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Eisen L, Saunders MEM, Kramer VL, Eisen RJ. History of the geographic distribution of the western blacklegged tick, Ixodes pacificus, in the United States. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2024; 15:102325. [PMID: 38387162 PMCID: PMC10960675 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Ixodes pacificus (the western blacklegged tick) occurs in the far western United States (US), where it commonly bites humans. This tick was not considered a species of medical concern until it was implicated in the 1980s as a vector of Lyme disease spirochetes. Later, it was discovered to also be the primary vector to humans in the far western US of agents causing anaplasmosis and hard tick relapsing fever. The core distribution of I. pacificus in the US includes California, western Oregon, and western Washington, with outlier populations reported in Utah and Arizona. In this review, we provide a history of the documented occurrence of I. pacificus in the US from the 1890s to present, and discuss associations of its geographic range with landscape, hosts, and climate. In contrast to Ixodes scapularis (the blacklegged tick) in the eastern US, there is no evidence for a dramatic change in the geographic distribution of I. pacificus over the last half-century. Field surveys in the 1930s and 1940s documented I. pacificus along the Pacific Coast from southern California to northern Washington, in the Sierra Nevada foothills, and in western Utah. County level collection records often included both immatures and adults of I. pacificus, recovered by drag sampling or from humans, domestic animals, and wildlife. The estimated geographic distribution presented for I. pacificus in 1945 by Bishopp and Trembley is similar to that presented in 2022 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There is no clear evidence of range expansion for I. pacificus, separate from tick records in new areas that could have resulted from newly initiated or intensified surveillance efforts. Moreover, there is no evidence from long-term studies that the density of questing I. pacificus ticks has increased over time in specific areas. It therefore is not surprising that the incidence of Lyme disease has remained stable in the Pacific Coast states from the early 1990s, when it became a notifiable condition, to present. We note that deforestation and deer depredation were less severe in the far western US during the 1800s and early 1900s compared to the eastern US. This likely contributed to I. pacificus maintaining stable, widespread populations across its geographic range in the far western US in the early 1900s, while I. scapularis during the same time period appears to have been restricted to a small number of geographically isolated refugia sites within its present range in the eastern US. The impact that a warming climate may have had on the geographic distribution and local abundance of I. pacificus in recent decades remains unclear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lars Eisen
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO 80521, United States.
| | - Megan E M Saunders
- Vector-Borne Disease Section, California Department of Public Health, 1616 Capitol Ave, Sacramento, CA 95814, United States
| | - Vicki L Kramer
- Vector-Borne Disease Section, California Department of Public Health, 1616 Capitol Ave, Sacramento, CA 95814, United States
| | - Rebecca J Eisen
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO 80521, United States
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Remesar S, Castro-Scholten S, Morrondo P, Díaz P, Jiménez-Martín D, Rouco C, Camacho-Sillero L, Cano-Terriza D, García-Bocanegra I. Molecular detection of Ehrlichia spp. in ticks parasitizing wild lagomorphs from Spain: characterization of a novel Ehrlichia species. Parasit Vectors 2022; 15:467. [DOI: 10.1186/s13071-022-05600-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Several species belonging to the genus Ehrlichia are considered pathogenic for animals and humans. Although wildlife are known to play an important role in the epidemiology of these bacteria, information on the role of wild lagomorphs in their sylvatic cycle is limited. Thus, the objective of the present study was to assess the occurrence of Ehrlichia spp. in ticks collected from wild lagomorphs in Spanish Mediterranean ecosystems.
Methods
A total of 1122 pooled ticks (254 pools) collected from 506 wild rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and 29 Iberian hares (Lepus granatensis) were analysed using a nested PCR assay targeting the partial groEL gene. Ehrlichia spp.-positive samples were further subjected to a second PCR assay targeting 16S rRNA.
Results
Three (1.2%) tick pools comprising Rhipicephalus pusillus collected from nine wild rabbits were positive for Ehrlichia spp. All the Ehrlichia DNA sequences were identical, and use of sequence and phylogenetic analyses allowed us to identify a novel Ehrlichia species.
Conclusions
We provide evidence that a novel Ehrlichia species, named herein as ‘Candidatus Ehrlichia andalusi’, which may be of concern for animal and public health, is circulating in R. pusillus in Spanish Mediterranean ecosystems. Further studies are warranted to assess the epidemiology, pathogenicity and zoonotic potential of this Ehrlichia species.
Graphical Abstract
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Félix ML, Muñoz-Leal S, Carvalho LA, Queirolo D, Remesar S, Armúa-Fernández MT, Venzal JM. Characterization of " Candidatus Ehrlichia Pampeana" in Haemaphysalis juxtakochi Ticks and Gray Brocket Deer ( Mazama gouazoubira) from Uruguay. Microorganisms 2021; 9:2165. [PMID: 34683486 PMCID: PMC8538733 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9102165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Revised: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Human ehrlichiosis are scantily documented in Uruguay. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of Ehrlichia spp. in Haemaphysalis juxtakochi and in a gray brocket deer (Mazama gouazoubira) from Uruguay. The presence of Ehrlichia DNA was investigated in free-living H. juxtakochi in five localities of southeast and northeast Uruguay, as well as blood, spleen, and ticks retrieved from a M. gouazoubira. Ehrlichia spp. DNA was detected in six out of 99 tick pools from vegetation, in the spleen of M. gouazoubira, and in one out of five pools of ticks feeding on this cervid. Bayesian inference analyses for three loci (16S rRNA, dsb, and groEL) revealed the presence of a new rickettsial organism, named herein as "Candidatus Ehrlichia pampeana". This new detected Ehrlichia is phylogenetically related to those found in ticks from Asia, as well as Ehrlichia ewingii from USA and Cameroon. Although the potential pathogenicity of "Ca. E. pampeana" for humans is currently unknown, some eco-epidemiological factors may be relevant to its possible pathogenic role, namely: (i) the phylogenetic closeness with the zoonotic agent E. ewingii, (ii) the evidence of H. juxtakochi parasitizing humans, and (iii) the importance of cervids as reservoirs for zoonotic Ehrlichia spp. The molecular detection of "Ca. E. pampeana" represents the third Ehrlichia genotype described in Uruguay.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Laura Félix
- Laboratorio de Vectores y Enfermedades Transmitidas, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, CENUR Litoral Norte—Salto, Universidad de la República, Rivera 1350, Salto 50000, Uruguay; (M.T.A.-F.); (J.M.V.)
| | - Sebastián Muñoz-Leal
- Departamento de Ciencia Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad de Concepción, Av. Vicente Méndez 595, Casilla 537, Chillán 3780000, Chile;
| | - Luis Andrés Carvalho
- AgResearch, Grasslands Research Centre, Private Bag 11008, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand;
| | - Diego Queirolo
- Laboratorio de Ecología de Vertebrados, CENUR Noreste, Universidad de la República, Ituzaingó 667, Rivera 40000, Uruguay;
| | - Susana Remesar
- INVESAGA Group, Department of Animal Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 27002 Lugo, Spain;
| | - María Teresa Armúa-Fernández
- Laboratorio de Vectores y Enfermedades Transmitidas, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, CENUR Litoral Norte—Salto, Universidad de la República, Rivera 1350, Salto 50000, Uruguay; (M.T.A.-F.); (J.M.V.)
| | - José Manuel Venzal
- Laboratorio de Vectores y Enfermedades Transmitidas, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, CENUR Litoral Norte—Salto, Universidad de la República, Rivera 1350, Salto 50000, Uruguay; (M.T.A.-F.); (J.M.V.)
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Sacchi ABV, André MR, Calchi AC, de Santi M, Guimarães A, Pires JR, Baldani CD, Werther K, Machado RZ. Molecular and serological detection of arthropod-borne pathogens in carnivorous birds from Brazil. VETERINARY PARASITOLOGY- REGIONAL STUDIES AND REPORTS 2021; 23:100539. [PMID: 33678392 DOI: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2021.100539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2020] [Revised: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Rickettsiales, Haemosporida and Rhizobiales agents can cause diseases that affect various animal species, including humans. Due to predation behaviour, carnivorous birds may play an important role in spreading these etiological agentes across geographically distant areas, specially if they are migratory. The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence and to access the phylogenetic relations among Anaplasmataceae (Ehrlichia, Anaplasma, Neorickettsia), Bartonellaceae (Bartonella spp.), and Haemosporida (Plasmodium, Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon) agents in blood samples from 121 carnivorous birds sampled in the states of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Inclusions resembling hemoparasites were not observed in Giemsa-stained preparations. While three animals were seropositive for E. chaffeensis (3.41% [3/88]; 95% CI:1.17-9.55%), five showed antibodies to A. phagocytophilum (5.68% [5/88]; 95% CI: 2.45-12.62%). Despite the detection of rrs gene fragments closely related to E. chaffeensis (4.13% [5/121]; 95% CI: 1.78-9.31%), no positivity was observed in the qPCR based on the genes vlpt for the organism. Similarly, 12 (9.91% [12/121]; 95% CI: 5.76-16.74%) samples were positive in the qPCR for Anaplasma spp. based on groEL gene, but negative in the qPCR for A. phagocytophilum based on msp-2 gene. Three samples were positive in the nPCR for E. canis based on rrs gene. Three samples were positive for Haemoproteus spp. and one for Plasmodium spp. in the nPCR based on cytB gene. Four birds (3.3% [4/121]; 95% CI: 1.29-8.19%) presented co-positivity by Ehrlichia sp. and Anaplasma sp. in molecular assays. One (0.82% [1/121]; 95% CI:0.15-4.53%) bird showed to be seropositive for E. chaffeensis and and positive in PCR for Haemoproteus sp. All birds were negative in the qPCR assay for Bartonella spp. (nuoG). The present work showed the occurrence of Anaplasmataceae agents and hemosporidians in carnivorous birds from southeastern Brazil. The role of these animals in the dispersion of Anaplasmataceae agents should be further investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Beatriz Vieira Sacchi
- Laboratório de Imunoparasitologia, Departamento de Patologia, Reproducao e Saude Unica, Veterinária, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias/Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marcos Rogério André
- Laboratório de Imunoparasitologia, Departamento de Patologia, Reproducao e Saude Unica, Veterinária, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias/Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ana Cláudia Calchi
- Laboratório de Imunoparasitologia, Departamento de Patologia, Reproducao e Saude Unica, Veterinária, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias/Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Mariele de Santi
- Laboratório de Imunoparasitologia, Departamento de Patologia, Reproducao e Saude Unica, Veterinária, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias/Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Andresa Guimarães
- Laboratório de Patologia Clínica - Diagnóstico Animal, Departamento de Medicina e Cirurgia Veterinária, Instituto de Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro (UFRRJ), Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Jeferson Rocha Pires
- Centro de Recuperação de Animais Silvestres (CRAS), Universidade Estácio de Sá - UNESA, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Cristiane Divan Baldani
- Laboratório de Patologia Clínica - Diagnóstico Animal, Departamento de Medicina e Cirurgia Veterinária, Instituto de Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro (UFRRJ), Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Karin Werther
- Laboratório de Imunoparasitologia, Departamento de Patologia, Reproducao e Saude Unica, Veterinária, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias/Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rosangela Zacarias Machado
- Laboratório de Imunoparasitologia, Departamento de Patologia, Reproducao e Saude Unica, Veterinária, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias/Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil.
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Félix ML, Muñoz-Leal S, Carvalho LA, Queirolo D, Remesar Alonso S, Nava S, Armúa-Fernández MT, Venzal JM. Molecular characterization of novel Ehrlichia genotypes in Ixodes auritulus from Uruguay. CURRENT RESEARCH IN PARASITOLOGY & VECTOR-BORNE DISEASES 2021; 1:100022. [PMID: 35284857 PMCID: PMC8906135 DOI: 10.1016/j.crpvbd.2021.100022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Revised: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Ehrlichia are small intracellular Gram-negative bacteria transmitted by ticks. These microorganisms cause ehrlichiosis, a complex of life-threatening emerging zoonoses and diseases of global veterinary relevance. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of Ehrlichia in free-living Ixodes auritulus collected in Uruguay. Ticks were collected from vegetation in five localities from the southeast and northeast of the country between 2014 and 2017. Detection of Ehrlichia DNA was performed in pools of adults or nymphs grouped according to the collection site and date. A total of 1,548 I. auritulus ticks were collected in four of the five locations sampled. Fragments of three loci (16S rRNA, dsb and groEL) were obtained by PCR, and phylogenies inferred using Bayesian inference analysis for each gene independently. DNA of Ehrlichia spp. was found in 15 out of 42 tick pools. Based on the topology of the phylogenetic trees, our sequences represent two novel genotypes for the genus named as Ehrlichia sp. Serrana and Ehrlichia sp. Laguna Negra. Both genotypes were closely related to Ehrlichia sp. Magellanica, a species detected in Ixodes uriae and Magellanic penguins. Considering that all stages of I. auritulus and I. uriae are parasites of birds, their phylogenetic relationships, and common eco–epidemiological profiles, it is reasonable to state that these genotypes of Ehrlichia spp. may represent a natural group likely associated with birds. Our results constitute the first characterization of Ehrlichia spp. in Uruguay. Future studies on birds reported as hosts for I. auritulus are needed to further understand the epidemiological cycles of both Ehrlichia genotypes in the country. Finally, I. auritulus does not feed on humans, so the two Ehrlichia species reported herein might have no implications in human health. First molecular characterization of Ehrlichia in Uruguay. Two novel genotypes of Ehrlichia were detected in Ixodes auritulus. Evidence of a natural lineage of Ehrlichia associated with birds is reinforced.
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Félix ML, Armúa-Fernández MT, Parodi P, Bazzano V, Mangold AJ, Venzal JM. Detection of a putative novel genotype of Anaplasma in gray-brocket deer (Mazama gouazoubira) from Uruguay. EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2020; 81:575-583. [PMID: 32647904 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-020-00523-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2019] [Accepted: 07/03/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Anaplasmataceae includes the genera Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, Neorickettsia and Wolbachia, comprising a group of obligate intracellular bacteria. The genus Anaplasma has pathogenic species transmitted by ticks of veterinary and human health importance. Wild ungulates such as deer represent important reservoirs and amplifiers of Anaplasmataceae. The interaction between deer and domestic ruminants represents a serious problem due to the transmission of these pathogens through their ectoparasites. In the present study, we investigated the presence of Anaplasmataceae organisms in blood, tissues and tick samples of a gray-brocket deer (Mazama gouazoubira). The specimen was found dead in a farm in northeast Uruguay. PCRs targeting partial regions of 16S rRNA and groESL genes were carried out for Anaplasmataceae DNA detection. Moreover, several ectoparasites were identified: the chewing louse Tricholipeurus albimarginatus, the Neotropical deer louse fly Lipoptena mazamae, and the ticks Haemaphysalis juxtakochi and Rhipicephalus microplus. A consensus sequence of 1274 bp of 16S rRNA was generated for Anaplasma sp. from the M. gouazoubira blood sample. All ticks analysed by PCR assays were negative. No band was detected in any of the samples after PCR targeting groESL gene. Phylogenetic analysis using 16S rRNA partial gene sequences, clustered the putative novel genotype sequence obtained in this study, named Anaplasma sp. genotype Mazama-Uruguay, along with Anaplasma sp. detected in Mazama sp., Mazama americana and Mazama bororo, all deer species from Brazil. Furthermore, this cluster showed to be closely related to Anaplasma bovis sequences obtained from various ruminants and other mammals from several parts of the world. The pathogenicity as well as its infecting potential to other cervids or domestic ruminants is currently unknown. Further studies should be performed in order to characterize this novel species, especially targeting other genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- María L Félix
- Laboratorio de Vectores Y Enfermedades Transmitidas, Facultad de Veterinaria, CENUR Litoral Norte - Salto, Universidad de La República, Rivera 1350, CP 50000, Salto, Uruguay
| | - María T Armúa-Fernández
- Laboratorio de Vectores Y Enfermedades Transmitidas, Facultad de Veterinaria, CENUR Litoral Norte - Salto, Universidad de La República, Rivera 1350, CP 50000, Salto, Uruguay
| | - Pablo Parodi
- Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria, Plataforma de Salud Animal, Estación Experimental INIA Tacuarembó, 45000, Tacuarembó, Uruguay
| | - Valentin Bazzano
- Laboratorio de Vectores Y Enfermedades Transmitidas, Facultad de Veterinaria, CENUR Litoral Norte - Salto, Universidad de La República, Rivera 1350, CP 50000, Salto, Uruguay
| | - Atilio J Mangold
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Rafaela, CC 22, CP 2300, Rafaela, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - José M Venzal
- Laboratorio de Vectores Y Enfermedades Transmitidas, Facultad de Veterinaria, CENUR Litoral Norte - Salto, Universidad de La República, Rivera 1350, CP 50000, Salto, Uruguay.
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Ben Said M, Belkahia H, Selmi R, Messadi L. Computational selection of minimum length groESL operon required for Anaplasma species attribution and strain diversity analysis. Mol Cell Probes 2019; 48:101467. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mcp.2019.101467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2019] [Revised: 09/06/2019] [Accepted: 09/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
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Fernandes SDJ, Matos CA, Freschi CR, de Souza Ramos IA, Machado RZ, André MR. Diversity of Anaplasma species in cattle in Mozambique. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2019; 10:651-664. [PMID: 30833198 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2019.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2018] [Revised: 12/12/2018] [Accepted: 02/25/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Although species of Anaplasma are highly prevalent Rickettsiales agents in domestic and wild ruminants with a wide distribution worldwide, few studies have been conducted so far to detect and/or investigate the diversity of these agentsin cattle in Mozambique. In the present study, serological and molecular assays were used to investigate the occurrence of Anaplasma spp. in 219 bovines sampled in the districts of Boane, Magude, Matutuíne, Moamba and Namaacha in Maputo, Mozambique. In the iELISA test for detection ofIgG antibodies to A. marginale, 86.3% (189/219) of the samples were positive. In qPCR assays for the gene msp1β for A. marginale and msp2 for A. phagocytophilum, 97.3% (213/219) and 2.7% (6/219) of the animals were positive, respectively. Two different cPCR protocols based on the 16S rRNA gene showed that 100% of the samples were positive for Anaplasma spp. The DNA sequences obtained were phylogenetically related to A. platys, A. phagocytophilum, Candidatus Anaplasma boleense, A. centrale, A. marginale and A. ovis. Phylogenetic inference based on the msp4 and msp5 genes positioned the obtained sequences in the clade of A. marginale, with evidence of occurrence of 8 and 5 different haplotypes for each gene, respectively. Anaplasma sp. phylogenetically associated with A. platys was evidenced in phylogenetic analyzes based on 16S rRNA and groEL genes. It is concluded that a high diversity of species of Anaplasma spp. occurs in cattle in Mozambique.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone de Jesus Fernandes
- Paulista State University (Unesp)Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp), Faculty of Agrarian and Veterinary Sciences, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - Carlos António Matos
- Paulista State University (Unesp)Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp), Faculty of Agrarian and Veterinary Sciences, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil; Directorate of Animal Sciences, Maputo, Mozambique
| | | | - Inalda Angélica de Souza Ramos
- Paulista State University (Unesp)Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp), Faculty of Agrarian and Veterinary Sciences, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - Rosangela Zacarias Machado
- Paulista State University (Unesp)Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp), Faculty of Agrarian and Veterinary Sciences, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - Marcos Rogério André
- Paulista State University (Unesp)Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp), Faculty of Agrarian and Veterinary Sciences, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil.
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Braga MDSCDO, Pereira JG, Fernandes SDJ, Marques ICL, Jesus RPD, Ferreira GS, Xavier DR, Benevenute JL, Machado RZ, André MR. Molecular detection of Anaplasmataceae agents in Dasyprocta azarae in northeastern Brazil. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 27:99-105. [PMID: 29641788 DOI: 10.1590/s1984-29612017071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2017] [Accepted: 11/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Recently, the importance of wild-living rodents for maintenance of pathogens of the family Anaplasmataceae in the environment was investigated. These mammals play a role as reservoirs for these pathogens and act as hosts for the immature stages of tick vectors. The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of Ehrlichia sp. and Anaplasma sp. in 24 specimens of Azara's agouti (Dasyprocta azarae) that had been trapped in the Itapiracó Environmental Reserve, in São Luís, Maranhão, northeastern Brazil, using molecular methods. Four animals (16.7%) were positive for Ehrlichia spp. in nested PCR assays based on the 16S rRNA gene. In a phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene, using the maximum likelihood method and the GTRGAMMA+I evolutionary model, Ehrlichia sp. genotypes detected in Azara's agoutis were found to be closely related to E. canis and to genotypes relating to E. canis that had previously been detected in free-living animals in Brazil. The present work showed the first molecular detection of Ehrlichia sp. in Azara's agoutis in Brazil.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Simone de Jesus Fernandes
- Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Universidade Estadual Paulista - UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP, Brasil
| | | | | | | | | | - Jyan Lucas Benevenute
- Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Universidade Estadual Paulista - UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP, Brasil
| | - Rosangela Zacarias Machado
- Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Universidade Estadual Paulista - UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP, Brasil
| | - Marcos Rogério André
- Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Universidade Estadual Paulista - UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP, Brasil
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Abstract
SUMMARYAnaplasmataceae agents comprise obligate intracellular bacteria that can cause disease in humans and animals. Between August 2013 and March 2015, 31Nasua nasua(coati), 78Cerdocyon thous(crab-eating fox), sevenLeopardus pardalis(ocelot), 110 wild rodents, 30 marsupials, and 42 dogs were sampled in the Pantanal wetland, Brazil. In addition, ectoparasites found parasitizing the animals were collected and identified. The present work aimed to investigate the occurrence of Anaplasmataceae agents in wild mammals, domestic dogs and ectoparasites, by molecular and serological techniques. Overall, 14 (17·9%)C. thous, seven (16·6%) dogs and one (3·2%)N. nasuawere seroreactive toEhrlichia canis. Nine dogs, twoC. thous,oneN. nasua, eight wild rodents, five marsupials, eightAmblyomma sculptum,fourAmblyomma parvum,13A. sculptumnymphal pools, twoAmblyommalarvae pools and onePolygenis (Polygenis) bohlsi bohlsiflea pool were positive forEhrlichiaspp. closely related toE. canis. SevenN. nasua, two dogs, oneC. thous,oneL. pardalis, four wild rodents, three marsupials, 15A. sculptum, twoAmblyomma ovale,twoA. parvumand oneAmblyommaspp. larval pools were positive forAnaplasmaspp. closely related toA. phagocytophilumorA. bovis. The present study provided evidence that wild animals from Brazilian Pantanal are exposed to Anaplasmataceae agents.
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Werther K, Luzzi MDC, Gonçalves LR, de Oliveira JP, Alves Junior JRF, Machado RZ, André MR. Arthropod-borne agents in wild Orinoco geese (Neochen jubata) in Brazil. Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis 2017; 55:30-41. [PMID: 29127991 DOI: 10.1016/j.cimid.2017.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2017] [Revised: 09/15/2017] [Accepted: 09/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Although Orinoco goose (Neochen jubata) is an anatid species widely distributed in South America, scarce are the reports on the occurrence of arthropod-borne pathogens in this avian species. The present work aimed to verify, by serological and molecular methods, the occurrence of haemosporida piroplasmids and Anaplasmataceae agents in wild Orinoco geese captured in Brazil. Between 2010 and 2014, 62 blood samples were collected from free-living geese captured in the Araguaia River, Goiás State, Brazil. Six geese (10%) were seropositive for Anaplasma phagocytophilum, showing titers ranging from 40 and 80. Twenty out of 62 blood samples (32.25%) were positive in nested PCR for hemosporidia (cytochrome b gene). Fifteen and five sequences shared identity with Haemoproteus and Plasmodium, respectively. Six out of 62 blood samples (9.68%) were positive in nested PCR for Babesia spp. (18S rRNA gene); one sequence showed to be closely related to Babesia vogeli. Thirty (48.38%) out of 62 Orinoco geese blood samples were positive in nested cPCR assays for Anaplasmataceae agents (16S rRNA gene): three for Anaplasma spp. and 27 for Ehrlichia. Six geese were simultaneously positive to Haemoproteus and Ehrlichia; three animals were co-positive to different Ehrlichia species/genotypes; and one goose sample was positive for both Anaplasma and Ehrlichia. The present work showed the occurrence of Ehrlichia, Anaplasma, Babesia, Plasmodium, and Haemoproteus species in free-living N. jubata in Brazil. The threat of these arthropod-borne pathogens in Orinoco goose's fitness, especially during the breading season, should be assessed in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin Werther
- Departamento de Patologia Veterinária, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias/ Universidade Estadual Paulista (FCAV/UNESP), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - Mayara de Cássia Luzzi
- Departamento de Patologia Veterinária, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias/ Universidade Estadual Paulista (FCAV/UNESP), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - Luiz Ricardo Gonçalves
- Departamento de Patologia Veterinária, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias/ Universidade Estadual Paulista (FCAV/UNESP), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - Juliana Paula de Oliveira
- Departamento de Patologia Veterinária, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias/ Universidade Estadual Paulista (FCAV/UNESP), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | | | - Rosangela Zacarias Machado
- Departamento de Patologia Veterinária, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias/ Universidade Estadual Paulista (FCAV/UNESP), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - Marcos Rogério André
- Departamento de Patologia Veterinária, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias/ Universidade Estadual Paulista (FCAV/UNESP), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil.
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Benevenute JL, Dumler JS, Ogrzewalska M, Roque ALR, Mello VVC, de Sousa KCM, Gonçalves LR, D'Andrea PS, de Sampaio Lemos ER, Machado RZ, André MR. Assessment of a quantitative 5' nuclease real-time polymerase chain reaction using groEL gene for Ehrlichia and Anaplasma species in rodents in Brazil. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2017; 8:646-656. [PMID: 28457822 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2017.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2017] [Revised: 04/13/2017] [Accepted: 04/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
New genotypes of Anaplasmataceae agents have been detected in wild carnivores, birds and deer in Brazil. The present work aimed to investigate the presence of Ehrlichia and Anaplasma species in rodents sampled in Brazil. Additionally, a newly designed quantitative 5' nuclease real-time multiplex PCR for Ehrlichia and Anaplasma spp. detection based on groEL gene amplification was designed, showing high specificity and sensitivity (10 groEL fragment copy/μL). Between 2000 and 2011, different rodent species [n=60] were trapped in 5 Brazilian biomes. Among 458 rodent spleen samples, 0.4% (2/458) and 2.4% (11/458) were positive for Ehrlichia and Anaplasma spp., respectively. Of 458 samples, 2.0% (9/458) and 1.1% (5/458) were positive for Anaplasma sp. and Ehrlichia sp., respectively, using conventional 16S rRNA PCR assays. Maximum Likelihood phylogenetic analyse based on a small region of 16S rRNA genes positioned the Anaplasma genotypes in rodents near Anaplasma phagocytophilum or Anaplasma marginale and Anaplasma odocoilei isolates. Ehrlichia genotypes were closely related to E. canis. There was a low occurrence of Anaplasma and Ehrlichia in wild and synanthropic rodents in Brazil, suggesting the circulation of new genotypes of these agents in rodents in the studied areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jyan Lucas Benevenute
- Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp), Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - John Stephen Dumler
- Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Maria Ogrzewalska
- Laboratório de Hantaviroses e Rickettsioses, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz/Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Luiz Ricardo Gonçalves
- Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp), Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - Paulo Sérgio D'Andrea
- Laboratório de Biologia e Parasitologia de Mamíferos Silvestres Reservatórios, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz/Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - Rosangela Zacarias Machado
- Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp), Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - Marcos Rogério André
- Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp), Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil.
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Battilani M, De Arcangeli S, Balboni A, Dondi F. Genetic diversity and molecular epidemiology of Anaplasma. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2017; 49:195-211. [PMID: 28122249 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2017.01.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2016] [Revised: 01/18/2017] [Accepted: 01/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Anaplasma are obligate intracellular bacteria of cells of haematopoietic origin and are aetiological agents of tick-borne diseases of both veterinary and medical interest common in both tropical and temperate regions. The recent disclosure of their zoonotic potential has greatly increased interest in the study of these bacteria, leading to the recent reorganisation of Rickettsia taxonomy and to the possible discovery of new species belonging to the genus Anaplasma. This review is particularly focused on the common and unique characteristics of Anaplasma marginale and Anaplasma phagocytophilum, with an emphasis on genetic diversity and evolution, and the main distinguishing features of the diseases caused by the different Anaplasma spp. are described as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mara Battilani
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, Via Tolara di Sopra, 50, 40064 Ozzano Emilia, Bo, Italy.
| | - Stefano De Arcangeli
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, Via Tolara di Sopra, 50, 40064 Ozzano Emilia, Bo, Italy
| | - Andrea Balboni
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, Via Tolara di Sopra, 50, 40064 Ozzano Emilia, Bo, Italy
| | - Francesco Dondi
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, Via Tolara di Sopra, 50, 40064 Ozzano Emilia, Bo, Italy
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Mongruel ACB, Benevenute JL, André MR, Carrasco ADOT, Machado RZ, Seki MC. Molecular Characterization of Anaplasma sp. in Free-Living Gray Brockets (Mazama gouazoubira). Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2016; 17:165-171. [PMID: 27992293 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2016.2026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteria in the genus Anaplasma are responsible for diseases in animals and humans. Studies carried out in Brazil have demonstrated that Brazilian deer are able to act as hosts of agents in the family Anaplasmataceae and are possibly potential reservoirs of these pathogens. Molecular and phylogenetic studies have been carried out on samples of two gray brocket specimens (Mazama gouazoubira) from the city of Guarapuava, state of Paraná, Brazil, for the detection of Anaplasma sp. in these animals. Partial nucleotide sequences of the genes 16S rRNA and groESL were used for phylogenetic analyses and compared with other 13 and 17 partial sequences of the respective genes obtained in GenBank. These assessments showed topological incongruence among the trees generated in the phylogenetic analyses. Phylogenetic analysis based on the gene 16S rRNA of the genotypes amplified in the samples of this study was similar to those of A. bovis detected in dogs and wild deer in Japan, whereas studies carried out on gene groESL indicated proximity with sequences of Anaplasma sp. that were also isolated in deer in Japan and allocated in the same clade of partial sequences of A. phagocytophilum. As the 16S rRNA gene is highly conserved, with few polymorphic positions, it may show low reliability for studies on phylogenetic positioning. The present study detected an Anaplasma sp. genotype in two specimens of M. gouazoubira in southern Brazil, which may mean that this agent possibly circulates in deer populations, and demonstrated the need for studies related to the possible role of deer in enzootic cycles of Anaplasmataceae in Brazil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Claudia Baumel Mongruel
- 1 Laboratório de Doenças Infecciosas e Parasitárias, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Estadual do Centro-Oeste (UNICENTRO) , Guarapuava, Brazil
| | - Jyan Lucas Benevenute
- 2 Laboratório de Imunoparasitologia, Departamento de Patologia Veterinária, Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho" (UNESP) , Jaboticabal, Brazil
| | - Marcos Rogério André
- 2 Laboratório de Imunoparasitologia, Departamento de Patologia Veterinária, Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho" (UNESP) , Jaboticabal, Brazil
| | - Adriano de Oliveira Torres Carrasco
- 1 Laboratório de Doenças Infecciosas e Parasitárias, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Estadual do Centro-Oeste (UNICENTRO) , Guarapuava, Brazil
| | - Rosangela Zacarias Machado
- 2 Laboratório de Imunoparasitologia, Departamento de Patologia Veterinária, Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho" (UNESP) , Jaboticabal, Brazil
| | - Meire Christina Seki
- 1 Laboratório de Doenças Infecciosas e Parasitárias, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Estadual do Centro-Oeste (UNICENTRO) , Guarapuava, Brazil
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Vargas-Hernandez G, André MR, Cendales DM, Sousa KCMD, Gonçalves LR, Rondelli MCH, Machado RZ, Tinucci-Costa M. Molecular detection of Anaplasma species in dogs in Colombia. REVISTA BRASILEIRA DE PARASITOLOGIA VETERINARIA 2016; 25:459-464. [DOI: 10.1590/s1984-29612016066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2016] [Accepted: 09/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Abstract Anaplasma platys and A. phagocytophilum are tick-borne pathogens that parasitize platelets and neutrophils, respectively, of humans and animals. The former is the etiological agent of canine cyclic thrombocytopenia, while the latter is that of canine granulocytic anaplasmosis. This work involved the detection and identification of Anaplasma species in blood samples from dogs in Colombia, using molecular techniques. Between December 2008 and April 2009, blood samples were drawn from the cephalic vein of 91 dogs in the central-western region of Colombia (cities of Bogota, Villavicencio and Bucaramanga) and stored in tubes containing EDTA. These samples were used in 16S rRNA-Anaplasma spp. nPCR and the preparation of blood smears. One (1.1%) of the 91 sampled dogs showed inclusions suggestive of Anaplasmataceae agents in the cytoplasm of platelets. Based on PCR followed by sequencing and phylogenetic analysis, A. platys and Anaplasma sp. closed related to A. phagocytophilum were detected in two and one dog, respectively. Interestingly, all the samples were negative for specific msp-2-A. phagocytophilum real-time qPCR, suggesting the circulation of an Anaplasma species phylogenetically related to A. phagocytophilum in dogs in the aforementioned region. Hence, Anaplasma spp. circulates among dogs in Colombia, albeit with low frequency. To the best of authors' knowledge, this is the first molecular detection of Anaplasma spp. in dogs in Colombia.
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Parallelisms and Contrasts in the Diverse Ecologies of the Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Borrelia burgdorferi Complexes of Bacteria in the Far Western United States. Vet Sci 2016; 3:vetsci3040026. [PMID: 29056734 PMCID: PMC5606591 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci3040026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2016] [Revised: 09/03/2016] [Accepted: 09/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Borrelia burgdorferi are two tick-borne bacteria that cause disease in people and animals. For each of these bacteria, there is a complex of closely related genospecies and/or strains that are genetically distinct and have been shown through both observational and experimental studies to have different host tropisms. In this review we compare the known ecologies of these two bacterial complexes in the far western USA and find remarkable similarities, which will help us understand evolutionary histories and coadaptation among vertebrate host, tick vector, and bacteria. For both complexes, sensu stricto genospecies (those that infect humans) share a similar geographic range, are vectored mainly by ticks in the Ixodes ricinus-complex, utilize mainly white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) as a reservoir in the eastern USA and tree squirrels in the far west, and tend to be generalists, infecting a wider variety of vertebrate host species. Other sensu lato genospecies within each complex are generally more specialized, occurring often in local enzootic cycles within a narrow range of vertebrate hosts and specialized vector species. We suggest that these similar ecologies may have arisen through utilization of a generalist tick species as a vector, resulting in a potentially more virulent generalist pathogen that spills over into humans, vs. utilization of a specialized tick vector on a particular vertebrate host species, promoting microbe specialization. Such tight host-vector-pathogen coupling could also facilitate high enzootic prevalence and the evolution of host immune-tolerance and bacterial avirulence.
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Machado RZ, Teixeira MMG, Rodrigues AC, André MR, Gonçalves LR, Barbosa da Silva J, Pereira CL. Molecular diagnosis and genetic diversity of tick-borne Anaplasmataceae agents infecting the African buffalo Syncerus caffer from Marromeu Reserve in Mozambique. Parasit Vectors 2016; 9:454. [PMID: 27531003 PMCID: PMC4987998 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-016-1715-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2015] [Accepted: 11/19/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Tick-borne diseases (TBDs) are very important in relation to domestic ruminants, but their occurrence among wild ruminants, mainly in the African buffalo Syncerus caffer, remains little known. Methods Molecular diagnostic methods were applied to detect Anaplasma marginale, Anaplasma centrale, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Ehrlichia ruminantium and Ehrlichia chaffeensis in 97 blood samples of African buffalo captured at the Marromeu Reserve in Mozambique. Molecular detection of agents belonging to the family Anaplasmataceae were based on conventional and qPCR assays based on msp5, groEL, 16S rRNA, msp2, pCS20 and vlpt genes. Phylogenetic reconstruction of new Anaplasma isolates detected in African buffalo was evaluated based on msp5, groEL and 16S rRNA genes. Results All the animals evaluated were negative for specific PCR assays for A. phagocytophilum, E. ruminantium and E. chaffeensis, but 70 animals were positive for A. marginale, showing 2.69 × 100 up to 2.00 × 105msp1β copies/μl. This result overcomes the conventional PCR for A. marginale based on msp5 gene that detected only 65 positive samples. Sequencing and phylogenetic analyses were performed for selected positive samples based on the genes msp5, groEL and 16S rRNA. Trees inferred using different methods separated the 29 msp5 sequences from buffalo in two distinct groups, assigned to A. centrale and A. marginale. The groEL sequences determined for African buffalo samples revealed to be more heterogeneous and inferred trees could not assign them to any species of Anaplasma despite being more related to A. marginale and A. centrale. The highly conserved 16S rRNA gene sequences suggested a close relationship of the new 16 sequences with A. centrale/A. marginale, A. platys and A. phagocytophilum. Conclusions Our analysis suggests that different species of Anaplasma are simultaneously present in the African buffalo. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that diagnosed Anaplasma spp. in the African buffalo and inferred the taxonomic status of new isolates with different gene sequences. The small fragment of msp5 sequences revealed to be a good target for phylogenetic positioning of new Anaplasma spp. isolates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosangela Zacarias Machado
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, School of Agrarian and Veterinary Sciences (FCAV/UNESP), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil.
| | | | | | - Marcos Rogério André
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, School of Agrarian and Veterinary Sciences (FCAV/UNESP), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - Luiz Ricardo Gonçalves
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, School of Agrarian and Veterinary Sciences (FCAV/UNESP), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - Jenevaldo Barbosa da Silva
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, School of Agrarian and Veterinary Sciences (FCAV/UNESP), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
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Slowik TJ. Microhabitat and House Use by Dusky-Footed Woodrats (Neotoma fuscipes) in Northwestern California: Insight from Trapping Data. WEST N AM NATURALIST 2015. [DOI: 10.3398/064.075.0317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Dugat T, Lagrée AC, Maillard R, Boulouis HJ, Haddad N. Opening the black box of Anaplasma phagocytophilum diversity: current situation and future perspectives. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2015; 5:61. [PMID: 26322277 PMCID: PMC4536383 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2015.00061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2015] [Accepted: 07/31/2015] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Anaplasma phagocytophilum is a zoonotic obligate intracellular bacterium known to be transmitted by ticks belonging to the Ixodes persulcatus complex. This bacterium can infect several mammalian species, and is known to cause diseases with variable symptoms in many domestic animals. Specifically, it is the causative agent of tick-borne fever (TBF), a disease of important economic impact in European domestic ruminants, and human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA), an emerging zoonotic disease in Asia, USA and Europe. A. phagocytophilum epidemiological cycles are complex and involve different ecotypes, vectors, and mammalian host species. Moreover, the epidemiology of A. phagocytophilum infection differs greatly between Europe and the USA. These different epidemiological contexts are associated with considerable variations in bacterial strains. Until recently, few A. phagocytophilum molecular typing tools were available, generating difficulties in completely elucidating the epidemiological cycles of this bacterium. Over the last few years, many A. phagocytophilum typing techniques have been developed, permitting in-depth epidemiological exploration. Here, we review the current knowledge and future perspectives regarding A. phagocytophilum epidemiology and phylogeny, and then focus on the molecular typing tools available for studying A. phagocytophilum genetic diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thibaud Dugat
- Laboratoire de Santé Animale, UMR Biologie Moléculaire et Immunologie Parasitaires, Agence Nationale de Sécurité Sanitaire de L'alimentation, de L'environnement et du Travail, Université Paris-Est Paris, France
| | - Anne-Claire Lagrée
- UMR Biologie Moléculaire et Immunologie Parasitaires, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, Université Paris-Est Paris, France
| | - Renaud Maillard
- UMR Biologie Moléculaire et Immunologie Parasitaires, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, Université Paris-Est Paris, France ; Unité Pathologie des Ruminants, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse Toulouse, France
| | - Henri-Jean Boulouis
- UMR Biologie Moléculaire et Immunologie Parasitaires, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, Université Paris-Est Paris, France
| | - Nadia Haddad
- UMR Biologie Moléculaire et Immunologie Parasitaires, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, Université Paris-Est Paris, France
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André MR, Herrera HM, Fernandes SDJ, de Sousa KCM, Gonçalves LR, Domingos IH, de Macedo GC, Machado RZ. Tick-borne agents in domesticated and stray cats from the city of Campo Grande, state of Mato Grosso do Sul, midwestern Brazil. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2015; 6:779-86. [PMID: 26187416 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2015.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2015] [Revised: 07/03/2015] [Accepted: 07/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Anaplasmataceae agents, piroplasmids and Hepatozoon spp. have emerged as important pathogens among domestic and wild felines. The present work aimed to detect the presence of species belonging to the Anaplasmataceae family, piroplasmas and Hepatozoon spp. DNA in blood samples of domesticated and stray cats in the city of Campo Grande, state of Mato Grosso do Sul, midwestern Brazil. Between January and April 2013, whole blood samples were collected from 151 cats (54 males, 95 females and two without gender registration) in the city of Campo Grande, state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. DNA extracted from cat blood samples was submitted to conventional PCR assays for Theileria/Babesia/Cytauxzoon spp. (18S rRNA, ITS-1), Ehrlichia spp. (16S rRNA, dsb, groESL), Anaplasma spp. (16S rRNA, groESL) and Hepatozoon spp. (18S rRNA) followed by phylogenetic reconstructions. Out of 151 sampled cats, 13 (8.5%) were positive for Ehrlichia spp. closely related to Ehrlichia canis, 1 (0.66%) for Hepatozoon spp. closely related to Hepatozoon americanum and Hepatozoon spp. isolate from a wild felid, 1 (0.66%) for Cytauxzoon sp. closely related do Cytauxzoon felis, and 18 (11.9%) for Babesia/Theileria (one sequence was closely related to Babesia bigemina, eight for Babesia vogeli, five to Theileria spp. from ruminants [Theileria ovis, Theileria lestoquardi] and four to Theileria sp. recently detected in a cat). The present study showed that Ehrlichia spp., piroplasmids (B. vogeli, Theileria spp. and Cytauxzoon spp.) and, more rarely, Hepatozoon spp. circulate among stray and domesticated cats in the city of Campo Grande, state of Mato Grosso do Sul, midwestern Brazil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcos Rogério André
- Laboratório de Imunoparasitologia, Departamento de Patologia Veterinária, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias/Universidade Estadual Paulista (FCAV/UNESP), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil.
| | | | - Simone de Jesus Fernandes
- Laboratório de Imunoparasitologia, Departamento de Patologia Veterinária, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias/Universidade Estadual Paulista (FCAV/UNESP), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - Keyla Cartens Marques de Sousa
- Laboratório de Imunoparasitologia, Departamento de Patologia Veterinária, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias/Universidade Estadual Paulista (FCAV/UNESP), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - Luiz Ricardo Gonçalves
- Laboratório de Imunoparasitologia, Departamento de Patologia Veterinária, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias/Universidade Estadual Paulista (FCAV/UNESP), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | | | | | - Rosangela Zacarias Machado
- Laboratório de Imunoparasitologia, Departamento de Patologia Veterinária, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias/Universidade Estadual Paulista (FCAV/UNESP), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
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PARASITE PREVALENCE AND COMMUNITY DIVERSITY IN SYMPATRIC AND ALLOPATRIC POPULATIONS OF TWO WOODRAT SPECIES (SIGMODONTINAE:NEOTOMA) IN CENTRAL CALIFORNIA. J Wildl Dis 2015; 51:419-30. [DOI: 10.7589/2014-04-099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Lee S, Kakumanu ML, Ponnusamy L, Vaughn M, Funkhouser S, Thornton H, Meshnick SR, Apperson CS. Prevalence of Rickettsiales in ticks removed from the skin of outdoor workers in North Carolina. Parasit Vectors 2014; 7:607. [PMID: 25533148 PMCID: PMC4301950 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-014-0607-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2014] [Accepted: 12/16/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Tick-transmitted rickettsial diseases, such as ehrlichiosis and spotted fever rickettsiosis, are significant sources of morbidity and mortality in the southern United States. Because of their exposure in tick-infested woodlands, outdoor workers experience an increased risk of infection with tick-borne pathogens. As part of a double blind randomized-controlled field trial of the effectiveness of permethrin-treated clothing in preventing tick bites, we identified tick species removed from the skin of outdoor workers in North Carolina and tested the ticks for Rickettsiales pathogens. Methods Ticks submitted by study participants from April-September 2011 and 2012 were identified to species and life stage, and preliminarily screened for the genus Rickettsia by nested PCR targeting the 17-kDa protein gene. Rickettsia were further identified to species by PCR amplification of 23S-5S intergenic spacer (IGS) fragments combined with reverse line blot hybridization with species-specific probes and through cloning and nucleotide sequence analysis of 23S-5S amplicons. Ticks were examined for Ehrlichia and Anaplasma by nested PCR directed at the gltA, antigen-expressing gene containing a variable number of tandem repeats, 16S rRNA, and groESL genes. Results The lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum) accounted for 95.0 and 92.9% of ticks submitted in 2011 (n = 423) and 2012 (n = 451), respectively. Specimens of American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis), Gulf Coast tick (Amblyomma maculatum) and black-legged tick (Ixodes scapularis) were also identified. In both years of our study, 60.9% of ticks tested positive for 17-kDa. “Candidatus Rickettsia amblyommii”, identified in all four tick species, accounted for 90.2% (416/461) of the 23S-5S-positive samples and 52.9% (416/787) of all samples tested. Nucleotide sequence analysis of Rickettsia-specific 23S-5S IGS, ompA and gltA gene fragments indicated that ticks, principally A. americanum, contained novel species of Rickettsia. Other Rickettsiales, including Ehrlichia ewingii, E. chaffeensis, Ehrlichia sp. (Panola Mountain), and Anaplasma phagocytophilum, were infrequently identified, principally in A. americanum. Conclusions We conclude that in North Carolina, the most common rickettsial exposure is to R. amblyommii carried by A. americanum. Other Rickettsiales bacteria, including novel species of Rickettsia, were less frequently detected in A. americanum but are relevant to public health nevertheless. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13071-014-0607-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sangmi Lee
- Department of Entomology, North Carolina State University, Campus Box 7647, Raleigh, NC, 27695-7647, USA. .,Present address: National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
| | - Madhavi L Kakumanu
- Department of Entomology, North Carolina State University, Campus Box 7647, Raleigh, NC, 27695-7647, USA.
| | - Loganathan Ponnusamy
- Department of Entomology, North Carolina State University, Campus Box 7647, Raleigh, NC, 27695-7647, USA.
| | - Meagan Vaughn
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
| | - Sheana Funkhouser
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
| | - Haley Thornton
- Department of Entomology, North Carolina State University, Campus Box 7647, Raleigh, NC, 27695-7647, USA.
| | - Steven R Meshnick
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
| | - Charles S Apperson
- Department of Entomology, North Carolina State University, Campus Box 7647, Raleigh, NC, 27695-7647, USA.
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Blaňarová L, Stanko M, Carpi G, Miklisová D, Víchová B, Mošanský L, Bona M, Derdáková M. Distinct Anaplasma phagocytophilum genotypes associated with Ixodes trianguliceps ticks and rodents in Central Europe. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2014; 5:928-38. [PMID: 25129860 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2014.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2014] [Revised: 07/01/2014] [Accepted: 07/15/2014] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Rodents are important reservoir hosts of tick-borne pathogens. Anaplasma phagocytophilum is the causative agent of granulocytic anaplasmosis of both medical and veterinary importance. In Europe, this pathogen is primarily transmitted by the Ixodes ricinus tick among a wide range of vertebrate hosts. However, to what degree A. phagocytophilum exhibits host specificity and vector association is poorly understood. To assess the extent of vector association of this pathogen and to clarify its ecology in Central Europe we have analyzed and compared the genetic variability of A. phagocytophilum strains from questing and feeding I. ricinus and Ixodes trianguliceps ticks, as well as from rodent' tissue samples. Tick collection and rodent trapping were performed during a 2-year study (2011-2012) in ecologically contrasting setting at four sites in Eastern Slovakia. Genetic variability of this pathogen was studied from the collected samples by DNA amplification and sequencing of four loci followed by Bayesian phylogenetic analyses. A. phagocytophilum was detected in questing I. ricinus ticks (0.7%) from all studied sites and in host feeding I. trianguliceps ticks (15.2%), as well as in rodent biopsies (ear - 1.6%, spleen - 2.2%), whereas A. phagocytophilum was not detected in rodents from those sites where I. trianguliceps ticks were absent. Moreover, Bayesian phylogenetic analyses have shown the presence of two distinct clades, and tree topologies were concordant for all four investigated loci. Importantly, the first clade contained A. phagocytophilum genotypes from questing I. ricinus and feeding I. ricinus from a broad array of hosts (i.e.,: humans, ungulates, birds and dogs). The second clade comprised solely genotypes found in rodents and feeding I. trianguliceps. In this study we have confirmed that A. phagocytophilum strains display specific host and vector associations also in Central Europe similarly to A. phagocytophilum' molecular ecology in United Kingdom. This study suggests that A. phagocytophilum genotypes associated with rodents are probably transmitted solely by I. trianguliceps ticks, thus implying that rodent-associated A. phagocytophilum strains may not pose a risk for humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Blaňarová
- Institute of Parasitology SAS, Hlinkova 3, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia.
| | - Michal Stanko
- Institute of Parasitology SAS, Hlinkova 3, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia; Institute of Zoology SAS, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 06 Bratislava, Slovakia.
| | - Giovanna Carpi
- Fondazione Edmund Mach, Trento, Italy; Yale School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, 60 College Street, New Haven, USA.
| | - Dana Miklisová
- Institute of Parasitology SAS, Hlinkova 3, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia.
| | | | | | - Martin Bona
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine UPJS, Šrobárová 2, 041 80 Košice, Slovakia.
| | - Markéta Derdáková
- Institute of Parasitology SAS, Hlinkova 3, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia; Institute of Zoology SAS, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 06 Bratislava, Slovakia.
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24
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Keesing F, McHenry DJ, Hersh M, Tibbetts M, Brunner JL, Killilea M, LoGiudice K, Schmidt KA, Ostfeld RS. Prevalence of human-active and variant 1 strains of the tick-borne pathogen Anaplasma phagocytophilum in hosts and forests of eastern North America. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2014; 91:302-9. [PMID: 24865688 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.13-0525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Anaplasmosis is an emerging infectious disease caused by infection with the bacterium Anaplasma phagocytophilum. In the eastern United States, A. phagocytophilum is transmitted to hosts through the bite of the blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis. We determined the realized reservoir competence of 14 species of common vertebrate hosts for ticks by establishing the probability that each species transmits two important strains of A. phagocytophilum (A. phagocytophilum human-active, which causes human cases, and A. phagocytophilum variant 1, which does not) to feeding larval ticks. We also sampled questing nymphal ticks from ∼ 150 sites in a single county over 2 years and sampled over 6 years at one location. White-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) and Eastern chipmunks (Tamias striatus) were the most competent reservoirs for infection with the A. phagocytophilum human-active strain. Across the county, prevalence in ticks for both strains together was 8.3%; ticks were more than two times as likely to be infected with A. phagocytophilum human-active as A. phagocytophilum variant 1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felicia Keesing
- Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York; Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, New York; Washington State University, Pullman, Washington; New York University, New York, New York; Union College, Schenectady, New York; Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas; Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, New York
| | - Diana J McHenry
- Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York; Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, New York; Washington State University, Pullman, Washington; New York University, New York, New York; Union College, Schenectady, New York; Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas; Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, New York
| | - Michelle Hersh
- Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York; Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, New York; Washington State University, Pullman, Washington; New York University, New York, New York; Union College, Schenectady, New York; Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas; Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, New York
| | - Michael Tibbetts
- Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York; Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, New York; Washington State University, Pullman, Washington; New York University, New York, New York; Union College, Schenectady, New York; Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas; Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, New York
| | - Jesse L Brunner
- Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York; Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, New York; Washington State University, Pullman, Washington; New York University, New York, New York; Union College, Schenectady, New York; Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas; Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, New York
| | - Mary Killilea
- Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York; Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, New York; Washington State University, Pullman, Washington; New York University, New York, New York; Union College, Schenectady, New York; Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas; Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, New York
| | - Kathleen LoGiudice
- Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York; Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, New York; Washington State University, Pullman, Washington; New York University, New York, New York; Union College, Schenectady, New York; Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas; Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, New York
| | - Kenneth A Schmidt
- Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York; Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, New York; Washington State University, Pullman, Washington; New York University, New York, New York; Union College, Schenectady, New York; Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas; Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, New York
| | - Richard S Ostfeld
- Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York; Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, New York; Washington State University, Pullman, Washington; New York University, New York, New York; Union College, Schenectady, New York; Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas; Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, New York
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Rejmanek D, Freycon P, Bradburd G, Dinstell J, Foley J. Unique strains of Anaplasma phagocytophilum segregate among diverse questing and non-questing Ixodes tick species in the western United States. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2013; 4:482-7. [PMID: 23994335 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2013.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2013] [Revised: 06/24/2013] [Accepted: 06/25/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The emerging tick-borne pathogen Anaplasma phagocytophilum infects humans, domestic animals, and wildlife throughout the Holarctic. In the western US, the ecology of A. phagocytophilum is particularly complex, with multiple pathogen strains, tick vectors, and reservoir hosts. A recent phylogenetic analysis of A. phagocytophilum strains isolated from various small mammal hosts in California documented distinct clustering of woodrat strains separate from sciurid (chipmunk and squirrel) strains. Here, we identified strains of A. phagocytophilum in various Ixodes tick species in California and related these genotypes to those found among reservoir and clinical hosts from the same areas. The sequences from all of the nidicolous (nest-dwelling) Ixodes ticks grouped within a clade that also contained all of the woodrat-origin A. phagocytophilum strains. Two of the I. pacificus sequences were also grouped within this woodrat clade, while the remaining five belonged to a less genetically diverse clade that included several sciurid-origin strains as well as a dog, a horse, and a human strain. By comparing A. phagocytophilum strains from multiple sources concurrently, we were able to gain a clearer picture of how A. phagocytophilum strains in the western US are partitioned, which hosts and vectors are most likely to be infected with a particular strain, and which tick species and reservoir hosts pose the greatest health risk to humans and domestic animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Rejmanek
- Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
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26
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Stuen S, Granquist EG, Silaghi C. Anaplasma phagocytophilum--a widespread multi-host pathogen with highly adaptive strategies. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2013; 3:31. [PMID: 23885337 PMCID: PMC3717505 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2013.00031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 354] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2013] [Accepted: 06/30/2013] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The bacterium Anaplasma phagocytophilum has for decades been known to cause the disease tick-borne fever (TBF) in domestic ruminants in Ixodes ricinus-infested areas in northern Europe. In recent years, the bacterium has been found associated with Ixodes-tick species more or less worldwide on the northern hemisphere. A. phagocytophilum has a broad host range and may cause severe disease in several mammalian species, including humans. However, the clinical symptoms vary from subclinical to fatal conditions, and considerable underreporting of clinical incidents is suspected in both human and veterinary medicine. Several variants of A. phagocytophilum have been genetically characterized. Identification and stratification into phylogenetic subfamilies has been based on cell culturing, experimental infections, PCR, and sequencing techniques. However, few genome sequences have been completed so far, thus observations on biological, ecological, and pathological differences between genotypes of the bacterium, have yet to be elucidated by molecular and experimental infection studies. The natural transmission cycles of various A. phagocytophilum variants, the involvement of their respective hosts and vectors involved, in particular the zoonotic potential, have to be unraveled. A. phagocytophilum is able to persist between seasons of tick activity in several mammalian species and movement of hosts and infected ticks on migrating animals or birds may spread the bacterium. In the present review, we focus on the ecology and epidemiology of A. phagocytophilum, especially the role of wildlife in contribution to the spread and sustainability of the infection in domestic livestock and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Snorre Stuen
- Department of Production Animal Clinical Sciences, Norwegian School of Veterinary Science Sandnes, Norway.
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27
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Rejmanek D, Foley P, Barbet A, Foley J. Antigen variability in Anaplasma phagocytophilum during chronic infection of a reservoir host. MICROBIOLOGY-SGM 2012; 158:2632-2641. [PMID: 22859615 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.059808-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Anaplasma phagocytophilum is an obligately intracellular, tick-transmitted, bacterial pathogen of humans and other animals. In order to evade host immunity during the course of infection, A. phagocytophilum utilizes gene conversion to shuffle approximately 100 functional pseudogenes into a single expression cassette of the msp2(p44) gene, which encodes the major surface antigen, major surface protein 2 (Msp2). The role and extent of msp2(p44) recombination in a reservoir host for A. phagocytophilum have not been evaluated. In the current study, we explored patterns of recombination and expression site variability of the msp2(p44) gene in three chronically infected woodrats, a reservoir for the disease in the Western USA. All three woodrats developed persistent infection of at least 6 months duration; two of them maintained active infection for at least 8 months. In total, we detected the emergence of 60 unique msp2(p44) expression site variants with no common temporal patterns of expression site recombination among the three A. phagocytophilum populations. Both the strength of infection (i.e. pathogen load) and the genetic diversity of pseudogenes detected at the msp2(p44) expression site fluctuated periodically during the course of infection. An analysis of the genomic pseudogene exhaustion rate showed that the repertoire of pseudogenes available to the A. phagocytophilum population could in theory become depleted within a year. However, the apparent emergence of variant pseudogenes suggests that the pathogen could potentially evade host immunity indefinitely. Our findings suggest a tightly co-evolved relationship between A. phagocytophilum and woodrats in which the pathogen perpetually evades host immunity yet causes no detectable disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Rejmanek
- University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Patrick Foley
- California State University Department of Biological Sciences, Sacramento, CA 95819, USA
| | - Anthony Barbet
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Janet Foley
- University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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28
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André MR, Dumler JS, Scorpio DG, Teixeira RHF, Allegretti SM, Machado RZ. Molecular detection of tick-borne bacterial agents in Brazilian and exotic captive carnivores. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2012; 3:247-53. [PMID: 22749737 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2012.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2011] [Revised: 04/19/2012] [Accepted: 04/24/2012] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The present study aims to detect and characterize by molecular techniques, the presence of tick-borne pathogens in wild captive carnivore blood samples from Brazil. Blood was collected from 76 Brazilian felids, 23 exotic felids, 3 European wolves (Canis lupus), and 97 Brazilian canids maintained in captivity in zoos located in São Paulo and Mato Grosso states, Brazil. DNA of each sample was used in PCR reactions for Ehrlichia, Anaplasma, and Rickettsia identification. The blood from 10/100 (10%) of canids (1 European wolf, 3 bush dogs, and 6 crab-eating foxes) and from 21/99 (21%) felids (4 pumas, 6 little spotted cats, 4 ocelots, 3 jaguarundis, 1 tiger, and 3 lions) contained fragments of 16S rRNA gene of Ehrlichia spp. Fragments of Anaplasma spp. groESL and 16S rRNA genes were detected in the blood of 1/100 (1%) canids (1 bush dog) and in 4/99 (3%) felids (4 little spotted cats), respectively. Rickettsia species infections were not identified. The present work showed that new strains of Ehrlichia and Anaplasma spp. circulate among wild carnivores in Brazil.
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Affiliation(s)
- M R André
- Departamento de Patologia Veterinária, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias (FCAV), Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), 14884-900 Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
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29
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Clark KL. Anaplasma phagocytophilum in small mammals and ticks in northeast Florida. JOURNAL OF VECTOR ECOLOGY : JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR VECTOR ECOLOGY 2012; 37:262-8. [PMID: 22548563 DOI: 10.1111/j.1948-7134.2012.00226.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Human anaplasmosis is an emerging tick-borne disease in the United States, but few studies of the causative agent, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, have been conducted in southeastern states. The aim of this study was to determine if A. phagocytophilum is present in small mammals and ticks in northeast Florida. Polymerase chain reaction assays designed to amplify portions of the major surface protein 2 gene (p44), 16S rDNA, and groESL operons were used to test rodent blood and tick DNA samples for the presence of A. phagocytophilum. Positive samples were confirmed by DNA sequence analysis. Anaplasma phagocytophilum DNA was detected in less than 5% of cotton mice and 45% of cotton rats from two sites in northeast Florida. Anaplasma phagocytophilum DNA was also confirmed in 1.3% of host-seeking adult Ixodes scapularis tested and 2.7% of host-seeking adult Amblyomma americanum. This report describes the first DNA sequence data confirming strains of A. phagocytophilum in rodents and ticks in Florida. The DNA sequences of the msp2, 16S rDNA, and groESL gene fragments obtained in this study were highly similar to reference strains of human pathogenic strains of A. phagocytophilum. These findings suggest that A. phagocytophilum is present and established among some small mammal species in northeast Florida. Although the infection prevalence was low in the total number of ticks tested, the presence of A. phagocytophilum in two human biting tick species, one of which is a known competent vector, suggests that humans in this region may be at risk of granulocytic anaplasmosis caused by this pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerry L Clark
- Department of Public Health, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA.
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30
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Sacchi ABV, Duarte JMB, André MR, Machado RZ. Prevalence and molecular characterization of Anaplasmataceae agents in free-ranging Brazilian marsh deer (Blastocerus dichotomus). Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis 2012; 35:325-34. [PMID: 22381686 DOI: 10.1016/j.cimid.2012.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2011] [Revised: 01/30/2012] [Accepted: 02/02/2012] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Anaplasmataceae organisms comprise a group of obligate intracellular gram-negative, tick-borne bacteria that can infect both animals and humans. In the present work we investigate the presence of Ehrlichia, Anaplasma, and Neorickettsia species in blood samples from Brazilian marsh deer (Blastocerus dichotomus), using both molecular and serologic techniques. Blood was collected from 143 deer captured along floodplains of the Paraná River, near the Porto Primavera hydroelectric power plant. Before and after flooding, marsh deer were captured for a wide range research program under the financial support of São Paulo State Energy Company (CESP), between 1998 and 2001. Samples were divided into four groups according to time and location of capture and named MS01 (n=99), MS02 (n=18) (Mato Grosso do Sul, before and after flooding, respectively), PX (n=9; Peixe River, after flooding), and AGUA (n=17; Aguapeí River, after flooding). The seroprevalences for Ehrlichia chaffeensis and Anaplasma phagocytophilum were 76.76% and 20.2% in MS01, 88.88% and 5.55% in MS02, 88.88% and 22.22% in PX, and 94.12% and 5.88% in AGUA, respectively. Sixty-one animals (42.65% of the total population) were PCR-positive for E. chaffeensis PCR (100.0% identity based on 16S rRNA, dsb, and groESL genes). Seventy deer (48.95% of the total population) were PCR-positive for Anaplasma spp. (99.0% of identity with A. platys, and in the same clade as A. phagocytophilum, A. bovis, and A. platys based on 16S rRNA phylogenetic analysis). Our results demonstrate that Brazilian marsh deer are exposed to E. chaffeensis and Anaplasma spp. and may act as reservoirs for these rickettsial agents, playing a role in disease transmission to humans and other animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- A B V Sacchi
- Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
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31
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Lane RS, Mun J, Peribáñez MA, Fedorova N. Differences in prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi and Anaplasma spp. infection among host-seeking Dermacentor occidentalis, Ixodes pacificus, and Ornithodoros coriaceus ticks in northwestern California. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2011; 1:159-67. [PMID: 21359090 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2010.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies revealed that the Pacific Coast tick (Dermacentor occidentalis) is infected occasionally with the agents of Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi) or human granulocytic anaplasmosis (Anaplasma phagocytophilum) and that it is an inefficient experimental vector of B. burgdorferi. The relationship of the pajahuello tick (Ornithodoros coriaceus) to each of these bacterial zoonotic agents has not been reported. The primary bridging vector of both bacterial zoonotic agents to humans is the western black-legged tick (Ixodes pacificus). Because of the spatial and temporal overlap of D. occidentalis and O. coriaceus populations with those of I. pacificus in natural foci of B. burgdorferi and A. phagocytophilum in northwestern California, we conducted field and laboratory studies to determine if the Pacific Coast tick or the pajahuello tick potentially may serve as secondary vectors of either bacterium. Our findings reconfirmed that wild-caught D. occidentalis ticks are infected infrequently with B. burgdorferi or A. phagocytophilum, but some adult ticks from dense woodlands or chaparral were found to contain 2 important veterinary pathogens for the first time (Anaplasma bovis, A. ovis). The high prevalence of A. bovis infection (4.3%, n=185 ticks) within chaparral-derived ticks suggests that D. occidentalis could be an efficient vector of this rickettsia. Experimental attempts to transmit borreliae or Anaplasma spp. that may have been present in >100 wild-caught D. occidentalis adults to naïve rabbits were unsuccessful. Anaplasma spp. were not detected in O. coriaceus, but one (4.3%) of 23 nymphs was infected with B. bissettii. This finding and an antecedent report of a B. burgdorferi-like spirochete from the same tick species demonstrate that O. coriaceus sometimes acquires and transstadially passes Lyme disease group spirochetes. I. pacificus nymphs inhabiting a woodland nidus of B. burgdorferi and A. phagocytophilum had a 5-fold higher prevalence of borreliae than adult ticks from the same generational cohort. In contrast to the results of preceding studies carried out at the same site, none of the nymphal or adult ticks was PCR-positive for A. phagocytophilum. This suggests that the distribution of this rickettsia is highly focal or variable from year-to-year within this particular woodland.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert S Lane
- Dept. of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA.
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32
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Foley J, Rejmanek D, Fleer K, Nieto N. Nidicolous ticks of small mammals in Anaplasma phagocytophilum-enzootic sites in northern California. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2011; 2:75-80. [PMID: 21686062 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2011.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Ixodes spp. tick-borne zoonotic diseases are present across the Holarctic in humans, domestic animals, and wildlife. Small mammals are reservoirs for the rickettsial pathogen Anaplasma phagocytophilum and tick vectors may include catholic-feeding bridge vectors as well as host-specialist or nidicolous ticks. Far western North American communities in which A. phagocytophilum is maintained are complex ecologically, with multiple reservoir host and tick species, multiple strains of the bacterial pathogen A. phagocytophilum and differences in dynamics of hosts and vectors across heterogeneous landscapes. We evaluated sites in northern California in order to identify primarily nidicolous ticks and the hosts they infest. A total of 667 ticks was found in 11 study sites, including 288 on flags and 379 attached to small mammals. Larvae were over-represented among attached ticks and adults on flags. The most abundant species was I. pacificus. Two-hundred fourteen nidicolous ticks were found, most abundantly I. angustus and I. spinipalpis. All adult I. ochotonae, I. auritulus, I. angustus, I. jellisoni, and I. woodi were female, while the male:female ratio of I. spinipalpis was 1.2:1 and 1:1 for I. pacificus. The greatest number of ticks was obtained from Tamias ochrogenys, Peromyscus spp., and Neotoma fuscipes. Of 234 small mammal individuals that were infested with Ixodes spp., only 81 (34.6%) were infested with I. pacificus. The remaining infested small mammals hosted nidicolous tick species. Eight ticks were PCR-positive, including 6 I. pacificus (one adult, one larva, and 6 nymphs), and 2 adult I. ochotonae and high PCR prevalences of 18% and 9% were detected in woodrats and chipmunks, respectively. Nymphal I. angustus ticks were active year-long with a possible increase in August while larval activity was only observed in December and spring months and adults only during spring and fall. Overall, we show high tick species richness and year-round high levels of infestation on rodents by several different nidicolous ticks in areas where A. phagocytophilum is enzootic, including on reported reservoir species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janet Foley
- University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, Dept. of Medicine and Epidemiology, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
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Foley JE, Nieto NC. The ecology of tick-transmitted infections in the redwood chipmunk (Tamias ochrogenys). Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2011; 2:88-93. [PMID: 21643481 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2010.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
The redwood chipmunk contributes to the maintenance of tick-borne diseases in northern California. The range of redwood chipmunks overlaps that of western black-legged ticks and tick-borne disease, including granulocytic anaplasmosis and Lyme borreliosis. Chipmunks have high Anaplasma phagocytophilum PCR- and seroprevalence, are infested with a diversity of Ixodes spp. ticks, and are reservoir competent for Borrelia burgdorferi. We hypothesized that chipmunks could maintain tick-borne disease on the forest floor while also potentially bridging infection to arboreal sciurids as well. We used radio-telemetry to evaluate chipmunk movement and use of trees, characterized burrows, described prevalence of tick-borne disease, and identified ticks on these chipmunks. A total of 192 chipmunks from Hendy Woods, Mendocino County, California, USA, was evaluated between November 2005 and April 2009. The mean density was 2.26-5.8 chipmunks/ha. The longest detected life span was 3 years. Female weights ranged from 80-120 g and males from 80-180 g. The A. phagocytophilum and Borrelia spp. seroprevalence was 21.4% and 24.7%, respectively, and PCR prevalence for these pathogens was 10.6% and 0%, respectively. Ixodes spp. ticks included I. angustus, I. ochotonae, I. pacificus, and I. spinipalpis. The mean infestation level was 0.92 ticks/chipmunk. Based on telemetry of 11 chipmunks, the greatest distance traveled ranged from 0.14-0.63 km for females and 0.1-1.26 km for males. Areas occupied by chipmunks ranged from 0.005-0.24 km(2) for females and 0.006-0.73 km(2) for males. On 3 occasions, chipmunks were found in trees. Burrows were identified under a moss-covered redwood log, deep under a live redwood tree, under a Douglas fir log, in a clump of huckleberry, in a root collection from an overturned Douglas fir tree, and in a cluster of exposed huckleberry roots. The biology of the redwood chipmunk has multiple features that allow it to be an important reservoir host for tick-borne disease in northwestern California.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janet E Foley
- University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
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Rar V, Golovljova I. Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, and “Candidatus Neoehrlichia” bacteria: Pathogenicity, biodiversity, and molecular genetic characteristics, a review. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2011; 11:1842-61. [DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2011.09.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 182] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2011] [Revised: 09/23/2011] [Accepted: 09/23/2011] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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Rejmanek D, Foley P, Barbet A, Foley J. Evolution of antigen variation in the tick-borne pathogen Anaplasma phagocytophilum. Mol Biol Evol 2011; 29:391-400. [PMID: 21965342 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msr229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Anaplasma phagocytophilum is an obligately intracellular tick-transmitted bacterial pathogen of humans and other animals. During the course of infection, A. phagocytophilum utilizes gene conversion to shuffle ∼100 functional pseudogenes into a single expression cassette of the msp2(p44) gene, which codes for the major surface antigen and major surface protein 2 (MSP2). The role and extent of msp2(p44) recombination, particularly in hosts that only experience acute infections, is not clear. In the present study, we explored patterns of recombination and expression of the msp2(p44) gene of A. phagocytophilum in a serially infected mouse model. Even though the bacterium was passed rapidly among mice, minimizing the opportunities for the host to develop adaptive immunity, we detected the emergence of 34 unique msp2(p44) expression cassette variants. The expression of msp2(p44) pseudogenes did not follow a consistent pattern among different groups of mice, although some pseudogenes were expressed more frequently than others. In addition, among 263 expressed pseudogenes, 3 mosaic sequences each consisting of 2 different pseudogenes were identified. Population genetic analysis showed that genetic diversity and subpopulation differentiation tended to increase over time until stationarity was reached but that the variance that was observed in allele (expressed pseudogene) frequency could occur by drift alone only if a high variance in bacterial reproduction could be assumed. These findings suggest that evolutionary forces influencing antigen variation in A. phagocytophilum may comprise random genetic drift as well as some innate but apparently nonpurifying selection prior to the strong frequency-dependent selection that occurs cyclically after hosts develop strong adaptive immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Rejmanek
- Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
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Carrade D, Foley J, Sullivan M, Foley CW, Sykes JE. Spatial distribution of seroprevalence for Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Borrelia burgdorferi, Ehrlichia canis, and Dirofilaria immitis in dogs in Washington, Oregon, and California. Vet Clin Pathol 2011; 40:293-302. [PMID: 21827514 DOI: 10.1111/j.1939-165x.2011.00334.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In the US little spatially defined information regarding exposure to most vector-borne pathogens in dogs is available for the states of California (CA), Oregon (OR), and Washington (WA). OBJECTIVES The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the spatial distribution of seroprevalence for 4 vector-borne pathogens, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Borrelia burgdorferi, Ehrlichia canis, and Dirofilaria immitis, across the 3 western coastal states of the contiguous United States that extend from the northern Mexican to the southern Canadian border. METHODS A convenience sample, targeting blood from 20 pet dogs per county across CA, OR, and WA, was evaluated using a canine point-of-care ELISA kit. Geographic coordinates of home zip code were displayed using a geographic information system. A total of 2431 dogs from CA, OR, and WA were tested. RESULTS The overall seroprevalence was highest for A. phagocytophilum (2.4%), followed by B. burgdorferi (1.2%), and E. canis (0.7%). The prevalence of infection with D. immitis was 0.7%. At the individual dog level, there was a significant association between seropositivity to B. burgdorferi and A. phagocytophilum (odds ratio=18.7, 95% confidence interval=6.8-47.1). For most positive results, prevalence tended to decrease with increasing latitude; thus, the highest rates of seropositivity occurred in CA, followed by OR, and then WA; one exception was seropositivity for B. burgdorferi, which was higher in WA (0.38%) than in OR (0.15%), but considerably lower than in CA (2.00%). In WA, dogs that tested positive for A. phagocytophilum, E. canis, and B. burgdorferi were in the southern Puget Sound area. For D. immitis, none of the dogs in WA was positive. CONCLUSIONS Seropositivity for vector-borne pathogens is broadly but patchily distributed in dogs in CA, OR, and WA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle Carrade
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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Kang JG, Ko S, Kim YJ, Yang HJ, Lee H, Shin NS, Choi KS, Chae JS. New Genetic Variants ofAnaplasma phagocytophilumandAnaplasma bovisfrom Korean Water Deer (Hydropotes inermis argyropus). Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2011; 11:929-38. [DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2010.0214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jun-gu Kang
- Laboratory of Veterinary Internal Medicine, Research Institute and BK21 Program for Veterinary Science and College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Sungjin Ko
- Laboratory of Veterinary Internal Medicine, Research Institute and BK21 Program for Veterinary Science and College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Young-Jun Kim
- Conservation Genome Resource Bank for Korean Wildlife, Research Institute and BK21 Program for Veterinary Science and College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Hyo-Jin Yang
- Conservation Genome Resource Bank for Korean Wildlife, Research Institute and BK21 Program for Veterinary Science and College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Hang Lee
- Conservation Genome Resource Bank for Korean Wildlife, Research Institute and BK21 Program for Veterinary Science and College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Nam-shik Shin
- Laboratory of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine, Research Institute and BK21 Program for Veterinary Science and College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Kyoung-seong Choi
- Department of Animal Science, College of Ecology and Environmental Science, Kyungpook National University, Sangju, Korea
| | - Joon-seok Chae
- Laboratory of Veterinary Internal Medicine, Research Institute and BK21 Program for Veterinary Science and College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
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Temporal patterns of tick-borne granulocytic anaplasmosis in California. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2011; 2:81-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2010.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2010] [Revised: 12/29/2010] [Accepted: 12/30/2010] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Santos AS, Amaro F, Santos-Silva MM, De Sousa R, Mathias ML, Ramalhinho MG, Nuncio MS, Alves MJ, Bacellar F, Dumler JS. Detection of antibodies against Anaplasma phagocytophilum in Algerian mice (Mus spretus), Portugal. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2010; 9:663-9. [PMID: 18973448 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2008.0066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The recent detection of Anaplasma phagocytophilum in Portugal stimulated further research on the agent's enzootic cycle, which usually involves rodents. Thus a total 322 rodents belonging to five species, including 30 Apodemus sylvaticus (wood mouse), 65 Mus musculus (house mouse), 194 M. spretus (algerian mouse), 5 Rattus norvegicus (brown rat) and 28 R. rattus (black rat), were studied by indirect immunofluorescent assay (IFA) and/or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for A. phagocytophilum exposure in four sampling areas of mainland and two areas of Madeira Island, Portugal. Overall, 3.6% (7/194) of M. spretus presented with IFA-positive results. Seropositive mice were detected in all three mainland sampling areas where this species was captured, with prevalence of 5.2% (5/96) and 5.0% (1/20) for the Ixodes-areas of Arrábida and Mafra, and 1.3% (1/78) for Mértola, a difference that was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). The majority of IFA-positive mice were detected in spring when considering either Arrábida alone (p = 0.026) or all M. spretus sampling areas together (p = 0.021), although the significance of this association was not evident after Bonferroni correction. Nevertheless, neither the seropositive M. spretus, nor additional samples of 10% seronegative rodents from mainland, and 16% of rodents collected in Madeira Island showed evidence of A. phagocytophilum active infections when spleen and/or lung samples were tested by PCR. Either the M. spretus results represents residual antibodies from past A. phagocytophilum infections, present infections with limited bacteremia, or cross-reactions with closely related agents deserves more investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- A S Santos
- Centro de Estudos de Vectores e Doenças Infecciosas, Instituto Nacional de Saúde Dr. Ricardo Jorge, Lisboa, Portugal.
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Nieto NC, Foley JE. Reservoir competence of the redwood chipmunk (Tamias ochrogenys) for Anaplasma phagocytophilum. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2010; 9:573-7. [PMID: 19327022 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2008.0142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Granulocytic anaplasmosis (GA) is an emerging tick-transmitted disease that persists in rodent- Ixodes ricinus-complex tick cycles across the Holarctic. Although the putative reservoir for anaplasmosis in the western United States is the dusky-footed woodrat (Neotoma fuscipes), this rodent was not shown reservoir-competent because of failure of infection from woodrats to other animals via ticks. Redwood chipmunks are common in habitats where Anaplasma phagocytophilum is common, have high PCR- and seroprevalence, and are infested with a diversity of Ixodes spp. ticks. Experimental infection of seven wild-caught A. phagocytophilum-negative redwood chipmunks induced persistent periods of recurrent rickettsemia during the persistent phase of infection. Of three animals for which xenodiagnosis was attempted, all successfully infected pools of I. pacificus larvae during the primary rickettsemia. We show that chipmunks are reservoir-competent for GA and may be important for maintaining infection in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan C Nieto
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, University of California, Davis, California 95616-8737, USA.
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Foley JE, Nieto NC, Barbet A, Foley P. Antigen diversity in the parasitic bacterium Anaplasma phagocytophilum arises from selectively-represented, spatially clustered functional pseudogenes. PLoS One 2009; 4:e8265. [PMID: 20016821 PMCID: PMC2789410 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0008265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2009] [Accepted: 11/13/2009] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Anaplasma phagocytophilum is a tick-transmitted bacterial pathogen of humans and other animals, and is an obligate intracellular parasite. Throughout the course of infection, hosts acquire temporary resistance to granulocytic anaplasmosis as they develop immunity specific for the major antigen, major surface protein 2 (Msp2). However, the bacterium then utilizes a novel recombination mechanism shuffling functional pseudogenes sequentially into an expression cassette with conserved 5' and 3' ends, bypassing host immunity. Approximately 100 pseudogenes are present in the only fully sequenced human-origin HZ genome, representing the possibility for almost unlimited antigenic diversity. In the present study, we identified a select group of 20% of the A. phagocytophilum HZ msp2 pseudogenes that have matched preferentially to human, canine, and equine expression cassettes. Pseudogenes cluster predominantly in one spatial run limited to a single genomic island in less than 50% of the genome but phylogenetically related pseudogenes are neither necessarily located in close proximity on the genome nor share similar percent identity with expression cassettes. Pseudogenes near the expression cassette (and the origin) are more likely to be expressed than those farther away. Taken together, these findings suggest that there may be natural selection pressure to retain pseudogenes in one cluster near the putative origin of replication, even though global recombination shuffles pseudogenes around the genome, separating pseudogenes that share genetic origins as well as those with similar identities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janet E Foley
- Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, California, USA.
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Abstract
Anaplasma phagocytophilum is the recently designated name replacing three species of granulocytic bacteria, Ehrlichia phagocytophila, Ehrlichia equi and the agent of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis, after the recent reorganization of the families Rickettsiaceae and Anaplasmataceae in the order Rickettsiales. Tick-borne fever (TBF), which is caused by the prototype of A. phagocytophilum, was first described in 1932 in Scotland. A similar disease caused by a related granulocytic agent was first described in horses in the USA in 1969; this was followed by the description of two distinct granulocytic agents causing similar diseases in dogs in the USA in 1971 and 1982. Until the discovery of human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA) in the USA in 1994, these organisms were thought to be distinct species of bacteria infecting specific domestic animals and free-living reservoirs. It is now widely accepted that the agents affecting different animal hosts are variants of the same Gram-negative obligatory intracellular bacterium, which is transmitted by hard ticks belonging to the Ixodes persulcatus complex. One of its fascinating features is that it infects and actively grows in neutrophils by employing an array of mechanisms to subvert their bactericidal activity. It is also able to survive within an apparently immune host by employing a complex mechanism of antigenic variation. Ruminants with TBF and humans with HGA develop severe febrile reaction, bacteraemia and leukopenia due to neutropenia, lymphocytopenia and thrombocytopenia within a week of exposure to a tick bite. Because of the severe haematological disorders lasting for several days and other adverse effects on the host's immune functions, infected animals and humans are more susceptible to other infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zerai Woldehiwet
- University of Liverpool, Department of Veterinary Pathology, Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Leahurst, Neston, South Wirral CH64 7TE, UK.
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Padgett KA, Casher LE, Stephens SL, Lane RS. Effect of prescribed fire for tick control in California chaparral. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2009; 46:1138-1145. [PMID: 19769046 DOI: 10.1603/033.046.0522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Prescribed fire was investigated as a method for controlling ixodid and argasid ticks in chaparral habitats in northern California. Two experimental and two adjacent control plots within a wildlife preserve were monitored for 1 yr postburn. Ticks were collected by flagging vegetation, by CO2-baited pitfall trap, and by live-trapping rodents. Twice as many rodents were caught at control sites compared with burn sites and no dusky-footed woodrats, Neotoma fuscipes Baird, were found in the treatment sites postburn. This species is known to be a reservoir of the agents of Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto Johnson, Schmid, Hyde, Steigerwalt & Brenner, and human granulocytic anaplasmosis, Anaplasma phagocytophilum Dumler, Barbet, Bekker, Dasch, Palmer, Ray, Rikihisa, Rurangirwa. Six ixodid tick species were removed from rodents (Ixodes pacificus Cooley & Kohls, Ixodes jellisoni Cooley & Kohls, Ixodes spinipalpis Hadwen & Nuttall, Ixodes woodi Bishopp, Dermacentor occidentalis Marx, and Dermacentor parumapertus Neumann), two of which transmit bacterial zoonotic agents to people in the far-western United States. There was no decrease in number of ticks per animal trapped at either burn site compared with controls; in fact, the mean number of immature I. pacificus per rodent was significantly higher at one burn site than its control site. Soil refugia may protect ticks from fire-induced mortality; the argasid tick Ornithodoros coriaceus Koch, which lives in soil, was unaffected by the prescribed fire as were I. pacificus and D. occidentalis buried in packets 2.5 cm below ground. We conclude that although prescribed fires in chaparral habitats may diminish local rodent abundance, it does not decrease tick loads on rodents. Furthermore, burning chaparral does not result in a decreased abundance of adult ixodid ticks on vegetation and apparently does not affect argasid or ixodid ticks that are sheltered within soil refugia.
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Affiliation(s)
- K A Padgett
- Vector-Borne Disease Section, California Department of Public Health, 850 Marina Bay Pkwy., Richmond, CA 94707, USA.
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Foley J, Nieto NC, Foley P, Teglas MB. Co-phylogenetic analysis of Anaplasma phagocytophilum and its vectors, Ixodes spp. ticks. EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2008; 45:155-170. [PMID: 18648997 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-008-9173-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2008] [Accepted: 06/24/2008] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
The coevolutionary history of Ixodes spp. ticks, the obligately tick-transmitted bacterial pathogen Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and its various rodent reservoir hosts world-wide is not known. According to coevolution theory, the most recently evolved of tick-bacterial complexes could have difficulty maintaining A. phagocytophilum in nature, because transmissibility has not been efficiently maximized. This study was intended to examine the phylogeographic history of I. ricinus-subgroup ticks and A. phagocytophilum, provide an estimate for the date of the divergence of A. marginale and A. phagocytophilum, and evaluate whether there is correspondence between tick and Anaplasma spp. trees. Analysis of Ixodes spp. ticks showed a New World clade consisting of I. scapularis and I. pacificus, European I. ricinus as a sister group to this clade, and Asian I. persulcatus as basal. Of the three A. phagocytophilum genes evaluated, the most resolution was provided by the ankA gene. ankA sequences formed an Old World clade with eastern North America strains as a sister clade. California strains were highly diverse and did not form a clade. Base substitution rates were very comparable along both A. marginale and A. phagocytophilum lineages. Based on 16S rDNA analysis, maximum and minimum divergence times of A. phagocytophilum and A. marginale were calculated to be 78,296,703 and 43,415,708 years, respectively. If A. phagocytophilum did closely coevolve with specific I. ricinus-subgroup tick species, then A. phagocytophilum strains could have specialized on local tick species and optimized local infectivity in the Old World and eastern US. However, lack of absolute resolution of tick trees and conflicting prevalence data (with low prevalence in Asia and western North America) preclude us from inferring a tight coevolutionary relationship of tick species from this phylogeographic analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janet Foley
- Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
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Yabsley MJ, Murphy SM, Luttrell MP, Little SE, Massung RF, Stallknecht DE, Conti LA, Blackmore CG, Durden LA. Experimental and Field Studies on the Suitability of Raccoons (Procyon lotor) as Hosts for Tick-Borne Pathogens. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2008; 8:491-503. [DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2007.0240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Michael J. Yabsley
- Daniel B. Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
- Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, Department of Population Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
| | - Staci M. Murphy
- Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, Department of Population Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
| | - M. Page Luttrell
- Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, Department of Population Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
| | - Susan E. Little
- Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Center for Veterinary Health Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma
| | - Robert F. Massung
- Viral and Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - David E. Stallknecht
- Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, Department of Population Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
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Foley JE, Clueit SB, Brown RN. Differential Exposure toAnaplasma phagocytophilumin Rodent Species in Northern California. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2008; 8:49-55. [DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2007.0175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Janet E. Foley
- Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, California
| | | | - Richard N. Brown
- Department of Wildlife, Humboldt State University, Arcata, California
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Haynie ML, Fulhorst CF, Rood M, Bennett SG, Hess BD, Bradley RD. GENETIC VARIATION IN MULTILOCUS MICROSATELLITE GENOTYPES IN TWO SPECIES OF WOODRATS (NEOTOMA MACROTIS AND N. FUSCIPES) FROM CALIFORNIA. J Mammal 2007; 88:745-758. [PMID: 19920871 DOI: 10.1644/06-mamm-a-041r1.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Five microsatellite loci were used to develop multilocus genotypes for Neotoma macrotis (n = 128) and N. fuscipes (n = 29). Several statistical analyses were used to estimate genetic structure, levels of genetic variability, and degree of relatedness within groups of these 2 species. Samples of N. macrotis represented 2 groups and 4 population clusters throughout southern California. Samples of N. fuscipes represented 2 regions in northern and southern California. Genetic structure was detected among samples of N. macrotis and N. fuscipes at a regional level. Both species displayed moderate to high genetic diversity in terms of mean expected heterozygosity (0.939 and 0.804 for N. macrotis and N. fuscipes, respectively) and mean polymorphic information content (0.930 and 0.761 for N. macrotis and N. fuscipes, respectively). Mean relatedness values within regions and populations of N. macrotis indicated 4th-order levels of relatedness within groups (e.g., distant-cousin relationships). Mean relatedness values within regions of N. fuscipes indicated 2nd-order (e.g., half-sibling) relationships within the northern region and 3rd-order (e.g., cousin) relationships in the southern region. One locus in particular (Nma04) was determined to be diagnostic in distinguishing between these 2 species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle L Haynie
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409-3131, USA (MLH, RDB)
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Drazenovich N, Foley J, Brown RN. Use of real-time quantitative PCR targeting the msp2 protein gene to identify cryptic Anaplasma phagocytophilum infections in wildlife and domestic animals. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2007; 6:83-90. [PMID: 16584330 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2006.6.83] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Anaplasma phagocytophilum is an emerging pathogen throughout much of the Holarctic, where Ixodes spp. tick vectors occur. This organism was expected to be present at study sites in Humboldt County, north-western California, based on the presence of appropriate tick vectors, seropositivity in sentinel hosts, and previously reported human infections. However, despite high seroprevalence suggesting circulating A. phagocytophilum, active infections in dogs and wildlife (including suspected reservoir species) were rare using published polymerase chain reaction (PCR) protocols. This finding was possible if the published PCR protocol lacked sensitivity for strains in the study areas. We report a new TaqMan-PCR (TM-PCR) assay targeting the msp2 gene that has greater sensitivity and specificity for diverse A. phagocytophilum strains from this region. The new assay detected as few as one plasmid copy and a range of genetically diverse strains of A. phagocytophilum. Specificity was confirmed by failure to amplify targets of closely related bacteria. Application of the TM-PCR to samples from northern California confirmed PCR-positivity in 94 woodrats (71%; n=134), three (4%; n=80) bears, and seven (7%; n=97) domestic dogs. The msp2 TM-PCR protocol appears to be more sensitive for use in assays of samples from parts of western North America and possibly in other regions where populations are genetically diverse or divergent from eastern United States strains of A. phagocytophilum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Drazenovich
- Center for Vectorborne Disease, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California Davis, California 95616, USA
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49
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Dugan VG, Yabsley MJ, Tate CM, Mead DG, Munderloh UG, Herron MJ, Stallknecht DE, Little SE, Davidson WR. Evaluation of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) as natural sentinels for Anaplasma phagocytophilum. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2006; 6:192-207. [PMID: 16796517 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2006.6.192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Anaplasma phagocytophilum, the causative agent of human granulocytotropic anaplasmosis, can infect white-tailed deer (WTD; Odocoileus virginianus), and this species is a crucial host for adult Ixodes scapularis, the primary vector of A. phagocytophilum. The goal of this study was to determine the geographic distribution of A. phagocytophilum among WTD across a 19 state region and to evaluate the utility of WTD as natural sentinels. Serologic testing using the indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) assay was conducted on WTD serum samples and molecular and xenodiagnostic tests were performed to confirm serologic results. The surveillance system was assessed through examination of vital attributes including WTD age and gender associations with serologic status, sample size adequacy for accurate infection status classification, and presence of the vector, I. scapularis. Six hundred thirty-three of 2,666 (24%) WTD in 17 states tested positive for antibodies (>or=128) when tested by IFA assay. Testing for p44 and/or 16S rRNA gene targets identified 73 (16%) PCR positive WTD among 458 animals tested, all of which originated from seropositive populations. Attempts to culture A. phagocytophilum from WTD were unsuccessful; however, xenodiagnostic mice inoculated with blood from 3 WTD became infected. Seroprevalence did not differ by deer age or gender; however, WTD<or=0.75 years old had a higher prevalence of PCR positivity. Using seroprevalence data, a sample size of 6-9 animals per population was projected to be adequate for identifying seropositive populations. The presence of I. scapularis was significantly associated with A. phagocytophilum antibodies in WTD. Collectively, the results of this study demonstrate that WTD would be suitable natural sentinels for this emerging zoonotic pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vivien G Dugan
- Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602-4393, USA
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50
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Poitout FM, Shinozaki JK, Stockwell PJ, Holland CJ, Shukla SK. Genetic variants of Anaplasma phagocytophilum infecting dogs in Western Washington State. J Clin Microbiol 2005; 43:796-801. [PMID: 15695682 PMCID: PMC548079 DOI: 10.1128/jcm.43.2.796-801.2005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Eight dogs from western Washington State suspected of being infected with Anaplasma phagocytophilum because of the finding of morulae in peripheral blood neutrophils were studied for determination of the etiologic agent of disease. All cases were diagnosed between April 2003 and April 2004. Six of the eight dogs had no travel history during the 6 months prior to presentation. Two dogs had traveled within the Northwest United States and Canada. Fever, lethargy, and anorexia were the most common clinical signs in the dogs. Lymphopenia, thrombocytopenia, and an elevated activity of alkaline phosphatase in the serum were the most common laboratory findings. All dogs tested during the acute phase of clinical signs were seropositive for A. phagocytophilum antibodies but negative for Ehrlichia canis antibodies. PCR amplification and direct sequencing of portions of the 16S rRNA gene from the whole blood of all seven dogs that were tested yielded A. phagocytophilum after a comparison to bacterial sequences available in the GenBank database. Five genetic variants were identified based on one or two nucleotide differences in the 16S rRNA gene sequences at nucleotide positions 54, 84, 86, and 120. Individual dogs were infected with more than one variant. Treatment with doxycycline or tetracycline resulted in a rapid resolution of clinical signs. The occurrence of canine granulocytic anaplasmosis in western Washington State suggests that A. phagocytophilum infection should be considered in differential diagnoses of dogs presenting with lethargy, anorexia, fever, and lameness, particularly in the context of lymphopenia, thrombocytopenia, and increased serum alkaline phosphatase. The zoonotic importance of A. phagocytophilum should support an increase in surveillance for horses and people residing in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florence M Poitout
- Phoenix Central Laboratory, 11620 Airport Rd., Everett, WA 98204-3742, USA.
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