Slovakia. The aim of this study was to molecularly investigate if these piroplasms also occur in H. concinna carried by migratory birds, which might explain their occurrence in the western Palaearctic. During a 2-year period, 321 H. concinna larvae and nymphs were collected from 121 passerine birds (of 19 species) in Hungary. These were molecularly investigated for the presence of piroplasm DNA with PCR and sequencing. The prevalence of PCR positive ticks was 15.9% (51 out of 321). Piroplasm PCR positivity of H. concinna ticks was significantly more frequent during the summer and autumn compared to spring, suggesting that migratory birds arriving in Hungary from the north or north east are the most important in the dispersal of H. concinna-associated piroplasms. Three genotypes, i.e. Babesia sp. "Irk-Hc133", "Irk-Hc130" (originally found in Irkutsk, Siberia) and "Kh-Hc222" (originally found in Khabarovsk, Far East) were detected. Phylogenetically all these belonged to the group formed by Babesia spp. of ruminants. Four bird species, which had 14-60% prevalence of PCR positive ticks, are known to be associated with northeast to southwest autumn migration. In conclusion, the presence of Central and East Asian Babesia genotypes in Central Europe are most likely related to bird species with known eastern migratory habit and/or phylogenetically substantiated connections between their eastern and western Eurasian populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Flaisz
- Department of Parasitology and Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Kinga M Sulyok
- Institute for Veterinary Medical Research, Centre for Agricultural Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | | | - Jenő Kontschán
- Plant Protection Institute, Centre for Agricultural Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Tibor Csörgő
- Ócsa Bird Ringing Station, Ócsa, Hungary; Department of Anatomy, Cell- and Developmental Biology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | | | - Miklós Gyuranecz
- Institute for Veterinary Medical Research, Centre for Agricultural Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Sándor Hornok
- Department of Parasitology and Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary.
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11
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Seasonal infestation of birds with immature stages of Ixodes ricinus and Ixodes arboricola. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2017; 8:423-431. [PMID: 28169171 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2017.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2015] [Revised: 01/23/2017] [Accepted: 01/26/2017] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
This study assessed the parasitization of cavity-nesting birds and ground-nesting/foraging birds with larvae and nymphs of two Ixodes species, Ixodes ricinus and Ixodes arboricola. Totals of 679 (52.3%) I. ricinus and 619 (47.7%) I. arboricola ticks were collected from 15 species of passerine birds which were caught during the nesting and non-nesting periods of 2003-2006, in the south-eastern part of the Czech Republic, the Drahanská Vrchovina Uplands. In the non-nesting period from October to March, 6.8% (101/1492) of birds were infested with ticks, mainly with I. arboricola larvae. In the non-nesting period, the average intensity of infestation by I. arboricola and I. ricinus was 8.5 and 1.5 individuals per infested bird, respectively. In the nesting period from April to June, 21.6% (50/232) of birds were infested by both tick species but mainly with I. ricinus nymphs. The average intensity of infestation by I. ricinus and I. arboricola was 13.3 and 10.8 individuals per infested bird, respectively. Altogether, 23.2% of the infested birds were parasitized by both immature life stages of one or both tick species. From an enzootic perspective, co-feeding and co-infestation of I. ricinus and I. arboricola subadults on passerine birds might happen and may be important for the dissemination of tick-borne agents.
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Chisu V, Leulmi H, Masala G, Piredda M, Foxi C, Parola P. Detection of Rickettsia hoogstraalii, Rickettsia helvetica, Rickettsia massiliae, Rickettsia slovaca and Rickettsia aeschlimannii in ticks from Sardinia, Italy. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2016; 8:347-352. [PMID: 28110915 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2016.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2016] [Revised: 12/04/2016] [Accepted: 12/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Tick-borne diseases represent a large proportion of infectious diseases that have become a world health concern. The presence of Rickettsia spp. was evaluated by standard PCR and sequencing in 123 ticks collected from several mammals and vegetation in Sardinia, Italy. This study provides the first evidence of the presence of Rickettsia hoogstralii in Haemaphysalis punctata and Haemaphysalis sulcata ticks from mouflon and Rickettsia helvetica in Ixodes festai ticks from hedgehog. In addition, Rickettsia massiliae, Rickettsia slovaca and Rickettsia aeschlimannii were detected in Rhipicephalus sanguineus, Dermacentor marginatus and Hyalomma marginatum marginatum ticks from foxes, swine, wild boars, and mouflon. The data presented here increase our knowledge of tick-borne diseases in Sardinia and provide a useful contribution toward understanding their epidemiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Chisu
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna, Sassari, Italy
| | - Hamza Leulmi
- Aix Marseille Université, Unité de Recherche en Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes (URMITE), UM63, CNRS 7278, IRD 198 (Dakar), Inserm 1095, Marseille, France; Ecole Nationale Supérieure Vétérinaire d'Alger, El Aliya Algiers, 16000, Algeria
| | - Giovanna Masala
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna, Sassari, Italy
| | - Mariano Piredda
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna, Sassari, Italy
| | - Cipriano Foxi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna, Sassari, Italy
| | - Philippe Parola
- Aix Marseille Université, Unité de Recherche en Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes (URMITE), UM63, CNRS 7278, IRD 198 (Dakar), Inserm 1095, Marseille, France.
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13
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Van Oosten A, Matthysen E, Heylen D. Mating strategies and multiple paternity, assessed by microsatellites, of the dispersal-limited, ectoparasitic tree-hole tick, Ixodes arboricola. Int J Parasitol 2016; 46:593-602. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2016.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2015] [Revised: 04/16/2016] [Accepted: 05/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
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Mărcuţan ID, Kalmár Z, Ionică AM, D'Amico G, Mihalca AD, Vasile C, Sándor AD. Spotted fever group rickettsiae in ticks of migratory birds in Romania. Parasit Vectors 2016; 9:294. [PMID: 27207258 PMCID: PMC4875720 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-016-1565-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2015] [Accepted: 05/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Birds are important hosts and dispersers of parasitic arthropods and vector-borne zoonotic pathogens. Particularly migratory species may carry these parasites over long distances in short time periods. Migratory hotspots present ideal conditions to get a snapshot of parasite and pathogen diversity of birds migrating between continents. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence and diversity of Rickettsia spp. in ticks collected from birds at a migratory hot-spot in the Danube Delta, Romania, eastern Europe. METHODS DNA was extracted from ticks that were collected from migratory birds in the Danube Delta during migratory seasons in 2011-2012. Two 360 bp fragments of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene and a 381 bp fragment Gene gltA were PCR amplified and analyzed by sequence analysis (performed at Macrogen Europe, Amsterdam, The Netherlands). Nucleotide sequences were compared to reference sequences available in the GenBank database, using Basic Local Alignment Search Tool. RESULTS Four hundred ticks of four different species were found on 11 bird species. The prevalence of Rickettsia spp. infection was 14 % (56/400, CI: 11.7-29.1), with significantly more nymphs hosting rickettsial infection compared to larvae (48 vs 7; P < 0.001). Significantly more ticks in nymphal stage were hosting Rickettsia spp. infection in spring, than in autumn. Four different genospecies were found: R. monacensis (29 ticks), R. helvetica (13), R. massiliae (3) and R. slovaca (2). The seasonal distribution of different Rickettsia spp. was heterogeneous; with most of the R. monacensis-infected ticks were found in spring, while more R. helvetica were found in autumn than spring. R. massiliae was found only in autumn and R. slovaca was found only in spring. CONCLUSION This study has shown that birds migrating through eastern Europe may carry ticks infected with a high diversity of rickettsial pathogens, with four Rickettsia spp. recorded. Migratory direction was important for pathogen burden, with seasonal differences in the occurrence of individual Rickettsia species. Here we report the first individual records of different Rickettsia spp. in H. concinna (R. monacensis), I. arboricola (R. helvetica, R. massiliae) and I. redikorzevi (R. helvetica) and also the first geographical record of occurrence of R. massiliae in Romania, representing the easternmost observation on the continent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioan-Daniel Mărcuţan
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Calea Mănăştur 3-5, Cluj Napoca, Romania
| | - Zsuzsa Kalmár
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Calea Mănăştur 3-5, Cluj Napoca, Romania
| | - Angela Monica Ionică
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Calea Mănăştur 3-5, Cluj Napoca, Romania
| | - Gianluca D'Amico
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Calea Mănăştur 3-5, Cluj Napoca, Romania
| | - Andrei Daniel Mihalca
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Calea Mănăştur 3-5, Cluj Napoca, Romania
| | - Cozma Vasile
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Calea Mănăştur 3-5, Cluj Napoca, Romania
| | - Attila D Sándor
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Calea Mănăştur 3-5, Cluj Napoca, Romania.
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Berthová L, Slobodník V, Slobodník R, Olekšák M, Sekeyová Z, Svitálková Z, Kazimírová M, Špitalská E. The natural infection of birds and ticks feeding on birds with Rickettsia spp. and Coxiella burnetii in Slovakia. EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2016; 68:299-314. [PMID: 26477038 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-015-9975-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2015] [Accepted: 10/08/2015] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Ixodid ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) are known as primary vectors of many pathogens causing diseases in humans and animals. Ixodes ricinus is a common ectoparasite in Europe and birds are often hosts of subadult stages of the tick. From 2012 to 2013, 347 birds belonging to 43 species were caught and examined for ticks in three sites of Slovakia. Ticks and blood samples from birds were analysed individually for the presence of Rickettsia spp. and Coxiella burnetii by PCR-based methods. Only I. ricinus was found to infest birds. In total 594 specimens of bird-attached ticks were collected (451 larvae, 142 nymphs, 1 female). Altogether 37.2% (16/43) of bird species were infested by ticks and some birds carried more than one tick. The great tit, Parus major (83.8%, 31/37) was the most infested species. In total, 6.6 and 2.7% of bird-attached ticks were infected with Rickettsia spp. and C. burnetii, respectively. Rickettsia helvetica predominated (5.9%), whereas R. monacensis (0.5%) was only sporadically detected. Coxiella burnetii was detected in 0.9%, Rickettsia spp. in 8.9% and R. helvetica in 4.2% of bird blood samples. The great tit was the bird species most infested with I. ricinus, carried R. helvetica and C. burnetti positive tick larvae and nymphs and was found to be rickettsaemic in its blood. Further studies are necessary to define the role of birds in the circulation of rickettsiae and C. burnetii in natural foci.
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16
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The more the merrier – experimental evidence for density-dependent feeding facilitation in the bird-specialised tick Ixodes arboricola. Int J Parasitol 2016; 46:187-193. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2015.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2015] [Revised: 11/03/2015] [Accepted: 11/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Špitalská E, Boldiš V, Mošanský L, Sparagano O, Stanko M. Rickettsia species in fleas collected from small mammals in Slovakia. Parasitol Res 2015; 114:4333-9. [PMID: 26346455 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-015-4713-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2015] [Accepted: 08/27/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Epidemiological and epizootiological studies of Rickettsia felis and other Rickettsia spp. are very important, because their natural cycle has not yet been established completely. In total, 315 fleas (Siphonaptera) of 11 species of Ceratophyllidae, Hystrichopsyllidae and Leptopsyllidae families were tested for the presence of Rickettsia species and Coxiella burnetii with conventional and specific quantitative real-time PCR assays. Fleas were collected from five rodent hosts (Myodes glareolus, Apodemus flavicollis, Apodemus agrarius, Microtus subterraneus, Microtus arvalis) and three shrew species (Sorex araneus, Neomys fodiens, Crocidura suaveolens) captured in Eastern and Southern Slovakia. Overall, Rickettsia spp. was found in 10.8% (34/315) of the tested fleas of Ctenophthalmus agyrtes, Ctenophthalmus solutus, Ctenophthalmus uncinatus and Nosopsyllus fasciatus species. Infected fleas were coming from A. flavicollis, A. agrarius, and M. glareolus captured in Eastern Slovakia. C. burnetii was not found in any fleas. R. felis, Rickettsia helvetica, unidentified Rickettsia, and rickettsial endosymbionts were identified in fleas infesting small mammals in the Košice region, Eastern Slovakia. This study is the first report of R. felis infection in C. solutus male flea collected from A. agrarius in Slovakia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Špitalská
- Institute of Virology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 06, Bratislava, Slovak Republic.
| | - Vojtech Boldiš
- HPL (Ltd) Medical Laboratories, Istrijská 20, 841 07, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
| | - Ladislav Mošanský
- Institute of Parasitology Slovak Academy of Sciences, Hlinkova 3, 040 01, Košice, Slovak Republic
| | - Olivier Sparagano
- Vice-Chancellor Office, Coventry University, Priory Street, Coventry, CV1 5FB, UK
| | - Michal Stanko
- Institute of Parasitology Slovak Academy of Sciences, Hlinkova 3, 040 01, Košice, Slovak Republic
- Institute of Zoology Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 06, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
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18
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Sparagano O, George D, Giangaspero A, Špitalská E. Arthropods and associated arthropod-borne diseases transmitted by migrating birds. The case of ticks and tick-borne pathogens. Vet Parasitol 2015; 213:61-6. [PMID: 26343302 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2015.08.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2015] [Revised: 08/26/2015] [Accepted: 08/28/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Geographic spread of parasites and pathogens poses a constant risk to animal health and welfare, particularly given that climate change is expected to potentially expand appropriate ranges for many key species. The spread of deleterious organisms via trade routes and human travelling is relatively closely controlled, though represents only one possible means of parasite/pathogen distribution. The transmission via natural parasite/pathogen movement between geographic locales, is far harder to manage. Though the extent of such movement may be limited by the relative inability of many parasites and pathogens to actively migrate, passive movement over long distances may still occur via migratory hosts. This paper reviews the potential role of migrating birds in the transfer of ectoparasites and pathogens between geographic locales, focusing primarily on ticks. Bird-tick-pathogen relationships are considered, and evidence provided of long-range parasite/pathogen transfer from one location to another during bird migration events. As shown in this paper not only many different arthropod species are carried by migrating birds but consequently these pests carry many different pathogens species which can be transmitted to the migrating birds or to other animal species when those arthropods are dropping during these migrations. Data available from the literature are provided highlighting the need to understand better dissemination paths and disease epidemiology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - David George
- Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8ST, UK; Stockbridge Technology Centre, Cawood, Selby YO8 3TZ, UK
| | - Annunziata Giangaspero
- Department of Science of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Foggia, 71121 Foggia, Italy
| | - Eva Špitalská
- Institute of Virology SAS, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
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19
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Novakova M, Bulkova A, Costa FB, Kristin A, Krist M, Krause F, Liznarova E, Labruna MB, Literak I. Molecular characterization of 'Candidatus Rickettsia vini' in Ixodes arboricola from the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2015; 6:330-3. [PMID: 25769386 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2015.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2014] [Revised: 01/30/2015] [Accepted: 02/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to analyze the prevalence of rickettsiae in the tree-hole tick Ixodes arboricola in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. During May to September of 2009 and 2013, bird boxes belonging to three different areas were screened for ticks. In total, 454 nestlings and 109 nests of 10 hole-breeding bird species were examined. Ticks were found on Ficedula albicollis, Parus major, Cyanistes caeruleus and Sitta europaea and/or in their nests. In total, 166 ticks (17 nymphs, 10 males and 139 females) were found at 3 areas (arithmetic mean±standard error: 55.3±45.9). All ticks were tested for the presence of Rickettsia species by polymerase chain reaction targeting the rickettsial genes gltA, ompA, ompB and htrA and amplicon sequencing. All individuals except 3 nymphs were infected with 'Candidatus Rickettsia vini'. Multilocus sequence typing showed closest proximity to Rickettsia japonica and Rickettsia heilongjiangensis cluster. The presence of 'Ca. R. vini' is reported for the first time in Slovakia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marketa Novakova
- Department of Biology and Wildlife Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Brno, Czech Republic; CEITEC VFU, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Alexandra Bulkova
- Department of Biology and Wildlife Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Francisco B Costa
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Anton Kristin
- Institute of Forest Ecology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Zvolen, Slovakia
| | - Milos Krist
- Department of Zoology and Laboratory of Ornithology, Faculty of Science, Palacky University, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | | | - Eva Liznarova
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Marcelo B Labruna
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ivan Literak
- Department of Biology and Wildlife Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Brno, Czech Republic; CEITEC VFU, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
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20
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Palomar AM, Portillo A, Crespo A, Santibáñez S, Mazuelas D, Oteo JA. Prevalence of 'Candidatus Rickettsia vini' in Ixodes arboricola ticks in the North of Spain, 2011-2013. Parasit Vectors 2015; 8:110. [PMID: 25889739 PMCID: PMC4337319 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-015-0724-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2014] [Accepted: 02/09/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The prevalence of Rickettsia spp. in Ixodes arboricola ticks collected from birds in two locations in the North of Spain from 2011 to 2013 was studied. Findings The detection of the bacteria in 54 DNA extracts of I. arboricola was performed by PCR targeting an ompA fragment gene. The 94.4% of the samples yielded positive results and the nucleotide sequences were homologous (100% identity) to ‘Candidatus Rickettsia vini’. Conclusion The high rate of infection suggests that ‘Ca. R. vini’ is a common endosymbiont of I. arboricola.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana M Palomar
- Departamento de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Center of Rickettsioses and Arthropod-Borne Diseases, Hospital San Pedro-CIBIR, 98-7ª N.E, 26006, Logroño, La Rioja, Spain.
| | - Aránzazu Portillo
- Departamento de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Center of Rickettsioses and Arthropod-Borne Diseases, Hospital San Pedro-CIBIR, 98-7ª N.E, 26006, Logroño, La Rioja, Spain.
| | - Ariñe Crespo
- Aranzadi Society of Sciences, San Sebastián, Guipúzcoa, Spain.
| | - Sonia Santibáñez
- Departamento de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Center of Rickettsioses and Arthropod-Borne Diseases, Hospital San Pedro-CIBIR, 98-7ª N.E, 26006, Logroño, La Rioja, Spain.
| | - David Mazuelas
- Abies, Environment Resources Inc, Logroño, La Rioja, Spain.
| | - José A Oteo
- Departamento de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Center of Rickettsioses and Arthropod-Borne Diseases, Hospital San Pedro-CIBIR, 98-7ª N.E, 26006, Logroño, La Rioja, Spain.
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21
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Heylen D, De Coninck E, Jansen F, Madder M. Differential diagnosis of three common Ixodes spp. ticks infesting songbirds of Western Europe: Ixodes arboricola, I. frontalis and I. ricinus. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2014; 5:693-700. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2014.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2014] [Revised: 05/09/2014] [Accepted: 05/11/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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22
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Van Oosten AR, Heylen DJA, Matthysen E. Host specificity of a bird-specialised endophilic ectoparasite, the tree-hole tick Ixodes arboricola. Parasitol Res 2014; 113:4397-405. [PMID: 25231076 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-014-4116-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2014] [Accepted: 08/27/2014] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Host specialisation in parasites can be due to either limited exposure or limited adaptation to different host types. When the first barrier is lifted experimentally, the degree of adaptive specialisation can be studied. The tree-hole tick Ixodes arboricola is an endophilic parasite with a narrow host range, found in nest boxes used mainly by great and blue tits (Parus major, Cyanistes caeruleus) and to a lesser extent by pied flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca) and nuthatches (Sitta europaea). In the current study, we exposed two nestlings per nestbox of pied flycatchers (N = 14), blue tits (N = 18), great tits (N = 14), and nuthatches (N = 16) to ten I. arboricola nymphs each. We found no differences in attachment success 2 days after infestation (56 ± 4% across species) nor were there any differences in tick engorgement weight (1.95 ± 0.03 mg across species), and moulting success was >90% for ticks from all bird species. Hence, our data suggest that all bird species investigated here are suitable host species. This may enhance the ticks' chances for persistence in cavities and dispersal among cavities inhabited by multiple host species, and supports the hypothesis that host use by ticks is limited by host ecology rather than by host specialisation.
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Affiliation(s)
- A R Van Oosten
- University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020, Antwerp, Belgium,
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Lommano E, Dvořák C, Vallotton L, Jenni L, Gern L. Tick-borne pathogens in ticks collected from breeding and migratory birds in Switzerland. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2014; 5:871-82. [PMID: 25113989 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2014.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2012] [Revised: 05/25/2014] [Accepted: 07/04/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
From 2007 to 2010, 4558 migrating and breeding birds of 71 species were caught and examined for ticks in Switzerland. A total of 1205 specimens were collected; all were Ixodes ricinus ticks except one Ixodes frontalis female, which was found on a common chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs) for the first time in Switzerland. Each tick was analysed individually for the presence of Borrelia spp., Rickettsia spp., Anaplasma phagocytophilum and tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV). Altogether, 11.4% of birds (22 species) were infested by ticks and 39.8% of them (15 species) were carrying infected ticks. Bird species belonging to the genus Turdus were the most frequently infested with ticks and they were also carrying the most frequently infected ticks. Each tick-borne pathogen for which we tested was identified within the sample of bird-feeding ticks: Borrelia spp. (19.5%) and Rickettsia helvetica (10.5%) were predominantly detected whereas A. phagocytophilum (2%), Rickettsia monacensis (0.4%) and TBEV (0.2%) were only sporadically detected. Among Borrelia infections, B. garinii and B. valaisiana were largely predominant followed by B. afzelii, B. bavariensis, B. miyamotoi and B. burgdorferi ss. Interestingly, Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis was identified in a few ticks (3.3%), mainly from chaffinches. Our study emphasizes the role of birds in the natural cycle of tick-borne pathogens that are of human medical and veterinary relevance in Europe. According to infection detected in larvae feeding on birds we implicate the common blackbird (Turdus merula) and the tree pipit (Anthus trivialis) as reservoir hosts for Borrelia spp., Rickettsia spp. and A. phagocytophilum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Lommano
- Institute of Biology, Laboratory of Eco-Epidemiology of Parasites, Emile-Argand 11, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | | | - Laurent Vallotton
- Department of Mammalogy and Ornithology, Natural History Museum of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland; Jaman's Group of Faunal Studies, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Lukas Jenni
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, 6204 Sempach, Switzerland
| | - Lise Gern
- Institute of Biology, Laboratory of Eco-Epidemiology of Parasites, Emile-Argand 11, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland.
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Keskin A, Koprulu TK, Bursali A, Ozsemir AC, Yavuz KE, Tekin S. First record of Ixodes arboricola (Ixodida: Ixodidae) from Turkey with presence of Candidatus Rickettsia vini (Rickettsiales: Rickettsiaceae). JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2014; 51:864-867. [PMID: 25118420 DOI: 10.1603/me13169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Birds are the specific hosts of many tick species and may contribute to the dissemination of ticks and tick-borne pathogens throughout the world. Determination of ticks infesting birds and their pathogens are important for the detection of natural foci of human pathogens. Unfortunately, there is very limited information about the occurrence of ticks on birds and associated pathogens in Turkey. We performed a tick survey on three passerine bird species; Parus major, Sylvia atricapilla, and Turdus merula. Ticks collected from these birds were identified to species and tested for the presence of Borrelia, Ehrlichia, and Rickettsia species. Ixodes arboricola Schulze & Schlottke, Ixodes frontalis Panzer, and Ixodes ricinus L. were found on the birds. This is the first study reporting the presence of I. frontalis and I. arboricola on S. atricapilla and P. major, respectively, in Turkey. In addition, the results of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with primers specific for gltA and ompA genes and DNA sequence analysis of positive PCR products indicated the presence of Candidatus Rickettsia vini in I. arboricola ticks. In conclusion, this is the first record of both I. arboricola and Candidatus Rickettsia vini in Turkey. Therefore, future studies needed to be conducted on the ticks infesting birds and their pathogens to elucidate the role of birds in the dispersal of tick species and tick-borne pathogens in Turkey.
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Dingler RJ, Wright SA, Donohue AM, Macedo PA, Foley JE. Surveillance for Ixodes pacificus and the tick-borne pathogens Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Borrelia burgdorferi in birds from California's Inner Coast Range. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2014; 5:436-45. [PMID: 24690191 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2014.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2013] [Revised: 02/02/2014] [Accepted: 02/06/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
We investigated the involvement of birds in the ecology of the western black-legged tick, Ixodes pacificus, and its associated zoonotic bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi and Anaplasma phagocytophilum, at two interior coast-range study sites in northern California. Anaplasma phagocytophilum, the agent of granulocytic anaplasmosis (GA), and B. burgdorferi s.s., the agent of Lyme disease (LD), are tick-borne pathogens that are well established in California. We screened blood and ticks from 349 individual birds in 48 species collected in 2011 and 2012 using pathogen-specific PCR. A total of 617 immature I. pacificus was collected with almost three times as many larvae than nymphs. There were 7.5 times more I. pacificus at the Napa County site compared to the Yolo County site. Two of 74 (3%) nymphal pools from an Oregon junco (Junco hyemalis) and a hermit thrush (Catharus guttatus) and 4 individual larvae (all from Oregon juncos) were PCR-positive for B. burgdorferi. Blood samples from a golden-crowned sparrow (Zonotrichia atricapilla) and a European starling (Sturnus vulgaris) were positive for A. phagocytophilum DNA at very low levels. Birds that forage on ground or bark and nest on the ground, as well as some migratory species, are at an increased risk for acquiring I. pacificus. Our findings show that birds contribute to the ecologies of LD and GA in California by serving as a blood-meal source, feeding and transporting immature I. pacificus, and sometimes as a source of Borrelia infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Regina J Dingler
- Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, 1320 Tupper Hall, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, USA
| | - Stan A Wright
- Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito & Vector Control District, 8631 Bond Road, Elk Grove, CA 95624, USA
| | - Ann M Donohue
- Napa Mosquito Abatement District, 15 Melvin Road, American Canyon, CA 94503, USA
| | - Paula A Macedo
- Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito & Vector Control District, 8631 Bond Road, Elk Grove, CA 95624, USA
| | - Janet E Foley
- Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, 1320 Tupper Hall, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, USA.
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26
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Abstract
Bird-specific ticks do not infest humans and livestock, but these ticks often share their avian hosts with generalist ticks that do. Therefore, their feeding activity may have an impact on the transmission of pathogens outside bird-tick transmission cycles. Here we examined the seasonal feeding activity of the tree-hole tick (Ixodes arboricola) in relation to the activity of its hole-breeding hosts (Parus major and Cyanistes caeruleus). We analysed data on ticks derived from birds, on the abundance of engorged ticks inside nest boxes, and on bird nests that were experimentally exposed to ticks. We observed a non-random pattern of feeding associated with the tick instar and host age. The majority of adult ticks fed on nestlings, while nymphs and larvae fed on both free-flying birds and nestlings. Due to their fast development, some ticks were able to feed twice within the same breeding season. The highest infestation rates in free-flying birds were found during the pre-breeding period and during autumn and winter when birds roost inside cavities. Except during winter, feeding of I. arboricola overlapped in time with the generalist Ixodes ricinus, implying that tick-borne microorganisms that are maintained by I. arboricola and birds could be bridged by I. ricinus to other hosts.
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Špitalská E, Boldiš V, Derdáková M, Selyemová D, Rusňáková Tarageľová V. Rickettsial infection in Ixodes ricinus ticks in urban and natural habitats of Slovakia. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2013; 5:161-5. [PMID: 24342052 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2013.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2013] [Revised: 07/02/2013] [Accepted: 10/11/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
A total of 1810 Ixodes ricinus ticks was collected from the vegetation from 2 different habitat types: urban and natural. Urban habitats were represented by cemeteries and public parks in the following towns: Bratislava, Malacky, and Martin at 150 m and 400 m above sea level. Natural habitats were selected in the mountain forest of the Martinské hole Mts. in Central Slovakia at 3 different altitudinal levels, i.e. 600 m, 800 m and 1000 ma.s.l. All ticks were tested for the presence of spotted fever group rickettsiae. The DNA of Rickettsia spp. was identified in 9% of all tested ticks. Rickettsia-infected ticks were present in both, urban and sylvatic sites at all studied altitudes. Four different species of Rickettsia were present in positive I. ricinus ticks. Rickettsia helvetica was identified in 77 out of 87 Rickettsia-positive I. ricinus ticks, followed by 8 samples that belonged to Rickettsia monacensis and 2 of the positive ticks were infected with different unidentified Rickettsia spp. Due to the association of R. helvetica and R. monacensis with human infections, it is essential to understand which species of Rickettsia circulate in the natural foci of Slovakia. Circulation of pathogenic rickettsiae in urban as well as natural habitats at different altitudinal levels in Slovakia emphasizes that infection risk is very common throughout this Central European country.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Špitalská
- Institute of Virology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravska cesta 9, 845 05 Bratislava, Slovak Republic.
| | - Vojtech Boldiš
- HPL (Ltd) Medical Laboratories, Department of Parasitology, Istrijská 20, 841 07 Bratislava, Slovak Republic
| | - Markéta Derdáková
- Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravska cesta 9, 845 06 Bratislava, Slovak Republic; Institute of Parasitology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Hlinkova 3, 040 01 Košice, Slovak Republic
| | - Diana Selyemová
- Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravska cesta 9, 845 06 Bratislava, Slovak Republic
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Heylen D, Sprong H, van Oers K, Fonville M, Leirs H, Matthysen E. Are the specialized bird ticks, Ixodes arboricola and I. frontalis, competent vectors for Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato? Environ Microbiol 2013; 16:1081-9. [PMID: 24237635 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.12332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2013] [Accepted: 11/05/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Our study tested whether two European bird-specialized ticks, Ixodes arboricola and I. frontalis, can act as vectors in the transmission cycles of Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. The ticks have contrasting ecologies but share songbird hosts (such as the great tit, Parus major) with the generalist I. ricinus which may therefore act as a bridging vector. In the first phase of the experiment, we obtained Borrelia-infected ornithophilic nymphs by exposing larvae to great tits that had previously been exposed to I. ricinus nymphs carrying a community of genospecies (Borrelia garinii, valaisiana, afzelii, burgdorferi s.s., spielmanii). Skin samples showed that birds selectively amplified B. garinii and B. valaisiana. The spirochetes were transmitted to the ornithophilic ticks and survived moulting, leading to infection rates of 16% and 27% in nymphs of I. arboricola and I. frontalis respectively. In the second phase, pathogen-free great tits were exposed to the Borrelia-infected ornithophilic nymphs. None of these ticks were able to infect the birds, as indicated by the tissue samples. Analysis of xenodiagnostic I. ricinus larvae found no evidence for co-feeding or systemic transmission of B. burgdorferi s.l. These outcomes do not support the occurrence of enzootic cycles of Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. involving songbirds and their specialized ornithophilic ticks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dieter Heylen
- Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Evolutionary Ecology Group, Belgium
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29
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Van Houtte N, Van Oosten AR, Jordaens K, Matthysen E, Backeljau T, Heylen DJA. Isolation and characterization of ten polymorphic microsatellite loci in Ixodes arboricola, and cross-amplification in three other Ixodes species. EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2013; 61:327-336. [PMID: 23644881 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-013-9702-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2013] [Accepted: 04/19/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
We characterized ten polymorphic microsatellite loci from the tree-hole tick, Ixodes arboricola. Loci were screened in 11-18 individuals from three Belgian populations and five to ten alleles were found at each locus. Seven loci did not show deviations from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium conditions and there were no indications for null alleles at these loci. The three other loci showed significant heterozygote deficiencies in at least one population, and a high potential for the occurrence of null alleles. We observed no effect of potential host DNA on the scoring of the microsatellites. Cross-amplification of the microsatellites was tested in eight specimens of three congeneric species: I. ricinus, I. hexagonus and I. frontalis. Depending on the species, six or seven of the loci were amplified in ≥ 4 of the 8 specimens and were polymorphic in each of these species (except for Ixaf 11 in I. frontalis and I. ricinus). These loci thus provide a tool for population genetic analysis of I. arboricola. The suitability of these markers needs to be further investigated in its congeners.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Van Houtte
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020, Antwerp, Belgium
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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: 893] [Impact Index Per Article: 81.2] [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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Obsomer V, Wirtgen M, Linden A, Claerebout E, Heyman P, Heylen D, Madder M, Maris J, Lebrun M, Tack W, Lempereur L, Hance T, Van Impe G. Spatial disaggregation of tick occurrence and ecology at a local scale as a preliminary step for spatial surveillance of tick-borne diseases: general framework and health implications in Belgium. Parasit Vectors 2013; 6:190. [PMID: 23800283 PMCID: PMC3726513 DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-6-190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2013] [Accepted: 06/16/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The incidence of tick-borne diseases is increasing in Europe. Sub national information on tick distribution, ecology and vector status is often lacking. However, precise location of infection risk can lead to better targeted prevention measures, surveillance and control. METHODS In this context, the current paper compiled geolocated tick occurrences in Belgium, a country where tick-borne disease has received little attention, in order to highlight the potential value of spatial approaches and draw some recommendations for future research priorities. RESULTS Mapping of 89,289 ticks over 654 sites revealed that ticks such as Ixodes ricinus and Ixodes hexagonus are largely present while Dermacentor reticulatus has a patchy distribution. Suspected hot spots of tick diversity might favor pathogen exchanges and suspected hot spots of I. ricinus abundance might increase human-vector contact locally. This underlines the necessity to map pathogens and ticks in detail. While I. ricinus is the main vector, I. hexagonus is a vector and reservoir of Borrelia burgdorferi s.l., which is active the whole year and is also found in urban settings. This and other nidiculous species bite humans less frequently, but seem to harbour pathogens. Their role in maintaining a pathogenic cycle within the wildlife merits investigation as they might facilitate transmission to humans if co-occurring with I. ricinus. Many micro-organisms are found abroad in tick species present in Belgium. Most have not been recorded locally but have not been searched for. Some are transmitted directly at the time of the bite, suggesting promotion of tick avoidance additionally to tick removal. CONCLUSION This countrywide approach to tick-borne diseases has helped delineate recommendations for future research priorities necessary to design public health policies aimed at spatially integrating the major components of the ecological cycle of tick-borne diseases. A systematic survey of tick species and associated pathogens is called for in Europe, as well as better characterisation of species interaction in the ecology of tick-borne diseases, those being all tick species, pathogens, hosts and other species which might play a role in tick-borne diseases complex ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerie Obsomer
- Université Catholique de Louvain, Earth and Life Institute, Georges Lemaitre climate and earth research centre, place Louis Pasteur 3, 1348, Louvain la Neuve, Belgium
- Biodiversity department ELIB, Université Catholique de Louvain, Earth and Life Institute, 4 place Croix du sud, 1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Marc Wirtgen
- Department of infectious and parasitic diseases, health and pathology of the wildlife, University of Liège, boulevard de Colonster 20, 4000, Liège 1, Belgium
| | - Annick Linden
- Department of infectious and parasitic diseases, health and pathology of the wildlife, University of Liège, boulevard de Colonster 20, 4000, Liège 1, Belgium
| | - Edwin Claerebout
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133 9820, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Paul Heyman
- Reference Laboratory for Vector-Borne Diseases, Queen Astrid Military Hospital, Bruynstraat 1, 1120, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Dieter Heylen
- Evolutionary ecology group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan, 171-2020, Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Maxime Madder
- Institute for Tropical Medicine, 155 nationalestraat, B2000, Antwerpen, Belgium
- Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Jo Maris
- ARSIA, Allée des Artisans, 2 - 5590, Ciney, Belgium
| | - Maude Lebrun
- Dierenarts Gezondheidszorg Herkauwers Veepeiler, DGZ Vlaanderen, l Hagenbroeksesteenweg 167 l, 2500, Lier, Belgium
| | - Wesley Tack
- Laboratory of Forestry, Department of Forest and Water Management, Ghent University, Geraardsbergsesteenweg 267, 9090, Melle-Gontrode, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Laetitia Lempereur
- Laboratory of Parasitology and Pathology of Parasitic Diseases, Department of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, Bd de Colonster 20 B43, 4000, Liège, Belgium
| | - Thierry Hance
- Biodiversity department ELIB, Université Catholique de Louvain, Earth and Life Institute, 4 place Croix du sud, 1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Georges Van Impe
- Biodiversity department ELIB, Université Catholique de Louvain, Earth and Life Institute, 4 place Croix du sud, 1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
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Heylen D, Tijsse E, Fonville M, Matthysen E, Sprong H. Transmission dynamics of Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. in a bird tick community. Environ Microbiol 2012; 15:663-73. [PMID: 23279105 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.12059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2012] [Revised: 11/21/2012] [Accepted: 11/23/2012] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
We examined the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato circulation in a tick community consisting of three species (Ixodes ricinus, I. frontalis, I. arboricola) with contrasting ecologies, but sharing two European songbird hosts (Parus major and Cyanistes caeruleus). Parus major had the highest infestation rates, primarily due to larger numbers of I. ricinus, and probably because of their greater low-level foraging. The prevalence of Borrelia in feeding ticks did not significantly differ between the two bird species; however, P. major in particular hosted large numbers of Borrelia-infected I. frontalis and I. ricinus larvae, suggesting that the species facilitates Borrelia transmission. The low but significant numbers of Borrelia in questing I. arboricola ticks also provides the first field data to suggest that it is competent in maintaining Borrelia. Aside from Borrelia garinii, a high number of less dominant genospecies was observed, including several mammalian genospecies and the first record of Borrelia turdi for North-Western Europe. Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato IGS genotypes were shared between I. arboricola and I. ricinus and between I. frontalis and I. ricinus, but not between I. arboricola and I. frontalis. This suggests that the Borrelia spp. transmission cycles can be maintained by bird-specific ticks, and bridged by I. ricinus to other hosts outside bird-tick cycles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dieter Heylen
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
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33
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Mihalca AD, Dumitrache MO, Magdaş C, Gherman CM, Domşa C, Mircean V, Ghira IV, Pocora V, Ionescu DT, Sikó Barabási S, Cozma V, Sándor AD. Synopsis of the hard ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) of Romania with update on host associations and geographical distribution. EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2012; 58:183-206. [PMID: 22544174 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-012-9566-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2011] [Accepted: 04/12/2012] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
The current paper is a synoptic review of the distribution and host associations of the 25 species of hard tick fauna (family Ixodidae) in Romania. In addition to a full literature survey, original data is presented, based on eight years of occasional or targeted sample collection. The literature data on geographical distribution was transposed digitally to the decimal degree coordinate system. For each species, an updated distribution map is given together with all historical data and new host associations. Overall, our paper records 58 new tick-host associations for Romania: 20 for Ixodes ricinus, 1 for I. apronophorus, 6 for I. arboricola, 2 for I. hexagonus, 9 for I. redikorzevi, 1 for I. trianguliceps, 2 for I. vespertilionis, 2 for Haemaphysalis punctata, 1 for H. sulcata, 2 for H. concinna, 1 for D. marginatus, 4 for Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato, 1 for R. bursa and 6 for Hyalomma marginatum.
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Affiliation(s)
- A D Mihalca
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, Calea Mănăştur 3-5, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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Dubska L, Literak I, Kverek P, Roubalova E, Kocianova E, Taragelova V. Tick-borne zoonotic pathogens in ticks feeding on the common nightingale including a novel strain of Rickettsia sp. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2012; 3:265-8. [PMID: 22906497 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2012.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2012] [Revised: 06/10/2012] [Accepted: 06/11/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
We examined 77 Ixodes ricinus ticks found on 33 out of 120 common nightingales (Luscinia megarhynchos) sampled in the Czech Republic in 2008 for the presence of Borrelia spirochetes, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Rickettsia spp., and Babesia spp. We detected Borrelia garinii (in 4% of ticks), A. phagocytophilum (1%), Rickettsia helvetica (3%), a novel strain of Rickettsia sp. (sister taxon of R. bellii; 1%), and Babesia sp. EU1 (1%). Thus, we conclude that nightingales are unlikely to be important reservoir hosts for tick-borne pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lenka Dubska
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute, Zluty kopec 7, 656 53 Brno, Czech Republic.
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Abstract
In non-permanent parasites with low intrinsic mobility such as ticks, dispersal is highly dependent on host movements as well as the timing of separation from the hosts. Optimal detachment behaviour is all the more crucial in nidicolous ticks as the risk of detaching in non-suitable habitat is high. In this study, we experimentally investigated the detachment behaviour of Ixodes arboricola, a nidicolous tick that primarily infests birds roosting in tree-holes. We infested great tits with I. arboricola larvae or nymphs, and submitted the birds to 2 experimental treatments, a control treatment in which birds had normal access to nest boxes and an experimental treatment, in which the birds were prevented access to their nest boxes for varying lengths of time. In the control group, most ticks detached within 5 days, whereas in the experimental group, ticks remained on the bird for as long as the bird was prevented access (up to 14 days). This prolonged attachment caused a decrease in survival and engorgement weight in nymphs, but not in larvae. The capacity of I. arboricola larvae to extend the duration of attachment in non-suitable environments with no apparent costs, may be an adaptation to unpredictable use of cavities by roosting hosts during winter, and at the same time may facilitate dispersal of the larval instars.
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