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Kwak ML, Hitch AT, Borthwick SA, Low DHW, Markowsky G, McInnes D, Smith GJD, Nakao R, Mendenhall IH. Host, season, habitat and climatic factors as drivers of Asian rodent tick (Ixodes granulatus) (Acari: Ixodidae) occurrence and abundance in Southeast Asia. Acta Trop 2023; 246:106992. [PMID: 37543183 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2023.106992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/07/2023]
Abstract
The Asian rodent tick (Ixodes granulatus) occurs throughout much of Asia, it frequently bites humans, and zoonotic pathogens, such as Borrelia burgdorferi (sensu lato) and Rickettsia honei, have been detected within it. Unfortunately, the ecology of I. granulatus remains poorly known, including drivers of its abundance and the interaction ecology with its sylvatic hosts. To elucidate the ecology of this medically important species, the habitat preferences of I. granulatus were assessed in Singapore and Malaysia. Ixodes granulatus showed strong associations with old forest habitats, though across different age classes of old forest there was limited variation in abundance. Ixodes granulatus was absent from other habitats including young forest, scrubland, and parks/gardens. Within its sylvatic rodent hosts, a range of factors were found to be statistically significant predictors of I. granulatus load and/or infestation risk, including sex and body condition index. Male rodents were significantly more likely to be infested and to have higher loads than females, similarly, animals with a lower body condition index were significantly more likely to be infested. Proactive public health efforts targeted at preventing bites by this tick should carefully consider its ecology to minimise ecological overlap between humans and I. granulatus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mackenzie L Kwak
- Department of Disease Control, Laboratory of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0818, Japan.
| | - Alan T Hitch
- Department of Wildlife, Museum of Wildlife and Fish Biology, Fish and Conservation Biology, University of California at Davis, Davis CA 95616, USA
| | - Sophie A Borthwick
- Program in Emerging Infectious Diseases, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
| | - Dolyce H W Low
- Program in Emerging Infectious Diseases, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
| | - Greg Markowsky
- School of Mathematics, Monash University, 9 Rainforest Walk, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Daniel McInnes
- School of Mathematics, Monash University, 9 Rainforest Walk, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Gavin J D Smith
- Program in Emerging Infectious Diseases, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore; Centre for Outbreak Preparedness, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore; Singhealth Duke-NUS Academia Medical Centre, Singhealth Duke-NUS Global Health Institute, Singapore; Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Ryo Nakao
- Department of Disease Control, Laboratory of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0818, Japan
| | - Ian H Mendenhall
- Program in Emerging Infectious Diseases, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore; Singhealth Duke-NUS Academia Medical Centre, Singhealth Duke-NUS Global Health Institute, Singapore
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Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) of three Timor-Leste reptiles: first country record of Amblyomma helvolum, with new interactions and an updated list of host species. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2023; 14:102060. [PMID: 36638670 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2022.102060] [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: 12/25/2021] [Revised: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
We report on the presence of the ixodid tick Amblyomma helvolum on three species of reptiles from Timor-Leste. Among a total of 21 host specimens (lizards: 18 four-fingered skinks, Carlia sp. 'Meleotegi' and two forest skinks, Sphenomorphus sp. 'Meleotegi'; snake: one Coelognathus subradiatus) four were parasitized by ticks. Whereas nymphs were associated with the lizards, an adult male was retrieved from the snake. This report is the first of A. helvolum for Timor-Leste, the first for the skink genera Carlia and Sphenomorphus, and the first for C. subradiatus. We present a comprehensive table with updated taxonomy of known associations between A. helvolum and other vertebrates.
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Che Lah EF, George E, Apanaskevich D, Ahmad M, Yaakop S. First Record of the Tortoise Tick, Amblyomma geoemydae (Cantor, 1847) (Acari: Ixodidae) Parasitizing a Tree Shrew, Tupaia glis (Scandentia: Tupaiidae) in West Malaysia. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2022; 59:1473-1478. [PMID: 35482611 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjac042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The tick genus Amblyomma Koch, 1844 (Acari: Ixodidae) has received little attention in Malaysia; therefore, its associated hosts and distribution records are poorly known. In this study, we collected six Amblyomma sp. individuals (two larvae and four adults) that infested a common treeshrew, Tupaia glis (Diard, 1820) (Scandentia: Tupaiidae) caught in a recreational area in Sungai Lembing, Pahang (West Malaysia). The adult female ticks were morphologically identified according to taxonomic keys prior to molecular identification using cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) and 16S rDNA genes. The ticks were genetically verified as Amblyomma geoemydae (Cantor, 1847) with 98%-99% similarity to the available GenBank sequences. Neighbor-joining (NJ) trees indicated that A. geoemydae was clearly distinguished from other Amblyomma ticks and this was supported with high bootstrap values. This paper is the first to report A. geoemydae ticks infesting T. glis and provides a new tick-host record from West Malaysia. This information is significant for further investigation, specifically on this tick species as potential vector of tick-borne disease (TBD) agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ernieenor Faraliana Che Lah
- Acarology Unit, Infectious Diseases Research Centre, Institute for Medical Research (IMR), National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Jalan Setia Murni U13/52, Seksyen U13, Setia Alam, 40170, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
- Centre for Insect Systematics, Department of Biological Science and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Ernna George
- Acarology Unit, Infectious Diseases Research Centre, Institute for Medical Research (IMR), National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Jalan Setia Murni U13/52, Seksyen U13, Setia Alam, 40170, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Dmitry Apanaskevich
- United States National Tick Collection, The James H. Oliver, Jr. Institute for Coastal Plain Science, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA, 30460-8042, USA
- Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, 199034, Russia
| | - Mariana Ahmad
- Acarology Unit, Infectious Diseases Research Centre, Institute for Medical Research (IMR), National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Jalan Setia Murni U13/52, Seksyen U13, Setia Alam, 40170, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Salmah Yaakop
- Centre for Insect Systematics, Department of Biological Science and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
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Kazim AR, Houssaini J, Ehlers J, Tappe D, Heo CC. Soft ticks (Acari: Argasidae) in the island nations of Southeast Asia: A review on their distribution, associated hosts and potential pathogens. Acta Trop 2021; 223:106085. [PMID: 34389326 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2021.106085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2021] [Revised: 03/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Soft ticks (Acari: Argasidae) are the second major family of the blood feeding metastriates and vectors of a number of viral and bacterial pathogens for both humans and animals. Despite the growing effort on tick surveillance and studies worldwide, there is still limited information on the soft tick distribution in the island nations of Southeast Asia, especially species that are medically and veterinarily important. With the aim to provide an overview of the current status of knowledge on soft tick distribution in the island nations of Southeast Asia (Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia, the Philippines and Timor-Leste), this article reviews the species of soft ticks (Acari: Argasidae) and their associated hosts and pathogens, with the addition of a pictorial summary and list of tick species discovered in this region. The most prevalent soft tick genus is Carios, and the host species most associated with findings of soft ticks in this region are bats, particularly of the Pteropodidae and Vespertilionidae families. Furthermore, the only known pathogen originating from soft ticks in the island nations of Southeast Asia was the Keterah virus, which was isolated from Argas pusillus tick in Malaysia.
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Affiliation(s)
- A R Kazim
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh Campus, Jalan Hospital, 47000 Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - J Houssaini
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh Campus, Jalan Hospital, 47000 Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia; Institute of Pathology, Laboratory and Forensic Medicine (I-PPerForM), Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh Campus, Jalan Hospital, 47000 Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - J Ehlers
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - D Tappe
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - C C Heo
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh Campus, Jalan Hospital, 47000 Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia; Institute of Pathology, Laboratory and Forensic Medicine (I-PPerForM), Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh Campus, Jalan Hospital, 47000 Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia.
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Kwak ML, Neves ES, Borthwick SA, Smith GJD, Meier R, Mendenhall IH. Habitat impacts the abundance and network structure within tick (Acari: Ixodidae) communities on tropical small mammals. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2021; 12:101654. [PMID: 33548598 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2021.101654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2020] [Revised: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 01/10/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Ticks of small mammals pose a significant risk to public health but these hazards are poorly understood in the tropics due to the paucity of information on the disease ecology of ticks in these regions. Mapping and quantifying the diversity of small mammal/tick networks and the effects of habitat on these medically important systems is key to disease prevention. Singapore represents a microcosm of much of tropical Asia as it has a diverse, though poorly studied, community of ticks and small mammals. Singapore also has a range of terrestrial habitats exhibiting a gradient of degradation. Small mammals and their ticks were sampled across the island in four main habitat types (old secondary forest, young secondary forest, scrubland, urban) across 4.5 years. Four tick species were collected (Amblyomma helvolum, Dermacentor auratus, Haemaphysalis semermis, Ixodes granulatus) from 10 small mammal species. Habitat was found to have a significant effect on both the abundance and structure of tick communities on small mammals. Old secondary forest communities had the highest tick abundance, comparatively high connectance, niche overlap (among ticks), linkage density, and were the preferred habitat of the zoonotic tick I. granulatus. Therefore, future disease spillover is likely to emerge from small mammal-tick communities in old secondary forests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mackenzie L Kwak
- Department of Biological Science, National University of Singapore, 16 Science Drive 4, 117558, Singapore.
| | - Erica S Neves
- Program in Emerging Infectious Diseases, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
| | - Sophie A Borthwick
- Program in Emerging Infectious Diseases, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
| | - Gavin J D Smith
- Program in Emerging Infectious Diseases, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
| | - Rudolf Meier
- Department of Biological Science, National University of Singapore, 16 Science Drive 4, 117558, Singapore
| | - Ian H Mendenhall
- Program in Emerging Infectious Diseases, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
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Sharifah N, Heo CC, Ehlers J, Houssaini J, Tappe D. Ticks and tick-borne pathogens in animals and humans in the island nations of Southeast Asia: A review. Acta Trop 2020; 209:105527. [PMID: 32447029 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2020.105527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2019] [Revised: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Ticks are blood-feeding ectoparasites and major vectors of pathogens that cause infectious diseases in humans and animals worldwide including mammals, birds and reptiles. Despite the growing scientific effort in the 20th century, there is still limited information on ticks and tick-borne pathogens in Southeast Asia, especially concerning medical, veterinary, socioeconomic and agricultural aspects in the island nations. This review provides an overview of the current state of knowledge of ticks and their pathogens in the island nations of Southeast Asia and peninsular Malaysia. We aim to stimulate further research studies on ticks and tick-borne pathogens of human and veterinary importance in this geographical region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadiah Sharifah
- Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh Campus, Jalan Hospital, 47000 Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Chong Chin Heo
- Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh Campus, Jalan Hospital, 47000 Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia; Institute of Pathology, Laboratory and Forensic Medicine (I-PPerForM), Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh Campus, Jalan Hospital, 47000 Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia.
| | - Julian Ehlers
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jamal Houssaini
- Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh Campus, Jalan Hospital, 47000 Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia; Institute of Pathology, Laboratory and Forensic Medicine (I-PPerForM), Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh Campus, Jalan Hospital, 47000 Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Dennis Tappe
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
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