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Tongluan N, Engström P, Jirakanwisal K, Langohr IM, Welch MD, Macaluso KR. Critical roles of Rickettsia parkeri outer membrane protein B (OmpB) in the tick host. Infect Immun 2024; 92:e0051523. [PMID: 38206007 PMCID: PMC10863407 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00515-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Rickettsia parkeri is a pathogen of public health concern and transmitted by the Gulf Coast tick, Amblyomma maculatum. Rickettsiae are obligate intracellular bacteria that enter and replicate in diverse host cells. Rickettsial outer membrane protein B (OmpB) functions in bacterial adhesion, invasion, and avoidance of cell-autonomous immunity in mammalian cell infection, but the function of OmpB in arthropod infection is unknown. In this study, the function of R. parkeri OmpB was evaluated in the tick host. R. parkeri wild-type and R. parkeri ompBSTOP::tn (non-functional OmpB) were capillary fed to naïve A. maculatum ticks to investigate dissemination in the tick and transmission to vertebrates. Ticks exposed to R. parkeri wild-type had greater rickettsial loads in all organs than ticks exposed to R. parkeri ompBSTOP::tn at 12 h post-capillary feeding and after 1 day of feeding on host. In rats that were exposed to R. parkeri ompBSTOP::tn-infected ticks, dermal inflammation at the bite site was less compared to R. parkeri wild-type-infected ticks. In vitro, R. parkeri ompBSTOP::tn cell attachment to tick cells was reduced, and host cell invasion of the mutant was initially reduced but eventually returned to the level of R. parkeri wild-type by 90 min post-infection. R. parkeri ompBSTOP::tn and R. parkeri wild-type had similar growth kinetics in the tick cells, suggesting that OmpB is not essential for R. parkeri replication in tick cells. These results indicate that R. parkeri OmpB functions in rickettsial attachment and internalization to tick cells and pathogenicity during tick infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natthida Tongluan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of South Alabama, Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine, Mobile, Alabama, USA
| | - Patrik Engström
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Krit Jirakanwisal
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of South Alabama, Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine, Mobile, Alabama, USA
| | - Ingeborg M. Langohr
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, Louisiana State University, School of Veterinary Medicine, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA
| | - Matthew D. Welch
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Kevin R. Macaluso
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of South Alabama, Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine, Mobile, Alabama, USA
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Gual-Gonzalez L, Self SCW, Zellars K, Meyer M, Dye-Braumuller KC, Evans CL, Cantillo-Barraza O, Torres MW, Nolan MS. Eco-epidemiology of Rickettsia amblyommatis and Rickettsia parkeri in naturally infected ticks (Acari: Ixodida) from South Carolina. Parasit Vectors 2024; 17:33. [PMID: 38273414 PMCID: PMC10811935 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-023-06099-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Spotted fever group Rickettsia (SFGR) is the largest group of Rickettsia species of clinical and veterinary importance emerging worldwide. Historically, SFGR cases were linked to Rickettsia rickettsii, the causal agent of Rocky Mountain spotted fever; however, recently discovered species Rickettsia parkeri and Rickettsia amblyommatis have been shown to cause a wide range of clinical symptoms. The role of R. amblyommatis in SFGR eco-epidemiology and the possible public health implications remain unknown. METHODS This study evaluated statewide tick surveillance and land-use classification data to define the eco-epidemiological relationships between R. amblyommatis and R. parkeri among questing and feeding ticks collected across South Carolina between 2021 and 2022. Questing ticks from state parks and feeding ticks from animal shelters were evaluated for R. parkeri and R. amblyommatis using reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) on pooled samples. A Bayesian multivariable logistic regression model for pool testing data was used to assess associations between R. parkeri or R. amblyommatis infection and land-use classification variables among questing ticks. The Spearman correlation was used to evaluate the relationship between the two tested pathogens. RESULTS The infection prevalence for R. amblyommatis was 24.8% (23.4-26.3%) among questing ticks, and 39.5% (37.4-42.0%) among feeding ticks; conversely, for R. parkeri it was 19.0% (17.6-20.5%) among questing ticks and 22.4% (20.3-24.5%) among feeding ticks. A negative, refractory correlation was found between the species, with ticks significantly more likely to contain one or the other pathogen, but not both simultaneously. The Bayesian analysis revealed that R. amblyommatis infection was positively associated with deciduous, evergreen, and mixed forests, and negatively associated with hay and pasture fields, and emergent herbaceous wetlands. Rickettsia parkeri infection was positively associated with deciduous, mixed, and evergreen forests, herbaceous vegetation, cultivated cropland, woody wetlands, and emergent herbaceous wetlands, and negatively associated with hay and pasture fields. CONCLUSIONS This is the first study to evaluate the eco-epidemiological factors driving tick pathogenicity in South Carolina. The negative interactions between SFGR species suggest the possible inhibition between the two pathogens tested, which could have important public health implications. Moreover, land-use classification factors revealed environments associated with tick pathogenicity, highlighting the need for tick vector control in these areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lídia Gual-Gonzalez
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Stella C W Self
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Kia Zellars
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Madeleine Meyer
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | | | - Chris L Evans
- Vector-Borne Diseases Laboratory, South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, South Carolina Public Health Laboratory, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Omar Cantillo-Barraza
- Grupo de Biología y Control de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Myriam W Torres
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Melissa S Nolan
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA.
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Paludo RLDR, Paula WVDF, Neves LC, de Paula LGF, de Lima NJ, da Silva BBF, Pereira BG, Pádua GT, Dantas-Torres F, Labruna MB, Martins TF, Sponchiado J, de Sousa-Paula LC, Hannibal W, Krawczak FDS. Rickettsial Infection in Ticks from a National Park in the Cerrado Biome, Midwestern Brazil. Pathogens 2023; 13:13. [PMID: 38251322 PMCID: PMC10818336 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13010013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2023] [Revised: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
This study was carried out from February 2020 to September 2021 in Parque Nacional das Emas (PNE), a national park located in the Cerrado biome, midwestern Brazil, as well as in surrounding rural properties. Serum and tick samples were collected from dogs, terrestrial small mammals, and humans. Ticks were also collected from the environment. Dogs were infested with Rhipicephalus linnaei adults, whereas small mammals were infested by immature stages of Amblyomma spp., Amblyomma triste, Amblyomma dubitatum, and Amblyomma coelebs. Ticks collected from vegetation belonged to several species of the genus Amblyomma, including A. coelebs, A. dubitatum, Amblyomma naponense, Amblyomma sculptum, and A. triste. Two Rickettsia species were molecularly detected in ticks: Rickettsia parkeri in A. triste from the vegetation and a Rickettsia sp. (designated Rickettsia sp. strain PNE) in A. sculptum and A. triste collected from lowland tapirs (Tapirus terrestris). Based on short gltA gene fragments, this rickettsial organism showed 99.7-100% to Rickettsia tillamookensis. Seroreactivity to Rickettsia antigens was detected in 21.9% of dogs, 15.4% of small mammals, and 23.5% of humans. The present study reveals the richness of ticks and demonstrates the circulation of rickettsial agents in one of the largest conservation units in the Cerrado biome in Brazil. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a rickettsial phylogenetically related to R. tillamookensis in Brazil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Loren dos Reis Paludo
- Setor de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Escola de Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade Federal de Goiás—UFG, Goiânia 74690-900, Brazil; (R.L.d.R.P.); (W.V.d.F.P.); (L.C.N.); (L.G.F.d.P.); (N.J.d.L.); (B.B.F.d.S.); (B.G.P.); (G.T.P.)
- Centro Universitário de Mineiros—UNIFIMES, Mineiros 75833-130, Brazil
| | - Warley Vieira de Freitas Paula
- Setor de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Escola de Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade Federal de Goiás—UFG, Goiânia 74690-900, Brazil; (R.L.d.R.P.); (W.V.d.F.P.); (L.C.N.); (L.G.F.d.P.); (N.J.d.L.); (B.B.F.d.S.); (B.G.P.); (G.T.P.)
| | - Lucianne Cardoso Neves
- Setor de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Escola de Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade Federal de Goiás—UFG, Goiânia 74690-900, Brazil; (R.L.d.R.P.); (W.V.d.F.P.); (L.C.N.); (L.G.F.d.P.); (N.J.d.L.); (B.B.F.d.S.); (B.G.P.); (G.T.P.)
| | - Luiza Gabriella Ferreira de Paula
- Setor de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Escola de Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade Federal de Goiás—UFG, Goiânia 74690-900, Brazil; (R.L.d.R.P.); (W.V.d.F.P.); (L.C.N.); (L.G.F.d.P.); (N.J.d.L.); (B.B.F.d.S.); (B.G.P.); (G.T.P.)
| | - Nicolas Jalowitzki de Lima
- Setor de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Escola de Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade Federal de Goiás—UFG, Goiânia 74690-900, Brazil; (R.L.d.R.P.); (W.V.d.F.P.); (L.C.N.); (L.G.F.d.P.); (N.J.d.L.); (B.B.F.d.S.); (B.G.P.); (G.T.P.)
| | - Bianca Barbara Fonseca da Silva
- Setor de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Escola de Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade Federal de Goiás—UFG, Goiânia 74690-900, Brazil; (R.L.d.R.P.); (W.V.d.F.P.); (L.C.N.); (L.G.F.d.P.); (N.J.d.L.); (B.B.F.d.S.); (B.G.P.); (G.T.P.)
| | - Brenda Gomes Pereira
- Setor de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Escola de Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade Federal de Goiás—UFG, Goiânia 74690-900, Brazil; (R.L.d.R.P.); (W.V.d.F.P.); (L.C.N.); (L.G.F.d.P.); (N.J.d.L.); (B.B.F.d.S.); (B.G.P.); (G.T.P.)
| | - Gracielle Teles Pádua
- Setor de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Escola de Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade Federal de Goiás—UFG, Goiânia 74690-900, Brazil; (R.L.d.R.P.); (W.V.d.F.P.); (L.C.N.); (L.G.F.d.P.); (N.J.d.L.); (B.B.F.d.S.); (B.G.P.); (G.T.P.)
| | - Filipe Dantas-Torres
- Departamento de Imunologia, Instituto Ageu Magalhães—IAM, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Recife 50740-465, Brazil;
| | - Marcelo B. Labruna
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo—USP, São Paulo 05508-270, Brazil; (M.B.L.); (T.F.M.)
| | - Thiago Fernandes Martins
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo—USP, São Paulo 05508-270, Brazil; (M.B.L.); (T.F.M.)
- Instituto Pasteur, Área Técnica de Doenças Vinculadas a Vetores e Hospedeiros Intermediários, Secretaria de Estado da Saúde de São Paulo, São Paulo 01027-000, Brazil
| | - Jonas Sponchiado
- Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia Farroupilha, Campus Alegrete, Alegrete 97541-000, Brazil;
| | - Lucas Christian de Sousa-Paula
- Tick-Pathogen Transmission Unit, Laboratory of Bacteriology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Hamilton, MT 59840, USA;
| | - Wellington Hannibal
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Biogeografia de Mamíferos, Universidade Estadual de Goiás—UEG, Quirinópolis 75860-000, Brazil;
| | - Felipe da Silva Krawczak
- Setor de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Escola de Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade Federal de Goiás—UFG, Goiânia 74690-900, Brazil; (R.L.d.R.P.); (W.V.d.F.P.); (L.C.N.); (L.G.F.d.P.); (N.J.d.L.); (B.B.F.d.S.); (B.G.P.); (G.T.P.)
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Santos-Silva S, Santos N, Boratyński Z, Mesquita JR, Barradas PF. Diversity of Rickettsia spp. in ticks from wild mammals of Morocco and Mauritania. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2023; 14:102235. [PMID: 37531889 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 07/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023]
Abstract
Ticks are known as vectors and reservoirs of rickettsiae and, wildlife vertebrate hosts as suitable dispersers of ticks contributing to the life cycle of rickettsial agents in nature. In the herein study, the presence of rickettsiae was investigated in ticks from wild mammals (Gerbillus and Jaculus, Vulpes rueppellii, Canis anthus, Felis lybica and Felis margarita) in Mauritania and Morocco. Morphological and molecular analysis of ticks allowed their identification as Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato and Hyalomma impeltatum. A total of 126 partially engorged adult ticks, collected from 40 animals, were screened for the presence of rickettsial DNA by conventional PCR targeting the ompB gene, followed by ompA and gltA targets and bidirectional sequencing. As a result of the sequence analyses, that at least three different species of pathogenic spotted fever group rickettsiae were detected. Rickettsia parkeri-like was detected in a R. sanguineus s.l. (n=1) collected from an African wildcat from Morocco. Rickettsia aeschlimannii was detected in a H. impeltatum (n=1) collected from a gerbil rodent. Rickettsia massiliae was detected in R. sanguineus s.l. ticks (n=5) collected from two Ruppells' foxes. The herein study demonstrates that pathogenic Rickettsia species are circulating in Morocco and Mauritania wildlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sérgio Santos-Silva
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Nuno Santos
- CIBIO/InBio, Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, Campus of Vairão, University of Porto, Vila do Conde 4485-661, Portugal
| | - Zbyszek Boratyński
- BIOPOLIS, CIBIO/InBio, Research Center in Biodiversity & Genetic Resources, University of Porto, Portugal
| | - João R Mesquita
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal; EPIUnit - Instituto de Saúde Pública, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Patrícia F Barradas
- EPIUnit - Instituto de Saúde Pública, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal; Laboratório para a Investigação Integrativa e Translacional em Saúde Populacional (ITR), Porto, Portugal; Department of Sciences, CESPU, CRL, University Institute of Health Sciences (IUCS), Gandra, Portugal.
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Rodrigues AC, de Castro MB, Labruna MB, Szabó MPJ. The inoculation eschar of Rickettsia parkeri rickettsiosis in Brazil: Importance and cautions. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2023; 14:102127. [PMID: 36693294 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2022] [Revised: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Two well characterized tick-borne rickettsioses occur in Brazil. Rickettsia rickettsii caused spotted-fever, transmitted by Amblyomma sculptum and Amblyomma aureolatum, is a severe disease with a high case-fatality rate in the southeastern region of the country. Rickettsia parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest infections transmitted by adult Amblyomma ovale ticks cause a milder non-lethal febrile disease with an eschar (necrosis) at the tick bite site. Clinical diagnosis of rickettsiosis is challenging, particularly during the early stages of the illness when signs and symptoms are non-specific. Since eschar at the tick bite site has emerged as the main clinical feature of mild R. parkeri infections and used to differentiate it from severe R. rickettsii infection, its proper recognition, distinction from other tick bite lesions, and boundaries as a clinical tool must be highlighted. Of importance, eschars induced by Rickettsia must be differentiated from dermatoses caused by other tick-borne skin infections as well from lesions caused by the tick bite itself. We herein highlight information on eschar in rickettsial diseases in Brazil and discuss the need for further research on its clinical relevance and application in the diagnosis of spotted fever caused by R. parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest. In particular, we draw attention to diagnosis of other febrile diseases in the presence of concomitant tick bites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Castro Rodrigues
- Laboratório de Ixodologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Av. Pará, 1720/Campus Umuarama-Bloco 2T, CEP 38400-902, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Márcio Botelho de Castro
- Laboratório de Patologia Veterinária, Universidade de Brasília, Av. L4 Norte, Hospital Veterinário - Campus Universitário Darcy Ribeiro, CP. 4508, Asa Norte, CEP 70910-970, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Bahia 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, CEP 05508-270, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Matias Pablo Juan Szabó
- Laboratório de Ixodologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Av. Pará, 1720/Campus Umuarama-Bloco 2T, CEP 38400-902, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
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Adegoke A, Ribeiro JMC, Brown S, Smith RC, Karim S. Rickettsia parkeri hijacks tick hemocytes to manipulate cellular and humoral transcriptional responses. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1094326. [PMID: 36845157 PMCID: PMC9950277 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1094326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Blood-feeding arthropods rely on robust cellular and humoral immunity to control pathogen invasion and replication. Tick hemocytes produce factors that can facilitate or suppress microbial infection and pathogenesis. Despite the importance of hemocytes in regulating microbial infection, understanding of their basic biology and molecular mechanisms remains limited. Methods Here we combined histomorphology and functional analysis to identify five distinct phagocytic and non-phagocytic hemocyte populations circulating within the Gulf Coast tick Amblyomma maculatum. Results and discussion Depletion of phagocytic hemocytes using clodronate liposomes revealed their function in eliminating bacterial infection. We provide the first direct evidence that an intracellular tick-borne pathogen, Rickettsia parkeri, infects phagocytic hemocytes in Am. maculatum to modify tick cellular immune responses. A hemocyte-specific RNA-seq dataset generated from hemocytes isolated from uninfected and R. parkeri-infected partially blood-fed ticks generated ~40,000 differentially regulated transcripts, >11,000 of which were immune genes. Silencing two differentially regulated phagocytic immune marker genes (nimrod B2 and eater-two Drosophila homologs), significantly reduced hemocyte phagocytosis. Conclusion Together, these findings represent a significant step forward in understanding how hemocytes regulate microbial homeostasis and vector competence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdulsalam Adegoke
- School of Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences, The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, United States
| | - Jose M. C. Ribeiro
- Vector Biology Section, Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, United States
| | - Sidney Brown
- School of Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences, The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, United States
| | - Ryan C. Smith
- Department of Plant Pathology, Entomology, and Microbiology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Shahid Karim
- School of Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences, The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, United States
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Muniz APM, Tolesano-Pascoli G, Vieira RBK, Polli MG, Rodrigues VDS, Gonzaga HT, Mamede CCN, Da Cunha NC, Szabó MJP, Yokosawa J. Evaluation of a mimotope of the Rickettsia outer membrane protein A (OmpA) as an antigen in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to detect rickettsiosis in capybaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris), horses (Equus caballus), and opossums (Didelphis sp.). Exp Appl Acarol 2023; 89:317-327. [PMID: 36795267 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-023-00776-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Rickettsia rickettsii is the etiological agent of Rocky Mountain spotted fever, which is an important tick-borne zoonosis and, in Brazil, it causes Brazilian spotted fever, which has high lethality rate. This study aimed to evaluate a synthetic peptide corresponding to a segment of the outer membrane protein A (OmpA) as an antigen in a serological test for the diagnosis of rickettsial infections. The amino acid sequence of the peptide was selected by predicting B cell epitopes using B Cell Epitope Prediction (Immune Epitope Database and Analysis Resource) and Epitopia and OmpA sequences of Rickettsia rickettsii strain 'Brazil' and Rickettsia parkeri strains 'Maculatum 20' and 'Portsmouth'. A peptide with amino acid sequence common to both Rickettsia species was synthesized and arbitrarily named OmpA-pLMC. To evaluate this peptide in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), serum samples of capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris), horse (Equus caballus), and opossum (Didelphis albiventris) that had been previously tested by indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) for rickettsial infection were separated into IFA-positive and IFA-negative groups and used in the assay. There were no significant differences in ELISA optical density (OD) values between IFA-positive and IFA-negative groups with horse samples. The mean OD values were significantly higher in the IFA-positive capybara serum samples (IFA-pos vs. IFA-neg = 2.389 ± 0.761 vs. 1.760 ± 0.840). However, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis did not show significant diagnostic parameters. On the other hand, 12 out of 14 (85.7%) opossum samples of the IFA-positive group showed reactivity in ELISA, and this was significantly higher than of the IFA-negative group (0.7196 ± 0.440 vs. 0.2318 ± 0.098, respectively; 85.7% sensitivity, 100% specificity). Therefore, our results show that OmpA-pLMC has a potential to be used in immunodiagnostic assays to detect spotted fever group rickettsial infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Paula Mendes Muniz
- Laboratory of Microorganisms of Cerrado (Brazilian Savannah), Department of Microbiology, Instituto De Ciências Biomédicas (ICBIM), Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (UFU), Uberlândia, Brazil
| | | | - Raíssa Brauner Kamla Vieira
- Laboratory of Ixodology, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, UFU, Uberlândia, Brazil
- Department of Veterinary Public Health, Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF), Niterói, Brazil
| | - Mayara Garcia Polli
- Laboratory of Microorganisms of Cerrado (Brazilian Savannah), Department of Microbiology, Instituto De Ciências Biomédicas (ICBIM), Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (UFU), Uberlândia, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Nathalie Costa Da Cunha
- Department of Veterinary Public Health, Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF), Niterói, Brazil
| | | | - Jonny Yokosawa
- Laboratory of Microorganisms of Cerrado (Brazilian Savannah), Department of Microbiology, Instituto De Ciências Biomédicas (ICBIM), Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (UFU), Uberlândia, Brazil.
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Vizcaychipi KA, Giménez MD, Casas N, Lloveras S, Cicuttin GL, Lamattina D, Marx J, Pedrozo W, Rinas M, DeMatteo KE, Couto E, Faccini-Martínez ÁA, Armitano R. [Autochthonous Rickettsia parkeri rickettsiosis in the Paranaense Forest, Misiones, Argentina]. Rev Argent Microbiol 2023; 55:83-87. [PMID: 36163115 DOI: 10.1016/j.ram.2022.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Revised: 05/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
We report an autochthonous case of Rickettsia parkeri rickettsiosis occurred in June 2018 in a forested area of the Urugua-í Provincial Park, Misiones, Argentina. No previous records of this disease in humans have been previously reported in this region. The epidemiological, ecological, clinical, and laboratory features required for a proper diagnosis and adequate treatment are described here. The fact of considering rickettsiosis as a differential diagnosis in a patient with exanthematic acute febrile syndrome is highlighted, being the epidemiological history of exposure to the vector (ticks of the genus Amblyomma) an essential element.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherina A Vizcaychipi
- Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas, ANLIS «Dr. Carlos G. Malbrán», Ministerio de Salud de la Nación, CABA, Argentina; Instituto Nacional de Medicina Tropical, ANLIS «Dr. Carlos G. Malbrán», Ministerio de Salud de la Nación, Puerto Iguazú, Misiones, Argentina; Universidad del Salvador, Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Veterinarias, Carrera de Veterinaria, Virasoro, Corrientes, Argentina.
| | - Mabel D Giménez
- Instituto Nacional de Medicina Tropical, ANLIS «Dr. Carlos G. Malbrán», Ministerio de Salud de la Nación, Puerto Iguazú, Misiones, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Puerto Iguazú, Misiones, Argentina; Universidad Nacional de Misiones, Posadas, Misiones, Argentina
| | - Natalia Casas
- Coordinación de Zoonosis, Ministerio de Salud de la Nación, CABA, Argentina
| | - Susana Lloveras
- Coordinación de Zoonosis, Ministerio de Salud de la Nación, CABA, Argentina; Servicio Zoopatologìa Médica, Hospital de Infecciosas «F. Muñiz», CABA, Argentina
| | - Gabriel L Cicuttin
- Instituto de Zoonosis Luis Pasteur, Ministerio de Salud de la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, CABA, Argentina
| | - Daniela Lamattina
- Instituto Nacional de Medicina Tropical, ANLIS «Dr. Carlos G. Malbrán», Ministerio de Salud de la Nación, Puerto Iguazú, Misiones, Argentina
| | - Javier Marx
- Laboratorio del Hospital SAMIC, Puerto Iguazú, Misiones, Argentina
| | - Williams Pedrozo
- Dirección de Bioquímica, Ministerio de Salud, Posadas, Misiones, Argentina
| | - Miguel Rinas
- Ministerio de Ecología y Recursos Naturales Renovables, Misiones, Argentina
| | - Karen E DeMatteo
- Washington University in St. Louis and WildCare Institute-Saint Louis Zoo, St. Louis, Missouri, EE. UU
| | - Esteban Couto
- Instituto Nacional de Medicina Tropical, ANLIS «Dr. Carlos G. Malbrán», Ministerio de Salud de la Nación, Puerto Iguazú, Misiones, Argentina
| | - Álvaro A Faccini-Martínez
- Research Institute, Fundación Universitaria de Ciencias de la Salud-FUCS, Bogotá, Colombia; Servicios y Asesorías en Infectología-SAI, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Rita Armitano
- Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas, ANLIS «Dr. Carlos G. Malbrán», Ministerio de Salud de la Nación, CABA, Argentina
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9
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Adegoke A, Kumar D, Budachetri K, Karim S. Hematophagy and tick-borne Rickettsial pathogen shape the microbial community structure and predicted functions within the tick vector, Amblyomma maculatum. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:1037387. [PMID: 36478675 PMCID: PMC9719966 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.1037387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Ticks are the primary vectors of emerging and resurging pathogens of public health significance worldwide. Analyzing tick bacterial composition, diversity, and functionality across developmental stages and tissues is crucial for designing new strategies to control ticks and prevent tick-borne diseases. Materials and methods Here, we explored the microbial communities across the developmental timeline and in different tissues of the Gulf-Coast ticks (Amblyomma maculatum). Using a high-throughput sequencing approach, the influence of blood meal and Rickettsia parkeri, a spotted fever group rickettsiae infection in driving changes in microbiome composition, diversity, and functionality was determined. Results This study shows that the core microbiome of Am. maculatum comprises ten core bacterial genera. The genus Rickettsia, Francisella, and Candidatus_Midichloria are the key players, with positive interactions within each developmental stage and adult tick organ tested. Blood meal and Rickettsia parkeri led to an increase in the bacterial abundance in the tissues. According to functional analysis, the increase in bacterial numbers is positively correlated to highly abundant energy metabolism orthologs with blood meal. Correlation analysis identified an increase in OTUs identified as Candidatus Midichloria and a subsequent decrease in Francisella OTUs in Rickettsia parkeri infected tick stages and tissues. Results demonstrate the abundance of Rickettsia and Francisella predominate in the core microbiome of Am. maculatum, whereas Candidatus_Midichloria and Cutibacterium prevalence increase with R. parkeri-infection. Network analysis and functional annotation suggest that R. parkeri interacts positively with Candidatus_Midichloria and negatively with Francisella. Conclusion We conclude that tick-transmitted pathogens, such as R. parkeri establishes infection by interacting with the core microbiome of the tick vector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdulsalam Adegoke
- School of Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, United States
| | - Deepak Kumar
- School of Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, United States
| | - Khemraj Budachetri
- School of Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, United States
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Shahid Karim
- School of Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, United States
- Center for Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, United States
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10
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Guizzo MG, Budachetri K, Adegoke A, Ribeiro JMC, Karim S. Rickettsia parkeri infection modulates the sialome and ovariome of the Gulf coast tick, Amblyomma maculatum. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1023980. [PMID: 36439862 PMCID: PMC9684213 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1023980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 07/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The Gulf Coast tick, Amblyomma maculatum, is a vector of several tick-borne pathogens, including Rickettsia parkeri. The ability of R. parkeri to persist within the tick population through transovarial and transstadial transmission, without apparently harming the ticks, contributes to the pathogen's perpetuation in the tick population. Previous studies have shown that the R. parkeri load in A. maculatum is regulated by the tick tissues' oxidant/antioxidant balance and the non-pathogenic tick microbiome. To obtain further insights into the interaction between tick and pathogen, we performed a bulk RNA-Seq for differential transcriptomic analysis of ovaries and salivary glands from R. parkeri-infected and uninfected ticks over the feeding course on a host. The most differentially expressed functional category was of bacterial origin, exhibiting a massive overexpression of bacterial transcripts in response to the R. parkeri infection. Candidatus Midichloria mitochondrii and bacteria from the genus Rickettsia were mainly responsible for the overexpression of bacterial transcripts. Host genes were also modulated in R. parkeri-infected tick organs. A similar number of host transcripts from all analyzed functional categories was negatively and positively modulated, revealing a global alteration of the A. maculatum transcriptome in response to pathogen infection. R. parkeri infection led to an increase in salivary transcripts involved in blood feeding success as well as a decrease in ovarian immune transcripts. We hypothesize that these transcriptional alterations facilitate pathogen persistence and transmission within tick population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melina Garcia Guizzo
- Vector Biology Section, Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, United States
| | - Khemraj Budachetri
- School of Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences, The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, United States
| | - Abdulsalam Adegoke
- School of Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences, The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, United States
| | - Jose M. C. Ribeiro
- Vector Biology Section, Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, United States
| | - Shahid Karim
- School of Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences, The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, United States
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11
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Sanderlin AG, Hanna RE, Lamason RL. The Ankyrin Repeat Protein RARP-1 Is a Periplasmic Factor That Supports Rickettsia parkeri Growth and Host Cell Invasion. J Bacteriol 2022;:e0018222. [PMID: 35727033 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00182-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Rickettsia spp. are obligate intracellular bacterial pathogens that have evolved a variety of strategies to exploit their host cell niche. However, the bacterial factors that contribute to this intracellular lifestyle are poorly understood. Here, we show that the conserved ankyrin repeat protein RARP-1 supports Rickettsia parkeri infection. Specifically, RARP-1 promotes efficient host cell entry and growth within the host cytoplasm, but it is not necessary for cell-to-cell spread or evasion of host autophagy. We further demonstrate that RARP-1 is not secreted into the host cytoplasm by R. parkeri. Instead, RARP-1 resides in the periplasm, and we identify several binding partners that are predicted to work in concert with RARP-1 during infection. Altogether, our data reveal that RARP-1 plays a critical role in the rickettsial life cycle. IMPORTANCE Rickettsia spp. are obligate intracellular bacterial pathogens that pose a growing threat to human health. Nevertheless, their strict reliance on a host cell niche has hindered investigation of the molecular mechanisms driving rickettsial infection. This study yields much-needed insight into the Rickettsia ankyrin repeat protein RARP-1, which is conserved across the genus but has not yet been functionally characterized. Earlier work had suggested that RARP-1 is secreted into the host cytoplasm. However, the results from this work demonstrate that R. parkeri RARP-1 resides in the periplasm and is important both for invasion of host cells and for growth in the host cell cytoplasm. These results reveal RARP-1 as a novel regulator of the rickettsial life cycle.
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12
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Salomon J, Fernandez Santos NA, Zecca IB, Estrada-Franco JG, Davila E, Hamer GL, Rodriguez Perez MA, Hamer SA. Brown Dog Tick ( Rhipicephalus sanguineus Sensu Lato) Infection with Endosymbiont and Human Pathogenic Rickettsia spp., in Northeastern México. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022; 19:6249. [PMID: 35627785 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19106249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Of the documented tick-borne diseases infecting humans in México, Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF), caused by the Gram-negative bacterium Rickettsia rickettsii, is responsible for most fatalities. Given recent evidence of brown dog tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus s.l., as an emerging vector of human RMSF, we aimed to evaluate dogs and their ticks for rickettsiae infections as an initial step in assessing the establishment of this pathosystem in a poorly studied region of northeastern México while evaluating the use of dogs as sentinels for transmission/human disease risk. We sampled owned dogs living in six disadvantaged neighborhoods of Reynosa, northeastern México to collect whole blood and ticks. Of 168 dogs assessed, tick infestation prevalence was 53%, composed of exclusively Rh. sanguineus s. l. (n = 2170 ticks). Using PCR and sequencing, we identified an overall rickettsiae infection prevalence of 4.1% (n = 12/292) in ticks, in which eight dogs harbored at least one infected tick. Rickettsiae infections included Rickettsia amblyommatis and Rickettsia parkeri, both of which are emerging human pathogens, as well as Candidatus Rickettsia andeanae. This is the first documentation of pathogenic Rickettsia species in Rh. sanguineus s.l. collected from dogs from northeastern México. Domestic dog infestation with Rickettsia-infected ticks indicates ongoing transmission; thus, humans are at risk for exposure, and this underscores the importance of public and veterinary health surveillance for these pathogens.
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13
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Ramírez-Garofalo JR, Curley SR, Field CE, Hart CE, Thangamani S. Established Populations of Rickettsia parkeri-Infected Amblyomma maculatum Ticks in New York City, New York, USA. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2021; 22:184-187. [PMID: 34958248 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2021.0085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Objectives: We sought to determine the habitat associations and pathogen status of Amblyomma maculatum ticks in New York City (NYC), New York, USA, a newly expanded portion of their range. Methods: We collected 88 ticks from two NYC parks on Staten Island, one of the five boroughs of NYC, and compared our findings with similar habitat in Brooklyn, New York during the same time period (April 30-September 1). We tested 76 for pathogens. Results: We found adult and immature ticks in native and invasive grasses at Freshkills and Brookfield parks on Staten Island. No A. maculatum ticks were found in Brooklyn. 52.6% of ticks tested were infected with Rickettsia parkeri-the etiological agent of R. parkeri rickettsiosis. Conclusions: This high rate of R. parkeri in a dense urban center is of concern to the medical community, who should be aware of this species' presence and the symptoms of R. parkeri rickettsiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- José R Ramírez-Garofalo
- Biology Department, The College of Staten Island, City University of New York, Staten Island, New York, USA
| | - Shannon R Curley
- Biology Department, The College of Staten Island, City University of New York, Staten Island, New York, USA.,New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, New York, New York, USA
| | - Caitlin E Field
- New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, New York, New York, USA
| | - Charles E Hart
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, SUNY Center for Vector-Borne Diseases, Syracuse, New York, USA.,Institute for Global Health and Translational Science, Upstate Medical University, State University of New York, Syracuse, New York, USA
| | - Saravanan Thangamani
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, SUNY Center for Vector-Borne Diseases, Syracuse, New York, USA.,Institute for Global Health and Translational Science, Upstate Medical University, State University of New York, Syracuse, New York, USA
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14
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Allerdice MEJ, Paddock CD, Hecht JA, Goddard J, Karpathy SE. Phylogenetic Differentiation of Rickettsia parkeri Reveals Broad Dispersal and Distinct Clustering within North American Strains. Microbiol Spectr 2021; 9:e0141721. [PMID: 34643451 DOI: 10.1128/Spectrum.01417-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The tick-borne pathogen Rickettsia parkeri causes a mild rickettsiosis, with cases reported from several countries to its known distribution in the Americas. Molecular analyses have identified a clear distinction between strains of R. parkeri sensu stricto (s. s.) and R. parkeri sensu lato (s. l.) as well as separation between North American and South American R. parkeri s. s. strains. To expand on this previous work, we developed a multilocus sequence typing analysis with two aims: first, to investigate the genetic diversity within strains of North American R. parkeri s. s., and second, to further the understanding of the genetic relationships between R. parkeri s. s. and R. parkeri s. l. Sixty-four R. parkeri isolates and 12 R. parkeri-positive tick lysates were analyzed using a novel typing scheme consisting of four coding regions and two intergenic regions. A concatenated Bayesian phylogeny that identified eight clades was constructed: three represent the R. parkeri s. l. strains, and five represent the R. parkeri s. s. strains. The clades appear to be generally phylogeographically organized and associated with specific tick vectors. However, while one of the four R. parkeri s. s. North American clades appears to be limited to the southwestern United States, the other North American clades exhibit broad dispersal, most notably seen in the largest group, which includes representative samples extending from northern Mexico to Delaware. This work highlights the increasingly recognized geographic range of R. parkeri in the Americas and suggests a potential public health risk for these areas. IMPORTANCE Since 1937, when Rickettsia parkeri was originally identified in Amblyomma maculatum group ticks, the recognized range and associated vectors for this pathogen have expanded significantly. In recent years, R. parkeri has been identified in 12 tick species from seven countries in the Americas. Herein, we provide evidence that the greatest genetic diversity within R. parkeri exists in North America, where one R. parkeri sensu lato and four R. parkeri sensu stricto genotypes are present. While one distinct R. parkeri sensu stricto genotype exists only in the southwestern United States, three genotypes are broadly distributed in the eastern United States, with the largest of these found across the known range of R. parkeri in North America. In contrast, the South American R. parkeri sensu stricto samples represent a single genotype and are completely clonal at the loci analyzed, irrespective of their country of origin.
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15
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Malik A, Kallis Skopis P, Enos C, Walker A, Motaparthi K. Vesicular spotted fever due to Rickettsia parkeri simulates the clinicopathologic features of rickettsialpox. JAAD Case Rep 2021; 17:87-91. [PMID: 34712765 PMCID: PMC8531452 DOI: 10.1016/j.jdcr.2021.09.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ali Malik
- Department of Dermatology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Penelope Kallis Skopis
- Department of Dermatology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Clinton Enos
- Department of Dermatology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Addie Walker
- Department of Dermatology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Kiran Motaparthi
- Department of Dermatology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida
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16
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Bastounis EE, Serrano-Alcalde F, Radhakrishnan P, Engström P, Gómez-Benito MJ, Oswald MS, Yeh YT, Smith JG, Welch MD, García-Aznar JM, Theriot JA. Mechanical competition triggered by innate immune signaling drives the collective extrusion of bacterially infected epithelial cells. Dev Cell 2021; 56:443-460.e11. [PMID: 33621492 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2021.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Revised: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Intracellular pathogens alter their host cells' mechanics to promote dissemination through tissues. Conversely, host cells may respond to the presence of pathogens by altering their mechanics to limit infection. Here, we monitored epithelial cell monolayers infected with intracellular bacterial pathogens, Listeria monocytogenes or Rickettsia parkeri, over days. Under conditions in which these pathogens trigger innate immune signaling through NF-κB and use actin-based motility to spread non-lytically intercellularly, we found that infected cell domains formed three-dimensional mounds. These mounds resulted from uninfected cells moving toward the infection site, collectively squeezing the softer and less contractile infected cells upward and ejecting them from the monolayer. Bacteria in mounds were less able to spread laterally in the monolayer, limiting the growth of the infection focus, while extruded infected cells underwent cell death. Thus, the coordinated forceful action of uninfected cells actively eliminates large domains of infected cells, consistent with this collective cell response representing an innate immunity-driven process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Effie E Bastounis
- Department of Biology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | | | - Prathima Radhakrishnan
- Department of Biology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Biophysics Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Patrik Engström
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - María J Gómez-Benito
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza 50009, Spain
| | - Mackenzi S Oswald
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Yi-Ting Yeh
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Jason G Smith
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Matthew D Welch
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - José M García-Aznar
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza 50009, Spain
| | - Julie A Theriot
- Department of Biology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
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17
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Arboleda M, Acevedo-Gutiérrez LY, Ávila A, Ospina D, Díaz FJ, Walker DH, Rodas JD. Human Rickettsiosis Caused by Rickettsia parkeri Strain Atlantic Rainforest, Urabá, Colombia. Emerg Infect Dis 2021; 26:3048-3050. [PMID: 33219809 PMCID: PMC7706929 DOI: 10.3201/eid2612.200388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
We describe the clinical, serologic, and molecular findings of a new human rickettsiosis in Colombia. Antibodies against Rickettsia spp. were detected. PCR showed amplification of genes for R. parkeri strain Atlantic Rainforest. This new rickettsiosis of minor virulence could explain some of the undifferentiated acute febrile diseases in Colombia.
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18
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Moo-Llanes DA, de Oca-Aguilar ACM, Romero-Salas D, Sánchez-Montes S. Inferring the Potential Distribution of an Emerging Rickettsiosis in America: The Case of Rickettsia parkeri. Pathogens 2021; 10:592. [PMID: 34068132 PMCID: PMC8152739 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10050592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Tick-borne rickettsioses represent a severe public health problem that has increased in recent decades by several activities that place human populations in contact with a wide range of vectors. In particular, Rickettsia parkeri, an eschar-associated spotted fever agent, represents an emerging pathogen that has been gradually identified throughout America. In the present work, we compiled an occurrence database of these bacteria, as well as its vectors, in order to identify the potential distribution of these bacteria and to detect the risk areas where this emerging pathogen may be circulating. The results show the at-risk areas to be broad regions in Central America, on the coast of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Chile, part of Brazil and Argentina, and the greater part of Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Particularly, in Mexico, conditions exist for widespread dissemination. Our results must be considered for the establishment of active acarological surveillance in previously unsampled areas, as well as the establishment of prevention measures for vulnerable populations and risk groups participating in outdoor activities that can place them in contact with this pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A. Moo-Llanes
- Centro Regional de Investigación en Salud Pública (CRISP), Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública (INSP), Tapachula, Chiapas 30700, Mexico;
| | | | - Dora Romero-Salas
- Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Veracruzana, Veracruz 91710, Mexico
| | - Sokani Sánchez-Montes
- Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Región Tuxpan, Universidad Veracruzana, Tuxpan de Rodríguez Cano, Veracruz 92870, Mexico
- Centro de Medicina Tropical, División de Investigación, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, Ciudad de Mexico 06726, Mexico
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19
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Hensley JR, Zambrano ML, Williams-Newkirk AJ, Dasch GA. Detection of Rickettsia Species, and Coxiella-Like and Francisella-Like Endosymbionts in Amblyomma americanum and Amblyomma maculatum from a Shared Field Site in Georgia, United States of America. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2021; 21:509-516. [PMID: 33956519 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2020.2683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Two abundant species of aggressive ticks commonly feed on humans in Georgia: the Gulf Coast tick (Amblyomma maculatum) and the Lone Star tick (A. americanum). A. maculatum is the primary host of Rickettsia parkeri, "Candidatus Rickettsia andeanae," and a Francisella-like endosymbiont (AmacFLE), whereas A. americanum is the primary host for R. amblyommatis, Ehrlichia chaffeensis, E. ewingii, and a Coxiella-like endosymbiont (AamCLE). Horizontal transmission of R. parkeri from A. maculatum to A. americanum by co-feeding has been described, and R. amblyommatis has been found infrequently in A. maculatum ticks. We assessed the prevalence of these agents and whether exchange of tick-associated bacteria is common between A. maculatum and A. americanum collected from the same field site. Unengorged ticks were collected May-August 2014 in west-central Georgia from a 4.14 acre site by flagging and from humans and canines traversing that site. All DNA samples were screened with quantitative PCR assays for the bacteria found in both ticks, and the species of any Rickettsia detected was identified by species-specific TaqMan assays or sequencing of the rickettsial ompA gene. Only R. amblyommatis (15) and AamCLE (39) were detected in 40 A. americanum, while the 74 A. maculatum only contained R. parkeri (30), "Candidatus Rickettsia andeanae" (3), and AmacFLE (74). Neither tick species had either Ehrlichia species. Consequently, we obtained no evidence for the frequent exchange of these tick-borne agents in a natural setting despite high levels of carriage of each agent and the common observance of infestation of both ticks on both dogs and humans at this site. Based on these data, exchange of these Rickettsia, Coxiella, and Francisella agents between A. maculatum and A. americanum appears to be an infrequent event.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmine R Hensley
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.,Department of Environmental Sciences and Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.,Department of Environmental Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Maria L Zambrano
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Amanda J Williams-Newkirk
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.,Department of Environmental Sciences and Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.,Department of Environmental Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Gregory A Dasch
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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Silva-Ramos CR, Hidalgo M, Faccini-Martínez ÁA. Clinical, epidemiological, and laboratory features of Rickettsia parkeri rickettsiosis: A systematic review. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2021; 12:101734. [PMID: 33989945 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2021.101734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2020] [Revised: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Rickettsia parkeri rickettsiosis is recognized as the second most prevalent tick-borne disease caused by spotted fever group rickettsiae in the Americas, where two pathogenic strains (R. parkeri sensu stricto and R. parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest) have been related to human infections and transmitted by Amblyomma spp. ticks. We developed a systematic review that evaluated all available evidence in the literature regarding clinical, epidemiological, and laboratory features of R. parkeri rickettsiosis, including confirmed and probable cases. We followed the recommendations made by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guide. We excluded papers that contained missing information of some variables and publications in which it was not possible to separate data for confirmed and probable cases. A total of 77 clinical cases (32 confirmed cases and 45 probable cases) were considered for this review. Overall, our results show that R. parkeri rickettsiosis is more frequent in males in the age group of 18-64 years and that a history of tick exposure was frequent (>90%). Cases were described in the United States, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Colombia. Clinically, more than 60% of the cases had fever (mean of 93%), eschar (mean of 87%), and rash (mean of 68%). Headache and myalgia were predominant nonspecific symptoms (mean of 67% and 61%, respectively). Our results show that at least 60% of R. parkeri cases had altered laboratory parameters, most often showing an increase in transaminases and leukopenia. Tetracyclines-class antibiotics were used in most (>85%) of the patients. Overall, only 9% of cases required hospitalization and there was a 100% rate of clinical recovery in all of cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Ramiro Silva-Ramos
- Grupo de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Marylin Hidalgo
- Grupo de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Álvaro A Faccini-Martínez
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA; Committee of Tropical Medicine, Zoonoses and Travel Medicine, Asociación Colombiana de Infectología, Bogotá, Colombia.
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21
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Alugubelly N, Stokes JV, Cross CE, Ross AML, Crawford AE, Fiihr GF, Varela-Stokes AS. Beyond the IFA: Revisiting the ELISA as a More Sensitive, Objective, and Quantitative Evaluation of Spotted Fever Group Rickettsia Exposure. Pathogens 2021; 10:pathogens10020088. [PMID: 33498380 PMCID: PMC7909427 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10020088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Revised: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Based on limited serological studies, at least 10% of the US population has been exposed to spotted fever group Rickettsia (SFGR) species. The immunofluorescence antibody assay (IFA) has been the gold standard for the serodiagnosis of rickettsial infections such as spotted fever rickettsiosis (SFR). However, the IFA is semi-quantitative and subjective, requiring a high level of expertise to interpret it correctly. Here, we developed an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the serodiagnosis of Rickettsia parkeri infection in the guinea pig. Our ELISA is an objective, quantitative, and high-throughput assay that shows greater sensitivity and resolution in observed titers than the IFA. We methodically optimized relevant parameters in sequence for optimal signal-to-noise ratio and low coefficient of variation% values. We used a guinea pig model as it is a part of our overall research efforts to understand the immunological and clinical response to SFGR species after tick transmission. Guinea pigs are a useful model to study SFR and show clinical signs of SFR, such as fever and eschars. We anticipate that this assay will be easily adapted to other hosts, including humans and other SFGR species.
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Abstract
We determined prevalence of Rickettsia spp. in 172 ticks of the Amblyomma maculatum group collected from 16 urban sites in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA, during 2017 and 2018. Most ticks (59.3%) were collected from 1 site; 4 (2.3%) were infected with Rickettsia parkeri and 118 (68.6%) with Candidatus Rickettsia andeanae.
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23
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Allerdice MEJ, Snellgrove AN, Hecht JA, Hartzer K, Jones ES, Biggerstaff BJ, Ford SL, Karpathy SE, Delgado-de la Mora J, Delgado-de la Mora D, Licona-Enriquez JD, Goddard J, Levin ML, Paddock CD. Reproductive incompatibility between Amblyomma maculatum (Acari: Ixodidae) group ticks from two disjunct geographical regions within the USA. Exp Appl Acarol 2020; 82:543-557. [PMID: 33091146 PMCID: PMC11008682 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-020-00557-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The Amblyomma maculatum Koch group of ixodid ticks consists of three species: A. maculatum, A. triste, and A. tigrinum. However, since Koch described this group in 1844, the systematics of its members has been the subject of ongoing debate. This is especially true of A. maculatum and A. triste; recent molecular analyses reveal insufficient genetic divergence to separate these as distinct species. Further confounding this issue is the discovery in 2014 of A. maculatum group ticks in southern Arizona (AZ), USA, that share morphological characteristics with both A. triste and A. maculatum. To biologically evaluate the identity of A. maculatum group ticks from southern Arizona, we analyzed the reproductive compatibility between specimens of A. maculatum group ticks collected from Georgia (GA), USA, and southern Arizona. Female ticks from both Arizona and Georgia were mated with males from both the Georgia and Arizona Amblyomma populations, creating two homologous and two heterologous F1 cohorts of ticks: GA ♀/GA ♂, AZ ♀/AZ ♂, GA ♀/AZ ♂, and AZ ♀/GA ♂. Each cohort was maintained separately into the F2 generation with F1 females mating only with F1 males from their same cohort. Survival and fecundity parameters were measured for all developmental stages. The observed survival parameters for heterologous cohorts were comparable to those of the homologous cohorts through the F1 generation. However, the F1 heterologous females produced F2 egg clutches that did not hatch, thus indicating that the Arizona and Georgia populations of A. maculatum group ticks tested here represent different biological species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle E J Allerdice
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology, and Plant Pathology, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS, USA.
| | - Alyssa N Snellgrove
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Joy A Hecht
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Kris Hartzer
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Emma S Jones
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Office of the Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Brad J Biggerstaff
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Office of the Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Shelby L Ford
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Bacterial Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Sandor E Karpathy
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Jesus Delgado-de la Mora
- Departamento de Anatomía Patológica, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico, Mexico
| | - David Delgado-de la Mora
- Departamento de Anatomía Patológica, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico, Mexico
| | | | - Jerome Goddard
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology, and Plant Pathology, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS, USA
| | - Michael L Levin
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Christopher D Paddock
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
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24
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Olafson PU, Buckmeier BG, May MA, Thomas DB. Molecular screening for rickettsial bacteria and piroplasms in ixodid ticks surveyed from white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus) and nilgai antelope ( Boselaphus tragocamelus) in southern Texas. Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl 2020; 13:252-260. [PMID: 33294364 PMCID: PMC7691163 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2020.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Revised: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
A survey of ixodid ticks parasitizing white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and nilgai antelope (Boselaphus tragocamelus) was completed during the 2018–2019 public hunt season on the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge (Cameron County, Texas) and the East Foundation's El Sauz Ranch in nearby Willacy County (Texas). Anocenter nitens was the predominant tick species identified with 5% of these ticks collected from nilgai. All life stages were encountered in high numbers on white-tailed deer, indicating that deer may be a primary host in this region. Amblyomma maculatum and Amblyomma inornatum were identified from both hosts, while Ixodes scapularis was encountered only on white-tailed deer. This is the first published record of A. inornatum on nilgai. A subset of ticks was used in PCR assays to detect Rickettsia spp., family Anaplasmataceae, Borrelia spp., and Theileria-Babesia spp. Borrelia spp. were not detected in any of the ticks analyzed. Rickettsia parkeri was detected in three A. maculatum adult ticks from deer, Rickettsia sp. endosymbiont sequences were present in all I. scapularis ticks, and Rickettsia amblyommatis was detected in three A. inornatum adult ticks from deer. Sequence analysis of Anaplasmataceae-positive amplicons from A. nitens and A. maculatum had low percent identity to published Anaplasma spp. sequences, suggesting a unique Anaplasma sp. may be circulating in the population. Anaplasma platys was detected from A. nitens larvae and an Ehrlichia sp. Delta strain was present in A. maculatum, both of unknown pathogenicity towards deer. Theileria cervi was detected in all stages of A. nitens ticks, and positive ticks originated from 27 of 31 deer and a single nilgai sampled from throughout the survey site. The primary vector for T. cervi is absent from this region, suggesting T. cervi is possibly maintained by a different tick species. Anocenter nitens predominates on white-tailed deer and nilgai in southern Texas. Theileria cervi was detected in Anocenter nitens ticks from deer and a single nilgai. Three Theileria cervi genotypes were detected in this region of southern Texas. Unique Anaplasma sp. detected in A. nitens; low identity to known Anaplasma sp. Amblyomma inornatum ticks were identified on nilgai; a first record on this host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pia U Olafson
- USDA-ARS Knipling-Bushland Livestock Insects Research Laboratory, 2700 Fredericksburg Rd., Kerrville, TX, 78028, USA
| | - Beverly Greta Buckmeier
- USDA-ARS Knipling-Bushland Livestock Insects Research Laboratory, 2700 Fredericksburg Rd., Kerrville, TX, 78028, USA
| | - Melinda A May
- USDA-ARS Knipling-Bushland Livestock Insects Research Laboratory, 2700 Fredericksburg Rd., Kerrville, TX, 78028, USA
| | - Donald B Thomas
- USDA-ARS Cattle Fever Tick Research Laboratory, 22675 N. Moorefield Road, Moore Air Base, Edinburg, TX, 78541, USA
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25
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Cumbie AN, Espada CD, Nadolny RM, Rose RK, Dueser RD, Hynes WL, Gaff HD. Survey of Rickettsia parkeri and Amblyomma maculatum associated with small mammals in southeastern Virginia. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2020; 11:101550. [PMID: 32993923 PMCID: PMC7534852 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2020.101550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2020] [Revised: 08/02/2020] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Small mammals are often parasitized by the immature stages of hard-bodied ticks (family Ixodidae) and may serve as reservoir hosts of tick-borne pathogens. Amblyomma maculatum, the Gulf Coast tick, is the primary vector of Rickettsia parkeri, the causative agent of R. parkeri rickettsiosis. This hard-bodied tick species is expanding its historical range from the Gulf Coast of the U.S. up the Mid-Atlantic coast. In Mid-Atlantic states, such as Virginia, R. parkeri prevalence is higher in these ticks than those found in its historical range. This high prevalence may be explained in part by small mammal populations. In this study, small mammals were trapped and checked for the presence of immature A. maculatum. The ticks as well as tissue samples from these mammals were tested for the presence of R. parkeri. This study found six rodent species acting as hosts to immature A. maculatum and three species that may play a role in the enzootic cycle of R. parkeri in Virginia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra N Cumbie
- Department of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, 23529, USA
| | - Christina D Espada
- Department of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, 23529, USA
| | - Robyn M Nadolny
- Army Public Health Center, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, 21010, USA
| | - Robert K Rose
- Department of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, 23529, USA
| | - Raymond D Dueser
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22901, USA
| | - Wayne L Hynes
- Department of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, 23529, USA.
| | - Holly D Gaff
- Department of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, 23529, USA; School of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
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26
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Sánchez-Montes S, Ballados-González GG, Hernández-Velasco A, Zazueta-Islas HM, Solis-Cortés M, Miranda-Ortiz H, Canseco-Méndez JC, Fernández-Figueroa EA, Colunga-Salas P, López-Pérez AM, Delgado-de la Mora J, Licona-Enriquez JD, Delgado-de la Mora D, Karpathy SE, Paddock CD, Rangel-Escareño C. Molecular Confirmation of Rickettsia parkeri in Amblyomma ovale Ticks, Veracruz, Mexico. Emerg Infect Dis 2020; 25:2315-2317. [PMID: 31742525 PMCID: PMC6874242 DOI: 10.3201/eid2512.190964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
We found Rickettsia parkeri in Amblyomma ovale ticks collected in Veracruz, Mexico, in 2018. We sequenced gene segments of gltA, htrA, sca0, and sca5; phylogenetic reconstruction revealed near-complete identity with R. parkeri strain Atlantic Rainforest. Enhanced surveillance is needed in Mexico to determine the public health relevance of this bacterium.
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27
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Phillips VC, Zieman EA, Kim CH, Stone CM, Tuten HC, Jiménez FA. Documentation of the Expansion of the Gulf Coast Tick ( Amblyomma maculatum) and Rickettsia parkeri: First Report in Illinois. J Parasitol 2020; 106:9-13. [PMID: 31958375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The Gulf Coast tick, Amblyomma maculatum, is of public and veterinary health concern, as it is the primary vector of Rickettsia parkeri and Hepatozoon americanum, causative agents of Rickettsiosis and American canine hepatozoonosis. The Gulf Coast tick's range has expanded over the last 50 yr into the mid-Atlantic states, and its expansion is expected to continue northward. We are reporting the presence of A. maculatum for the first time in Illinois, including a total of 18 specimens collected at 6 different sites during surveys in 2013 and 2019. Fourteen of these specimens were screened for Rickettsia parkeri, which resulted in the detection of this bacteria in 8 samples from 4 counties. By depositing these specimens in scientific collections, we provide materialistic evidence of their establishment in 2 counties. We urge health officials to rely on and use scientific collections to document the expansion of these and other vectors across the country. Additionally, we recommend that health practitioners become aware of the clinical similarities between Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (caused by Rickettsia rickettsii) and "tidewater" fever (caused by R. parkeri).
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria C Phillips
- Department of Biological Sciences, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois 62901-6501
| | - Elliott A Zieman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois 62901-6501
- Department of Biology, Wilmington College, 1870 Quaker Way, Wilmington, Ohio 45177
| | - Chang-Hyun Kim
- Illinois Natural History Survey, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois 61820
| | - Chris M Stone
- Illinois Natural History Survey, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois 61820
| | - Holly C Tuten
- Illinois Natural History Survey, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois 61820
| | - F Agustín Jiménez
- Department of Biological Sciences, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois 62901-6501
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Delgado-de la Mora J, Sánchez-Montes S, Licona-Enríquez JD, Delgado-de la Mora D, Paddock CD, Beati L, Colunga-Salas P, Guzmán-Cornejo C, Zambrano ML, Karpathy SE, López-Pérez AM, Álvarez-Hernández G. Rickettsia parkeri and Candidatus Rickettsia andeanae in Tick of the Amblyomma maculatum Group, Mexico. Emerg Infect Dis 2019; 25:836-838. [PMID: 30882330 PMCID: PMC6433039 DOI: 10.3201/eid2504.181507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
We report Rickettsia parkeri and Candidatus Rickettsia andeanae in ticks of the Amblyomma maculatum group collected from dogs in Sonora, Mexico. Molecular characterization of these bacteria was accomplished by DNA amplification and sequence analysis of portions of the rickettsial genes gltA, htrA, ompA, and ompB.
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29
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Faccini-Martínez ÁA, Muñoz-Leal S, Krawczak FS, Acosta ICL, Martins TF, Serpa MCA, Barbieri ARM, Tovar JR, Cerutti Junior C, Labruna MB. Epidemiological aspects of Rickettsia parkeri in the Atlantic forest biome of Espírito Santo state, Brazil. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2019; 11:101319. [PMID: 31707006 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2019.101319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Revised: 09/26/2019] [Accepted: 10/22/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Since 2010, a new rickettsiosis caused by Rickettsia parkeri, a species included in the spotted fever group (SFG) and transmitted by the tick Amblyomma ovale, has been described in Brazil. Considering that A. ovale does occur in the Espírito Santo state (ES), the present study aimed at preliminarily describing the epidemiology of R. parkeri in the Atlantic forest of this state. Between June 2016 and September 2018, 33 villages from nine municipalities of the ES were included in a study for the molecular detection and isolation of SFG rickettsiae from adult Amblyomma ticks collected on dogs with free access to the forest. Serologic screenings against SFG rickettsiae in these animals and their owners (humans) were performed through immunofluorescence assay (IFA) using antigens of Rickettsia rickettsii and R. parkeri. Additionally, local health secretariats were informed on clinical manifestations of R. parkeri infection and told to communicate any suspected case. A total of 280 adult ticks were collected and taxonomically classified as A. ovale (n = 152), Amblyomma aureolatum (n = 127) and Amblyomma sculptum (n = 1). Overall, Rickettsia DNA was detected in 12/266 ticks. The sequencing of PCR products revealed that 0.7% (1/144) and 0.8% (1/121) of the analyzed A. ovale and A. aureolatum ticks were infected by R. parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest, respectively, and 8.3% (10/121) of the A. aureolatum ticks infected by Rickettsia bellii. Among the above PCR-positive ticks, only one isolate from one A. aureolatum tick was successfully established in the laboratory. DNA extracted from the third passage of this isolate was designated as strain M9A and molecularly characterized using primers targeting the Rickettsia gltA gene, whose sequence matched 100% the corresponding sequences of R. bellii. Seroprevalence against SFG rickettsiae in sampled dogs (n = 83) was 41% or 57%, depending on the rickettsial antigen (R. rickettsii strain Taiaçu or R. parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest, respectively). A total of 37 (45%) canine sera showed titers to R. parkeri at least fourfold higher than to R. rickettsii antigen. Among humans, 10% (4/41) of the samples reacted to at least one rickettsial antigen, with the highest endpoint titer varying from 64 to 128 for R. rickettsii and R. parkeri; no human serum showed ≥4-fold difference between the highest endpoint titers. Finally, during the study period, suspicions on cases of R. parkeri-rickettsiosis were not informed by the health secretariats. Our results confirm the presence and exposure to R. parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest, associated with two anthropophilic tick species (A. ovale and A. aureolatum) parasitizing domestic dogs with unrestrained access to forest areas. Consequently, the occurrence of R. parkeri infection in humans inhabiting the Atlantic forests of ES should not be discarded.
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Affiliation(s)
- Álvaro A Faccini-Martínez
- Postgraduate Program in Infectious Diseases, Health Science Center, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, ES, Brazil; Committee of Tropical Medicine, Zoonoses and Travel Medicine, Asociación Colombiana de Infectología, Bogotá, Colombia.
| | - Sebastián Muñoz-Leal
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Felipe S Krawczak
- Setor de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, GO, Brazil
| | - Igor C L Acosta
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Thiago F Martins
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Maria Carolina A Serpa
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Amalia R M Barbieri
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Juliana R Tovar
- Núcleo Especial de Vigilância Epidemiológica, Secretaria de Estado da Saúde do Estado do Espírito Santo, Vitória, ES, Brazil
| | - Crispim Cerutti Junior
- Postgraduate Program in Infectious Diseases, Health Science Center, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, ES, Brazil
| | - Marcelo B Labruna
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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30
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Yaglom HD, Casal M, Carson S, O'Grady CL, Dominguez V, Singleton J, Chung I, Lodge H, Paddock CD. Expanding Recognition of Rickettsia parkeri Rickettsiosis in Southern Arizona, 2016-2017. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2019; 20:82-87. [PMID: 31638478 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2019.2491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Rickettsia parkeri rickettsiosis is an emerging, tick-borne disease in the United States (US), transmitted by the bite of Amblyomma maculatum group ticks. Clinical manifestations include fever, headache, myalgia, maculopapular rash, and a characteristic eschar that forms at the site of the tick bite. Arizona's index case of R. parkeri rickettsiosis was reported in 2014. Seven additional confirmed and probable cases were identified during 2016-2017 through routine investigation of electronic laboratory reports and by self-reporting to public health authorities. Serum samples were evaluated for immunoglobulin G antibodies reactive with antigens of Rickettsia rickettsii (the agent of Rocky Mountain spotted fever [RMSF]) and R. parkeri using indirect immunofluorescence antibody tests. Eschar swab specimens were evaluated using Rickettsia genus-specific and R. parkeri-specific real-time PCR assays. Patients (six male, one female) ranged in age from 29 to 69 years (median of 41 years), and became ill between July 2016 and September 2017. Fever (6/7), myalgia (5/7), and arthralgia (5/7) were most commonly reported and 5/7 patients had a documented eschar. All patients reported a tick bite acquired in southern Arizona within 2-8 days before illness onset. Four patients worked as U.S. Border Patrol agents. Antibodies reactive to R. rickettsii, R. parkeri, or to both antigens were detected in all patients. Seroconversions between acute and convalescent-phase samples were identified for two patients and DNA of R. parkeri was identified in eschar swab samples from two patients. R. parkeri rickettsiosis is endemic to a region of the southwestern United States and presents an occupational risk that could be lessened by prevention messaging to Border Patrol agents. RMSF, a closely related and more severe spotted fever rickettsiosis, is also endemic to Arizona. Public health agencies can assist clinicians in distinguishing these two infections clinically through education and accessing species-specific diagnostic assays that can improve surveillance efforts for both diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayley D Yaglom
- Arizona Department of Health Services, Office of Infectious Disease Services, Phoenix, Arizona
| | - Mariana Casal
- Arizona Department of Health Services, Office of Border Health, Tucson, Arizona
| | | | | | | | - Joseph Singleton
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Ida Chung
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Heidi Lodge
- Copper Queen Medical Associates, Douglas, Arizona
| | - Christopher D Paddock
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
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da Paixão Sevá A, Martins TF, Muñoz-Leal S, Rodrigues AC, Pinter A, Luz HR, Angerami RN, Labruna MB. A human case of spotted fever caused by Rickettsia parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest and its association to the tick Amblyomma ovale. Parasit Vectors 2019; 12:471. [PMID: 31604442 PMCID: PMC6790035 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-019-3730-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2019] [Accepted: 09/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rickettsia parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest has emerged in Brazil during the last 10 years, with three laboratory-confirmed human cases. While these cases were epidemiologically associated with the tick Amblyomma ovale, in none of them the tick specimens that bit the patients could be identified. RESULTS We report a clinical case of spotted fever rickettsiosis that was acquired in an Atlantic forest area in Bahia state, northeast Brazil. The case was determined to be caused by R. parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest, based on molecular analysis of the crust removed from the tick bite site (inoculation eschar) of the patients' skin. DNA extracted from the crust yielded partial sequences of three rickettsial genes (gltA, ompA and ompB), which were 99-100% identical to R. parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest. The tick specimen that was attached to patient skin was identified as a female of A. ovale. CONCLUSIONS We report the fourth confirmed case of spotted fever rickettsiosis caused by R. parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest, providing to our knowledge for the first time, direct evidence of R. parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest transmission by A. ovale.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Thiago Fernandes Martins
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Sebastián Muñoz-Leal
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Ana Carla Rodrigues
- Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso, Campus Nova Xavantina, Nova Xavantina, MT, Brazil
| | - Adriano Pinter
- Superintendência de Controle de Endemias do Estado de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Hermes R Luz
- Departamento de Patologia, RENORBIO, Universidade Federal do Maranhão, São Luís, MA, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo N Angerami
- Hospital das Clínicas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - Marcelo B Labruna
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
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Ojeda-Chi MM, Rodriguez-Vivas RI, Esteve-Gasent MD, Pérez de León AA, Modarelli JJ, Villegas-Perez SL. Ehrlichia canis in dogs of Mexico: Prevalence, incidence, co-infection and factors associated. Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis 2019; 67:101351. [PMID: 31525571 DOI: 10.1016/j.cimid.2019.101351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2019] [Revised: 08/23/2019] [Accepted: 08/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Rickettsial infections in dogs of Mexico were investigated. A total of 246 dogs were blood sampled and initially screened to detect Ehrlichia canis, E. chaffeensis, E. ewingii, Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Rickettsia rickettsii by a quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) assay. Sixty-five dogs were monitored and sampled twice 7-8 months apart. Using the qPCR, 72 positive dogs to E. canis were detected (prevalence of 29.26%). These dogs were also tested by nested PCR to detect the same pathogens. None of the studied dogs were positive to E. chaffeensis, E. ewingii, R. rickettsii nor A. phagocytophilum by both PCR assays. The cumulative incidence of E. canis infection was 38.46%. Sequencing analysis of the nested PCR products revealed 100% and 98.1% identity of E. canis and R. parkeri, respectively. We found a dog co-infected with E. canis and R. parkeri.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melina M Ojeda-Chi
- Campus de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, Yucatán, México
| | - Roger I Rodriguez-Vivas
- Campus de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, Yucatán, México.
| | - Maria D Esteve-Gasent
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Adalberto A Pérez de León
- USDA-ARS Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory and Veterinary Pest Genomics Center, College Station, Kerrville, TX 78028, USA
| | - Joseph J Modarelli
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Sandra L Villegas-Perez
- Campus de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, Yucatán, México
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de Oliveira PB, Harvey TV, Fehlberg HF, Rocha JM, Martins TF, da Acosta ICL, Labruna MB, Faccini JLH, Albuquerque GR. Serologic and molecular survey of Rickettsia spp. in dogs, horses and ticks from the Atlantic rainforest of the state of Bahia, Brazil. Exp Appl Acarol 2019; 78:431-442. [PMID: 31270640 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-019-00397-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2019] [Accepted: 06/07/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Tick-borne spotted fever in Brazil is known to be caused by two agents, Rickettsia rickettsii and Rickettsia parkeri. Nothing was known about these agents in one area of the Atlantic rainforest biome of Bahia state, where during March to June 2016, 356 rural dogs and 69 horses were sampled and their sera were processed through indirect immunofluorescence assay against antigens of R. rickettsii, R. parkeri, Rickettsia amblyommatis and Rickettsia bellii. Ticks collected from these dogs and horses were molecularly tested for the presence of rickettsial DNA. Overall, 16.4% (58/356) dogs and 24.6% (17/69) horses were seroreactive to Rickettsia spp. Five tick species, Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato (s.l.), Amblyomma ovale, A. sculptum, R. microplus, and A. naponense, were collected from dogs, whereas horses were infested by A. sculptum and Dermacentor nitens. A total of 242 ticks from dogs and 62 from horses were analyzed by PCR targeting rickettsiae, which were detected in only 4/27 (14.8%) A. ovale. Fragments of the rickettsial gltA and ompA genes from these four ticks were 100% identical to the Atlantic rainforest strain of R. parkeri. The presence of A. ovale on dogs was positively associated with local canine seroreactivity to R. parkeri. Our results provide evidence for the transmission of R. parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest from A. ovale to domestic dogs within the rural area of Ilhéus, similarly to other areas of the Atlantic rainforest biome of Brazil, where human cases of R. parkeri-caused spotted fever have been reported.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipe B de Oliveira
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Veterinárias da Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica, RJ, Brazil
| | - Tatiani V Harvey
- Departamento de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Rodovia Jorge Amado, km 16, Bairro Salobrinho, Ilhéus, BA, CEP: 45.662-900, Brazil
| | - Hllytchaikra F Fehlberg
- Departamento de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Rodovia Jorge Amado, km 16, Bairro Salobrinho, Ilhéus, BA, CEP: 45.662-900, Brazil
| | - Josiane M Rocha
- Departamento de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Rodovia Jorge Amado, km 16, Bairro Salobrinho, Ilhéus, BA, CEP: 45.662-900, Brazil
| | - Thiago F Martins
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Igor C L da Acosta
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Marcelo B Labruna
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - João L H Faccini
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Veterinárias da Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica, RJ, Brazil
| | - George R Albuquerque
- Departamento de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Rodovia Jorge Amado, km 16, Bairro Salobrinho, Ilhéus, BA, CEP: 45.662-900, Brazil.
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Allerdice MEJ, Hecht JA, Lash RR, Karpathy SE, Paddock CD. Rickettsia parkeri and "Candidatus Rickettsia andeanae" in Amblyomma maculatum (Acari: Ixodidae) collected from the Atlanta metropolitan area, Georgia, United States. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2019; 10:1066-9. [PMID: 31176663 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2019.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2019] [Revised: 05/22/2019] [Accepted: 05/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Rickettsia parkeri is a recently recognized human pathogen transmitted in the southeastern United States by Amblyomma maculatum, the Gulf Coast tick. Since R. parkeri was conclusively identified as a human pathogen in 2004, over 40 cases of R. parkeri rickettsiosis have been identified in the United States, most of which occur in the southeastern states. During 2012-2014, five of these cases were identified by a single urgent care practice in Coweta County, a Georgia county within the Atlanta metropolitan area. To investigate the occurrence of R. parkeri-infected A. maculatum in the Atlanta metropolitan area, ticks were collected from 6 counties around the city of Atlanta and evaluated for infection with a Rickettsia species. A total of 263 questing adult A. maculatum were collected during 2015 and 2016. Of these, 93 (35%) were PCR-positive for DNA of R. parkeri and an additional 46 (17%) were PCR-positive for DNA of "Candidatus Rickettsia andeanae," a spotted fever group Rickettsia species of unknown pathogenicity. No co-infections of these two rickettsiae were detected; however four of the six counties sampled showed presence of both rickettsial organisms. The high frequency of R. parkeri in these tick populations indicates a potential risk for those living, working, or recreating in A. maculatum-infested habitats within these six counties in the Atlanta metropolitan area.
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Sánchez-Montes S, López-Pérez AM, Guzmán-Cornejo C, Colunga-Salas P, Becker I, Delgado-de la Mora J, Licona-Enríquez JD, Delgado-de la Mora D, Karpathy SE, Paddock CD, Suzán G. Rickettsia parkeri in Dermacentor parumapertus Ticks, Mexico. Emerg Infect Dis 2019; 24:1108-1111. [PMID: 29774838 PMCID: PMC6004873 DOI: 10.3201/eid2406.180058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
During a study to identify zoonotic pathogens in northwestern Mexico, we detected the presence of a rickettsial agent in Dermacentor parumapertus ticks from black-tailed jackrabbits (Lepus californicus). Comparison of 4 gene sequences (gltA, htrA, ompA, and ompB) of this agent showed 99%–100% identity with sequences of Rickettsia parkeri.
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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. Exp Appl Acarol 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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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Budachetri K, Kumar D, Crispell G, Beck C, Dasch G, Karim S. The tick endosymbiont Candidatus Midichloria mitochondrii and selenoproteins are essential for the growth of Rickettsia parkeri in the Gulf Coast tick vector. Microbiome 2018; 6:141. [PMID: 30103809 PMCID: PMC6090677 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-018-0524-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2018] [Accepted: 07/30/2018] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pathogen colonization inside tick tissues is a significant aspect of the overall competence of a vector. Amblyomma maculatum is a competent vector of the spotted fever group rickettsiae, Rickettsia parkeri. When R. parkeri colonizes its tick host, it has the opportunity to dynamically interact with not just its host but with the endosymbionts living within it, and this enables it to modulate the tick's defenses by regulating tick gene expression. The microbiome in A. maculatum is dominated by two endosymbiont microbes: a Francisella-like endosymbiont (FLE) and Candidatus Midichloria mitochondrii (CMM). A range of selenium-containing proteins (selenoproteins) in A. maculatum ticks protects them from oxidative stress during blood feeding and pathogen infections. Here, we investigated rickettsial multiplication in the presence of tick endosymbionts and characterized the functional significance of selenoproteins during R. parkeri replication in the tick. RESULTS FLE and CMM were quantified throughout the tick life stages by quantitative PCR in R. parkeri-infected and uninfected ticks. R. parkeri infection was found to decrease the FLE numbers but CMM thrived across the tick life cycle. Our qRT-PCR analysis indicated that the transcripts of genes with functions related to redox (selenogenes) were upregulated in ticks infected with R. parkeri. Three differentially expressed proteins, selenoprotein M, selenoprotein O, and selenoprotein S were silenced to examine their functional significance during rickettsial replication within the tick tissues. Gene silencing of the target genes was found to impair R. parkeri colonization in the tick vector. Knockdown of the selenogenes triggered a compensatory response from other selenogenes, as observed by changes in gene expression, but oxidative stress levels and endoplasmic reticulum stress inside the ticks were also found to have heightened. CONCLUSIONS This study illustrates the potential of this new research model for augmenting our understanding of the pathogen interactions occurring within tick hosts and the important roles that symbionts and various tick factors play in regulating pathogen growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khemraj Budachetri
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, 39406, USA
| | - Deepak Kumar
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, 39406, USA
| | - Gary Crispell
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, 39406, USA
| | | | - Gregory Dasch
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA
| | - Shahid Karim
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, 39406, USA.
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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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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Souza U, Dall'Agnol B, Michel T, Webster A, Weck B, Doyle R, Kasper CB, Soares J, Martins JR, Trigo TC, Ott R, Jardim MMA, Reck J. Molecular survey of Rickettsia spp. in the Neotropical deer tick Haemaphysalis juxtakochi from Brazilian Pampa. Parasitol Res 2018; 117:3293-3298. [PMID: 29980888 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-018-5996-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2018] [Accepted: 06/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Spotted fever (SF) is a tick-borne disease associated with Rickettsia spp.. In the Pampa biome, Southern Brazil, cases of SF seem to be strongly linked with the practice of hunting wild animals. An investigation of rickettsiae in tick species found on wild animals could provide more information regarding the rickettsiosis enzootic cycle. The aim of this study is to describe the results of a molecular survey of Rickettsia spp. in the Neotropical deer tick, Haemaphysalis juxtakochi Cooley, 1946 (Acari: Ixodidae), from the Brazilian Pampa. Ticks were obtained from 14 road-killed gray brocket deer, Mazama gouazoubira (Artiodactyla: Cervidae), found in nine different municipalities of Rio Grande do Sul state, Southern Brazil. Ticks were processed individually to obtain genomic DNA, and then Rickettsia spp. was investigated using a set of PCR reactions that amplified the rickettsial fragments of the gltA, ompA, and htrA genes. Of the 24 tick samples tested, DNA of Rickettsia parkeri sensu stricto (s.s.) was found in 11 H. juxtakochi specimens collected in two different areas of the Brazilian Pampa. This is the first report of R. parkeri s.s. (the main agent associated with SF in the Uruguayan, Argentinian, and Brazilian Pampa) in H. juxtakochi ticks. These findings indicate that R. parkeri s.s. may be much more common and widely distributed in the Pampa biome than previously assumed. Moreover, H. juxtakochi ticks and gray brocket deer could participate in the potential spillover of R. parkeri s.s. from endemic to non-endemic areas in the South American Pampa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ugo Souza
- Instituto de Pesquisas Veterinárias Desidério Finamor (IPVDF), Estrada do Conde, 6000, mail box 47, Eldorado do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, 92990-000, Brazil.,Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Bruno Dall'Agnol
- Instituto de Pesquisas Veterinárias Desidério Finamor (IPVDF), Estrada do Conde, 6000, mail box 47, Eldorado do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, 92990-000, Brazil
| | - Thais Michel
- Instituto de Pesquisas Veterinárias Desidério Finamor (IPVDF), Estrada do Conde, 6000, mail box 47, Eldorado do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, 92990-000, Brazil
| | - Anelise Webster
- Instituto de Pesquisas Veterinárias Desidério Finamor (IPVDF), Estrada do Conde, 6000, mail box 47, Eldorado do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, 92990-000, Brazil
| | - Barbara Weck
- Instituto de Pesquisas Veterinárias Desidério Finamor (IPVDF), Estrada do Conde, 6000, mail box 47, Eldorado do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, 92990-000, Brazil
| | - Rovaina Doyle
- Instituto de Pesquisas Veterinárias Desidério Finamor (IPVDF), Estrada do Conde, 6000, mail box 47, Eldorado do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, 92990-000, Brazil
| | - Carlos B Kasper
- Universidade Federal do Pampa (UNIPAMPA), São Gabriel, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - João Soares
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - João Ricardo Martins
- Instituto de Pesquisas Veterinárias Desidério Finamor (IPVDF), Estrada do Conde, 6000, mail box 47, Eldorado do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, 92990-000, Brazil
| | - Tatiane C Trigo
- Museu de Ciências Naturais (MCN), Fundação Zoobotânica do Rio Grande do Sul (FZB), Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Ricardo Ott
- Museu de Ciências Naturais (MCN), Fundação Zoobotânica do Rio Grande do Sul (FZB), Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Márcia M A Jardim
- Museu de Ciências Naturais (MCN), Fundação Zoobotânica do Rio Grande do Sul (FZB), Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - José Reck
- Instituto de Pesquisas Veterinárias Desidério Finamor (IPVDF), Estrada do Conde, 6000, mail box 47, Eldorado do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, 92990-000, Brazil.
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Harris EK, Jirakanwisal K, Verhoeve VI, Fongsaran C, Suwanbongkot C, Welch MD, Macaluso KR. Role of Sca2 and RickA in the Dissemination of Rickettsia parkeri in Amblyomma maculatum. Infect Immun 2018; 86:e00123-18. [PMID: 29581194 DOI: 10.1128/IAI.00123-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2018] [Accepted: 03/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The Gram-negative obligate intracellular bacterium Rickettsia parkeri is an emerging tick-borne human pathogen. Recently, R. parkeri Sca2 and RickA have been implicated in adherence and actin-based motility in vertebrate host cell infection models; however, the rickettsia-derived factors essential to tick infection are unknown. Using R. parkeri mutants lacking functional Sca2 or RickA to compare actin polymerization, replication, and cell-to-cell spread in vitro, similar phenotypes in tick and mammalian cells were observed. Specifically, actin polymerization in cultured tick cells is controlled by the two separate proteins in a time-dependent manner. To assess the role of Sca2 and RickA in dissemination in the tick host, Rickettsia-free Amblyomma maculatum, the natural vector of R. parkeri, was exposed to wild-type, R. parkeri rickA::tn, or R. parkeri sca2::tn bacteria, and individual tick tissues, including salivary glands, midguts, ovaries, and hemolymph, were analyzed at 12 h and after continued bloodmeal acquisition for 3 or 7 days postexposure. Initially, ticks exposed to wild-type R. parkeri had the highest rickettsial load across all organs; however, rickettsial loads decreased and wild-type rickettsiae were cleared from the ovaries at 7 days postexposure. In contrast, ticks exposed to R. parkeririckA::tn or R. parkerisca2::tn had comparatively lower rickettsial loads, but bacteria persisted in all organs for 7 days. These data suggest that while RickA and Sca2 function in actin polymerization in tick cells, the absence of these proteins did not change dissemination patterns within the tick vector.
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Nieri-Bastos FA, Marcili A, De Sousa R, Paddock CD, Labruna MB. Phylogenetic Evidence for the Existence of Multiple Strains of Rickettsia parkeri in the New World. Appl Environ Microbiol 2018; 84:e02872-17. [PMID: 29439989 DOI: 10.1128/AEM.02872-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2017] [Accepted: 02/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The bacterium Rickettsia parkeri has been reported to infect ticks of the "Amblyomma maculatum species complex" in the New World, where it causes spotted fever illness in humans. In South America, three additional rickettsial strains, namely, Atlantic rainforest, NOD, and Parvitarsum, have been isolated from the ticks Amblyomma ovale, Amblyomma nodosum, and Amblyomma parvitarsum, respectively. These three strains are phylogenetically closely related to R. parkeri, Rickettsia africae, and Rickettsia sibirica Herein, we performed a robust phylogenetic analysis encompassing 5 genes (gltA, ompA, virB4, dnaA, and dnaK) and 3 intergenic spacers (mppE-pur, rrl-rrf-ITS, and rpmE-tRNAfMet) from 41 rickettsial isolates, including different isolates of R. parkeri, R. africae, R. sibirica, Rickettsia conorii, and strains Atlantic rainforest, NOD, and Parvitarsum. In our phylogenetic analyses, all New World isolates grouped in a major clade distinct from the Old World Rickettsia species (R. conorii, R. sibirica, and R. africae). This New World clade was subdivided into the following 4 clades: the R. parkerisensu stricto clade, comprising the type strain Maculatum 20 and all other isolates of R. parkeri from North and South America, associated with ticks of the A. maculatum species complex; the strain NOD clade, comprising two South American isolates from A. nodosum ticks; the Parvitarsum clade, comprising two South American isolates from A. parvitarsum ticks; and the strain Atlantic rainforest clade, comprising six South American isolates from the A. ovale species complex (A. ovale or Amblyomma aureolatum). Under such evidences, we propose that strains Atlantic rainforest, NOD, and Parvitarsum are South American strains of R. parkeriIMPORTANCE Since the description of Rickettsia parkeri infecting ticks of the "Amblyomma maculatum species complex" and humans in the New World, three novel phylogenetic close-related rickettsial isolates were reported in South America. Herein, we provide genetic evidence that these novel isolates, namely, strains Atlantic rainforest, NOD, and Parvitarsum, are South American strains of R. parkeri. Interestingly, each of these R. parkeri strains seems to be primarily associated with a tick species group, namely, R. parkerisensu stricto with the "Amblyomma maculatum species group," R. parkeri strain NOD with Amblyomma nodosum, R. parkeri strain Parvitarsum with Amblyomma parvitarsum, and R. parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest with the "Amblyomma ovale species group." Such rickettsial strain-tick species specificity suggests a coevolution of each tick-strain association. Finally, because R. parkerisensu stricto and R. parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest are human pathogens, the potential of R. parkeri strains NOD and Parvitarsum to be human pathogens cannot be discarded.
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Faccini-Martínez ÁA, Félix ML, Armua-Fernandez MT, Venzal JM. An autochthonous confirmed case of Rickettsia parkeri rickettsiosis in Uruguay. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2018; 9:718-719. [PMID: 29483057 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2018.02.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2017] [Revised: 02/14/2018] [Accepted: 02/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Rickettsia parkeri, a member of the spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsiae, was first confirmed as an etiological agent of human rickettsiosis in 2004. Nearly all cases are characterized by an inoculation eschar, and no fatalities have been reported. In Uruguay, probable human cases of R. parkeri infection (confused initially with R. conorii infection) have been described since 1990 using the clinical name "cutaneous-ganglionar" rickettsiosis. This is the only tick-borne rickettsiosis reported in the country. A single case of R. parkeri rickettsiosis has been confirmed by molecular and serological testing in a Spanish traveler returning from Uruguay. We report the first autochthonous human R. parkeri infection, confirmed by molecular testing in Uruguay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Álvaro A Faccini-Martínez
- Postgraduate Program in Infectious Diseases, Health Science Center, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, ES, Brazil; Committee of Tropical Medicine, Zoonoses and Travel Medicine, Asociación Colombiana de Infectología, Bogotá, Colombia.
| | - María L Félix
- Laboratorio de Vectores y enfermedades transmitidas, CENUR Litoral Norte - Salto, Universidad de la República, Rivera 1350, Salto, CP 50000, Uruguay
| | - María T Armua-Fernandez
- Laboratorio de Vectores y enfermedades transmitidas, CENUR Litoral Norte - Salto, Universidad de la República, Rivera 1350, Salto, CP 50000, Uruguay
| | - José M Venzal
- Laboratorio de Vectores y enfermedades transmitidas, CENUR Litoral Norte - Salto, Universidad de la República, Rivera 1350, Salto, CP 50000, Uruguay
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Villalba Apestegui P, Nava S, Brignone J, Sen C, Esposto A, Angeletti V. [Autochthonous case of spotted fever caused by Rickettsia parkeri in Ensenada, Buenos Aires]. Medicina (B Aires) 2018; 78:203-206. [PMID: 29940549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023] Open
Abstract
We present a case of spotted fever occurred in an adult residing in Ensenada, Buenos Aires province in February 2016. The patient presented with an acute febrile syndrome associated with a skin necrotic lesion on the left leg secondary to a tick bite. The general symptoms were a maculopapular rash, headache, myalgia, and arthralgias. Seroconversion of anti-Rickettsia specific IgG antibodies confirmed recent infection. The nucleotidic and aminoacidic sequences of a gltA gen fragment matched 100% the sequences of R. parkeri strains from Argentina and other countries of America. The patient responded well to treatment with doxycycline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Villalba Apestegui
- Servicio de Infectología, Hospital Escuela de Agudos Dr. Ramón Madariaga, Posadas, Misiones, Argentina. E-mail:
| | - Santiago Nava
- Laboratorio de Parasitología e Inmunología, Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Rafaela, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Julia Brignone
- Departamento Diagnóstico Laboratorial y Referencial, Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Virales Humanas Dr. Julio I. Maiztegui, Pergamino, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Carina Sen
- Departamento Diagnóstico Laboratorial y Referencial, Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Virales Humanas Dr. Julio I. Maiztegui, Pergamino, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Amadeo Esposto
- Servicio de Infectología, Hospital Interzonal General de Agudos General San Martin, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Virginia Angeletti
- Servicio de Infectología, Hospital Interzonal General de Agudos General San Martin, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Allerdice MEJ, Beati L, Yaglom H, Lash RR, Delgado-de la Mora J, Licona-Enriquez JD, Delgado-de la Mora D, Paddock CD. Rickettsia parkeri (Rickettsiales: Rickettsiaceae) Detected in Ticks of the Amblyomma maculatum (Acari: Ixodidae) Group Collected from Multiple Locations in Southern Arizona. J Med Entomol 2017; 54:1743-1749. [PMID: 28981813 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjx138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Rickettsia parkeri is an emerging human pathogen transmitted by Amblyomma ticks in predominately tropical and subtropical regions of the western hemisphere. In 2014 and 2015, one confirmed case and one probable case of R. parkeri rickettsiosis were reported from the Pajarita Wilderness Area, a semi-arid mountainous region in southern Arizona. To examine more closely the potential public health risk of R. parkeri in this region, a study was initiated to investigate the pervasiveness of Amblyomma maculatum Koch group ticks in mountainous areas of southern Arizona and to ascertain the infection frequencies of R. parkeri in these ticks. During July 2016, a total of 182 adult ticks were collected and evaluated from the Pajarita Wilderness Area in Santa Cruz County and two additional sites in Cochise and Santa Cruz counties in southern Arizona. DNA of R. parkeri was detected in a total of 44 (24%) of these ticks. DNA of "Candidatus Rickettsia andeanae" and Rickettsia rhipicephali was detected in three (2%) and one (0.5%) of the samples, respectively. These observations corroborate previous collection records and indicate that established populations of A. maculatum group ticks exist in multiple foci in southern Arizona. The high frequency of R. parkeri in these tick populations suggests a public health risk as well as the need to increase education of R. parkeri rickettsiosis for those residing, working in, or visiting this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle E J Allerdice
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
| | - Lorenza Beati
- United States National Tick Collection, Institute for Coastal Plain Science, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA
| | - Hayley Yaglom
- Office of Infectious Disease Services | Bureau of Epidemiology & Disease Control, Arizona Department of Health Services, Phoenix, AZ
| | - R Ryan Lash
- Travelers' Health Branch, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
| | | | | | - David Delgado-de la Mora
- Department of Agronomic and Veterinary Sciences, Technologic Institute of Sonora, Sonora, Mexico
| | - Christopher D Paddock
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
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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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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Budachetri K, Crispell G, Karim S. Amblyomma maculatum SECIS binding protein 2 and putative selenoprotein P are indispensable for pathogen replication and tick fecundity. Insect Biochem Mol Biol 2017; 88:37-47. [PMID: 28739494 PMCID: PMC5583717 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2017.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2017] [Revised: 07/18/2017] [Accepted: 07/19/2017] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Selenium, a vital trace element, is incorporated into selenoproteins to produce selenocysteine. Our previous studies have revealed an adaptive co-evolutionary process that has enabled the spotted fever-causing tick-borne pathogen Rickettsia parkeri to survive by manipulating an antioxidant defense system associated with selenium, which includes a full set of selenoproteins and other antioxidants in ticks. Here, we conducted a systemic investigation of SECIS binding protein 2 (SBP2) and putative selenoprotein P (SELENOP) by transcript silencing in adult female Gulf-coast ticks (Amblyomma maculatum). Knockdown of the SBP2 and SELENOP genes depleted the respective transcript levels of these tick selenogenes, and caused differential regulation of other antioxidants. Importantly, the selenium level in the immature and mature tick stages increased significantly after a blood meal, but the selenium level decreased in ticks after the SBP2 and SELENOP knockdowns. Moreover, the SBP2 knockdown significantly impaired both transovarial transmission of R. parkeri to tick eggs and egg hatching. Overall, our data offer new insight into the relationship between the SBP2 selenoprotein synthesis gene and the putative tick SELENOP gene. It also augments our understanding of selenoprotein synthesis, selenium maintenance and utilization, and bacterial colonization of a tick vector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khemraj Budachetri
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, USA
| | - Gary Crispell
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, USA
| | - Shahid Karim
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, USA.
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Budachetri K, Kumar D, Karim S. Catalase is a determinant of the colonization and transovarial transmission of Rickettsia parkeri in the Gulf Coast tick Amblyomma maculatum. Insect Mol Biol 2017; 26:414-419. [PMID: 28370634 PMCID: PMC5496812 DOI: 10.1111/imb.12304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
The Gulf Coast tick (Amblyomma maculatum) has evolved as a competent vector of the spotted-fever group rickettsia, Rickettsia parkeri. In this study, the functional role of catalase, an enzyme responsible for the degradation of toxic hydrogen peroxide, in the colonization of the tick vector by R. parkeri and transovarial transmission of this pathogen to the next tick generation, was investigated. Catalase gene (CAT) expression in midgut, salivary glands and ovarian tissues exhibited a 2-11-fold increase in transcription level upon R. parkeri infection. Depletion of CAT transcripts using an RNA-interference approach significantly reduced R. parkeri infection levels in midgut and salivary gland tissues by 53-63%. The role of CAT in transovarial transmission of R. parkeri was confirmed by simultaneously blocking the transcript and the enzyme by injecting double-stranded RNA for CAT and a catalase inhibitor (3-amino-1,2,4-triazole) into gravid females. Simultaneous inhibition of the CAT transcript and the enzyme significantly reduced the egg conversion ratio with a 44% reduction of R. parkeri transovarial transmission. These data suggest that catalase is required for rickettsial colonization of the tick vector and transovarial transmission to the next generation.
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Paddock CD, Allerdice MEJ, Karpathy SE, Nicholson WL, Levin ML, Smith TC, Becker T, Delph RJ, Knight RN, Ritter JM, Sanders JH, Goddard J. Unique Strain of Rickettsia parkeri Associated with the Hard Tick Dermacentor parumapertus Neumann in the Western United States. Appl Environ Microbiol 2017; 83:e03463-16. [PMID: 28213544 PMCID: PMC5394329 DOI: 10.1128/aem.03463-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2016] [Accepted: 02/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In 1953, investigators at the Rocky Mountain Laboratories in Hamilton, MT, described the isolation of a spotted fever group Rickettsia (SFGR) species from Dermacentor parumapertus ticks collected from black-tailed jackrabbits (Lepus californicus) in northern Nevada. Several decades later, investigators characterized this SFGR (designated the parumapertus agent) by using mouse serotyping methods and determined that it represented a distinct rickettsial serotype closely related to Rickettsia parkeri; nonetheless, the parumapertus agent was not further characterized or studied. To our knowledge, no isolates of the parumapertus agent remain in any rickettsial culture collection, which precludes contemporary phylogenetic placement of this enigmatic SFGR. To rediscover the parumapertus agent, adult-stage D. parumapertus ticks were collected from black-tailed jackrabbits shot or encountered as roadkills in Arizona, Utah, or Texas from 2011 to 2016. A total of 339 ticks were collected and evaluated for infection with Rickettsia species. Of 112 D. parumapertus ticks collected in south Texas, 16 (14.3%) contained partial ompA sequences with the closest identity (99.6%) to Rickettsia sp. strain Atlantic rainforest Aa46, an SFGR that is closely related or identical to an SFGR species that causes a mild rickettsiosis in several states of Brazil. A pure isolate, designated strain Black Gap, was cultivated in Vero E6 cells, and sequence analysis of the rrs, gltA, sca0, sca5, and sca4 genes also revealed the closest genetic identity to Rickettsia sp. Atlantic rainforest Aa46. Phylogenetic analysis of the five concatenated rickettsial genes place Rickettsia sp. strain Black Gap and Rickettsia sp. Atlantic rainforest Aa46 with R. parkeri in a distinct and well-supported clade.IMPORTANCE We suggest that Rickettsia sp. Black Gap and Rickettsia sp. Atlantic rainforest Aa46 represent nearly identical strains of R. parkeri and that Rickettsia sp. Black Gap or a very similar strain of R. parkeri represents the parumapertus agent. The close genetic relatedness among these taxa, as well as the response of guinea pigs infected with the Black Gap strain, suggests that R. parkeri Black Gap could cause disease in humans. The identification of this organism could also account, at least in part, for the remarkable differences in severity ascribed to Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) among various regions of the American West during the early 20th century. We suggest that the wide variation in case fatality rates attributed to RMSF could have occurred by the inadvertent inclusion of cases of milder disease caused by R. parkeri Black Gap.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher D Paddock
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Michelle E J Allerdice
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Sandor E Karpathy
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - William L Nicholson
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Michael L Levin
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Travis C Smith
- Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Black Gap Wildlife Management Area, Alpine, Texas, USA
| | - Tom Becker
- Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Springville, Utah, USA
| | - Robert J Delph
- Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands, United States Army Dugway Proving Ground, Utah, USA
| | - Robert N Knight
- Environmental Department, United States Army Dugway Proving Ground, Utah, USA
| | - Jana M Ritter
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, Division of High Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Jeanine H Sanders
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, Division of High Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Jerome Goddard
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology, and Plant Pathology, Mississippi State University, Starkville, Mississippi, USA
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Lee JK, Moraru GM, Stokes JV, Wills RW, Mitchell E, Unz E, Moore-Henderson B, Harper AB, Varela-Stokes AS. Rickettsia parkeri and "Candidatus Rickettsia andeanae" in Questing Amblyomma maculatum (Acari: Ixodidae) From Mississippi. J Med Entomol 2017; 54:476-480. [PMID: 27773866 PMCID: PMC5850715 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjw175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2016] [Accepted: 09/22/2016] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Amblyomma maculatum Koch (Acari: Ixodidae), the primary vector for Rickettsia parkeri, may also be infected with a rickettsia of unknown pathogenicity, "Candidatus Rickettsia andeanae." Infection rates with these rickettsiae vary geographically, and coinfected ticks have been reported. In this study, infection rates of R. parkeri and "Ca. R. andeanae" were evaluated, and rickettsial DNA levels quantified, in 335 questing adult A. maculatum collected in 2013 (n = 95), 2014 (n = 139), and 2015 (n = 101) from Oktibbeha County, MS. Overall infection rates of R. parkeri and "Ca. R. andeanae" were 28.7% and 9.3%, respectively, with three additional A. maculatum (0.9%) coinfected. While R. parkeri-infected ticks were detected all three years (34.7% in 2013; 13.7% in 2014; 43.6% in 2015), "Ca. R. andeanae" was not detected in 2013, and was detected at rates of 10.8% in 2014, and 15.8% in 2015. Interestingly, rickettsial DNA levels in singly-infected ticks were significantly lower in "Ca. R. andeanae"-infected ticks compared to R. parkeri-infected ticks (P < 0.0001). Thus, both infection rates and rickettsial DNA levels were higher for R. parkeri than "Ca. R. andeanae." Infection rates of R. parkeri were also higher, and "Ca. R. andeanae" lower, here compared to A. maculatum reported previously in Kansas and Oklahoma. As we continue to monitor infection rates and levels, we anticipate that understanding temporal changes will improve our awareness of human risk for spotted fever rickettsioses. Further, these data may lead to additional studies to evaluate potential interactions among sympatric Rickettsia species in A. maculatum at the population level.
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Affiliation(s)
- J K Lee
- Department of Basic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, 240 Wise Center Dr., Mississippi State, MS 39762 (; ; ; ; ; ; ; )
| | - G M Moraru
- Department of Basic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, 240 Wise Center Dr., Mississippi State, MS 39762 (; ; ; ; ; ; ; )
| | - J V Stokes
- Department of Basic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, 240 Wise Center Dr., Mississippi State, MS 39762 (; ; ; ; ; ; ; )
| | - R W Wills
- Department of Pathobiology and Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, 240 Wise Center Dr., Mississippi State, MS 39762
| | - E Mitchell
- Department of Basic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, 240 Wise Center Dr., Mississippi State, MS 39762 (; ; ; ; ; ; ; )
| | - E Unz
- Department of Basic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, 240 Wise Center Dr., Mississippi State, MS 39762 (; ; ; ; ; ; ; )
| | - B Moore-Henderson
- Department of Basic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, 240 Wise Center Dr., Mississippi State, MS 39762 (; ; ; ; ; ; ; )
| | - A B Harper
- Department of Basic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, 240 Wise Center Dr., Mississippi State, MS 39762 (; ; ; ; ; ; ; )
| | - A S Varela-Stokes
- Department of Basic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, 240 Wise Center Dr., Mississippi State, MS 39762 (; ; ; ; ; ; ; )
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Herrick KL, Pena SA, Yaglom HD, Layton BJ, Moors A, Loftis AD, Condit ME, Singleton J, Kato CY, Denison AM, Ng D, Mertins JW, Paddock CD. Rickettsia parkeri Rickettsiosis, Arizona, USA. Emerg Infect Dis 2016; 22:780-5. [PMID: 27089251 PMCID: PMC4861524 DOI: 10.3201/eid2205.151824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In the United States, all previously reported cases of Rickettsia parkeri rickettsiosis have been linked to transmission by the Gulf Coast tick (Amblyomma maculatum). Here we describe 1 confirmed and 1 probable case of R. parkeri rickettsiosis acquired in a mountainous region of southern Arizona, well beyond the recognized geographic range of A. maculatum ticks. The likely vector for these 2 infections was identified as the Amblyomma triste tick, a Neotropical species only recently recognized in the United States. Identification of R. parkeri rickettsiosis in southern Arizona demonstrates a need for local ecologic and epidemiologic assessments to better understand geographic distribution and define public health risk. Education and outreach aimed at persons recreating or working in this region of southern Arizona would improve awareness and promote prevention of tickborne rickettsioses.
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