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Snow AA, Pearson P, Xu G, Allen DN, Santamaria R, Rich SM. Tick Densities and Infection Prevalence on Coastal Islands in Massachusetts, USA: Establishing a Baseline. INSECTS 2023; 14:628. [PMID: 37504634 PMCID: PMC10380421 DOI: 10.3390/insects14070628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2023] [Revised: 07/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Tick-borne diseases and a tick-induced red meat allergy have become increasingly common in the northeastern USA and elsewhere. At the scale of local communities, few studies have documented tick densities or infection levels to characterize current conditions and provide a baseline for further monitoring. Using the town of Nantucket, MA, as a case study, we recorded tick densities by drag sampling along hiking trails in nature preserves on two islands. Nymphal blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis Say) were most abundant at shadier sites and least common in grasslands and scrub oak thickets (Quercus ilicifolia). Lone star ticks (Amblyomma americanum L.) were common on Tuckernuck Island and rare on Nantucket Island, while both tick species were more numerous in 2021 compared to 2020 and 2022. We tested for pathogens in blacklegged nymphs at five sites over two years. In 2020 and 2021, infection levels among the four Nantucket Island sites averaged 10% vs. 19% for Borrelia burgdorferi, 11% vs. 15% for Babesia microti, and 17% (both years) for Anaplasma phagocytophilum, while corresponding levels were significantly greater on Tuckernuck in 2021. Our site-specific, quantitative approach represents a practical example of how potential exposure to tick-borne diseases can be monitored on a local scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison A Snow
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Patrick Pearson
- Laboratory of Medical Zoology, Department of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Guang Xu
- Laboratory of Medical Zoology, Department of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - David N Allen
- Department of Biology, Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT 05753, USA
| | | | - Stephen M Rich
- Laboratory of Medical Zoology, Department of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
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Pelletier J, Guillot C, Rocheleau JP, Bouchard C, Baron G, Bédard C, Dibernardo A, Lindsay LR, Leighton PA, Aenishaenslin C. The added value of One Health surveillance: data from questing ticks can provide an early signal for anaplasmosis outbreaks in animals and humans. CANADIAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH = REVUE CANADIENNE DE SANTE PUBLIQUE 2023; 114:317-324. [PMID: 36471231 PMCID: PMC10036682 DOI: 10.17269/s41997-022-00723-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE In 2021, a first outbreak of anaplasmosis occurred in animals and humans in southern Québec, with 64% of confirmed human cases located in Bromont municipality. Ixodes scapularis ticks and Peromyscus mouse ear biopsies collected in Bromont from 2019 to 2021 were analyzed for Anaplasma phagocytophilum (Ap) with the objective of determining whether an early environmental signal could have been detected before the outbreak. METHODS Samples were collected for a concurrent study aiming to reduce Lyme disease risk. Between 2019 and 2021, up to 14 experimental sites were sampled for ticks and capture of small mammals took place on three sites in 2021. Samples were screened for Ap using multiplex real-time PCR, and genetic strains were identified using a single-nucleotide polymorphism assay. RESULTS Analyses showed an increase of 5.7% in Ap prevalence in ticks (CI95: 1.5-9.9) between 2019 and 2020, i.e., one year before the outbreak. A majority of Ap-positive ticks were infected with the zoonotic strain (68.8%; CI95: 50.0-83.9) during the study period. In 2021, 2 of 59 captured Peromycus mice were positive for Ap, for a prevalence of 3.4% (CI95: 0.4-11.7). CONCLUSION We conclude that data collected in Bromont could have provided an early signal for an anaplasmosis risk increasing in the targeted region. This is a reminder that integrated surveillance of tick-borne diseases through structured One Health programs, i.e. systematically integrating data from humans, animals and the environment, can provide useful and timely information for better preparedness and response in public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jérôme Pelletier
- Département de pathologie et microbiologie, Faculté de médecine vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada.
- Groupe de recherche en épidémiologie des zoonoses et santé publique, Faculté de médecine vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada.
- Centre de recherche en santé publique de l'Université de Montréal et du CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l'Île-de-Montréal, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
| | - Camille Guillot
- Département de pathologie et microbiologie, Faculté de médecine vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada
- Groupe de recherche en épidémiologie des zoonoses et santé publique, Faculté de médecine vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada
- Centre de recherche en santé publique de l'Université de Montréal et du CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l'Île-de-Montréal, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | | | - Catherine Bouchard
- Groupe de recherche en épidémiologie des zoonoses et santé publique, Faculté de médecine vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada
- Public Health Risk Sciences Division, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada
| | - Geneviève Baron
- Direction de la santé publique du CIUSS de l'Estrie, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada
- Département des sciences de la santé communautaire, Faculté de médecine et des sciences de la santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada
| | - Christian Bédard
- Département de pathologie et microbiologie, Faculté de médecine vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada
- Centre de diagnostic vétérinaire de l'Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada
| | - Antonia Dibernardo
- One Health Division, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - L Robbin Lindsay
- One Health Division, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Patrick A Leighton
- Département de pathologie et microbiologie, Faculté de médecine vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada
- Groupe de recherche en épidémiologie des zoonoses et santé publique, Faculté de médecine vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada
- Centre de recherche en santé publique de l'Université de Montréal et du CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l'Île-de-Montréal, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Cécile Aenishaenslin
- Département de pathologie et microbiologie, Faculté de médecine vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada
- Groupe de recherche en épidémiologie des zoonoses et santé publique, Faculté de médecine vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada
- Centre de recherche en santé publique de l'Université de Montréal et du CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l'Île-de-Montréal, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
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Hojgaard A, Osikowicz LM, Rizzo MF, Ayres BN, Nicholson WL, Eisen RJ. Using next generation sequencing for molecular detection and differentiation of Anaplasma phagocytophilum variants from host seeking Ixodes scapularis ticks in the United States. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2022; 13:102041. [PMID: 36257186 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2022.102041] [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: 05/02/2022] [Revised: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
Anaplasmosis is increasingly common in the United States, with cases being reported over an expanding geographic area. To monitor for changes in risk of human infection, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention monitors the distribution and abundance of host-seeking vector ticks (Ixodes scapularis and Ixodes pacificus) and their infection with Anaplasma phagocytophilum. While several variants of A. phagocytophilum circulate in I. scapularis, only the human-active variant (Ap-ha) appears to be pathogenic in humans. Failure to differentiate between human and non-human variants may artificially inflate estimates of the risk of human infection. Efforts to differentiate the Ap-ha variant from the deer variant (Ap-V1) in ticks typically rely on traditional PCR assays coupled with sequencing of PCR products. However, laboratories are increasingly turning to Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) to increase testing efficiency, retain high sensitivity, and increase specificity compared with traditional PCR assays. We describe a new NGS assay with novel targets that accurately segregate the Ap-ha variant from other non-human variants and further identify unique clades within the human and non-human variants. Recognizing that not all investigators have access to NGS technology, we also developed a PCR assay based on one of the novel targets so that variants can be visualized using agarose gel electrophoresis without the need for subsequent sequencing. Such an assay may be used to improve estimates of human risk of developing anaplasmosis in North America.
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Affiliation(s)
- 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, 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, United States
| | - Maria F 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, United States
| | - Bryan N Ayres
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - William L Nicholson
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, 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, United States
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4
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Schwartz S, Calvente E, Rollinson E, Sample Koon Koon D, Chinnici N. Tick-Borne Pathogens in Questing Blacklegged Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) From Pike County, Pennsylvania. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2022; 59:1793-1804. [PMID: 35920050 PMCID: PMC9473652 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjac107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Active surveillance was conducted by collecting questing ticks from vegetation through a 2-yr survey in Pike County, Pennsylvania. Over a thousand blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis Say) and American dog ticks (Dermacentor variabilis Say) were collected. A single specimen of the following species was collected: lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum L.), rabbit tick (Haemaphysalis leporispalustris Packard), and an Asian longhorned tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis Neumann). This study represents the largest county-wide study in Pennsylvania, surveying 988 questing I. scapularis adult and nymphs. Molecular detection of five distinct tick-borne pathogens was screened through real-time PCR at a single tick resolution. Respectively, the overall 2-yr adult and nymph prevalence were highest with Borrelia burgdorferi (Spirochaetales: Spirochaetacceae) (45.99%, 18.94%), Anaplasma phagocytophilum (Rickettsiales: Anaplasmataceae) (12.29%, 7.95%) where the variant-ha (8.29%, 3.03%) was overall more prevalent than the variant-v1 (2.49%, 4.17%), Babesia microti (Piroplasmida: Babesiidae) (4.97%, 5.30%), Borrelia miyamotoi (Spirochaetales: Spirochaetaceae) (1.38%, 1.89%), and Powassan virus lineage II [POWV]/deer tick virus (DTV) (2.07%, 0.76%). Adult and nymph coinfection prevalence of B. burgdorferi and B. microti (3.03%, 4.97%) and adult coinfection of B. burgdorferi and A. phagocytophilum or A. phagocytophilum and B. microti were significantly higher than the independent infection rate expected naturally. This study highlights the urgency to conduct diverse surveillance studies with large sample sizes to better understand the human risk for tick-borne diseases within small geographical areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Schwartz
- Dr. Jane Huffman Wildlife Genetics Institute, East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania, 562 Independence Road, Suite 114, East Stroudsburg, PA 18301, USA
| | - Elizabeth Calvente
- Dr. Jane Huffman Wildlife Genetics Institute, East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania, 562 Independence Road, Suite 114, East Stroudsburg, PA 18301, USA
| | - Emily Rollinson
- East Stroudsburg University, 200 Prospect Street, East Stroudsburg, PA 18301, USA
| | - Destiny Sample Koon Koon
- Dr. Jane Huffman Wildlife Genetics Institute, East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania, 562 Independence Road, Suite 114, East Stroudsburg, PA 18301, USA
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Urbanová V, Kalinová E, Kopáček P, Šíma R. Experimental Infection of Mice and Ticks with the Human Isolate of Anaplasma phagocytophilum NY-18. Pathogens 2022; 11:pathogens11070820. [PMID: 35890063 PMCID: PMC9325317 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11070820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Revised: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Anaplasma phagocytophilum is the causative agent of tick-borne fever (TBF) and human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA) and is currently considered an emerging disease in the USA, Europe, and Asia. The increased prevalence of A. phagocytophilum as a human pathogen requires the detailed characterization of human isolates and the implementation of appropriate animal models. In this study, we demonstrated that the dynamics of infection with the human isolate of A. phagocytophilum NY-18 was variable in three different strains of mice (SCID, C3H/HeN, BALB/c). We further evaluated the ability of Ixodes ricinus to acquire and transmit A. phagocytophilum NY-18 and compared it with Ixodes scapularis. Larvae of both tick species effectively acquired the pathogen while feeding on infected mice. The infection rates then decreased during the development to nymphs. Interestingly, molted I. ricinus nymphs were unable to transmit the pathogen to naïve mice, which contrasted with I. scapularis. The results of our study suggest that I. ricinus is not a competent vector for the American human Anaplasma isolate. Further studies are needed to establish reliable transmission models for I. ricinus and European human isolate(s) of A. phagocytophilum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronika Urbanová
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 1160/31, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; (V.U.); (E.K.); (P.K.)
| | - Eliška Kalinová
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 1160/31, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; (V.U.); (E.K.); (P.K.)
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1645/31a, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Kopáček
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 1160/31, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; (V.U.); (E.K.); (P.K.)
| | - Radek Šíma
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 1160/31, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; (V.U.); (E.K.); (P.K.)
- Bioptická Laboratoř, s.r.o., Mikulášské nám. 4, 32600 Plzeň, Czech Republic
- Correspondence:
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Transmission patterns of tick-borne pathogens among birds and rodents in a forested park in southeastern Canada. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0266527. [PMID: 35390092 PMCID: PMC8989207 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0266527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Ixodes scapularis ticks are expanding their range in parts of northeastern North America, bringing with them pathogens of public health concern. While rodents like the white-footed mouse, Peromyscus leucopus, are considered the primary reservoir of many emerging tick-borne pathogens, the contribution of birds, as alternative hosts and reservoirs, to local transmission cycles has not yet been firmly established. From 2016 to 2018, we collected host-seeking ticks and examined rodent and bird hosts for ticks at 48 sites in a park where blacklegged ticks are established in Quebec, Canada, in order to characterize the distribution of pathogens in ticks and mammalian and avian hosts. We found nearly one third of captured birds (n = 849) and 70% of small mammals (n = 694) were infested with I. scapularis. Five bird and three mammal species transmitted Borrelia burgdorferi to feeding larvae (n larvae tested = 2257) and we estimated that about one fifth of the B. burgdorferi-infected questing nymphs in the park acquired their infection from birds, the remaining being attributable to mice. Ground-foraging bird species were more parasitized than other birds, and species that inhabited open habitat were more frequently infested and were more likely to transmit B. burgdorferi to larval ticks feeding upon them. Female birds were more likely to transmit infection than males, without age differentiation, whereas in mice, adult males were more likely to transmit infection than juveniles and females. We also detected Borrelia miyamotoi in larvae collected from birds, and Anaplasma phagocytophilum from a larva collected from a white-footed mouse. This study highlights the importance of characterising the reservoir potential of alternative reservoir hosts and to quantify their contribution to transmission dynamics in different species assemblages. This information is key to identifying the most effective host-targeted risk mitigation actions.
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Dykstra EA, Oltean HN, Kangiser D, Marsden-Haug N, Rich SM, Xu G, Lee MK, Morshed MG, Graham CB, Eisen RJ. Ecology and Epidemiology of Tickborne Pathogens, Washington, USA, 2011-2016. Emerg Infect Dis 2021; 26:648-657. [PMID: 32187009 PMCID: PMC7101130 DOI: 10.3201/eid2604.191382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Tickborne diseases are rare in Washington, USA, and the ecology of these pathogens is poorly understood. We integrated surveillance data from humans and ticks to better describe their epidemiology and ecology. During 2011-2016, a total of 202 tickborne disease cases were reported in Washington residents. Of these, 68 (34%) were autochthonous, including cases of Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tickborne relapsing fever, and tularemia. During May 2011-December 2016, we collected 977 host-seeking ticks, including Ixodes pacificus, I. angustus, I. spinipalpis, I. auritulus, Dermacentor andersoni, and D. variabilis ticks. The prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto in I. pacificus ticks was 4.0%; of B. burgdorferi sensu lato, 3.8%; of B. miyamotoi, 4.4%; and of Anaplasma phagocytophilum, 1.9%. We did not detect Rickettsia rickettsii in either Dermacentor species. Case-patient histories and detection of pathogens in field-collected ticks indicate that several tickborne pathogens are endemic to Washington.
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Rar V, Tkachev S, Tikunova N. Genetic diversity of Anaplasma bacteria: Twenty years later. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2021; 91:104833. [PMID: 33794351 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2021.104833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
The genus Anaplasma (family Anaplasmataceae, order Rickettsiales) includes obligate intracellular alphaproteobacteria that multiply within membrane-bound vacuoles and are transmitted by Ixodidae ticks to vertebrate hosts. Since the last reclassification of Anaplasmataceae twenty years ago, two new Anaplasma species have been identified. To date, the genus includes eight Anaplasma species (A. phagocytophilum, A. marginale, A. centrale, A. ovis, A. bovis, A. platys, A. odocoilei, and A. capra) and a large number of unclassified genovariants that cannot be assigned to known species. Members of the genus can cause infection in humans and a wide range of domestic animals with different degrees of severity. Long-term persistence which, in some cases, is manifested as cyclic bacteremia has been demonstrated for several Anaplasma species. Zoonotic potential has been shown for A. phagocytophilum, the agent of human granulocytic anaplasmosis, and for some other Anaplasma spp. that suggests a broader medical relevance of this genus. Genetic diversity of Anaplasma spp. has been intensively studied in recent years, and it has been shown that some Anaplasma spp. can be considered as a complex of genetically distinct lineages differing by geography, vectors, and host tropism. The aim of this review was to summarize the current knowledge concerning the natural history, pathogenic properties, and genetic diversity of Anaplasma spp. and some unclassified genovariants with particular attention to their genetic characteristics. The high genetic variability of Anaplasma spp. prompted us to conduct a detailed phylogenetic analysis for different Anaplasma species and unclassified genovariants, which were included in this review. The genotyping of unclassified genovariants has led to the identification of at least four distinct clades that might be considered in future as new candidate species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vera Rar
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation.
| | - Sergey Tkachev
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation
| | - Nina Tikunova
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation
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Milholland MT, Xu G, Rich SM, Machtinger ET, Mullinax JM, Li AY. Pathogen Coinfections Harbored by Adult Ixodes scapularis from White-Tailed Deer Compared with Questing Adults Across Sites in Maryland, USA. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2020; 21:86-91. [PMID: 33316206 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2020.2644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis, can acquire and transmit tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) responsible for diseases such as human granulocytic anaplasmosis (Anaplasma phagocytophilum [ANPH]), babesiosis (Babesia microti [BABE]), Lyme borreliosis (Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato [BBSL]), and the relatively novel relapsing fever-like illness, Borrelia miyamotoi (BMIY) disease in the northeastern United States. Coinfections with these pathogens are becoming increasingly more common in I. scapularis and their hosts, likely attributed to their shared enzootic cycles. Urban habitats are favorable to host species such as white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and these ungulates are known to be important to I. scapularis for reproduction and dispersal in North America. To understand the relationship between TBPs, white-tailed deer, and I. scapularis, we sampled eight sites across central Maryland collecting I. scapularis using standard tick dragging/flagging methods and retrieved others from deer carcasses. Pathogenic TBP species in each tick were determined using qPCR. In total, 903 adult ticks (deer: n = 573; questing: n = 330) revealed landscape-level prevalence of ANPH (27.8%), BABE (1.3%), BBSL (14.6%), and BMIY (0.8%) as singular infections overall. However, secondary coinfections of ANPH and BBSL were highest (9.9%) in ticks feeding from deer while associations of BBSL and BABE (4.2%) were highest in questing ticks. Results from this study provide evidence suggesting that adult I. scapularis acquire pathogenic species through phenologically associated host use, and thus, subsequent infections found in adults may provide insights into coinfection relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew T Milholland
- Invasive Insect Biocontrol & Behavior Laboratory, USDA-ARS, Beltsville, Maryland, USA.,AGNR-Environmental Science & Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Guang Xu
- Department of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Stephen M Rich
- Department of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Erika T Machtinger
- Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jennifer M Mullinax
- AGNR-Environmental Science & Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Andrew Y Li
- Invasive Insect Biocontrol & Behavior Laboratory, USDA-ARS, Beltsville, Maryland, USA
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Nelder MP, Russell CB, Lindsay LR, Dibernardo A, Brandon NC, Pritchard J, Johnson S, Cronin K, Patel SN. Recent Emergence of Anaplasma phagocytophilum in Ontario, Canada: Early Serological and Entomological Indicators. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020; 101:1249-1258. [PMID: 31628739 PMCID: PMC6896876 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.19-0166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA), caused by the bacteria Anaplasma phagocytophilum, is transmitted to humans by blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis) in eastern North America. To assess the emergence of A. phagocytophilum in Ontario, we analyzed patient serological and clinical data in combination with pathogen detection in blacklegged ticks from 2011 to 2017. Our sample population included all patients who had Anaplasma serological testing ordered by their physicians (n = 851). Eighty-three patients (10.8%) were A. phagocytophilum seropositive (IgG titers ≥ 1:64) and 686 (89.2%) were seronegative (IgG titers < 1:64). Applying published surveillance case definitions, we classified zero as confirmed, five as probable, and 78 as suspected cases. The percentage of seropositive patients remained generally stable at 13.6%. Seropositive patients were most often adult females, 40-59 years of age, and reported nonspecific signs and symptoms, such as fatigue, headache, and fever. Higher seropositivity rates (≥ 1.5 patients per 100,000 population) occurred in eastern and northwestern Ontario. The percentage of A. phagocytophilum-positive blacklegged ticks, through passive and active surveillance, was 0.4 and 1.1%, respectively, and increased over time. Serological and entomological indicators of A. phagocytophilum activity increased in areas of the province with established blacklegged tick populations. The risk of HGA is presently low in Ontario; however, further research is required to document the epidemiology of HGA in the province. To minimize the impact of HGA emergence in Ontario, increased awareness and education of the public and health-care providers is recommended, with consideration to making HGA a reportable infection in Ontario.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark P Nelder
- Enteric, Zoonotic and Vector-Borne Diseases, Communicable Diseases, Emergency Preparedness and Response; Public Health Ontario, Toronto, Canada
| | - Curtis B Russell
- Enteric, Zoonotic and Vector-Borne Diseases, Communicable Diseases, Emergency Preparedness and Response; Public Health Ontario, Toronto, Canada
| | - L Robbin Lindsay
- Field Studies, Zoonotic Diseases and Special Pathogens, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Antonia Dibernardo
- Field Studies, Zoonotic Diseases and Special Pathogens, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Nicholas C Brandon
- Enteric, Zoonotic and Vector-Borne Diseases, Communicable Diseases, Emergency Preparedness and Response; Public Health Ontario, Toronto, Canada
| | - Jennifer Pritchard
- Enteric, Zoonotic and Vector-Borne Diseases, Communicable Diseases, Emergency Preparedness and Response; Public Health Ontario, Toronto, Canada
| | - Steven Johnson
- Analytic Services, Informatics, Knowledge Services, Public Health Ontario, Toronto, Canada
| | - Kirby Cronin
- National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Canada.,Public Health Ontario Laboratory, Public Health Ontario, Toronto, Canada
| | - Samir N Patel
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Public Health Ontario Laboratory, Public Health Ontario, Toronto, Canada
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11
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Edwards MJ, Russell JC, Davidson EN, Yanushefski TJ, Fleischman BL, Heist RO, Leep-Lazar JG, Stuppi SL, Esposito RA, Suppan LM. A 4-Yr Survey of the Range of Ticks and Tick-Borne Pathogens in the Lehigh Valley Region of Eastern Pennsylvania. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2019; 56:1122-1134. [PMID: 31009533 PMCID: PMC6595528 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjz043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2019] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Questing ticks were surveyed by dragging in forested habitats within the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania for four consecutive summers (2015-2018). A high level of inter-annual variation was found in the density of blacklegged tick nymphs, Ixodes scapularis Say, with a high density of host-seeking nymphs (DON) in summer 2015 and 2017 and a relatively low DON in summer 2016 and 2018. Very few American dog ticks (Dermacentor variabilis Say) and Ixodes cookei Packard were collected. Lone star ticks (Amblyomma americanum L.) and longhorned ticks (Haemaphysalis longicornis Neumann) were not represented among the 6,398 ticks collected. For tick-borne pathogen surveillance, DNA samples from 1,721 I. scapularis nymphs were prepared from specimens collected in summers 2015-2017 and screened using qPCR, high resolution melting analysis, and DNA sequencing when necessary. The overall 3-yr nymphal infection prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi was 24.8%, Borrelia miyamotoi was 0.3%, Anaplasma phagocytophilum variant-ha was 0.8%, and Babesia microti was 2.8%. Prevalence of coinfection with B. burgdorferi and B. microti as well as B. burgdorferi and A. phagocytophilum variant-ha were significantly higher than would be expected by independent infection. B. burgdorferi nymphal infection prevalence is similar to what other studies have found in the Hudson Valley region of New York, but levels of B. microti and A. phagocytophilum variant-ha nymphal infection prevalence are relatively lower. This study reinforces the urgent need for continued tick and pathogen surveillance in the Lehigh Valley region.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - James C Russell
- Mathematics and Computer Science Department, Muhlenberg College, Allentown, PA
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