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Kessy ST, Makundi R, Massawe AW, Rija AA. Flea infestation of rodent and their community structure in frequent and non-frequent plague outbreak areas in Mbulu district, northern Tanzania. Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl 2024; 23:100921. [PMID: 38495310 PMCID: PMC10940774 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2024.100921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Understanding rodent-ectoparasite interactions and the factors driving them is important in understanding the epidemiology of diseases involving an arthropod vector. Fleas are the primary vector for Yersinia pestis, the bacteria that causes plague and monitoring of flea population is essential for planning the potential mitigation measures to prevent the disease outbreak. In this study, we investigated flea abundance, community structure and the potential factors driving flea infestation in areas with frequent (persistent) and non-frequent plague (non-persistent) outbreaks. We collected fleas from captured rodents in two villages with both forest and farm habitats. We found 352 fleas belonging to 5 species with Dinopsyllus lypusus the most abundant overall (57.10%) and Ctenophthalmus spp. the lowest (1.70%). There were no significant differences of flea abundance between study localities, habitats and seasons (p > 0.05) but, flea infestation was significantly positively associated with the persistent locality and with the short rain season (p < 0.05). Further, flea abundance increased significantly with rodent body weight (p < 0.05). Furthermore, we found fleas broadly structured into two communities varying between the dry, long rain and short rain seasons. These findings have important implications for public health, as they may be used to assess and control the risks of plague transmission and other flea borne diseases in the foci.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stella T. Kessy
- Department of Wildlife Management, Sokoine University of Agriculture, P.O. Box 3073, CHUO KIKUU, Morogoro, Tanzania
- The African Centre of Excellence for Innovative Rodent Pest Management and Biosensor Technology Development (ACE IRPM&BTD), Tanzania
- School of Life Science and Bio-Engineering (LiSBE), Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology, P. O. Box 447, Arusha, Tanzania
| | - RhodesH. Makundi
- The African Centre of Excellence for Innovative Rodent Pest Management and Biosensor Technology Development (ACE IRPM&BTD), Tanzania
- Institute of Pest Management, Sokoine University of Agriculture, P. O. Box 3110, Morogoro, Tanzania
| | - Apia W. Massawe
- The African Centre of Excellence for Innovative Rodent Pest Management and Biosensor Technology Development (ACE IRPM&BTD), Tanzania
- Institute of Pest Management, Sokoine University of Agriculture, P. O. Box 3110, Morogoro, Tanzania
| | - Alfan A. Rija
- Department of Wildlife Management, Sokoine University of Agriculture, P.O. Box 3073, CHUO KIKUU, Morogoro, Tanzania
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Migalska M, Węglarczyk K, Dudek K, Homa J. Evolutionary trade-offs constraining the MHC gene expansion: beyond simple TCR depletion model. Front Immunol 2024; 14:1240723. [PMID: 38259496 PMCID: PMC10801004 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1240723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The immune system is as much shaped by the pressure of pathogens as it is by evolutionary trade-offs that constrain its structure and function. A perfect example comes from the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), molecules that initiate adaptive immune response by presentation of foreign antigens to T cells. The remarkable, population-level polymorphism of MHC genes is assumed to result mainly from a co-evolutionary arms race between hosts and pathogens, while the limited, within-individual number of functional MHC loci is thought to be the consequence of an evolutionary trade-off between enhanced pathogen recognition and excessive T cell depletion during negative selection in the thymus. Certain mathematical models and infection studies suggest that an intermediate individual MHC diversity would thus be optimal. A recent, more direct test of this hypothesis has shown that the effects of MHC diversity on T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoires may differ between MHC classes, supporting the depletion model only for MHC class I. Here, we used the bank vole (Myodes=Cletronomys glareolus), a rodent species with variable numbers of expressed MHC genes, to test how an individual MHC diversity influences the proportions and TCR repertoires of responding T cell subsets. We found a non-linear relationship between MHC diversity and T cell proportions (with intermediate MHC numbers coinciding with the largest T cell proportions), perhaps reflecting an optimality effect of balanced positive and negative thymic selection. The association was strongest for the relationship between MHC class I and splenic CD8+ T cells. The CD8+ TCR richness alone was unaffected by MHC class I diversity, suggesting that MHC class I expansion may be limited by decreasing T cell counts, rather than by direct depletion of TCR richness. In contrast, CD4+ TCR richness was positively correlated with MHC class II diversity, arguing against a universal TCR depletion. It also suggests that different evolutionary forces or trade-offs may limit the within-individual expansion of the MHC class II loci.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Migalska
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Kazimierz Węglarczyk
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Institute of Paediatrics, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Dudek
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Joanna Homa
- Department of Evolutionary Immunology, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
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Zanet S, Occhibove F, Capizzi D, Fratini S, Giannini F, Hoida AD, Sposimo P, Valentini F, Ferroglio E. Zoonotic Microparasites in Invasive Black Rats ( Rattus rattus) from Small Islands in Central Italy. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:3279. [PMID: 37894002 PMCID: PMC10603634 DOI: 10.3390/ani13203279] [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: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Invasive species have a detrimental impact on native populations, particularly in island ecosystems, and they pose a potential zoonotic and wildlife threat. Black rats (Rattus rattus) are invasive species that disrupt native flora and fauna on islands and serve as potential competent reservoirs for various pathogens and parasites. Microparasites screening was conducted in rat populations from small islands in central Italy (the Pontine Islands and Pianosa) with the aim of assessing the role of rats in maintaining infections, particularly in cases where key reservoir hosts were scarce or absent. We focused on microparasites of zoonotic and veterinary relevance. A total of 53 rats was kill-trapped and target tissues were analysed with molecular techniques. We observed the absence or very low prevalence of Anaplasma spp., while Babesia was found in rats from all locations, marking the first recorded instance of Babesia divergens in wild rats. Data from Pianosa strongly suggest the presence of an autochthonous Leishmania infantum cycle in the Tuscan archipelago islands. Neospora caninum was absent from all islands, even in areas where dogs, the main reservoirs, were present. Toxoplasma gondii was only recorded on the Pontine Islands, where genotyping is needed to shed light on infection dynamics. This study confirms that invasive species, such as rats, may be responsible for maintaining an increased parasitological threat to fauna and human communities in certain ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Zanet
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Largo Paolo Braccini, 2, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy; (S.Z.); (A.D.H.); (F.V.); (E.F.)
| | - Flavia Occhibove
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Largo Paolo Braccini, 2, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy; (S.Z.); (A.D.H.); (F.V.); (E.F.)
| | - Dario Capizzi
- Directorate for Natural Capital, Latium Region, Parks and Protected Areas, Viale del Tintoretto 432, 00142 Rome, Italy;
| | - Sara Fratini
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Firenze, Via Madonna del Piano 6, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy;
| | - Francesca Giannini
- Parco Nazionale Arcipelago Toscano, Loc. Enfola, 57037 Portoferraio, Italy;
| | - Avner Dan Hoida
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Largo Paolo Braccini, 2, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy; (S.Z.); (A.D.H.); (F.V.); (E.F.)
| | - Paolo Sposimo
- Nature and Environment Management Operators SRL (NEMO), Piazza Massimo D’Azeglio 11, 50121 Florence, Italy;
| | - Flaminia Valentini
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Largo Paolo Braccini, 2, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy; (S.Z.); (A.D.H.); (F.V.); (E.F.)
| | - Ezio Ferroglio
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Largo Paolo Braccini, 2, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy; (S.Z.); (A.D.H.); (F.V.); (E.F.)
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Migalska M, Węglarczyk K, Mężyk-Kopeć R, Baliga-Klimczyk K, Homa J. Cross-reactivity of T cell-specific antibodies in the bank vole (Myodes glareolus). J Immunol Methods 2023; 520:113524. [PMID: 37463649 DOI: 10.1016/j.jim.2023.113524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023]
Abstract
The bank vole is a common Cricetidae rodent that is a reservoir of several zoonotic pathogens and an emerging model in eco-immunology. Here, we add to a developing immunological toolkit for this species by testing the cross-reactivity of commercially available monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to the bank vole lymphocyte differentiation molecules and a transcription factor. We show that a combination of mAbs against CD4, CD3, and Foxp3 allows flow cytometric distinction of the main subsets of T cells: putative helper CD4+, cytotoxic CD8+ (as CD3+CD4-) and regulatory CD4+Foxp3+. We also provide a comparative analysis of amino acid sequences of CD4, CD8αβ, CD3εγδ and Foxp3 molecules for a number of commonly studied Cricetidae rodents and discuss mAb cross-reactivity patterns reported so far in this rodent family. We found that in case of mAbs targeting the extracellular portions of commonly used T cell markers, sequence similarity is a poor prognostic of cross-reactivity. Use of more conserved, intracellular molecules or molecule fragments is a more reliable approach in non-model species, but the necessity of cell fixation limit its application in, e.g. functional studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Migalska
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, Krakow 30-387, Poland.
| | - Kazimierz Węglarczyk
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Medical College, Jagiellonian University Department of Clinical Immunology, Institute of Paediatrics, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Wielicka 265, Krakow 30-663, Poland
| | - Renata Mężyk-Kopeć
- Department of Cell Biochemistry, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, Krakow 30-387, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Baliga-Klimczyk
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, Krakow 30-387, Poland
| | - Joanna Homa
- Department of Evolutionary Immunology, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 9, Krakow 30-387, Poland
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Presence of Anaplasma phagocytophilum Ecotype I in UK Ruminants and Associated Zoonotic Risk. Pathogens 2023; 12:pathogens12020216. [PMID: 36839488 PMCID: PMC9966478 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12020216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/28/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Anaplasma phagocytophilum is the causative agent of tick-borne fever in sheep, pasture fever in cattle, and granulocytic anaplasmosis in humans. The increasing prevalence and transboundary spread of A. phagocytophilum in livestock, ticks, and wildlife in the UK poses a potential zoonotic risk that has yet to be estimated. Several ecotypes of A. phagocytophilum show variable zoonotic potential. To evaluate the possible risk associated with the transmission of A. phagocytophilum from ruminants to humans, the ecotype was determined by sequencing the groEL gene from 71 positive blood and tissue samples from UK ruminants. Thirty-four groEL sequences were obtained, fourteen of which were identified in multiple samples. Of the 13 nucleotide polymorphisms identified through pairwise comparison, all corresponded to synonymous substitutions. The subsequent phylogenetic estimation of the relationship with other European/world isolates indicated that all the groEL sequences clustered with other ecotype I sequences. The presence of ecotype I closely reflects that observed in ruminants in continental Europe and suggests a lower risk of zoonotic transmission from this reservoir.
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