DIVERSE BARTONELLA SPP. DETECTED IN WHITE-TAILED DEER (ODOCOILEUS VIRGINIANUS) AND ASSOCIATED KEDS (LIPOPTENA MAZAMAE) IN THE SOUTHEASTERN USA

Detection of Bartonella spp. in farmed deer (Artiodactyla: Cervidae) using multiplex assays in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China

In this study, we investigated the prevalence of Bartonella in deer from Qilian County, Qinghai Province, China. Blood samples were collected from 69 red deer, 40 white-lipped deer, and 27 sika deer. The detection of Bartonella spp. has been conducted. The overall prevalence of Bartonella was 33.6% (46/135). Species-specific prevalence was 50.72% in red deer (35/69), 20.00% in white-lipped deer (8/40), and 11.11% in sika deer (3/27). There were significant differences in the prevalence rates among the different species of deer. The amplicon sequence comparison revealed a high homology of the ruminant-associated Bartonella spp. Nanopore sequencing further confirmed the results. Bartonella reads were presented in each of the qPCR-positive samples. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the Bartonella sequences detected in deer blood were closely related to ruminant-borne Bartonella spp. In summary, we reported the Bartonella prevalence of different deer species in Qinghai, and there were at least one species of ruminant-associated Bartonella, B. schoenbuchensis.

IMPORTANCE

This is the first report about Bartonella infections in the deer population from China. We found that there were two species of Bartonella and an unidentified species of Bartonella among the unculturing strains carried by these deer populations. We first used Nanopore sequencing to detect Bartonella from deer blood samples and indicated that Nanopore sequencing is beneficial to detect pathogens due to its advantage of real-time and high sensitivity.

Molecular survey and phylogenetic analysis of Bartonella sp., Coxiella sp., and hemoplamas in pudu (Pudu puda) from Chile: first report of Bartonella henselae in a wild ungulate species

Introduction

Recent evidence shows a high diversity of infectious agents in wildlife that represent a threat to human, domestic, and wild animal health. In Chile, wild populations of the most common cervid species, pudu (Pudu puda), have been reported as hosts for novel pathogens such as Mycoplasma ovis-like and a novel ecotype of Anaplasma phagocytophilum. A better understanding of the epidemiology of this group and other intracellular bacteria that might have cervids as hosts would enlighten their population relevance. This study aimed to determine the occurrence and genetic diversity of Bartonella spp., hemotropic mycoplasmas, and Coxiella burnetii in pudus from Chile.

Methods

The DNA was extracted from the blood samples of 69 wild free-ranging and 30 captive pudus from Chile. A combination of real-time (nouG gene for Bartonella and IS1111 element for C. burnetii) and conventional PCR (16S rRNA for hemotropic Mycoplasma spp. and rpoB, gltA, and ITS for Bartonella spp.) was used for pathogen screening and molecular characterization.

Results

DNA of Bartonella spp. was detected in 10.1% [95% CI (5.2-18.2%)] samples, hemotropic Mycoplasma spp. in 1.7% [95% CI (0.08-10.1%)], and C. burnetii in 1.0% [95% CI (0.05-6.3%)] samples. Two sequenced samples were identified as Mycoplasma ovis-like, and one free-ranging pudu was positive for C. burnetii. While one captive and two free-ranging pudus were positive for Bartonella henselae, one wild pudu was co-positive for B. henselae and Bartonella sp., similar to Bartonellae identified in ruminants.

Discussion

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of B. henselae in wild ungulate species, and C. burnetii and Bartonella spp. in wild ungulate species in South America. Further research will be necessary to evaluate the potential role of pudu as reservoirs of infection and identify the sources for disease transmission among humans and wild and domestic animals.

Diversity of Anaplasma and novel Bartonella species in Lipoptena fortisetosa collected from captive Eld's deer in Thailand

Lipoptena insects are important ectoparasites of cervids and may affect humans that are incidentally bitten. The presence of zoonotic pathogen DNA, such as Anaplasma, and Bartonella, raises the importance of Lipoptena insects in veterinary and human medicine. Eld's deer (Rucervus eldii thamin), an endangered wild ruminant in Thailand, are bred and raised in the open zoo. The semi-wild zoo environment suggests ectoparasite infestation and potential risk for mechanical transmission of pathogens to visitors, zoo workers, or other animals. However, epidemiology knowledge of pathogens related to endangered wild ruminants in Thailand is limited. This study aims to determine the prevalence and diversity of Anaplasma and Bartonella in the L. fortisetosa collected from captive Eld's deer in Chon Buri, Thailand. Of the 91 Lipoptena DNA samples obtained, 42 (46.15%) and 25 (27.47%) were positive for Anaplasma and Bartonella by molecular detection, respectively. Further, 42 sequences of Anaplasma (4 nucleotide sequence types) showed 100% identity to those detected in other ruminants and blood-sucking ectoparasites. Twenty-five sequences of Bartonella (8 nucleotide sequence types) showed 97.35-99.11% identity to the novel Bartonella species from sika deer and keds in Japan. Phylogenetic trees revealed Anaplasma sequences were grouped with the clusters of A. bovis and other ruminant-related Anaplasma, while Bartonella sequences were clustered with the novel Bartonella species lineages C, D, and E, which originated from Japan. Interestingly, a new independent lineage of novel Bartonella species was found in obtained specimens. We report the first molecular detection of Anaplasma and Bartonella on L. fortisetosa, which could represent infectious status of captive Eld's deer in the zoo. Wild animals act as reservoirs for many pathogens, thus preventive measures in surrounding areas should be considered to prevent pathogen infection among animals or potential zoonotic infection among humans.

Analysis of the bacterial communities associated with pupae and winged or wingless adults of Lipoptena fortisetosa collected from cervids in Italy

The hippoboscid Lipoptena fortisetosa Maa, 1965 is a hematophagous ectoparasite of cervids that can bite humans. This fly is expanding its geographical range and is of concern for animal and human health since it can potentially harbour harmful microorganisms. This study was aimed at characterizing the bacterial communities of L. fortisetosa in its different life-cycle stages. Pupae and wingless adults were collected from cervids hunted in Tuscan-Emilian Apennines (central Italy) and pooled into groups of 10 by life stage (30 individual pupae; 1420 individual wingless adults). Winged flies were caught by sweep netting and separated into five pools of 10 insects. After DNA extraction, the bacterial content of each pool was analysed using 16 S metabarcoding. Results revealed that the composition and relative abundance of different taxa greatly differed in the three analysed groups. Wingless adults showed a high abundance of Bartonella (33.07%), which is almost absent in winged flies and pupae. Among the detected pathogens, four genera of concern for human health were found: Bartonella, Moraxella, Mycobacterium and Rickettsia. Interestingly reads similar to Bartonella bovis, Moraxella osloensis and Arsenophonus lipopteni Operational Taxonomic Unit (OTUs) were detected. These findings suggest the possible role of L. fortisetosa as a reservoir of pathogenic microorganisms, confirming the need for further investigation to ascertain its vectorial capacity.

Limited detection of shared zoonotic pathogens in deer keds and blacklegged ticks co-parasitizing white-tailed deer in the eastern United States

Deer keds, such as Lipoptena cervi Linnaeus (Diptera: Hippoboscidae), are blood-feeding flies from which several human and animal pathogens have been detected, including Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato Johnson (Spirochaetales: Borreliaceae), the causative agent of Lyme disease. Cervids (Artiodactyla: Cervidae), which are the primary hosts of deer keds, are not natural reservoirs of B. burgdorferi sl, and it has been suggested that deer keds may acquire bacterial pathogens via co-feeding near infected ticks. We screened L. cervi (n = 306) and Ixodes scapularis Say (Ixodida: Ixodidae) (n = 315) collected from 38 white-tailed deer in Pennsylvania for the family Anaplasmataceae, Bartonella spp. (Hyphomicrobiales: Bartonellaceae), Borrelia spp., and Rickettsia spp. (Rickettsiales: Rickettsiaceae). Limited similarity in the bacterial DNA detected between these ectoparasites per host suggested that co-feeding may not be a mechanism by which deer keds acquire these bacteria. The feeding biology and life history of deer keds may impact the observed results, as could the season when specimens were collected. We separately screened L. cervi (n = 410), L. mazamae Róndani (n = 13), L. depressa Say (n = 10), and Neolipoptena ferrisi Bequaert (n = 14) collections from locations within the United States and Canada for the same pathogens. These results highlight the need to further study deer ked-host and deer ked-tick relationships.

Molecular Evidence of Bartonella melophagi in Ticks in Border Areas of Xinjiang, China

Bartonella are gram-negative intracellular bacteria; certain species of Bartonella can cause diseases in mammals and humans. Ticks play a major role in the transmission of Bartonella. Xinjiang is the largest province in China according to land area and has one-third of the tick species in China; the infection rate of Bartonella in ticks in the Xinjiang border areas has not been studied in detail. Therefore, this study investigated tick infections by Bartonella in Xinjiang border areas, and the purpose of the study was to fill in gaps in information regarding the genetic diversity of tick infections by Bartonella in Xinjiang. We tested 1,549 tick samples from domestic animals (sheep and cattle) for Bartonella using ribC-PCR. Positive samples from the ribC-PCR assay for Bartonella spp. were further subjected to PCR assays targeting the ITS, rpoB and gltA genes followed by phylogenetic analyses. Bartonella DNA was detected in 2.19% (34/1,549) of tick samples, and the ITS, rpoB and gltA genes of ribC gene-positive samples were amplified to identify nine samples of Bartonella melophagi. In this study, molecular analysis was used to assess the presence and genetic diversity of B. melophagi in ticks collected from sheep and cattle from Xinjiang, China. This study provides new information on the presence and identity of B. melophagi in ticks from sheep and cattle.

Hedgehogs and Squirrels as Hosts of Zoonotic Bartonella Species

Free-living animals frequently play a key role in the circulation of various zoonotic vector-borne pathogens. Bacteria of the genus Bartonella are transmitted by blood-feeding arthropods and infect a large range of mammals. Although only several species have been identified as causative agents of human disease, it has been proposed that any Bartonella species found in animals may be capable of infecting humans. Within a wide-ranging survey in various geographical regions of the Czech Republic, cadavers of accidentally killed synurbic mammalian species, namely Eurasian red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris), European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) and Northern white-breasted hedgehog (Erinaceus roumanicus), were sampled and tested for Bartonella presence using multiple PCR reaction approach targeting several DNA loci. We demonstrate that cadavers constitute an available and highly useful source of biological material for pathogen screening. High infection rates of Bartonella spp., ranging from 24% to 76%, were confirmed for all three tested mammalian species, and spleen, ear, lung and liver tissues were demonstrated as the most suitable for Bartonella DNA detection. The wide spectrum of Bartonella spp. that were identified includes three species with previously validated zoonotic potential, B. grahamii, B. melophagi and B. washoensis, accompanied by ‘Candidatus B. rudakovii’ and two putative novel species, Bartonella sp. ERIN and Bartonella sp. SCIER.

Collecting Deer Keds (Diptera: Hippoboscidae: Lipoptena Nitzsch, 1818 and Neolipoptena Bequaert, 1942) and Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) From Hunter-Harvested Deer and Other Cervids

Deer keds (Diptera: Hippoboscidae: Lipoptena Nitzsch, 1818 and Neolipoptena Bequaert, 1942) are blood-feeding ectoparasites that primarily attack cervids and occasionally bite humans, while ticks may be found on cervids, but are more generalized in host choice. Recent detection of pathogens such as Anaplasma and Borrelia in deer keds and historical infections of tick-borne diseases provides reason to investigate these ectoparasites as vectors. However, previous methods employed to sample deer keds and ticks vary, making it difficult to standardize and compare ectoparasite burdens on cervids. Therefore, we propose a standardized protocol to collect deer keds and ticks from hunter-harvested deer, which combines previous methods of sampling, including timing of collections, dividing sections of the deer, and materials used in the collection process. We tested a three-section and a five-section sampling scheme in 2018 and 2019, respectively, and found that dividing the deer body into five sections provided more specificity in identifying where deer keds and ticks may be found on deer. Data from 2018 suggested that deer keds and ticks were found on all three sections (head, anterior, posterior), while data from 2019 suggested that more Ixodes scapularis were found on the head and deer keds were found on all body sections (head, dorsal anterior, dorsal posterior, ventral anterior, and ventral posterior). The protocol provides an efficient way to sample deer for deer keds and ticks and allows researchers to compare ectoparasite burdens across geographical regions. Furthermore, this protocol can be used to collect other ectoparasites from deer or other cervids.

A Technique for Dissecting the Salivary Glands From the Abdomens of Deer Keds (Diptera: Hippoboscidae: Lipoptena Nitzsch, 1818 and Neolipoptena Bequaert, 1942)

Deer keds (Diptera: Hippoboscidae: Lipoptena Nitzsch, 1818 and Neolipoptena Bequaert, 1942) are hematophagous ectoparasites of cervids that occasionally bite other mammals, including humans. In recent years, a number of arthropod-borne pathogens have been sequenced from deer keds. However, it is unclear if the pathogens are just present in host blood in the gut or if the pathogens are present in other organs (e.g., salivary glands) that would suggest that keds are competent vectors. Like other hippoboscoid flies, deer keds have extensive salivary glands that extend through the thorax and into the abdomen, so simply disarticulating and sequencing the thorax and abdomen separately does not circumvent the issues surrounding whole-body sequencing. Herein, we describe a technique for dissecting the terminal portion of the salivary glands from the abdomen in order to screen the thorax and salivary glands separately from the abdomen for arthropod-borne pathogens.

Keds, the enigmatic flies and their role as vectors of pathogens

Hippoboscid flies (Diptera: Hippoboscidae), commonly known as keds or louse flies, have been for long time overlooked by the scientific community, and their vector role of infectious agents to humans and domestic animals has been scantly investigated. This is partly due to the fact that the host range for most species is primarily restricted to wildlife, being rarely reported on domestic animals and humans. This led to a scarce scientific knowledge about their biology, ecology, behaviour, epidemiology as well as vector competence. However, the life history of some hippoboscid species, e.g., Melophagus ovinus, Lipoptena cervi and Hippobosca equina, suggests that these ectoparasites are important candidates to vector infectious disease agents (e.g., Rickettsia spp., Borrelia spp., Bartonella spp., Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Theileria ovis). Indeed, the peculiar biological and behavioural traits (i.e., obligatory blood sucking and reproductive physiology) of many ked species make them a suitable pabulum for pathogen's multiplication and for their transmission to receptive hosts. Therefore, studies focusing on the ked bio-ecological aspects as well as on their vector role are advocated along with the control of keds affecting different animal species. This review discusses current information on keds, highlighting their importance as vectors of pathogens of medical and veterinary concern to all animal species, with a special focus on mammals.

Comparison of Skin Lesions Caused by Ixodes ricinus Ticks and Lipoptena cervi Deer Keds Infesting Humans in the Natural Environment

Background: The territorial expansion and increased population size of haematophagous arthropods (i.e., the castor bean tick Ixodes ricinus (Ixodida: Ixodidae) and the deer ked Lipoptena cervi (Diptera: Hippoboscidae)) has enhanced the risk of human infestations in Europe. The aim of our study was to present skin lesions induced by tick and deer ked bites in patients from recreational forest regions in southeastern Poland and pay attention to features of skin changes that may be useful in differential diagnosis. Methods: We compare the skin lesions after I. ricinus and L. cervi bite and draw attention to the biological and ecological traits of both ectoparasites, which may be diagnostically relevant for determination of the cause of skin symptoms reported by patients. Results: I. ricinus bites lead to development of erythematous-infiltrative poorly demarcated lesions with a centrally located bite mark, which usually disappears within one to several days. In turn, L. cervi bites leave irregularly shaped scattered erythematous papules. The papules may persist for up to one year and are accompanied by itching. Conclusions: Correct assessment of the clinical picture and its association with an arthropod bite (e.g., tick or deer ked) is highly important for further diagnostic procedures (i.e., differentiation of skin lesions developing in tick-borne diseases and, consequently, correct choice of pharmacological therapy). I. ricinus and L. cervi differ in their developmental cycles and rhythms of activity, which indicates that both species should be considered potential causative agents in the differential diagnosis of skin lesions when the patient has been bitten by an arthropod in autumn and winter months.