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Kwak ML, Jones MD, Harman MEA, Smith SN, D'souza A, Knierim T, Barnes CH, Waengsothorn S, Amarga AKS, Kuo CC, Nakao R. The East Indies reptile tick Amblyomma helvolum Koch, 1844 (Acari: Ixodidae), taxonomy, biology and new host records, including the first record of human infestation. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2023; 14:102224. [PMID: 37422945 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Amblyomma helvolum is a widespread, generalist ectoparasite of reptiles in the oriental region, and has the potential to become highly invasive should it be inadvertently introduced outside its native range through the exotic pet trade. All life stages of A. helvolum are re-characterised morphologically and the first examples of nanism (dwarfism) and gynandromorphy (male and female tissue in one animal) for the species are described. Eighteen new hosts records are presented for A. helvolum, including the first case of human infestation. The taxonomy, distribution, ecology, phenology, disease associations, and invasion biology of the species are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mackenzie L Kwak
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Department of Disease Control, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, 9 Chome Kita 18 Jonishi, Kita Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0818, Japan
| | - Max D Jones
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, VA, United States
| | - Madison E A Harman
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Samantha N Smith
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States
| | - Anji D'souza
- Sakaerat Enviromental Research Station, Thailand Institute of Scientific and Technological Research, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand
| | - Tyler Knierim
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States
| | - Curt H Barnes
- Center of Excellence for Ecoinformatics, School of Science, Walailak University, Thai Buri, Tha Sala District, Nakhon Si Thammarat, 80160, Thailand
| | - Surachit Waengsothorn
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States
| | - Ace Kevin S Amarga
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chi-Chien Kuo
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ryo Nakao
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Department of Disease Control, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, 9 Chome Kita 18 Jonishi, Kita Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0818, Japan
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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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Kazim AR, Shezryna S, Azdayanti M, Houssaini J, Tappe D, Heo CC. A new host record of Haemaphysalis semermis (Acari: Ixodidae) from the domestic cat (Felis catus) (Carnivora: Felidae) in Orang Asli village, Pahang National Park Malaysia. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2023; 60:615-619. [PMID: 36933194 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjad025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2022] [Revised: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
We report the presence of a male Haemaphysalis semermis collected from the domestic cat, Felis catus in an aboriginal village located in Pahang, Malaysia. This paper constitutes a new host record of this tick species, and also the first documentation of the infestation of companion animals other than domestic dogs (Canis lupus) by H. semermis in Malaysia. Additionally, we have included an updated host index of the tick species in Southeast Asia.
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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
- Institute of Medical Molecular Biotechnology, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh Campus, Jalan Hospital, 47000 Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - S Shezryna
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh Campus, Jalan Hospital, 47000 Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia
- Institute of Medical Molecular Biotechnology, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh Campus, Jalan Hospital, 47000 Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - M Azdayanti
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh Campus, Jalan Hospital, 47000 Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia
- Institute of Medical Molecular Biotechnology, 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
| | - 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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KAZIM ABDULRAHMAN, HOUSSAINI JAMAL, TAPPE DENNIS, HEO CHONGCHIN. A checklist of the ticks of Malaysia (Acari: Argasidae, Ixodidae), with lists of known associated hosts, geographical distribution, type localities, human infestations and pathogens. Zootaxa 2022; 5190:485-530. [PMID: 37045359 DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5190.4.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Studies of ticks in Malaysia from past articles were reviewed, resulting in a list of 47 species belonging to seven genera (Argas, Ornithodoros, Amblyomma, Dermacentor, Haemaphysalis, Ixodes, and Rhipicephalus). The most prevalent genus in Malaysia is Haemaphysalis (20 species), followed by Amblyomma (eight species) and Dermacentor (seven species). Out of 47 species, only 28 have bitten humans, mostly belonging to Haemaphysalis. The most researched tick-borne pathogens in Malaysia are Rickettsia and Anaplasma, and most research was focused on the tropical-lineage brown dog ticks, R. sanguineus sensu lato, and the cattle ticks, Haemaphysalis bispinosa and Rhipicephalus microplus. 18 species were excluded from the list due to lack of definite records or dubious findings: Ornithodoros mimon, O. turicata, Amblyomma breviscutatum, A. clypeolatum, A. integrum, A. maculatum, Dermacentor marginatum, D. taiwanensis, Haemaphysalis birmaniae, H. flava, H. humerosa, H. longicornis, H. punctata, H. sulcata, Ixodes holocyclus, Rhipicephalus appendiculatus, R. annulatus and R. bursa. This paper presents the first complete and updated list for Dermacentor and Ixodes tick species in Malaysia since Kohls (1957).
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Doi K, Tokuyoshi M, Morishima K, Kogi K, Watari Y. Differential Tick-Infestation Rate between Rattus norvegicus and R. rattus, with the First Records of the Ixodid Tick Ixodes granulatus and Its Infestation in Rodents, Free-Ranging Cats, and Humans from Mikura-Shima Island, Japan. MAMMAL STUDY 2022. [DOI: 10.3106/ms2022-0022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kandai Doi
- JSPS research fellow, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, Matsunosato, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8687, Japan
| | - Mikuni Tokuyoshi
- Graduate School of Agriculture and Life Science, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1, Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
| | - Kaori Morishima
- Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, Matsunosato, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8687, Japan
| | - Kazunobu Kogi
- Mikura Island Tourist Information Center, Mikura-shima village, Tokyo 100-1301, Japan
| | - Yuya Watari
- Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, Matsunosato, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8687, Japan
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Chitimia-Dobler L, Schaper S, Bröker M, Nava S. Long-Term Itching in a Tourist Following Bite by a Nymph of Dermacentor auratus (Acari: Ixodidae) in Cambodia. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 58:2495-2498. [PMID: 34027980 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjab088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
The impact of tick bites during holidays in tropical countries is seldom reported. Here, we describe long-term skin alterations and itching experienced by a German tourist following the bite of a nymph of Dermacentor auratus Supino, 1897 in Cambodia. Tick infestation may be neglected by travelers. Therefore, careful travel history is necessary when travelers report a tick bite after spending holiday in tropical and subtropical countries.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sabine Schaper
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Neuherbergstrasse, Munich,Germany
| | | | - Santiago Nava
- IDICAL (INTA-CONICET), Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, E.E.A. Rafaela, Rafaela, Santa Fe, Argentina
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