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Zheng W, Zhao G, Xia Q. Assessment of Tick-Borne Diseases in Hainan Province, China. China CDC Wkly 2023; 5:822-828. [PMID: 37814632 PMCID: PMC10560333 DOI: 10.46234/ccdcw2023.157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023] Open
Abstract
China's six tropical regions include Guangdong Province, Yunnan Province, Hainan Province, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), Macau SAR, and Taiwan, China. Hainan, seated in the southernmost tropical region of China, is home to ticks that remain active throughout all four seasons. This heightens their potential to transmit tick-borne diseases to both animals and humans. This study provides a succinct overview of the prevailing tick species' spatial distribution and offers an outline of the range and dispersion of emerging tick-borne infections in tick vectors, animal hosts, and human populations within Hainan, China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiqing Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Translational Medicine of Ministry of Education, NHC Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control, School of Tropical Medicine, Hainan Medical University, Haikou City, Hainan Province, China
| | - Guangyuan Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Translational Medicine of Ministry of Education, NHC Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control, School of Tropical Medicine, Hainan Medical University, Haikou City, Hainan Province, China
| | - Qianfeng Xia
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Translational Medicine of Ministry of Education, NHC Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control, School of Tropical Medicine, Hainan Medical University, Haikou City, Hainan Province, China
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Tian JH, Li K, Zhang SZ, Xu ZJ, Wu HX, Xu HB, Lei CL. Tick (Acari: Ixodoidea) fauna and zoogeographic division of Jiangxi Province, China. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2023; 14:102099. [PMID: 36502558 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2022.102099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Revised: 11/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/07/2022]
Abstract
Tick fauna and zoogeographic distribution of Jiangxi Province remain largely unknown due to the lack of data on distribution, occurrence, and host associations of ticks. Considering this, we collected 1,817 individual samples from natural hosts, humans, and vegetation in 18 counties/districts throughout Jiangxi Province, China, from 2015 to 2021. These 1,817 individuals were found to 13 tick species, 4 genera, and 1 family. In addition, the tick sample data from 8 sampling localities (counties and districts) reported in previous studies were also included in our data. A total of 4,021 individuals, including our sample collection and the previously reported data, were assigned to at least 18 species, 6 genera, and 2 families. One newly recorded species Dermacentor sp. (near D. steini Schulze) was found; three misidentified species (Ixodes acuminatus, Haemaphysalis spinigera, and Haemaphysalis verticalis) reported previously were deleted; and one misidentified species Dermacentor auratus Supino was revised as Dermacentor steini Schulze. In addition, we divided the tick fauna in Jiangxi Province into 5 zoogeographic areas and assigned the 18 tick species collected from 26 localities to these 5 zoogeographic areas. To summarize, our findings provide valuable information on the distribution, tick-host associations, and zoogeographic division of ticks in Jiangxi Province, China. Their molecular characterizations, phylogenetic relationships, and tick-borne pathogens that they may transmit should be further explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun-Hua Tian
- Wuhan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Jianghan District, Wuhan, Hubei Province 430024, China; Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Hongshan District, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, China
| | - Kun Li
- National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Changping District 102206, Beijing, China
| | - Shao-Zai Zhang
- Jiangxi Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 555 Beijing East Road, Nanchang, Qingshanhu District 330029, China
| | - Zhong-Ji Xu
- Jiangxi Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 555 Beijing East Road, Nanchang, Qingshanhu District 330029, China
| | - Hai-Xia Wu
- National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Changping District 102206, Beijing, China
| | - Hong-Bin Xu
- Jiangxi Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 555 Beijing East Road, Nanchang, Qingshanhu District 330029, China.
| | - Chao-Liang Lei
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Hongshan District, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, China
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Chiu HC, Sun X, Bao Y, Fu W, Lin K, Chen T, Zheng C, Li S, Chen W, Huang C. Molecular identification of Colpodella sp. of South China tiger Panthera tigris amoyensis (Hilzheimer) in the Meihua Mountains, Fujian, China. Folia Parasitol (Praha) 2022; 69. [DOI: 10.14411/fp.2022.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Hu H, Liu Z, Fu R, Liu Y, Ma H, Zheng W. Detection and phylogenetic analysis of tick-borne bacterial and protozoan pathogens in a forest province of eastern China. Acta Trop 2022; 235:106634. [PMID: 35932842 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2022.106634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
Ticks, as obligate blood-sucking ectoparasites, feed on a broad range of vertebrates and transmit a great diversity of pathogenic microorganisms. Some tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) are endemic in China, whereas epidemiological studies are limited in Jiangxi, a forest province located in eastern China. Here, we have determined the positivity rates of TBPs in humans, rodents, dogs, goats and ticks, and performed the molecular characterization of TBPs in Jiangxi province. We found a high positivity rate of TBPs in the collected samples, demonstrating 23 (12.92%) samples positive for more than one TBPs. Of those, 11 (6.18%) samples were positive for Rickettsia spp., six (3.37%) Ehrlichia spp./Anaplasma spp., one (0.56%) Bartonella spp., two (1.12%) Borrelia spp., and five (2.81%) Babesia spp. The positivity rates of TBPs varied among ticks, animals, and humans as follow: goats (14/37, 37.84%), ticks (8/35, 22.86%), and dogs (1/11, 9.09%). Humans and rodents were negative for TBP presence. Phylogenetic analyses of these TBP sequences revealed the presence of Rickettsia japonica, Ehrlichia minasensis, and an unclassified Babesia spp. in goats, and Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Borrelia valaisiana, and an unclassified Bartonella spp. in ticks. Furthermore, R. japonica infection was exclusively found in goats with the positivity rate of 29.73%. Our study is the first report of R. japonica in goats around the world. These findings suggest high TBP positivity rates among goats, ticks, and dogs, and diverse TBPs in goats and ticks in the studied sites. Therefore, our results underscore the urgent need to assess TBP-tick-vertebrate-environment interactions and the risk of tick borne disease exposure in humans in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haijun Hu
- The Collaboration Unit for Field Epidemiology of State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Jiangxi Provincial key Laboratory of Animal-origin and Vector-borne Diseases, Nanchang Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Honggutan District, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330038, China
| | - Zhanbin Liu
- Nanchang Police Dog Base of the Ministry of Public Security, Xinjian Dsitrict, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330100, China
| | - Renlong Fu
- The Collaboration Unit for Field Epidemiology of State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Jiangxi Provincial key Laboratory of Animal-origin and Vector-borne Diseases, Nanchang Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Honggutan District, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330038, China
| | - Yangqing Liu
- The Collaboration Unit for Field Epidemiology of State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Jiangxi Provincial key Laboratory of Animal-origin and Vector-borne Diseases, Nanchang Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Honggutan District, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330038, China
| | - Hongmei Ma
- The Collaboration Unit for Field Epidemiology of State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Jiangxi Provincial key Laboratory of Animal-origin and Vector-borne Diseases, Nanchang Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Honggutan District, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330038, China
| | - Weiqing Zheng
- The Collaboration Unit for Field Epidemiology of State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Jiangxi Provincial key Laboratory of Animal-origin and Vector-borne Diseases, Nanchang Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Honggutan District, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330038, China.
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Namgyal J, Lysyk TJ, Couloigner I, Checkley S, Gurung RB, Tenzin T, Dorjee S, Cork SC. Identification, Distribution, and Habitat Suitability Models of Ixodid Tick Species in Cattle in Eastern Bhutan. Trop Med Infect Dis 2021; 6:27. [PMID: 33669524 PMCID: PMC7931079 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed6010027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Revised: 02/13/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Tick infestation is the most reported parasitological problem in cattle in Bhutan. In May and June 2019, we collected ticks from 240 cattle in two districts of Eastern Bhutan. Tick presence, diversity, and infestation prevalence were examined by morphological identification of 3600 live adult ticks. The relationships between cattle, geographic factors, and infestation prevalence were assessed using logistic regression analyses. Habitat suitability for the tick species identified was determined using MaxEnt. Four genera and six species of ticks were found. These were Rhipicephalus microplus (Canestrini) (70.2% (95% confidence interval (CI): 68.7-71.7)), Rhipicephalus haemaphysaloides Supino (18.8% (95% CI: 17.5-20.1)), Haemaphysalis bispinosa Neumann (8.2% (95% CI: 7.3-9.1)), Haemaphysalis spinigera Neumann (2.5% (95% CI: 2-3)), Amblyomma testudinarium Koch (0.19% (95% CI: 0.07-0.4)), and a single unidentified Ixodes sp. Logistic regression indicated that the variables associated with infestation were: longitude and cattle age for R. microplus; latitude for R. haemaphysaloides; and altitude and cattle breed for H. bispinosa and H. spinigera. MaxEnt models showed land cover to be an important predictor for the occurrence of all tick species examined. These findings provide information that can be used to initiate and plan enhanced tick surveillance and subsequent prevention and control programs for ticks and tick-borne diseases in cattle in Bhutan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamyang Namgyal
- District Veterinary Hospital, Department of Livestock, Ministry of Agriculture and Forests, Trashigang 42001, Bhutan
- Department of Ecosystem and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada; (T.J.L.); (I.C.); (S.C.); (S.C.C.)
| | - Tim J. Lysyk
- Department of Ecosystem and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada; (T.J.L.); (I.C.); (S.C.); (S.C.C.)
| | - Isabelle Couloigner
- Department of Ecosystem and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada; (T.J.L.); (I.C.); (S.C.); (S.C.C.)
- Department of Geography, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Sylvia Checkley
- Department of Ecosystem and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada; (T.J.L.); (I.C.); (S.C.); (S.C.C.)
| | - Ratna B. Gurung
- National Centre for Animal Health, Department of Livestock, Ministry of Agriculture and Forests, Thimphu 11001, Bhutan; (R.B.G.); (T.T.)
| | - Tenzin Tenzin
- National Centre for Animal Health, Department of Livestock, Ministry of Agriculture and Forests, Thimphu 11001, Bhutan; (R.B.G.); (T.T.)
| | - Sithar Dorjee
- Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Sciences of Bhutan, Thimphu 11001, Bhutan;
| | - Susan C. Cork
- Department of Ecosystem and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada; (T.J.L.); (I.C.); (S.C.); (S.C.C.)
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Wang X, Sun X, Sun Y, Chen K, Zhang K, Xu W, Fan K, Lin W, Chen T, Lin X, Lin K, Chiu HC, Huang C. Identification and molecular analysis of Ixodid ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) infesting wild boars (Sus scrofa) and tick-borne pathogens at the Meihua mountain of southwestern Fujian, China. VETERINARY PARASITOLOGY- REGIONAL STUDIES AND REPORTS 2020; 22:100492. [PMID: 33308736 DOI: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2020.100492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Revised: 10/25/2020] [Accepted: 11/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Wildlife is essential to the biodiversity of the Meihua mountain, southwestern Fujian province, China. However, there have been few surveys of the distribution of ixodid ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) and tick-borne pathogens affecting wild animals at these locations. In this study, 1197 adult ixodid ticks infesting wild boars were collected from 10 sampling sites during 2019. Ticks were identified to species based on morphology, and the identification was confirmed based on mitochondrial 16S, ITS1 and ITS2 rRNA sequences. Eight tick species belonging to 2 genera were identified, including H. longicornis (n = 373, 31.1%), H. flava (n = 265, 22.1%), D. auratus (n = 153, 12.8%), H. hystricis (n = 119, 9.9%), D. silvarum (n = 116, 9.7%), H. bispinosa (n = 114, 9.5%), D. atrosignatus (n = 33, 2.8%), and D. taiwanensis (n = 24, 2.0%). DNA sequences of Rickettsia spp. (spotted fever group) and Babesia spp. were detected in these ticks. Phylogenetic analyses revealed the possible existence of Candidatus Rickettsia laoensis and Rickettsia raoultii. This study illustrates the potential threat to wild animals and humans from tick-borne pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Wang
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for the Prevention & Control of Animal Infectious Diseases & Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Longyan University, Longyan 364012, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoshuang Sun
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for the Prevention & Control of Animal Infectious Diseases & Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Longyan University, Longyan 364012, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Yankuo Sun
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Kexin Chen
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for the Prevention & Control of Animal Infectious Diseases & Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Longyan University, Longyan 364012, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Kaiyao Zhang
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for the Prevention & Control of Animal Infectious Diseases & Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Longyan University, Longyan 364012, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Weihua Xu
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for the Prevention & Control of Animal Infectious Diseases & Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Longyan University, Longyan 364012, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Kewei Fan
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for the Prevention & Control of Animal Infectious Diseases & Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Longyan University, Longyan 364012, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Weiming Lin
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for the Prevention & Control of Animal Infectious Diseases & Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Longyan University, Longyan 364012, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Tengteng Chen
- Fujian Meihuashan Institute of South China Tigers Breeding, Shanghang County, 364201, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Xipan Lin
- Fujian Meihuashan Institute of South China Tigers Breeding, Shanghang County, 364201, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Kaixiong Lin
- Fujian Meihuashan Institute of South China Tigers Breeding, Shanghang County, 364201, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Hung-Chuan Chiu
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for the Prevention & Control of Animal Infectious Diseases & Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Longyan University, Longyan 364012, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China.
| | - Cuiqin Huang
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for the Prevention & Control of Animal Infectious Diseases & Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Longyan University, Longyan 364012, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China.
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Zheng W, Umemiya-Shirafuji R, Zhang Q, Okado K, Adjou Moumouni PF, Suzuki H, Chen H, Liu M, Xuan X. Porin Expression Profiles in Haemaphysalis longicornis Infected With Babesia microti. Front Physiol 2020; 11:502. [PMID: 32508681 PMCID: PMC7249857 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2020.00502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 04/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The porin gene is widely disseminated in various organisms and has a pivotal role in the regulation of pathogen infection in blood-sucking arthropods. However, to date, information on the porin gene from the Haemaphysalis longicornis tick, an important vector of human and animal diseases, remains unknown. In this study, we identified the porin gene from H. longicornis and evaluated its expression levels in Babesia microti-infected and -uninfected H. longicornis ticks at developmental stages. We also analyzed porin functions in relation to both tick blood feeding and Babesia infection and the relationship between porin and porin-related apoptosis genes such as B-cell lymphoma (Bcl), cytochrome complex (Cytc), caspase 2 (Cas2), and caspase 8 (Cas8). The coding nucleotide sequence of H. longicornis porin cDNA was found to be 849 bp in length and encoded 282 amino acids. Domain analysis showed the protein to contain six determinants of voltage gating and two polypeptide binding sites. Porin mRNA levels were not significantly different between 1-day-laid and 7-day-laid eggs. In the nymphal stage, higher porin expression levels were found in unfed, 12-h-partially-fed (12 hPF), 1-day-partially-fed (1 dPF), 2 dPF nymphs and nymphs at 0 day post-engorgement (0 dAE) vs. nymphs at 2 dAE. Cytc and Cas2 mRNA levels were higher in 2 dPF nymphs in contrast to nymphs at 2 dAE. Porin expression levels appeared to be higher in the infected vs. uninfected nymphs during blood feeding except at 1 dPF and 0–1 dAE. Especially, the highest B. microti burden negatively affected porin mRNA levels in both nymphs and female adults. Porin knockdown affected body weight and Babesia infection levels and significantly downregulated the expression levels of Cytc and Bcl in H. longicornis female ticks. In addition, this study showed that infection levels of the B. microti Gray strain in nymphal and female H. longicornis peaked at or around engorgement from blood feeding to post engorgement. Taken together, the research conducted in this study suggests that H. longicornis porin might interfere with blood feeding and B. microti infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiqing Zheng
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Japan.,The Collaboration Unit for Field Epidemiology of State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal-origin and Vector-Borne Diseases, Nanchang Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanchang, China
| | - Rika Umemiya-Shirafuji
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Japan
| | - Qian Zhang
- The Ophthalmology Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Kiyoshi Okado
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Japan
| | - Paul Franck Adjou Moumouni
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Suzuki
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Japan
| | - Haiying Chen
- The Collaboration Unit for Field Epidemiology of State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal-origin and Vector-Borne Diseases, Nanchang Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanchang, China
| | - Mingming Liu
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Japan
| | - Xuenan Xuan
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Japan
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Feng LL, Cheng TY. A survey of proteins in midgut contents of the tick, Haemaphysalis flava, by proteome and transcriptome analysis. EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2020; 80:269-287. [PMID: 31898761 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-019-00457-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2019] [Accepted: 12/24/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Tick blood meals are stored and digested in their midguts. Blood digestion is complex, and many proteins are involved. Study of the tick-derived proteins in the midgut content may aid in the discovery of active molecules that would be useful for anti-tick vaccines. We analyzed the midgut content proteomes of partially engorged female Haemaphysalis flava, fully engorged female H. flava, and hedgehog serum using liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry and label-free quantitation. In this study, high-confidence protein profiling of tick midgut content was determined. Based on the search against our in-house transcriptome database, the 28 high-confidence proteins were identified. Of these, 17 were identified as tick-derived, and the rest were of unspecified origin (proteins that could not be differentiated as host-derived or tick-derived proteins). The function of these midgut content proteins identified here may involve nutrient transportation, anti-coagulation, erythrocyte lysis, detoxification, lipid metabolism, and immunization. The presence of hemoglobin suggested that the red blood cells were lysed in the gut lumen. The midgut contents contain a large amount of fibrinogen and it has the ability to clot immediately. The midgut contained mostly host-derived proteins, and these host proteins provide rich nutrients for tick development and reproduction. However, some intracellular proteins were also identified, suggesting the possibility of shedding of the midgut epithelium and ingestion of saliva during feeding. This finding advances our understanding of the digestive mechanism and will be useful in the screening of vaccine antigens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Li Feng
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Protein Engineering in Animal Vaccines, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, Hunan Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Tian-Yin Cheng
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Protein Engineering in Animal Vaccines, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, Hunan Province, People's Republic of China.
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Breuner NE, Ford SL, Hojgaard A, Osikowicz LM, Parise CM, Rosales Rizzo MF, Bai Y, Levin ML, Eisen RJ, Eisen L. Failure of the Asian longhorned tick, Haemaphysalis longicornis, to serve as an experimental vector of the Lyme disease spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2019; 11:101311. [PMID: 31640938 PMCID: PMC7054938 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2019.101311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2019] [Revised: 09/26/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
The invasive, human-biting Asian longhorned tick, Haemaphysalis longicornis, was detected in New Jersey in the eastern United States in August of 2017 and by November of 2018 this tick had been recorded from 45 counties across 9 states, primarily along the Eastern Seaboard. The establishment of H. longicornis in the United States has raised the questions of how commonly it will bite humans and which native pathogens may naturally infect this tick. There also is a need for experimental vector competence studies with native pathogens to determine if H. longicornis can acquire a given pathogen while feeding, pass it transstadially, and then transmit the pathogen in the next life stage. In this experimental study, we evaluated the vector competence of a population of H. longicornis originating from the United States (New York) for a native isolate (B31) of the Lyme disease spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto (s.s.). In agreement with a previous experimental study on the vector competence of H. longicornis for Borrelia garinii, we found that uninfected H. longicornis larvae could acquire B. burgdorferi s.s. while feeding on infected Mus musculus mice (infection prevalence >50% in freshly fed larvae) but that the infection was lost during the molt to the nymphal stage. None of 520 tested molted nymphs were found to be infected, indicating that transstadial passage of B. burgdorferi s.s. is absent or rare in H. longicornis; and based on the potential error associated with the number of nymphs testing negative in this study, we estimate that the upper 95% limit for infection prevalence was 0.73%. An Ixodes scapularis process control showed both effective acquisition of B. burgdorferi s.s. from infected mice by uninfected larvae and transstadial passage to the nymphal stage (infection prevalence of 80-82% for both freshly fed larvae and molted nymphs). We also observed that although H. longicornis larvae could be compelled to feed on mice by placing the ticks within feeding capsules, attachment and feeding success was minimal (<0.5%) when larvae were placed freely on the fur of the mice. We conclude that H. longicornis is unlikely to contribute more than minimally, if at all, to transmission of Lyme disease spirochetes in the United States.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole E Breuner
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO 80521, United States
| | - Shelby L Ford
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road NE, MS G-13, Atlanta, GA 30329-4018, United States
| | - Andrias Hojgaard
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO 80521, United States
| | - Lynn M Osikowicz
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO 80521, United States
| | - Christina M Parise
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO 80521, United States
| | - Maria F Rosales Rizzo
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO 80521, United States
| | - Ying Bai
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO 80521, United States
| | - Michael L Levin
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road NE, MS G-13, Atlanta, GA 30329-4018, United States
| | - Rebecca J Eisen
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO 80521, United States
| | - Lars Eisen
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO 80521, United States.
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