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Pustijanac E, Buršić M, Millotti G, Paliaga P, Iveša N, Cvek M. Tick-Borne Bacterial Diseases in Europe: Threats to public health. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 2024:10.1007/s10096-024-04836-5. [PMID: 38676855 DOI: 10.1007/s10096-024-04836-5] [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: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tick-borne diseases, caused by bacterial pathogens, pose a growing threat to public health in Europe. This paper provides an overview of the historical context of the discovery of the most impactful pathogens transmitted by ticks, including Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, Rickettsia spp., Anaplasma spp., Francisella spp., Ehrlichia spp., and Neoehrlichia mikurensis. Understanding the historical context of their discovery provides insight into the evolution of our understanding of these pathogens. METHODS AND RESULTS Systematic investigation of the prevalence and transmission dynamics of these bacterial pathogens is provided, highlighting the intricate relationships among ticks, host organisms, and the environment. Epidemiology is explored, providing an in-depth analysis of clinical features associated with infections. Diagnostic methodologies undergo critical examination, with a spotlight on technological advancements that enhance detection capabilities. Additionally, the paper discusses available treatment options, addressing existing therapeutic strategies and considering future aspects. CONCLUSIONS By integrating various pieces of information on these bacterial species, the paper aims to provide a comprehensive resource for researchers and healthcare professionals addressing the impact of bacterial tick-borne diseases in Europe. This review underscores the importance of understanding the complex details influencing bacterial prevalence and transmission dynamics to better combat these emerging public health threats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emina Pustijanac
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Juraj Dobrila University of Pula, Zagrebačka 30, 52100, Pula, Croatia.
| | - Moira Buršić
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Juraj Dobrila University of Pula, Zagrebačka 30, 52100, Pula, Croatia
| | - Gioconda Millotti
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Juraj Dobrila University of Pula, Zagrebačka 30, 52100, Pula, Croatia
| | - Paolo Paliaga
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Juraj Dobrila University of Pula, Zagrebačka 30, 52100, Pula, Croatia
| | - Neven Iveša
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Juraj Dobrila University of Pula, Zagrebačka 30, 52100, Pula, Croatia
| | - Maja Cvek
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Braće Branchetta 20, 51000, Rijeka, Croatia
- Teaching Institute of Public Health of the Region of Istria, Nazorova 23, 52100, Pula, Croatia
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Habib J, Zenner L, Garel M, Mercier A, Poirel MT, Itty C, Appolinaire J, Amblard T, Benedetti P, Sanchis F, Benabed S, Abi Rizk G, Gibert P, Bourgoin G. Prevalence of tick-borne pathogens in ticks collected from the wild mountain ungulates mouflon and chamois in 4 regions of France. Parasite 2024; 31:21. [PMID: 38602373 PMCID: PMC11008225 DOI: 10.1051/parasite/2024011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Ticks are major vectors of various pathogens of health importance, such as bacteria, viruses and parasites. The problems associated with ticks and vector-borne pathogens are increasing in mountain areas, particularly in connection with global climate change. We collected ticks (n = 2,081) from chamois and mouflon in 4 mountainous areas of France. We identified 6 tick species: Ixodes ricinus, Rhipicephalus bursa, Rh. sanguineus s.l., Haemaphysalis sulcata, H. punctata and Dermacentor marginatus. We observed a strong variation in tick species composition among the study sites, linked in particular to the climate of the sites. We then analysed 791 ticks for DNA of vector-borne pathogens: Babesia/Theileria spp., Borrelia burgdorferi s.l., Anaplasma phagocytophilum, A. marginale, A. ovis, and Rickettsia of the spotted fever group (SFG). Theileria ovis was detected only in Corsica in Rh. bursa. Babesia venatorum (2 sites), Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. (B. afzelii and B. garinii; 2 sites) and Anaplasma phagocytophilum (3 sites) were detected in I. ricinus. Anaplasma ovis was detected at one site in I. ricinus and Rh. sanguineus s.l. SFG Rickettsia were detected at all the study sites: R. monacensis and R. helvetica in I. ricinus at the 3 sites where this tick is present; R. massiliae in Rh. sanguineus s.l. (1 site); and R. hoogstraalii and Candidatus R. barbariae in Rh. bursa in Corsica. These results show that there is a risk of tick-borne diseases for humans and domestic and wild animals frequenting these mountain areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jad Habib
- Université de Lyon, VetAgro Sup – Campus Vétérinaire de Lyon, Laboratoire de Parasitologie Vétérinaire 1 avenue Bourgelat BP 83 69280 Marcy-l’Etoile France
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, VetAgro Sup, UMR 5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive 43 bd du 11 novembre 1918 69622 Villeurbanne France
- Université Libanaise, Faculté d’Agronomie et de Médecine Vétérinaire, Département de Médecine Vétérinaire 3 rue de l'université Beyrouth Lebanon
| | - Lionel Zenner
- Université de Lyon, VetAgro Sup – Campus Vétérinaire de Lyon, Laboratoire de Parasitologie Vétérinaire 1 avenue Bourgelat BP 83 69280 Marcy-l’Etoile France
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, VetAgro Sup, UMR 5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive 43 bd du 11 novembre 1918 69622 Villeurbanne France
| | - Mathieu Garel
- Office Français de la Biodiversité, Service Anthropisation et Fonctionnement des Écosystèmes Terrestres 5 allée de Bethléem, Z.I. Mayencin 38610 Gières France
| | - Antoine Mercier
- Université de Lyon, VetAgro Sup – Campus Vétérinaire de Lyon, Laboratoire de Parasitologie Vétérinaire 1 avenue Bourgelat BP 83 69280 Marcy-l’Etoile France
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, VetAgro Sup, UMR 5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive 43 bd du 11 novembre 1918 69622 Villeurbanne France
| | - Marie-Thérèse Poirel
- Université de Lyon, VetAgro Sup – Campus Vétérinaire de Lyon, Laboratoire de Parasitologie Vétérinaire 1 avenue Bourgelat BP 83 69280 Marcy-l’Etoile France
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, VetAgro Sup, UMR 5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive 43 bd du 11 novembre 1918 69622 Villeurbanne France
| | - Christian Itty
- Office Français de la Biodiversité, Service Appui aux Acteurs et Mobilisation des Territoires, Direction Régionale Occitanie 7 rue du Four, Fagairolles 34610 Castanet-le-Haut France
| | - Joël Appolinaire
- Office Français de la Biodiversité, Service Anthropisation et Fonctionnement des Écosystèmes Terrestres 5 allée de Bethléem, Z.I. Mayencin 38610 Gières France
| | - Thibaut Amblard
- Office Français de la Biodiversité, Service Anthropisation et Fonctionnement des Écosystèmes Terrestres 5 allée de Bethléem, Z.I. Mayencin 38610 Gières France
| | - Pierre Benedetti
- Office Français de la Biodiversité, Unité Espaces Naturels de Corse Funtanella 20218 Moltifao France
| | - Frédéric Sanchis
- Office Français de la Biodiversité, Unité Espaces Naturels de Corse Funtanella 20218 Moltifao France
| | - Slimania Benabed
- Université de Lyon, VetAgro Sup – Campus Vétérinaire de Lyon, Laboratoire de Parasitologie Vétérinaire 1 avenue Bourgelat BP 83 69280 Marcy-l’Etoile France
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, VetAgro Sup, UMR 5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive 43 bd du 11 novembre 1918 69622 Villeurbanne France
| | - Georges Abi Rizk
- Université Libanaise, Faculté d’Agronomie et de Médecine Vétérinaire, Département de Médecine Vétérinaire 3 rue de l'université Beyrouth Lebanon
| | - Philippe Gibert
- Office Français de la Biodiversité, Service Anthropisation et Fonctionnement des Écosystèmes Terrestres 5 allée de Bethléem, Z.I. Mayencin 38610 Gières France
| | - Gilles Bourgoin
- Université de Lyon, VetAgro Sup – Campus Vétérinaire de Lyon, Laboratoire de Parasitologie Vétérinaire 1 avenue Bourgelat BP 83 69280 Marcy-l’Etoile France
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, VetAgro Sup, UMR 5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive 43 bd du 11 novembre 1918 69622 Villeurbanne France
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Aneela A, Almutairi MM, Alouffi A, Ahmed H, Tanaka T, da Silva Vaz I, Chang SC, Chen CC, Ali A. Molecular Detection of Rickettsia hoogstraalii in Hyalomma anatolicum and Haemaphysalis sulcata: Updated Knowledge on the Epidemiology of Tick-Borne Rickettsia hoogstraalii. Vet Sci 2023; 10:605. [PMID: 37888557 PMCID: PMC10611279 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci10100605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 09/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Ticks are hematophagous ectoparasites that transmit pathogens to animals and humans. Updated knowledge regarding the global epidemiology of tick-borne Rickettsia hoogstraalii is dispersed, and its molecular detection and genetic characterization are missing in Pakistan. The current study objectives were to molecularly detect and genetically characterize Rickettsia species, especially R. hoogstraalii, in hard ticks infesting livestock in Pakistan, and to provide updated knowledge regarding their global epidemiology. Ticks were collected from livestock, including goats, sheep, and cattle, in six districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Pakistan. Overall, 183 hosts were examined, of which 134 (73.2%), including goats (number = 39/54, 72.2%), sheep (23/40, 57.5%), and cattle (71/89, 80%) were infested by 823 ticks. The most prevalent tick species was Rhipicephalus microplus (number = 283, 34.3%), followed by Hyalomma anatolicum (223, 27.0%), Rhipicephalus turanicus (122, 14.8%), Haemaphysalis sulcata (104, 12.6%), Haemaphysalis montgomeryi (66, 8.0%), and Haemaphysalis bispinosa (25, 3.03%). A subset of 210 ticks was selected and screened for Rickettsia spp. using PCR-based amplification and subsequent sequencing of rickettsial gltA and ompB fragments. The overall occurrence rate of R. hoogstraalii was 4.3% (number = 9/210). The DNA of Rickettsia was detected in Hy. anatolicum (3/35, 8.5%) and Ha. sulcata (6/49, 12.2%). However, no rickettsial DNA was detected in Rh. microplus (35), Rh. turanicus (35), Ha. montgomeryi (42), and Ha. bispinosa (14). The gltA and ompB fragments showed 99-100% identity with R. hoogstraalii and clustered phylogenetically with the corresponding species from Pakistan, Italy, Georgia, and China. R. hoogstraalii was genetically characterized for the first time in Pakistan and Hy. anatolicum globally. Further studies should be encouraged to determine the role of ticks in the maintenance and transmission of R. hoogstraalii in different hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aneela Aneela
- Department of Zoology, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan 23200, Pakistan
| | - Mashal M. Almutairi
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Abdulaziz Alouffi
- King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, Riyadh 12354, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Haroon Ahmed
- Department of Biosciences, COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI), Park Road, Chak Shahzad, Islamabad 45550, Pakistan;
| | - Tetsuya Tanaka
- Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima 890-0065, Japan;
| | - Itabajara da Silva Vaz
- Centro de Biotecnologia and Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 90050-170, RS, Brazil;
| | - Shun-Chung Chang
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Ditmanson Medical Foundation Chia-Yi Christian Hospital, Chiayi 60002, Taiwan
| | - Chien-Chin Chen
- Department of Pathology, Ditmanson Medical Foundation Chia-Yi Christian Hospital, Chiayi 60002, Taiwan;
- Department of Cosmetic Science, Chia Nan University of Pharmacy and Science, Tainan 71710, Taiwan
- Ph.D. Program in Translational Medicine, Rong Hsing Research Center for Translational Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 40227, Taiwan
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioindustry Sciences, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan
| | - Abid Ali
- Department of Zoology, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan 23200, Pakistan
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Abreu-Yanes E, Abreu-Acosta N, Foronda P. Study of tick-borne zoonotic pathogens in questing and feeding ticks in Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain. JOURNAL OF VECTOR ECOLOGY : JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR VECTOR ECOLOGY 2023; 48:59-62. [PMID: 37255360 DOI: 10.52707/1081-1710-48.1.59] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Ticks are vectors of many zoonotic pathogens of clinical relevance, including Anaplasma and Rickettsia species. Since few data about these tick-borne pathogens are available in the Canary Islands, the aim of the present study was to screen their presence in questing and feeding ticks on the island of Tenerife. A total of 81 ticks was removed from six hedgehogs, and eight ticks were collected from the grass. PCR assays for tick species identification based on the LSU rRNA gene, and detection of Anaplasma spp. and Rickettsia spp. by targeting the 16s rRNA and gltA gene, respectively, were carried out. Rhipicephalus sanguineus and Haemaphysalis formosensis tick species were identified, with Rickettsia hoogstraalii detected in H. formosensis. In addition, Rickettsia helvetica and one unidentified Rickettsia species were detected. The overall prevalence of Rickettsia in ticks was 12.2%, and none harbored Anaplasma sp. This work constitutes the first identification in the Canary Islands of pathogenic R. helvetica and the species of unknown pathogenicity R. hoogstraalii in questing ticks. The clinical relevance of the pathogens identified highlights the need for studies with increased sample size and locations, including potential hosts, as well as warning the population about the relevance of ticks as vectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Estefanía Abreu-Yanes
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias, Universidad de La Laguna. Avda. Astrofísico F. Sánchez, s/n, 38203 La Laguna, Canary Islands, Spain
- Nertalab S.L. José Rodríguez Mouré, 38008 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
| | - Néstor Abreu-Acosta
- Nertalab S.L. José Rodríguez Mouré, 38008 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
| | - Pilar Foronda
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias, Universidad de La Laguna. Avda. Astrofísico F. Sánchez, s/n, 38203 La Laguna, Canary Islands, Spain,
- Departament Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Universidad de La Laguna. Avda. Astrofísico F. Sánchez, s/n, 38203 La Laguna, Canary Islands, Spain
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Orkun Ö. Comprehensive screening of tick-borne microorganisms indicates that a great variety of pathogens are circulating between hard ticks (Ixodoidea: Ixodidae) and domestic ruminants in natural foci of Anatolia. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2022; 13:102027. [PMID: 35970093 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2022.102027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Grazing domestic ruminants serve as important reservoirs and/or amplificatory hosts in the ecology of tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) and tick vectors in the natural foci; however, many enzootic life cycles including ruminants and ticks are still unknown. This study investigated a wide range of TBPs circulating among ticks and grazing ruminants in the natural foci of Anatolia, Turkey. Tick specimens (n = 1815) were collected from cattle, sheep, and goats in three ecologically distinct areas (wooded, transitional, and semi-arid zones) of Anatolia and identified by species: Dermacentor marginatus, Dermacentor reticulatus, Hyalomma anatolicum, Hyalomma excavatum, Hyalomma marginatum, Hyalomma scupense, Haemaphysalis inermis, Haemaphysalis parva, Haemaphysalis punctata, Haemaphysalis sulcata, Ixodes ricinus, Rhipicephalus bursa, and Rhipicephalus turanicus. PCR-sequencing analyses revealed TBPs of great diversity, with 32 different agents identified in the ticks: six Babesia spp. (Babesia occultans, Babesia crassa, Babesia microti, Babesia rossi, Babesia sp. tavsan1, and Babesia sp. Ucbas); four Theileria spp., including one putative novel species (Theileria annulata, Theileria orientalis, Theileria ovis, and Theileria sp.); one Hepatozoon sp.; four Anaplasma spp., including one novel genotype (Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Anaplasma marginale, Anaplasma ovis, and Anaplasma sp.); six unnamed Ehrlichia spp. genotypes; Neoehrlichia mikurensis; nine spotted fever group rickettsiae, including one putative novel species (Rickettsia aeschlimannii, Rickettsia slovaca, Rickettsia hoogstraalii, Rickettsia monacensis with strain IRS3, Rickettsia mongolitimonae, Rickettsia raoultii, Candidatus Rickettsia goldwasserii, Candidatus Rickettsia barbariae, and Rickettsia sp.); and Borrelia valaisiana. Detailed phylogenetic analyses showed that some of the detected pathogens represent more than one haplotype, potentially relating to the tick species or the host. Additionally, the presence of Neoehrlichia mikurensis, an emerging pathogen for humans, was reported for the first time in Turkey, expanding its geographical distribution. Consequently, this study describes some previously unknown tick-borne protozoan and bacterial species/genotypes and provides informative epidemiological data on TBPs, which are related to animal and human health, serving the one health concept.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ömer Orkun
- Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases Research Laboratory, Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey.
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Onyiche TE, Labruna MB, Saito TB. Unraveling the epidemiological relationship between ticks and rickettsial infection in Africa. FRONTIERS IN TROPICAL DISEASES 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fitd.2022.952024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Tick-borne rickettsioses are emerging and re-emerging diseases of public health concern caused by over 30 species of Rickettsia. Ticks are obligate hematophagous arthropods with over 700 species of Ixodid ticks known worldwide. The escalating geographical dispersal of tick vectors and concomitant increase in the incidences of tick-borne diseases have fueled interest in the ecology of tick-borne pathogens. This review focuses on aspects of the Rickettsia pathogen, including biology, taxonomy, phylogeny, genetic diversity, epidemiology of the disease, and the role of vertebrate host in the perpetuation of rickettsioses in Africa. Our review also highlights some of the species of Rickettsia that are responsible for disease, the role of tick vectors (both hard and soft ticks) and the species of Rickettsia associated with diverse tick species across the continent. Additionally, this article emphasizes the evolutionary perspective of rickettsiae perpetuation and the possible role of amplifying vertebrate host and other small mammals, domestic animals and wildlife in the epidemiology of Rickettsia species. We also specifically, discussed the role of avian population in the epidemiology of SFG rickettsiae. Furthermore, we highlighted tick-borne rickettsioses among travelers due to African tick-bite fever (ATBF) and the challenges to surveillance of rickettsial infection, and research on rickettsiology in Africa. Our review canvasses the need for more rickettsiologists of African origin based within the continent to further research towards understanding the biology, characterization, and species distribution, including the competent tick vectors involved in their transmission of rickettsiae across the continent in collaboration with established researchers in western countries. We further highlighted the need for proper funding to encourage research despite competing demands for resources across the various sectors. We finalize by discussing the similarities between rickettsial diseases around the world and which steps need to be taken to help foster our understanding on the eco-epidemiology of rickettsioses by bridging the gap between the growing epidemiological data and the molecular characterization of Rickettsia species.
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Spotted Fever Group Rickettsia spp. Diversity in Ticks and the First Report of Rickettsia hoogstraalii in Romania. Vet Sci 2022; 9:vetsci9070343. [PMID: 35878360 PMCID: PMC9317755 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci9070343] [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: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Ticks are important parasites that feed on the blood of various host species, representing the most important arthropods transmitting diseases in Europe. Continuous changes in both tick distribution and abundance are related to multiple factors, including climate change. These changes have strong implications for both animal and human health; therefore, continuous surveillance of tickborne diseases is required for an appropriate evaluation of the potential risks faced by animals and humans in a given area. The spotted fever group Rickettsia comprises a large number of zoonotic agents with an increasing importance recognized in the last 30 years. The aim of this study was to evaluate these bacteria in ticks in Romania. Five Rickettsia species were identified in different tick species, with new pathogen–tick associations reported. Rickettsia hoogstraalii, one member of this group, was detected for the first time in Romania and in Rhipicephalus rossicus ticks. This species was first described in 2006 in Croatia, and its pathogenicity is not well known. In addition, the detection of R. raoultii and R. monacensis in unfed larvae of Haemaphysalis punctata reinforce the hypothesis of transmission of Rickettsia from female ticks to larvae; therefore the bite of larvae could pose a health risk. Abstract Tickborne bacterial pathogens have been described worldwide as risk factors for both animal and human health. Spotted fevers caused by Rickettsiae may cause non-specific symptoms, which make clinical diagnosis difficult. The aim of the current study was to evaluate and review the diversity of SFG Rickettsiae in ticks collected in 41 counties in Romania. A total of 2028 questing and engorged ticks collected in Romania belonging to five species were tested by PCR amplification of Rickettsia spp. gltA and 17-D gene fragments: Ixodes ricinus (n = 1128), Dermacentor marginatus (n = 507), D. reticulatus (n = 165), Rhipicephalus rossicus (n = 128) and Haemaphysalis punctata (n = 100). Five Rickettsia species were identified following DNA sequence analysis: R. helvetica, R. monacensis, R. slovaca, R. raoultii, and R. hoogstraalii. The most common species detected was R. monacensis. Moreover, R. hoogstraalii was detected for the first time in Romania and in R. rossicus ticks. The detection of R. raoultii and R. monacensis in questing larvae of Hae. punctata suggests the possible transovarial transmission of these Rickettsia species in ticks. The detection of R. hoogstraalii for the first time in Romania increases the reported SFG Rickettsia diversity in the country.
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Carvajal-Agudelo JD, Ramírez-Chaves HE, Ossa-López PA, Rivera-Páez FA. Bacteria related to tick-borne pathogen assemblages in Ornithodoros cf. hasei (Acari: Argasidae) and blood of the wild mammal hosts in the Orinoquia region, Colombia. EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2022; 87:253-271. [PMID: 35829939 PMCID: PMC9424158 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-022-00724-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Interest in research on soft ticks has increased in recent decades, leading to valuable insight into their role as disease vectors. The use of metagenomics-based analyses have helped to elucidate ecological factors involved in pathogen, vector, and host dynamics. To understand the main bacterial assemblages present in Ornithodoros cf. hasei and its mammalian hosts, 84 ticks and 13 blood samples from bat hosts (Chiroptera) were selected, and the 16S rRNA gene V4 region was sequenced in five pools (each one related to each host-tick pairing). Bacterial taxonomic assignment analyses were performed by comparing operational taxonomic units (OTUs) shared between ticks and their host blood. This analysis showed the presence of Proteobacteria (38.8%), Enterobacteriaceae (25%), Firmicutes (12.3%), and Actinobacteria (10.9%) within blood samples, and Rickettsiaceae (39%), Firmicutes (25%), Actinobacteria (13.1%), and Proteobacteria (9%) within ticks. Species related to potentially pathogenic genera were detected in ticks, such as Borrelia sp., Bartonella tamiae, Ehrlichia sp. and Rickettsia-like endosymbiont, and the presence of these organisms was found in all analyzed bat species (Cynomops planirostris, Molossus pretiosus, Noctilio albiventris), and O. cf. hasei. About 41-48.6% of bacterial OTUs (genera and species) were shared between ticks and the blood of bat hosts. Targeted metagenomic screening techniques allowed the detection of tick-associated pathogens for O. cf. hasei and small mammals for the first time, enabling future research on many of these pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan D Carvajal-Agudelo
- Grupo de Investigación en Genética, Biodiversidad y Manejo de Ecosistemas (GEBIOME), Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 65 N° 26-10, 170004, Manizales, Caldas, Colombia
| | - Héctor E Ramírez-Chaves
- Grupo de Investigación en Genética, Biodiversidad y Manejo de Ecosistemas (GEBIOME), Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 65 N° 26-10, 170004, Manizales, Caldas, Colombia
- Centro de Museos, Museo de Historia Natural, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 65 N° 26-10, 170004, Manizales, Caldas, Colombia
| | - Paula A Ossa-López
- Grupo de Investigación en Genética, Biodiversidad y Manejo de Ecosistemas (GEBIOME), Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 65 N° 26-10, 170004, Manizales, Caldas, Colombia
- Doctorado en Ciencias, Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 65 No. 26-10, 170004, Manizales, Caldas, Colombia
| | - Fredy A Rivera-Páez
- Grupo de Investigación en Genética, Biodiversidad y Manejo de Ecosistemas (GEBIOME), Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 65 N° 26-10, 170004, Manizales, Caldas, Colombia.
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Virome of Ixodes ricinus, Dermacentor reticulatus, and Haemaphysalis concinna Ticks from Croatia. Viruses 2022; 14:v14050929. [PMID: 35632671 PMCID: PMC9146755 DOI: 10.3390/v14050929] [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: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 04/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Tick-borne diseases are a serious threat to both public and veterinary health. In this study, we used high-throughput sequencing to characterize the virome of three tick species implicated in the spread of vector-borne disease throughout Croatia. Ten viruses were identified, including seven potential novel species within the viral families Flaviviridae, Nyamiviridae, Rhabdoviridae, Peribunyaviridae, Phenuiviridae, and Nairoviridae.
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10
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Krčmar S, Klobučar A, Vucelja M, Boljfetić M, Kučinić M, Madić J, Cvek M, Mađarić BB. DNA barcoding of hard ticks (Ixodidae), notes on distribution of vector species and new faunal record for Croatia. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2022; 13:101920. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2022.101920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Revised: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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11
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Pascucci I, Antognini E, Canonico C, Montalbano MG, Necci A, di Donato A, Moriconi M, Morandi B, Morganti G, Crotti S, Gavaudan S. One Health Approach to Rickettsiosis: A Five-Year Study on Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiae in Ticks Collected from Humans, Animals and Environment. Microorganisms 2021; 10:microorganisms10010035. [PMID: 35056484 PMCID: PMC8781306 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10010035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Revised: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The spotted fever group of Rickettsiae is a heterogeneous group of Rickettsiae transmitted by ticks, causing similar diseases in humans (spotted fever). Until recently, it was supposed that a single pathogenic tick-borne SFG Rickettsia circulated in each different geographic area and that R. conorii subsp. conorii was the SFG Rickettsiae circulating in Italy, but in the last decade, thanks to molecular diagnostic, several different Rickettsia species, previously not considered pathogenic for decades, have been isolated from ticks and definitively associated to human disease, also in Italy. The present survey was carried out with the aim of investigating the presence of different SFG Rickettsia species in a geographic area where no information was available. Ticks collected from animals submitted to necropsy, removed from humans in local hospitals and collected from the environment were identified and tested by PCR for Rickettsia spp. based on the gltA gene, and positive PCR products were sequenced. A total of 3286 ticks were collected. Fifteen tick species were recognized, the most represented (79.52%) species in the collection was Ixodes ricinus, followed by Rhipicephalus sanguineus (9.13%). The overall prevalence of Rickettsia infection was 7.58%. Eight species of Rickettsia were identified, the most frequent was R. monacensis (56%), followed by R. helvetica (25.50%). Noteworthy, is the detection in the present study of Rrhipicephali, detected only twice in Italy. These are the first data available on SFG Rickettsiae circulation in the study area and they can be considered as starting point to assess the possible risk for humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Pascucci
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Umbria e delle Marche “Togo Rosati”, Via Gaetano Salvemini, 06126 Perugia, Italy; (C.C.); (M.G.M.); (A.N.); (A.d.D.); (M.M.); (B.M.); (S.C.); (S.G.)
- Correspondence: (I.P.); (E.A.); Tel.: +39-0721-281677 (I.P.); +3907141760 (E.A.)
| | - Elisa Antognini
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Umbria e delle Marche “Togo Rosati”, Via Gaetano Salvemini, 06126 Perugia, Italy; (C.C.); (M.G.M.); (A.N.); (A.d.D.); (M.M.); (B.M.); (S.C.); (S.G.)
- Correspondence: (I.P.); (E.A.); Tel.: +39-0721-281677 (I.P.); +3907141760 (E.A.)
| | - Cristina Canonico
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Umbria e delle Marche “Togo Rosati”, Via Gaetano Salvemini, 06126 Perugia, Italy; (C.C.); (M.G.M.); (A.N.); (A.d.D.); (M.M.); (B.M.); (S.C.); (S.G.)
| | - Marco Giuseppe Montalbano
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Umbria e delle Marche “Togo Rosati”, Via Gaetano Salvemini, 06126 Perugia, Italy; (C.C.); (M.G.M.); (A.N.); (A.d.D.); (M.M.); (B.M.); (S.C.); (S.G.)
| | - Alessandro Necci
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Umbria e delle Marche “Togo Rosati”, Via Gaetano Salvemini, 06126 Perugia, Italy; (C.C.); (M.G.M.); (A.N.); (A.d.D.); (M.M.); (B.M.); (S.C.); (S.G.)
| | - Alessandra di Donato
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Umbria e delle Marche “Togo Rosati”, Via Gaetano Salvemini, 06126 Perugia, Italy; (C.C.); (M.G.M.); (A.N.); (A.d.D.); (M.M.); (B.M.); (S.C.); (S.G.)
| | - Martina Moriconi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Umbria e delle Marche “Togo Rosati”, Via Gaetano Salvemini, 06126 Perugia, Italy; (C.C.); (M.G.M.); (A.N.); (A.d.D.); (M.M.); (B.M.); (S.C.); (S.G.)
| | - Benedetto Morandi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Umbria e delle Marche “Togo Rosati”, Via Gaetano Salvemini, 06126 Perugia, Italy; (C.C.); (M.G.M.); (A.N.); (A.d.D.); (M.M.); (B.M.); (S.C.); (S.G.)
| | - Giulia Morganti
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Via San Costanzo 4, 06126 Perugia, Italy;
| | - Silvia Crotti
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Umbria e delle Marche “Togo Rosati”, Via Gaetano Salvemini, 06126 Perugia, Italy; (C.C.); (M.G.M.); (A.N.); (A.d.D.); (M.M.); (B.M.); (S.C.); (S.G.)
| | - Stefano Gavaudan
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Umbria e delle Marche “Togo Rosati”, Via Gaetano Salvemini, 06126 Perugia, Italy; (C.C.); (M.G.M.); (A.N.); (A.d.D.); (M.M.); (B.M.); (S.C.); (S.G.)
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12
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Duan DY, Liu YK, Liu L, Liu GH, Cheng TY. Microbiome analysis of the midguts of different developmental stages of Argas persicus in China. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2021; 13:101868. [PMID: 34800866 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2021.101868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Revised: 09/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Argas persicus is an ectoparasite of poultry. The bacterial community structure and the pathogenic bacteria associated with different developmental stages of A. persicus have implications for control. Argas persicus were collected from chickens in the city of Jiuquan in Gansu, China. Bacterial DNA was extracted from the midgut contents of blood engorged larvae, nymphs and adult females. The V3-V4 hypervariable regions of 16S rRNA genes were sequenced using the IonS5™XL platform. Identification of Rickettsia spp. and detection of Coxiella burnetii were performed using PCR on target genes. The bacterial diversity within larvae was the highest and the bacterial diversity within nymphs was greater than that of adults. At different classification levels, seven bacterial phyla were common phyla, 27 genera were common genera, and 18 species were common species in the three samples. At the phylum level, Proteobacteria showed a marked predominance in all samples. Rickettsia, Stenotrophomonas, Spiroplasma, and Coxiella were the dominant bacteria at the genus level. The Rickettsia species in A. persicus was identified as Rickettsia hoogstraalii and the Coxiella species was identified as a Coxiella-like endosymbiont. Additionally, some bacterial species such as Pseudomonas geniculata, Sphingomonas koreensis, and Acinetobacter haemolyticus were reported here for the first time in A. persicus.
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Affiliation(s)
- De-Yong Duan
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, Hunan Province 410128, China
| | - Yu-Ke Liu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, Hunan Province 410128, China
| | - Lei Liu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, Hunan Province 410128, China
| | - Guo-Hua Liu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, Hunan Province 410128, China.
| | - Tian-Yin Cheng
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, Hunan Province 410128, China.
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13
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Hornok S, Kontschán J, Takács N, Chaber AL, Halajian A, Szekeres S, Sándor AD, Plantard O. Rickettsiaceae in two reptile-associated tick species, Amblyomma exornatum and Africaniella transversale: First evidence of Occidentia massiliensis in hard ticks (Acari: Ixodidae). Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2021; 13:101830. [PMID: 34624588 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2021.101830] [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: 09/15/2020] [Revised: 09/11/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
All species of hard ticks associated with reptiles as hosts throughout their life cycle, are currently assigned to genera including Amblyomma and Africaniella. Among these species, based on literature data, Africaniella transversale has never been investigated for the presence of tick-borne pathogens. In this study, seven DNA extracts (two from A. transversale and five from Amblyomma exornatum) were screened for the presence of important tick-borne protozoa (piroplasms) and bacteria (Anaplasmataceae and Rickettsiaceae) with conventional PCRs and sequencing. A new heat shock protein chaperonin (groEL) gene-specific PCR was also developed to identify Occidentia spp. in these samples. In A. transversale, Occidentia massiliensis (previously detected in rodent-associated soft ticks) and Rickettsia hoogstraalii were present. While the latter was molecularly identical with formerly reported sequences of this rickettsia, the genotype of O. massiliensis was new based on sequence and phylogenetic analyses of its groEL gene. In A. exornatum, a Rickettsia genotype closely related to R. tamurae and R. monacensis, was detected. The ompA sequence of this genotype was identical to that of Rickettsia sp. Ae-8 reported from A. exornatum in a reptile breeding facility in the USA. These results show that A. transversale might carry O. massiliensis which (unless having a symbiotic nature in ticks) may originate either from the reptile host of this hard tick species or the rodent prey of reptiles. This is also the first detection of the reptile tick-associated Rickettsia sp. Ae-8 (phylogenetically aligning with R. tamurae, R. monacensis) in Africa, i.e. within the original geographical range of A. exornatum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sándor Hornok
- Department of Parasitology and Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Jenő Kontschán
- Plant Protection Institute, Centre for Agricultural Research, ELKH, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Nóra Takács
- Department of Parasitology and Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Anne-Lise Chaber
- School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Roseworthy Campus, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Ali Halajian
- Research Administration and Development, University of Limpopo, Sovenga, South Africa
| | - Sándor Szekeres
- Department of Parasitology and Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Attila D Sándor
- Department of Parasitology and Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary; Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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14
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Gauthier DT, Karpathy SE, Grizzard SL, Batra D, Rowe LA, Paddock CD. Characterization of a novel transitional group Rickettsia species ( Rickettsia tillamookensis sp. nov.) from the western black-legged tick, Ixodes pacificus. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2021; 71. [PMID: 34214027 DOI: 10.1099/ijsem.0.004880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
A previously unrecognized Rickettsia species was isolated in 1976 from a pool of Ixodes pacificus ticks collected in 1967 from Tillamook County, Oregon, USA. The isolate produced low fever and mild scrotal oedema following intraperitoneal injection into male guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus). Subsequent serotyping characterized this isolate as distinct from recognized typhus and spotted fever group Rickettsia species; nonetheless, the isolate remained unevaluated by molecular techniques and was not identified to species level for the subsequent 30 years. Ixodes pacificus is the most frequently identified human-biting tick in the western United States, and as such, formal identification and characterization of this potentially pathogenic Rickettsia species is warranted. Whole-genome sequencing of the Tillamook isolate revealed a genome 1.43 Mbp in size with 32.4 mol% G+C content. Maximum-likelihood phylogeny of core proteins places it in the transitional group of Rickettsia basal to both Rickettsia felis and Rickettsia asembonensis. It is distinct from existing named species, with maximum average nucleotide identity of 95.1% to R. asembonensis and maximum digital DNA-DNA hybridization score similarity to R. felis at 80.1%. The closest similarity at the 16S rRNA gene (97.9%) and sca4 (97.5%/97.6% respectively) is to Candidatus 'Rickettsia senegalensis' and Rickettsia sp. cf9, both isolated from cat fleas (Ctenocephalides felis). We characterized growth at various temperatures and in multiple cell lines. The Tillamook isolate grows aerobically in Vero E6, RF/6A and DH82 cells, and growth is rapid at 28 °C and 32 °C. Using accepted genomic criteria, we propose the name Rickettsia tillamookensis sp. nov., with the type strain Tillamook 23. Strain Tillamook 23 is available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Rickettsial Isolate Reference Collection (WDCM 1093), Atlanta, GA, USA (CRIRC accession number RTI001T) and the Collection de Souches de l'Unité des Rickettsies (WDCM 875), Marseille, France (CSUR accession number R5043). Using accepted genomic criteria, we propose the name Rickettsia tillamookensis sp. nov., with the type strain Tillamook 23 (=CRIRC RTI001=R5043).
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Affiliation(s)
- David T Gauthier
- Department of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia, 23529, USA
| | - Sandor E Karpathy
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, 30329, USA
| | - Stephanie L Grizzard
- Department of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia, 23529, USA
| | - Dhwani Batra
- Division of Scientific Resources, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, 30329, USA
| | - Lori A Rowe
- Division of Scientific Resources, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, 30329, USA
| | - Christopher D Paddock
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, 30329, USA
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15
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Dall'Agnol B, McCulloch JA, Mayer FQ, Souza U, Webster A, Antunes P, Doyle RL, Reck J, Ferreira CAS. Molecular characterization of bacterial communities of two neotropical tick species (Amblyomma aureolatum and Ornithodoros brasiliensis) using rDNA 16S sequencing. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2021; 12:101746. [PMID: 34091278 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2021.101746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Revised: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Ticks are one of the main vectors of pathogens for humans and animals worldwide. However, they harbor non-pathogenic microorganisms that are important for their survival, facilitating both their nutrition and immunity. We investigated the bacterial communities associated with two neotropical tick species of human and veterinary potential health importance from Brazil: Amblyomma aureolatum and Ornithodoros brasiliensis. In A. aureolatum (adult ticks collected from wild canids from Southern Brazil), the predominant bacterial phyla were Proteobacteria (98.68%), Tenericutes (0.70%), Bacteroidetes (0.14%), Actinobacteria (0.13%), and Acidobacteria (0.05%). The predominant genera were Francisella (97.01%), Spiroplasma (0.70%), Wolbachia (0.51%), Candidatus Midichloria (0.25%), and Alkanindiges (0.13%). The predominant phyla in O. brasiliensis (adults, fed and unfed nymphs collected at the environment from Southern Brazil) were Proteobacteria (90.27%), Actinobacteria (7.38%), Firmicutes (0.77%), Bacteroidetes (0.44%), and Planctomycetes (0.22%). The predominant bacterial genera were Coxiella (87.71%), Nocardioides (1.73%), Saccharopolyspora (0.54%), Marmoricola (0.42%), and Staphylococcus (0.40%). Considering the genera with potential importance for human and animal health which can be transmitted by ticks, Coxiella sp. was found in all stages of O. brasiliensis, Francisella sp. in all stages of A. aureolatum and in unfed nymphs of O. brasiliensis, and Rickettsia sp. in females of A. aureolatum from Banhado dos Pachecos (BP) in Viamão municipality, Brazil, and in females and unfed nymphs of O. brasiliensis. These results deepen our understanding of the tick-microbiota relationship in Ixodidae and Argasidae, driving new studies with the focus on the manipulation of tick microbiota to prevent outbreaks of tick-borne diseases in South America.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Dall'Agnol
- Centro de Pesquisa em Saúde Animal, Instituto de Pesquisas Veterinárias Desidério Finamor (IPVDF), Eldorado do Sul, RS, Brazil; Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
| | | | - Fabiana Quoos Mayer
- Centro de Pesquisa em Saúde Animal, Instituto de Pesquisas Veterinárias Desidério Finamor (IPVDF), Eldorado do Sul, RS, Brazil
| | - Ugo Souza
- Centro de Pesquisa em Saúde Animal, Instituto de Pesquisas Veterinárias Desidério Finamor (IPVDF), Eldorado do Sul, RS, Brazil
| | - Anelise Webster
- Centro de Pesquisa em Saúde Animal, Instituto de Pesquisas Veterinárias Desidério Finamor (IPVDF), Eldorado do Sul, RS, Brazil
| | - Paola Antunes
- Centro de Pesquisa em Saúde Animal, Instituto de Pesquisas Veterinárias Desidério Finamor (IPVDF), Eldorado do Sul, RS, Brazil
| | - Rovaina Laureano Doyle
- Centro de Pesquisa em Saúde Animal, Instituto de Pesquisas Veterinárias Desidério Finamor (IPVDF), Eldorado do Sul, RS, Brazil
| | - José Reck
- Centro de Pesquisa em Saúde Animal, Instituto de Pesquisas Veterinárias Desidério Finamor (IPVDF), Eldorado do Sul, RS, Brazil.
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16
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Kim HC, Jiang J, Hang J, Kim SY, Yun SM, Park CU, Kim M, Chong ST, Farris CM, Richards AL, Klein TA. Detection of Rickettsia lusitaniae Among Ornithodoros sawaii Soft Ticks Collected From Japanese Murrelet Seabird Nest Material From Gugul Island, Republic of Korea. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 58:1376-1383. [PMID: 33615347 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjab005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
In a follow-up to the investigations of soft ticks identified from seabird nest soil and litter collected from coastal islands of the Republic of Korea (ROK), Ornithodoros sawaii and Ornithodoros capensis were assessed for the presence and identification of rickettsiae. Ticks collected from samples of 50-100 g of nest litter and soil from seabird nests were identified individually by morphological techniques, and species confirmed by sequencing of the mt-rrs gene. Subsequently, tick DNA preparations were screened for the presence of rickettsiae using a genus-specific nested PCR (nPCR) assay targeting the 17 kDa antigen gene. The amplicons from the 17 kDa assay and two additional nPCR assays targeting the gltA and ompB gene fragments were sequenced and used to identify the rickettsiae. A total of 134 soft ticks belonging to two species, O. sawaii Kitaoka & Suzuki 1973 (n = 125) and O. capensis Neumann 1901 (n = 9), were collected. Rickettsia lusitaniae DNA was detected and identified among O. sawaii ticks (n = 11, 8.8%) collected from nest litter and soil of the Japanese murrelet (Synthliboramphus wumizusume Temminck 1836) at Gugul Island along the western coastal area of the ROK. This study confirmed for the first time the presence of R. lusitaniae associated with O. sawaii collected from migratory seabird nests in the ROK.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heung-Chul Kim
- Force Health Protection & Preventive Medicine, US Army Medical Activity-Korea, Unit #15281, APO AP, USA
| | - Ju Jiang
- Viral and Rickettsial Diseases Department, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, MD, USA
- The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Jun Hang
- Viral Diseases Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, 503 Robert Grant Avenue, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Su Yeon Kim
- Pathogen Resource Management TF, National Research Institute of Health, Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cheongju-si, Chungbuk Province, Republic of Korea
| | - Seok-Min Yun
- Division of Arboviruses, National Institute of Health, Korea Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention, Cheongju-si, Chungbuk Province, Republic of Korea
| | - Chang-Uk Park
- Migratory Birds Research Center, Korea National Park Research Institute, Korea National Park Service, Shinan-gun, Jeonnam Province, Republic of Korea
| | - Miran Kim
- Migratory Birds Research Center, Korea National Park Research Institute, Korea National Park Service, Shinan-gun, Jeonnam Province, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung-Tae Chong
- Force Health Protection & Preventive Medicine, US Army Medical Activity-Korea, Unit #15281, APO AP, USA
| | - Christina M Farris
- Viral and Rickettsial Diseases Department, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Allen L Richards
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Terry A Klein
- Force Health Protection & Preventive Medicine, US Army Medical Activity-Korea, Unit #15281, APO AP, USA
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17
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Qiu Y, Simuunza M, Kajihara M, Chambaro H, Harima H, Eto Y, Simulundu E, Squarre D, Torii S, Takada A, Hang'ombe BM, Sawa H, Sugimoto C, Nakao R. Screening of tick-borne pathogens in argasid ticks in Zambia: Expansion of the geographic distribution of Rickettsia lusitaniae and Rickettsia hoogstraalii and detection of putative novel Anaplasma species. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2021; 12:101720. [PMID: 33865179 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2021.101720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Revised: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Ticks (Ixodidae and Argasidae) are important arthropod vectors of various pathogens that cause human and animal infectious diseases. Many previously published studies on tick-borne pathogens focused on those transmitted by ixodid ticks. Although there are increasing reports of viral pathogens associated with argasid ticks, information on bacterial pathogens they transmit is scarce. The aim of this molecular study was to detect and characterize Rickettsia and Anaplasmataceae in three different argasid tick species, Ornithodoros faini, Ornithodoros moubata, and Argas walkerae collected in Zambia. Rickettsia hoogstraalii and Rickettsia lusitaniae were detected in 77 % (77/100) of Ar. walkerae and 10 % (5/50) of O. faini, respectively. All O. moubata pool samples (n = 124) were negative for rickettsial infections. Anaplasmataceae were detected in 63 % (63/100) of Ar. walkerae and in 82.2 % (102/124) of O. moubata pools, but not in O. faini. Phylogenetic analysis based on the concatenated sequences of 16S rRNA and groEL genes revealed that Anaplasma spp. detected in the present study were distinct from previously validated Anaplasma species, indicating that the current knowledge on the diversity and vector range of Anaplasma spp. is incomplete. Our findings highlight new geographical records of R. lusitaniae and R. hoogstraalii and confirm that the wide geographic distribution of these species includes the African continent. The data presented here increase our knowledge on argasid tick-borne bacteria and contribute toward understanding their epidemiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongjin Qiu
- Hokudai Center for Zoonosis Control in Zambia, Hokkaido University Research Center for Zoonosis Control, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Martin Simuunza
- Department of Disease Control, School of Veterinary Medicine, the University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia; Africa Center of Excellence for Infectious Diseases of Humans and Animals, The University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Masahiro Kajihara
- Hokudai Center for Zoonosis Control in Zambia, Hokkaido University Research Center for Zoonosis Control, Sapporo, Japan; Division of Global Epidemiology, Hokkaido University Research Center for Zoonosis Control, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Herman Chambaro
- Division of Molecular Pathobiology, Hokkaido University Research Center for Zoonosis Control, Sapporo, Japan; Central Veterinary Research Institute (CVRI), Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Hayato Harima
- Hokudai Center for Zoonosis Control in Zambia, Hokkaido University Research Center for Zoonosis Control, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Yoshiki Eto
- Division of Global Epidemiology, Hokkaido University Research Center for Zoonosis Control, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Edgar Simulundu
- Department of Disease Control, School of Veterinary Medicine, the University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia; Macha Research Trust, Choma, Zambia
| | - David Squarre
- Department of National Parks and Wildlife, Ministry of Tourism and Arts, Chilanga, Zambia; Division of Collaboration and Education, Hokkaido University Research Center for Zoonosis Control, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Shiho Torii
- Division of Molecular Pathobiology, Hokkaido University Research Center for Zoonosis Control, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Ayato Takada
- Department of Disease Control, School of Veterinary Medicine, the University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia; Division of Global Epidemiology, Hokkaido University Research Center for Zoonosis Control, Sapporo, Japan; International Collaboration Unit, Hokakido University Research Center for Zoonosis Control, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Bernard Mudenda Hang'ombe
- Africa Center of Excellence for Infectious Diseases of Humans and Animals, The University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia; Department of Para-Clinical Studies, School of Veterinary Medicine, the University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Hirofumi Sawa
- Department of Disease Control, School of Veterinary Medicine, the University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia; Division of Molecular Pathobiology, Hokkaido University Research Center for Zoonosis Control, Sapporo, Japan; International Collaboration Unit, Hokakido University Research Center for Zoonosis Control, Sapporo, Japan; Global Virus Network, Baltimore, USA
| | - Chihiro Sugimoto
- Department of Disease Control, School of Veterinary Medicine, the University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia; Division of Collaboration and Education, Hokkaido University Research Center for Zoonosis Control, Sapporo, Japan; International Collaboration Unit, Hokakido University Research Center for Zoonosis Control, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Ryo Nakao
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Graduate School of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan.
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18
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Reeves WK, Mans BJ, Durden LA, Miller MM, Gratton EM, Laverty TM. Rickettsia hoogstraalii and a Rickettsiella from the Bat Tick Argas transgariepinus, in Namibia. J Parasitol 2021; 106:663-669. [PMID: 33079998 DOI: 10.1645/20-46] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Ectoparasites were collected from Eptesicus hottentotus, the long-tailed serotine bat, caught in Namibia as part of an ecological study. Larvae of Argas transgariepinus, a blood-feeding ectoparasite of bats in Africa, were removed from 3 of 18 bats. We present scanning electron microscope images of unengorged larvae. As with other ectoparasites, this bat tick might transmit pathogens such as Borrelia and Rickettsia to their hosts as has been reported for bat ticks in Europe and North America. We screened 3 pools (25 total) of larvae of A. transgariepinus removed from the long-tailed serotine bat Eptesicus hottentotus caught in Namibia. Two microbes of unknown pathogenicity, including Rickettsia hoogstraalii, a spotted fever group pathogen, and a Rickettsiella sp. were detected by molecular techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Will K Reeves
- C. P. Gillette Museum of Arthropod Diversity, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523
| | - Ben J Mans
- Epidemiology, Parasites and Vectors, Agricultural Research Council-Onderstepoort Veterinary Research, Onderstepoort 0110, South Africa.,The Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.,Department of Life and Consumer Sciences, University of South Africa, South Africa
| | - Lance A Durden
- Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, Georgia 30458
| | - Myrna M Miller
- Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming 82070
| | - Elena M Gratton
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523
| | - Theresa M Laverty
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523
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19
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Moreno-Salas L, Espinoza-Carniglia M, Lizama-Schmeisser N, Torres-Fuentes LG, Silva-de La Fuente MC, Lareschi M, González-Acuña D. Molecular detection of Rickettsia in fleas from micromammals in Chile. Parasit Vectors 2020; 13:523. [PMID: 33069260 PMCID: PMC7568392 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-04388-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2020] [Accepted: 10/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Rickettsial diseases are considered important in public health due to their dispersal capacity determined by the particular characteristics of their reservoirs and/or vectors. Among the latter, fleas play an important role, since the vast majority of species parasitize wild and invasive rodents, so their detection is relevant to be able to monitor potential emerging diseases. The aim of this study was to detect, characterize, and compare Rickettsia spp. from the fleas of micromammals in areas with different human population densities in Chile. Methods The presence of Rickettsia spp. was evaluated by standard polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing in 1315 fleas collected from 1512 micromammals in 29 locations, with different human population densities in Chile. A generalized linear model (GLM) was used to identify the variables that may explain Rickettsia prevalence in fleas. Results DNA of Rickettsia spp. was identified in 13.2% (174 of 1315) of fleas tested. Fifteen flea species were found to be Rickettsia-positive. The prevalence of Rickettsia spp. was higher in winter, semi-arid region and natural areas, and the infection levels in fleas varied between species of flea. The prevalence of Rickettsia among flea species ranged between 0–35.1%. Areas of lower human density showed the highest prevalence of Rickettsia. The phylogenetic tree showed two well-differentiated clades with Rickettsia bellii positioned as basal in one clade. The second clade was subdivided into two subclades of species related to Rickettsia of the spotted fever group. Conclusions To our knowledge, this is the first report of the occurrence and molecular characterization of Rickettsia spp. in 15 flea species of micromammals in Chile. In this study, fleas were detected carrying Rickettsia DNA with zoonotic potential, mainly in villages and natural areas of Chile. Considering that there are differences in the prevalence of Rickettsia in fleas associated with different factors, more investigations are needed to further understand the ecology of Rickettsia in fleas and their implications for human health.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucila Moreno-Salas
- Universidad de Concepción, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas, Concepción, Chile.
| | - Mario Espinoza-Carniglia
- Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores CEPAVE (CONICET CCT-La Plata-UNLP), La Plata, Argentina
| | - Nicol Lizama-Schmeisser
- Universidad de Concepción, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas, Concepción, Chile
| | | | - María Carolina Silva-de La Fuente
- Universidad de Concepción, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Chillán, Chile.,Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Marcela Lareschi
- Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores CEPAVE (CONICET CCT-La Plata-UNLP), La Plata, Argentina
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20
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Hosseini-Chegeni A, Tavakoli M, Telmadarraiy Z, Faghihi F. Molecular Detection of Spotted Fever Group Rickettsia (Rickettsiales: Rickettsiaceae) in Ticks of Iran. ARCHIVES OF RAZI INSTITUTE 2020; 75:317-325. [PMID: 33025772 DOI: 10.22092/ari.2019.125746.1317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2019] [Accepted: 07/27/2019] [Indexed: 09/30/2022]
Abstract
Ticks are reservoir hosts of pathogenic Rickettsia in humans and domestic animals. Most pathogenic Rickettsia species belong to the spotted fever group (SFG). The present study aimed to determine the tick species infected with Rickettsia based on the genus-specific 23S ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA), 16S rRNA, and citrate synthase (gltA) gene fragments. A total of 61 tick specimens were selected for molecular assay and 12 samples for sequencing. Phylogenetic analysis was conducted using neighbor-joining and Bayesian inference methods. Argas persicus, Haemaphysalis sulcata, Ha. inermis, and Hyalomma asiaticum were infected by spotted fever Rickettsia. The SFG is the main group of Rickettsia that can be detected in the three genera of ticks from Iran.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Hosseini-Chegeni
- Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran.,Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Lorestan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research Center, Khorramabad, Iran
| | - M Tavakoli
- Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Lorestan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research Center, Khorramabad, Iran
| | - Z Telmadarraiy
- Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - F Faghihi
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Razi Herbal Medicines Research Center, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran.,Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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21
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Batu N, Wang Y, Liu Z, Huang T, Bao W, He H, Geri L. Molecular epidemiology of Rickettsia sp. and Coxiella burnetii collected from Hyalomma asiaticum in Bactrian camels (Camelus bactrianus) in inner Mongolia of China. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2020; 11:101548. [PMID: 32993954 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2020.101548] [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: 12/31/2019] [Revised: 08/05/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of the present study was to determine the presence of Rickettsia sp. and Coxiella burnetii in Hyalomma asiaticum collected from Bactrian camels (Camelus bactrianus) in Inner Mongolia of China. A total of 385 H. asiaticum adults collected from Bactrian camels from Alxa in Inner Mongolia from 2017 to 2018 were examined using PCR combined with sequencing. The results indicated that 18 (4.7 %) and 5 (1.3 %) samples tested positive for Rickettsia and C. burnetii, respectively. The corresponding nucleotide identities among detected genes ranged between 99.7 % and 100 % for the sequences of 17 kD and ompB from Rickettsia and 16S rRNA and FtsX from C. burnetii. Two representative strains-Rickettsia IMA-1 strain and C. burnetii IMA-1 strain-were used for subsequent analysis. NCBI BLAST and phylogenetic analyses demonstrated that the detected strain Rickettsia IMA-1 may represent a novel species of spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsiae. The C. burnetii IMA-1 strain was grouped with Coxiella burnetii str. RSA439 (GenBank: CP040059.1). In addition, the Rickettsia sp. was successfully isolated from the ticks in Vero cells incubated at 28 °C. These findings indicate that the H. asiaticum collected off Bactrian camels in Inner Mongolia carried SFG Rickettsia species and C. burnetii and could contribute to the etiology of febrile illness in animals and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naren Batu
- College of Animal Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, No. 306 Zhaowuda Road, Hohhot City, Inner Mongolia 010018, China
| | - Yunchong Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, No. 306 Zhaowuda Road, Hohhot City, Inner Mongolia 010018, China
| | - Zhicheng Liu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, No. 306 Zhaowuda Road, Hohhot City, Inner Mongolia 010018, China
| | - Tianpeng Huang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, No. 306 Zhaowuda Road, Hohhot City, Inner Mongolia 010018, China
| | - Weidong Bao
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, No. 306 Zhaowuda Road, Hohhot City, Inner Mongolia 010018, China
| | - Haiyan He
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, No. 306 Zhaowuda Road, Hohhot City, Inner Mongolia 010018, China
| | - Letu Geri
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, No. 306 Zhaowuda Road, Hohhot City, Inner Mongolia 010018, China.
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22
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Oren A, Garrity GM, Parker CT, Chuvochina M, Trujillo ME. Lists of names of prokaryotic Candidatus taxa. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2020; 70:3956-4042. [DOI: 10.1099/ijsem.0.003789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 782] [Impact Index Per Article: 195.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
We here present annotated lists of names of Candidatus taxa of prokaryotes with ranks between subspecies and class, proposed between the mid-1990s, when the provisional status of Candidatus taxa was first established, and the end of 2018. Where necessary, corrected names are proposed that comply with the current provisions of the International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes and its Orthography appendix. These lists, as well as updated lists of newly published names of Candidatus taxa with additions and corrections to the current lists to be published periodically in the International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, may serve as the basis for the valid publication of the Candidatus names if and when the current proposals to expand the type material for naming of prokaryotes to also include gene sequences of yet-uncultivated taxa is accepted by the International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aharon Oren
- The Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, The Edmond J. Safra Campus, 9190401 Jerusalem, Israel
| | - George M. Garrity
- NamesforLife, LLC, PO Box 769, Okemos MI 48805-0769, USA
- Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics, Biomedical Physical Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824-4320, USA
| | | | - Maria Chuvochina
- Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, University of Queensland, St. Lucia QLD 4072, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Martha E. Trujillo
- Departamento de Microbiología y Genética, Campus Miguel de Unamuno, Universidad de Salamanca, 37007, Salamanca, Spain
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23
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Sukhiashvili R, Zhgenti E, Khmaladze E, Burjanadze I, Imnadze P, Jiang J, St John H, Farris CM, Gallagher T, Obiso RJ, Richards AL. Identification and distribution of nine tick-borne spotted fever group Rickettsiae in the Country of Georgia. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2020; 11:101470. [PMID: 32723640 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2020.101470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2017] [Revised: 05/12/2020] [Accepted: 05/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Rickettsial pathogens cause diseases that vary in severity and clinical presentation. Rickettsia species transmitted by ticks are mostly classified within the spotted fever group of rickettsiae (SFGR) and are often associated with febrile diseases. Preliminary studies have detected three human-pathogenic SFGR from ticks in Georgia: Rickettsia aeschlimannii, Rickettsia raoultii, and Rickettsia slovaca. To more broadly assess the presence of tick-borne rickettsiae from Georgia we examined 1594 ticks, representing 18 species from five genera (Ixodes, Hyalomma, Haemaphysalis, Dermacentor, and Rhipicephalus), collected from eight regions of Georgia. A total of 498 tick DNA samples extracted from single ticks or pooled ticks were assessed by molecular methods. Genus-specific Rick17b and species-specific qPCR assays were used to identify six rickettsiae: R. aeschlimannii, R. raoultii, R. slovaca, Rickettsia conorii subsp. conorii, Rickettsia massiliae, and Rickettsia monacensis. Tick samples that were positive for Rickettsia, but not identified by the species-specific assays, were further evaluated by multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) using sequences of four protein-coding genes (gltA, ompA,ompB, sca4). Three additional Rickettsia species were identified by MLST: Candidatus Rickettsia barbariae, Rickettsia helvetica, and Rickettsia hoogstraalii. Overall, nine species of Rickettsia (six human pathogens and three species with unknown pathogenicity) were detected from 12 tick species of five different genera. A distribution map for the tick-borne rickettsiae revealed six newly identified endemic regions in Georgia.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ekaterine Zhgenti
- National Center for Disease Control and Public Health, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | | | - Irma Burjanadze
- National Center for Disease Control and Public Health, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Paata Imnadze
- National Center for Disease Control and Public Health, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Ju Jiang
- Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Heidi St John
- Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | | | | | | | - Allen L Richards
- Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, MD, USA; Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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24
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Two novel Rickettsia species of soft ticks in North Africa: ‘Candidatus Rickettsia africaseptentrionalis’ and ‘Candidatus Rickettsia mauretanica’. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2020; 11:101376. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2020.101376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2019] [Revised: 01/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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25
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Hördt A, López MG, Meier-Kolthoff JP, Schleuning M, Weinhold LM, Tindall BJ, Gronow S, Kyrpides NC, Woyke T, Göker M. Analysis of 1,000+ Type-Strain Genomes Substantially Improves Taxonomic Classification of Alphaproteobacteria. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:468. [PMID: 32373076 PMCID: PMC7179689 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.00468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 223] [Impact Index Per Article: 55.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2019] [Accepted: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The class Alphaproteobacteria is comprised of a diverse assemblage of Gram-negative bacteria that includes organisms of varying morphologies, physiologies and habitat preferences many of which are of clinical and ecological importance. Alphaproteobacteria classification has proved to be difficult, not least when taxonomic decisions rested heavily on a limited number of phenotypic features and interpretation of poorly resolved 16S rRNA gene trees. Despite progress in recent years regarding the classification of bacteria assigned to the class, there remains a need to further clarify taxonomic relationships. Here, draft genome sequences of a collection of genomes of more than 1000 Alphaproteobacteria and outgroup type strains were used to infer phylogenetic trees from genome-scale data using the principles drawn from phylogenetic systematics. The majority of taxa were found to be monophyletic but several orders, families and genera, including taxa recognized as problematic long ago but also quite recent taxa, as well as a few species were shown to be in need of revision. According proposals are made for the recognition of new orders, families and genera, as well as the transfer of a variety of species to other genera and of a variety of genera to other families. In addition, emended descriptions are given for many species mainly involving information on DNA G+C content and (approximate) genome size, both of which are confirmed as valuable taxonomic markers. Similarly, analysis of the gene content was shown to provide valuable taxonomic insights in the class. Significant incongruities between 16S rRNA gene and whole genome trees were not found in the class. The incongruities that became obvious when comparing the results of the present study with existing classifications appeared to be caused mainly by insufficiently resolved 16S rRNA gene trees or incomplete taxon sampling. Another probable cause of misclassifications in the past is the partially low overall fit of phenotypic characters to the sequence-based tree. Even though a significant degree of phylogenetic conservation was detected in all characters investigated, the overall fit to the tree varied considerably.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anton Hördt
- Department of Bioinformatics, Leibniz Institute DSMZ – German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Brunswick, Germany
| | - Marina García López
- Department of Bioinformatics, Leibniz Institute DSMZ – German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Brunswick, Germany
| | - Jan P. Meier-Kolthoff
- Department of Bioinformatics, Leibniz Institute DSMZ – German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Brunswick, Germany
| | - Marcel Schleuning
- Department of Bioinformatics, Leibniz Institute DSMZ – German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Brunswick, Germany
| | - Lisa-Maria Weinhold
- Department of Bioinformatics, Leibniz Institute DSMZ – German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Brunswick, Germany
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia
| | - Brian J. Tindall
- Department of Microorganisms, Leibniz Institute DSMZ – German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Brunswick, Germany
| | - Sabine Gronow
- Department of Microorganisms, Leibniz Institute DSMZ – German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Brunswick, Germany
| | - Nikos C. Kyrpides
- Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Tanja Woyke
- Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Markus Göker
- Department of Bioinformatics, Leibniz Institute DSMZ – German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Brunswick, Germany
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26
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ARGAS (PERSICARGAS) GIGANTEUS SOFT TICK INFECTION WITH RICKETTSIA HOOGSTRAALI AND RELAPSING FEVER BORRELIA ON WILD AVIAN SPECIES OF THE DESERT SOUTHWEST, USA. J Wildl Dis 2020. [DOI: 10.7589/2018-11-275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Diversity of Rickettsia in Ticks Collected in Abruzzi and Molise Regions (Central Italy). Microorganisms 2019; 7:microorganisms7120696. [PMID: 31847276 PMCID: PMC6956140 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms7120696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Revised: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 12/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Rickettsiae have worldwide occurrence and rickettsiosis are widely recognized as emerging infections in several parts of the world. For decades, it was thought that a single pathogenic tick-borne spotted fever group (SFG), Rickettsia, occurred in each continent. Nowadays, thanks to molecular biology, new species of Rickettsia responsible for disease in humans are continuously identified worldwide. In a framework of diagnostic activities of the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise “G. Gaporale” and considering some reports of suspected human clinical cases of rickettsiosis, a survey on ticks collected form animals and humans was carried out with the aim to identify the Rickettsia species circulating in Abruzzi and Molise regions. A total of 603 ticks, previously identified at species level by morphology, pooled into 178 tick samples, were tested by pan-Rickettsia RealTime PCR. DNA from specimens positive for Rickettsia spp. was then sequenced in order to identify the Rickettsia species involved. The highest infection rate was detected in Dermacentor marginatus followed by Ixodes ricinus. The selected targets for this purpose were OmpA and gltA. Rickettsia slovaca, Rickettsia monacensis, Rickettsia massiliae, Rickettsia conorii, Rickettsia aeschlimannii, Rickettsia helvetica, Rickettsia raoultii, and Rickettsia felis – like organisms were identified in this study. These are the first data available in the literature for the circulation of SFG Rickettsia species in the selected geographical area. Results made evidence of high rate of infection in ticks. All Rickettsia species detected have been previously involved in human infection. The diversity of Rickettsia detected, and tick species collected reflects the biodiversity in term of wildlife and environment of the area. An association between Rickettsia species, ticks, and the relationships with vertebrate host species are discussed. Due to the peculiar eco-biology of each Rickettsia species, the use of diagnostic tools able to identify Rickettsia at the species level is thus recommended in order to assess the risk for humans and to elucidate more precise etiological diagnosis in clinical cases.
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28
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A stochastic epidemic model for the dynamics of two pathogens in a single tick population. Theor Popul Biol 2019; 127:75-90. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tpb.2019.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2017] [Revised: 01/03/2019] [Accepted: 04/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Molecular detection of vector-borne bacteria in bat ticks (Acari: Ixodidae, Argasidae) from eight countries of the Old and New Worlds. Parasit Vectors 2019; 12:50. [PMID: 30670048 PMCID: PMC6343265 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-019-3303-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2018] [Accepted: 01/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Despite the increasingly recognized eco-epidemiological significance of bats, data from molecular analyses of vector-borne bacteria in bat ectoparasites are lacking from several regions of the Old and New Worlds. Methods During this study, six species of ticks (630 specimens) were collected from bats in Hungary, Romania, Italy, Kenya, South Africa, China, Vietnam and Mexico. DNA was extracted from these ticks and analyzed for vector-borne bacteria with real-time PCRs (screening), as well as conventional PCRs and sequencing (for pathogen identification), based on the amplification of various genetic markers. Results In the screening assays, Rickettsia DNA was only detected in bat soft ticks, whereas Anaplasma phagocytophilum and haemoplasma DNA were present exclusively in hard ticks. Bartonella DNA was significantly more frequently amplified from hard ticks than from soft ticks of bats. In addition to Rickettsia helvetica detected by a species-specific PCR, sequencing identified four Rickettsia species in soft ticks, including a Rickettsia africae-like genotype (in association with a bat species, which is not known to migrate to Africa), three haemotropic Mycoplasma genotypes in Ixodes simplex, and Bartonella genotypes in I. ariadnae and I. vespertilionis. Conclusions Rickettsiae (from both the spotted fever and the R. felis groups) appear to be associated with soft rather than hard ticks of bats, as opposed to bartonellae. Two tick-borne zoonotic pathogens (R. helvetica and A. phagocytophilum) have been detected for the first time in bat ticks. The present findings add Asia (China) to the geographical range of R. lusitaniae, as well as indicate the occurrence of R. hoogstraalii in South Africa. This is also the first molecular evidence for the autochthonous occurrence of a R. africae-like genotype in Europe. Bat haemoplasmas, which are closely related to haemoplasmas previously identified in bats in Spain and to “Candidatus Mycoplasma haemohominis”, are reported here for the first time from Central Europe and from any bat tick. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13071-019-3303-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Brinkmann A, Hekimoğlu O, Dinçer E, Hagedorn P, Nitsche A, Ergünay K. A cross-sectional screening by next-generation sequencing reveals Rickettsia, Coxiella, Francisella, Borrelia, Babesia, Theileria and Hemolivia species in ticks from Anatolia. Parasit Vectors 2019; 12:26. [PMID: 30635006 PMCID: PMC6329055 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-018-3277-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2018] [Accepted: 12/21/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Ticks participate as arthropod vectors in the transmission of pathogenic microorganisms to humans. Several tick-borne infections have reemerged, along with newly described agents of unexplored pathogenicity. In an attempt to expand current information on tick-associated bacteria and protozoans, we performed a cross-sectional screening of ticks, using next-generation sequencing. Ticks seeking hosts and infesting domestic animals were collected in four provinces across the Aegean, Mediterranean and Central Anatolia regions of Turkey and analyzed by commonly used procedures and platforms. Results Two hundred and eighty ticks comprising 10 species were evaluated in 40 pools. Contigs from tick-associated microorganisms were detected in 22 (55%) questing and 4 feeding (10%) tick pools, with multiple microorganisms identified in 12 pools. Rickettsia 16S ribosomal RNA gene, gltA, sca1 and ompA sequences were present in 7 pools (17.5%), comprising feeding Haemaphysalis parva and questing/hunting Rhipicephalus bursa, Rhipicephalus sanguineus (sensu lato) and Hyalomma marginatum specimens. A near-complete genome and conjugative plasmid of a Rickettsia hoogstraalii strain could be characterized in questing Ha. parva. Coxiella-like endosymbionts were identified in pools of questing (12/40) as well as feeding (4/40) ticks of the genera Rhipicephalus, Haemaphysalis and Hyalomma. Francisella-like endosymbionts were also detected in 22.5% (9/40) of the pools that comprise hunting Hyalomma ticks in 8 pools. Coxiella-like and Francisella-like endosymbionts formed phylogenetically distinct clusters associated with their tick hosts. Borrelia turcica was characterized in 5% (2/40) of the pools, comprising hunting Hyalomma aegyptium ticks. Co-infection of Coxiella-like endosymbiont and Babesia was noted in a questing R. sanguineus (s.l.) specimen. Furthermore, protozoan 18S rRNA gene sequences were detected in 4 pools of questing/hunting ticks (10%) and identified as Babesia ovis, Hemolivia mauritanica, Babesia and Theileria spp. Conclusions Our metagenomic approach enabled identification of diverse pathogenic and non-pathogenic microorganisms in questing and feeding ticks in Anatolia. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13071-018-3277-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annika Brinkmann
- Center for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens 1 (ZBS 1), Robert Koch Institute, 13353, Berlin, Germany
| | - Olcay Hekimoğlu
- Department of Biology, Division of Ecology, Hacettepe University, Faculty of Science, 06800, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Ender Dinçer
- Advanced Technology Education, Research and Application Center, Mersin University, 33110, Mersin, Turkey
| | - Peter Hagedorn
- Center for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens 1 (ZBS 1), Robert Koch Institute, 13353, Berlin, Germany
| | - Andreas Nitsche
- Center for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens 1 (ZBS 1), Robert Koch Institute, 13353, Berlin, Germany
| | - Koray Ergünay
- Center for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens 1 (ZBS 1), Robert Koch Institute, 13353, Berlin, Germany. .,Department of Medical Microbiology, Virology Unit, Hacettepe University, 06100, Ankara, Turkey.
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Isolation of a divergent strain of Rickettsia japonica from Dew's Australian bat Argasid ticks (Argas (Carios) dewae) in Victoria, Australia. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2018; 9:1484-1488. [PMID: 30025798 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2018.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2018] [Revised: 07/08/2018] [Accepted: 07/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
A divergent strain of Rickettsia japonica was isolated from a Dew's Australian bat argasid tick, Argas (Carios) dewae, collected in southern Victoria, Australia and a full-genome analysis along with sequencing of 5 core gene fragments was undertaken. This isolate was designated Rickettsia japonica str. argasii (ATCC VR-1665, CSUR R179).
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32
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Applications of electron microscopy in ticks: description, detection of pathogens, and control. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00580-018-2786-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
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33
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Koh FX, Kho KL, Kisomi MG, Wong LP, Bulgiba A, Tan PE, Lim YAL, Nizam QNH, Panchadcharam C, Tay ST. Ehrlichia and Anaplasma Infections: Serological Evidence and Tick Surveillance in Peninsular Malaysia. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2018; 55:269-276. [PMID: 29202206 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjx204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Little information is available on human anaplasmosis and ehrlichiosis in Southeast Asia despite increasing reports of the detection of Anaplasma spp. and Ehrlichia spp. in the ticks. We report herein the serological findings against the tick-borne pathogens in a group of animal farm workers (n = 87) and indigenous people (n = 102) in Peninsular Malaysia. IgG antibodies against Ehrlichia chaffeensis were detected from 29.9% and 34.3% of farm workers and indigenous people, respectively, using commercial indirect immunofluorescence assays. Comparatively, only 6.9% of the indigenous people but none of the animal farm workers were seropositive to Anaplasma phagocytophilum. A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay targeting the 16S rRNA gene of Anaplasmataceae was used to identify Anaplastamataceae in ticks collected from various locations adjacent to the areas where the serological survey was conducted. In this study, a total of 61.5% of ticks infesting farm animals, 37.5% of ticks infesting peri-domestic animals in rural villages, 27.3% of ticks collected from wildlife animals, and 29.1% of questing ticks collected from forest vegetation were positive for Anaplasmataceae DNA. Sequence analyses of 16S rRNA gene region (238 bp) provide the identification for Anaplasma marginale, Anaplasma bovis, Anaplasma platys, A. phagocytophilum, and Anaplasma spp. closely related to Candidatus Cryptoplasma californiense in ticks. E. chaffeensis DNA was not detected from any ticks, instead, Ehrlichia sp. strain EBm52, Ehrlichia mineirensis and Candidatus Ehrlichia shimanensis are the only Ehrlichia sp. identified from cattle ticks in this study. Further investigation is required to ascertain the occurrence of zoonotic transmission of Ehrlichia and Anaplasma infections in Peninsular Malaysia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fui Xian Koh
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Kai Ling Kho
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Masoumeh Ghane Kisomi
- Julius Centre University of Malaya, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Li Ping Wong
- Julius Centre University of Malaya, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Awang Bulgiba
- Julius Centre University of Malaya, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Poai Ean Tan
- Department of Wildlife and National Parks Peninsular Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Yvonne Ai Lian Lim
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Quaza Nizamuddin Hassan Nizam
- Department of Veterinary Services, Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Malaysia, Federal Government Administrative Center, Putrajaya, Malaysia
| | - Chandrawathani Panchadcharam
- Department of Veterinary Services, Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Malaysia, Federal Government Administrative Center, Putrajaya, Malaysia
| | - Sun Tee Tay
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Luce-Fedrow A, Lehman ML, Kelly DJ, Mullins K, Maina AN, Stewart RL, Ge H, John HS, Jiang J, Richards AL. A Review of Scrub Typhus (Orientia tsutsugamushi and Related Organisms): Then, Now, and Tomorrow. Trop Med Infect Dis 2018; 3:E8. [PMID: 30274407 PMCID: PMC6136631 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed3010008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2017] [Revised: 01/09/2018] [Accepted: 01/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Scrub typhus and the rickettsial diseases represent some of the oldest recognized vector-transmitted diseases, fraught with a rich historical aspect, particularly as applied to military/wartime situations. The vectors of Orientia tsutsugamushi were once thought to be confined to an area designated as the Tsutsugamushi Triangle. However, recent reports of scrub typhus caused by Orientia species other than O. tsutsugamushi well beyond the limits of the Tsutsugamushi Triangle have triggered concerns about the worldwide presence of scrub typhus. It is not known whether the vectors of O. tsutsugamushi will be the same for the new Orientia species, and this should be a consideration during outbreak/surveillance investigations. Additionally, concerns surrounding the antibiotic resistance of O. tsutsugamushi have led to considerations for the amendment of treatment protocols, and the need for enhanced public health awareness in both the civilian and medical professional communities. In this review, we discuss the history, outbreaks, antibiotic resistance, and burgeoning genomic advances associated with one of the world's oldest recognized vector-borne pathogens, O. tsutsugamushi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison Luce-Fedrow
- Department of Biology, Shippensburg University, Shippensburg, PA 17202, USA.
- Viral and Rickettsial Diseases Department, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA.
| | - Marcie L Lehman
- Department of Biology, Shippensburg University, Shippensburg, PA 17202, USA.
| | - Daryl J Kelly
- Viral and Rickettsial Diseases Department, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA.
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
| | - Kristin Mullins
- Viral and Rickettsial Diseases Department, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA.
| | - Alice N Maina
- Viral and Rickettsial Diseases Department, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA.
| | - Richard L Stewart
- Department of Biology, Shippensburg University, Shippensburg, PA 17202, USA.
| | - Hong Ge
- Viral and Rickettsial Diseases Department, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA.
| | - Heidi St John
- Viral and Rickettsial Diseases Department, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA.
| | - Ju Jiang
- Viral and Rickettsial Diseases Department, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA.
| | - Allen L Richards
- Viral and Rickettsial Diseases Department, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA.
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA.
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Chalada MJ, Stenos J, Vincent G, Barker D, Bradbury RS. A Molecular Survey of Tick-Borne Pathogens from Ticks Collected in Central Queensland, Australia. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2018; 18:151-163. [PMID: 29336689 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2017.2182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Central Queensland (CQ) is a large and isolated, low population density, remote tropical region of Australia with a varied environment. The region has a diverse fauna and several species of ticks that feed upon that fauna. This study examined 518 individual ticks: 177 Rhipicephalus sanguineus (brown dog tick), 123 Haemaphysalis bancrofti (wallaby tick), 102 Rhipicephalus australis (Australian cattle tick), 47 Amblyomma triguttatum (ornate kangaroo tick), 57 Ixodes holocyclus (paralysis tick), 9 Bothriocroton tachyglossi (CQ short-beaked echidna tick), and 3 Ornithodoros capensis (seabird soft tick). Tick midguts were pooled by common host or environment and screened for four genera of tick-borne zoonoses by PCR and sequencing. The study examined a total of 157 midgut pools of which 3 contained DNA of Coxiella burnetii, 13 Rickettsia gravesii, 1 Rickettsia felis, and 4 other Rickettsia spp. No Borrelia spp. or Babesia spp. DNA were recovered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Judith Chalada
- 1 School of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences, Central Queensland University , North Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia
| | - John Stenos
- 2 Australian Rickettsial Reference Laboratory , Barwon Health, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | - Gemma Vincent
- 2 Australian Rickettsial Reference Laboratory , Barwon Health, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | - Dayana Barker
- 3 School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland , Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Richard Stewart Bradbury
- 1 School of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences, Central Queensland University , North Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia
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36
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Tomassone L, Ceballos LA, Ragagli C, Martello E, De Sousa R, Stella MC, Mannelli A. Importance of Common Wall Lizards in the Transmission Dynamics of Tick-Borne Pathogens in the Northern Apennine Mountains, Italy. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2017; 74:961-968. [PMID: 28540487 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-017-0994-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2017] [Accepted: 05/05/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
During the investigations on ticks and tick-borne pathogens (TBP) range expansion in the Northern Apennines, we captured 107 Podarcis muralis lizards. Sixty-eight animals were infested by immature Ixodes ricinus, Haemaphysalis sulcata and H. punctata. Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. was detected in 3.7% of I. ricinus larvae and 8.0% of nymphs. Together with the species-specific B. lusitaniae, we identified B. garinii, B. afzelii and B. valaisiana. Rickettsia spp. (18.1% larvae, 12.0% nymphs), namely R. monacensis, R. helvetica and R. hoogstraalii, were also found in I. ricinus. R. hoogstraalii was detected in H. sulcata nymphs as well, while the two H. punctata did not harbour any bacteria. One out of 16 lizard tail tissues was positive to R. helvetica. Our results support the hypothesis that lizards are involved in the epidemiological cycles of TBP. The heterogeneity of B. burgdorferi genospecies mirrors previous findings in questing ticks in the area, and their finding in attached I. ricinus larvae suggests that lizards may contribute to the maintenance of different genospecies. The rickettsiae are new findings in the study area, and R. helvetica infection in a tail tissue indicates a systemic infection. R. hoogstraalii is reported for the first time in I. ricinus ticks. Lizards seem to favour the bacterial exchange among different tick species, with possible public health consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Tomassone
- Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie, University of Turin, Largo Braccini 2, Grugliasco Turin, Italy.
| | - L A Ceballos
- Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie, University of Turin, Largo Braccini 2, Grugliasco Turin, Italy
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Turin, Italy
| | - C Ragagli
- UTCB Lucca- Comando Unità per la Tutela Forestale Ambientale e Agroalimentare Carabinieri, Lucca, Italy
| | - E Martello
- Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie, University of Turin, Largo Braccini 2, Grugliasco Turin, Italy
| | - R De Sousa
- Centro de estudos de Vectores e Doenças Infecciosas, Instituto Nacional de Saude Dr. Ricardo Jorge, Águas de Moura, Portugal
| | - M C Stella
- Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie, University of Turin, Largo Braccini 2, Grugliasco Turin, Italy
| | - A Mannelli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie, University of Turin, Largo Braccini 2, Grugliasco Turin, Italy
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37
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Akter A, Ooka T, Gotoh Y, Yamamoto S, Fujita H, Terasoma F, Kida K, Taira M, Nakadouzono F, Gokuden M, Hirano M, Miyashiro M, Inari K, Shimazu Y, Tabara K, Toyoda A, Yoshimura D, Itoh T, Kitano T, Sato MP, Katsura K, Mondal SI, Ogura Y, Ando S, Hayashi T. Extremely Low Genomic Diversity of Rickettsia japonica Distributed in Japan. Genome Biol Evol 2017; 9:124-133. [PMID: 28057731 PMCID: PMC5381555 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evw304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Rickettsiae are obligate intracellular bacteria that have small genomes as a result of reductive evolution. Many Rickettsia species of the spotted fever group (SFG) cause tick-borne diseases known as “spotted fevers”. The life cycle of SFG rickettsiae is closely associated with that of the tick, which is generally thought to act as a bacterial vector and reservoir that maintains the bacterium through transstadial and transovarial transmission. Each SFG member is thought to have adapted to a specific tick species, thus restricting the bacterial distribution to a relatively limited geographic region. These unique features of SFG rickettsiae allow investigation of how the genomes of such biologically and ecologically specialized bacteria evolve after genome reduction and the types of population structures that are generated. Here, we performed a nationwide, high-resolution phylogenetic analysis of Rickettsia japonica, an etiological agent of Japanese spotted fever that is distributed in Japan and Korea. The comparison of complete or nearly complete sequences obtained from 31 R. japonica strains isolated from various sources in Japan over the past 30 years demonstrated an extremely low level of genomic diversity. In particular, only 34 single nucleotide polymorphisms were identified among the 27 strains of the major lineage containing all clinical isolates and tick isolates from the three tick species. Our data provide novel insights into the biology and genome evolution of R. japonica, including the possibilities of recent clonal expansion and a long generation time in nature due to the long dormant phase associated with tick life cycles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arzuba Akter
- Division of Microbiology, Department of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan
| | - Tadasuke Ooka
- Department of Microbiology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Gotoh
- Department of Bacteriology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Seigo Yamamoto
- Frontier Science Research Center, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan
| | - Hiromi Fujita
- Mahara Institute of Medical Acarology, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Fumio Terasoma
- Wakayama Prefectural Research Center of Environment and Public Health, Wakayama, Japan
| | - Kouji Kida
- Okayama Prefectural Institute for Environmental Science and Public Health, Okayama, Japan
| | | | - Fumiko Nakadouzono
- Kagoshima Prefectural Institute for Environmental Research and Public Health, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Mutsuyo Gokuden
- Kagoshima Prefectural Institute for Environmental Research and Public Health, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Manabu Hirano
- Seihi Public Health Center of Nagasaki Prefecture, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Mamoru Miyashiro
- Fukuoka City Institute for Health and Environment, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Kouichi Inari
- Mahara Institute of Medical Acarology, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Yukie Shimazu
- Hiroshima Prefectural Technology Research Institute, Public Health and Environment Center, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Kenji Tabara
- Department of Health and Welfare, Shimane Prefectural Government, Shimane, Japan
| | - Atsushi Toyoda
- Comparative Genomics Laboratory, National Institute of Genetics, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Dai Yoshimura
- School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takehiko Itoh
- School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tomokazu Kitano
- Division of Microbiology, Department of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan
| | - Mitsuhiko P Sato
- Department of Bacteriology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Keisuke Katsura
- Frontier Science Research Center, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan
| | - Shakhinur Islam Mondal
- Division of Microbiology, Department of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan
| | - Yoshitoshi Ogura
- Department of Bacteriology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Shuji Ando
- Department of Virology-1, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Hayashi
- Department of Bacteriology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
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38
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Kho KL, Amarajothi ADG, Koh FX, Panchadcharam C, Hassan Nizam QN, Tay ST. The first molecular survey of theileriosis in Malaysian cattle, sheep and goats. VETERINARY PARASITOLOGY- REGIONAL STUDIES AND REPORTS 2017; 10:149-153. [PMID: 31014589 DOI: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2017.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2016] [Revised: 03/14/2017] [Accepted: 08/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
This study reports the molecular detection of Theileria spp. from six cattle farms, a sheep farm and a goat farm located at different states in Peninsular Malaysia. Animal blood samples were screened for the presence of Theileria DNA using a conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. A total of 155 (69.2%) of 224 cattle investigated were PCR-positive for Theileria DNA. The occurrences of Theileria spp. ranged from 17.5% to 100.0% across six cattle farms. Theileria DNA was detected from 90.0% of 40 sheep but none of 40 goats examined in this study. Sequence analyses of amplified 18S rRNA partial fragments (335-338bp) confirmed the identification of Theileria buffeli, Theileria sergenti, and Theileria sinensis in representative samples of cattle and ticks. T. luwenshuni was identified in the infected sheep. The high occurrences of Theileria spp. in our farm animals highlight the needs for appropriate control and preventive measures for theileriosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Ling Kho
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Asha Devi G Amarajothi
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Fui Xian Koh
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | | | - Quaza Nizamuddin Hassan Nizam
- Department of Veterinary Services, Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Malaysia, Federal Government Administrative Centre, 62630 Putrajaya, Malaysia
| | - Sun Tee Tay
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
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Galeotti M, Manzano M, Beraldo P, Bulfon C, Rossi G, Volpatti D, Magi GE. Ultrastructural and biomolecular detection of Rickettsiales-like organisms in tissues of rainbow trout with Red Mark Syndrome. JOURNAL OF FISH DISEASES 2017; 40:907-917. [PMID: 27882570 DOI: 10.1111/jfd.12571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2016] [Revised: 09/21/2016] [Accepted: 09/22/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Red mark syndrome (RMS) and US strawberry disease (US SD) are skin disorders affecting rainbow trout farmed in Europe and USA. The disease etiology has not yet been established. In spite of specific investigations, identifying Rickettsia-like organism (RLO)- and Midichloria-like organism (MLO)-related DNA in affected individuals, these pathogens have never been observed. We performed histological, ultrastructural and biomolecular analysis on skin and spleen samples of trout with RMS. Examination by TEM revealed the presence of intracytoplasmic microorganisms resembling Rickettsiales within macrophages, fibroblasts and erythrocytes. The microorganisms were oval or short rod shaped (400-800 nm in length and 100-200 nm in width) and often showed a cell wall similar to Gram-negative bacteria. PCR analysis for Rickettsiales supported these findings: 53% of affected trout were positive by both PCR and TEM The primers RiFCfw-RiFCrev were used to anneal both the RLO 16S DNA sequence and the MLO 16S DNA sequence. For this reason, and in agreement with previous studies confirming the presence of Rickettsiales-related DNA in trout with RMS, we assume that TEM detected microorganisms morphologically consistent with bacteria belonging to Rickettsiales order and could be considered as possible causative agents of RMS.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Galeotti
- Department of Agricultural, Food, Environmental and Animal Science, Veterinary Pathology Section and Microbiology Section, University of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - M Manzano
- Department of Agricultural, Food, Environmental and Animal Science, Veterinary Pathology Section and Microbiology Section, University of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - P Beraldo
- Department of Agricultural, Food, Environmental and Animal Science, Veterinary Pathology Section and Microbiology Section, University of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - C Bulfon
- Department of Agricultural, Food, Environmental and Animal Science, Veterinary Pathology Section and Microbiology Section, University of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - G Rossi
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Matelica, Italy
| | - D Volpatti
- Department of Agricultural, Food, Environmental and Animal Science, Veterinary Pathology Section and Microbiology Section, University of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - G E Magi
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Matelica, Italy
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40
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Kho KL, Koh FX, Hasan LIM, Wong LP, Kisomi MG, Bulgiba A, Nizam QNH, Tay ST. Rickettsial seropositivity in the indigenous community and animal farm workers, and vector surveillance in Peninsular Malaysia. Emerg Microbes Infect 2017; 6:e18. [PMID: 28400593 PMCID: PMC5457682 DOI: 10.1038/emi.2017.4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2016] [Revised: 11/13/2016] [Accepted: 11/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Rickettsioses are emerging zoonotic diseases that are often neglected in many countries in Southeast Asia. Rickettsial agents are transmitted to humans through exposure to infected arthropods. Limited data are available on the exposure of indigenous community and animal farm workers to the aetiological agents and arthropod vectors of rickettsioses in Peninsular Malaysia. Serological analysis of Rickettsia conorii and Rickettsia felis was performed for 102 individuals from the indigenous community at six rural villages and 87 workers from eight animal farms in Peninsular Malaysia in a cross-sectional study. The indigenous community had significantly higher seropositivity rates for R. conorii (P<0.001) and R. felis (P<0.001), as compared to blood donors from urban (n=61). Similarly, higher seropositivity rates for R. conorii (P=0.046) and R. felis (P<0.001) were noted for animal farm workers, as compared to urban blood donors. On the basis of the sequence analysis of gltA, ompA and ompB, various spotted fever group rickettsiae closely related to R. raoultii, R. heilongjiangensis, R. felis-like organisms, R. tamurae, Rickettsia sp. TCM1, R. felis, Rickettsia sp. LON13 and R. hulinensis were identified from tick/flea samples in animal farms, indigenous villages and urban areas. This study describes rickettsial seropositivity of the Malaysian indigenous community and animal farm workers, and provides molecular evidence regarding the presence of rickettsial agents in ticks/fleas infesting domestic animals in Peninsular Malaysia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Ling Kho
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Fui Xian Koh
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | | | - Li Ping Wong
- Julius Centre University of Malaya, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Masoumeh Ghane Kisomi
- Julius Centre University of Malaya, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Awang Bulgiba
- Julius Centre University of Malaya, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Quaza Nizamuddin Hassan Nizam
- Department of Veterinary Services, Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Malaysia, Federal Government Administrative Centre, 62630 Putrajaya, Malaysia
| | - Sun Tee Tay
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Roth T, Lane RS, Foley J. A Molecular Survey for Francisella tularensis and Rickettsia spp. in Haemaphysalis leporispalustris (Acari: Ixodidae) in Northern California. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2017; 54:492-495. [PMID: 28031350 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjw202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2016] [Accepted: 10/25/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Francisella tularensis and Rickettsia spp. have been cultured from Haemaphysalis leporispalustris Packard, but their prevalence in this tick has not been determined using modern molecular methods. We collected H. leporispalustris by flagging vegetation and leaf litter and from lagomorphs (Lepus californicus Gray and Sylvilagus bachmani (Waterhouse)) in northern California. Francisella tularensis DNA was not detected in any of 1,030 ticks tested by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), whereas 0.4% of larvae tested in pools, 0 of 117 individual nymphs, and 2.3% of 164 adult ticks were PCR-positive for Rickettsia spp. Positive sites were Laurel Canyon Trail in Tilden Regional Park in Alameda Contra Costa County, with a Rickettsia spp. prevalence of 0.6% in 2009, and Hopland Research and Extension Center in Mendocino County, with a prevalence of 4.2% in 1988. DNA sequencing revealed R. felis, the agent of cat-flea typhus, in two larval pools from shaded California bay and live oak leaf litter in Contra Costa County and one adult tick from a L. californicus in chaparral in Mendocino County. The R. felis in unfed, questing larvae demonstrates that H. leporispalustris can transmit this rickettsia transovarially. Although R. felis is increasingly found in diverse arthropods and geographical regions, prior literature suggests a typical epidemiological cycle involving mesocarnivores and the cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis. To our knowledge, this is the first report of R. felis in H. leporispalustris. Natural infection and transovarial transmission of this pathogen in the tick indicate the existence of a previously undocumented wild-lands transmission cycle that may intersect mesocarnivore-reservoired cycles and collectively affect human health risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tara Roth
- Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616 (; )
| | - Robert S Lane
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
| | - Janet Foley
- Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616 (; )
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Moreira-Soto RD, Moreira-Soto A, Corrales-Aguilar E, Calderón-Arguedas Ó, Troyo A. 'Candidatus Rickettsia nicoyana': A novel Rickettsia species isolated from Ornithodoros knoxjonesi in Costa Rica. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2017; 8:532-536. [PMID: 28268195 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2017.02.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2016] [Revised: 12/14/2016] [Accepted: 02/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Rickettsiae are intracellular bacteria commonly associated with hematophagous arthropods. Most of them have been described in hard ticks, but some have been found in soft ticks. Here we report the detection and isolation of a new Rickettsia from Ornithodoros knoxjonesi larvae collected from Balantiopteryx plicata (Emballonuridae) in Nicoya, Costa Rica. Two ticks were processed to detect Rickettsia spp. genes gltA, ompA, ompB, and htrA by PCR. Part of the macerate was also inoculated into Vero E6 and C6/36 cell lines, and cells were evaluated by Giménez stain, indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA), and PCR. Both ticks were positive by PCR and rickettsial growth was successful in Vero E6 cells. Amplification and sequencing of near full length rrs, gltA, sca4 genes, and fragments of ompA and ompB showed that the Rickettsia sp. was different from described species. The highest homologies were with 'Candidatus Rickettsia wissemanii' and Rickettsia peacockii: 99.70% (1321/1325) with both sequences for rrs, 99.58% (1172/1177) and 99.76% (1246/1249) for gltA, 99.26% with both sequences (2948/2970 and 2957/2979) for sca4, 98.78% (485/491) and 98.39% (2069/2115) for ompA, and 98.58 (1453/1474) and 98.92% (1459/1475) for ompB; respectively. Bat blood, spleen, liver, and lung samples analyzed for Rickettsia detection were negative. Results demonstrate that the Rickettsia isolated from O. knoxjonesi is probably an undescribed species that belongs to the spotted fever group, for which 'Candidatus Rickettsia nicoyana' is proposed. Considering that B. plicata inhabits areas where contact with humans may occur and that human parasitism by Ornithodoros has been reported in the country, it will be important to continue with the characterization of this species and its pathogenic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rolando D Moreira-Soto
- Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales (CIET), Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica; Centro de Investigación en Estructuras Microscópicas (CIEMIC), Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Andrés Moreira-Soto
- Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales (CIET), Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Eugenia Corrales-Aguilar
- Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales (CIET), Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Ólger Calderón-Arguedas
- Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales (CIET), Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Adriana Troyo
- Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales (CIET), Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica.
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43
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Kwak ML, Mintram K. The tick (Acari: Ixodidae) fauna of Herald's Beacon Islet, Australia. EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2017; 71:97-102. [PMID: 28064411 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-016-0104-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2016] [Accepted: 12/21/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
A rare opportunity to travel to Herald's Beacon Islet with permission from the Australian government to collect ticks allowed for a survey of the tick fauna of the island to be undertaken for the first time. The avian fauna of the island, which serve as hosts, was also recorded and includes one new species record for the island. The seabird soft tick Ornithodoros capensis Neumann and the seabird hard tick Amblyomma loculosum Neumann were found to be present on the island. Images of the ticks present on the island are presented along with morphological characters for their identification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mackenzie L Kwak
- Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources, 5 Ring Road, Bundoora, VIC, 3186, Australia.
| | - Kate Mintram
- James Cook University, P.O. Box 6811, Cairns, QLD, 4870, Australia
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44
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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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45
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Sánchez-Montes S, Guzmán-Cornejo C, Martínez-Nájera Y, Becker I, Venzal JM, Labruna MB. Rickettsia lusitaniae associated with Ornithodoros yumatensis (Acari: Argasidae) from two caves in Yucatan, Mexico. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2016; 7:1097-1101. [PMID: 27639933 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2016.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2016] [Revised: 09/08/2016] [Accepted: 09/10/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The genus Rickettsia includes obligate intracellular bacteria transmitted by several hematophagous arthropods such as ticks, fleas and sucking lice. In particular hard ticks (Ixodidae) have been cited as the main vectors of pathogenic rickettsiae in Mexico. However, there have been only two records of a single Rickettsia species associated with Mexican soft ticks (Argasidae). In this study, we searched for rickettsial DNA in argasid ticks (13 adults and eight nymphs of Ornithodoros yumatensis) from two bat caves in the state of Yucatan, Mexico. Additionally one larva collected in a cave from Chiapas, Mexico, and associated with Desmodus rotundus was used to corroborate the tick taxonomic determination. Of these, nine ticks (43%) yielded expected PCR products for the rickettsial gltA gene. These PCR-positive ticks were tested with additional PCR protocols targeting the rickettsial genes gltA, ompA and ompB. DNA partial sequences from these genes showed 99-100% identities with Rickettsia lusitaniae, an agent isolated from O. erraticus in Portugal, and closely related to R. felis and R. hoogstraalii. Based on the results from this study, the inventory of rickettsiae distributed in Mexico increases from six to seven species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sokani Sánchez-Montes
- Laboratorio de Acarología, Departamento de Biología Comparada, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Distrito Federal, México; Laboratorio de Inmunoparasitología, Unidad de Investigación en Medicina Experimental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Distrito Federal, México; Centro de Medicina Tropical, Unidad de Investigación en Medicina Experimental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Distrito Federal, México
| | - Carmen Guzmán-Cornejo
- Laboratorio de Acarología, Departamento de Biología Comparada, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Distrito Federal, México.
| | - Yecenia Martínez-Nájera
- Laboratorio de Acarología, Departamento de Biología Comparada, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Distrito Federal, México
| | - Ingeborg Becker
- Laboratorio de Inmunoparasitología, Unidad de Investigación en Medicina Experimental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Distrito Federal, México; Centro de Medicina Tropical, Unidad de Investigación en Medicina Experimental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Distrito Federal, México
| | - José M Venzal
- Laboratorio de Vectores y Enfermedades Transmitidas, Facultad de Veterinaria, CENUR Litoral Norte, Universidad de la República, Salto, Uruguay
| | - Marcelo B Labruna
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinaria Preventiva e Saude Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinaria e Zootecnia, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
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Tahir D, Socolovschi C, Marié JL, Ganay G, Berenger JM, Bompar JM, Blanchet D, Cheuret M, Mediannikov O, Raoult D, Davoust B, Parola P. New Rickettsia species in soft ticks Ornithodoros hasei collected from bats in French Guiana. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2016; 7:1089-1096. [PMID: 27639932 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2016.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2016] [Revised: 08/31/2016] [Accepted: 09/10/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
In French Guiana, located on the northeastern coast of South America, bats of different species are very numerous. The infection of bats and their ticks with zoonotic bacteria, especially Rickettsia species, is so far unknown. In order to improve knowledge of these zoonotic pathogens in this French overseas department, the presence and diversity of tick-borne bacteria was investigated with molecular tools in bat ticks. In the beginning of 2013, 32 bats were caught in Saint-Jean-du-Maroni, an area close to the coast of French Guiana, and the ticks of these animals were collected. A total of 354 larvae of Argasidae soft ticks (Ornithodoros hasei) from 12 bats (Noctilio albiventris) were collected and 107 of them were analysed. DNA was extracted from the samples and quantitative real-time PCR was carried out to detect Rickettsia spp., Bartonella spp., Borrelia spp. and Coxiella burnetii. All tested samples were negative for Bartonella spp., Borrelia spp. and Coxiella burnetii. Rickettsia DNA was detected in 31 (28.9%) ticks. An almost entire (1118 base pairs long) sequence of the gltA gene was obtained after the amplification of some positive samples on conventional PCR and sequencing. A Bayesian tree was constructed using concatenated rrs, gltA, ompA, ompB, and gene D sequences. The study of characteristic sequences shows that this Rickettsia species is very close (98.3-99.8%) genetically to R. peacockii. Nevertheless, the comparative analysis of sequences obtained from gltA, ompA, ompB, rrs and gene D fragments demonstrated that this Rickettsia is different from the other members of the spotted fever group. The sequences of this new species were deposited in GenBank as Candidatus Rickettsia wissemanii. This is the first report showing the presence of nucleic acid of Rickettsia in Ornithodoros hasei ticks from South American bats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Djamel Tahir
- Research Unit of Emerging Infectious and Tropical Diseases (URMITE) UMR CNRS 7278 IRD 198 INSERM U1095, Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France
| | - Cristina Socolovschi
- Research Unit of Emerging Infectious and Tropical Diseases (URMITE) UMR CNRS 7278 IRD 198 INSERM U1095, Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France; Service de pneumologie, Hôpital Saint Joseph, Marseille, France
| | - Jean-Lou Marié
- Research Unit of Emerging Infectious and Tropical Diseases (URMITE) UMR CNRS 7278 IRD 198 INSERM U1095, Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France; Animal Epidemiology Working Group of the Military Health Service, Toulon, France
| | - Gautier Ganay
- Research Unit of Emerging Infectious and Tropical Diseases (URMITE) UMR CNRS 7278 IRD 198 INSERM U1095, Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France
| | - Jean-Michel Berenger
- Research Unit of Emerging Infectious and Tropical Diseases (URMITE) UMR CNRS 7278 IRD 198 INSERM U1095, Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France
| | | | - Denis Blanchet
- Laboratoire Hospitalier Universitaire de Parasitologie et Mycologie, Centre Hospitalier A. Rosemon, Cayenne, France
| | - Marie Cheuret
- Laboratoire Hospitalier Universitaire de Parasitologie et Mycologie, Centre Hospitalier A. Rosemon, Cayenne, France
| | - Oleg Mediannikov
- Research Unit of Emerging Infectious and Tropical Diseases (URMITE) UMR CNRS 7278 IRD 198 INSERM U1095, Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France
| | - Didier Raoult
- Research Unit of Emerging Infectious and Tropical Diseases (URMITE) UMR CNRS 7278 IRD 198 INSERM U1095, Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France
| | - Bernard Davoust
- Research Unit of Emerging Infectious and Tropical Diseases (URMITE) UMR CNRS 7278 IRD 198 INSERM U1095, Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France; Animal Epidemiology Working Group of the Military Health Service, Toulon, France.
| | - Philippe Parola
- Research Unit of Emerging Infectious and Tropical Diseases (URMITE) UMR CNRS 7278 IRD 198 INSERM U1095, Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France
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Dzelalija B, Punda-Polic V, Medic A, Dobec M. Rickettsiae and rickettsial diseases in Croatia: Implications for travel medicine. Travel Med Infect Dis 2016; 14:436-443. [PMID: 27404664 DOI: 10.1016/j.tmaid.2016.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2016] [Revised: 06/30/2016] [Accepted: 06/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
AIM To review the current state of knowledge concerning rickettsiae and rickettsioses in Croatia and to discuss their implications for travellers. METHODS The PubMed database was searched from 1991 to 2015 by combining the words "rickettsia," "rickettsiosis", "travellers" and "Croatia". RESULTS Since 1969, Croatia appears to be free of epidemic typhus (ET) caused by Rickettsia prowazekii and the last case of Brill-Zinsser disease was recorded in 2008. Mediterranean spotted fever (MSF) caused by Rickettsia conorii is the most frequent human rickettsial infection in Croatia, followed by murine typhus caused by Rickettsia typhi. Human cases of MSF and murine typhus have been predominantly observed along the eastern Adriatic coast from Zadar to Dubrovnik and between Zadar and Split, respectively. Rickettsia akari, etiologic agent of rickettsialpox, was isolated from blood of a patient diagnosed with MSF in Zadar, but no cases of rickettsialpox were reported. Several species of pathogenic (Rickettsia slovaca, Rickettsia aeschlimannii, Ricketsia helvetica, and Ricketsia raoultii) and species of undetermined pathogenicity (Ricketsia hoogstraalii sp. nov.) rickettsiae were identified in ticks collected in different ecological regions of Croatia. A search of the literature revealed no evidence of rickettsial infection in travellers visiting Croatia. Three imported cases of Rickettsia africae were observed in travellers returning from South Africa. CONCLUSION Rickettsiae and rickettsial diseases continue to be present in Croatia. As they can be acquired while travelling, physicians should consider rickettsial infection in the differential diagnosis of patients returning from Croatia and presenting with febrile illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boris Dzelalija
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Zadar General Hospital, Zadar, Croatia; School of Medicine, University of Split, Split, Croatia
| | | | - Alan Medic
- Institute of Public Health, Zadar, Croatia
| | - Marinko Dobec
- Medica, Medizinische Laboratorien Dr. F. Kaeppeli, Wolfbachstrasse 17, CH-8024 Zurich, Switzerland.
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Grandeur Alliances: Symbiont Metabolic Integration and Obligate Arthropod Hematophagy. Trends Parasitol 2016; 32:739-749. [PMID: 27236581 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2016.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2016] [Revised: 05/05/2016] [Accepted: 05/06/2016] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Several arthropod taxa live exclusively on vertebrate blood. This food source lacks essential metabolites required for the maintenance of metabolic homeostasis, and as such, these arthropods have formed symbioses with nutrient-supplementing microbes that facilitate their host's 'hematophagous' feeding ecology. Herein we highlight metabolic contributions of bacterial symbionts that reside within tsetse flies, bed bugs, lice, reduviid bugs, and ticks, with specific emphasis on B vitamin and cofactor biosynthesis. Importantly, these arthropods can transmit pathogens of medical and veterinary relevance and/or cause infestations that induce psychological and dermatological distress. Microbial metabolites, and the biochemical pathways that generate them, can serve as specific targets of novel control mechanisms aimed at disrupting the metabolism of hematophagous arthropods, thus combatting pest invasion and vector-borne pathogen transmission.
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Angelakis E, Mediannikov O, Parola P, Raoult D. Rickettsia felis: The Complex Journey of an Emergent Human Pathogen. Trends Parasitol 2016; 32:554-564. [PMID: 27155905 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2016.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2016] [Revised: 03/14/2016] [Accepted: 04/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Rickettsia felis is an obligate intracellular bacterium that is different from other officially recognized rickettsial species. It has multiple genes of different origins, an incubation temperature of less than 32°C, and a conjugative plasmid. This Rickettsia is commonly detected in febrile patients in sub-Saharan Africa. R. felis is frequently detected in cat fleas, but recently mosquitoes have been suspected to be able to transmit the bacterium. However, many aspects of the ecology and epidemiology of R. felis are not completely understood and remain to be uncovered. We aim here to give an update of the current knowledge about this fascinating organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanouil Angelakis
- URMITE, UM63, CNRS 7278, IRD 198, Inserm 1095, Aix Marseille Université, 27 Bd Jean Moulin, 13385 Marseille, France.
| | - Oleg Mediannikov
- URMITE, UM63, CNRS 7278, IRD 198, Inserm 1095, Aix Marseille Université, 27 Bd Jean Moulin, 13385 Marseille, France
| | - Philippe Parola
- URMITE, UM63, CNRS 7278, IRD 198, Inserm 1095, Aix Marseille Université, 27 Bd Jean Moulin, 13385 Marseille, France
| | - Didier Raoult
- URMITE, UM63, CNRS 7278, IRD 198, Inserm 1095, Aix Marseille Université, 27 Bd Jean Moulin, 13385 Marseille, France
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50
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Comparative Efficacy of an Imidacloprid/Flumethrin Collar (Seresto®) and an Oral Afoxolaner Chewable (NexGard®) against Tick (Dermacentor variabilis and Amblyomma americanum) Infestations on Dogs: a Randomised Controlled Trial. Parasitol Res 2016; 114 Suppl 1:S81-94. [PMID: 26152410 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-015-4515-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
This randomised controlled laboratory study demonstrated the residual speed of efficacy of an imidacloprid/flumethrin collar (Seresto(®), Bayer) for the control of ticks (Dermacentor variabilis, Amblyomma americanum) at 6 and 12 hours postinfestation on dogs when compared to oral afoxolaner (NexGard(®), Merial). Dogs were randomised by pre-treatment tick counts: Group 1) imidacloprid 10 % (w/w) / flumethrin 4.5 % (w/w) collar, 2) afoxolaner chewable (dosage 3.1 - 6.2 mg/kg), and 3) non-treated controls. Ticks (50/species/dog) were infested on days 3, 14, 21, and 28; live (attached and non-attached) and dead attached ticks were counted 6 and 12 hours later. Efficacy against live D. variabilis at 6 hours for Group 1 was 95 - 100 % and for Group 2 was 38 - 48 %; efficacy at 12 hours for Group 1 was 97 - 100 % and for Group 2 was 27 - 59 %. Efficacy against A. americanum at 6 hours for Group 1 was 94 - 100 % and for Group 2 was < 0 - 38 %; efficacy at 12 hours for Group 1 was 98 - 100 % and for Group 2 was 1 - 40 %. Live and total (total live and dead attached) tick counts in Group 1 against both tick species were significantly lower (p ≤ 0.05) than Group 2 and 3 at all time points. The number of live or total ticks on Group 2 dogs was never significantly lower when compared to the respective number of ticks on Group 3 (controls). This study demonstrated that an imidacloprid/flumethrin collar was highly efficacious (94 - 100 %) at repelling and killing ticks on dogs at 6 and 12 hours post-infestation and was more efficacious than afoxolaner on all challenge days.
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