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Seidi S, Omidi AH, Esmaeili S. Distribution of different Rickettsia species in countries of the WHO Eastern Mediterranean (WHO-EMRO) region: An overview. Travel Med Infect Dis 2024; 58:102695. [PMID: 38360158 DOI: 10.1016/j.tmaid.2024.102695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
SUBJECT Rickettsia is a zoonotic bacterial pathogen transmitted by vectors and has extensive reservoirs in animal and human populations. Rickettsiosis is a public health problem all over the world. However, comprehensive information on the geographical distribution of different Rickettsia species, infection status of reservoirs, vectors, and human cases is lacking in most parts of the world. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the geographical distribution of different Rickettsia species and their vectors in countries of the WHO-EMRO region. METHODS In this review study, a search was conducted for reports and published studies on Rickettsia species from WHO-EMRO region countries in various databases from 1995 to 2022. Finally, the reported status of human cases, reservoirs, and vectors associated with each species in different countries was documented. RESULTS Reports of infections related to the detection of Rickettsia species were only available for 15 out of 22 WHO-EMRO member countries. A total of twenty-four Rickettsia species, including R. sibrica, R. lusitaniae, R. africae, R. prowazekii, R. felis, R. typhi, R. rickettsii, R. aeschlimannii, R. conorii, R. massiliae, R. helvetica, R. monacensis, R. rhipicephali, R. bellii, R. asembonensis, R. hoogstraalii, R. andeanae, R. raoultii, R. asiatica, R. slovaca, R. australis, R. barbariae, Candidatus R. amblyommii, and Candidatus R. goldwasserii, were reported from WHO-EMRO member countries. Furthermore, human cases infected with six different Rickettsia species, including R. sibrica, R. prowazekii, R. felis, R. typhi, R. rickettsii, R. aeschlimannii, R. conorii, R. massiliae, and R. helvetica, were reported from these countries. CONCLUSION The vast diversity of Rickettsia vectors has contributed to the ongoing discovery of new Rickettsia species. Therefore, further research on the reservoir hosts of Rickettsia infections in the understudied WHO-EMRO region is crucial. This research sheds light on Rickettsia disease's epidemiology and transmission dynamics in this region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shahin Seidi
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatics, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran; National Reference Laboratory for Plague, Tularemia and Q Fever, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Akanlu, KabudarAhang, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Amir Hossein Omidi
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatics, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran; National Reference Laboratory for Plague, Tularemia and Q Fever, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Akanlu, KabudarAhang, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Saber Esmaeili
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatics, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran; National Reference Laboratory for Plague, Tularemia and Q Fever, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Akanlu, KabudarAhang, Hamadan, Iran.
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Prati AC, Maia MO, Martins TF, Morgado TO, Corrêa SHR, Mendes EJF, Ferraz RHDS, Mudrek JR, Strüssmann C, Ramos DGDS, Semedo TBF, Minetto MK, Aguiar DMD, Pacheco RC, Melo ALT. Diversity of rickettsiae in ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) collected from wild vertebrates in part of the Amazon, Cerrado, and Pantanal biomes in Brazil. REVISTA BRASILEIRA DE PARASITOLOGIA VETERINARIA = BRAZILIAN JOURNAL OF VETERINARY PARASITOLOGY : ORGAO OFICIAL DO COLEGIO BRASILEIRO DE PARASITOLOGIA VETERINARIA 2023; 32:e008023. [PMID: 37851794 DOI: 10.1590/s1984-29612023059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
Ticks parasitizing 102 wild animals in the states of Mato Grosso and Goiás, Brazil were collected between 2015 and 2018. A total of 2338 ticks (865 males, 541 females, 823 nymphs, and 109 larvae) belonging to four genera (Amblyomma, Dermacentor, Haemaphysalis, and Rhipicephalus) and at least 21 species were identified. DNA extraction and a molecular survey for rickettsial agents were performed on 650 ticks. The results revealed parasitism by the following species: Rickettsia amblyommatis in Amblyomma cajennense s.s., A. cajennense s.l., Amblyomma coelebs, Amblyomma humerale, Amblyomma longirostre, Amblyomma nodosum, Amblyomma scalpturatum, Amblyomma sculptum, and Amblyomma romitii; Rickettsia parkeri in Amblyomma nodosum, Amblyomma ovale, Amblyomma scalpturatum, and Amblyomma triste; Rickettsia rhipicephali in Haemaphysalis juxtakochi; Rickettsia sp. in A. cajennense s.s., A. nodosum, and A. sculptum, and lastly, 'Candidatus Rickettsia andeanae' in Amblyomma parvum and Rhipicephalus microplus. This study expands the body of knowledge about tick parasitism among wild animals, including new data concerning tick-host associations, and provides information about the epidemiology of tick-borne pathogens in the Center-West region of Brazil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anny Carolina Prati
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Biociência Animal, Universidade de Cuiabá - UNIC, Cuiabá, MT, Brasil
| | - Maerle Oliveira Maia
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Veterinárias - PPGVET, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária - FAVET, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso - UFMT, Cuiabá, MT, Brasil
| | - Thiago Fernandes Martins
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo - USP, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
- Instituto Pasteur, Secretaria de Estado da Saúde de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - Thaís Oliveira Morgado
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Veterinárias - PPGVET, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária - FAVET, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso - UFMT, Cuiabá, MT, Brasil
| | - Sandra Helena Ramiro Corrêa
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Veterinárias - PPGVET, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária - FAVET, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso - UFMT, Cuiabá, MT, Brasil
| | - Edson Junior Figueiredo Mendes
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Veterinárias - PPGVET, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária - FAVET, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso - UFMT, Cuiabá, MT, Brasil
| | - Rosa Helena Dos Santos Ferraz
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Veterinárias - PPGVET, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária - FAVET, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso - UFMT, Cuiabá, MT, Brasil
| | - Jessica Rhaiza Mudrek
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso - UFMT, Cuiabá, MT, Brasil
| | - Christine Strüssmann
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso - UFMT, Cuiabá, MT, Brasil
| | - Dirceu Guilherme de Souza Ramos
- Laboratório de Parasitologia e Análises Clínicas Veterinária, Programa de Pós-graduação em Biociência Animal, Unidade Acadêmica de Ciências Veterinárias, Universidade Federal de Jataí - UFJ, Jataí, GO, Brasil
| | - Thiago Borges Fernandes Semedo
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- InBIO Laboratório Associado, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos - CIBIO, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
- Programa BIOPOLIS em Genómica, Biodiversidade e Ordenamento do Território, CIBIO, de Vairão, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Make Kawatake Minetto
- Instituto de Defesa Agropecuária do Estado de Mato Grosso - INDEA-MT, Cuiabá, MT, Brasil
| | - Daniel Moura de Aguiar
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Veterinárias - PPGVET, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária - FAVET, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso - UFMT, Cuiabá, MT, Brasil
| | - Richard Campos Pacheco
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Veterinárias - PPGVET, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária - FAVET, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso - UFMT, Cuiabá, MT, Brasil
- Laboratório de Parasitologia Veterinária e Doenças Parasitárias dos Animais Domésticos e Silvestres, Hospital Veterinário - HOVET, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária - FAVET, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso - UFMT, Cuiabá, MT, Brasil
| | - Andréia Lima Tomé Melo
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Biociência Animal, Universidade de Cuiabá - UNIC, Cuiabá, MT, Brasil
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Krawczak FS, Binder LC, Gregori F, Martins TF, Pádua GT, Sponchiado J, Melo GL, Polo G, Labruna MB. ‘Candidatus Rickettsia andeanae’ and Probable Exclusion of Rickettsia parkeri in Ticks from Dogs in a Natural Area of the Pampa Biome in Brazil. Pathogens 2023; 12:pathogens12030446. [PMID: 36986368 PMCID: PMC10054268 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12030446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Spotted fever illness caused by the tick-borne pathogen Rickettsia parkeri has emerged in the Pampa biome in southern Brazil, where the tick Amblyomma tigrinum is implicated as the main vector. Because domestic dogs are commonly parasitized by A. tigrinum, this canid is also a suitable sentinel for R. parkeri-associated spotted fever. Herein, we investigate rickettsial infection in ticks, domestic dogs and small mammals in a natural reserve of the Pampa biome in southern Brazil. The ticks A. tigrinum, Amblyomma aureolatum and Rhipicephalus sanguineus were collected from dogs. Molecular analyses of ticks did not detect R. parkeri; however, at least 34% (21/61) of the A. tigrinum ticks were infected by the non-pathogenic agent ‘Candidatus Rickettsia andeanae’. Serological analyses revealed that only 14% and 3% of 36 dogs and 34 small mammals, respectively, were exposed to rickettsial antigens. These results indicate that the study area is not endemic for R. parkeri rickettsiosis. We tabulated 10 studies that reported rickettsial infection in A. tigrinum populations from South America. There was a strong negative correlation between the infection rates by R. parkeri and ‘Candidatus R. andeanae’ in A. tigrinum populations. We propose that high infection rates by ‘Candidatus R. andeanae’ might promote the exclusion of R. parkeri from A. tigrinum populations. The mechanisms for such exclusion are yet to be elucidated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felipe S. Krawczak
- Setor de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Escola de Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Rod. Goiânia—Nova Veneza, km 8, Campus Samambaia, Goiânia 74690-900, GO, Brazil
- Correspondence: (F.S.K.); (M.B.L.)
| | - Lina C. Binder
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Orlando Marques de Paiva, 87, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo 05508-270, SP, Brazil
| | - Fábio Gregori
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Orlando Marques de Paiva, 87, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo 05508-270, SP, Brazil
| | - Thiago F. Martins
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Orlando Marques de Paiva, 87, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo 05508-270, SP, Brazil
| | - Gracielle T. Pádua
- Setor de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Escola de Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Rod. Goiânia—Nova Veneza, km 8, Campus Samambaia, Goiânia 74690-900, GO, Brazil
| | - Jonas Sponchiado
- Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia Farroupilha, Campus Alegrete, Alegrete 97541-000, RS, Brazil
| | - Geruza L. Melo
- Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia Farroupilha, Campus Alegrete, Alegrete 97541-000, RS, Brazil
| | - Gina Polo
- Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Fundación Universitaria San Martin, Bogotá 110110, DC, Colombia
| | - Marcelo B. Labruna
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Orlando Marques de Paiva, 87, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo 05508-270, SP, Brazil
- Correspondence: (F.S.K.); (M.B.L.)
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Isolation in Natural Host Cell Lines of Wolbachia Strains wPip from the Mosquito Culex pipiens and wPap from the Sand Fly Phlebotomus papatasi. INSECTS 2021; 12:insects12100871. [PMID: 34680640 PMCID: PMC8539649 DOI: 10.3390/insects12100871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Diverse strains of Wolbachia bacteria, carried by many arthropods, as well as some nematodes, interact in many different ways with their hosts. These include male killing, reproductive incompatibility, nutritional supplementation and suppression or enhancement of the transmission of diseases such as dengue and malaria. Consequently, Wolbachia have an important role to play in novel strategies to control human and livestock diseases and their vectors. Similarly, cell lines derived from insect hosts of Wolbachia constitute valuable research tools in this field. During the generation of novel cell lines from mosquito and sand fly vectors, we isolated two strains of Wolbachia and demonstrated their infectivity for cells from a range of other insects and ticks. These new insect cell lines and Wolbachia strains will aid in the fight against mosquitoes, sand flies and, potentially, ticks and the diseases that these arthropods transmit to humans and their domestic animals. Abstract Endosymbiotic intracellular bacteria of the genus Wolbachia are harboured by many species of invertebrates. They display a wide range of developmental, metabolic and nutritional interactions with their hosts and may impact the transmission of arboviruses and protozoan parasites. Wolbachia have occasionally been isolated during insect cell line generation. Here, we report the isolation of two strains of Wolbachia, wPip and wPap, during cell line generation from their respective hosts, the mosquito Culex pipiens and the sand fly Phlebotomus papatasi. wPip was pathogenic for both new C. pipiens cell lines, CPE/LULS50 and CLP/LULS56, requiring tetracycline treatment to rescue the lines. In contrast, wPap was tolerated by the P. papatasi cell line PPL/LULS49, although tetracycline treatment was applied to generate a Wolbachia-free subline. Both Wolbachia strains were infective for a panel of heterologous insect and tick cell lines, including two novel lines generated from the sand fly Lutzomyia longipalpis, LLE/LULS45 and LLL/LULS52. In all cases, wPip was more pathogenic for the host cells than wPap. These newly isolated Wolbachia strains, and the novel mosquito and sand fly cell lines reported here, will add to the resources available for research on host–endosymbiont relationships, as well as on C. pipiens, P. papatasi, L. longipalpis and the pathogens that they transmit.
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Beliavskaia A, Hönig V, Erhart J, Vyhlidalova T, Palus M, Cerny J, Kozlova I, Ruzek D, Palomar AM, Bell-Sakyi L. Spiroplasma Isolated From Third-Generation Laboratory Colony Ixodes persulcatus Ticks. Front Vet Sci 2021; 8:659786. [PMID: 33842580 PMCID: PMC8032855 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.659786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Spiroplasma are vertically-transmitted endosymbionts of ticks and other arthropods. Field-collected Ixodes persulcatus have been reported to harbour Spiroplasma, but nothing is known about their persistence during laboratory colonisation of this tick species. We successfully isolated Spiroplasma from internal organs of 6/10 unfed adult ticks, belonging to the third generation of an I. persulcatus laboratory colony, into tick cell culture. We screened a further 51 adult male and female ticks from the same colony for presence of Spiroplasma by genus-specific PCR amplification of fragments of the 16S rRNA and rpoB genes; 100% of these ticks were infected and the 16S rRNA sequence showed 99.8% similarity to that of a previously-published Spiroplasma isolated from field-collected I. persulcatus. Our study shows that Spiroplasma endosymbionts persist at high prevalence in colonised I. persulcatus through at least three generations, and confirms the usefulness of tick cell lines for isolation and cultivation of this bacterium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Beliavskaia
- Department of Infection Biology and Microbiomes, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Vaclav Hönig
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia.,Veterinary Research Institute, Brno, Czechia
| | - Jan Erhart
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Tereza Vyhlidalova
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Martin Palus
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia.,Veterinary Research Institute, Brno, Czechia
| | - Jiri Cerny
- Centre for Infectious Animal Diseases, Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czechia
| | - Irina Kozlova
- Science Center for Family Health and Human Reproduction Problems, Irkutsk, Russia
| | - Daniel Ruzek
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia.,Veterinary Research Institute, Brno, Czechia
| | - Ana M Palomar
- Centre of Rickettsiosis and Arthropod-Borne Diseases, Hospital Universitario San Pedro-CIBIR, Logroño, Spain
| | - Lesley Bell-Sakyi
- Department of Infection Biology and Microbiomes, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
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Paddock CD, Hecht JA, Green AN, Waldrup KA, Teel PD, Karpathy SE, Johnson TL. Rickettsia parkeri (Rickettsiales: Rickettsiaceae) in the Sky Islands of West Texas. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2020; 57:1582-1587. [PMID: 32249319 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjaa059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Rickettsia parkeri, a tick-borne pathogen distributed throughout several countries of the Americas, causes a mild to moderately severe, eschar-associated spotted fever rickettsiosis. Although most U.S. cases of R. parkeri rickettsiosis are reported from southeastern states, some have been reported recently from remote regions of southern Arizona. These cases are linked to R. parkeri-infected ticks of the Amblyomma maculatum (Acari: Ixodidae) group found in several isolated mountain ranges of southern Arizona and New Mexico, referred to as 'sky islands'. Archival records also document ticks of the A. maculatum group collected from domestic and wild animals in West Texas. We surveyed sites in two sky island chains of Jeff Davis and Brewster counties to document the off-host occurrence of these ticks and identify the presence of R. parkeri in the Trans-Pecos region of Texas. During August 2019, 43 adult A. maculatum group ticks were flagged from vegetation or removed from a road-killed, female mule deer. Of 39 samples evaluated by PCR, eight contained a partial sca0 sequence with complete identity to R. parkeri and two with complete identity to 'Candidatus Rickettsia andeanae', a species of undetermined pathogenicity. Four isolates of R. parkeri were obtained using cell culture. Persons at risk for R. parkeri rickettsiosis include those who work or recreate in these mountains, such as hikers, backpackers, research scientists, foresters, and border enforcement personnel. Additional investigations are needed to define the distribution of these medically important arthropods in other parts of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher D Paddock
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
| | - Joy A Hecht
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
| | - Amy N Green
- Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, United States Department of Agriculture, El Paso, TX
| | - Kenneth A Waldrup
- Zoonosis Control, Texas Department of State Health Services, El Paso, TX
| | - Pete D Teel
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
| | - Sandor E Karpathy
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
| | - Tammi L Johnson
- Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Texas A&M University, Uvalde, TX
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Spotted Fever Group Rickettsia Infection and Transmission Dynamics in Amblyomma maculatum. Infect Immun 2019; 87:IAI.00804-18. [PMID: 30642897 PMCID: PMC6434108 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00804-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2018] [Accepted: 01/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Tick vectors are capable of transmitting several rickettsial species to vertebrate hosts, resulting in various levels of disease. Studies have demonstrated the transmissibility of both rickettsial pathogens and novel Rickettsia species or strains with unknown pathogenicity to vertebrate hosts during tick blood meal acquisition; however, the quantitative nature of transmission remains unknown. Tick vectors are capable of transmitting several rickettsial species to vertebrate hosts, resulting in various levels of disease. Studies have demonstrated the transmissibility of both rickettsial pathogens and novel Rickettsia species or strains with unknown pathogenicity to vertebrate hosts during tick blood meal acquisition; however, the quantitative nature of transmission remains unknown. We tested the hypothesis that if infection severity is a function of the rickettsial load delivered during tick transmission, then a more virulent spotted fever group (SFG) Rickettsia species is transmitted at higher levels during tick feeding. Using Amblyomma maculatum cohorts infected with Rickettsia parkeri or “Candidatus Rickettsia andeanae,” a quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay was employed to quantify rickettsiae in tick salivary glands and saliva, as well as in the vertebrate hosts at the tick attachment site over the duration of tick feeding. Significantly greater numbers of R. parkeri than of “Ca. Rickettsia andeanae” rickettsiae were present in tick saliva and salivary glands and in the vertebrate hosts at the feeding site during tick feeding. Microscopy demonstrated the presence of both rickettsial species in tick salivary glands, and immunohistochemical analysis of the attachment site identified localized R. parkeri, but not “Ca. Rickettsia andeanae,” in the vertebrate host. Lesions were also distinct and more severe in vertebrate hosts exposed to R. parkeri than in those exposed to “Ca. Rickettsia andeanae.” The specific factors that contribute to the generation of a sustained rickettsial infection and subsequent disease have yet to be elucidated, but the results of this study suggest that the rickettsial load in ticks and during transmission may be an important element.
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Palomar AM, Premchand-Branker S, Alberdi P, Belova OA, Moniuszko-Malinowska A, Kahl O, Bell-Sakyi L. Isolation of known and potentially pathogenic tick-borne microorganisms from European ixodid ticks using tick cell lines. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2019; 10:628-638. [PMID: 30819609 PMCID: PMC6446187 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2019.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2018] [Revised: 02/07/2019] [Accepted: 02/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Ticks harbour and, in many cases transmit to their vertebrate hosts, a wide variety of pathogenic, apathogenic and endosymbiotic microorganisms. Recent molecular analyses have greatly increased the range of bacterial species potentially associated with ticks, but in most cases cannot distinguish between surface contaminants, microorganisms present in the remains of the previous blood meal and truly intracellular or tissue-associated bacteria. Here we demonstrate how tick cell lines, primary cell cultures and organ cultures can be used to isolate and propagate bacteria from within embryonic and adult Ixodes ricinus, Dermacentor marginatus and Dermacentor reticulatus ticks originating from different parts of Europe. We isolated and partially characterised four new strains of Spiroplasma from The Netherlands, Spain and Poland, two new strains of Rickettsia raoultii from Russia and Poland, one strain of Rickettsia slovaca from Spain and a species of Mycobacterium from the UK. Comparison with published sequences showed that the Spiroplasma strains were closely related to Spiroplasma ixodetis and the Mycobacterium isolate belonged to the Mycobacterium chelonae complex, while the R. raoultii and R. slovaca strains were similar to previously-validated species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana M Palomar
- Centre of Rickettsiosis and Arthropod-Borne Diseases, CIBIR, C/ Piqueras, 98, Logroño 26006, La Rioja, Spain; The Pirbright Institute, Ash Road, Pirbright, Woking, Surrey GU24 0NF, UK.
| | - Shonnette Premchand-Branker
- The Pirbright Institute, Ash Road, Pirbright, Woking, Surrey GU24 0NF, UK; Department of Biology, University of York, Wentworth Way, York YO10 5DD, UK.
| | - Pilar Alberdi
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian EH25 9RG, UK.
| | - Oxana A Belova
- Chumakov Institute of Poliomyelitis and Viral Encephalitides (Chumakov FSC R&D IBP RAS), prem. 8, k.17, pos. Institut Poliomyelita, poselenie Moskovskiy, Moscow 108819, Russia; Martsinovsky Institute of Medical Parasitology, Tropical and Vector Borne Diseases, Sechenov University, 20-1 Malaya Pirogovskaya St., Moscow 119435, Russia.
| | - Anna Moniuszko-Malinowska
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Neuroinfections, Medical University in Białystok, Zurawia 14, 15-540 Białystok, Poland.
| | - Olaf Kahl
- Tick-radar GmbH, 10555 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Lesley Bell-Sakyi
- The Pirbright Institute, Ash Road, Pirbright, Woking, Surrey GU24 0NF, UK; The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian EH25 9RG, UK; Department of Infection Biology, Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool Science Park IC2, 146 Brownlow Hill, Liverpool L3 5RF, UK.
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9
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Lee JK, Moraru GM, Stokes JV, Benton AN, Wills RW, Nabors HP, Smith CL, Lawrence AM, Willeford BV, Varela-Stokes AS. Amblyomma maculatum-associated rickettsiae in vector tissues and vertebrate hosts during tick feeding. EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2019; 77:187-205. [PMID: 30771038 PMCID: PMC6402582 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-019-00343-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2018] [Accepted: 02/04/2019] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Rickettsia parkeri, a causative agent of spotted fever rickettsiosis, is transmitted by Amblyomma maculatum (Gulf Coast tick), a tick that may also carry a non-pathogenic spotted fever group Rickettsia, "Candidatus Rickettsia andeanae". Here, we evaluated R. parkeri and "Candidatus R. andeanae" in tissues from A. maculatum prior to, during, and after blood feeding on rabbits. Using colony-reared A. maculatum that were capillary-fed uninfected cells, R. parkeri, "Candidatus R. andeanae", or both rickettsiae, we detected higher levels of Rickettsia spp. in the respective treatment groups. Rickettsial levels increased during blood feeding for both R. parkeri and "Candidatus R. andeanae", with a greater increase in R. parkeri in co-infected ticks compared to singly-infected ticks. We detected transovarial transmission of "Candidatus R. andeanae" in egg and larval cohorts and confirmed vertical transmission of R. parkeri in one group of larvae. Rabbits from all Rickettsia-exposed groups seroconverted on immunofluorescent antibody testing using R. parkeri antigen. Visualization of "Candidatus R. andeanae" in tick salivary glands suggested potential transmission via tick feeding. Here, rickettsial levels in artificially infected ticks demonstrate changes during feeding and transovarial transmission that may be relevant for interpreting rickettsial levels detected in wild A. maculatum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jung Keun Lee
- Department of Basic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, 39762, USA
- Department of Pathology and Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ, USA
| | - Gail M Moraru
- Department of Basic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, 39762, USA
- Biology Department, Linn-Benton Community College, Albany, OR, USA
| | - John V Stokes
- Department of Basic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, 39762, USA
| | - Amanda N Benton
- Department of Basic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, 39762, USA
| | - Robert W Wills
- Department of Pathobiology and Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA
| | - Haley P Nabors
- Department of Basic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, 39762, USA
| | - Catherine L Smith
- Department of Basic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, 39762, USA
| | - Amanda M Lawrence
- Institute for Imaging & Analytical Technologies, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA
| | - Bridget V Willeford
- Laboratory Animal Resources, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA
| | - Andrea S Varela-Stokes
- Department of Basic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, 39762, USA.
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10
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Monje LD, Fernandez C, Percara A. Detection of Ehrlichia sp. strain San Luis and Candidatus Rickettsia andeanae in Amblyomma parvum ticks. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2018; 10:111-114. [PMID: 30243567 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2018.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2018] [Revised: 09/10/2018] [Accepted: 09/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Owing to the sanitary importance of the tick Amblyomma parvum, this study evaluated the infection by Ehrlichia, Anaplasma and Rickettsia species of questing A. parvum collected in northwestern Argentina. Our results showed that A. parvum ticks in this region are infected with the recently reported Ehrlichia sp. strain San Luis, closely related to Ehrlichia chaffeensis. A high prevalence of Candidatus Rickettsia andeanae was observed. Most of the infected ticks presented rickettsial loads lower than those previously reported for other spotted fever group rickettsiae. The presence of Ehrlichia sp. strain San Luis in A. parvum is a potential risk for public health as the principal hosts of this tick are domestic mammals in rural areas and humans are frequently bitten by this tick species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas D Monje
- Laboratorio de Ecología de Enfermedades, Instituto de Ciencias Veterinarias del Litoral, Universidad Nacional del Litoral - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Esperanza, Argentina.
| | - Camilo Fernandez
- Laboratorio de Ecología de Enfermedades, Instituto de Ciencias Veterinarias del Litoral, Universidad Nacional del Litoral - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Esperanza, Argentina
| | - Alejandro Percara
- Laboratorio de Ecología de Enfermedades, Instituto de Ciencias Veterinarias del Litoral, Universidad Nacional del Litoral - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Esperanza, Argentina
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11
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Lee JK, Stokes JV, Moraru GM, Harper AB, Smith CL, Wills RW, Varela-Stokes AS. Transmission of Amblyomma maculatum-Associated Rickettsia spp. During Cofeeding on Cattle. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2018; 18:511-518. [PMID: 30063189 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2017.2228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Amblyomma maculatum is the primary vector for the spotted fever group rickettsiae, Rickettsia parkeri, a known pathogen, and "Candidatus Rickettsia andeanae," currently considered nonpathogenic. Spotted fever group rickettsiae are typically endothelial cell associated and rarely circulate in the blood. Horizontal transmission to naïve ticks through blood feeding from an infected host is likely rare. Cofeeding provides an opportunity for rickettsial transmission to naïve ticks in the absence of circulating rickettsiae. We evaluated R. parkeri transmission through cofeeding between A. maculatum adults and nymphs on beef calves. Six calves in each of two trials were infested with A. maculatum that had been capillary fed R. parkeri. Four days later, calves each received recipient A. maculatum that were either capillary fed "Ca. R. andeanae" or not capillary fed before infestation. Trials differed by whether we included a barrier to minimize adjacent feeding between recipient and donor ticks. After cofeeding, we detected R. parkeri in 27% of "Ca. R. andeanae"-free recipient ticks, whereas R. parkeri was not detected in any recipient ticks that were capillary fed "Ca. R. andeanae." Rickettsia parkeri transmission efficiency to naïve ticks was greater when ticks freely cofed in proximity. No rickettsial DNA was detected in calf blood. Results confirm cofeeding as a method of horizontal transmission of R. parkeri in the absence of host rickettsemia and suggest no evidence of transmission by cofeeding when recipient ticks are first exposed to "Ca. R. andeanae" through capillary feeding. While cofeeding may provide an opportunity for maintaining the pathogen, R. parkeri, the mechanisms driving any potential effect of "Ca. R. andeanae" on R. parkeri transmission are unclear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jung Keun Lee
- 1 Department of Basic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University , Mississippi State, Mississippi
| | - John V Stokes
- 1 Department of Basic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University , Mississippi State, Mississippi
| | - Gail M Moraru
- 1 Department of Basic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University , Mississippi State, Mississippi
| | - Amanda B Harper
- 1 Department of Basic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University , Mississippi State, Mississippi
| | - Catherine L Smith
- 1 Department of Basic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University , Mississippi State, Mississippi
| | - Robert W Wills
- 2 Department of Pathobiology and Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University , Mississippi State, Mississippi
| | - Andrea S Varela-Stokes
- 1 Department of Basic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University , Mississippi State, Mississippi
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12
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do Amaral RB, Lourenço EC, Famadas KM, Garcia AB, Machado RZ, André MR. Molecular detection of Bartonella spp. and Rickettsia spp. in bat ectoparasites in Brazil. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0198629. [PMID: 29870549 PMCID: PMC5988283 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0198629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2018] [Accepted: 05/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The family Streblidae comprises a monophyletic group of Hippoboscoidea, hematophagous dipterans that parasitize bats. Bartonella spp. and Rickettsia spp. have been reported in bats sampled in Europe, Africa, Asia, North, Central and South America. However, there are few reports on the Bartonella and Rickettsia bacteria infecting Hippoboscoidea flies and mites. While Spinturnicidae mites are ectoparasites found only in bats, those belonging to the family Macronyssidae comprise mites that also parasitize other mammal species. This study investigates the occurrence and assesses the phylogenetic positioning of Bartonella spp. and Rickettsia spp. found in Streblidae flies and Spinturnicidae and Macronyssidae mites collected from bats captured in Brazil. From May 2011 to April 2012 and September 2013 to December 2014, 400 Streblidae flies, 100 Macronyssidaes, and 100 Spinturnicidae mites were collected from bats captured in two sites in northeastern Nova Iguaçu, Rio de Janeiro, southeastern Brazil. Forty (19.8%) out of 202 Streblidae flies were positive for Bartonella spp. in qPCR assays based on the nuoG gene. Among the flies positive for the bacterium, six (18%) were Paratrichobius longicrus, seven (29%) Strebla guajiro, two (40%) Aspidoptera phyllostomatis, five (11%) Aspidoptera falcata, one (10%) Trichobius anducei, one (25%) Megistopoda aranea, and 18 (32%) Trichobius joblingi, and collected from bats of the following species: Artibeus lituratus, Carollia perspicillata, Artibeus planirostris, Sturnira lilium, and Artibeus obscurus. Six sequences were obtained for Bartonella (nuoG [n = 2], gltA [n = 2], rpoB [n = 1], ribC = 1]). The phylogenetic analysis based on gltA (750pb) gene showed that the Bartonella sequences clustered with Bartonella genotypes detected in bats and ectoparasites previously sampled in Latin America, including Brazil. Only one sample (0.49%) of the species Trichobius joblingi collected from a specimen of Carollia perspicillata was positive for Rickettsia sp. in cPCR based on the gltA gene (401bp). This sequence was clustered with a 'Candidatus Rickettsia andaenae" genotype detected in an Amblyomma parvum tick collected from a rodent in the southern region of Brazilian Pantanal. The sampled Macronyssidae and Spinturnicidae mites were negative for Bartonella spp. and Rickettsia spp. This study demonstrated the first occurrence of Bartonella spp. and Rickettsia spp. DNA in Streblidae flies collected from bats in Brazil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renan Bressianini do Amaral
- Laboratory of Immunoparasitology, Department of Veterinary Pathology, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
- Agricultural and Livestock Microbiology Graduation Program, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - Elizabete Captivo Lourenço
- Laboratory of Parasite Arthropods, Department of Animal Parasitology, Institute of Veterinary, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro–UFRRJ, Seropédica, RJ, Brasil
| | - Kátia Maria Famadas
- Laboratory of Parasite Arthropods, Department of Animal Parasitology, Institute of Veterinary, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro–UFRRJ, Seropédica, RJ, Brasil
| | - Amanda Barbosa Garcia
- Laboratory of Immunoparasitology, Department of Veterinary Pathology, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
- Agricultural and Livestock Microbiology Graduation Program, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - Rosangela Zacarias Machado
- Laboratory of Immunoparasitology, Department of Veterinary Pathology, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
- Agricultural and Livestock Microbiology Graduation Program, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - Marcos Rogério André
- Laboratory of Immunoparasitology, Department of Veterinary Pathology, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
- Agricultural and Livestock Microbiology Graduation Program, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
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13
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Rivera-Páez FA, Martins TF, Ossa-López PA, Sampieri BR, Camargo-Mathias MI. Detection of Rickettsia spp. in ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) of domestic animals in Colombia. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2018; 9:819-823. [PMID: 29550216 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2018.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2017] [Revised: 03/04/2018] [Accepted: 03/05/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Rickettsiosis are emerging or re-emerging diseases, with a worldwide distribution associated to transmission by arthropod vectors. Rickettsia species belong to the spotted fever group (SFG) and are transmitted by hard ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) that may act as vectors and reservoirs. This study carried out a molecular detection of Rickettsia from 7 species of the family Ixodidae collected from domestic hosts by PCR amplification of fragments of the citrate synthase "gltA" gene and outer membrane protein "ompA" gene. Of the 204 samples analyzed, 11.3% (23) were positive for rickettsial infection. Three Rickettsia species belonging to the SFG were found, constituting the first reports of Rickettsia rickettsii in 2 departments of Colombia. Furthermore, we confirmed the first occurrence of Candidatus Rickettsia andeanae in Colombia, a species with an unknown pathogenic role in humans. These results raise awareness regarding the need to increase epidemiological control measures, as well as to consider new endemic regions in Colombia for Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF).
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Affiliation(s)
- Fredy A Rivera-Páez
- Departamento de Biologia, Instituto de Biociências, UNESP - Universidade Estadual Paulista, Avenida 24-A, 1515, Bairro Bela Vista, Rio Claro, SP, CEP13506-900, Brazil; Grupo de Investigación GEBIOME, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 65 No. 26-10 Apartado Aéreo 275 Manizales, Caldas, Colombia.
| | - Thiago F Martins
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Orlando Marques de Paiva, 87, CEP 05508-000, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Paula A Ossa-López
- Grupo de Investigación GEBIOME, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 65 No. 26-10 Apartado Aéreo 275 Manizales, Caldas, Colombia
| | - Bruno Rodrigues Sampieri
- Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Museu de Zoologia, R. Charles Darwin s/n, cidade universitária, Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - Maria I Camargo-Mathias
- Departamento de Biologia, Instituto de Biociências, UNESP - Universidade Estadual Paulista, Avenida 24-A, 1515, Bairro Bela Vista, Rio Claro, SP, CEP13506-900, Brazil
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14
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Suspected and Confirmed Vector-Borne Rickettsioses of North America Associated with Human Diseases. Trop Med Infect Dis 2018; 3:tropicalmed3010002. [PMID: 30274401 PMCID: PMC6136625 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed3010002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2017] [Revised: 12/18/2017] [Accepted: 12/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The identification of pathogenic rickettsial agents has expanded over the last two decades. In North America, the majority of human cases are caused by tick-borne rickettsioses but rickettsiae transmitted by lice, fleas, mites and other arthropods are also responsible for clinical disease. Symptoms are generally nonspecific or mimic other infectious diseases; therefore, diagnosis and treatment may be delayed. While infection with most rickettsioses is relatively mild, delayed diagnosis and treatment may lead to increased morbidity and mortality. This review will discuss the ecology, epidemiology and public health importance of suspected and confirmed vector-transmitted Rickettsia species of North America associated with human diseases.
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15
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Santibáñez S, Portillo A, Palomar AM, Oteo JA. Isolation of Rickettsia amblyommatis in HUVEC line. New Microbes New Infect 2017; 21:117-121. [PMID: 29321939 PMCID: PMC5756052 DOI: 10.1016/j.nmni.2017.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2017] [Accepted: 12/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Rickettsia amblyommatis, formerly named Rickettsia amblyommii and ‘Candidatus Rickettsia amblyommii’ is an intracellular bacterium belonging to the spotted fever group Rickettsia. It is highly prevalent in Amblyomma americanum and in other Amblyomma spp. throughout the Western Hemisphere. R. amblyommatis has been cultivated in chicken fibroblast, primary embryonated chicken eggs, Vero cells and arthropod-derived cells. Because of the affinity of rickettsiae to invade vascular endothelial cells, we tried to isolate R. amblyommatis from a nymph of Amblyomma cajennense s.l. collected in Saltillo (Coahulia, Mexico) using human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). One tick half was analysed by ompA PCR and was found to be positive for R. amblyommatis. The other half was selected for in vitro culture of Rickettsia spp. It was triturated in 1 mL of endothelial cell growth medium with 1% antibiotic–antimycotic solution, and the homogenate was inoculated into a HUVEC line. Culture was maintained at 33°C in endothelial cell growth medium plus 2 mM l-glutamine and 2% fetal calf serum, with 5% CO2. The medium was changed weekly. Culture was checked by Gimenez stain for Rickettsia-like intracellular organisms. After 48 days of incubation, Rickettsia-like organisms were observed in HUVEC. PCR assays and sequencing of ompA gene in the culture suspension showed 100% identity with R. amblyommatis. This isolate was successfully established in HUVEC, and it has been deposited in the collection of the Center of Rickettsioses and Arthropod-Borne Diseases, Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital San Pedro–Center of Biomedical Research from La Rioja, Logroño, Spain. The HUVEC line is a useful tool for the isolation of R. amblyommatis.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Santibáñez
- Center of Rickettsiosis and Arthropod-Borne Diseases, Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital San Pedro-Center of Biomedical Research from La Rioja (CIBIR), Logroño, La Rioja, Spain
| | - A Portillo
- Center of Rickettsiosis and Arthropod-Borne Diseases, Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital San Pedro-Center of Biomedical Research from La Rioja (CIBIR), Logroño, La Rioja, Spain
| | - A M Palomar
- Center of Rickettsiosis and Arthropod-Borne Diseases, Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital San Pedro-Center of Biomedical Research from La Rioja (CIBIR), Logroño, La Rioja, Spain
| | - J A Oteo
- Center of Rickettsiosis and Arthropod-Borne Diseases, Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital San Pedro-Center of Biomedical Research from La Rioja (CIBIR), Logroño, La Rioja, Spain
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16
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de Sousa KCM, Herrera HM, Rocha FL, Costa FB, Martins TF, Labruna MB, Machado RZ, André MR. Rickettsia spp. among wild mammals and their respective ectoparasites in Pantanal wetland, Brazil. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2017; 9:10-17. [PMID: 29111373 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2017.10.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2017] [Revised: 10/09/2017] [Accepted: 10/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The genus Rickettsia comprises obligatory intracellular bacteria, well known to cause zoonotic diseases around the world. The present work aimed to investigate the occurrence of Rickettsia spp. in wild animals, domestic dogs and their respective ectoparasites in southern Pantanal region, central-western Brazil, by molecular and serological techniques. Between August 2013 and March 2015, serum, whole blood and/or spleen samples were collected from 31 coatis, 78 crab-eating foxes, seven ocelots, 42 dogs, 110 wild rodents, and 30 marsupials. Serum samples from canids, felids, rodents and marsupials were individually tested by indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) in order to detect IgG antibodies to Rickettsia rickettsii, Rickettsia parkeri and Rickettsia amblyommatis. DNA samples from mammals and ectoparasites were submitted to a multiplex qPCR assay in order to detect and quantify spotted fever group (SFG) and typhus group (TG) rickettsiae and Orientia tsutsugamushi. Positive samples in qPCR assays were submitted to conventional PCR assays targeting gltA, ompA, ompB and htrA genes, followed by sequencing and phylogenetic analyses. The ticks collected (1582) from animals belonged to the species Amblyomma sculptum, Amblyomma parvum, Amblyomma ovale, Amblyomma tigrinum, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus, Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato and Amblyomma auricularium. Overall, 27 (64.2%) dogs, 59 (75.6%) crab-eating foxes and six (85.7%) ocelots were seroreactive (titer≥64) to at least one Rickettsia species. For 17 (40.4%) dogs, 33 (42.3%) crab-eating foxes, and two (33.3%) ocelots, homologous reactions to R. amblyommatis or a closely related organism were suggested. One hundred and sixteen (23.5%) tick samples and one (1.2%) crab-eating fox blood sample showed positivity in qPCR assays for SFG Rickettsia spp. Among SFG Rickettsia-positive ticks samples, 93 (80.2%) belonged to A. parvum, 14 (12%) belonged to A. sculptum species, three (2.5%) belonged to A. auricularim, and six (5.2%) were Amblyomma larval pools. Thirty samples out of 117 qPCR positive samples for SFG Rickettsia spp. also showed positivity in cPCR assays based on gltA, htrA and/or ompB genes. The Blast analyses showed 100% identity with 'Candidatus Rickettsia andeanae' in all 30 sequences obtained from gltA, htrA and/or ompB genes. The concatenated phylogenetic analysis based on gltA and 17-kDa htrA genes grouped the Rickettsia sequences obtained from tick samples in the same clade of 'Candidatus Rickettsia andeanae'. The present study revealed that wild and domestic animals in southern Pantanal region, Brazil, are exposed to SFG rickettsiae agents. Future studies regarding the pathogenicity of these agents are necessary in order to prevent human cases of rickettsiosis in Brazilian southern Pantanal.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Fabiana Lopes Rocha
- Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Laboratório de Ecologia Animal, Rio Tinto, PB, Brazil
| | - Francisco Borges Costa
- Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, São Paulo, SP Brazil
| | | | - Marcelo Bahia Labruna
- Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, São Paulo, SP 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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17
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Nieri-Bastos FA, Lopes MG, Cançado PHD, Rossa GAR, Faccini JLH, Gennari SM, Labruna MB. Candidatus Rickettsia andeanae, a spotted fever group agent infecting Amblyomma parvum ticks in two Brazilian biomes. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2016; 109:259-61. [PMID: 24714968 PMCID: PMC4015251 DOI: 10.1590/0074-0276140283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2013] [Accepted: 11/27/2013] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Adult ticks of the species Amblyomma parvum were collected from the
vegetation in the Pantanal biome (state of Mato Grosso do Sul) and from horses in the
Cerrado biome (state of Piauí) in Brazil. The ticks were
individually tested for rickettsial infection via polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
targeting three rickettsial genes, gltA, ompA and
ompB. Overall, 63.5% (40/63) and 66.7% (2/3) of A.
parvum ticks from Pantanal and Cerrado, respectively, contained
rickettsial DNA, which were all confirmed by DNA sequencing to be 100% identical to
the corresponding fragments of the gltA, ompA and
ompB genes of Candidatus Rickettsia andeanae.
This report is the first to describe Ca. R. andeanae in Brazil.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marcos Gomes Lopes
- Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | | | | | | | - Solange Maria Gennari
- Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - Marcelo Bahia Labruna
- Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
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18
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Rickettsial infection in ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) of wild animals in midwestern Brazil. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2016; 7:415-23. [PMID: 26775021 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2015.12.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2015] [Revised: 12/29/2015] [Accepted: 12/30/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Ticks collected in the last two decades from free-living and captive wild animals from 28 municipalities of the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso were identified and tested using molecular methods for the presence of rickettsial agents. A total of 4467 ticks (229 larvae, 1676 nymphs, 1565 males, 997 females) representing 27 ixodid species were collected from 235 species of amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals from three different ecoregions (Pantanal, Cerrado, and Amazonia). The species Amblyomma parkeri, Amblyomma romitii, Amblyomma varium and Ixodes luciae are reported for the first time in the state of Mato Grosso. Amongst 538 ticks tested by molecular methods for rickettsial infection, we detected 'Candidatus Rickettsia amblyommii' infecting Amblyomma cajennense sensu stricto and Amblyomma coelebs, Rickettsia sp. strain Atlantic rainforest infecting Amblyomma ovale, Rickettsia sp. strain NOD infecting Amblyomma nodosum, and 'Candidatus Rickettsia andeanae' infecting Amblyomma sculptum. Our results represent an impressive expansion of knowledge on tick fauna and rickettsiae and are essential for understanding the ecology of ticks and tick-borne diseases in the Neotropical region, particularly in midwestern Brazil.
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Santibáñez S, Portillo A, Palomar AM, Bell-Sakyi L, Romero L, Oteo JA. Isolation and maintenance of Rickettsia raoultii in a Rhipicephalus sanguineus tick cell line. Microbes Infect 2015; 17:866-9. [PMID: 26428859 DOI: 10.1016/j.micinf.2015.09.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2015] [Revised: 09/12/2015] [Accepted: 09/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Rickettsia raoultii, a member of the spotted fever group rickettsiae, has been implicated in cases of DEBONEL/TIBOLA/SENLAT, and has been detected in Dermacentor spp. and Rhipicephalus pumilio ticks by PCR. R. raoultii has been isolated in mammalian and tick cell lines. This study aimed to isolate R. raoultii from Spanish Dermacentor marginatus in tick cell lines. A single adult D. marginatus collected from vegetation in La Rioja (Northen Spain) in October 2012 was surface-sterilised, triturated and aliquots of the homogenate were inoculated into a panel of tick cell lines derived from embryonic Rhipicephalus sanguineus, Rhipicephalus evertsi and Ixodes ricinus. Cultures were maintained at 28 °C with weekly medium changes and checked by Gimenez stain for Rickettsia-like intracellular organisms. After 50 days of incubation, intracellular Rickettsia-like organisms were observed in the R. sanguineus cell line RML-RSE using Gimenez stain. PCR assays and sequencing of fragments of 16S RNA, ompB and ompA genes in DNA extracted from the culture suspension showed 100% identity with R. raoultii. Growth of intracellular microorganisms was not observed in preparations of the other tick cell lines. In conclusion, the tick cell line RML-RSE is a useful system for the isolation and maintenance of R. raoultii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Santibáñez
- Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital San Pedro-CIBIR, Logroño, Spain
| | - Aránzazu Portillo
- Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital San Pedro-CIBIR, Logroño, Spain
| | - Ana M Palomar
- Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital San Pedro-CIBIR, Logroño, Spain
| | | | - Lourdes Romero
- Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital San Pedro-CIBIR, Logroño, Spain
| | - José A Oteo
- Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital San Pedro-CIBIR, Logroño, Spain.
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Banajee KH, Embers ME, Langohr IM, Doyle LA, Hasenkampf NR, Macaluso KR. Amblyomma maculatum Feeding Augments Rickettsia parkeri Infection in a Rhesus Macaque Model: A Pilot Study. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0135175. [PMID: 26244337 PMCID: PMC4526656 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0135175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2015] [Accepted: 07/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Rickettsia parkeri is an emerging eschar-causing human pathogen in the spotted fever group of Rickettsia and is transmitted by the Gulf coast tick, Amblyomma maculatum. Tick saliva has been shown to alter both the cellular and humoral components of the innate and adaptive immune systems. However, the effect of this immunomodulation on Rickettsia transmission and pathology in an immunocompetent vertebrate host has not been fully examined. We hypothesize that, by modifying the host immune response, tick feeding enhances infection and pathology of pathogenic spotted fever group Rickettsia sp. In order to assess this interaction in vivo, a pilot study was conducted using five rhesus macaques that were divided into three groups. One group was intradermally inoculated with low passage R. parkeri (Portsmouth strain) alone (n = 2) and another group was inoculated during infestation by adult, R. parkeri-free A. maculatum (n = 2). The final macaque was infested with ticks alone (tick feeding control group). Blood, lymph node and skin biopsies were collected at several time points post-inoculation/infestation to assess pathology and quantify rickettsial DNA. As opposed to the tick-only animal, all Rickettsia-inoculated macaques developed inflammatory leukograms, elevated C-reactive protein concentrations, and elevated TH1 (interferon-γ, interleukin-15) and acute phase inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-6) post-inoculation, with greater neutrophilia and interleukin-6 concentrations in the tick plus R. parkeri group. While eschars formed at all R. parkeri inoculation sites, larger and slower healing eschars were observed in the tick feeding plus R. parkeri group. Furthermore, dissemination of R. parkeri to draining lymph nodes early in infection and increased persistence at the inoculation site were observed in the tick plus R. parkeri group. This study indicates that rhesus macaques can be used to model R. parkeri rickettsiosis, and suggests that immunomodulatory factors introduced during tick feeding may enhance the pathogenicity of spotted fever group Rickettsia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaikhushroo H. Banajee
- Vector-borne Disease Laboratories, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 70803, United States of America
| | - Monica E. Embers
- Division of Bacteriology and Parasitology, Tulane National Primate Research Center, Tulane University Health Sciences, Covington, Louisiana, United States of America
| | - Ingeborg M. Langohr
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States of America
| | - Lara A. Doyle
- Division of Veterinary Medicine, Tulane National Primate Research Center, Tulane University Health Sciences Center, Covington, Louisiana, United States of America
| | - Nicole R. Hasenkampf
- Division of Bacteriology and Parasitology, Tulane National Primate Research Center, Tulane University Health Sciences, Covington, Louisiana, United States of America
| | - Kevin R. Macaluso
- Vector-borne Disease Laboratories, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 70803, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Lugarini C, Martins TF, Ogrzewalska M, de Vasconcelos NCT, Ellis VA, de Oliveira JB, Pinter A, Labruna MB, Silva JCR. Rickettsial agents in avian ixodid ticks in northeast Brazil. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2015; 6:364-75. [PMID: 25800099 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2015.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2014] [Revised: 01/20/2015] [Accepted: 02/25/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Birds are important in the maintenance and spread of ticks and tick-borne diseases. In this context we screened birds in the Atlantic forest north of the São Francisco River and Caatinga in northeast Brazil. In the Atlantic forest Amblyomma longirostre, Amblyomma nodosum, Amblyomma varium and Amblyomma auricularium were identified. A. longirostre was infected by "Candidatus Rickettsia amblyommii" and A. nodosum by a Rickettsia parkeri-like agent. In Caatinga, Amblyomma parvum and A. auricularium were identified. A. auricularium was infected by "Ca. R. amblyommii" and Rickettsia bellii. "Canditatus Rickettsia andenae" was also identified in A. parvum collected from birds in Caatinga. In addition, Rickettsia sp. genotype AL was identified in A. varium collected on the clothes of the field team in one area of Atlantic forest. Here we provide a series of new host records for several Neotropical Amblyomma species and document rickettsial infections of "Ca. R. amblyomii" and a R. parkeri-like agent in Paraíba State, and R. bellii and "Ca. R. andenae" in Bahia State. For the first time we provide information regarding the infection of A. varium by "Ca. R. amblyommii".
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Affiliation(s)
- Camile Lugarini
- Centro Nacional de Pesquisa e Conservação de Aves Silvestres, Estação Ecológica de Carijós, Rodovia Maurício Sirotski Sobrinho s/n, SC 402 - km 02, trevo Jurerê, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina 88053-700, Brazil; Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco (UFRPE), Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiro, s/n, Dois Irmãos, Recife, PE 52171-900, Brazil; Instituto Brasileiro para Medicina da Conservação - Tríade, Rua Silveira Lobo, 32, Caixa Postal 48, Casa Forte, Recife, PE 852061-030, Brazil.
| | - Thiago Fernandes Martins
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinaria e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, SP 05508 270, Brazil
| | - Maria Ogrzewalska
- Laboratory of Hantaviruses and Rickettsioses, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Av. Brasil 4365, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21045-900, Brazil
| | - Nathália Costa Teixeira de Vasconcelos
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco (UFRPE), Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiro, s/n, Dois Irmãos, Recife, PE 52171-900, Brazil
| | - Vincenzo A Ellis
- University of Missouri-St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, 8001 Natural Bridge, St. Louis, MO 63121, USA
| | - Jaqueline Bianque de Oliveira
- Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco (UFRPE), Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiro, s/n, Dois Irmãos, Recife, PE 52171-900, Brazil
| | - Adriano Pinter
- Superintendência de Controle de Endemias (Sucen), Rua Cardeal Arcovere, 2878, São Paulo 05408-003, Brazil
| | - Marcelo B Labruna
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinaria e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, SP 05508 270, Brazil
| | - Jean Carlos Ramos Silva
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco (UFRPE), Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiro, s/n, Dois Irmãos, Recife, PE 52171-900, Brazil; Instituto Brasileiro para Medicina da Conservação - Tríade, Rua Silveira Lobo, 32, Caixa Postal 48, Casa Forte, Recife, PE 852061-030, Brazil
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High prevalence of "Candidatus Rickettsia andeanae" and apparent exclusion of Rickettsia parkeri in adult Amblyomma maculatum (Acari: Ixodidae) from Kansas and Oklahoma. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2015; 6:297-302. [PMID: 25773931 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2015.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2014] [Revised: 01/29/2015] [Accepted: 02/03/2015] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Amblyomma maculatum (the Gulf Coast tick), an aggressive, human-biting, Nearctic and Neotropical tick, is the principal vector of Rickettsia parkeri in the United States. This pathogenic spotted fever group Rickettsia species has been identified in 8-52% of questing adult Gulf Coast ticks in the southeastern United States. To our knowledge, R. parkeri has not been reported previously from adult specimens of A. maculatum collected in Kansas or Oklahoma. A total of 216 adult A. maculatum ticks were collected from 18 counties in Kansas and Oklahoma during 2011-2014 and evaluated by molecular methods for evidence of infection with R. parkeri. No infections with this agent were identified; however, 47% of 94 ticks collected from Kansas and 73% of 122 ticks from Oklahoma were infected with "Candidatus Rickettsia andeanae" a spotted fever group Rickettsia species of undetermined pathogenicity. These preliminary data suggest that "Ca. R. andeanae" is well-adapted to survival in populations of A. maculatum in Kansas and Oklahoma, and that its ubiquity in Gulf Coast ticks in these states may effectively exclude R. parkeri from their shared arthropod host, which could diminish markedly or preclude entirely the occurrence of R. parkeri rickettsiosis in this region of the United States.
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Paddock CD, Goddard J. The Evolving Medical and Veterinary Importance of the Gulf Coast tick (Acari: Ixodidae). JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2015; 52:230-52. [PMID: 26336308 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tju022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2014] [Accepted: 12/02/2014] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Amblyomma maculatum Koch (the Gulf Coast tick) is a three-host, ixodid tick that is distributed throughout much of the southeastern and south-central United States, as well as several countries throughout Central and South America. A considerable amount of scientific literature followed the original description of A. maculatum in 1844; nonetheless, the Gulf Coast tick was not recognized as a vector of any known pathogen of animals or humans for >150 years. It is now identified as the principal vector of Hepatozoon americanum, the agent responsible for American canine hepatozoonosis, and Rickettsia parkeri, the cause of an emerging, eschar-associated spotted fever group rickettsiosis identified throughout much of the Western Hemisphere. Coincident with these discoveries has been recognition that the geographical distribution of A. maculatum in the United States is far more extensive than described 70 yr ago, supporting the idea that range and abundance of certain tick species, particularly those with diverse host preferences, are not fixed in time or space, and may change over relatively short intervals. Renewed interest in the Gulf Coast tick reinforces the notion that the perceived importance of a particular tick species to human or animal health can be relatively fluid, and may shift dramatically with changes in the distribution and abundance of the arthropod, its vertebrate hosts, or the microbial agents that transit among these organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher D Paddock
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Building 17, Room 3224, 1600 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA 30333.
| | - Jerome Goddard
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology, and Plant Pathology, Mississippi State University, Box 9775, 100 Old Hwy 12 (Clay Lyle Building), Starkville, MS 39762
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Eremeeva ME, Shpynov SN, Tokarevich NK. MODERN APPROACHES TO LABORATORY DIAGNOSIS OF RICKETTSIAL DISEASES. RUSSIAN JOURNAL OF INFECTION AND IMMUNITY 2014. [DOI: 10.15789/2220-7619-2014-2-113-134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Abstract. We present a concise review of contemporary laboratory methods for diagnosis of rickettsioses with special emphasis on diseases known in Russian Federation. Classic and emerging rickettsioses are transmitted by a diverse and expanding group of arthropod vectors including ticks, fleas, lice and mites. While epidemiological and clinical clues can provide information important for initial suspicion of rickettsial infection, sensitive and specific laboratory methods are necessary for providing probable or confirmed diagnosis of the rickettsial infection. Accurate and rapid confirmation of rickettsial infection is important for ensuring proper clinical care and prompt initiation of antibiotic therapy. Correct identification of the etiology of rickettsial diseases is also important for early identification of clustered cases, novel foci of infections, and for timely initiation of public health responses to these potentially fatal infections.
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Grasperge BJ, Morgan TW, Paddock CD, Peterson KE, Macaluso KR. Feeding by Amblyomma maculatum (Acari: Ixodidae) enhances Rickettsia parkeri (Rickettsiales: Rickettsiaceae) infection in the skin. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2014; 51:855-863. [PMID: 25118419 PMCID: PMC4214552 DOI: 10.1603/me13248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Rickettsia parkeri Luckman (Rickettsiales: Rickettsiaceae), a member of the spotted fever group of Rickettsia, is the tick-borne causative agent of a newly recognized, eschar-associated rickettsiosis. Because of its relatively recent designation as a pathogen, few studies have examined the pathogenesis of transmission of R. parkeri to the vertebrate host. To further elucidate the role of tick feeding in rickettsial infection of vertebrates, nymphal Amblyomma maculatum Koch (Acari: Ixodidae) were fed on C3H/HeJ mice intradermally inoculated with R. parkeri (Portsmouth strain). The ticks were allowed to feed to repletion, at which time samples were taken for histopathology, immunohistochemistry (IHC), quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) for rickettsial quantification, and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for expression of Itgax, Mcp1, and Il1beta. The group of mice that received intradermal inoculation of R. parkeri with tick feeding displayed significant increases in rickettsial load and IHC staining, but not in cytokine expression, when compared with the group of mice that received intradermal inoculation of R. parkeri without tick feeding. Tick feeding alone was associated with histopathologic changes in the skin, but these changes, and particularly vascular pathology, were more pronounced in the skin of mice inoculated previously with R. parkeri and followed by tick feeding. The marked differences in IHC staining and qPCR for the R. parkeri with tick feeding group strongly suggest an important role for tick feeding in the early establishment of rickettsial infection in the skin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Britton J. Grasperge
- Vector-borne Disease Laboratories, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Skip Bertman Drive, Baton Rouge, LA 70803
| | - Timothy W. Morgan
- Department of Pathobiology and Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762
| | - Christopher D. Paddock
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30341
| | - Karin E. Peterson
- Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT 59840
| | - Kevin R. Macaluso
- Vector-borne Disease Laboratories, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Skip Bertman Drive, Baton Rouge, LA 70803
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