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Cotes-Perdomo AP, Sánchez-Vialas A, Thomas R, Jenkins A, Uribe JE. New insights into the systematics of the afrotropical Amblyomma marmoreum complex (Acari: Ixodidae) and the genome of a novel Rickettsia africae strain using morphological and metagenomic approaches. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2024; 15:102323. [PMID: 38387163 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102323] [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: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
The Amblyomma marmoreum complex includes afrotropical species, such as Amblyomma sparsum, a three-host tick that parasitizes reptiles, birds, and mammals, and is a recognized vector of Ehrlichia ruminantium. However, the lack of morphological, genetic and ecological data on A. sparsum has caused considerable confusion in its identification. In this study, we used microscopy and metagenomic approaches to analyze A. sparsum ticks collected from a puff adder snake (Bitis arietans) in southwest Senegal (an endemic rickettsioses area) in order to supplement previous morphological descriptions, provide novel genomic data for the A. marmoreum complex, and describe the genome of a novel spotted fever group Rickettsia strain. Based on stereoscope and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) morphological evaluations, we provide high-quality images and new insights about punctation and enameling in the adult male of A. sparsum to facilitate identification for future studies. The metagenomic approach allowed us assembly the complete mitochondrial genome of A. sparsum, as well as the nearly entire chromosome and complete plasmid sequences of a novel Rickettsia africae strain. Phylogenomic analyses demonstrated a close relationship between A. sparsum and Amblyomma nuttalli for the first time and confirmed the position of A. sparsum within the A. marmoreum complex. Our results provide new insights into the systematics of A. sparsum and A. marmoreum complex, as well as the genetic diversity of R. africae in the Afrotropical region. Future studies should consider the possibility that A. sparsum may be a vector for R. africae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea P Cotes-Perdomo
- Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental Health, Faculty of Technology, Natural Sciences and Maritime Sciences, University of South-Eastern, Norway; Department of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), 2José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, Madrid 28006, Spain
| | - Alberto Sánchez-Vialas
- Department of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), 2José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, Madrid 28006, Spain
| | - Richard Thomas
- Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Departamento de Ciencia Animal, Universidad de Concepción, Chillán, Chile
| | - Andrew Jenkins
- Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental Health, Faculty of Technology, Natural Sciences and Maritime Sciences, University of South-Eastern, Norway
| | - Juan E Uribe
- Department of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), 2José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, Madrid 28006, Spain.
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Szabó MPJ, Queiroz CL, Suzin A, Rodrigues VDS, Vieira RBK, Martins MM, Rezende LM, Sousa ACP, Ramos VDN, Muraro FM, Fernandes LK, Santos LCM, Maia RDC, Rezende AF. Density and behavior of capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) Amblyomma sculptum and Amblyomma dubitatum with notes on Rickettsia bellii infection: Assessing human exposure risk. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2024; 15:102330. [PMID: 38460340 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102330] [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: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 02/25/2024] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/11/2024]
Abstract
In several urban and peri‑urban areas of Brazil, populations of Amblyomma sculptum and Amblyomma dubitatum ticks are maintained by capybaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris). In some of these areas, this host and these tick species are associated with Brazilian spotted fever (BSF), a lethal human disease caused by the bacterium Rickettsia rickettsii. In this work, we evaluated the risk of human exposure to these tick species using four collection techniques to discern host-seeking behavior. The study was carried out in 10 urban sites inhabited by capybaras in Uberlândia, a BSF-free municipality in southeastern Brazil. Ticks were collected in areas of 400 m2 at each site and at three seasons. Within the same municipality, the distance and speed of A. sculptum nymphs moving towards the CO2 traps were evaluated. In a sample of ticks Rickettsia DNA was investigated. During the study period, 52,953 ticks were collected. Among these, 83.4 % were A. sculptum (1,523 adults, 10,545 nymphs and 32,104 larvae) and 16.6 % were A. dubitatum (464 adults, 2,153 nymphs and 6,164 larvae). An average annual questing tick density of 4.4/m² was observed, with the highest density recorded at one site in autumn (31.8/m²) and the lowest in summer at another site (0.03/m²). The visual search yielded the highest proportion of A. sculptum larvae, constituting 47 % of the total and 63.6 % of all A. sculptum larvae. In contrast, CO2 traps collected a greater proportion of nymphs and adults of A. sculptum ticks. In the case of A. dubitatum, the CO2 trap was the most efficient technique with 57.7 % of captures of this species, especially of nymphs (94.5 % of captures) and adults (97.8 % of captures). Ticks' ambush height on vegetation (9 to 77 cm), observed by visual search 30 times, yielded a total of 20,771 ticks. Of these, 28 (93 %) were A. sculptum ticks, with only two (7 %) identified as A. dubitatum ticks. Among A. sculptum ticks, the nymph was the most attracted stage to humans and larva in the case of A. dubitatum. Amblyomma sculptum adults and nymphs were significantly more attracted to humans than those of A. dubitatum, but A. dubitatum larvae were significantly more attracted than the same stage of A. sculptum. The maximum distance and speed of horizontal displacement for A. sculptum nymphs were five meters and 2.0 m/h, respectively. The only species of Rickettsia detected in ticks, exclusively in A. dubitatum, was R. bellii. Importantly, it was observed that the higher the proportion of A. sculptum in the community of ticks, the lower the rate of infection of A. dubitatum by R. bellii. In conclusion, host-seeking behavior differed between the two tick species, as well as between stages of the same species. A greater restriction of A. dubitatum ticks to the soil was observed, while larvae and nymphs of A. sculptum dispersed higher in the vegetation. The behavior presented by A. sculptum provides greater opportunities for contact with the hosts, while A. dubitatum depends more on an active search for a host, the hunter behavior. Taken together, these observations show that a human being crossing an area infested with A. sculptum and A. dubitatum ticks will have almost exclusive contact with A. sculptum larvae and/or nymphs. Humans in a stationary position (sitting, lying or immobile) are exposed to both tick species, but they are more attractive to adults and mainly nymphs of A. sculptum compared to the corresponding stages of the tick A. dubitatum. The negative effect of A. sculptum on A. dubitatum infection by R. bellii deserves further studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matias P J Szabó
- Laboratório de Ixodologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Av. Pará, Campus Umuarama-Bloco 6T, CEP 38405-302, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
| | - Caroline Lopes Queiroz
- Laboratório de Ixodologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Av. Pará, Campus Umuarama-Bloco 6T, CEP 38405-302, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Adriane Suzin
- Laboratório de Ixodologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Av. Pará, Campus Umuarama-Bloco 6T, CEP 38405-302, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Vinicius da Silva Rodrigues
- Laboratório de Ixodologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Av. Pará, Campus Umuarama-Bloco 6T, CEP 38405-302, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Raíssa Brauner Kamla Vieira
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Clínica e Reprodução, Animal da Universidade Federal Fluminense. Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Maria Marlene Martins
- Laboratório de Ixodologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Av. Pará, Campus Umuarama-Bloco 6T, CEP 38405-302, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Lais Miguel Rezende
- Laboratório de Ixodologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Av. Pará, Campus Umuarama-Bloco 6T, CEP 38405-302, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Ana Carolina P Sousa
- Laboratório de Ixodologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Av. Pará, Campus Umuarama-Bloco 6T, CEP 38405-302, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Vanessa do Nascimento Ramos
- Laboratório de Ixodologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Av. Pará, Campus Umuarama-Bloco 6T, CEP 38405-302, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Marinho Muraro
- Laboratório de Ixodologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Av. Pará, Campus Umuarama-Bloco 6T, CEP 38405-302, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Lais Keocheguerian Fernandes
- Laboratório de Ixodologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Av. Pará, Campus Umuarama-Bloco 6T, CEP 38405-302, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Lorena C M Santos
- Laboratório de Ixodologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Av. Pará, Campus Umuarama-Bloco 6T, CEP 38405-302, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo da Costa Maia
- Laboratório de Ixodologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Av. Pará, Campus Umuarama-Bloco 6T, CEP 38405-302, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Amanda Ferreira Rezende
- Laboratório de Ixodologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Av. Pará, Campus Umuarama-Bloco 6T, CEP 38405-302, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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Molina-Hoyos K, Montoya-Ruíz C, Aguilar PV, Pérez-Doria A, Díaz FJ, Rodas JD. Virome analyses of Amblyomma cajennense and Rhipicephalus microplus ticks collected in Colombia. Acta Trop 2024; 253:107158. [PMID: 38402921 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2024.107158] [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: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Tick-borne viruses (TBV) have gained public health relevance in recent years due to the recognition of human-associated fatal cases and the increase in tick-borne disease and transmission. However, many tick species have not been studied for their potential to transmit pathogenic viruses, especially those found in Latin America. To gain better understanding of the tick virome, we conducted targeted amplification using broadly-reactive consensus-degenerate pan-viral targeting viruses from the genera Flavivirus, Bandavirus, Uukuvirus, and Orthonairovirus genus. Additionally, we conducted unbiased metagenomic analyses to investigate the presence of viral RNA sequences in Amblyomma cajennense, A. patinoi and Rhipicephalus microplus ticks collected from a horse slaughter plant in Medellín, Colombia. While no viral products were detected by PCR, results of the metagenomic analyses revealed the presence of viral genomes belonging to the genera Phlebovirus, Bandavirus, and Uukuvirus, including Lihan Tick Virus (LTV), which was previously reported in Rhipicephalus microplus from Colombia. Overall, the results emphasized the enormous utility of the next-generation sequencing in identifying virus genetic diversity presents in ticks and other species of vectors and reservoirs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katterine Molina-Hoyos
- Grupo de Investigación en Ciencias Veterinarias Centauro, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Carolina Montoya-Ruíz
- Grupo de investigación en Biotecnología Animal, Global Health Institute One-Health Colombia, Universidad Nacional de Colombia sede Medellín, Colombia.
| | - Patricia V Aguilar
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States
| | | | - Francisco J Díaz
- Grupo Inmunovirología, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Juan D Rodas
- Grupo de Investigación en Ciencias Veterinarias Centauro, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
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Reis AADL, de Avelar BR, Rocha MBDS, Borges DA, Campos DR, Fiorotti J, Golo PS, Scott FB. Ultrastructural characterization and quantification of hemocytes in engorged female Amblyomma sculptum ticks. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2024; 15:102312. [PMID: 38277717 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102312] [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: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 12/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
Amblyomma sculptum (formerly Amblyomma cajennense) ticks have been implicated in the transmission of pathogens that cause diseases in animals and humans. Their wide geographic distribution and high impact on animal health and zoonotic disease transmission highlight the importance of studying and implementing effective control measures to mitigate the risks associated with this tick species. The aim of this study was to quantify and characterize the morphology and the ultrastructure of different types of hemocytes in the hemolymph in engorged A. sculptum females fed on rabbits. The hemolymph samples were collected by perforation of the cuticle in the dorsal region. Hemocyte types, sizes, and differential counts were determined using light microscopy, while ultrastructural analysis of hemocytes was performed using transmission electron microscopy. The average number of total hemocytes in the hemolymph was 1024 ± 597.6 cells µL-1. Five morphologically distinct cell types were identified in A. sculptum females: prohemocytes (6 % ± 8.8), plasmatocytes (10 % ± 7.7), granulocytes (78 % ± 12.2), spherulocytes (5 % ± 4.48), and oenocytoids (1 % ± 1.6). In general, prohemocytes were the smallest hemocytes. The ultrastructural morphology of A. sculptum hemocytes described in the present study agrees with the findings for other hard ticks. This is the first study to investigate ultrastructural characteristics of hemocytes of female A. sculptum ticks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andressa Aparecida de Lima Reis
- Department of Animal Parasitology, Veterinary Institute, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, Km 07, Zona Rural, BR-465, Seropédica, RJ 23890-000, Brazil.
| | - Barbara Rauta de Avelar
- Department of Animal Parasitology, Veterinary Institute, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, Km 07, Zona Rural, BR-465, Seropédica, RJ 23890-000, Brazil
| | - Marisa Beatriz da Silva Rocha
- Department of Animal Parasitology, Veterinary Institute, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, Km 07, Zona Rural, BR-465, Seropédica, RJ 23890-000, Brazil
| | - Debora Azevedo Borges
- Department of Animal Parasitology, Veterinary Institute, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, Km 07, Zona Rural, BR-465, Seropédica, RJ 23890-000, Brazil
| | - Diefrey Ribeiro Campos
- Department of Animal Parasitology, Veterinary Institute, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, Km 07, Zona Rural, BR-465, Seropédica, RJ 23890-000, Brazil
| | - Jessica Fiorotti
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 14040-900, Brazil
| | - Patrícia Silva Golo
- Department of Animal Parasitology, Veterinary Institute, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, Km 07, Zona Rural, BR-465, Seropédica, RJ 23890-000, Brazil
| | - Fabio Barbour Scott
- Department of Animal Parasitology, Veterinary Institute, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, Km 07, Zona Rural, BR-465, Seropédica, RJ 23890-000, Brazil
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Grisendi A, Calzolari M, Defilippo F, Torri D, Marzani K, Dottori M, Bonilauri P, Maioli G. MORPHOLOGICAL AND MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION OF AMBLYOMMA SCUTATUM (ACARI: IXODIDAE) ACCIDENTALLY INTRODUCED IN ITALY. J Parasitol 2024; 110:155-158. [PMID: 38621699 DOI: 10.1645/20-69] [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] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Eight ticks were found in Comacchio (FE), Italy parasitizing a young black iguana (Ctenosaura similis) that had been accidentally transported in a commercial plant container from Costa Rica. Specimens were identified morphologically as Amblyomma scutatum and then confirmed by the barcoding of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene. Amblyomma scutatum is a common tick known to infest reptiles in Central America, Mexico, and Venezuela, but not in Europe. In Italy, the possibility for this tick to become endemic is unlikely because of the absence of its principal hosts. Nevertheless, this finding confirms the high risk of introducing exotic species that is linked with global commerce and therefore the need for veterinary control of shipments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annalisa Grisendi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia-Romagna Bruno Umbertini, Sezione di Reggio Emilia, via Pitagora 2, 42124 Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Mattia Calzolari
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia-Romagna Bruno Umbertini, Sezione di Reggio Emilia, via Pitagora 2, 42124 Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Francesco Defilippo
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia-Romagna Bruno Umbertini, Sezione di Reggio Emilia, via Pitagora 2, 42124 Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Deborah Torri
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia-Romagna Bruno Umbertini, Sezione di Reggio Emilia, via Pitagora 2, 42124 Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Katia Marzani
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia-Romagna Bruno Umbertini, Sezione di Reggio Emilia, via Pitagora 2, 42124 Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Michele Dottori
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia-Romagna Bruno Umbertini, Sezione di Reggio Emilia, via Pitagora 2, 42124 Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Paolo Bonilauri
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia-Romagna Bruno Umbertini, Sezione di Reggio Emilia, via Pitagora 2, 42124 Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Giulia Maioli
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia-Romagna Bruno Umbertini, Sezione di Reggio Emilia, via Pitagora 2, 42124 Reggio Emilia, Italy
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da Silva Costa JR, do Vale TL, da Silva GF, da Silva NCS, da Silva Lima A, Costa-Junior LM, Luz HR. Encapsulation of carvacrol and thymol with yeast cell wall and its repellent activity against Amblyomma sculptum and Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Sensu Lato). Exp Appl Acarol 2024; 92:555-565. [PMID: 38468022 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-023-00896-y] [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: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/30/2023] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
The main way to avoid contact with ticks and consequently tick-borne disease is the use of synthetic repellents. The search of new repellent compounds to increase the possibilities of use in strategies controls are necessary. The present study evaluated the repellent activity of two natural terpenes carvacrol and thymol in each one two different formulation (encapsulated and nonencapsulated with yeast cell wall) against the ticks Amblyomma sculptum and Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato nymphs. Nymphs of A. sculptum and R. sanguineus s.l. of a single generation were used. The vertical filter paper repellency assay were performed with different concentration of both terpenes encapsulated and nonencapsulated in yeast cell wall. The repellent concentration 50% (RC50) were calculated to each compound formulation. Both carvacrol and thymol (encapsulated and nonencapsulated), had a repellent activity against A. sculptum and R. sanguineus s.l nymphs. Amblyomma sculptum was more sensitive to nonencapsulated carvacrol (RC50 values: 0.0032 to 0.0082 mg/cm2 after 1 and 15 min) (P < 0.05), while R. sanguineus s.l. was more sensitive to encapsulated carvacrol (RC50 values: 0.00008 to 0.0035 mg/cm2 after 1 and 15 min) (P < 0.05). Among tick species, R. sanguineus s.l. was more sensitive for most compounds than A. sculptum (P < 0.05). Although with distinct repellent activities, carvacrol and thymol encapsulated can be a promising alternative to synthetic repellents against A. sculptum and R. sanguineus s.l.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jhone Robson da Silva Costa
- Laboratory of Parasite Control, Department of Pathology, Center for Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Maranhão, São Luís, Maranhão, Brazil
| | - Tassia Lopes do Vale
- Laboratory of Parasite Control, Department of Pathology, Center for Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Maranhão, São Luís, Maranhão, Brazil
| | - Geovane Ferreira da Silva
- Laboratory of Parasite Control, Department of Pathology, Center for Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Maranhão, São Luís, Maranhão, Brazil
| | - Naylene Carvalho Sales da Silva
- Laboratory of Parasite Control, Department of Pathology, Center for Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Maranhão, São Luís, Maranhão, Brazil
| | | | - Lívio Martins Costa-Junior
- Laboratory of Parasite Control, Department of Pathology, Center for Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Maranhão, São Luís, Maranhão, Brazil
| | - Hermes Ribeiro Luz
- Postgraduate Program in Health and Environment, Federal University of Maranhão - UFMA, São Luís, MA, Brazil.
- Post‑Graduation Program in Northeast Biotechnology Network (RENORBIO), Biodiversity and Conservation, Center of Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Maranhão - UFMA, São Luís, MA, Brazil.
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Farias IF, de Oliveira GMB, Lima EVM, Labruna MB, Horta MC. Parasitism on domestic cats by Amblyomma auricularium and serological evidence of exposure to Rickettsia amblyommatis. Rev Bras Parasitol Vet 2024; 33:e018123. [PMID: 38511817 PMCID: PMC10954250 DOI: 10.1590/s1984-29612024015] [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: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
The domestic cat is not considered a primary host for any specific tick species; however, it can be affected by some Ixodidae species, such as Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato and Amblyomma spp. The study reports parasitism by Amblyomma auricularium and the detection of anti-Rickettsia spp. antibodies in domestic cats from a rural property in the Afrânio municipality, Pernambuco, Brazil. Amblyomma auricularium (24 nymphs, six females, and four males) and Amblyomma sp. (42 larvae) parasitized three cats, and 73 free-living ticks were captured in armadillo burrows: A. auricularium (36 nymphs, six females, five males) and Amblyomma sp. (26 larvae). Blood samples from cats were collected and the obtained plasma were subjected to indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) to detect antibodies against Rickettsia antigens. Thus, anti-Rickettsia spp. antibodies were determined (titers ranging from 128 to 512) and showed a predominant antibody response to Rickettsia amblyommatis or a very closely related genotype. This study reports the first infestation of nymphs and adults of A. auricularium on cats in a new area of occurrence in the semi-arid region of Northeastern Brazil and reports for the first time the presence of anti-Ricketsia antibodies in cats in the region, with R. amblyommatis as the probable infectious agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ila Ferreira Farias
- Laboratório de Doenças Parasitárias, Universidade Federal do Vale do São Francisco - UNIVASF, Petrolina, PE, Brasil
- Pós-graduação em Ciências Veterinárias no Semiárido, Universidade Federal do Vale do São Francisco - UNIVASF, Petrolina, PE, Brasil
| | - Glauber Meneses Barboza de Oliveira
- Laboratório de Doenças Parasitárias, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo - USP, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - Erisson Victor Macedo Lima
- Laboratório de Doenças Parasitárias, Universidade Federal do Vale do São Francisco - UNIVASF, Petrolina, PE, Brasil
| | - Marcelo Bahia Labruna
- Laboratório de Doenças Parasitárias, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo - USP, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - Mauricio Claudio Horta
- Laboratório de Doenças Parasitárias, Universidade Federal do Vale do São Francisco - UNIVASF, Petrolina, PE, Brasil
- Pós-graduação em Ciências Veterinárias no Semiárido, Universidade Federal do Vale do São Francisco - UNIVASF, Petrolina, PE, Brasil
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Uribe JE, Kelava S, Nava S, Cotes-Perdomo AP, Castro LR, Rivera-Paéz FA, Perea S, Mans BJ, Gofton A, Teo EJM, Zardoya R, Barker SC. New insights into the molecular phylogeny, biogeographical history, and diversification of Amblyomma ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) based on mitogenomes and nuclear sequences. Parasit Vectors 2024; 17:139. [PMID: 38500136 PMCID: PMC10946108 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-024-06131-w] [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: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Amblyomma is the third most diversified genus of Ixodidae that is distributed across the Indomalayan, Afrotropical, Australasian (IAA), Nearctic and Neotropical biogeographic ecoregions, reaching in the Neotropic its highest diversity. There have been hints in previously published phylogenetic trees from mitochondrial genome, nuclear rRNA, from combinations of both and morphology that the Australasian Amblyomma or the Australasian Amblyomma plus the Amblyomma species from the southern cone of South America, might be sister-group to the Amblyomma of the rest of the world. However, a stable phylogenetic framework of Amblyomma for a better understanding of the biogeographic patterns underpinning its diversification is lacking. METHODS We used genomic techniques to sequence complete and nearly complete mitochondrial genomes -ca. 15 kbp- as well as the nuclear ribosomal cluster -ca. 8 kbp- for 17 Amblyomma ticks in order to study the phylogeny and biogeographic pattern of the genus Amblyomma, with particular emphasis on the Neotropical region. The new genomic information generated here together with genomic information available on 43 ticks (22 other Amblyomma species and 21 other hard ticks-as outgroup-) were used to perform probabilistic methods of phylogenetic and biogeographic inferences and time-tree estimation using biogeographic dates. RESULTS In the present paper, we present the strongest evidence yet that Australasian Amblyomma may indeed be the sister-group to the Amblyomma of the rest of the world (species that occur mainly in the Neotropical and Afrotropical zoogeographic regions). Our results showed that all Amblyomma subgenera (Cernyomma, Anastosiella, Xiphiastor, Adenopleura, Aponomma and Dermiomma) are not monophyletic, except for Walkeriana and Amblyomma. Likewise, our best biogeographic scenario supports the origin of Amblyomma and its posterior diversification in the southern hemisphere at 47.8 and 36.8 Mya, respectively. This diversification could be associated with the end of the connection of Australasia and Neotropical ecoregions by the Antarctic land bridge. Also, the biogeographic analyses let us see the colonization patterns of some neotropical Amblyomma species to the Nearctic. CONCLUSIONS We found strong evidence that the main theater of diversification of Amblyomma was the southern hemisphere, potentially driven by the Antarctic Bridge's intermittent connection in the late Eocene. In addition, the subgeneric classification of Amblyomma lacks evolutionary support. Future studies using denser taxonomic sampling may lead to new findings on the phylogenetic relationships and biogeographic history of Amblyomma genus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan E Uribe
- Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology Department (BEBD), Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), Madrid, Spain.
- Invertebrate Zoology Department, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA.
| | - Samuel Kelava
- Department of Parasitology, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Santiago Nava
- Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Rafaela (EEA Rafaela), Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Andrea P Cotes-Perdomo
- Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental Health, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Maritime Sciences of Technology, University of South-Eastern, Bø i Telemark, Norway
| | - Lyda R Castro
- Grupo de Investigación Evolución, Sistemática y Ecología Molecular (GIESEMOL), Facultad de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad del Magdalena, Santa Marta, Colombia
| | - Fredy A Rivera-Paéz
- Grupo de Investigación en Genética, Biodiversidad y Manejo de Ecosistemas (GEBIOME), Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 65 No. 26-10, 170004, Manizales, Caldas, Colombia
| | - Silvia Perea
- Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology Department (BEBD), Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Ben J Mans
- Epidemiology, Parasites and Vectors, Agricultural Research Council-Onderstepoort Veterinary Research, Onderstepoort, South Africa
- Department of Life and Consumer Sciences, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa
| | | | - Ernest J M Teo
- Department of Parasitology, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Rafael Zardoya
- Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology Department (BEBD), Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Stephen C Barker
- Department of Parasitology, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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Rochlin I, Chu D, Gmelin M, Le J, Furie MB, Thanassi DG, Kim HK. Optimization of artificial membrane feeding system for lone star ticks, Amblyomma americanum (Acari: Ixodidae), and experimental infection with Rickettsia amblyommatis (Rickettsiales: Rickettsiaceae). J Med Entomol 2024; 61:442-453. [PMID: 38104248 PMCID: PMC10936164 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjad158] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
With the introduction of siliconized artificial membranes, various artificial feeding systems (AFS) for hard ticks (Ixodidae) have been developed over the last decades. Most AFS utilize similar core components but employ diverse approaches, materials, and experimental conditions. Published work describes different combinations of the core components without experimental optimizations for the artificial feeding of different tick species. Amblyomma americanum L., (Acari: Ixodidae) (lone star tick) is a known vector and reservoir for diverse tick-borne pathogens, such as Rickettsia amblyommatis and Ehrlichia chaffeensis. Ongoing environmental changes have supported the expansion of A. americanum into new habitats, contributing to increased tick-borne diseases in endemic areas. However, a significant knowledge gap exists in understanding the underlying mechanisms involved in A. americanum interactions with tick-borne pathogens. Here, we performed a systematic analysis and developed an optimized AFS for nymphal lone star ticks. Our results demonstrate that Goldbeater's membranes, rabbit hair, hair extract, and adult lone star ticks significantly improved the attachment rate of nymphal ticks, whereas tick frass and frass extract did not. With the optimized conditions, we achieved an attachment rate of 46 ± 3% and a success rate of 100% (i.e., one or more attached ticks) in each feeding experiment for nymphal lone star ticks. When fed on sheep blood spiked with R. amblyommatis, both nymphal and adult lone star ticks acquired and maintained R. amblyommatis, demonstrating the feasibility of studying A. americanum-pathogen interactions using AFS. Our study can serve as a roadmap to optimize and improve AFS for other medically relevant tick species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilia Rochlin
- Center for Infectious Diseases, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Dennis Chu
- Center for Infectious Diseases, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Matthew Gmelin
- Center for Infectious Diseases, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Justin Le
- Center for Infectious Diseases, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Martha B Furie
- Center for Infectious Diseases, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
- Department of Pathology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - David G Thanassi
- Center for Infectious Diseases, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Hwan Keun Kim
- Center for Infectious Diseases, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
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10
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Addo SO, Bentil RE, Addae CA, Baako BOA, Yartey KN, Ansah-Owusu J, Tawiah-Mensah CNL, Agbodzi B, Kumordjie S, Yeboah C, Asoala V, Dunford JC, Larbi JA, Baidoo PK, Wilson MD, Diclaro JW, Dadzie SK. Molecular identification of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus in Hyalomma rufipes and Amblyomma variegatum in the Upper East Region of Ghana. Arch Virol 2024; 169:62. [PMID: 38446223 DOI: 10.1007/s00705-024-05983-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
Sampled ticks were screened for Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) using an assay that targets the nucleoprotein gene region of the S segment, a conserved region of the CCHFV genome. Minimum infection rates of 0.34% and 0.10% were obtained when testing pools of Hyalomma rufipes and Amblyomma variegatum, respectively. Next-generation sequencing and phylogenetic analysis showed that the S and L segments of the CCHFV isolate clustered with those of similar isolates of genotype III. However, analysis of the M segment showed that reassortment had occurred, causing this segment to cluster with those of isolates of genotype I, providing the first evidence of such an occurrence in Ghana.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seth Offei Addo
- Parasitology Department, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana.
- Department of Theoretical and Applied Biology, KNUST, Kumasi, Ghana.
| | - Ronald Essah Bentil
- Parasitology Department, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Charlotte Adwoa Addae
- Parasitology Department, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | | | - Kevin Nii Yartey
- Parasitology Department, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Jane Ansah-Owusu
- Parasitology Department, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | | | - Bright Agbodzi
- Parasitology Department, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Selassie Kumordjie
- Parasitology Department, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Clara Yeboah
- Parasitology Department, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Victor Asoala
- Navrongo Health Research Centre, Upper East Region, Navrongo, Ghana
| | - James C Dunford
- Navy Entomology Center of Excellence, Jacksonville, FL, USA
- Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
- School of Community and Environmental Health, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, USA
| | | | | | - Michael David Wilson
- Parasitology Department, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Joseph W Diclaro
- Navy Entomology Center of Excellence, Center for Disease Control and Prevention Detachment, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Samuel K Dadzie
- Parasitology Department, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana.
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Acosta IDCL, Garcia IR, Luz HR, Serpa MCDA, Martins TF, Vanstreels RET, Labruna MB. New tick records with notes on rickettsial infection from the wildlife of the state of Espírito Santo, southeastern Brazil. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2024; 15:102294. [PMID: 38086247 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102294] [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: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
This work aimed to report ticks infesting the wildlife among 15 municipalities of the state of Espírito Santo between 2016 and 2021, within the Atlantic Forest biome of southeastern Brazil. A total of 576 tick specimens (187 males, 56 females, 149 nymphs, and 184 larvae) was collected from 41 species of wild vertebrates (two reptiles, nine mammals, and 30 birds). Ticks were identified by morphological or molecular methods into 18 species, being 12, four, one and one of the genera Amblyomma, Ixodes, Rhipicephalus and Ornithodoros, respectively. Amblyomma rotundatum was the only species collected from reptiles. Ticks collected from mammals were identified as Amblyomma brasiliense, Amblyomma calcaratum, Amblyomma dubitatum, Amblyomma longirostre, Amblyomma nodosum, Amblyomma pacae, Amblyomma sculptum, Amblyomma varium and Rhipicephalus microplus. Amblyomma sculptum was the species found on the widest variety of hosts, collected from four mammal orders and five bird orders. Passeriformes birds were infested by Amblyomma fuscum, A. longirostre (also found on non- passerine birds), A. nodosum, Amblyomma parkeri, Amblyomma romarioi, A. varium and Ixodes loricatus. An adult female of Ixodes rio was collected from a Piciformes bird. Seabirds of the order Procellariiformes were infested by Ixodes percavatus sensu lato and Ixodes uriae. The argasid Ornithodoros capensis was collected from an offshore metallic platform that was used by Suliformes seabirds. Rickettsial agents of the spotted fever group, Rickettsia amblyommatis and Rickettsia sp. strain Pampulha, were detected in the ticks A. longirostre [from the Paraguayan hairy dwarf porcupine (Coendou spinosus)] and A. dubitatum [from the capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris)], respectively. The following nine tick species are reported for the first time in Espírito Santo state: A. calcaratum, A. fuscum, A. pacae, A. parkeri, A. romarioi, I. loricatus, I. rio, I. uriae, and O. capensis. Although it is also the first report of I. uriae in Brazil, we do not consider it established in the country. Multiple new tick-host associations are reported in the present study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor da Cunha Lima Acosta
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Programa de Monitoramento da Biodiversidade Aquática na Área Ambiental I Rede Rio Doce Mar, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande - FURG, Rio Grande, RS, Brazil; Projeto Albatroz - Instituto Albatroz, Rua Marechal Hermes, 35, Boqueirão, Santos, SP, Brazil
| | - Isaias Roveri Garcia
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Hermes Ribeiro Luz
- Post-Graduation Program in Health and Environment, Biodiversity and Conservation, Northeast Biotechnology Network (RENORBIO) from the Center of Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Maranhão, São Luís, MA, Brazil
| | - Maria Carolina de Azevedo Serpa
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - 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; Instituto Pasteur, Area Técnica de Doenças Vinculadas a Vetores e Hospedeiros Intermediários, Secretaria de Estado da Saúde de São Paulo, São Paulo, 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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12
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Bellman S, Fausett E, Aeschleman L, Long A, Roeske I, Pilchik J, Piantadosi A, Vazquez-Prokopec G. Mapping the distribution of Amblyomma americanum in Georgia, USA. Parasit Vectors 2024; 17:62. [PMID: 38342907 PMCID: PMC10860309 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-024-06142-7] [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: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/13/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Amblyomma americanum, the lone star tick, is an aggressive questing species that harbors several pathogens dangerous to humans in the United States. The Southeast in particular has large numbers of this tick due to the combined suitable climate and habitats throughout the region. No studies have estimated the underlying distribution of the lone star tick across the state of Georgia, a state where it is the dominant species encountered. METHODS Ticks were collected by flagging 198 transects of 750 m2 at 43 state parks and wildlife management areas across the state from March to July of 2022. A suite of climate, landscape, and wildlife variables were assembled, and a logistic regression model was used to assess the association between these environmental factors and the presence of lone star ticks and to predict the distribution of these ticks across the state. RESULTS A total of 59/198 (30%) transects sampled contained adult or nymph A. americanum, with the majority of transects containing these ticks (54/59, 91.5%) in forested habitats. The presence of A. americanum was associated with elevation, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) on January 1, isothermality, temperature seasonality, and precipitation in the wettest quarter. Vast regions of central, eastern, and southern coastal Georgia (57% of the state) were categorized as suitable habitat for the lone star tick. CONCLUSIONS This study describes the distribution of the lone star tick across the state of Georgia at a finer scale than the current county-level information available. It identifies specific variables associated with tick presence and provides a map that can be used to target areas for tick prevention messaging and awareness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Bellman
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Ellie Fausett
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Leah Aeschleman
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Audrey Long
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Isabella Roeske
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Josie Pilchik
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Anne Piantadosi
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
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13
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Sharma SR, Choudhary SK, Vorobiov J, Commins SP, Karim S. Tick bite-induced alpha-gal syndrome and immunologic responses in an alpha-gal deficient murine model. Front Immunol 2024; 14:1336883. [PMID: 38390396 PMCID: PMC10882631 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1336883] [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: 11/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Alpha-Gal Syndrome (AGS) is a delayed allergic reaction due to specific IgE antibodies targeting galactose-α-1,3-galactose (α-gal), a carbohydrate found in red meat. This condition has gained significant attention globally due to its increasing prevalence, with more than 450,000 cases estimated just in the United States alone. Previous research has established a connection between AGS and tick bites, which sensitize individuals to α-gal antigens and elevate the levels of specific IgE. However, the precise mechanism by which tick bites influence the host's immune system and contribute to the development of AGS remains poorly understood. This study investigates various factors related to ticks and the host associated with the development of AGS following a tick bite, using mice with a targeted disruption of alpha-1,3-galactosyltransferase (AGKO) as a model organism. Methods Lone-star tick (Amblyomma americanum) and gulf-coast tick (Amblyomma maculatum) nymphs were used to sensitize AGKO mice, followed by pork meat challenge. Tick bite site biopsies from sensitized and non-sensitized mice were subjected to mRNA gene expression analysis to assess the host immune response. Antibody responses in sensitized mice were also determined. Results Our results showed a significant increase in the total IgE, IgG1, and α-gal IgG1 antibodies titers in the lone-star tick-sensitized AGKO mice compared to the gulf-coast tick-sensitized mice. Pork challenge in Am. americanum -sensitized mice led to a decline in body temperature after the meat challenge. Gene expression analysis revealed that Am. americanum bites direct mouse immunity toward Th2 and facilitate host sensitization to the α-gal antigen. Conclusion This study supports the hypothesis that specific tick species may increase the risk of developing α-gal-specific IgE and hypersensitivity reactions or AGS, thereby providing opportunities for future research on the mechanistic role of tick and host-related factors in AGS development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Surendra Raj Sharma
- School of Biological, Environment and Earth Sciences, The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, United States
| | - Shailesh K Choudhary
- Department of Medicine and Pediatrics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Julia Vorobiov
- Department of Medicine and Pediatrics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Scott P Commins
- Department of Medicine and Pediatrics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Shahid Karim
- School of Biological, Environment and Earth Sciences, The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, United States
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Etiang P, Musoba A, Nalumenya D, Ndekezi C, Bbira J, Ochwo S, Tweyongyere R, Muhanguzi D. Distribution and prevalence of ixodid tick species (Acari: Ixodidae) infesting cattle in Karamoja region of northeastern Uganda. BMC Vet Res 2024; 20:50. [PMID: 38326882 PMCID: PMC10851484 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-023-03802-1] [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: 04/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ticks and tick-borne diseases (TTBDs) are a significant threat to livestock production in sub-Saharan Africa. Transhumance pastoralism practiced in Karamoja region and other factors like cattle trade, communal grazing and the presence of wildlife predispose cattle to TTBDs. Tick species abundance and distribution data can be used as a tool for early disease diagnosis and inform tick control strategies. However, these data for north-eastern Uganda are currently limited; previous surveys were relatively localized and targeted fewer cattle kraals and numbers. METHODS We randomly collected tick specimens from 1,534 cattle spread across Karamoja region in both the peak month of the rainy (May 2020) and the dry (February2021) seasons. The ticks were identified using morpho-taxonomic keys and the tick species identities confirmed by the 16 S rRNA gene sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. RESULTS A collection of 18,637 ticks was examined and fifteen tick species from three genera (ten Rhipicephalus; three Amblyomma; two Hyalomma species) were identified. Rhipicephalus appendiculatus was the most dominant (37.9%) tick species, followed by Amblyomma variegatum (32.3%); A. lepidum (17.3%); R. evertsi evertsi (7.8%); and R. decoloratus (1.4%). Eight of these tick species were ubiquitous in the study districts while six were found in isolated areas. The peak month of the dry season collection was associated with a higher proportion of tick-infested cattle (91%) compared to the peak month of the rainy season (89.8%); a difference that was not found statistically significant (χ2 = 0.5077, n = 1385, p = 0.476). The overall cattle infestation rate was mainly dominated by five tick species namely: A. variegatum (55%), R. appendiculatus (53%), A. lepidum (41%), R. evertsi (22%), and R. decoloratus (8%). The proportion of tick-infested cattle was highest in Napak District (95.4%) and lowest in Amudat District (80.9%) during the peak month of the rainy season. Napak and Amudat Districts also had the highest and lowest proportion of tick-infested cattle (94.8% and 80.7% respectively) during the peak month of the dry season. Rhipicephalus microplus was confirmed in Amudat, Kaabong and Napak districts. CONCLUSION This study demonstrates high tick infestation rates in cattle by a battery of tick species in Karamoja region. We identified both R. microplus and R. decoloratus which indicates that R. microplus has recently been introduced in this region. This calls for effective tick control responses to prevent further spread of this invasive cattle tick specie.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Etiang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (COVAB), Makerere University, P.O. Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Abubakar Musoba
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (COVAB), Makerere University, P.O. Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda
| | - David Nalumenya
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (COVAB), Makerere University, P.O. Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Christian Ndekezi
- Medical Research Council, Uganda Virus Research Institute & London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (MRC/UVRI & LSHTM), Research Unit, P.O. Box 49, Entebbe, Uganda
| | - Johnson Bbira
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (COVAB), Makerere University, P.O. Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Sylvester Ochwo
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (COVAB), Makerere University, P.O. Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda
- Center for Animal Health and Food Safety, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Robert Tweyongyere
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (COVAB), Makerere University, P.O. Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Dennis Muhanguzi
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (COVAB), Makerere University, P.O. Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda.
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Chitimia-Dobler L, Fachet K, Lindau A, Mackenstedt U, Strube C, Springer A, Eisenberg T, Schaper S, Nava S, Dobler G, Martins TF. Exotic ticks removed from German travelers. Parasitol Res 2024; 123:120. [PMID: 38300369 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-024-08144-x] [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: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
We report the finding of five nymphs and three adult ticks attached to German tourists while traveling the American continents. All eight specimens were morphologically identified and confirmed genetically using the 16S rRNA gene and screened for Rickettsia spp. infections. Five tick species were identified: one Amblyomma mixtum nymph from Ecuador, one Amblyomma varium nymph from Colombia, three Amblyomma coelebs nymphs from Costa Rica, one Amblyomma americanum male from the USA, one Dermacentor andersoni female and one D. andersoni male from Canada. Tick-borne microorganisms screening using the pan-Rickettsia-PCR resulted in two positive and six negative ticks. The A. mixtum nymph was positive for Rickettsia amblyommatis, while the D. andersoni female was positive for Rickettsia peacockii.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Katrin Fachet
- Department of Parasitology, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Alexander Lindau
- Department of Parasitology, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Ute Mackenstedt
- Department of Parasitology, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Christina Strube
- Institute for Parasitology, Centre for Infection Medicine, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Andrea Springer
- Institute for Parasitology, Centre for Infection Medicine, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Tobias Eisenberg
- Hessian State Laboratory, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Giessen, Germany
| | - Sabine Schaper
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Neuherbergstrasse 11, 80937, Munich, Germany
| | - Santiago Nava
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Rafaela, Argentina
| | - Gerhard Dobler
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Neuherbergstrasse 11, 80937, Munich, Germany
- Department of Parasitology, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Thiago Fernandes Martins
- Institut Pasteur of the São Paulo State Department of Health, São Paulo, Brazil
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science of the University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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16
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Butler RA, Papeş M, Vogt JT, Paulsen DJ, Crowe C, Trout Fryxell RT. Human risk to tick encounters in the southeastern United States estimated with spatial distribution modeling. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2024; 18:e0011919. [PMID: 38354196 PMCID: PMC10898775 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 01/14/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Expanding geographic distribution and increased populations of ticks has resulted in an upsurge of human-tick encounters in the United States (US), leading to an increase in tickborne disease reporting. Limited knowledge of the broadscale spatial range of tick species is heightened by a rapidly changing environment. Therefore, we partnered with the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program of the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture and used passive tick surveillance to better understand spatiotemporal variables associated with foresters encountering three tick species (Amblyomma americanum L., Dermacentor variabilis Say, and Ixodes scapularis L.) in the southeastern US. Eight years (2014-2021) of tick encounter data were used to fit environmental niche and generalized linear models to predict where and when ticks are likely to be encountered. Our results indicate temporal and environmental partitioning of the three species. Ixodes scapularis were more likely to be encountered in the autumn and winter seasons and associated with soil organic matter, vegetation indices, evapotranspiration, temperature, and gross primary productivity. By contrast, A. americanum and D. variabilis were more likely to be encountered in spring and summer seasons and associated with elevation, landcover, temperature, dead belowground biomass, vapor pressure, and precipitation. Regions in the southeast least suitable for encountering ticks included the Blue Ridge, Mississippi Alluvial Plain, and the Southern Florida Coastal Plain, whereas suitable regions included the Interior Plateau, Central Appalachians, Ozark Highlands, Boston Mountains, and the Ouachita Mountains. Spatial and temporal patterns of different tick species can inform outdoorsmen and the public on tick avoidance measures, reduce tick populations by managing suitable tick habitats, and monitoring areas with unsuitable tick habitat for potential missed encounters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca A. Butler
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Mona Papeş
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - James T. Vogt
- United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Southern Research Station, Knoxville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Dave J. Paulsen
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Christopher Crowe
- United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Southern Research Station, Knoxville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Rebecca T. Trout Fryxell
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, United States of America
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17
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Baker AS, Persinger KA, Olafson PU, Mulenga AO, Johnson TL. Feeding and reproductive parameters of adult female Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) and Amblyomma americanum parasitizing white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). J Med Entomol 2024; 61:245-249. [PMID: 37897421 PMCID: PMC10784775 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjad144] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/30/2023]
Abstract
White-tailed deer Odocoileus virginianus (Zimmermann) (Artiodactyla: Cervidae) are the main host for adult Ixodes scapularis Say (Acari: Ixodidae) (blacklegged tick) and all stages of Amblyomma americanum Linnaeus (Acari: Ixodidae) (lone star tick). However, literature describing the feeding and reproductive parameters of these tick species when feeding on this host is limited. We experimentally infested white-tailed deer with adult pairs of either I. scapularis or A. americanum to improve our understanding of these tick-host relationships. Our study used tick-naïve white-tailed deer and restricted host grooming throughout the infestation. For I. scapularis, the days to repletion (mean ± SE, 6.04 ± 0.07), engorgement weight of replete females (0.20 ± 0.0032 g), duration of oviposition (32 ± 0.45 d), egg mass weight (0.10 ± 0.0027 g), and number of eggs laid per tick (1,803.00 ± 49.00) were recorded. Data from A. americanum were also recorded, including days to repletion (11.00 ± 0.063), engorgement weight of replete females (0.63 ± 0.025 g), duration of oviposition (37.00 ± 1.30 d), egg mass weight (0.34 ± 0.017 g), and number of eggs laid per tick (5,873.00 ± 291.00). These biological parameter data could be used as variables in models (e.g., LYMESIM 2.0) to determine how white-tailed deer influence I. scapularis and A. americanum populations in nature, and to evaluate the protective efficacy of tick-antigen-based antitick vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alec S Baker
- Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management, Texas A&M University, 495 Horticulture Road, College Station, TX 77843, USA
- Texas A&M AgriLife Research, 1619 Garner Field Road, Uvalde, TX 78801, USA
| | - Kelly A Persinger
- Texas A&M AgriLife Research, 1619 Garner Field Road, Uvalde, TX 78801, USA
| | - Pia U Olafson
- Livestock Arthropod Pests Research Unit, USDA-ARS, 2700 Fredericksburg Road, Kerrville, TX 78028, USA
| | - Albert O Mulenga
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, Veterinary Medical Sciences Building, 400 Raymond Stotzer Pkwy #4467, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Tammi L Johnson
- Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management, Texas A&M University, 495 Horticulture Road, College Station, TX 77843, USA
- Texas A&M AgriLife Research, 1619 Garner Field Road, Uvalde, TX 78801, USA
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18
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Ajayi OM, Oyen KJ, Davies B, Finch G, Piller BD, Harmeyer AA, Wendeln K, Perretta C, Rosendale AJ, Benoit JB. Egg hatching success is influenced by the time of thermal stress in four hard tick species. J Med Entomol 2024; 61:110-120. [PMID: 37889857 PMCID: PMC10784778 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjad142] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2023] [Revised: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
Ticks are blood-feeding arthropods responsible for the transmission of disease-causing pathogens to a wide range of vertebrate hosts, including livestock and humans. Tick-borne diseases have been implicated in significant economic losses to livestock production, and this threat will increase as these obligate parasites widen their geographical ranges. Similar to other ectotherms, thermal stress due to changing global temperatures has been shown to influence tick survival and distribution. However, studies on the influence of extreme temperatures in ticks have focused on advanced, mobile stages, ignoring immobile stages that cannot move to more favorable microhabitats. In this study, low- and high-temperature regimens were assessed in relation to egg viability for hard tick species-Amblyomma maculatum (Gulf Coast tick), Ixodes scapularis (black-legged tick), Dermacentor variabilis (American dog tick), and Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Brown dog tick). Tick eggs exposed early in development (freshly laid during early embryo development) were significantly more susceptible to thermal stress when compared with those exposed later in development (late embryo development denoted by a fecal spot). Based on our studies, differences in egg hatching success among treatments were greater than in hatching success when comparing species. Lastly, there was evidence of extreme thermal exposure significantly altering the hatching times of tick eggs for specific treatments. These results provide insights into the critical period for tick egg viability in relation to thermal exposure and tick survival associated with stress and climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oluwaseun M Ajayi
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA
| | - Kennan J Oyen
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA
- Animal Diseases Research Unit, USDA-ARS, 3003 ADBF, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Benjamin Davies
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA
| | - Geoffrey Finch
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA
| | - Benjamin D Piller
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA
| | - Alison A Harmeyer
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA
| | - Katherine Wendeln
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA
| | - Carlie Perretta
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA
| | - Andrew J Rosendale
- Biology Department, Mount St. Joseph University, Cincinnati, OH 45233, USA
| | - Joshua B Benoit
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA
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19
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Adegoke A, Ribeiro JMC, Smith R, Karim S. Tick innate immune responses to hematophagy and Ehrlichia infection at single-cell resolution. Front Immunol 2024; 14:1305976. [PMID: 38274813 PMCID: PMC10808623 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1305976] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Ticks rely on robust cellular and humoral responses to control microbial infection. However, several aspects of the tick's innate immune system remain uncharacterized, most notably that of the immune cells (called hemocytes), which are known to play a significant role in cellular and humoral responses. Despite the importance of hemocytes in regulating microbial infection, our understanding of their basic biology and molecular mechanisms remains limited. Therefore, we believe that a more detailed understanding of the role of hemocytes in the interactions between ticks and tick-borne microbes is crucial to illuminating their function in vector competence and to help identify novel targets for developing new strategies to block tick-borne pathogen transmission. Methods This study examined hemocytes from the lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum) at the transcriptomic level using the 10X genomics single-cell RNA sequencing platform to analyze hemocyte populations from unfed, partially blood-fed, and Ehrlichia chaffeensis-infected ticks. The functional role of differentially expressed hemocyte markers in hemocyte proliferation and Ehrlichia dissemination was determined using an RNA interference approach. Results and discussion Our data exhibit the identification of fourteen distinct hemocyte populations. Our results uncover seven distinct lineages present in uninfected and Ehrlichia-infected hemocyte clusters. The functional characterization of hemocytin, cystatin, fibronectin, and lipocalin demonstrate their role in hemocyte population changes, proliferation, and Ehrlichia dissemination. Conclusion Our results uncover the tick immune responses to Ehrlichia infection and hematophagy at a single-cell resolution. This work opens a new field of tick innate immunobiology to understand the role of hemocytes, particularly in response to prolonged blood-feeding (hematophagy), and tick-microbial interactions.
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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
| | - 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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20
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Kim MM, Shea G, Šlapeta J. Detection of tick-borne bacterial DNA (Rickettsia sp.) in reptile ticks Amblyomma moreliae from New South Wales, Australia. Parasitol Res 2024; 123:89. [PMID: 38194190 PMCID: PMC10776464 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-023-08108-7] [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: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
Ticks are major arthropod vectors of disease, transmitting tick-borne pathogens during blood meal episodes. Rickettsia spp. and Borrelia spp. are two tick-borne pathogens of zoonotic concern previously identified in DNA isolates from the tick genera Amblyomma and Bothriocroton associated with reptilian hosts in Australia. Some reports suggest that these reptile ticks bite and attach to humans via accidental parasitism and transmit disease, with the tick Bothriocroton hydrosauri known to transmit Rickettsia honei or Flinders Island Spotted Fever Rickettsia to humans. This descriptive study aims to identify the ticks collected from wild reptiles submitted to veterinary clinics and captured by snake rescuers from New South Wales (NSW), Australia, and detect the presence of tick-borne bacterial DNA using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) to detect Rickettsia spp. and Bartonella spp. and conventional nested-PCR to detect Borrelia spp. Morphological identification revealed ticks removed from one eastern blue-tongued lizard (Tiliqua scincoides scincoides) from North-Eastern NSW (Lismore), one eastern blue-tongued lizard from the Greater Sydney area (Canley Heights), one diamond python (Morelia spilota spilota) from the Greater Sydney area (Woronora Heights) and one red-bellied black snake (Pseudechis porphyriacus) from the Greater Sydney Area (Cronulla) in New South Wales were Amblyomma moreliae. No ticks were positive for Bartonella spp. and Borrelia spp. DNA using real-time PCR targeting ssrA gene and nested PCR targeting Borrelia-specific 16S rRNA gene, respectively. Real-time PCR targeting gltA, ompA, ompB and 17kDa gene of Rickettsia spp. revealed 14 out of 16 ticks were positive. The undescribed Rickettsia sp. DNA was identical to that previously recovered from reptile ticks in Australia and closely related to Rickettsia tamurae and Rickettsia monacensis, both of which are aetiologic pathogens of the Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis (SFGR). These results accentuate the ongoing need for increased study efforts to understand zoonotic potential of bacteria from reptile ticks and the tick-reptile-human relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Misong Kim
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, 2006, Australia
| | - Glenn Shea
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, 2006, Australia
- Australian Museum Research Institute, The Australian Museum, Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, 2006, Australia
| | - Jan Šlapeta
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, 2006, Australia.
- The University of Sydney Institute for Infectious Diseases, Sydney, New South Wales, 2006, Australia.
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21
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Oundo JW, Kalayou S, Bosch QT, Villinger J, Koenraadt CJM, Masiga D. Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) infesting cattle in coastal Kenya harbor a diverse array of tick-borne pathogens. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2024; 15:102266. [PMID: 37813003 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102266] [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: 02/20/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
Ticks and the microbes they transmit have emerged in sub-Saharan Africa as a major threat to veterinary and public health. Although progress has been made in detecting and identifying tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) across vast agroecologies of Kenya, comprehensive information on tick species infesting cattle and their associated pathogens in coastal Kenya needs to be updated and expanded. Ticks infesting extensively grazed zebu cattle in 14 villages were sampled and identified based on morphology and molecular methods and tested for the presence of bacterial and protozoan TBPs using PCR with high-resolution melting analysis and gene sequencing. In total, 3,213 adult ticks were collected and identified as Rhipicephalus appendiculatus (15.8%), R. evertsi (12.8%), R. microplus (11.3%), R. pulchellus (0.1%), Amblyomma gemma (24.1%), A. variegatum (35.1%), Hyalomma rufipes (0.6%), and H. albiparmatum (0.2%). Ticks were infected with Rickettsia africae, Ehrlichia ruminantium, E. minasensis, Theileria velifera and T. parva. Coxiella sp. endosymbionts were detected in the Rhipicephalus and Amblyomma ticks. Co-infections with two and three different pathogens were identified in 6.9% (n = 95/1382) and 0.1% (n = 2/1382) of single tick samples, respectively, with the most common co-infection being R. africae and E. ruminantium (7.2%, CI: 4.6 - 10.6). All samples were negative for Coxiella burnetii, Anaplasma spp. and Babesia spp. Our study provides an overview of tick and tick-borne microbial diversities in coastal Kenya.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Wang'ang'a Oundo
- International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), P.O. Box 30772-00100, Nairobi, Kenya; Quantitative Veterinary Epidemiology, Wageningen University & Research, P.O. Box 338 6700AH Wageningen, the Netherlands.
| | - Shewit Kalayou
- International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), P.O. Box 30772-00100, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Quirine Ten Bosch
- Quantitative Veterinary Epidemiology, Wageningen University & Research, P.O. Box 338 6700AH Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Jandouwe Villinger
- International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), P.O. Box 30772-00100, Nairobi, Kenya
| | | | - Daniel Masiga
- International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), P.O. Box 30772-00100, Nairobi, Kenya
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22
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Li Z, McComic S, Chen R, Kim WTH, Gaithuma AK, Mooney B, Macaluso KR, Mulenga A, Swale DR. ATP-sensitive inward rectifier potassium channels regulate secretion of pro-feeding salivary proteins in the lone star tick ( Amblyomma americanum). Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 253:126545. [PMID: 37652342 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.126545] [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: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the physiological and molecular regulation of tick feeding is necessary for developing intervention strategies to curb disease transmission by ticks. Pharmacological activation of ATP-gated inward rectifier potassium (KATP) channels reduced fluid secretion from isolated salivary gland and blood feeding in the lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum, yet the temporal expression pattern of KATP channel proteins remained unknown. KATP channels were highly expressed in type II and III acini in off-host stage and early feeding phase ticks, yet expression was reduced in later stages of feeding. We next assessed KATP channel regulation of the secreted proteome of tick saliva. LC-MS/MS analysis identified 40 differentially secreted tick saliva proteins after exposure to KATP activators or inhibitors. Secretion of previously validated tick saliva proteins that promote tick feeding, AV422, AAS27, and AAS41 were significantly reduced by upwards of 8 log units in ticks exposed to KATP channel activators when compared to untreated ticks. Importantly, activation of KATP channels inhibited tick feeding and vice versa for KATP channel inhibitors. Data indicate KATP channels regulate tick feeding biology by controlling secretion of pro-feeding proteins that are essential during early feeding phases, which provides insights into physiological and molecular regulation of tick feeding behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhilin Li
- Department of Entomology, Louisiana State University AgCenter, Baton Rouge, LA, United States of America; Emerging Pathogens Institute, Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Sarah McComic
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Rui Chen
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - William Tae Heung Kim
- Department of Veterinary pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Alex Kiarie Gaithuma
- Department of Veterinary pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Brian Mooney
- Department of Biochemistry, Charles W Gehrlke Proteomics Center, University of Missouri, MO, USA
| | - Kevin R Macaluso
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL, USA
| | - Albert Mulenga
- Department of Veterinary pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Daniel R Swale
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.
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23
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Adegoke A, Hanson J, Smith RC, Karim S. Ehrlichia chaffeensis Co-Opts Phagocytic Hemocytes for Systemic Dissemination in the Lone Star Tick, Amblyomma americanum. J Innate Immun 2023; 16:66-79. [PMID: 38142680 PMCID: PMC10794049 DOI: 10.1159/000535986] [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: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Hematophagous arthropods can acquire and transmit several pathogens of medical importance. In ticks, the innate immune system is crucial in the outcome between vector-pathogen interaction and overall vector competence. However, the specific immune response(s) elicited by the immune cells known as hemocytes remains largely undefined in Ehrlichia chaffeensis and its competent tick vector, Amblyomma americanum. METHODS We utilized injection of clodronate liposome to deplete tick granulocytes combined with infection with E. chaffeensis to demonstrate their essential role in microbial infection. RESULTS Here, we show that granulocytes, professional phagocytic cells, are integral in eliciting immune responses against commensal and pathogen infection. The chemical depletion of granulocytes led to decreased phagocytic efficiency of tissue-associated hemocytes. We demonstrate that E. chaffeensis can infect circulating hemocytes, and both cell-free plasma and hemocytes from E. chaffeensis-infected ticks can establish Ehrlichia infection in recipient ticks. Lastly, we provide evidence to show that granulocytes play a dual role in E. chaffeensis infection. Depleting granulocytic hemocytes increased Ehrlichia load in the salivary gland and midgut tissues. In contrast, granulocyte depletion led to a reduced systemic load of Ehrlichia. CONCLUSION This study has identified multiple roles for granulocytic hemocytes in the control and systemic dissemination of E. chaffeensis infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdulsalam Adegoke
- School of Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences, The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, USA
| | - Julia Hanson
- School of Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences, The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, USA
| | - Ryan C. Smith
- Department of Plant Pathology, Entomology, and Microbiology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Shahid Karim
- School of Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences, The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, USA
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24
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Barros-Battesti DM, André MR, Hoppe EGL, Sanches GS, Bassini-Silva R, Calchi AC, Andrade LO, Perin PP, Martins TF, Castro-Santiago AC, Leuchtenberger C, Almeida S, Foerster N, Furtado M, de Castro Jacinavicius F. Noteworthy records of the ticks Ornithodoros rostratus and Amblyomma sculptum parasitizing Pteronura brasiliensis in the central-western region of Brazil, with pathogen investigation notes. Rev Bras Parasitol Vet 2023; 33:e014523. [PMID: 38126574 PMCID: PMC10878696 DOI: 10.1590/s1984-29612024003] [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: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
A male of Pteronura brasiliensis (Carnivora: Mustelidae) was found dead on the banks of the Rio Negro, in the Pantanal wetlands of Mato Grosso do Sul state, Aquidauana municipality. Two ticks found attached to its skin were morphologically identified as a second-instar nymph of Ornithodoros rostratus (Argasidae) and a male of Amblyomma sculptum (Ixodidae). In order to complement the morphological identification, these tick specimens were subjected to DNA extraction, and tested using PCR assays to confirm the molecular identity the specimens. Also, the tick DNA samples were tested and were negative in the PCR assays for all the pathogens tested. We also examined 30 batches, consisting of 174 individuals of O. rostratus deposited in the Acari Collection of the Butantan Institute, and we found material from four Brazilian states, including one batch containing 2 males and 2 females from Aquidauana, of Mato Grosso do Sul state, collected from the soil. This was therefore the first record of O. rostratus parasitizing P. brasiliensis and the first locality record (Aquidauana). Likewise, A. sculptum is commonly found in the Pantanal and is reported here for the second time parasitizing the giant otter, which is a host little studied regarding the ectoparasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darci Moraes Barros-Battesti
- Laboratório de Bioagentes Transmitidos por Vetores – VBBL, Departamento de Patologia, Reprodução e Saúde Única, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho” – UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP, Brasil
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo – USP, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - Marcos Rogério André
- Laboratório de Bioagentes Transmitidos por Vetores – VBBL, Departamento de Patologia, Reprodução e Saúde Única, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho” – UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP, Brasil
| | - Estevam Guilherme Lux Hoppe
- Laboratório de Bioagentes Transmitidos por Vetores – VBBL, Departamento de Patologia, Reprodução e Saúde Única, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho” – UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP, Brasil
| | - Gustavo Seron Sanches
- Laboratório de Bioagentes Transmitidos por Vetores – VBBL, Departamento de Patologia, Reprodução e Saúde Única, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho” – UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP, Brasil
| | - Ricardo Bassini-Silva
- Laboratório de Bioagentes Transmitidos por Vetores – VBBL, Departamento de Patologia, Reprodução e Saúde Única, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho” – UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP, Brasil
- Laboratório de Coleções Zoológicas, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - Ana Claúdia Calchi
- Laboratório de Bioagentes Transmitidos por Vetores – VBBL, Departamento de Patologia, Reprodução e Saúde Única, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho” – UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP, Brasil
| | - Lívia Oliveira Andrade
- Laboratório de Bioagentes Transmitidos por Vetores – VBBL, Departamento de Patologia, Reprodução e Saúde Única, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho” – UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP, Brasil
| | - Patrícia Parreira Perin
- Laboratório de Bioagentes Transmitidos por Vetores – VBBL, Departamento de Patologia, Reprodução e Saúde Única, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho” – UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP, Brasil
| | - Thiago Fernandes Martins
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo – USP, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
- Instituto Pasteur, Secretaria de Estado da Saúde de São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - Ana Carolina Castro-Santiago
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo – USP, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - Caroline Leuchtenberger
- Giant Otter Conservation Fund, Arroio do Meio, RS, Brasil
- Instituto Federal Farroupilha, Santa Maria, RS, Brasil.
- IUCN Species Survival Commission, Otter Specialist Group, Gland, Switzerland
| | - Samara Almeida
- Giant Otter Conservation Fund, Arroio do Meio, RS, Brasil
- IUCN Species Survival Commission, Otter Specialist Group, Gland, Switzerland
- Instituto Natureza Tocantins, Naturatins, Palmas, TO, Brasil
| | - Nathalie Foerster
- Instituto Federal Farroupilha, Santa Maria, RS, Brasil.
- IUCN Species Survival Commission, Otter Specialist Group, Gland, Switzerland
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Maldonado-Ruiz LP, Reif KE, Ghosh A, Foré S, Johnson RL, Park Y. High levels of alpha-gal with large variation in the salivary glands of lone star ticks fed on human blood. Sci Rep 2023; 13:21409. [PMID: 38049505 PMCID: PMC10695944 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-48437-2] [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: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Tick bites, associated with the secretion of tick saliva containing the xenoglycan galactose-alpha-1, 3-galactose (alpha-gal or aGal), are recognized as the causal factors of alpha-Gal syndrome (AGS; or red meat allergy) in humans. AGS occurs after the increased production of IgE antibodies against aGal, which is found in most mammalian cells, except for the Old World monkey and humans. The aGal sensitization event has been linked to an initial tick bite, followed by consumption of red meat containing the aGal glycan, which triggers the onset of the allergic response resulting in urticaria, anaphylaxis, or even death. In North America, the lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum, has been identified as the main culprit for AGS. However, only a subset of the human population exposed to lone star tick bites develops AGS. This suggests the presence of unidentified variables associated with the sensitization event. To evaluate the quantitative variations of the aGal in ticks, we evaluated the differences in aGal levels in different strains of A. americanum ticks partially fed on different blood sources using an artificial feeding system and animal hosts. We found significantly higher aGal levels in the female ticks fed on human blood than those fed on the blood of other mammals with large variations among different tick populations and individuals. We propose that host-specific genetic components in the A. americanum ticks are involved in the production of high aGal epitope in the tick saliva, which provides a part of the explanation for the variables associated with the AGS sensitization event of the tick bite.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kathryn E Reif
- Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA
| | - Anuradha Ghosh
- Department of Biology, Pittsburg State University, Pittsburg, KS, 66762, USA
| | - Stephanie Foré
- Department of Biology, Truman State University, Kirksville, MO, 63501, USA
| | - Rachel L Johnson
- Department of Entomology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA
| | - Yoonseong Park
- Department of Entomology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA.
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26
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Hema DM, Biguezoton AS, Coulibaly A, Compaore M, Sawadogo I, Bationo RK, Dah FF, Kiendrebeogo M, Nebié RCH. Efficacy of local essential oils against Amblyomma variegatum tick from Burkina Faso. Vet Parasitol 2023; 324:110059. [PMID: 37939623 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2023.110059] [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: 07/29/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
The native tick Amblyomma variegatum remains one of the most important tick species affecting cattle in West Africa. This hinders animal production by negatively impacting the health and reproduction of animals infested with the tick. Given the negative consequences on production quality and environmental health, the use of chemical products for tick control is increasingly being discouraged. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the acaricidal activity of essential oils such as Ageratum conyzoïdes, Cymbopogon citratus, Cymbopogon giganteus, Lippia multiflora and Ocimum gratissimum against specimens of A. variegatum from Burkina Faso. A larval immersion test was performed to investigate the larvicidal activities of these essential oils. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to determine the chemical compositions of essential oils. The chemical composition was predominantly oxygenated monoterpenes in A. conyzoïdes (48.71 %), C. citratus (99.9 %) and C. giganteus (73.63 %), while hydrocarbon monoterpenes were the most abundant in O. gratissimum (63.7 %) and hydrocarbon sesquiterpenes in L. multiflora (71.719 %). The recorded larvicidal activity, varied according to the species of plants and the dose applied. At a dose of 12.5 mg/mL, all essential oils studied, except L. multiflora (7.54 %), induced 100 % larval mortality. In this study, we highlight the promising larvicidal effects of local essential oils against A. variegatum. These essential oils can be used as bio-acaricides, which are effective and environmentally-friendly alternatives to chemical products. However, further investigations are required to determine the mechanisms of action of these essential oils for in vivo experimentation and their practical application in the control of A. variegatum ticks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Delphine M Hema
- Centre National de Recherche Scientifique et Technologique / CNRST / IRSAT, 03 BP 7047, Ouagadougou 03, Burkina Faso.
| | - Abel S Biguezoton
- Centre International de Recherche-Développement sur l'Élevage en zone Subhumide (CIRDES), 01 B.P. 454, Bobo-Dioulasso 01, Burkina Faso
| | - Anass Coulibaly
- Centre National de Recherche Scientifique et Technologique / CNRST / IRSAT, 03 BP 7047, Ouagadougou 03, Burkina Faso
| | - Moussa Compaore
- Université Joseph Ki-Zerbo (UJKZ), 03 BP 7021, Ouagadougou 03, Burkina Faso
| | - Ignace Sawadogo
- Centre National de Recherche Scientifique et Technologique / CNRST / IRSAT, 03 BP 7047, Ouagadougou 03, Burkina Faso
| | - Rémy K Bationo
- Centre National de Recherche Scientifique et Technologique / CNRST / IRSAT, 03 BP 7047, Ouagadougou 03, Burkina Faso
| | - Firmin F Dah
- Centre International de Recherche-Développement sur l'Élevage en zone Subhumide (CIRDES), 01 B.P. 454, Bobo-Dioulasso 01, Burkina Faso
| | | | - Roger C H Nebié
- Centre National de Recherche Scientifique et Technologique / CNRST / IRSAT, 03 BP 7047, Ouagadougou 03, Burkina Faso
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27
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Chong SQY, Yeo D, Aidil NI, Ong JLY, Chan AHJ, Fernandez CJ, Lim BTM, Khoo MDY, Wong AMS, Chang SF, Yap HH. Detection of a novel Babesia sp. in Amblyomma javanense, an ectoparasite of Sunda pangolins. Parasit Vectors 2023; 16:432. [PMID: 37993967 PMCID: PMC10664631 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-023-06040-4] [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: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Babesia is a protozoal, tick-borne parasite that can cause life-threatening disease in humans, wildlife and domestic animals worldwide. However, in Southeast Asia, little is known about the prevalence and diversity of Babesia species present in wildlife and the tick vectors responsible for its transmission. Recently, a novel Babesia species was reported in confiscated Sunda pangolins (Manis javanica) in Thailand. To investigate the presence of this parasite in Singapore, we conducted a molecular survey of Babesia spp. in free-roaming Sunda pangolins and their main ectoparasite, the Amblyomma javanense tick. METHODS Ticks and tissue samples were opportunistically collected from live and dead Sunda pangolins and screened using a PCR assay targeting the 18S rRNA gene of Babesia spp. DNA barcoding of the cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) mitochondrial gene was used to confirm the species of ticks that were Babesia positive. RESULTS A total of 296 ticks and 40 tissue samples were obtained from 21 Sunda pangolins throughout the 1-year study period. Babesia DNA was detected in five A. javanense ticks (minimum infection rate = 1.7%) and in nine different pangolins (52.9%) located across the country. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the Babesia 18S sequences obtained from these samples grouped into a single monophyletic clade together with those derived from Sunda pangolins in Thailand and that this evolutionarily distinct species is basal to the Babesia sensu stricto clade, which encompasses a range of Babesia species that infect both domestic and wildlife vertebrate hosts. CONCLUSIONS This is the first report documenting the detection of a Babesia species in A. javanense ticks, the main ectoparasite of Sunda pangolins. While our results showed that A. javanense can carry this novel Babesia sp., additional confirmatory studies are required to demonstrate vector competency. Further studies are also necessary to investigate the role of other transmission pathways given the low infection rate of ticks in relation to the high infection rate of Sunda pangolins. Although it appears that this novel Babesia sp. is of little to no pathogenicity to Sunda pangolins, its potential to cause disease in other animals or humans cannot be ruled out.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stacy Q Y Chong
- Animal and Veterinary Service, National Parks Board (NParks), 1 Cluny Road, Singapore Botanic Gardens, Singapore, 259569, Singapore.
| | - Darren Yeo
- Animal and Veterinary Service, National Parks Board (NParks), 1 Cluny Road, Singapore Botanic Gardens, Singapore, 259569, Singapore
| | - Nur Insyirah Aidil
- Animal and Veterinary Service, National Parks Board (NParks), 1 Cluny Road, Singapore Botanic Gardens, Singapore, 259569, Singapore
| | - Jasmine L Y Ong
- Animal and Veterinary Service, National Parks Board (NParks), 1 Cluny Road, Singapore Botanic Gardens, Singapore, 259569, Singapore
| | - Amy H J Chan
- Animal and Veterinary Service, National Parks Board (NParks), 1 Cluny Road, Singapore Botanic Gardens, Singapore, 259569, Singapore
| | - Charlene Judith Fernandez
- Animal and Veterinary Service, National Parks Board (NParks), 1 Cluny Road, Singapore Botanic Gardens, Singapore, 259569, Singapore
| | - Bryan T M Lim
- Wildlife Management, National Parks Board (NParks), 1 Cluny Road, Singapore Botanic Gardens, Singapore, 259569, Singapore
| | - Max D Y Khoo
- Wildlife Management, National Parks Board (NParks), 1 Cluny Road, Singapore Botanic Gardens, Singapore, 259569, Singapore
| | - Anna M S Wong
- Wildlife Management, National Parks Board (NParks), 1 Cluny Road, Singapore Botanic Gardens, Singapore, 259569, Singapore
| | - Siow Foong Chang
- Animal and Veterinary Service, National Parks Board (NParks), 1 Cluny Road, Singapore Botanic Gardens, Singapore, 259569, Singapore
| | - Him Hoo Yap
- Animal and Veterinary Service, National Parks Board (NParks), 1 Cluny Road, Singapore Botanic Gardens, Singapore, 259569, Singapore
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28
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Dupuis AP, Lange RE, Ciota AT. Emerging tickborne viruses vectored by Amblyomma americanum (Ixodida: Ixodidae): Heartland and Bourbon viruses. J Med Entomol 2023; 60:1183-1196. [PMID: 37862097 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjad060] [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: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Heartland (HRTV) and Bourbon (BRBV) viruses are newly identified tick-borne viruses, isolated from serious clinical cases in 2009 and 2014, respectively. Both viruses originated in the lower Midwest United States near the border of Missouri and Kansas, cause similar disease manifestations, and are presumably vectored by the same tick species, Amblyomma americanum Linnaeus (Ixodida: Ixodidae). In this article, we provide a current review of HRTV and BRBV, including the virology, epidemiology, and ecology of the viruses with an emphasis on the tick vector. We touch on current challenges of vector control and surveillance, and we discuss future directions in the study of these emergent pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan P Dupuis
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Griffin Laboratory, 5668 State Farm Road, Slingerlands, NY 12159, USA
| | - Rachel E Lange
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Griffin Laboratory, 5668 State Farm Road, Slingerlands, NY 12159, USA
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Public Health, State University of New York University at Albany, Rensselaer, NY 12144, USA
| | - Alexander T Ciota
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Griffin Laboratory, 5668 State Farm Road, Slingerlands, NY 12159, USA
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Public Health, State University of New York University at Albany, Rensselaer, NY 12144, USA
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29
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Gonzaga BCF, Barrozo MM, Coutinho AL, Pereira E Sousa LJM, Vale FL, Marreto L, Marchesini P, de Castro Rodrigues D, de Souza EDF, Sabatini GA, Costa-Júnior LM, Ferreira LL, Lopes WDZ, Monteiro C. Essential oils and isolated compounds for tick control: advances beyond the laboratory. Parasit Vectors 2023; 16:415. [PMID: 37964392 PMCID: PMC10647118 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-023-05969-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [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: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tick control is a worldwide challenge due to its resistance to acaricides. Essential oils (EOs) and isolated compounds (EOCs) are potential alternatives for tick control technologies. METHODS A review with EOs and EOCs, under field and semi-field conditions, was performed based on Scopus, Web of Science and PubMed databases. Thirty-one studies published between 1991 and 2022 were selected. The search was performed using the following keywords: "essential oil" combined with "tick," "Ixodes," "Argas," "Rhipicephalus," "Amblyomma," "Hyalomma," "Dermacentor," "Haemaphysalis" and "Ornithodoros." The words "essential oil" and "tick" were searched in the singular and plural. RESULTS The number of studies increased over the years. Brazil stands out with the largest number (51.6%) of publications. The most studied tick species were Rhipicephalus microplus (48.4%), Ixodes scapularis (19.4%), Amblyomma americanum and R. sanguineus sensu lato (9.7% each). Cattle (70%) and dogs (13%) were the main target animal species. Regarding the application of EOs/EOCs formulations, 74% of the studies were conducted with topical application (spray, pour-on, foam, drop) and 26% with environmental treatment (spray). Efficacy results are difficult to evaluate because of the lack of information on the methodology and standardization. The nanotechnology and combination with synthetic acaricides were reported as an alternative to enhance the efficacy of EOs/EOCs. No adverse reactions were observed in 86.6% of the studies evaluating EOs/EOCs clinical safety. Studies regarding toxicity in non-target species and residues are scarce. CONCLUSIONS This article provides a comprehensive review on the use of EOs and EOCs to reduce tick infestations, in both the hosts and the environment. As future directions, we recommend the chemical characterization of EOs, methodology standardization, combination of EOs/EOCs with potential synergists, nanotechnology for new formulations and safety studies for target and non-target organisms, also considering the environmental friendliness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno César Ferreira Gonzaga
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciência Animal - Escola de Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Rodovia Goiânia - Nova Veneza, Km 8, Campus Samambaia, Goiânia, GO, 74690-900, Brasil
- Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Campus Colemar Natal e Silva, Rua 235, s/n, Setor Leste Universitário, Goiânia, GO, 74605-050, Brasil
| | - Mayara Macêdo Barrozo
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciência Animal - Escola de Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Rodovia Goiânia - Nova Veneza, Km 8, Campus Samambaia, Goiânia, GO, 74690-900, Brasil
| | - Ana Lúcia Coutinho
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciência Animal - Escola de Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Rodovia Goiânia - Nova Veneza, Km 8, Campus Samambaia, Goiânia, GO, 74690-900, Brasil
| | - Lainny Jordana Martins Pereira E Sousa
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciência Animal - Escola de Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Rodovia Goiânia - Nova Veneza, Km 8, Campus Samambaia, Goiânia, GO, 74690-900, Brasil
| | - Francisca Letícia Vale
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciência Animal - Escola de Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Rodovia Goiânia - Nova Veneza, Km 8, Campus Samambaia, Goiânia, GO, 74690-900, Brasil
| | - Laís Marreto
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas - Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Praça Universitária, no. 1166, Setor Universitário, Goiânia, GO, 74605-220, Brasil
| | - Paula Marchesini
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciência Animal - Escola de Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Rodovia Goiânia - Nova Veneza, Km 8, Campus Samambaia, Goiânia, GO, 74690-900, Brasil
| | | | | | | | - Lívio Martins Costa-Júnior
- Centro de Pesquisas do CCBS, Universidade Federal do Maranhão, Avenida dos Portugueses, no. 1966, São Luís, MA, 65080-805, Brasil
| | - Lorena Lopes Ferreira
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva - Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos, no. 6627, Campus Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901, Brasil
| | - Welber Daniel Zanetti Lopes
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciência Animal - Escola de Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Rodovia Goiânia - Nova Veneza, Km 8, Campus Samambaia, Goiânia, GO, 74690-900, Brasil
- Departamento de Biociências e Tecnologia - Instituto de Patologia Tropical e de Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal de Goiás-, Campus Colemar Natal e Silva - Rua 235, s/n - Setor Leste Universitário, Goiânia, GO, 74605-050, Brasil
| | - Caio Monteiro
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciência Animal - Escola de Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Rodovia Goiânia - Nova Veneza, Km 8, Campus Samambaia, Goiânia, GO, 74690-900, Brasil.
- Departamento de Biociências e Tecnologia - Instituto de Patologia Tropical e de Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal de Goiás-, Campus Colemar Natal e Silva - Rua 235, s/n - Setor Leste Universitário, Goiânia, GO, 74605-050, Brasil.
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30
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Sabet A, Ward SF, Pesapane R. Amblyomma maculatum (Gulf Coast tick). Trends Parasitol 2023; 39:971-972. [PMID: 37661563 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2023.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Afsoon Sabet
- Department of Entomology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
| | - Samuel F Ward
- Department of Entomology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Risa Pesapane
- Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA; School of Environment and Natural Resources, College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
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Thekisoe O, Ramatla T, Ringo A, Mnisi S, Mphuthi N, Mofokeng L, Lekota K, Xuan X. Molecular detection of Rickettsia africae from Amblyomma hebraeum ticks in Mafikeng city of North West Province, South Africa. Res Vet Sci 2023; 164:105027. [PMID: 37776608 DOI: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2023.105027] [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: 07/21/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/02/2023]
Abstract
Rickettsia africae causes zoonotic African tick bite fever, which is a disease of "One Health" importance. There have been reported cases of tourists from Europe and Asia who have been bitten by ticks whilst visiting South Africa's nature reserves, and on their return to their countries, the display African Tick Bite Fever sickness. Hence, the aim of this study was to determine the occurrence of Rickettsia africae in Amblyomma hebraeum ticks infesting livestock in the North West Province. A total of 358 A. hebraeum ticks were collected from 60 ruminants (cattle, sheep and goats) in Mafikeng City of North West Province, South Africa. Ticks were identified morphologically and further confirmed by sequencing of their ITS2 gene. DNA was extracted from 60 pools of ticks which consisted of 5-6 adult ticks that were from the same ruminant host. Infections with Rickettsia spp. were found in 48%, 40%, and 32% of cattle, sheep, and goats, respectively, in amplification by PCR using the ompA gene. The ompA gene sequences showed that the Rickettsia spp. were identified as R. africae. Although the animals from whom the ticks were collected did not exhibit any clinical symptoms, it is well recognised that R. africae is a disease with significant zoonotic potential. Thus, it is important to use the "One Health" approach to formulate prevention and control measures for this pathogen for animal and human health as well as the tourism sector due to the ecotourism importance of the resultant disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oriel Thekisoe
- Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom 2531, South Africa
| | - Tsepo Ramatla
- Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom 2531, South Africa.
| | - Aron Ringo
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan
| | - Sifiso Mnisi
- Department of Animal Health, School of Agricultural Sciences, North-West University, Mmabatho 2735, South Africa
| | - Nthabiseng Mphuthi
- Department of Animal Health, School of Agricultural Sciences, North-West University, Mmabatho 2735, South Africa
| | - Lehlohonolo Mofokeng
- Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom 2531, South Africa
| | - Kgaugelo Lekota
- Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom 2531, South Africa
| | - Xuenan Xuan
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan
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32
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McClung KL, Sundstrom KD, Lineberry MW, Grant AN, Little SE. Seasonality of Amblyomma americanum (Acari: Ixodidae) Activity and Prevalence of Infection with Tick-Borne Disease Agents in North Central Oklahoma. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2023; 23:561-567. [PMID: 37668606 PMCID: PMC10654644 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2023.0009] [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] [Indexed: 09/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Amblyomma americanum is the most common tick infesting both animals and humans in the southern United States and transmits a variety of zoonotic agents. The rise in tick-borne diseases (TBD) globally imparts a need for more active surveillance of tick populations to accurately quantify prevalence and risk of tick-borne infectious organisms. To better understand TBD risk in north central Oklahoma, this study aimed to describe the current seasonal activity of A. americanum in this region and investigate the seasonality of tick-borne infectious agents. Materials and Methods: Tick collections were performed twice a month for a duration of 2 years at a field site in Payne County, Oklahoma. Total nucleic acid was extracted from a subset of adult A. americanum and tested for Rickettsia spp., Ehrlichia spp., and Borrelia spp. using established PCR protocols. Results: Peak activity times for each life stage were observed, with adults primarily active 1 month earlier than historical seasonal trends describe, and male A. americanum active earlier in the year than female A. americanum. Rickettsia spp., Ehrlichia chaffeensis, Ehrlichia ewingii, and Borrelia lonestari were found in 26.4%, 6.1%, 2.5%, and 1.1% of adult A. americanum, respectively. No seasonal trend in spotted fever group Rickettsia spp. (SFGR) was observed in peak activity months. Conclusions: This study found an apparently shifting phenology for A. americanum adults in Oklahoma. While these results did not show a trend in SFGR, further investigation is needed to better understand the potential seasonality of infection prevalence within A. americanum across the expanding range of this vector, especially considering the extended activity of males in winter months.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin L. McClung
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Kellee D. Sundstrom
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Megan W. Lineberry
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
- Veterinary Medicine Research and Development, Zoetis, Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA
| | - Amber N. Grant
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Susan E. Little
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
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Smit A, Mulandane FC, Wojcik SH, Horak IG, Makepeace BL, Morar-Leather D, Neves L. Sympatry of Amblyomma eburneum and Amblyomma variegatum on African buffaloes and prevalence of pathogens in ticks. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2023; 14:102247. [PMID: 37651847 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102247] [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: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
The Amblyomma genus is represented on the African continent by 24 species, out of which 17 are known to occur in different ecological niches of southern Africa. Amblyomma, known for their aggressive hunting behaviour and aptitude as pathogen vectors, are of main concern to travellers, mainly in rural and conservation areas of Africa. In this study, we highlight the overlapping distribution of Amblyomma eburneum and Amblyomma variegatum found on African buffaloes (Syncerus caffer) at Coutada 11, Central Mozambique. In total, 1,039 Amblyomma ticks were collected and morphologically identified using taxonomic keys, and genomic DNA was extracted. They were subjected to reverse line blotting for pathogen identification followed by molecular analysis (COI sequencing) of both tick species. Pathogens such as Ehrlichia ruminantium, Anaplasma centrale, Theileria sp., Babesia sp. and Rickettsia africae were detected, of which R. africae is zoonotic. Ehrlichia ruminantium, R. africae, Theileria mutans and Theileria velifera are well-established pathogens transmitted by Amblyomma ticks; however, Anaplasma spp. and Babesia spp. are not, suggesting residual parasite DNA in the bloodmeal. Little is mentioned in the literature about A. eburneum, including its role as a vector and reservoir for pathogens. In Mozambique A. eburneum is currently restricted to wildlife but the spread of the tick may be observed given the climate change that is occurring. The infection rates for the pathogens in both Amblyomma tick species were lower than expected, but this may be due to the low host density in the forest niche and the innate immunity of these hosts. With the propensity of ticks of the Amblyomma genus to form parapatric distributions, the mechanisms that allows for the overlapping distribution of these two Amblyomma species while maintaining tick species identity is of great interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andeliza Smit
- Tick Research Group, Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, 0110, South Africa.
| | - Fernando C Mulandane
- Biotechnology Center, Eduardo Mondlane University, Av. Moçambique Km 1.5, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Stephané H Wojcik
- Tick Research Group, Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, 0110, South Africa
| | - Ivan G Horak
- Tick Research Group, Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, 0110, South Africa
| | - Benjamin L Makepeace
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, 146 Brownlow Hill, Liverpool L3 5RF, United Kingdom
| | - Darshana Morar-Leather
- Tick Research Group, Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, 0110, South Africa
| | - Luis Neves
- Tick Research Group, Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, 0110, South Africa; Biotechnology Center, Eduardo Mondlane University, Av. Moçambique Km 1.5, Maputo, Mozambique
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Luz HR, Labruna MB, Pacheco RC, Gianizella SL, Nunes PH, Szabó MPJ, Gerardi M, Teixeira RHF, da Silva SC, Kmetiuk LB, Pesenato IP, Marcili A, Faccini JLH, Martins TF. Morphological anomalies in hard ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) from Brazil. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2023; 14:102219. [PMID: 37399629 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102219] [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: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023]
Abstract
Tick abnormalities have been unusual in nature, and they can be divided into local and general. In the present study, external morphological anomalies were described in 31 individual adult ticks of 15 different species of Ixodidae, which were collected on wild hosts (20 ticks), domestic hosts (7 ticks), and in the environment (4 ticks) in 11 states of Brazil from 1998 to 2022. Among the 31 tick specimens, 14 (45%) were categorized as local anomalies, and 17 (55%) as general anomalies. The ticks were taxonomically identified into 14 species of Amblyomma, and one species of Rhipicephalus. Local anomalies included malformations of scutum/alloscutum, ectromely, leg atrophy, and a third ectopic spiracular plate. General anomalies included opisthosoma duplication, no expansion of dorsal alloscutum in engorged females, and gynandromorphism; the latter is described for 13 tick specimens. Morphological anomalies in Amblyomma aureolatum, Amblyomma brasiliense, Amblyomma humerale and Amblyomma longirostre are reported for the first time. Although the results herein expand the list of anomalous tick species in the Neotropics, future studies should be conducted to clarify the origin of these anomalies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hermes R Luz
- Post-Graduation Program in Health and Environment, Biodiversity and Conservation, Northeast Biotechnology Network (RENORBIO) from the Center of Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Maranhão, São Luís, MA, Brazil.
| | - Marcelo B Labruna
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Richard C Pacheco
- Post-Graduation Program in Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, MT, Brazil
| | - Sergio L Gianizella
- Laboratory of Zoology, Department of Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Amazonas, Manaus, AM, Brazil
| | - Pablo H Nunes
- Latin American Institute of Life and Nature Sciences, Federal University of Latin American Integration, Foz do Iguaçu, PR, Brazil
| | - Matias P J Szabó
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Uberlândia, Uberlândia, MG, Brazil
| | - Monize Gerardi
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Uberlândia, Uberlândia, MG, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo H F Teixeira
- Municipal Zoological Park "Quinzinho de Barros", Sorocaba, SP, Brazil; University of Sorocaba (UNISO), Sorocaba, SP, Brazil; Post-Graduation Program in Wild Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science (FMVZ) of the São Paulo State University "Júlio de Mesquita Filho" (UNESP), Botucatu, SP, Brazil
| | - Silvio C da Silva
- Pasteur Institute, São Paulo State Department of Health, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Louise B Kmetiuk
- Carlos Chagas Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Isabella P Pesenato
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Arlei Marcili
- Post-Graduation in Medicine and Animal Welfare, Doctorate in Single Health, Santo Amaro University, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - João L H Faccini
- Post-Graduation Program in Health Sciences from the Center of Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Maranhão, São Luís, MA, Brazil
| | - Thiago F Martins
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Pasteur Institute, São Paulo State Department of Health, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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Kwak ML, Jones MD, Harman MEA, Smith SN, D'souza A, Knierim T, Barnes CH, Waengsothorn S, Amarga AKS, Kuo CC, Nakao R. The East Indies reptile tick Amblyomma helvolum Koch, 1844 (Acari: Ixodidae), taxonomy, biology and new host records, including the first record of human infestation. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2023; 14:102224. [PMID: 37422945 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102224] [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: 01/13/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Amblyomma helvolum is a widespread, generalist ectoparasite of reptiles in the oriental region, and has the potential to become highly invasive should it be inadvertently introduced outside its native range through the exotic pet trade. All life stages of A. helvolum are re-characterised morphologically and the first examples of nanism (dwarfism) and gynandromorphy (male and female tissue in one animal) for the species are described. Eighteen new hosts records are presented for A. helvolum, including the first case of human infestation. The taxonomy, distribution, ecology, phenology, disease associations, and invasion biology of the species are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mackenzie L Kwak
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Department of Disease Control, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, 9 Chome Kita 18 Jonishi, Kita Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0818, Japan
| | - Max D Jones
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, VA, United States
| | - Madison E A Harman
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Samantha N Smith
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States
| | - Anji D'souza
- Sakaerat Enviromental Research Station, Thailand Institute of Scientific and Technological Research, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand
| | - Tyler Knierim
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States
| | - Curt H Barnes
- Center of Excellence for Ecoinformatics, School of Science, Walailak University, Thai Buri, Tha Sala District, Nakhon Si Thammarat, 80160, Thailand
| | - Surachit Waengsothorn
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States
| | - Ace Kevin S Amarga
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chi-Chien Kuo
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ryo Nakao
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Department of Disease Control, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, 9 Chome Kita 18 Jonishi, Kita Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0818, Japan
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Onyiche TE, MacLeod ET. Hard ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) and tick-borne diseases of sheep and goats in Africa: A review. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2023; 14:102232. [PMID: 37531888 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [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: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023]
Abstract
Ticks are leading vectors of economically important pathogens that affect small ruminants due to favourable climatic conditions across different regions of the African continent. They are responsible for both direct and indirect economic losses in the livestock industry. This review focuses on the species diversity of hard ticks, their biology, tick-borne diseases of sheep and goats including non-infectious disease, and risk factors to tick infestation in Africa. Furthermore, our review provides recent updates on distribution of ticks and tick-borne pathogens of small ruminants in Africa. It was observed that several species and subspecies of hard ticks belonging to the genera Hyalomma (Hy), Rhipicephalus (Rh), Ixodes (I) and Amblyomma (Am) were found infesting small ruminants across the different regions of the continent. Of these genera, Rhipicephalus ticks accounts for the majority of the registered species, with exactly 27 different species infesting small ruminant stocks comprising of different developmental instars and adults of the tick. Rhipicephalus decolaratus, Rh. e. evertsi and Rh. appendiculatus were the three most common Rhipicephalus species reported. Both protozoal (Babesia and Theileria) and bacterial (Anaplasma, Rickettsia, Ehrlichia, Coxiella and Mycoplasma) pathogens have being reported to be amplified in several hard tick species and/or small ruminant hosts. Furthermore, tick paralysis and lameness were non-infectious conditions attributed to tick infestations. Amblyomma hebraeum and Rh. glabroscutatum may cause lameness in goats, while Hy. rufipes is responsible for the same condition in Merino sheep. Host paralysis due to a neurotoxin released by female Rh. e. evertsi and I. rubicundus has been documented within the continent. We therefore advocate for the need of integrated control measures against tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) including their arthropod vectors, to be performed simultaneously to ease the burden of vector-borne diseases in small ruminant production.
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Affiliation(s)
- ThankGod E Onyiche
- Deanery of Biomedical Sciences, Edinburgh Medical School, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, 1 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK; Department of Veterinary Parasitology and Entomology, University of Maiduguri, P. M. B. 1069, Maiduguri, Nigeria; Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa.
| | - Ewan Thomas MacLeod
- Deanery of Biomedical Sciences, Edinburgh Medical School, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, 1 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
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Hernández F, Manqui J, González-Acuña D, Beltrami E, Verdugo C, Acosta-Jamett G. Abundance and associated factors of Amblyomma tigrinum (Acari: Ixodidae) infesting wild foxes in north-central Chile. Rev Bras Parasitol Vet 2023; 32:e008223. [PMID: 37909605 DOI: 10.1590/s1984-29612023062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
The tick Amblyomma tigrinum inhabits areas with diverse climatic conditions, with adult stages parasitizing wild canids, such as chilla (Lycalopex griseus) and culpeo (Lycalopex culpaeus) foxes. We described the infestation loads in wild foxes captured at three sites (periurban, rural and wild) through an anthropization gradient in north-central Chile. We tested whether local-scale environmental and/or individual host factors can predict tick abundance by using negative binomial models. During 2018-2020 (spring and summer), we captured 116 foxes (44 chillas and 72 culpeos), and 102 of them were infested with ticks (87.9%, CI=80.6-93.2%). We collected 996 A. tigrinum adult ticks, estimating a total mean abundance of 8.6±0.8 ticks/host. Periurban and rural foxes harbored greater tick loads than foxes from the wild site (2.34 and 1.71 greater, respectively) while tick abundance in summer decreased by up to 57% compared to spring. Tempered, more humid climate conditions of the periurban site could favor the development and survival of adults A. tigrinum; and ticks may have adopted a quiescent stage or similar survival mechanisms to cope with summer temperature increases related to the ongoing megadrought. Further studies are warranted to understand the underlying factors determining the life cycle of A. tigrinum at larger spatiotemporal scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felipe Hernández
- Instituto de Medicina Preventiva Veterinaria, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
- Center for Surveillance and Evolution of Infectious Diseases, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Jonatan Manqui
- Instituto de Medicina Preventiva Veterinaria, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
- Programa de Magíster en Ecología Aplicada, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
| | | | - Esperanza Beltrami
- Instituto de Medicina Preventiva Veterinaria, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Claudio Verdugo
- Center for Surveillance and Evolution of Infectious Diseases, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
- Instituto de Patología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Gerardo Acosta-Jamett
- Instituto de Medicina Preventiva Veterinaria, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
- Center for Surveillance and Evolution of Infectious Diseases, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
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de Araújo FES, Martins TF, Ramos CCM, Nogueira RMS, Faccini JLH, Tavares MA, de Lima NJ, de Almeida Júnior EB, de Sousa-Paula LC, Dantas-Torres F, da Silva Krawczak F, Costa-Junior LM, Labruna MB, Dall Agnol LT, Luz HR. Seasonal dynamics of Amblyomma cajennense (Fabricius, 1787) sensu stricto in a degraded area of the Amazon biome, with notes on Rickettsia amblyommatis infection. Parasit Vectors 2023; 16:391. [PMID: 37891604 PMCID: PMC10612284 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-023-05978-9] [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: 08/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The tick Amblyomma cajennense sensu stricto (A. cajennense s.s.) frequently parasitizes animals and humans in the Amazon biome, in addition to being a vector of Rickettsia amblyommatis. In the present study, we evaluated both the population dynamics of A. cajennense s.s. in a degraded area of the Amazon biome and the presence of rickettsial organisms in this tick population. METHODS The study was carried out in a rural area of the Santa Inês municipality (altitude: 24 m a.s.l.), Maranhão state, Brazil. Ticks were collected from the environment for 24 consecutive months, from June 2021 to May 2023. The region is characterized by two warm seasons: a rainy season (November-May) and a dry season (June-October). We characterized the temporal activity of A. cajennense s.s. on the vegetation by examining questing activity for each life stage (larvae, nymphs, adults [males and females]) in relation to the dry and rainy season. Ticks collected in this study were randomly selected and individually tested by a TaqMan real-time PCR assay that targeted a 147-bp fragment of the rickettsial gltA gene. RESULTS Overall, 1843 (62.4%) adults (52.6% females, 47.4% males), 1110 (37.6%) nymphs and 398 larval clusters were collected. All adult females and nymphs were morphologically identified as A. cajennense s.s. Larval activity was observed from April to December, with a peak from June to September (dry season); nymph abundance peaked from September to November (transition period between dry and rainy seasons); and adult ticks were abundant from October to May (spring/summer/early autumn). The infection rate by R. amblyommatis in A. cajennense s.s. ticks was at least 7% (7/99). CONCLUSION Our data suggest a 1-year generation pattern for A. cajennense s.s., with a well-defined seasonality of larvae, nymphs and adults in the Amazon biome. Larvae predominate during the dry season, nymphs are most abundant in the dry-rainy season transition and adults are most abundant in the rainy season. The presence of R. amblyommatis in adult ticks suggests that animals and humans in the study region are at risk of infection by this species belonging to the spotted fever group of Rickettsia.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Thiago Fernandes Martins
- Pasteur Institute, São Paulo State Department of Health, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | | | - João Luiz Horacio Faccini
- Post-Graduation Program in Health Sciences, Center of Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Maranhão, São Luís, MA, Brazil
| | | | | | - Eduardo Bezerra de Almeida Júnior
- Post-Graduation Program in Biodiversity and Conservation, Center of Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Maranhão, São Luís, MA, Brazil
| | - Lucas Christian de Sousa-Paula
- Tick-Pathogen Transmission Unit, Laboratory of Bacteriology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Hamilton, MT, USA
| | - Filipe Dantas-Torres
- Department of Immunology, Aggeu Magalhães Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), Recife, PE, Brazil
| | | | - Livio Martins Costa-Junior
- Post-Graduation Program in Northeast Biotechnology Network (RENORBIO), Biodiversity and Conservation, Center of Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Maranhão, São Luís, MA, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Bahia Labruna
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Hermes Ribeiro Luz
- Post-Graduation Program in Health and Environment, Federal University of Maranhão, São Luís, MA, Brazil.
- Post-Graduation Program in Northeast Biotechnology Network (RENORBIO), Biodiversity and Conservation, Center of Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Maranhão, São Luís, MA, Brazil.
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Prati AC, Maia MO, Martins TF, Morgado TO, Corrêa SHR, Mendes EJF, Ferraz RHDS, Mudrek JR, Strüssmann C, Ramos DGDS, Semedo TBF, Minetto MK, Aguiar DMD, Pacheco RC, Melo ALT. Diversity of rickettsiae in ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) collected from wild vertebrates in part of the Amazon, Cerrado, and Pantanal biomes in Brazil. Rev Bras Parasitol Vet 2023; 32:e008023. [PMID: 37851794 DOI: 10.1590/s1984-29612023059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
Ticks parasitizing 102 wild animals in the states of Mato Grosso and Goiás, Brazil were collected between 2015 and 2018. A total of 2338 ticks (865 males, 541 females, 823 nymphs, and 109 larvae) belonging to four genera (Amblyomma, Dermacentor, Haemaphysalis, and Rhipicephalus) and at least 21 species were identified. DNA extraction and a molecular survey for rickettsial agents were performed on 650 ticks. The results revealed parasitism by the following species: Rickettsia amblyommatis in Amblyomma cajennense s.s., A. cajennense s.l., Amblyomma coelebs, Amblyomma humerale, Amblyomma longirostre, Amblyomma nodosum, Amblyomma scalpturatum, Amblyomma sculptum, and Amblyomma romitii; Rickettsia parkeri in Amblyomma nodosum, Amblyomma ovale, Amblyomma scalpturatum, and Amblyomma triste; Rickettsia rhipicephali in Haemaphysalis juxtakochi; Rickettsia sp. in A. cajennense s.s., A. nodosum, and A. sculptum, and lastly, 'Candidatus Rickettsia andeanae' in Amblyomma parvum and Rhipicephalus microplus. This study expands the body of knowledge about tick parasitism among wild animals, including new data concerning tick-host associations, and provides information about the epidemiology of tick-borne pathogens in the Center-West region of Brazil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anny Carolina Prati
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Biociência Animal, Universidade de Cuiabá - UNIC, Cuiabá, MT, Brasil
| | - Maerle Oliveira Maia
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Veterinárias - PPGVET, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária - FAVET, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso - UFMT, Cuiabá, MT, Brasil
| | - Thiago Fernandes Martins
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo - USP, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
- Instituto Pasteur, Secretaria de Estado da Saúde de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - Thaís Oliveira Morgado
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Veterinárias - PPGVET, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária - FAVET, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso - UFMT, Cuiabá, MT, Brasil
| | - Sandra Helena Ramiro Corrêa
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Veterinárias - PPGVET, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária - FAVET, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso - UFMT, Cuiabá, MT, Brasil
| | - Edson Junior Figueiredo Mendes
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Veterinárias - PPGVET, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária - FAVET, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso - UFMT, Cuiabá, MT, Brasil
| | - Rosa Helena Dos Santos Ferraz
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Veterinárias - PPGVET, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária - FAVET, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso - UFMT, Cuiabá, MT, Brasil
| | - Jessica Rhaiza Mudrek
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso - UFMT, Cuiabá, MT, Brasil
| | - Christine Strüssmann
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso - UFMT, Cuiabá, MT, Brasil
| | - Dirceu Guilherme de Souza Ramos
- Laboratório de Parasitologia e Análises Clínicas Veterinária, Programa de Pós-graduação em Biociência Animal, Unidade Acadêmica de Ciências Veterinárias, Universidade Federal de Jataí - UFJ, Jataí, GO, Brasil
| | - Thiago Borges Fernandes Semedo
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- InBIO Laboratório Associado, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos - CIBIO, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
- Programa BIOPOLIS em Genómica, Biodiversidade e Ordenamento do Território, CIBIO, de Vairão, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Make Kawatake Minetto
- Instituto de Defesa Agropecuária do Estado de Mato Grosso - INDEA-MT, Cuiabá, MT, Brasil
| | - Daniel Moura de Aguiar
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Veterinárias - PPGVET, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária - FAVET, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso - UFMT, Cuiabá, MT, Brasil
| | - Richard Campos Pacheco
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Veterinárias - PPGVET, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária - FAVET, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso - UFMT, Cuiabá, MT, Brasil
- Laboratório de Parasitologia Veterinária e Doenças Parasitárias dos Animais Domésticos e Silvestres, Hospital Veterinário - HOVET, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária - FAVET, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso - UFMT, Cuiabá, MT, Brasil
| | - Andréia Lima Tomé Melo
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Biociência Animal, Universidade de Cuiabá - UNIC, Cuiabá, MT, Brasil
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Nassar MB, Pavanelo DB, Labruna MB, Daffre S, Esteves E, Fogaça AC. The anal pore route is efficient to infect Amblyomma spp. ticks with Rickettsia rickettsii and allows the assessment of the role played by infection control targets. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1260390. [PMID: 37900319 PMCID: PMC10602902 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1260390] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Adult Amblyomma sculptum and Amblyomma aureolatum ticks are partially refractory to Rickettsia rickettsii when fed on infected hosts, hindering the functional characterization of potentially protective targets in the bacterial acquisition. In the current study, we used the anal pore route to infect adult A. sculptum and A. aureolatum ticks with R. rickettsii and to assess the effects of the knockdown of microplusin in infection control. The anal pore route was efficient to infect both species, resulting in a prevalence of around 100% of infected ticks. Higher loads of R. rickettsii were detected in microplusin-silenced A. aureolatum in relation to the control, as previously obtained when microplusin-silenced ticks were fed on R. rickettsii-infected rabbits. This is the first report showing R. rickettsii infection through the anal pore in Amblyomma ticks, highlighting this route as a powerful tool to assess the role played by additional targets in the control of pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcelly Bastos Nassar
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Daniel B. Pavanelo
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marcelo B. Labruna
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sirlei Daffre
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Eliane Esteves
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Andréa C. Fogaça
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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Araújo IM, de Azevedo Baêta B, Magalhães-Matos PC, Guterres A, da Silva CB, da Fonseca AH, Cordeiro MD. Molecular survey of potentially pathogenic microorganisms in ticks collected from coatis (Nasua nasua) in Iguaçu National Park, Atlantic Forest biome, southern Brazil. Parasitol Res 2023; 122:2367-2377. [PMID: 37587388 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-023-07937-w] [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: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Abstract
Human contact with wild animals in synanthropic habits is often mediated by arthropod vectors such as ticks. This is an important method of spreading infectious agents that pose a risk to human health. Thus, this study aimed to molecularly detect Ehrlichia spp., Anaplasma spp., Borrelia spp., and protozoa of the order Piroplasmida in ticks collected from coatis of Iguaçu National Park (PNI), Paraná, Brazil. This study involved 553 ticks DNA, including Amblyomma spp. larvae, Haemaphysalis juxtakochi nymphs, Amblyomma brasiliense, Amblyomma coelebs, and adults of Amblyomma ovale. The DNA extracted from each sample was subjected to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting the genes 23S rRNA for the Anaplasmataceae family, 16S rRNA for Anaplasma spp., dsb for Ehrlichia spp., flaB, 16S rRNA, hpt, and glpQ for Borrelia spp., and 18S rRNA for Piroplasmid protozoans. DNA from Anaplasma sp. was detected in ticks of the species A. coelebs (4/553); Borrelia sp. DNA was detected in A. coelebs (3/553), A. ovale (1/553), and Amblyomma larvae (1/553); and Theileria sp. was detected in A. coelebs (2/553). All tested samples were negative for Ehrlichia spp. Our study constitutes the newest report in South America of these microorganisms, which remain poorly studied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Izabela Mesquita Araújo
- Post-Graduate Program in Veterinary Sciences, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, UFRRJ, Br 465, km 7, Highway BR 465, Km 7,5 Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro, CEP: 23891-000, Brazil
| | - Bruna de Azevedo Baêta
- Post-Graduate Program in Veterinary Sciences, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, UFRRJ, Br 465, km 7, Highway BR 465, Km 7,5 Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro, CEP: 23891-000, Brazil
| | | | - Alexandro Guterres
- Laboratory of Hantaviruses and Rickettsiosis, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Avenida Brasil, Rio de Janeiro, 4365, Brazil
| | - Cláudia Bezerra da Silva
- Post-Graduate Program in Veterinary Sciences, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, UFRRJ, Br 465, km 7, Highway BR 465, Km 7,5 Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro, CEP: 23891-000, Brazil
| | - Adivaldo Henrique da Fonseca
- Post-Graduate Program in Veterinary Sciences, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, UFRRJ, Br 465, km 7, Highway BR 465, Km 7,5 Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro, CEP: 23891-000, Brazil
| | - Matheus Dias Cordeiro
- Post-Graduate Program in Practice in Sustainable Development, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, UFRRJ, Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil.
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Lourenço EC, Famadas KM, Gomes LAC, Bergallo HG. Ticks (Ixodida) associated with bats (Chiroptera): an updated list with new records for Brazil. Parasitol Res 2023; 122:2335-2352. [PMID: 37597061 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-023-07935-y] [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: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/21/2023]
Abstract
Bats harbor diverse groups of ectoparasites, such as insects and mites like ticks (Ixodida). Some species of ticks with records for bats and humans have already been reported with the occurrence of pathogens. This research article aims to document new geographical and host records of ticks infesting bats in Rio de Janeiro state, Southeastern Brazil, and provides a list of tick species associated with bats in Brazil. We counted 12 argasid ticks and five ixodid ticks associated with six individuals of bats. Larvae of Amblyomma sp., Ixodes sp., Ornithodoros sp., and Ornithodoros hasei and one nymph of Amblyomma sculptum parasitizing Artibeus obscurus, Phyllostomus hastatus, Micronycteris sp., Molossus fluminensis, and Carollia perspicillata in different localities of Rio de Janeiro state were studied. We carried out a systematic review with the descriptors: tick bat Brazil. We considered data from 42 articles in the systematic review. We compiled eleven records of Ixodidae, and 160 records of Argasidae. Ornithodoros cavernicolous were the most recorded tick species. Overall, we registered 171 tick-bat or roost-bat associations with 85 records of these infesting bats. The review also shows the occurrence of tick species associated with bats, and we present new records on ticks parasitizing bats in Brazil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabete Captivo Lourenço
- Mammal Ecology Laboratory, Ecology Department, Rio de Janeiro State University, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil.
| | - Kátia Maria Famadas
- Hemoparasites and Vectors Laboratory, Parasitology Animal Department, Rio de Janeiro Rural Federal University, Rio de Janeiro state, Seropédica, Brazil
| | - Luiz Antonio Costa Gomes
- Institutional Platform Biodiversity and Wildlife Health, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil
| | - Helena Godoy Bergallo
- Mammal Ecology Laboratory, Ecology Department, Rio de Janeiro State University, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil
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Chaparro-Gutiérrez JJ, Acevedo-Gutiérrez LY, Mendell NL, Robayo-Sánchez LN, Rodríguez-Durán A, Cortés-Vecino JA, Fernández D, Ramírez-Hernández A, Bouyer DH. First isolation of Rickettsia amblyommatis from Amblyomma mixtum in Colombia. Parasit Vectors 2023; 16:332. [PMID: 37730727 PMCID: PMC10510177 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-023-05950-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/27/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rickettsiae are obligate intracellular Gram-negative bacteria that are the causative agent of rickettsioses and are spread to vertebrate hosts by arthropods. There are no previous reports of isolation of Rickettsia amblyommatis for Colombia. METHODS A convenience sampling was executed in three departments in Colombia for direct collection of adult ticks on domestic animals or over vegetation. Ticks were screened for the presence of Rickettsia spp. by real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) amplifying the citrate synthase gene (gltA), and the positive sample was processed for isolation and further molecular characterization by conventional PCR. The absolute and relative frequencies were calculated for several tick species variables. All products from conventional PCR were further purified and sequenced by the Sanger technique. Representative sequences of 18 Rickettsia species were downloaded from GenBank. Consensus phylogenetic trees were constructed for the gltA, ompB, ompA, and htrA genes with 1000 replicates, calculating bootstrap values through the maximum likelihood method and the generalized time reversible substitution model in the MEGA 7.0 software program. RESULTS One female Amblyomma mixtum collected on vegetation was amplified by qPCR (gltA), indicating a frequency of 1.6% (1/61) for Rickettsia spp. INFECTION Sequence analysis of a rickettsial isolate from this tick in BLASTn showed 100% identity with gltA (340 base pairs [bp]), 99.87% for ompB (782 bp), 98.99% for htrA (497 bp), and 100% for ompA (488 bp) to R. amblyommatis. Concatenated phylogenetic analysis confirmed these findings indicating that the isolate is grouped with other sequences of Amblyomma cajennense complex from Panama and Brazil within the R. amblyommatis clade. CONCLUSIONS This paper describes the isolation and early molecular identification of a R. amblyommatis strain from A. mixtum in Colombia.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Leidy Y Acevedo-Gutiérrez
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Lasallian University Corporation (Unilasallista), GIVET Research Group, Caldas, Antioquia, Colombia
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Boulevard, Galveston, TX, 77550, USA
| | - Nicole L Mendell
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Boulevard, Galveston, TX, 77550, USA
| | - Laura N Robayo-Sánchez
- Research Group Veterinary Parasitology, Laboratorio de Parasitología Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, UNAL, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Arlex Rodríguez-Durán
- Research Group Veterinary Parasitology, Laboratorio de Parasitología Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, UNAL, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Jesús A Cortés-Vecino
- Research Group Veterinary Parasitology, Laboratorio de Parasitología Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, UNAL, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Diana Fernández
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Boulevard, Galveston, TX, 77550, USA
| | - Alejandro Ramírez-Hernández
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Boulevard, Galveston, TX, 77550, USA
- Universidad de La Salle, Bogotá, D.C., Colombia
| | - Donald H Bouyer
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Boulevard, Galveston, TX, 77550, USA.
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Soresini G, Foerster N, Paiva F, Mourão G, Leuchtenberger C. Amblyomma sculptum ticks on a giant otter from the Brazilian Pantanal. Rev Bras Parasitol Vet 2023; 32:e010923. [PMID: 37878901 PMCID: PMC10723652 DOI: 10.1590/s1984-29612023053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
The giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis) is a semiaquatic carnivore and a top predator in the trophic chain, considered a sentinel of freshwater ecosystems. Ticks are common ectoparasites of worldwide distribution and potential vectors of diseases. In this study, we report the ectoparasitism by ticks on a giant otter carcass found during monitoring activity at the Negro River, that holds a viable population of this endangered species in the Brazilian Pantanal. A total of three tick specimens were collected: two adults were identified as Amblyomma sculptum and a nymph as Amblyomma spp. There is a lack of information about the health of free-ranging giant otters and this report contributes to elucidate some of the host-parasite relationships, although much more research is needed to expand the knowledge about which kinds of pathogens are circulating in the species, especially among those transmitted by ticks.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nathalie Foerster
- Giant Otter Conservation Fund, Arroio do Meio, RS, Brasil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul – UFMS, Campo Grande, MS, Brasil
| | - Fernando Paiva
- Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul – UFMS, Campo Grande, MS, Brasil
| | - Guilherme Mourão
- Laboratório de Vida Selvagem, Embrapa Pantanal, Corumbá, MS, Brasil
| | - Caroline Leuchtenberger
- Giant Otter Conservation Fund, Arroio do Meio, RS, Brasil
- Instituto Federal Farroupilha – IFFAR, Santa Maria, RS, Brasil
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Schulze TL, Jordan RA. Relative efficacy of high-pressure versus backpack sprayer applications of 2 natural product-based acaricides for control of host-seeking Ixodes Scapularis and Amblyomma americanum nymphs. J Med Entomol 2023; 60:1131-1135. [PMID: 37341185 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjad074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023]
Abstract
We evaluated the relative effectiveness of the natural product acaricide Essentria IC3 and the entomopathogenic fungal acaricide BotaniGard ES to suppress host-seeking Ixodes scapularis Say and Amblyomma americanum (L.) nymphs when applied with low-pressure backpack and high-pressure sprayers. Essentria IC3 applied by backpack sprayer out-performed high-pressure applications, while the opposite was true for treatments with BotaniGard ES. We were unable to demonstrate consistently greater efficacy using high-pressure applications, and neither of the acaricides or application methods provided substantial (>90%) levels of control at 7 days postapplication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terry L Schulze
- Terry L. Schulze, Ph.D., Inc., 9 Evergreen Court, Perrineville, NJ 08535, USA
| | - Robert A Jordan
- Monmouth County Mosquito Control Division, 1901 Wayside Road, Tinton Falls, NJ 07724, USA
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46
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Bidder L, Gaff H. Survival of adult Amblyomma americanum, Amblyomma maculatum, and Dermacentor variabilis (Acari: Ixodidae) in four habitats in southeastern Virginia. J Med Entomol 2023; 60:978-986. [PMID: 37364564 PMCID: PMC10496434 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjad073] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Adult, unfed Amblyomma americanum (Linnaeus), Amblyomma maculatum Koch, and Dermacentor variabilis (Say) ticks were housed inside environmental containers in situ from May through August 2015. The environmental containers were placed in 4 habitats in southeastern Virginia, United States. Two of the habitats were located in low ground and were prone to flooding; the other two consisted of a drier landscape located in a more upland habitat. A Cox Regression survival analysis indicated there was a significant difference in survival among species across all field sites. There was a 50.5-times higher risk of mortality for A. maculatum compared to A. americanum, a 4.3-times higher risk of mortality for A. maculatum compared to D. variabilis, and an 11.9-times higher risk of mortality for D. variabilis compared to A. americanum. There was also significantly higher mortality in field sites prone to flooding than in drier, upland field sites. We concluded that A. americanum was not negatively affected by increased flooding or the variable environmental conditions in southeastern Virginia. Dermacentor variabilis also was successful at remaining in the environment off-host, although increased flooding reduced survival over time. Amblyomma maculatum was more susceptible to mortality during long periods of time off-host in both environments, with high mortality rates in both dry upland and low-ground, flood-prone habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsey Bidder
- Department of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, USA
| | - Holly Gaff
- Department of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, USA
- School of Mathematics, Statistics, and Computer Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
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Tojal SD, da Costa IN, Aguirre ADAR, Martins TF, Labruna MB, Meneguetti DUDO, Bernarde PS, da Cruz KS, Lima JM, Prolo SL, Camargo LMDA. Parasitism by Amblyomma rotundatum on Teiidae lizards in the eastern part of the state of Acre, Brazil. Rev Bras Parasitol Vet 2023; 32:e004923. [PMID: 37672468 PMCID: PMC10503821 DOI: 10.1590/s1984-29612023050] [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: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to report on the occurrence of parasitism by Amblyomma rotundatum ticks on two species of Teiidae lizards and test the presence of rickettsiae in the collected ticks, in the western Brazilian Amazon region. Ticks were collected in July 2019, from a fragment of terra firme forest in the municipality of Senador Guiomard, Acre, Brazil. Two lizards that were infested by immature stages of ticks were caught using mist net and Tomahawk traps. Ectoparasites were collected manually, and the lizard specimens were identified and released at the same location where they had been caught. Three nymphs and 49 larvae were collected from Ameiva ameiva, while 25 nymphs and nine larvae were collected from Tupinambis cuzcoensis, which are both in the family Teiidae. The ticks were identified morphologically as belonging to the genus Amblyomma. Nymphs were identified at species level through molecular analysis, resulting in the tick species Amblyomma rotundatum. This is the first record of parasitism by the tick A. rotundatum on T. cuzcoensis lizard, and the first report of an association between A. rotundatum and the lizard species A. ameiva and T. cuzcoensis in Acre, in the western part of the Amazon region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Delgado Tojal
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal São João del-Rei – UFSJ, Divinópolis, MG, Brasil
- Laboratório de Medicina Tropical, Universidade Federal do Acre – UFAC, Rio Branco, AC, Brasil
| | - Ivaneide Nunes da Costa
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Parasitária, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz de Rondônia – Fiocruz/RO, Porto Velho, RO, Brasil
- Laboratório de Entomologia, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz de Rondônia – Fiocruz/RO, Porto Velho, RO, Brasil
| | | | - Thiago Fernandes Martins
- Departamento de Laboratórios Especializados, Superintendência de Controle de Endemias, Secretaria de Estado da Saúde de São Paulo – SUCEN, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Universidade de São Paulo – FMVZ/USP, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - Marcelo Bahia Labruna
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Universidade de São Paulo – FMVZ/USP, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - Dionatas Ulises de Oliveira Meneguetti
- Laboratório de Medicina Tropical, Universidade Federal do Acre – UFAC, Rio Branco, AC, Brasil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde na Amazônia Ocidental, Universidade Federal do Acre – UFAC, Rio Branco, AC, Brasil
| | - Paulo Sérgio Bernarde
- Laboratório de Herpetologia, Universidade Federal do Acre – UFAC, Cruzeiro do Sul, AC, Brasil
| | - Karoline Silva da Cruz
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde na Amazônia Ocidental, Universidade Federal do Acre – UFAC, Rio Branco, AC, Brasil
| | - Jônatas Machado Lima
- Laboratório de Ornitologia, Universidade Federal do Acre – UFAC, Rio Branco, AC, Brasil
| | - Sergio Luiz Prolo
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciência Inovação e Tecnologia para a Amazônia – PPGCITA, Universidade Federal do Acre – UFAC, Rio Branco, Acre, Brasil
| | - Luís Marcelo de Aranha Camargo
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal São João del-Rei – UFSJ, Divinópolis, MG, Brasil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde na Amazônia Ocidental, Universidade Federal do Acre – UFAC, Rio Branco, AC, Brasil
- Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo – ICB5/USP, Monte Negro, RO, Brasil
- Instituto Nacional de Epidemiologia da Amazônia Ocidental – INCT-EpiAmO, Porto Velho, RO, Brasil
- Centro de Pesquisas em Medicina Tropical – CEPEM, Porto Velho, RO, Brasil
- Departamento de Medicina, Centro Universitário FAEMA, RO, Brasil
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Romero LE, Binder LC, Marcili A, Labruna MB. Ticks and tick-borne rickettsiae from dogs in El Salvador, with report of the human pathogen Rickettsia parkeri. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2023; 14:102206. [PMID: 37245252 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Twelve tick species have been reported in El Salvador; however, information regarding ticks infesting domestic dogs is lacking, and pathogenic tick-borne Rickettsia species have never been reported in El Salvador. This work evaluated ticks infesting 230 dogs from ten municipalities in El Salvador from July 2019 to August 2020. A total of 1,264 ticks were collected and identified into five species: Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato (s.l.), Rhipicephalus microplus, Amblyomma mixtum, Amblyomma ovale, and Amblyoma cf. parvum. The tick R. sanguineus s.l. was the most frequent species in all localities (81.3% of sampled dogs), followed by Amblyomma mixtum (13.0%), Amblyomma ovale (10.9%) and Amblyomma cf. parvum (10.4%). The overall mean intensity of tick infestation was 5.5 ticks/dog. The highest specific mean intensity value was for R. sanguineus s.l. (4.8 ticks/dog), varying from 1.6 to 2.7 ticks/dog for the three Amblyomma species. From a random sample of 288 tick specimens tested molecularly for the presence of rickettsial agents, three spotted fever group Rickettsia were detected: Rickettsia amblyommatis in 90% (36/40) A. mixtum, 46% (11/24) A. cf. parvum, 4% (7/186) R. sanguineus s.l., and 17% Amblyomma spp.; Rickettsia parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest in 4% (1/25) A. ovale; and an unnamed rickettsia agent, designated as 'Rickettsia sp. ES-A.cf.parvum', in 4% (1/24) A. cf. parvum. Our finding of R. parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest in A. ovale is highly relevant because this agent has been associated to spotted fever illness in other Latin American countries, where A. ovale is implicated as its main vector. These findings suggest that spotted fever cases caused by R. parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest could be occurring in El Salvador.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis E Romero
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinaria, Facultad de Ciencias Agronómicas, Universidad de El Salvador, San Salvador, El Salvador; Escuela de Posgrado y Educación Continua, Facultad de Ciencias Agronómicas, Universidad de El Salvador, San Salvador, El Salvador.
| | - Lina C Binder
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Arlei Marcili
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Veterinária e Saúde Única, Universidade Santo Amaro, São Paulo, 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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Abouelhassan EM, Kamel MS, Chitimia-Dobler L, Bakkes DK, Okely M. Molecular screening of Amblyomma species (Acari: Ixodidae) imported from African countries to Egypt, with the first report of Amblyomma latum from the ball python, Python regius (Squamata: Pythonidae). Exp Appl Acarol 2023; 91:123-132. [PMID: 37552406 PMCID: PMC10462515 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-023-00829-9] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
Amblyomma species are non-endemic ticks in Egypt, which have been recorded from imported animals. This study was carried out in 2022 to monitor Amblyomma spp. from dromedary camels, cattle, and snakes in Egypt. During this study, 400 camels, 200 cattle, and two snakes (Pythonidae) were inspected for tick infestation. Collected specimens were identified based on morphological characters and confirmed by phylogenetic analysis of the 12S rRNA gene. Camels were infested by adult specimens of Amblyomma variegatum and Amblyomma lepidum, but no Amblyomma spp. were collected from cattle. Amblyomma variegatum showed high genetic similarity to other A. variegatum from Guinea-Bissau and São Tomé (> 99.99%), and A. lepidum showed high genetic similarity to other A. lepidum from Israel and Sudan (99.99%). Amblyomma latum is recorded in Egypt from the ball python snake for the first time and showed high genetic similarity with South African A. latum (99.87%).
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Affiliation(s)
- Eman M Abouelhassan
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, 41522, Egypt
| | - Marwa S Kamel
- Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, 41522, Egypt
| | | | - Deon K Bakkes
- Gertrud Theiler Tick Museum - EPV, Onderstepoort Veterinary Research, Agricultural Research Council, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Mohammed Okely
- Entomology Department, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Abbassia, Cairo, 11566, Egypt.
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50
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Lyu B, Li J, Niemeyer B, Stanley D, Song Q. Identification and characterization of ecdysis-related neuropeptides in the lone star tick Amblyomma americanum. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2023; 14:1256618. [PMID: 37693356 PMCID: PMC10490126 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1256618] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum, is an important ectoparasite known for transmitting diseases to humans and animals. Ecdysis-related neuropeptides (ERNs) control behaviors crucial for arthropods to shed exoskeletons. However, ERN identification and characterization in A. americanum remain incomplete. Methods We investigated ERNs in A. americanum, assessing their evolutionary relationships, protein properties, and functions. Phylogeny, sequence alignment, and domain structures of ERNs were analyzed. ERN functionality was explored using enrichment analysis, and developmental and tissue-specific ERN expression profiles were examined using qPCR and RNAi experiments. Results and discussion The study shows that ERN catalogs (i.e., eclosion hormone, corazonin, and bursicon) are found in most arachnids, and these ERNs in A. americanum have high evolutionary relatedness with other tick species. Protein modeling analysis indicates that ERNs primarily consist of secondary structures and protein stabilizing forces (i.e., hydrophobic clusters, hydrogen bond networks, and salt bridges). Gene functional analysis shows that ENRs are involved in many ecdysis-related functions, including ecdysis-triggering hormone activity, neuropeptide signaling pathway, and corazonin receptor binding. Bursicon proteins have functions in chitin binding and G protein-coupled receptor activity and strong interactions with leucine-rich repeat-containing G-protein coupled receptor 5. ERNs were expressed in higher levels in newly molted adults and synganglia. RNAi-mediated knockdown of burs α and burs β expression led to a significant decrease in the expression of an antimicrobial peptide, defensin, suggesting they might act in signaling or regulatory pathways that control the expression of immune-related genes. Arthropods are vulnerable immediately after molting because new cuticles are soft and susceptible to injury and pathogen infections. Bursicon homodimers act in prophylactic immunity during this vulnerable period by increasing the synthesis of transcripts encoding antimicrobial peptides to protect them from microbial invasion. Collectively, the expression pattern and characterization of ERNs in this study contribute to a deeper understanding of the physiological processes in A. americanum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Lyu
- Division of Plant Science and Technology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, United States
| | - Jingjing Li
- Division of Plant Science and Technology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, United States
| | - Brigid Niemeyer
- Division of Plant Science and Technology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, United States
| | - David Stanley
- Biological Control of Insect Research Laboratory, United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Station (USDA/ARS), Columbia, MO, United States
| | - Qisheng Song
- Division of Plant Science and Technology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, United States
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