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Snow AA, Pearson P, Xu G, Allen DN, Santamaria R, Rich SM. Tick Densities and Infection Prevalence on Coastal Islands in Massachusetts, USA: Establishing a Baseline. INSECTS 2023; 14:628. [PMID: 37504634 PMCID: PMC10380421 DOI: 10.3390/insects14070628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2023] [Revised: 07/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Tick-borne diseases and a tick-induced red meat allergy have become increasingly common in the northeastern USA and elsewhere. At the scale of local communities, few studies have documented tick densities or infection levels to characterize current conditions and provide a baseline for further monitoring. Using the town of Nantucket, MA, as a case study, we recorded tick densities by drag sampling along hiking trails in nature preserves on two islands. Nymphal blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis Say) were most abundant at shadier sites and least common in grasslands and scrub oak thickets (Quercus ilicifolia). Lone star ticks (Amblyomma americanum L.) were common on Tuckernuck Island and rare on Nantucket Island, while both tick species were more numerous in 2021 compared to 2020 and 2022. We tested for pathogens in blacklegged nymphs at five sites over two years. In 2020 and 2021, infection levels among the four Nantucket Island sites averaged 10% vs. 19% for Borrelia burgdorferi, 11% vs. 15% for Babesia microti, and 17% (both years) for Anaplasma phagocytophilum, while corresponding levels were significantly greater on Tuckernuck in 2021. Our site-specific, quantitative approach represents a practical example of how potential exposure to tick-borne diseases can be monitored on a local scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison A Snow
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Patrick Pearson
- Laboratory of Medical Zoology, Department of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Guang Xu
- Laboratory of Medical Zoology, Department of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - David N Allen
- Department of Biology, Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT 05753, USA
| | | | - Stephen M Rich
- Laboratory of Medical Zoology, Department of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
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2
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Rozej-Bielicka W, Masny A, Golab E. High-resolution melting PCR assay, applicable for diagnostics and screening studies, allowing detection and differentiation of several Babesia spp. infecting humans and animals. Parasitol Res 2017; 116:2671-2681. [PMID: 28795223 PMCID: PMC5599466 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-017-5576-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2017] [Accepted: 07/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The goal of the study was to design a single tube PCR test for detection and differentiation of Babesia species in DNA samples obtained from diverse biological materials. A multiplex, single tube PCR test was designed for amplification of approximately 400 bp region of the Babesia 18S rRNA gene. Universal primers were designed to match DNA of multiple Babesia spp. and to have low levels of similarity to DNA sequences of other intracellular protozoa and Babesia hosts. The PCR products amplified from Babesia DNA isolated from human, dog, rodent, deer, and tick samples were subjected to high-resolution melting analysis for Babesia species identification. The designed test allowed detection and differentiation of four Babesia species, three zoonotic (B. microti, B. divergens, B. venatorum) and one that is generally not considered zoonotic—Babesia canis. Both detection and identification of all four species were possible based on the HRM curves of the PCR products in samples obtained from the following: humans, dogs, rodents, and ticks. No cross-reactivity with DNA of Babesia hosts or Plasmodium falciparum and Toxoplasma gondii was observed. The lack of cross-reactivity with P. falciparum DNA might allow using the assay in endemic malaria areas. The designed assay is the first PCR-based test for detection and differentiation of several Babesia spp. of medical and veterinary importance, in a single tube reaction. The results of the study show that the designed assay for Babesia detection and identification could be a practical and inexpensive tool for diagnostics and screening studies of diverse biological materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wioletta Rozej-Bielicka
- Department of Parasitology, National Institute of Public Health – National Institute of Hygiene, Warszawa, Poland
| | - Aleksander Masny
- Department of Parasitology, National Institute of Public Health – National Institute of Hygiene, Warszawa, Poland
| | - Elzbieta Golab
- Department of Parasitology, National Institute of Public Health – National Institute of Hygiene, Warszawa, Poland
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3
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Werden L, Lindsay LR, Barker IK, Bowman J, Gonzales EK, Jardine CM. Prevalence of Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Babesia microti in Ixodes scapularis from a Newly Established Lyme Disease Endemic Area, the Thousand Islands Region of Ontario, Canada. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2015; 15:627-9. [PMID: 26393476 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2015.1792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis) are vectors for several important human diseases, including Lyme disease, human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA), and human babesiosis, caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Babesia microti, respectively. The continued northward range expansion of blacklegged ticks and associated pathogens is an increasing public health concern in Canada. The Thousand Islands region of eastern Ontario has recently been identified as a new endemic area for Lyme disease in Canada, but the occurrence of other pathogens in ticks in this area has not been fully described. Our objectives were to determine the prevalence of A. phagocytophilum and B. microti in small mammals and questing ticks in the Thousand Islands area and identify the strains of A. phagocytophilum circulating in ticks in the area. Serum and larval ticks were collected from trapped small mammals, and questing ticks were collected via drag sampling from up to 12 island and mainland sites in 2006, 2009, and 2010. A. phagocytophilum was identified by PCR in 3.4% (47/1388) ticks from eight of 12 sites; the prevalence ranged from 8.9% in 2006 to 3% in 2009. All 365 ticks tested for B. microti were negative. Antibodies to A. phagocytophilum were detected in 2.8% (17/611) of white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) at two of 11 sites in 2006, 2009, or 2010. All 34 A. phagocytophilum-positive ticks submitted for strain identification using single-nucleotide polymorphism genotyping assays targeting the 16S rRNA gene were identified as a variant strain (Ap variant-1), which is not commonly associated with human disease. Our findings suggest that people are at low risk of contracting HGA or human babesiosis due to locally acquired tick bites in the Thousand Islands area. However, continued surveillance is warranted as these pathogens continue to expand their ranges in North America.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Werden
- 1 Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph , Ontario, Canada .,2 Parks Canada Agency , Mallorytown, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Ian K Barker
- 4 Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph , Ontario, Canada
| | - Jeff Bowman
- 5 Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry , Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Claire M Jardine
- 4 Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph , Ontario, Canada
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4
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Stensvold CR, Al Marai D, Andersen LO, Krogfelt KA, Jensen JS, Larsen KS, Nielsen HV. Babesia spp. and other pathogens in ticks recovered from domestic dogs in Denmark. Parasit Vectors 2015; 8:262. [PMID: 25951937 PMCID: PMC4425907 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-015-0843-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2015] [Accepted: 04/06/2015] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Newly recognized endemic foci for human babesiosis include Europe, where Ixodes ricinus, a vector for several species of Babesia, is the most commonly identified tick. Vector-based surveillance provides an early warning system for the emergence of human babesiosis, which is likely to be under-reported at emerging sites. In the present study, we set out to screen I. ricinus collected from Danish domestic dogs for Babesia, in order to identify whether humans in Denmark are exposed to the parasite. Findings A total of 661 ticks (Ixodes spp.) were collected from 345 Danish domestic dogs during April-September 2011 and pooled, one sample per dog. DNA was extracted from each sample and examined by PCR and sequencing for Rickettsia spp., Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, Bartonella spp., Francisella tularensis, Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis, and Babesia spp. In total, 34% of the samples were positive for tick-borne microorganisms potentially pathogenic to humans: Rickettsia spp. were detected in 16% of the pools, with 79% being R. helvetica. Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato was found in 15%, with the main species identified as Borrelia afzelii (39%). Likewise, 8% of the samples were positive for Babesia spp. (Babesia microti, 82%; Babesia venatorum (‘EU1’), 18%). Lastly, 1% of the samples tested positive for Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis, and 0.6% for Bartonella spp. No ticks were found to be infected with Francisella tularensis. Conclusions Our data are in support of endemic occurrence of potentially zoonotic Babesia in Denmark and confirms I. ricinus as a vector of multiple pathogens of public health concern. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13071-015-0843-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christen Rune Stensvold
- Department of Microbiology and Infection Control, Statens Serum Institut, Artillerivej 5, DK-2300, Copenhagen, Denmark. .,Laboratory of Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Infection Control, Statens Serum Institut, Artillerivej 5, DK-2300, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Dua Al Marai
- Department of Microbiology and Infection Control, Statens Serum Institut, Artillerivej 5, DK-2300, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Lee O'Brien Andersen
- Department of Microbiology and Infection Control, Statens Serum Institut, Artillerivej 5, DK-2300, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Karen Angeliki Krogfelt
- Department of Microbiology and Infection Control, Statens Serum Institut, Artillerivej 5, DK-2300, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Jørgen Skov Jensen
- Department of Microbiology and Infection Control, Statens Serum Institut, Artillerivej 5, DK-2300, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | | | - Henrik Vedel Nielsen
- Department of Microbiology and Infection Control, Statens Serum Institut, Artillerivej 5, DK-2300, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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Robinson SJ, Neitzel DF, Moen RA, Craft ME, Hamilton KE, Johnson LB, Mulla DJ, Munderloh UG, Redig PT, Smith KE, Turner CL, Umber JK, Pelican KM. Disease risk in a dynamic environment: the spread of tick-borne pathogens in Minnesota, USA. ECOHEALTH 2015; 12:152-63. [PMID: 25281302 PMCID: PMC4385511 DOI: 10.1007/s10393-014-0979-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2014] [Revised: 09/04/2014] [Accepted: 09/05/2014] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
As humans and climate change alter the landscape, novel disease risk scenarios emerge. Understanding the complexities of pathogen emergence and subsequent spread as shaped by landscape heterogeneity is crucial to understanding disease emergence, pinpointing high-risk areas, and mitigating emerging disease threats in a dynamic environment. Tick-borne diseases present an important public health concern and incidence of many of these diseases are increasing in the United States. The complex epidemiology of tick-borne diseases includes strong ties with environmental factors that influence host availability, vector abundance, and pathogen transmission. Here, we used 16 years of case data from the Minnesota Department of Health to report spatial and temporal trends in Lyme disease (LD), human anaplasmosis, and babesiosis. We then used a spatial regression framework to evaluate the impact of landscape and climate factors on the spread of LD. Finally, we use the fitted model, and landscape and climate datasets projected under varying climate change scenarios, to predict future changes in tick-borne pathogen risk. Both forested habitat and temperature were important drivers of LD spread in Minnesota. Dramatic changes in future temperature regimes and forest communities predict rising risk of tick-borne disease.
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Esteve-Gassent MD, Pérez de León AA, Romero-Salas D, Feria-Arroyo TP, Patino R, Castro-Arellano I, Gordillo-Pérez G, Auclair A, Goolsby J, Rodriguez-Vivas RI, Estrada-Franco JG. Pathogenic Landscape of Transboundary Zoonotic Diseases in the Mexico-US Border Along the Rio Grande. Front Public Health 2014; 2:177. [PMID: 25453027 PMCID: PMC4233934 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2014.00177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2014] [Accepted: 09/19/2014] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Transboundary zoonotic diseases, several of which are vector borne, can maintain a dynamic focus and have pathogens circulating in geographic regions encircling multiple geopolitical boundaries. Global change is intensifying transboundary problems, including the spatial variation of the risk and incidence of zoonotic diseases. The complexity of these challenges can be greater in areas where rivers delineate international boundaries and encompass transitions between ecozones. The Rio Grande serves as a natural border between the US State of Texas and the Mexican States of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas. Not only do millions of people live in this transboundary region, but also a substantial amount of goods and people pass through it everyday. Moreover, it occurs over a region that functions as a corridor for animal migrations, and thus links the Neotropic and Nearctic biogeographic zones, with the latter being a known foci of zoonotic diseases. However, the pathogenic landscape of important zoonotic diseases in the south Texas-Mexico transboundary region remains to be fully understood. An international perspective on the interplay between disease systems, ecosystem processes, land use, and human behaviors is applied here to analyze landscape and spatial features of Venezuelan equine encephalitis, Hantavirus disease, Lyme Borreliosis, Leptospirosis, Bartonellosis, Chagas disease, human Babesiosis, and Leishmaniasis. Surveillance systems following the One Health approach with a regional perspective will help identifying opportunities to mitigate the health burden of those diseases on human and animal populations. It is proposed that the Mexico-US border along the Rio Grande region be viewed as a continuum landscape where zoonotic pathogens circulate regardless of national borders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Dolores Esteve-Gassent
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | | | - Dora Romero-Salas
- Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Veracruzana, Veracruz, México
| | | | - Ramiro Patino
- Department of Biology, University of Texas-Pan American, Edinburg, TX, USA
| | - Ivan Castro-Arellano
- Department of Biology, College of Science and Engineering, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX, USA
| | - Guadalupe Gordillo-Pérez
- Unidad de Investigación en Enfermedades Infecciosas, Centro Médico Nacional SXXI, IMSS, Distrito Federal, México
| | - Allan Auclair
- Environmental Risk Analysis Systems, Policy and Program Development, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Riverdale, MD, USA
| | - John Goolsby
- Cattle Fever Tick Research Laboratory, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Edinburg, TX, USA
| | - Roger Ivan Rodriguez-Vivas
- Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Cuerpo Académico de Salud Animal, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, México
| | - Jose Guillermo Estrada-Franco
- Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria Zootecnia, Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios Avanzados en Salud Animal, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Toluca, México
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Michelet L, Delannoy S, Devillers E, Umhang G, Aspan A, Juremalm M, Chirico J, van der Wal FJ, Sprong H, Boye Pihl TP, Klitgaard K, Bødker R, Fach P, Moutailler S. High-throughput screening of tick-borne pathogens in Europe. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2014; 4:103. [PMID: 25120960 PMCID: PMC4114295 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2014.00103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 173] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2014] [Accepted: 07/10/2014] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Due to increased travel, climatic, and environmental changes, the incidence of tick-borne disease in both humans and animals is increasing throughout Europe. Therefore, extended surveillance tools are desirable. To accurately screen tick-borne pathogens (TBPs), a large scale epidemiological study was conducted on 7050 Ixodes ricinus nymphs collected from France, Denmark, and the Netherlands using a powerful new high-throughput approach. This advanced methodology permitted the simultaneous detection of 25 bacterial, and 12 parasitic species (including; Borrelia, Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, Rickettsia, Bartonella, Candidatus Neoehrlichia, Coxiella, Francisella, Babesia, and Theileria genus) across 94 samples. We successfully determined the prevalence of expected (Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Rickettsia helvetica, Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis, Babesia divergens, Babesia venatorum), unexpected (Borrelia miyamotoi), and rare (Bartonella henselae) pathogens in the three European countries. Moreover we detected Borrelia spielmanii, Borrelia miyamotoi, Babesia divergens, and Babesia venatorum for the first time in Danish ticks. This surveillance method represents a major improvement in epidemiological studies, able to facilitate comprehensive testing of TBPs, and which can also be customized to monitor emerging diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sabine Delannoy
- IdentyPath Platform, Food Safety Laboratory, ANSES Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Elodie Devillers
- UMR BIPAR, Animal Health Laboratory, ANSES Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Gérald Umhang
- Nancy Laboratory for Rabies and Wildlife, Wildlife EcoEPIdemiology and Surveillance Unit, ANSES Malzéville, France
| | - Anna Aspan
- Department of Bacteriology, National Veterinary Institute (SVA) Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Mikael Juremalm
- Department of Virology, Immunobiology and Parasitology, National Veterinary Institute (SVA) Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jan Chirico
- Department of Virology, Immunobiology and Parasitology, National Veterinary Institute (SVA) Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Fimme J van der Wal
- Department of Infection Biology, Central Veterinary Institute, Wageningen UR Lelystad, Netherlands
| | - Hein Sprong
- Laboratory for Zoonoses and Environmental Microbiology, National Institute for Public Health and Environment (RIVM) Bilthoven, Netherlands
| | | | | | - Rene Bødker
- National Veterinary Institute, DTU Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Patrick Fach
- IdentyPath Platform, Food Safety Laboratory, ANSES Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Sara Moutailler
- UMR BIPAR, Animal Health Laboratory, ANSES Maisons-Alfort, France
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