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Mbizeni S, Mans BJ, Mukaratirwa S, Peba B, Maboko BB, Pienaar R, Magampa H, Marumo RD, Josemans A, Troskie C, Latif AA. Molecular and serological prevalence of corridor disease (buffalo associated Theileria parva infection) in cattle populations at the livestock/game interface of KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa. Vet Parasitol Reg Stud Reports 2024; 47:100963. [PMID: 38199701 DOI: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2023.100963] [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: 05/21/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Theileria parva are intracellular protozoal parasites responsible for three disease syndromes in cattle, namely East Coast fever (ECF), Corridor disease (CD) and Zimbabwean theileriosis. The increase in reports of CD outbreaks in recent years has raised questions about the probability of adaptation of buffalo-derived T. parva strains in cattle herds adjacent to game reserves. A cross-sectional study was conducted from March 2016 to December 2018 to investigate the extent of occurrence of T. parva infections in cattle in the CD-controlled area of KwaZulu-Natal Province. Blood samples were collected from 1137 cattle from 14 herds and analysed by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) and indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) to determine the prevalence of T. parva. A total of 484 samples from 4 of the 14 herds were further tested on qPCR for the presence of T. taurotragi infections. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics and a chi-square test was used to assess association between variables. The overall prevalence of T. parva was 1.3% (95%CI:1-2%) and 19.9% (95%CI:17-22%) on qPCR and IFAT, respectively. The qPCR positive samples were detected in March and May while IFAT positive samples were detected in all seasons sampled, with higher numbers during summer months. The Pearson Chi-squared test showed that T. parva prevalence rates based on both qPCR and IFAT were positively associated with herds with previous history of CD outbreaks (χ2 = 8.594, p = 0.003; χ2 = 69.513, p < 0.001, respectively). The overall prevalence of T. taurotragi was 39.4% (95% CI: 35-44%) with the herd-level prevalence ranging between 35.0% and 43.4%. Possible cross-reaction of T. parva IFAT to T. taurotragi was detected on few samples, however, there was no significant association between T. taurotragi infections and IFAT positivity (χ2 = 0.829, p = 0.363). Results from this study demonstrated the extent of occurrence of subclinical carriers and the level of exposure to T. parva infections in cattle populations at a livestock/game interface area of KwaZulu-Natal Province. The molecular and seroprevalence rates were low when compared with other areas where cattle-adapted T. parva infections are endemic. The adaptation of buffalo-derived T. parva in cattle population resulting in cattle-cattle transmissions seem to be unlikely under the current epidemiological state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sikhumbuzo Mbizeni
- Department of Agriculture and Animal Health, University of South Africa, Private Bag X6, Roodepoort, Florida 1710, South Africa; School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X54001, Westville Campus, Durban 4000, South Africa; Epidemiology, Parasites and Vectors, Agricultural Research Council - Onderstepoort Veterinary Research, Private Bag X05, Onderstepoort, 0110, Pretoria, South Africa.
| | - Ben J Mans
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X54001, Westville Campus, Durban 4000, South Africa; Department of Life and Consumer Sciences, University of South Africa, Private Bag X6, Roodepoort, Florida 1710, South Africa; Epidemiology, Parasites and Vectors, Agricultural Research Council - Onderstepoort Veterinary Research, Private Bag X05, Onderstepoort, 0110, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Samson Mukaratirwa
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X54001, Westville Campus, Durban 4000, South Africa; One Health Center for Zoonoses and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis
| | - Brian Peba
- Epidemiology, Parasites and Vectors, Agricultural Research Council - Onderstepoort Veterinary Research, Private Bag X05, Onderstepoort, 0110, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Boitumelo B Maboko
- Epidemiology, Parasites and Vectors, Agricultural Research Council - Onderstepoort Veterinary Research, Private Bag X05, Onderstepoort, 0110, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Ronel Pienaar
- Epidemiology, Parasites and Vectors, Agricultural Research Council - Onderstepoort Veterinary Research, Private Bag X05, Onderstepoort, 0110, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Hero Magampa
- Epidemiology, Parasites and Vectors, Agricultural Research Council - Onderstepoort Veterinary Research, Private Bag X05, Onderstepoort, 0110, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Ratselane D Marumo
- Epidemiology, Parasites and Vectors, Agricultural Research Council - Onderstepoort Veterinary Research, Private Bag X05, Onderstepoort, 0110, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Antoinette Josemans
- Epidemiology, Parasites and Vectors, Agricultural Research Council - Onderstepoort Veterinary Research, Private Bag X05, Onderstepoort, 0110, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Christo Troskie
- Epidemiology, Parasites and Vectors, Agricultural Research Council - Onderstepoort Veterinary Research, Private Bag X05, Onderstepoort, 0110, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Abdalla A Latif
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X54001, Westville Campus, Durban 4000, South Africa
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Mucheka VT, Pillay A, Mukaratirwa S. Prevalence of tick-borne pathogens in Rhipicephalus species infesting domestic animals in Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Acta Trop 2023; 246:106994. [PMID: 37516420 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2023.106994] [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: 05/29/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/31/2023]
Abstract
Rhipicephalus ticks transmit important tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) such as Anaplasma, Babesia, and Theileria spp. which cause major economic losses in livestock production and contribute to emerging zoonotic diseases. A vast amount of data is available based on the demonstration of these pathogens in various host tissues, with limited information on the prevalence of these TBPs and their vectors. Quantifying TBPs infection rates among Rhipicephalus spp. is essential for the effective control and management of TBDs in domestic animals and surveillance of emerging diseases in humans, as they have close social associations. This review summarizes the prevalence of TBPs in Rhipicephalus spp. from domestic animals of Africa. A thorough search was done in SCOPUS, Web of Knowledge, PubMed, Google Scholar, and library sources from 2000 to 2022. All research in Africa reporting TBPs infection rates in Rhipicephalus spp. were included in the selection criteria. The meta-analysis evaluated publication bias using funnel plots to analyze the observed heterogeneity and applied a quality effects model. Prevalence estimates were based on data from 46 studies reporting TBPs infection rates in Rhipicephalus spp. from northern and sub-Saharan Africa. Sub-group analysis was done by geographic region and tick genus. A total of 12,368 Rhipicephalus spp. collected from domestic animals in Africa were used in the meta-analysis. The quality effects model revealed a high degree of heterogeneity among studies on the various TBPs. The overall prevalence of detected TBPs such as Theileria spp. was 8% (95% CI: 3-15%), Rickettsia spp. 3% (95% CI: 0-9%), Ehrlichia spp. 7% (95% CI: 2-14%), Anaplasma spp. 8% (95% CI: 2-16%), Coxiella spp. 10% (95% CI: 1-26%) and Babesia spp. 6% (95% CI: 2-12%). Northern Africa had the highest prevalence of Anaplasma spp. 12% (95% CI: 3-25%) and Theileria spp. 16% (95% CI: 0-42%). Whilst West Africa had the highest prevalence for Ehrlichia spp. 12% (95% CI: 3-24%) and eastern Africa for Rickettsia spp. 8% (95% CI: 4-12%). This is a systematic and quantitative investigation of the various TBPs detected in Rhipicephalus tick vectors from domestic animal hosts in Africa. The findings demonstrate considerable species variation across the African continent and offer preliminary estimates of infection rates for the continent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vimbai Tendai Mucheka
- School of Life Sciences, Biological Sciences, College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville Campus, Durban 4001, South Africa
| | - Alicia Pillay
- School of Life Sciences, Biological Sciences, College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville Campus, Durban 4001, South Africa.
| | - Samson Mukaratirwa
- School of Life Sciences, Biological Sciences, College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville Campus, Durban 4001, South Africa; One Health Centre for Zoonoses and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Basseterre, St. Kitts, West Indies
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Distribution and Prevalence of Anaplasmataceae, Rickettsiaceae and Coxiellaceae in African Ticks: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Microorganisms 2023; 11:microorganisms11030714. [PMID: 36985288 PMCID: PMC10051480 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11030714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2023] Open
Abstract
In Africa, ticks continue to be a major hindrance to the improvement of the livestock industry due to tick-borne pathogens that include Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, Rickettsia and Coxiella species. A systemic review and meta-analysis were conducted here and highlighted the distribution and prevalence of these tick-borne pathogens in African ticks. Relevant publications were searched in five electronic databases and selected using inclusion/exclusion criteria, resulting in 138 and 78 papers included in the qualitative and quantitative analysis, respectively. Most of the studies focused on Rickettsia africae (38 studies), followed by Ehrlichia ruminantium (27 studies), Coxiella burnetii (20 studies) and Anaplasma marginale (17 studies). A meta-analysis of proportions was performed using the random-effects model. The highest prevalence was obtained for Rickettsia spp. (18.39%; 95% CI: 14.23–22.85%), R. africae (13.47%; 95% CI: 2.76–28.69%), R. conorii (11.28%; 95% CI: 1.77–25.89%), A. marginale (12.75%; 95% CI: 4.06–24.35%), E. ruminantium (6.37%; 95% CI: 3.97–9.16%) and E. canis (4.3%; 95% CI: 0.04–12.66%). The prevalence of C. burnetii was low (0%; 95% CI: 0–0.25%), with higher prevalence for Coxiella spp. (27.02%; 95% CI: 10.83–46.03%) and Coxiella-like endosymbionts (70.47%; 95% CI: 27–99.82%). The effect of the tick genera, tick species, country and other variables were identified and highlighted the epidemiology of Rhipicephalus ticks in the heartwater; affinity of each Rickettsia species for different tick genera; dominant distribution of A. marginale, R. africae and Coxiella-like endosymbionts in ticks and a low distribution of C. burnetii in African hard ticks.
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Corrigan J, Marion B, English J, Eneku W, Weng JL, Rugg M, Dotrang T, Dunford J, Byaruhanga AM, Byarugaba DK, Ramalho-Ortigao M, Wanja EW. Minimal Rickettsial Infection Rates and Distribution of Ticks in Uganda: An Assessment of the Seasonal Effects and Relevance to Tick-Borne Disease Risk in East Africa. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2023; 60:185-192. [PMID: 36321534 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjac166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Tick-borne diseases (TBDs) pose a significant risk to humans and represent one of the major factors influencing readiness within the United States' military worldwide. Additionally, ticks and TBDs constitute major animal health problems leading to economic losses at multiple levels affecting low- and middle-income countries the hardest. Tick control is frequently hampered by issues ranging from acaricide resistance to lack of data on tick distribution and infection rates. We conducted a cross-sectional study to assess tick species distribution, host use, and rickettsial pathogen infection rate of ticks in different areas of the Uganda Cattle Corridor. We identified 4,425 hard ticks (Ixodida: Ixodidae) comprised of seven species by morphological characters with 3,315 ticks collected from four locations during the dry season and 1,110 ticks from one location during the wet season. Rickettsial pathogen prevalence was assessed in ticks collected from two districts to determine the minimum infection rate compared across seasons, village location, and tick species. We found statistically significant differences in the abundance and distribution of tick species among districts in the dry season, host animal species, and the proportion of rickettsial positive pools between villages. Seasonality, village location, and tick species do not affect the minimum infection rate of rickettsial pathogens of ticks in Uganda, but village location affects the proportion of positive tick pools. These results indicate geographical and seasonal differences among pathogen-harboring ticks contributing to our understanding of the current distribution of ticks and TBDs in Uganda.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Corrigan
- Division of Global Public Health, Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Uniformed Services University, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
- MPH Program, Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Uniformed Services University, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Brianna Marion
- Division of Global Public Health, Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Uniformed Services University, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
- MPH Program, Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Uniformed Services University, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - James English
- Division of Global Public Health, Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Uniformed Services University, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | | | - Ju Lin Weng
- Division of Global Public Health, Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Uniformed Services University, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Molly Rugg
- Division of Global Public Health, Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Uniformed Services University, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Thoai Dotrang
- Division of Global Public Health, Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Uniformed Services University, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - James Dunford
- Division of Global Public Health, Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Uniformed Services University, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | | | | | - Marcelo Ramalho-Ortigao
- Division of Global Public Health, Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Uniformed Services University, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Elizabeth W Wanja
- Division of Global Public Health, Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Uniformed Services University, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
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Kabi F, Dhikusooka M, Matovu M, Mugerwa S, Kasaija P, Emudong P, Kirunda H, Contreras M, Gortazar C, De la Fuente J. Monitoring the Subolesin Vaccine Field Trial for Safer Control of Cattle Ticks Amidst Increasing Acaricide Resistance in Uganda. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:vaccines10101594. [PMID: 36298461 PMCID: PMC9609280 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10101594] [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: 08/25/2022] [Revised: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
A collaboration program was established between the group of Health and Biotechnology (SaBio) of the IREC Institute of Game and Wildlife Research (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Spain) and the National Agricultural Research Organization of Uganda (NARO) for the development of vaccines for the control of cattle ticks in Uganda. Controlled pen trials identified a tick protective antigen, Rhipicephalus appendiculatus Subolesin, and a cross-species-effective vaccine formulation. As the next step, a controlled vaccine field trial has been approved by Ugandan state regulatory authorities, the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (UNCST) and the National Drug Authority (NDA), to evaluate the efficacy and effectiveness of the vaccine formulation for the control of cattle tick infestations under field conditions. The results of this trial may lead to the approval of the vaccine for application in Uganda to improve cattle health and production while reducing the use of acaricides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fredrick Kabi
- National Livestock Resources Research Institute (NaLIRRI/NARO), Kampala P.O. Box 5704, Uganda
| | - Moses Dhikusooka
- National Livestock Resources Research Institute (NaLIRRI/NARO), Kampala P.O. Box 5704, Uganda
| | - Moses Matovu
- National Livestock Resources Research Institute (NaLIRRI/NARO), Kampala P.O. Box 5704, Uganda
| | - Swidiq Mugerwa
- National Livestock Resources Research Institute (NaLIRRI/NARO), Kampala P.O. Box 5704, Uganda
| | - Paul Kasaija
- National Livestock Resources Research Institute (NaLIRRI/NARO), Kampala P.O. Box 5704, Uganda
- SaBio, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientí ficas (CSIC), Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM)-Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha (JCCM), Ronda de Toledo 12, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Patrick Emudong
- National Livestock Resources Research Institute (NaLIRRI/NARO), Kampala P.O. Box 5704, Uganda
| | - Halid Kirunda
- Mbarara Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MbaZARDI), Mbarara City P.O. Box 389, Uganda
| | - Marinela Contreras
- SaBio, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientí ficas (CSIC), Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM)-Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha (JCCM), Ronda de Toledo 12, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Christian Gortazar
- SaBio, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientí ficas (CSIC), Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM)-Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha (JCCM), Ronda de Toledo 12, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Jose De la Fuente
- SaBio, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientí ficas (CSIC), Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM)-Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha (JCCM), Ronda de Toledo 12, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Center for Veterinary Health Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
- Correspondence: or
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Onyiche TE, Labruna MB, Saito TB. Unraveling the epidemiological relationship between ticks and rickettsial infection in Africa. FRONTIERS IN TROPICAL DISEASES 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fitd.2022.952024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Tick-borne rickettsioses are emerging and re-emerging diseases of public health concern caused by over 30 species of Rickettsia. Ticks are obligate hematophagous arthropods with over 700 species of Ixodid ticks known worldwide. The escalating geographical dispersal of tick vectors and concomitant increase in the incidences of tick-borne diseases have fueled interest in the ecology of tick-borne pathogens. This review focuses on aspects of the Rickettsia pathogen, including biology, taxonomy, phylogeny, genetic diversity, epidemiology of the disease, and the role of vertebrate host in the perpetuation of rickettsioses in Africa. Our review also highlights some of the species of Rickettsia that are responsible for disease, the role of tick vectors (both hard and soft ticks) and the species of Rickettsia associated with diverse tick species across the continent. Additionally, this article emphasizes the evolutionary perspective of rickettsiae perpetuation and the possible role of amplifying vertebrate host and other small mammals, domestic animals and wildlife in the epidemiology of Rickettsia species. We also specifically, discussed the role of avian population in the epidemiology of SFG rickettsiae. Furthermore, we highlighted tick-borne rickettsioses among travelers due to African tick-bite fever (ATBF) and the challenges to surveillance of rickettsial infection, and research on rickettsiology in Africa. Our review canvasses the need for more rickettsiologists of African origin based within the continent to further research towards understanding the biology, characterization, and species distribution, including the competent tick vectors involved in their transmission of rickettsiae across the continent in collaboration with established researchers in western countries. We further highlighted the need for proper funding to encourage research despite competing demands for resources across the various sectors. We finalize by discussing the similarities between rickettsial diseases around the world and which steps need to be taken to help foster our understanding on the eco-epidemiology of rickettsioses by bridging the gap between the growing epidemiological data and the molecular characterization of Rickettsia species.
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The basis of molecular diagnostics for piroplasmids: Do the sequences lie? Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2022; 13:101907. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2022.101907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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