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Senbill H, Karawia D, Zeb J, Alyami NM, Almeer R, Rahman S, Sparagano O, Baruah A. Molecular screening and genetic diversity of tick-borne pathogens associated with dogs and livestock ticks in Egypt. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2024; 18:e0012185. [PMID: 38837987 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0012185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) offer optimal climatic conditions for tick reproduction and dispersal. Research on tick-borne pathogens in this region is scarce. Despite recent advances in the characterization and taxonomic explanation of various tick-borne illnesses affecting animals in Egypt, no comprehensive examination of TBP (tick-borne pathogen) statuses has been performed. Therefore, the present study aims to detect the prevalence of pathogens harbored by ticks in Egypt. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS A four-year PCR-based study was conducted to detect a wide range of tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) harbored by three economically important tick species in Egypt. Approximately 86.7% (902/1,040) of the investigated Hyalomma dromedarii ticks from camels were found positive with Candidatus Anaplasma camelii (18.8%), Ehrlichia ruminantium (16.5%), Rickettsia africae (12.6%), Theileria annulata (11.9%), Mycoplasma arginini (9.9%), Borrelia burgdorferi (7.7%), Spiroplasma-like endosymbiont (4.0%), Hepatozoon canis (2.4%), Coxiella burnetii (1.6%) and Leishmania infantum (1.3%). Double co-infections were recorded in 3.0% (27/902) of Hy. dromedarii ticks, triple co-infections (simultaneous infection of the tick by three pathogen species) were found in 9.6% (87/902) of Hy. dromedarii ticks, whereas multiple co-infections (simultaneous infection of the tick by ≥ four pathogen species) comprised 12% (108/902). Out of 1,435 investigated Rhipicephalus rutilus ticks collected from dogs and sheep, 816 (56.9%) ticks harbored Babesia canis vogeli (17.1%), Rickettsia conorii (16.2%), Ehrlichia canis (15.4%), H. canis (13.6%), Bo. burgdorferi (9.7%), L. infantum (8.4%), C. burnetii (7.3%) and Trypanosoma evansi (6.6%) in dogs, and 242 (16.9%) ticks harbored Theileria lestoquardi (21.6%), Theileria ovis (20.0%) and Eh. ruminantium (0.3%) in sheep. Double, triple, and multiple co-infections represented 11% (90/816), 7.6% (62/816), and 10.3% (84/816), respectively in Rh. rutilus from dogs, whereas double and triple co-infections represented 30.2% (73/242) and 2.1% (5/242), respectively in Rh. rutilus from sheep. Approximately 92.5% (1,355/1,465) of Rhipicephalus annulatus ticks of cattle carried a burden of Anaplasma marginale (21.3%), Babesia bigemina (18.2%), Babesia bovis (14.0%), Borrelia theleri (12.8%), R. africae (12.4%), Th. annulata (8.7%), Bo. burgdorferi (2.7%), and Eh. ruminantium (2.5%). Double, triple, and multiple co-infections represented 1.8% (25/1,355), 11.5% (156/1,355), and 12.9% (175/1,355), respectively. The detected pathogens' sequences had 98.76-100% similarity to the available database with genetic divergence ranged between 0.0001 to 0.0009% to closest sequences from other African, Asian, and European countries. Phylogenetic analysis revealed close similarities between the detected pathogens and other isolates mostly from African and Asian countries. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE Continuous PCR-detection of pathogens transmitted by ticks is necessary to overcome the consequences of these infection to the hosts. More restrictions should be applied from the Egyptian authorities on animal importations to limit the emergence and re-emergence of tick-borne pathogens in the country. This is the first in-depth investigation of TBPs in Egypt.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haytham Senbill
- Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat, Assam, India
- Department of Applied Entomology & Zoology, Faculty of Agriculture, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Donia Karawia
- Department of Pesticide Chemistry & Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Jehan Zeb
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Public Health, Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
- Department of Zoology, Govt. Ghazi Umara Khan Degree College Samarbagh, Higher Education Department, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - Nouf M Alyami
- Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Rafa Almeer
- Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sahidur Rahman
- Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat, Assam, India
| | - Olivier Sparagano
- Agricultural Sciences and Practice, Royal Agricultural University (RAU), Cirencester, United Kingdom
| | - Aiswarya Baruah
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat, Assam, India
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Moore CO, Lashnits E, Lappin M, Hawley J, Breitschwerdt EB. A case of mistaken identity: a systematic review, meta-analysis, and reinvestigation of hemotropic Mycoplasma spp. infection in Ctenocephalides felis (cat flea). Parasit Vectors 2024; 17:209. [PMID: 38720359 PMCID: PMC11078739 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-024-06292-8] [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: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Feline-associated hemotropic Mycoplasma (hemoplasmas) are believed to be transmitted by two primary mechanisms: (1) direct transmission via fighting and (2) vector-borne transmission by the cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis). While the efficiency of transmission by C. felis appears low, most manuscripts focus on the prevalence of hemoplasmas in wild-caught fleas and report either a very low (< 3%) or a high (> 26%) prevalence. Therefore, we aimed to assess the influence of sample processing and PCR methods on C. felis hemoplasma infection prevalence. METHODS A systemic review of PubMed articles identified 13 manuscripts (1,531 fleas/flea pools) that met the inclusion criteria (performed PCR for >1 hemoplasma on C. felis collected from cats). Risk of bias was assessed utilizing the ROBINS-E tool. Meta-analysis performed in R of these manuscripts found that not washing samples and a common set of 16S rRNA primers first published in Jensen et al. 2001 were associated with increased hemoplasma prevalence. To evaluate the influence of washing on newly collected fleas, we assessed the hemoplasma status of 20 pools of 5 C. felis each, half of which were washed and half not washed. RESULTS Flea washing did not influence the detection of hemoplasma but instead amplified Spiroplasma. To assess non-specific amplification with the Jensen et al. 2001 primers, 67 C. felis samples (34% previously reported hemoplasma infected) were subject to PCR and sequencing. By this method, hemoplasma was detected in only 3% of samples. In the remaining "hemoplasma infected" fleas, PCR amplified Spiroplasma or other bacteria. CONCLUSIONS Therefore, we concluded that hemoplasma infection in C. felis is rare, and future flea prevalence studies should sequence all positive amplicons to validate PCR specificity. Further investigation of alternative methods of feline-associated hemoplasma transmission and the ability of C. felis to maintain hemoplasma infection is necessary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte O Moore
- Department of Clinical Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Erin Lashnits
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Michael Lappin
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Jennifer Hawley
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
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Kim Y, Kim H, Choi JH, Cho HC, Ji MJ, Park YJ, Park J, Choi KS. Preliminary report of Mycoplasma Wenoynii and Candidatus Mycoplasma haemobos infection in Korean native cattle. BMC Vet Res 2024; 20:121. [PMID: 38532391 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-024-03976-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hemotropic mycoplasmas or hemoplasmas are bacteria that attach to the erythrocyte surface and cause bovine hemoplasmosis. Two species, Mycoplasma wenyonii and Candidatus Mycoplasma haemobos, have been identified and shown to be distributed worldwide. However, there is currently no information available on hemoplasmas in cattle in the Republic of Korea. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of hemoplasmas in Korean native cattle and to evaluate the association between hemoplasma infection and anemia. METHODS One farm was selected, at which blood samples were collected from 104 Korean native cattle [grazing cattle (n = 89) and housed cattle (n = 15)]. Hemoplasmas were detected via polymerase chain reaction analysis and complete blood counts were also performed. RESULTS The overall prevalence of hemoplasmas was 34% (35/104); 20.2% (21/104) for M. wenyonii, 3.8% (4/104) for C. M. haemobos, and 9.6% (10/104) for co-infection. Candidatus Mycoplasma haemobos was detected only in grazing cattle. Of red blood cell (RBC) parameters, C. M. haemobos-infected cattle had lower RBC and hematocrit, and higher mean cell volume than hemoplasma-negative cattle, although none of these differences were statistically significant. This is the first study to report the occurrence of M. wenyonii and C. M. haemobos. Mycoplasma wenyonii is more prevalent than C. M. haemobos in Korean native cattle. The results did not show an association between hemoplasma infection and anemia. CONCLUSIONS Considering the infection rate of hemoplasmas shown in this study, further studies, such as on the pathogenicity and clinical significance of hemoplasmas are necessary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youngjun Kim
- Department of Animal Hospital, Genetic Improvement Center, National Agricultural Cooperative Federation, Hanwoo, Seosan, 31948, Republic of Korea
- Department of Veterinary Internal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Jeonbuk University, Iksan, 54596, Republic of Korea
| | - Hannah Kim
- College of Arts and Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Jae-Hyeon Choi
- Department of Horse/Companion and Wild Animals, College of Ecology and Environmental Science, Kyungpook National University, Sangju, 37224, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyung-Chul Cho
- Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology, College of Ecology and Environmental Science, Kyungpook National University, Sangju, 37224, Republic of Korea
| | - Min-Jeong Ji
- Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology, College of Ecology and Environmental Science, Kyungpook National University, Sangju, 37224, Republic of Korea
| | - Yu-Jin Park
- Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology, College of Ecology and Environmental Science, Kyungpook National University, Sangju, 37224, Republic of Korea
| | - Jinho Park
- Department of Veterinary Internal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Jeonbuk University, Iksan, 54596, Republic of Korea.
| | - Kyoung-Seong Choi
- Department of Horse/Companion and Wild Animals, College of Ecology and Environmental Science, Kyungpook National University, Sangju, 37224, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology, College of Ecology and Environmental Science, Kyungpook National University, Sangju, 37224, Republic of Korea.
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Razgūnaitė M, Lipatova I, Paulauskas A, Snegiriovaitė J, Karvelienė B, Zamokas G, Laukutė M, Radzijevskaja J. Prevalence and Diversity of Haemotropic Mycoplasma Species in Cats and Their Ectoparasites (Fleas and Ticks). Vet Sci 2024; 11:81. [PMID: 38393099 PMCID: PMC10892483 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci11020081] [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: 12/25/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Mycoplasma spp. pathogens frequently cause chronic and acute diseases in cats. The aim of the present study was to investigate the presence and genetic diversity of Mycoplasma spp. in cats and their ectoparasites using PCR and sequence analysis of the 16S rRNA gene. Blood samples were collected from 541 domestic and stray cats in Lithuania. Ectoparasites (153 fleas and 321 ticks) were collected from owned domestic cats that live both outdoors and indoors. Mycoplasma spp. were detected in 7.2% of cat blood samples and 4.4% of Ctenocephalides felis fleas. The sequence analysis revealed the presence of Mycoplasma haemofelis in 1.1% of cats and 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haematominutum' in 4.8% of cats. Ct. felis fleas harboured M. haemofelis. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first report on the prevalence and molecular characterisation of Mycoplasma bacteria in cats in Lithuania and cat fleas in the Baltic States.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miglė Razgūnaitė
- Department of Biology, Vytautas Magnus University, K. Donelaičio Str. 58, LT-44248 Kaunas, Lithuania; (M.R.); (I.L.); (A.P.); (J.S.); (M.L.)
| | - Indrė Lipatova
- Department of Biology, Vytautas Magnus University, K. Donelaičio Str. 58, LT-44248 Kaunas, Lithuania; (M.R.); (I.L.); (A.P.); (J.S.); (M.L.)
| | - Algimantas Paulauskas
- Department of Biology, Vytautas Magnus University, K. Donelaičio Str. 58, LT-44248 Kaunas, Lithuania; (M.R.); (I.L.); (A.P.); (J.S.); (M.L.)
| | - Justina Snegiriovaitė
- Department of Biology, Vytautas Magnus University, K. Donelaičio Str. 58, LT-44248 Kaunas, Lithuania; (M.R.); (I.L.); (A.P.); (J.S.); (M.L.)
| | - Birutė Karvelienė
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilžės Str. 18, LT-47181 Kaunas, Lithuania; (B.K.); (G.Z.)
| | - Gintaras Zamokas
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilžės Str. 18, LT-47181 Kaunas, Lithuania; (B.K.); (G.Z.)
| | - Monika Laukutė
- Department of Biology, Vytautas Magnus University, K. Donelaičio Str. 58, LT-44248 Kaunas, Lithuania; (M.R.); (I.L.); (A.P.); (J.S.); (M.L.)
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilžės Str. 18, LT-47181 Kaunas, Lithuania; (B.K.); (G.Z.)
| | - Jana Radzijevskaja
- Department of Biology, Vytautas Magnus University, K. Donelaičio Str. 58, LT-44248 Kaunas, Lithuania; (M.R.); (I.L.); (A.P.); (J.S.); (M.L.)
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Yamakawa AC, Haisi A, Kmetiuk LB, Pellizzaro M, Mendes JCR, Canavessi AMO, Ullmann LS, de Castro WAC, Pessoa Araújo Júnior J, dos Santos AP, Biondo AW. Molecular detection of feline hemoplasmas and retroviruses in free-roaming and shelter cats within a university campus. JFMS Open Rep 2023; 9:20551169221148672. [PMID: 37223406 PMCID: PMC10201909 DOI: 10.1177/20551169221148672] [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] [Indexed: 05/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Objectives The aim of the present study was to assess the frequency of hemoplasma, feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukemia virus (FeLV) infections in cats living in an on-campus shelter and free-roaming cats within a university campus in Brazil. Methods Blood samples were tested using quantitative PCR for hemoplasma, FIV and FeLV. Positive hemoplasma samples were sequenced. Associations between hemoplasma detection and living situation, sex, flea and/or tick parasitism, and coinfection with FIV and FeLV, were assessed using Fisher's exact test and the respective odds ratios were calculated. Results Overall, 6/45 (13.3%) cats tested positive: four (8.9%) were infected with 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum' and two (4.4%) with Mycoplasma haemofelis. All positive samples were from free-roaming cats (6/15; 40.0%) and had statistically significantly lower packed cell volumes (P = 0.037). Although 5/23 (21.7%) males and 1/22 (4.6%) females were positive, no statistically significant association between sex and hemoplasma infection was found (P = 0.19). Viral quantitative PCR (qPCR) was performed on 43/45 samples, among which 2/43 (4.7%) were positive for FIV and none for FeLV. Only one cat (2.3%) was coinfected with hemoplasma and FIV (P = 0.26). In addition, 4/6 (66.7%) cats that tested positive for hemoplasmas were infested by fleas (P = 0.0014) and/or ticks (P = 0.25). Conclusions and relevance These results show that even if the free-roaming cat population is clinically healthy and has adequate access to food, it may present flea infestation and hemoplasma infection with lower packed cell volume values.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Amanda Haisi
- Biotechnology Institute, São Paulo
State University (UNESP), Botucatu, SP, Brazil
| | - Louise Bach Kmetiuk
- Graduate College of Cell and Molecular
Biology, Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), R dos Funcionários, Curitiba, PR,
Brazil
| | - Maysa Pellizzaro
- Institute of Collective Health, Federal
University of Bahia, Salvador, BA, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Wagner Antônio Chiba de Castro
- Latin-American Institute of Life and
Nature Sciences, Federal University for Latin American Integration, Foz do Iguaçu,
PR, Brazil
| | | | | | - Alexander Welker Biondo
- Graduate College of Cell and Molecular
Biology, Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), R dos Funcionários, Curitiba, PR,
Brazil
- Department of Comparative Pathobiology,
Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
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Erol U, Sahin OF, Altay K. Molecular prevalence of bovine hemoplasmosis in Turkey with first detection of Mycoplasma wenyonii and Candidatus Mycoplasma haemobos in cattle and water buffalo. Vet Res Commun 2023; 47:207-215. [PMID: 35624402 DOI: 10.1007/s11259-022-09943-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Hemoplasma species can cause infection varying from mild to severe in a wide range of hosts, including cattle and water buffalo. Two hemoplasma species, Mycoplasma wenyonii and Candidatus Mycoplasma haemobos, have been reported in cattle and water buffalo from different parts of the world to date. There was a lack of information on the presence and distribution of these pathogens in Turkey despite the negative economic impact on livestock production. This study aimed to develop a duplex PCR assay amplifying the 16S rRNA gene, in order to analyze DNA samples obtained from 297 cattle and 360 water buffaloes, and to determine the molecular prevalence of bovine hemoplasma species in Sivas province. Bovine hemoplasma species were found in 94 of 297 (31.64%) cattle and in 17 of 360 (4.72%) water buffaloes in this study. Randomly selected six positives PCR products (three samples each species) obtained from cattle and water buffaloes were sequenced, and the consensus sequences were uploaded to GenBank. Nucleotide similarity of 96.97-100% was determined between M. wenyonii isolates obtained in this study and those of M. wenyonii isolates present in the GenBank database, whereas C. Mycoplasma haemobos isolates from this study shared 99.04-100% homology with the C. Mycoplasma haemobos isolates uploaded to the GenBank. With the current study, the molecular presence of M. wenyonii and C. Mycoplasma haemobos were documented for the first time in cattle and water buffaloes in Turkey. Considering the rate of prevalence, veterinarians should take precautions against bovine hemoplasma species to protect animal health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ufuk Erol
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sivas Cumhuriyet, 58140, Sivas, Turkey.
| | - Omer Faruk Sahin
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sivas Cumhuriyet, 58140, Sivas, Turkey
| | - Kursat Altay
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sivas Cumhuriyet, 58140, Sivas, Turkey
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Altay K, Sahin OF, Erol U, Aytmirzakizi A. First molecular detection and phylogenetic analysis of Mycoplasma wenyonii and Candidatus Mycoplasma haemobos in cattle in different parts of Kyrgyzstan. Biologia (Bratisl) 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11756-022-01292-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Molecular analysis of blood-associated pathogens in European wildcats (Felis silvestris silvestris) from Germany. Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl 2022; 19:128-137. [PMID: 36119442 PMCID: PMC9477852 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2022.08.012] [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: 07/20/2022] [Revised: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
European wildcats (Felis silvestris silvestris) have not been investigated in large numbers for blood-associated pathogens in Germany, because wildcats, being a protected species, may not be hunted, and the collection of samples is therefore difficult. Thus, spleen tissue and whole blood from 96 wildcats from Germany found as roadkill or dead from other causes in the years 1998–2020 were examined for the prevalence of blood associated pathogens using molecular genetic tools. PCR was used to screen for haemotrophic Mycoplasma spp., Hepatozoon spp., Cytauxzoon spp., Bartonella spp., Filarioidea, Anaplasmataceae, and Rickettsiales, and positive samples were subsequently sequenced. Phylogenetic analyses were performed for Mycoplasma spp. and Hepatozoon spp. by calculating phylogenetic trees and DNA haplotype networks. The following pathogens were found: Candidatus Mycoplasma haematominutum (7/96), Mycoplasma ovis (1/96), Hepatozoon silvestris (34/96), Hepatozoon felis (6/96), Cytauxzoon europaeus (45/96), and Bartonella spp. (3/96). This study elucidates the prevalence of blood-associated pathogens in wildcats from Germany. European wildcats from Germany carry different blood-associated pathogens. Pathogens can also affect domestic cats. Transmision by vectors or other transmisison routes are possible.
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Orkun Ö. Comprehensive screening of tick-borne microorganisms indicates that a great variety of pathogens are circulating between hard ticks (Ixodoidea: Ixodidae) and domestic ruminants in natural foci of Anatolia. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2022; 13:102027. [PMID: 35970093 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2022.102027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Grazing domestic ruminants serve as important reservoirs and/or amplificatory hosts in the ecology of tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) and tick vectors in the natural foci; however, many enzootic life cycles including ruminants and ticks are still unknown. This study investigated a wide range of TBPs circulating among ticks and grazing ruminants in the natural foci of Anatolia, Turkey. Tick specimens (n = 1815) were collected from cattle, sheep, and goats in three ecologically distinct areas (wooded, transitional, and semi-arid zones) of Anatolia and identified by species: Dermacentor marginatus, Dermacentor reticulatus, Hyalomma anatolicum, Hyalomma excavatum, Hyalomma marginatum, Hyalomma scupense, Haemaphysalis inermis, Haemaphysalis parva, Haemaphysalis punctata, Haemaphysalis sulcata, Ixodes ricinus, Rhipicephalus bursa, and Rhipicephalus turanicus. PCR-sequencing analyses revealed TBPs of great diversity, with 32 different agents identified in the ticks: six Babesia spp. (Babesia occultans, Babesia crassa, Babesia microti, Babesia rossi, Babesia sp. tavsan1, and Babesia sp. Ucbas); four Theileria spp., including one putative novel species (Theileria annulata, Theileria orientalis, Theileria ovis, and Theileria sp.); one Hepatozoon sp.; four Anaplasma spp., including one novel genotype (Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Anaplasma marginale, Anaplasma ovis, and Anaplasma sp.); six unnamed Ehrlichia spp. genotypes; Neoehrlichia mikurensis; nine spotted fever group rickettsiae, including one putative novel species (Rickettsia aeschlimannii, Rickettsia slovaca, Rickettsia hoogstraalii, Rickettsia monacensis with strain IRS3, Rickettsia mongolitimonae, Rickettsia raoultii, Candidatus Rickettsia goldwasserii, Candidatus Rickettsia barbariae, and Rickettsia sp.); and Borrelia valaisiana. Detailed phylogenetic analyses showed that some of the detected pathogens represent more than one haplotype, potentially relating to the tick species or the host. Additionally, the presence of Neoehrlichia mikurensis, an emerging pathogen for humans, was reported for the first time in Turkey, expanding its geographical distribution. Consequently, this study describes some previously unknown tick-borne protozoan and bacterial species/genotypes and provides informative epidemiological data on TBPs, which are related to animal and human health, serving the one health concept.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ömer Orkun
- Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases Research Laboratory, Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey.
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Kakimori MTA, Barros LD, Collere FCM, Ferrari LDR, de Matos A, Lucas JI, Coradi VS, Mongruel ACB, Aguiar DM, Machado RZ, André MR, Vieira TSWJ, Vieira RFC. First molecular detection of Mycoplasma ovis in horses from Brazil. Acta Trop 2022; 237:106697. [PMID: 36162457 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2022.106697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2022] [Revised: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
This study aimed to determine the occurrence of hemoplasmas and tick-borne pathogens (TBP) (Theileria equi, Babesia caballi, and Ehrlichia sp.) in horses and ticks' salivary glands, and determine the factors associated with exposure/infection in a rural settlement in southern Brazil. Blood samples from 22 horses were screened for anti-T. equi and anti-Ehrlichia sp. antibodies by an indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) assays. Samples were also tested by PCR assays for T. equi and B. caballi (18S rRNA and rap-1 genes, respectively), hemoplasmas (16S rRNA gene), and Ehrlichia sp. (dsb gene). Ticks were removed from the animals (inspection) and the environment (flannel trawling and dry ice traps), and morphologically identified. Additionally, salivary glands DNA was extracted from 28 adult ticks infesting the animals and four nymphs from the environment, and further screened for Ehrlichia sp. and hemotropic Mycoplasma sp. Anti-T. equi and anti-Ehrlichia sp. antibodies were detected in 40.91% (nine/22; 95% CI: 23.26-61.27) and 31.81% (seven/22; 95% CI: 16.36-52.68) horses, respectively. Theileria equi, B. caballi, and hemotropic Mycoplasma sp. DNA was detected in 59.09% (13/22), 4.55% (one/22), and 50% (11/22) horses, respectively. All horses tested negative in the PCR for Ehrlichia sp. All sequences showed ≥99% identity with multiple T. equi, B. caballi, and Mycoplasma ovis sequences deposited in GenBank database. Adult ticks were identified as Dermacentor nitens (44/47; 93.62%) and Rhipicephalus microplus (three/47; 6.38%). Ticks' salivary glands were negative for Ehrlichia sp., while 39.29% from adults (11/28) and 50% from nymphs (two/four) from the environment were positive for hemotropic Mycoplasma sp. This is the first report of M. ovis infection in horses from Brazil and the first detection of hemoplasma DNA in salivary glands of D. nitens and R. microplus ticks. Further studies are needed to elucidate the vector competence of ticks to transmit hemoplasmas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica T A Kakimori
- Vector-Borne Diseases Laboratory, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Rua dos Funcionários, Campus Agrárias, 1540, Juvevê, Curitiba, PR 80035-050, Brazil; Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Londrina, Brazil
| | - Luiz D Barros
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Londrina, Brazil
| | - Flávia C M Collere
- Vector-Borne Diseases Laboratory, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Rua dos Funcionários, Campus Agrárias, 1540, Juvevê, Curitiba, PR 80035-050, Brazil
| | - Larissa D R Ferrari
- Vector-Borne Diseases Laboratory, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Rua dos Funcionários, Campus Agrárias, 1540, Juvevê, Curitiba, PR 80035-050, Brazil
| | - Aldair de Matos
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Londrina, Brazil
| | - Juliana I Lucas
- Laboratory of Immunoparasitology, Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Vanessa S Coradi
- Vector-Borne Diseases Laboratory, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Rua dos Funcionários, Campus Agrárias, 1540, Juvevê, Curitiba, PR 80035-050, Brazil
| | - Anna C B Mongruel
- Laboratório de Imunoparasitologia, Departamento de Patologia, Teriogenologia e Saúde Única, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Universidade Estadual Paulista (FCAV/UNESP), Jaboticabal, Brazil
| | - Daniel M Aguiar
- Laboratório de Virologia e Rickettsioses, Universidade Federal do Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil
| | - Rosangela Z Machado
- Laboratório de Imunoparasitologia, Departamento de Patologia, Teriogenologia e Saúde Única, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Universidade Estadual Paulista (FCAV/UNESP), Jaboticabal, Brazil
| | - Marcos R André
- Laboratório de Imunoparasitologia, Departamento de Patologia, Teriogenologia e Saúde Única, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Universidade Estadual Paulista (FCAV/UNESP), Jaboticabal, Brazil
| | - Thállitha S W J Vieira
- Vector-Borne Diseases Laboratory, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Rua dos Funcionários, Campus Agrárias, 1540, Juvevê, Curitiba, PR 80035-050, Brazil
| | - Rafael F C Vieira
- Vector-Borne Diseases Laboratory, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Rua dos Funcionários, Campus Agrárias, 1540, Juvevê, Curitiba, PR 80035-050, Brazil; Global One Health initiative (GOHi), The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
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Hornok S, Boldogh SA, Takács N, Kontschán J, Szekeres S, Sós E, Sándor AD, Wang Y, Tuska-Szalay B. Molecular epidemiological study on ticks and tick-borne protozoan parasites (Apicomplexa: Cytauxzoon and Hepatozoon spp.) from wild cats (Felis silvestris), Mustelidae and red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) in central Europe, Hungary. Parasit Vectors 2022; 15:174. [PMID: 35597994 PMCID: PMC9123708 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-022-05271-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Among live wild mammals adapted to urban and peri-urban habitats in Europe, members of the families Felidae, Mustelidae and Sciuridae deserve special attention as pathogen reservoirs because all of these families include members that are kept as pets. We report here the results of our study on two important groups of tick-borne protozoan parasites in ticks and tissues of wild cats, mustelids and red squirrels. Methods DNA was extracted from the tissues of carnivores (wild cats, mustelids; n = 16) and red squirrels (n = 4), as well as from ixodid ticks (n = 89) collected from these hosts. These DNA extracts were screened for piroplasms and Hepatozoon spp. using conventional PCR analysis and sequencing. In addition, 53 pooled samples of 259 questing Haemaphysalis concinna ticks were evaluated for the presence of Hepatozoon DNA, followed by phylogenetic analyses. Results One wild cat was found to be coinfected with Cytauxzoon europaeus and a new genotype of Hepatozoon felis, and two additional wild cats were infected with H. felis from a different phylogenetic group. In mustelids, Hepatozoon martis and two further Hepatozoon genotypes were detected. The latter clustered separately, close to others reported from eastern Asia. In addition, Hepatozoon sciuri was detected in red squirrels. Morphologic and molecular analyses verified eight tick species. One wild cat was infected with a H. felis genotype that was significantly different from that in Ixodes ricinus females infesting this cat. Only three pools of questing H. concinna nymphs tested positive for Hepatozoon, one of which contained H. martis. Conclusions This study provides the first evidence of the occurrence of any Cytauxzoon species and of three Hepatozoon species in Hungary. In addition to H. martis, two further mustelid-associated Hepatozoon genotypes were detected, one of which was new in terms of phylogenetic and broader geographical contexts. This may be the first indication that H. felis genotypes from both of its phylogenetic groups occur in Europe. This also appears to be the first evidence of H. felis and C. europaeus coinfection in felids in Europe, and of autochthonous H. felis infection in wild cats north of the Mediterranean Basin. New tick–host associations were also observed in this study. Based on the results, H. felis and H. martis might survive transstadially in I. ricinus and H. concinna, respectively. Graphical Abstract ![]()
Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13071-022-05271-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sándor Hornok
- Department of Parasitology and Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Sándor A Boldogh
- Department of Nature Conservation, Aggtelek National Park Directorate, Jósvafő, Hungary
| | - Nóra Takács
- Department of Parasitology and Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Jenő Kontschán
- Plant Protection Institute, Centre for Agricultural Research (ELKH), Budapest, Hungary
| | - Sándor Szekeres
- Department of Parasitology and Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Endre Sós
- Budapest Zoo and Botanical Garden, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Attila D Sándor
- Department of Parasitology and Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary.,Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Yuanzhi Wang
- Department of Basic Medicine, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China
| | - Barbara Tuska-Szalay
- Department of Parasitology and Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
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12
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Hildebrand J, Perec-Matysiak A, Popiołek M, Merta D, Myśliwy I, Buńkowska-Gawlik K. A molecular survey of spotted fever group rickettsiae in introduced raccoons (Procyon lotor). Parasit Vectors 2022; 15:162. [PMID: 35526060 PMCID: PMC9077888 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-022-05280-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The raccoon Procyon lotor (Linnaeus, 1758) (Carnivora; Procyonidae) is one of the most important and most intensively studied invasive mammal species in Europe. Within the last 30 years the raccoon has spread at an increasing rate, resulting in the establishment of local populations in various regions of Europe. In these newly colonised areas, gaps in knowledge of the raccoon’s biology concern not only most aspects of its ecology in a broad sense, but also its pathogens and parasites. Most micropathogens recorded hitherto in the raccoons that have colonised Europe have documented epizootic and zoonotic potential. Thus, it is considered especially important to investigate the role played by the raccoon in the spread of pathogens through both animal-animal and animal-human pathways. Methods Tissue samples of raccoons from Poland and Germany were examined in this study. In total, 384 tissue samples from 220 raccoons (170 spleen samples, 82 liver biopsies, 132 ear biopsies) were examined using molecular methods. The presence of Rickettsia spp. DNA was screened through amplification of a fragment of the gltA gene. Samples that were PCR positive for gltA were tested for other rickettsial genes, ompB and a 17-kDa antigen. For taxonomic purposes, the obtained sequences were compared with corresponding sequences deposited in GenBank using the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool, and phylogenetic analyses were conducted using Bayesian inference implemented in MrBayes software. Results Rickettsia DNA was confirmed only in skin biopsies; no isolates from the spleen or liver were positive for Rickettsia DNA. With the exception of one sample from Germany, which was positive for Rickettsia helvetica DNA, all the samples positive for Rickettsia DNA derived from the Polish population of raccoons. DNA of Rickettsia spp. was detected in 25 samples, i.e. 11.4% of the tested raccoons, and R. helvetica was confirmed in 52% of the positive samples. Additionally, single cases of Rickettsia monacensis, Rickettsia raoultii, and Candidatus Rickettsia kotlanii-like were found, and in 32% of all the positive samples similarity was shown to different Rickettsia endosymbionts. Out of the samples that tested positive for gltA, amplicons of ompB and 17 kDa were successfully sequenced from 14 and three samples, respectively. Conclusions To the best of our knowledge, this study provides, for the first time, evidence of the occurrence of Rickettsia pathogens and endosymbionts in the European population of raccoons. Further, broader research on different species of wild vertebrates, and ticks, as potential vectors and hosts for tick-borne pathogens, in natural as well as in peri-urban environments, is therefore required. Graphical abstract ![]()
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Marcin Popiołek
- Department of Parasitology, University of Wrocław, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Dorota Merta
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Protection, Institute of Biology, Pedagogical University of Kraków, Kraków, Poland
| | - Izabella Myśliwy
- Department of Parasitology, University of Wrocław, Wrocław, Poland
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Sonnberger BW, Wortha LN, Rackl D, Obwaller AG, Joachim A, Fuehrer HP. Vector Surveillance and Pathogen Detection in the Working Areas of Military Working Dogs in Eastern Austria. Pathogens 2022; 11:pathogens11050506. [PMID: 35631026 PMCID: PMC9143989 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11050506] [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: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Vector-borne diseases play a major role in human and veterinary medicine worldwide. A previous study detected asymptomatic vector-borne pathogens in military working dogs stationed at a military base in eastern Austria, and a follow-up survey of potential arthropod vectors was conducted in spring 2019 and 2020 in the vicinity of the base to evaluate the presence of vectors and their carrier status for a range of canine and zoonotic pathogens. A total of 1324 ticks (nymphs and adults of Ixodes ricinus, comprising 92.9% of the collected specimens, and adults of Haemaphysalis inermis, a tick previously only rarely described in Austria, Haemaphysalis concinna, and Dermacentor reticulatus) were collected by flagging. In 44.1% (125/284) of all pools (n = 284), one infectious agent was found; in 27.8% (79/284) and in 1.1% (3/284), two and three different agents, respectively, could be identified. Overall, 72.9% of the pools contained at least one pathogen (Borrelia spp., Rickettsia spp., Bartonella spp., and Babesia microti). Borrelia mijamotoi, B. lustinaniae, and B. microti were previously only described in single cases in Austria. Mosquitoes were collected with BG-Sentinel traps monthly during the summer of 2019. A total of 71 individuals from 11 species were collected. No filarioid DNA was detected in the mosquito sample pools, although Dirofilaria repens had been present in the dogs from the military site. In conclusion, vector surveillance should be combined with the surveillance of an exposed population whenever possible to estimate the infection risks for dogs and their handlers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernhard W. Sonnberger
- Department of Pathobiology, Institute of Parasitology, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1210 Vienna, Austria; (B.W.S.); (L.N.W.); (A.J.)
- Office of the State Government of Upper Austria, Department of Food Security and Veterinary Affairs, Directorate Social Affairs and Health, 4021 Linz, Austria
| | - Licha N. Wortha
- Department of Pathobiology, Institute of Parasitology, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1210 Vienna, Austria; (B.W.S.); (L.N.W.); (A.J.)
| | - Dietmar Rackl
- Veterinary Service, Joint Support Command, Federal Ministry of Defense, 1120 Vienna, Austria;
| | - Adelheid G. Obwaller
- Research and Development, Division of Science, Federal Ministry of Defense, 1090 Vienna, Austria;
| | - Anja Joachim
- Department of Pathobiology, Institute of Parasitology, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1210 Vienna, Austria; (B.W.S.); (L.N.W.); (A.J.)
| | - Hans-Peter Fuehrer
- Department of Pathobiology, Institute of Parasitology, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1210 Vienna, Austria; (B.W.S.); (L.N.W.); (A.J.)
- Correspondence:
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14
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Roblejo-Arias L, Díaz-Sánchez AA, Corona-González B, Meli ML, Fonseca-Rodríguez O, Rodríguez-Mirabal E, Marrero-Perera R, Vega-Cañizares E, Lobo-Rivero E, Hofmann-Lehmann R. First molecular evidence of Mycoplasma haemocanis and 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haematoparvum' infections and its association with epidemiological factors in dogs from Cuba. Acta Trop 2022; 228:106320. [PMID: 35063415 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2022.106320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Revised: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
Haemotrophic mycoplasmas (haemoplasmas) are unculturable, epicellular, cell wall-less gram-negative bacteria distributed worldwide, which infect several mammalian species. In dogs, Mycoplasma haemocanis and 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haematoparvum' have been reported as causative agents of infectious anaemia, especially in splenectomised or immunocompromised animals. The present cross-sectional study aims to assess the prevalence, risk factors, and molecular characterization of canine haemoplasmas in Cuba. A total of 391 dog blood samples and 247 tick samples were tested for the presence of canine haemoplasmas by species-specific quantitative TaqMan® real-time PCR assays. Overall, 17.9% (70/391; 95% CI: 14.1-21.7) blood samples were PCR-positive for at least one canine haemoplasmas species, where 15.1% (59/391; 95% CI: 11.5-18.7) for Mycoplasma haemocanis, 4.4% (17/391; 95% CI: 2.3-6.4) for 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haematoparvum', and 1.5% (6/391; 95% CI: 0.3-2.8) were co-infected. All collected ticks were identified morphologically as Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato, and none of the tested tick samples was found PCR-positive for the presence of Mycoplasma haemocanis and 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haematoparvum'. Risk factors for canine haemoplasmas species infection included the presence of tick infestation, crossbreeding and living in kennels, while no association was found with the occurrence of anaemia. Phylogenetic analyses based on the 16S rRNA gene sequences of Mycoplasma haemocanis and 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haematoparvum' revealed >99% identity to other isolates distributed worldwide, indicating low genetic variability amongst these canine haemoplasmas species. To the best of the authors´ knowledge, this is the first molecular evidence of Mycoplasma haemocanis and 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haematoparvum' infections in dogs from Cuba.
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da Silva NX, Dias TS, Vignoli JA, Dos Santos Machado L, Telleria EL, de Almeida Pereira VL, do Nascimento ER, da Cunha NC. First molecular detection of Spiroplasma spp. in ticks from horses in Brazil. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2022; 13:101896. [PMID: 35051893 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2022.101896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Revised: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The class Mollicutes comprises microorganisms that lack a cell wall, highly dependent on their host to survive. Within Mollicutes, the genus Spiroplasma comprises motile helical microorganisms associated with various insects and other arthropods. This study aimed to detect and characterize Mollicutes microorganisms in ticks of different species of veterinary importance, using molecular techniques. These ticks were collected from dogs, cats, cattle, and horses from Rio de Janeiro's metropolitan regions. They were morphologically classified and pooled according to their species for subsequent DNA extraction. These samples were tested by PCR using class Mollicutes-specific primers (16S rRNA) and positive amplicons were sequenced. The obtained DNA sequences were compared with other Mollicutes sequences deposited in GenBank. We found that four out of 745 (0.54%) of the tick pools were positive for members of the class Mollicutes, identified as Spiroplasma spp.; of the positive pools, one comprised Amblyomma sculptum adults and three comprised Dermacentor nitens nymphs. The present study describes Spiroplasma spp. in ticks in Brazil for the first time. Nevertheless, due to few reports on these microorganisms, further studies on epidemiology, virulence, and pathogenicity are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalia Xavier da Silva
- Departamento de Saúde Coletiva Veterinária e Saúde Pública, Faculdade de Veterinária, Rua Vital Brasil Filho, 64 - Vital Brasil, Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Thomas Salles Dias
- Departamento de Saúde Coletiva Veterinária e Saúde Pública, Faculdade de Veterinária, Rua Vital Brasil Filho, 64 - Vital Brasil, Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Julia Alves Vignoli
- Departamento de Saúde Coletiva Veterinária e Saúde Pública, Faculdade de Veterinária, Rua Vital Brasil Filho, 64 - Vital Brasil, Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Leandro Dos Santos Machado
- Departamento de Saúde Coletiva Veterinária e Saúde Pública, Faculdade de Veterinária, Rua Vital Brasil Filho, 64 - Vital Brasil, Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Erich Loza Telleria
- Department of Parasitology - Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Virginia Léo de Almeida Pereira
- Departamento de Saúde Coletiva Veterinária e Saúde Pública, Faculdade de Veterinária, Rua Vital Brasil Filho, 64 - Vital Brasil, Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Elmiro Rosendo do Nascimento
- Departamento de Saúde Coletiva Veterinária e Saúde Pública, Faculdade de Veterinária, Rua Vital Brasil Filho, 64 - Vital Brasil, Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Nathalie Costa da Cunha
- Departamento de Saúde Coletiva Veterinária e Saúde Pública, Faculdade de Veterinária, Rua Vital Brasil Filho, 64 - Vital Brasil, Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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Do T, Inpankaew T, Duong DH, Bui KL. First Molecular Evidence of Pathogens in Fleas Collected from Dogs in Northern Vietnam. Pathogens 2021; 10:pathogens10091185. [PMID: 34578217 PMCID: PMC8472576 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10091185] [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: 07/23/2021] [Revised: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Fleas are considered as hosts for a wide range of pathogens that cause emerging and re-emerging zoonotic diseases worldwide. Data on fleas and flea-borne pathogens (FBPs) in the international literature are limited in Vietnam. This study aimed to investigate the species of fleas and the presence of pathogens of interest in fleas in northern Vietnam using PCR and sequence analysis. Out of 200 dogs enrolled in this study, 20% were infested by the flea species Ctenocephalides felis felis. In total, 62 fleas (35 females and 27 males) collected from domestic dogs were molecularly screened for the detection of pathogens. Out of the screened fleas, 39 were positive for Rickettsia felis (62.9%), 9 for Candidatus Mycoplasma hemobos (14.52%), and 6 for Mycoplasma wenyonii (9.68%). This study shows the first molecular detection of the above-mentioned pathogens in fleas collected from the studied areas and the potential risk of infection with examined FBPs in northern Vietnam.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thom Do
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand; (T.D.); (T.I.)
| | - Tawin Inpankaew
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand; (T.D.); (T.I.)
| | - Duc Hieu Duong
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Vietnam National University of Agriculture, Hanoi 12406, Vietnam;
| | - Khanh Linh Bui
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Vietnam National University of Agriculture, Hanoi 12406, Vietnam;
- Correspondence:
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Ouarti B, Hamzaoui BE, Stanko M, Laroche M, Mediannikov O, Parola P, Sekeyová Z. Detection of Rickettsia raoultii in Dermacentor reticulatus and Haemaphysalis inermis ticks in Slovakia. Biologia (Bratisl) 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s11756-021-00789-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
AbstractTicks are vector arthropods responsible for the transmission of several pathogenic agents that affect both human and animal health worldwide. In this study our objective was to analyse, using molecular tools, the bacterial community of Dermacentor reticulatus and Haemaphysalis inermis ticks collected in south-eastern Slovakia. Using real-time PCR, we identified the presence of Rickettsia spp. DNA at levels of 14/59 (23.72 %) and 29/173 (16.76 %) in D. reticulatus and H. inermis, respectively. In addition, using standard PCR and sequencing, we identified the presence of Rickettsia raoultii DNA in 13 ticks belonging to the two investigated species. Rickettsia raoultii blast results revealed an average identification percentage of 99.62 %. Following the results of this molecular study there is a possibility that D. reticulatus and H. inermis play a potential role in the transmission of R. raoultii. To prove the possibility of validity of this hypothesis, we suggest performing experimental models in future studies. Our results can serve as preliminary data for future transmission models.
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Kinderlehrer DA. Anorexia Nervosa Caused by Polymicrobial Tick-Borne Infections: A Case Study. Int Med Case Rep J 2021; 14:279-287. [PMID: 34007219 PMCID: PMC8121620 DOI: 10.2147/imcrj.s311516] [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: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 04/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The etiology of anorexia nervosa (AN) is multifactorial, and infections may play a contributory and possibly a prominent role. A case is presented which is indicative of a causal association between tick-borne infections and AN. This adolescent female was diagnosed with AN at an eating disorder clinic after excessive food restriction and an irrational fear of weight gain necessitating nasogastric tube feeding. Her history was consistent with systemic infections and she tested serologically positive to Borrelia burgdorferi, Babesia microti, and Mycoplasma pneumoniae; in addition, her clinical presentation was consistent with a Bartonella infection. After treatment with oral and intravenous antimicrobials, she stopped food restriction and no longer had body image concerns. Physicians should be aware of the possibility that tick-borne infections could underly a diagnosis of AN. The role of tick-borne infections in the etiology of AN warrants further study.
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Beliavskaia A, Hönig V, Erhart J, Vyhlidalova T, Palus M, Cerny J, Kozlova I, Ruzek D, Palomar AM, Bell-Sakyi L. Spiroplasma Isolated From Third-Generation Laboratory Colony Ixodes persulcatus Ticks. Front Vet Sci 2021; 8:659786. [PMID: 33842580 PMCID: PMC8032855 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.659786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Spiroplasma are vertically-transmitted endosymbionts of ticks and other arthropods. Field-collected Ixodes persulcatus have been reported to harbour Spiroplasma, but nothing is known about their persistence during laboratory colonisation of this tick species. We successfully isolated Spiroplasma from internal organs of 6/10 unfed adult ticks, belonging to the third generation of an I. persulcatus laboratory colony, into tick cell culture. We screened a further 51 adult male and female ticks from the same colony for presence of Spiroplasma by genus-specific PCR amplification of fragments of the 16S rRNA and rpoB genes; 100% of these ticks were infected and the 16S rRNA sequence showed 99.8% similarity to that of a previously-published Spiroplasma isolated from field-collected I. persulcatus. Our study shows that Spiroplasma endosymbionts persist at high prevalence in colonised I. persulcatus through at least three generations, and confirms the usefulness of tick cell lines for isolation and cultivation of this bacterium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Beliavskaia
- Department of Infection Biology and Microbiomes, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Vaclav Hönig
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia.,Veterinary Research Institute, Brno, Czechia
| | - Jan Erhart
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Tereza Vyhlidalova
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Martin Palus
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia.,Veterinary Research Institute, Brno, Czechia
| | - Jiri Cerny
- Centre for Infectious Animal Diseases, Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czechia
| | - Irina Kozlova
- Science Center for Family Health and Human Reproduction Problems, Irkutsk, Russia
| | - Daniel Ruzek
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia.,Veterinary Research Institute, Brno, Czechia
| | - Ana M Palomar
- Centre of Rickettsiosis and Arthropod-Borne Diseases, Hospital Universitario San Pedro-CIBIR, Logroño, Spain
| | - Lesley Bell-Sakyi
- Department of Infection Biology and Microbiomes, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
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20
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Spiroplasma Infection among Ixodid Ticks Exhibits Species Dependence and Suggests a Vertical Pattern of Transmission. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9020333. [PMID: 33567677 PMCID: PMC7915285 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9020333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2020] [Revised: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Members of the genus Spiroplasma are Gram-positive bacteria without cell walls. Some Spiroplasma species can cause disease in arthropods such as bees, whereas others provide their host with resistance to pathogens. Ticks also harbour Spiroplasma, but their role has not been elucidated yet. Here, the infection status and genetic diversity of Spiroplasma in ticks were investigated using samples collected from different geographic regions in Japan. A total of 712 ticks were tested for Spiroplasma infection by PCR targeting 16S rDNA, and Spiroplasma species were genetically characterized based on 16S rDNA, ITS, dnaA, and rpoB gene sequences. A total of 109 samples originating from eight tick species were positive for Spiroplasma infection, with infection rates ranging from 0% to 84% depending on the species. A linear mixed model indicated that tick species was the primary factor associated with Spiroplasma infection. Moreover, certain Spiroplasma alleles that are highly adapted to specific tick species may explain the high infection rates in Ixodes ovatus and Haemaphysalis kitaokai. A comparison of the alleles obtained suggests that horizontal transmission between tick species may not be a frequent event. These findings provide clues to understand the transmission cycle of Spiroplasma species in wild tick populations and their roles in host ticks.
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21
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Hosseini-Chegeni A, Tavakoli M, Telmadarraiy Z, Faghihi F. Molecular Detection of Spotted Fever Group Rickettsia (Rickettsiales: Rickettsiaceae) in Ticks of Iran. ARCHIVES OF RAZI INSTITUTE 2020; 75:317-325. [PMID: 33025772 DOI: 10.22092/ari.2019.125746.1317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2019] [Accepted: 07/27/2019] [Indexed: 09/30/2022]
Abstract
Ticks are reservoir hosts of pathogenic Rickettsia in humans and domestic animals. Most pathogenic Rickettsia species belong to the spotted fever group (SFG). The present study aimed to determine the tick species infected with Rickettsia based on the genus-specific 23S ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA), 16S rRNA, and citrate synthase (gltA) gene fragments. A total of 61 tick specimens were selected for molecular assay and 12 samples for sequencing. Phylogenetic analysis was conducted using neighbor-joining and Bayesian inference methods. Argas persicus, Haemaphysalis sulcata, Ha. inermis, and Hyalomma asiaticum were infected by spotted fever Rickettsia. The SFG is the main group of Rickettsia that can be detected in the three genera of ticks from Iran.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Hosseini-Chegeni
- Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran.,Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Lorestan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research Center, Khorramabad, Iran
| | - M Tavakoli
- Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Lorestan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research Center, Khorramabad, Iran
| | - Z Telmadarraiy
- Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - F Faghihi
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Razi Herbal Medicines Research Center, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran.,Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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22
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Ferreira FC, Fonseca DM, Hamilton G, Price D. Metagenomic analysis of human-biting cat fleas in urban northeastern United States of America reveals an emerging zoonotic pathogen. Sci Rep 2020; 10:15611. [PMID: 32973327 PMCID: PMC7519146 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-72956-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
An infestation of cat fleas in a research center led to the detection of two genotypes of Ctenocephalides felis biting humans in New Jersey, USA. The rarer flea genotype had an 83% incidence of Rickettsia asembonensis, a recently described bacterium closely related to R. felis, a known human pathogen. A metagenomics analysis developed in under a week recovered the entire R. asembonensis genome at high coverage and matched it to identical or almost identical (> 99% similarity) strains reported worldwide. Our study exposes the potential of cat fleas as vectors of human pathogens in crowded northeastern U.S, cities and suburbs where free-ranging cats are abundant. Furthermore, it demonstrates the power of metagenomics to glean large amounts of comparative data regarding both emerging vectors and their pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco C Ferreira
- Center for Vector Biology, Department of Entomology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA.
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC, 20008, USA.
| | - Dina M Fonseca
- Center for Vector Biology, Department of Entomology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA
| | - George Hamilton
- Center for Vector Biology, Department of Entomology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA
| | - Dana Price
- Center for Vector Biology, Department of Entomology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA
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23
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Byamukama B, Tumwebaze MA, Tayebwa DS, Byaruhanga J, Angwe MK, Li J, Galon EM, Liu M, Li Y, Ji S, Moumouni PFA, Ringo A, Lee SH, Vudriko P, Xuan X. First Molecular Detection and Characterization of Hemotropic Mycoplasma Species in Cattle and Goats from Uganda. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:ani10091624. [PMID: 32927890 PMCID: PMC7552329 DOI: 10.3390/ani10091624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Revised: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Hemoplasmas (hemotropic mycoplasmas) are small pleomorphic bacteria that parasitize the surface of red blood cells of several mammalian species including cattle, goats, and humans, causing infectious anemia. However, studies on hemoplasmas have been neglected and to date, there are no studies on bovine and caprine hemoplasmas in Uganda or the entire East African region. In this study, a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay targeting the 16S rRNA gene was used to investigate the presence of hemoplasma in 409 samples (cattle = 208; goats = 201) collected from Kasese district, western Uganda. Results showed that 32.2% (67/208) of cattle samples and 43.8% (88/201) of goat samples were positive for hemoplasmas. Sequencing analysis identified Candidatus Mycoplasma haemobos and Mycoplasma wenyonii in cattle, while Candidatus Mycoplasma erythrocervae and Mycoplasma ovis were identified in goats. Statistical analysis showed that goats were at a higher risk of infection with hemoplasmas compared with cattle. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first molecular evidence of hemoplasmas in bovine and caprine animals in Uganda and the entire east African region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedicto Byamukama
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan; (B.B.); (M.A.T.); (J.L.); (E.M.G.); (M.L.); (Y.L.); (S.J.); (P.F.A.M.); (A.R.)
- Research Center for Tropical Diseases and Vector Control, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Resources, Makerere University, Kampala 7062, Uganda; (D.S.T.); (J.B.); (M.K.A.)
| | - Maria Agnes Tumwebaze
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan; (B.B.); (M.A.T.); (J.L.); (E.M.G.); (M.L.); (Y.L.); (S.J.); (P.F.A.M.); (A.R.)
- Research Center for Tropical Diseases and Vector Control, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Resources, Makerere University, Kampala 7062, Uganda; (D.S.T.); (J.B.); (M.K.A.)
| | - Dickson Stuart Tayebwa
- Research Center for Tropical Diseases and Vector Control, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Resources, Makerere University, Kampala 7062, Uganda; (D.S.T.); (J.B.); (M.K.A.)
- Department of Veterinary Pharmacy, Clinics & Comparative Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Resources, College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity, Makerere University, Kampala 7062, Uganda
| | - Joseph Byaruhanga
- Research Center for Tropical Diseases and Vector Control, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Resources, Makerere University, Kampala 7062, Uganda; (D.S.T.); (J.B.); (M.K.A.)
| | - Martin Kamilo Angwe
- Research Center for Tropical Diseases and Vector Control, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Resources, Makerere University, Kampala 7062, Uganda; (D.S.T.); (J.B.); (M.K.A.)
| | - Jixu Li
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan; (B.B.); (M.A.T.); (J.L.); (E.M.G.); (M.L.); (Y.L.); (S.J.); (P.F.A.M.); (A.R.)
| | - Eloiza May Galon
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan; (B.B.); (M.A.T.); (J.L.); (E.M.G.); (M.L.); (Y.L.); (S.J.); (P.F.A.M.); (A.R.)
| | - Mingming Liu
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan; (B.B.); (M.A.T.); (J.L.); (E.M.G.); (M.L.); (Y.L.); (S.J.); (P.F.A.M.); (A.R.)
| | - Yongchang Li
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan; (B.B.); (M.A.T.); (J.L.); (E.M.G.); (M.L.); (Y.L.); (S.J.); (P.F.A.M.); (A.R.)
| | - Shengwei Ji
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan; (B.B.); (M.A.T.); (J.L.); (E.M.G.); (M.L.); (Y.L.); (S.J.); (P.F.A.M.); (A.R.)
| | - Paul Frank Adjou Moumouni
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan; (B.B.); (M.A.T.); (J.L.); (E.M.G.); (M.L.); (Y.L.); (S.J.); (P.F.A.M.); (A.R.)
| | - Aaron Ringo
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan; (B.B.); (M.A.T.); (J.L.); (E.M.G.); (M.L.); (Y.L.); (S.J.); (P.F.A.M.); (A.R.)
| | - Seung-Hun Lee
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 28644, Korea;
| | - Patrick Vudriko
- Research Center for Tropical Diseases and Vector Control, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Resources, Makerere University, Kampala 7062, Uganda; (D.S.T.); (J.B.); (M.K.A.)
- Department of Veterinary Pharmacy, Clinics & Comparative Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Resources, College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity, Makerere University, Kampala 7062, Uganda
- Correspondence: (P.V.); (X.X.); Tel.: +256-774-948-082 (P.V.); +81-15-549-5648 (X.X.)
| | - Xuenan Xuan
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan; (B.B.); (M.A.T.); (J.L.); (E.M.G.); (M.L.); (Y.L.); (S.J.); (P.F.A.M.); (A.R.)
- Correspondence: (P.V.); (X.X.); Tel.: +256-774-948-082 (P.V.); +81-15-549-5648 (X.X.)
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24
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Oren A, Garrity GM, Parker CT, Chuvochina M, Trujillo ME. Lists of names of prokaryotic Candidatus taxa. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2020; 70:3956-4042. [DOI: 10.1099/ijsem.0.003789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 782] [Impact Index Per Article: 195.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
We here present annotated lists of names of Candidatus taxa of prokaryotes with ranks between subspecies and class, proposed between the mid-1990s, when the provisional status of Candidatus taxa was first established, and the end of 2018. Where necessary, corrected names are proposed that comply with the current provisions of the International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes and its Orthography appendix. These lists, as well as updated lists of newly published names of Candidatus taxa with additions and corrections to the current lists to be published periodically in the International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, may serve as the basis for the valid publication of the Candidatus names if and when the current proposals to expand the type material for naming of prokaryotes to also include gene sequences of yet-uncultivated taxa is accepted by the International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aharon Oren
- The Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, The Edmond J. Safra Campus, 9190401 Jerusalem, Israel
| | - George M. Garrity
- NamesforLife, LLC, PO Box 769, Okemos MI 48805-0769, USA
- Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics, Biomedical Physical Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824-4320, USA
| | | | - Maria Chuvochina
- Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, University of Queensland, St. Lucia QLD 4072, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Martha E. Trujillo
- Departamento de Microbiología y Genética, Campus Miguel de Unamuno, Universidad de Salamanca, 37007, Salamanca, Spain
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25
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Paulauskas A, Sakalauskas P, Kaminskienė E, Šimkevičius K, Kibiša A, Radzijevskaja J. First record of Haemaphysalis concinna (Acari: Ixodidae) in Lithuania. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2020; 11:101460. [PMID: 32417294 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2020.101460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2020] [Revised: 04/14/2020] [Accepted: 04/26/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
The relict tick Haemaphysalis concinna Koch, 1844 (Acari: Ixodidae) has high medical and veterinary importance as it is known as a vector or a carrier of various pathogens causing human and animal diseases. Haemaphysalis concinna is a widely distributed species in forests of temperate Eurasia. In Europe, it is found mainly in deciduous or mixed forests near shores of lakes or rivers. However, there is still a lack of knowledge about current distribution, relative density, and other ecological parameters of H. concinna. On June 30th, 2019, one specimen of H. concinna was found on the fur of a hunted roe deer in Lithuania. This is the first record of H. concinna in Lithuania and, to the best of our knowledge, it represents the northernmost distribution point of H. concinna in Europe (22°55'26.5"E/ 55°27'50.7"N).
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Artūras Kibiša
- Vytautas Magnus University, Vileikos 8, LT-44404, Kaunas, Lithuania
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26
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Heglasová I, Víchová B, Stanko M. Detection of Rickettsia spp. in Fleas Collected from Small Mammals in Slovakia, Central Europe. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2020; 20:652-656. [PMID: 32366189 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2019.2567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
This survey is aimed at investigation of species composition of fleas removed from small terrestrial mammals captured in rural, suburban, and urban types of habitat and molecular screening of the presence and diversity of Rickettsia species in collected ectoparasites. In total, 279 fleas (Siphonaptera) belonging to 9 species of 2 families, Ceratophyllidae and Hystrichopsyllidae, were collected from 115 (46%) out of 250 trapped small mammals of eight species (Apodemus agrarius, Apodemus flavicollis, Apodemus uralensis, Myodes glareolus, Microtus arvalis, Microtus subterraneus, Crocidura leucodon, and Sorex minutus). Rickettsia spp. were found in 2.5% (7/279) of tested fleas, namely in Ctenophthalmus agyrtes, Ctenophthalmus solutus, Ctenophthalmus uncinatus, Megabothris turbidus, and Amalareus penicilliger. Rickettsia felis, Rickettsia helvetica, and unidentified Rickettsia species were detected in fleas infesting small mammals in Eastern Slovakia. The results of the study suggest that some species of rickettsiae have a different range of arthropod vectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivana Heglasová
- Institute of Parasitology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Košice, Slovakia.,Department of Zoology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | | | - Michal Stanko
- Institute of Parasitology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Košice, Slovakia.,Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
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27
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Asimakis ED, Doudoumis V, Hadapad AB, Hire RS, Batargias C, Niu C, Khan M, Bourtzis K, Tsiamis G. Detection and characterization of bacterial endosymbionts in Southeast Asian tephritid fruit fly populations. BMC Microbiol 2019; 19:290. [PMID: 31870298 PMCID: PMC7050614 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-019-1653-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Various endosymbiotic bacteria, including Wolbachia of the Alphaproteobacteria, infect a wide range of insects and are capable of inducing reproductive abnormalities to their hosts such as cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), parthenogenesis, feminization and male-killing. These extended phenotypes can be potentially exploited in enhancing environmentally friendly methods, such as the sterile insect technique (SIT), for controlling natural populations of agricultural pests. The goal of the present study is to investigate the presence of Wolbachia, Spiroplasma, Arsenophonus and Cardinium among Bactrocera, Dacus and Zeugodacus flies of Southeast Asian populations, and to genotype any detected Wolbachia strains. RESULTS A specific 16S rRNA PCR assay was used to investigate the presence of reproductive parasites in natural populations of nine different tephritid species originating from three Asian countries, Bangladesh, China and India. Wolbachia infections were identified in Bactrocera dorsalis, B. correcta, B. scutellaris and B. zonata, with 12.2-42.9% occurrence, Entomoplasmatales in B. dorsalis, B. correcta, B. scutellaris, B. zonata, Zeugodacus cucurbitae and Z. tau (0.8-14.3%) and Cardinium in B. dorsalis and Z. tau (0.9-5.8%), while none of the species tested, harbored infections with Arsenophonus. Infected populations showed a medium (between 10 and 90%) or low (< 10%) prevalence, ranging from 3 to 80% for Wolbachia, 2 to 33% for Entomoplasmatales and 5 to 45% for Cardinium. Wolbachia and Entomoplasmatales infections were found both in tropical and subtropical populations, the former mostly in India and the latter in various regions of India and Bangladesh. Cardinium infections were identified in both countries but only in subtropical populations. Phylogenetic analysis revealed the presence of Wolbachia with some strains belonging either to supergroup B or supergroup A. Sequence analysis revealed deletions of variable length and nucleotide variation in three Wolbachia genes. Spiroplasma strains were characterized as citri-chrysopicola-mirum and ixodetis strains while the remaining Entomoplasmatales to the Mycoides-Entomoplasmataceae clade. Cardinium strains were characterized as group A, similar to strains infecting Encarsia pergandiella. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicated that in the Southeast natural populations examined, supergroup A Wolbachia strain infections were the most common, followed by Entomoplasmatales and Cardinium. In terms of diversity, most strains of each bacterial genus detected clustered in a common group. Interestingly, the deletions detected in three Wolbachia genes were either new or similar to those of previously identified pseudogenes that were integrated in the host genome indicating putative horizontal gene transfer events in B. dorsalis, B. correcta and B. zonata.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elias D. Asimakis
- Department of Environmental Engineering, University of Patras, 2 Seferi St., 30100 Agrinio, Greece
| | - Vangelis Doudoumis
- Department of Environmental Engineering, University of Patras, 2 Seferi St., 30100 Agrinio, Greece
- Department of Fisheries & Aquaculture Management, Technological Educational Institute of Western Greece, 30200 Messolonghi, Greece
| | - Ashok B. Hadapad
- Nuclear Agriculture & Biotechnology Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Trombay, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400 085 India
| | - Ramesh S. Hire
- Nuclear Agriculture & Biotechnology Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Trombay, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400 085 India
| | - Costas Batargias
- Department of Fisheries & Aquaculture Management, Technological Educational Institute of Western Greece, 30200 Messolonghi, Greece
| | - Changying Niu
- Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070 Hubei China
| | - Mahfuza Khan
- Insect Biotechnology Division, Institute of Food and Radiation Biology
(IFRB), Atomic Energy Research Establishment (AERE), Ganakbari, Savar, Dhaka 1349 Bangladesh
| | - Kostas Bourtzis
- Insect Pest Control Laboratory, Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear
Techniques in Food and Agriculture, Vienna International Centre, P.O. Box 100, 1400 Vienna, Austria
| | - George Tsiamis
- Department of Environmental Engineering, University of Patras, 2 Seferi St., 30100 Agrinio, Greece
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28
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Maggi RG, Krämer F. A review on the occurrence of companion vector-borne diseases in pet animals in Latin America. Parasit Vectors 2019; 12:145. [PMID: 30917860 PMCID: PMC6438007 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-019-3407-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2019] [Accepted: 03/21/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Companion vector-borne diseases (CVBDs) are an important threat for pet life, but may also have an impact on human health, due to their often zoonotic character. The importance and awareness of CVBDs continuously increased during the last years. However, information on their occurrence is often limited in several parts of the world, which are often especially affected. Latin America (LATAM), a region with large biodiversity, is one of these regions, where information on CVBDs for pet owners, veterinarians, medical doctors and health workers is often obsolete, limited or non-existent. In the present review, a comprehensive literature search for CVBDs in companion animals (dogs and cats) was performed for several countries in Central America (Belize, Caribbean Islands, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico) as well as in South America (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana (British Guyana), Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, Venezuela) regarding the occurrence of the following parasitic and bacterial diseases: babesiosis, heartworm disease, subcutaneous dirofilariosis, hepatozoonosis, leishmaniosis, trypanosomosis, anaplasmosis, bartonellosis, borreliosis, ehrlichiosis, mycoplasmosis and rickettsiosis. An overview on the specific diseases, followed by a short summary on their occurrence per country is given. Additionally, a tabular listing on positive or non-reported occurrence is presented. None of the countries is completely free from CVBDs. The data presented in the review confirm a wide distribution of the CVBDs in focus in LATAM. This wide occurrence and the fact that most of the CVBDs can have a quite severe clinical outcome and their diagnostic as well as therapeutic options in the region are often difficult to access and to afford, demands a strong call for the prevention of pathogen transmission by the use of ectoparasiticidal and anti-feeding products as well as by performing behavioural changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo G. Maggi
- Department of Clinical Sciences and the Intracellular Pathogens Research Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC USA
| | - Friederike Krämer
- Institute of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
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Palomar AM, Premchand-Branker S, Alberdi P, Belova OA, Moniuszko-Malinowska A, Kahl O, Bell-Sakyi L. Isolation of known and potentially pathogenic tick-borne microorganisms from European ixodid ticks using tick cell lines. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2019; 10:628-638. [PMID: 30819609 PMCID: PMC6446187 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2019.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2018] [Revised: 02/07/2019] [Accepted: 02/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Ticks harbour and, in many cases transmit to their vertebrate hosts, a wide variety of pathogenic, apathogenic and endosymbiotic microorganisms. Recent molecular analyses have greatly increased the range of bacterial species potentially associated with ticks, but in most cases cannot distinguish between surface contaminants, microorganisms present in the remains of the previous blood meal and truly intracellular or tissue-associated bacteria. Here we demonstrate how tick cell lines, primary cell cultures and organ cultures can be used to isolate and propagate bacteria from within embryonic and adult Ixodes ricinus, Dermacentor marginatus and Dermacentor reticulatus ticks originating from different parts of Europe. We isolated and partially characterised four new strains of Spiroplasma from The Netherlands, Spain and Poland, two new strains of Rickettsia raoultii from Russia and Poland, one strain of Rickettsia slovaca from Spain and a species of Mycobacterium from the UK. Comparison with published sequences showed that the Spiroplasma strains were closely related to Spiroplasma ixodetis and the Mycobacterium isolate belonged to the Mycobacterium chelonae complex, while the R. raoultii and R. slovaca strains were similar to previously-validated species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana M Palomar
- Centre of Rickettsiosis and Arthropod-Borne Diseases, CIBIR, C/ Piqueras, 98, Logroño 26006, La Rioja, Spain; The Pirbright Institute, Ash Road, Pirbright, Woking, Surrey GU24 0NF, UK.
| | - Shonnette Premchand-Branker
- The Pirbright Institute, Ash Road, Pirbright, Woking, Surrey GU24 0NF, UK; Department of Biology, University of York, Wentworth Way, York YO10 5DD, UK.
| | - Pilar Alberdi
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian EH25 9RG, UK.
| | - Oxana A Belova
- Chumakov Institute of Poliomyelitis and Viral Encephalitides (Chumakov FSC R&D IBP RAS), prem. 8, k.17, pos. Institut Poliomyelita, poselenie Moskovskiy, Moscow 108819, Russia; Martsinovsky Institute of Medical Parasitology, Tropical and Vector Borne Diseases, Sechenov University, 20-1 Malaya Pirogovskaya St., Moscow 119435, Russia.
| | - Anna Moniuszko-Malinowska
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Neuroinfections, Medical University in Białystok, Zurawia 14, 15-540 Białystok, Poland.
| | - Olaf Kahl
- Tick-radar GmbH, 10555 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Lesley Bell-Sakyi
- The Pirbright Institute, Ash Road, Pirbright, Woking, Surrey GU24 0NF, UK; The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian EH25 9RG, UK; Department of Infection Biology, Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool Science Park IC2, 146 Brownlow Hill, Liverpool L3 5RF, UK.
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30
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Díaz-Sánchez AA, Corona-González B, Meli ML, Álvarez DO, Cañizares EV, Rodríguez OF, Rivero EL, Hofmann-Lehmann R. First molecular evidence of bovine hemoplasma species (Mycoplasma spp.) in water buffalo and dairy cattle herds in Cuba. Parasit Vectors 2019; 12:78. [PMID: 30732656 PMCID: PMC6367761 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-019-3325-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2018] [Accepted: 01/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hemotropic mycoplasmas (aka hemoplasmas) are small bacteria which cause infectious anemia in several mammalian species including humans. Information on hemoplasma infections in Cuban bovines remains scarce and no studies applying molecular methods have been performed so far. The aim of the present study was to utilize real-time PCR and sequence analysis to investigate dairy cattle and buffalo from Cuba for the presence of bovine hemoplasma species. RESULTS A total of 80 blood samples from 39 buffalo and 41 dairy cattle were investigated for the presence of Mycoplasma wenyonii and "Candidatus Mycoplasma haemobos" using two species-specific real-time TaqMan PCR assays. PCR results revealed overall 53 (66.2%; 95% CI: 55.3-75.7%) positive animals for M. wenyonii and 33 (41.2%; 95% CI: 31.1-52.2%) for "Ca. M. haemobos"; the latter were all co-infections with M. wenyonii. The sample prevalences were similar in cattle and buffalo. Based on the sequence analysis of the nearly full-length 16S rRNA gene from two cattle and two buffalo, the presence of M. wenyonii and "Ca. M. haemobos" was confirmed. Statistical analysis revealed that buffalo and cattle one year of age or older were more frequently infected with M. wenyonii or "Ca. M. haemobos" than younger animals. PCR-positivity was not associated with anemia; however, the infection stage was unknown (acute infection versus chronic carriers). CONCLUSIONS The high occurrence of bovine hemoplasma infections in buffalo and dairy cattle may have a significant impact on Cuban livestock production. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first molecular evidence of bovine hemoplasma species infection in dairy cattle and buffalo from Cuba and the Caribbean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian Alberto Díaz-Sánchez
- Centro Nacional de Sanidad Agropecuaria (CENSA), Carretera de Tapaste y Autopista Nacional, Apartado postal 10, 32700 San José de las Lajas, Mayabeque Cuba
- Clinical Laboratory, Department of Clinical Diagnostics and Services, and Center for Clinical Studies, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Belkis Corona-González
- Centro Nacional de Sanidad Agropecuaria (CENSA), Carretera de Tapaste y Autopista Nacional, Apartado postal 10, 32700 San José de las Lajas, Mayabeque Cuba
| | - Marina L. Meli
- Clinical Laboratory, Department of Clinical Diagnostics and Services, and Center for Clinical Studies, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Dasiel Obregón Álvarez
- Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Agraria de la Habana (UNAH), Apartado postal 18-19, 32700 San José de las Lajas, Mayabeque Cuba
| | - Ernesto Vega Cañizares
- Centro Nacional de Sanidad Agropecuaria (CENSA), Carretera de Tapaste y Autopista Nacional, Apartado postal 10, 32700 San José de las Lajas, Mayabeque Cuba
| | - Osvaldo Fonseca Rodríguez
- Centro Nacional de Sanidad Agropecuaria (CENSA), Carretera de Tapaste y Autopista Nacional, Apartado postal 10, 32700 San José de las Lajas, Mayabeque Cuba
- Department of Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Centre for Demographic and Ageing Research, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Evelyn Lobo Rivero
- Centro Nacional de Sanidad Agropecuaria (CENSA), Carretera de Tapaste y Autopista Nacional, Apartado postal 10, 32700 San José de las Lajas, Mayabeque Cuba
| | - Regina Hofmann-Lehmann
- Clinical Laboratory, Department of Clinical Diagnostics and Services, and Center for Clinical Studies, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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Abdullah S, Helps C, Tasker S, Newbury H, Wall R. Pathogens in fleas collected from cats and dogs: distribution and prevalence in the UK. Parasit Vectors 2019; 12:71. [PMID: 30728050 PMCID: PMC6366081 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-019-3326-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2018] [Accepted: 01/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Fleas (Siphonaptera) are the most clinically important ectoparasites of dogs and cats worldwide. Rising levels of pet ownership, climate change and globalisation are increasing the importance of a detailed understanding of the endemicity and prevalence of flea-borne pathogens. This requires continued surveillance to detect change. This study reports a large-scale survey of pathogens in fleas collected from client-owned cats and dogs in the UK. Methods Recruited veterinary practices were asked to follow a standardised flea inspection protocol on a randomised selection of cats and dogs brought into the practice in April and June 2018. A total of 326 practices participated and 812 cats and 662 dogs were examined. Fleas were collected, identified to species and pooled flea samples from each host were analysed for the presence of pathogens using PCR and sequence analysis. Results Overall, 28.1% of cats and 14.4% of dogs were flea infested. More than 90% of the fleas on both cats and dogs were cat fleas, Ctenocephalides felis felis. Fleas of the same species from each infested host were pooled. DNA was amplified from 470 of the pooled flea samples using conventional PCR, 66 of which (14% ± 95% CI 3.14%) were positive for at least one pathogen. Fifty-three (11.3% ± 95% CI 2.85%) of the pooled flea DNA samples were positive for Bartonella spp., 35 were from cats and 4 from dogs, the remainder had no host record. Seventeen of the Bartonella spp. samples were found to be Bartonella henselae, 27 were Bartonella clarridgeiae (of two different strains), 4 samples were Bartonella alsatica and one was Bartonella grahamii; 4 samples could not be identified. Fourteen (3% ± 95% CI 1.53%) of the flea DNA samples were found to be positive for Dipylidium caninum, 10 of the D. caninum-infected samples were collected from cats and one from a dog, the other 3 positive flea samples had no host species record. Only 3 flea samples were positive for Mycoplasma haemofelis or Mycoplasma haemocanis; 2 were collected from cats and one had no host species record. Three fleas were positive for both D. caninum and Bartonella spp. One flea was positive for both Bartonella spp. and M. haemofelis or M. haemocanis. Conclusions This study highlights the need for ongoing flea control, particularly given the relatively high prevalence of Bartonella spp., which is of concern for both animal welfare and human health. The study demonstrates the ongoing need to educate pet owners about the effects of both flea infestation and also the pathogen risks these fleas present.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swaid Abdullah
- Veterinary Parasitology and Ecology Group, School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK. .,Present address: School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Australia.
| | - Chris Helps
- Molecular Diagnostic Unit, Langford Vets and Bristol Veterinary School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Séverine Tasker
- Molecular Diagnostic Unit, Langford Vets and Bristol Veterinary School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.,Present address: The Linnaeus Group, Shirley, UK
| | - Hannah Newbury
- MSD Animal Health, Walton Manor, Walton, Milton Keynes, UK
| | - Richard Wall
- Veterinary Parasitology and Ecology Group, School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
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Thu MJ, Qiu Y, Matsuno K, Kajihara M, Mori-Kajihara A, Omori R, Monma N, Chiba K, Seto J, Gokuden M, Andoh M, Oosako H, Katakura K, Takada A, Sugimoto C, Isoda N, Nakao R. Diversity of spotted fever group rickettsiae and their association with host ticks in Japan. Sci Rep 2019; 9:1500. [PMID: 30728409 PMCID: PMC6365641 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-37836-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Accepted: 12/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsiae are obligate intracellular Gram-negative bacteria mainly associated with ticks. In Japan, several hundred cases of Japanese spotted fever, caused by Rickettsia japonica, are reported annually. Other Rickettsia species are also known to exist in ixodid ticks; however, their phylogenetic position and pathogenic potential are poorly understood. We conducted a nationwide cross-sectional survey on questing ticks to understand the overall diversity of SFG rickettsiae in Japan. Out of 2,189 individuals (19 tick species in 4 genera), 373 (17.0%) samples were positive for Rickettsia spp. as ascertained by real-time PCR amplification of the citrate synthase gene (gltA). Conventional PCR and sequencing analyses of gltA indicated the presence of 15 different genotypes of SFG rickettsiae. Based on the analysis of five additional genes, we characterised five Rickettsia species; R. asiatica, R. helvetica, R. monacensis (formerly reported as Rickettsia sp. In56 in Japan), R. tamurae, and Candidatus R. tarasevichiae and several unclassified SFG rickettsiae. We also found a strong association between rickettsial genotypes and their host tick species, while there was little association between rickettsial genotypes and their geographical origins. These observations suggested that most of the SFG rickettsiae have a limited host range and are maintained in certain tick species in the natural environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- May June Thu
- Unit of Risk Analysis and Management, Hokkaido University Research Center for Zoonosis Control, N 20 W 10, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 001-0020, Japan.,Laboratory of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Graduate School of Infectious Diseases, Hokkaido University, N 18 W 9, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-0818, Japan
| | - Yongjin Qiu
- Hokudai Center for Zoonosis Control in Zambia, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, P. O. Box 32379, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Keita Matsuno
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Graduate School of Infectious Diseases, Hokkaido University, N 18 W 9, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-0818, Japan.,Global Station for Zoonosis Control, Global Institution for Collaborative Research and Education (GI-CoRE), Hokkaido University, N 18 W 9, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-0818, Japan
| | - Masahiro Kajihara
- Division of Global Epidemiology, Hokkaido University Research Center for Zoonosis Control, N 20 W 10, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 001-0020, Japan
| | - Akina Mori-Kajihara
- Division of Global Epidemiology, Hokkaido University Research Center for Zoonosis Control, N 20 W 10, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 001-0020, Japan
| | - Ryosuke Omori
- Division of Bioinformatics, Hokkaido University Research Center for Zoonosis Control, N 20 W 10, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 001-0020, Japan.,Precursory Research for Embryonic Science and Technology (PRESTO), Japan Science and Technology Agency, Saitama, 332-0012, Japan
| | - Naota Monma
- Department of Infection Control, Fukushima Medical University, 1 Hikarigaoka, Fukushima, 960-1295, Japan
| | - Kazuki Chiba
- Fukushima Institute for Public Health, 16-6 Mitouchi Houkida, Fukushima, 960-8560, Japan
| | - Junji Seto
- Yamagata Prefectural Institute of Public Health, 1-6-6 Toka-machi, Yamagata, 990-0031, Japan
| | - Mutsuyo Gokuden
- Kagoshima Prefectural Institute for Environmental Research and Public Health, 11-40 Kinko cho, Kagoshima, 892-0835, Japan
| | - Masako Andoh
- Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University, 1-21-24 Korimoto, Kagoshima, 890-0065, Japan
| | - Hideo Oosako
- Kumamoto Prefectural Institute of Public-Health and Environmental Science, Uto-shi, Kumamoto, 869-0425, Japan
| | - Ken Katakura
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Graduate School of Infectious Diseases, Hokkaido University, N 18 W 9, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-0818, Japan
| | - Ayato Takada
- Global Station for Zoonosis Control, Global Institution for Collaborative Research and Education (GI-CoRE), Hokkaido University, N 18 W 9, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-0818, Japan.,Division of Global Epidemiology, Hokkaido University Research Center for Zoonosis Control, N 20 W 10, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 001-0020, Japan
| | - Chihiro Sugimoto
- Global Station for Zoonosis Control, Global Institution for Collaborative Research and Education (GI-CoRE), Hokkaido University, N 18 W 9, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-0818, Japan.,Division of Collaboration and Education, Hokkaido University Research Center for Zoonosis Control, N 20 W 10, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 001-0020, Japan
| | - Norikazu Isoda
- Unit of Risk Analysis and Management, Hokkaido University Research Center for Zoonosis Control, N 20 W 10, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 001-0020, Japan.,Global Station for Zoonosis Control, Global Institution for Collaborative Research and Education (GI-CoRE), Hokkaido University, N 18 W 9, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-0818, Japan
| | - Ryo Nakao
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Graduate School of Infectious Diseases, Hokkaido University, N 18 W 9, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-0818, Japan.
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Phylogenetics of the Spiroplasma ixodetis endosymbiont reveals past transfers between ticks and other arthropods. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2019; 10:575-584. [PMID: 30744948 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2019.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2018] [Revised: 12/10/2018] [Accepted: 02/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The bacterium Spiroplasma ixodetis is a maternally inherited endosymbiont primarily described from ticks but also found widespread across other arthropods. While it has been identified as a male-killing agent in some insect species, the consequences of infection with S. ixodetis in ticks are entirely unknown, and it is unclear how this endosymbiont spreads across tick species. Here, we have investigated this aspect through the examination of the diversity and evolutionary history of S. ixodetis infections in 12 tick species and 12 other arthropod species. Using a multi-locus typing approach, we identified that ticks harbor a substantial diversity of divergent S. ixodetis strains. Phylogenetic investigations revealed that these S. ixodetis strains do not cluster within a tick-specific subclade but rather exhibit distinct evolutionary origins. In their past, these strains have undergone repeated horizontal transfers between ticks and other arthropods, including aphids and flies. This diversity pattern strongly suggests that maternal inheritance and horizontal transfers are key drivers of S. ixodetis spread, dictating global incidence of infections across tick communities. We do not, however, detect evidence of S. ixodetis-based male-killing since we observed that infections were widely present in both males and females across populations of the African blue tick Rhipicephalus decoloratus.
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Maina AN, Jiang J, Luce-Fedrow A, St John HK, Farris CM, Richards AL. Worldwide Presence and Features of Flea-Borne Rickettsia asembonensis. Front Vet Sci 2019; 5:334. [PMID: 30687724 PMCID: PMC6338025 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2018.00334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2018] [Accepted: 12/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Rickettsia asembonensis, the most well-characterized rickettsia of the Rickettsia felis-like organisms (RFLO), is relatively unknown within the vector-borne diseases research community. The agent was initially identified in peri-domestic fleas from Asembo, Kenya in an area in which R. felis was associated with fever patients. Local fleas collected from domestic animals and within homes were predominately infected with R. asembonensis with < 10% infected with R. felis. Since the identification of R. asembonensis in Kenya, it has been reported in other locations within Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Europe, North America, and South America. With the description of R. asembonensis-like genotypes across the globe, a need exists to isolate these R. asembonensis genotypes in cell culture, conduct microscopic, and biological analysis, as well as whole genome sequencing to ascertain whether they are the same species. Additionally, interest has been building on the potential of R. asembonensis in infecting vertebrate hosts including humans, non-human primates, dogs, and other animals. The current knowledge of the presence, prevalence, and distribution of R. asembonensis worldwide, as well as its arthropod hosts and potential as a pathogen are discussed in this manuscript.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice N Maina
- Viral and Rickettsial Diseases Department, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, MD, United States
| | - Ju Jiang
- Viral and Rickettsial Diseases Department, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, MD, United States
| | - Alison Luce-Fedrow
- Viral and Rickettsial Diseases Department, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, MD, United States.,Department of Biology, Shippensburg University, Shippensburg, PA, United States
| | - Heidi K St John
- Viral and Rickettsial Diseases Department, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, MD, United States
| | - Christina M Farris
- Viral and Rickettsial Diseases Department, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, MD, United States
| | - Allen L Richards
- Viral and Rickettsial Diseases Department, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, MD, United States.,Department of Preventative Medicine and Biostatistics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States
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Víchová B, Bona M, Miterpáková M, Kraljik J, Čabanová V, Nemčíková G, Hurníková Z, Oravec M. Fleas and Ticks of Red Foxes as Vectors of Canine Bacterial and Parasitic Pathogens, in Slovakia, Central Europe. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2018; 18:611-619. [DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2018.2314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Bronislava Víchová
- Department of Vector-Borne Diseases, Institute of Parasitology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Košice, Slovakia
| | - Martin Bona
- Pavol Jozef Šafárik University, Department of Anatomy, Košice, Slovakia
| | - Martina Miterpáková
- Department of Vector-Borne Diseases, Institute of Parasitology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Košice, Slovakia
| | - Jasna Kraljik
- Department of Vector-Borne Diseases, Institute of Parasitology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Košice, Slovakia
- Department of Medical Zoology, Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Viktória Čabanová
- Department of Vector-Borne Diseases, Institute of Parasitology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Košice, Slovakia
| | | | - Zuzana Hurníková
- Department of Vector-Borne Diseases, Institute of Parasitology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Košice, Slovakia
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Špitalská E, Sparagano O, Stanko M, Schwarzová K, Špitalský Z, Škultéty Ľ, Havlíková SF. Diversity of Coxiella-like and Francisella-like endosymbionts, and Rickettsia spp., Coxiella burnetii as pathogens in the tick populations of Slovakia, Central Europe. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2018; 9:1207-1211. [PMID: 29748120 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2018.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2018] [Revised: 04/30/2018] [Accepted: 05/01/2018] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Ticks are important vectors of pathogens affecting humans and animals worldwide. They do not only carry pathogens but diverse commensal and symbiotic microorganisms are also present in ticks. A molecular screening for tick-borne pathogens and endosymbionts was carried out in Ixodes ricinus, Dermacentor reticulatus and Haemaphysalis inermis questing ticks collected in Slovakia. The presence of Rickettsia spp., Coxiella burnetii, Coxiella-like and Francisella-like microorganisms was evaluated by PCR in 605 individuals and by randomly sequencing 66 samples. Four species of rickettsiae (R. raoultii, R. slovaca, R. helvetica and R. monacensis) were identified and reported with an overall prevalence range between 0.4 and 50.3% (±8.0) depending on tick species, sex and locality. Partial sequencing of the gltA gene of 5 chosen samples in H. inermis showed 99% identity with Candidatus Rickettsia hungarica. The total prevalence of C. burnetii in ticks was 2.2 ± 1.7%; bacteria were confirmed in I. ricinus and D. reticulatus ticks. The sequences from 2 D. reticulatus males and 1 I. ricinus female ticks were compared to GenBank submissions and a 99.8% match was obtained with the pathogenic C. burnetii. Coxiella-like endosymbionts were registered in all three species of ticks from all studied sites with an average prevalence of 32.7 ± 3.7%. A phylogenetic analysis of this Coxiella sp. showed that it does not group with the pathogenic C. burnetii. The prevalence of Francisella-like microorganisms in questing ticks was 47.9 ± 3.9%, however H. inermis (n = 108) were not infested. Obtained sequences were 98% identical with previously identified Francisella-like endosymbionts in D. reticulatus and I. ricinus. Coxiella-like and Francisella-like microorganisms were identified for the first time in Slovakia, they might be considered as a non-pathogenic endosymbiont of I. ricinus, D. reticulatus and H. inermis, and future investigations could aim to assess their role in these ticks. However, this work provided further data and broadened our knowledge on bacterial pathogens and endosymbionts present in ticks in Slovakia to help understanding co-infestations, combined treatments and public health issues linked to tick bites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Špitalská
- Institute of Virology, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 05 Bratislava, Slovakia.
| | - Olivier Sparagano
- Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience, Vice-Chancellor Office, Coventry University, CV1 5FB, United Kingdom
| | - Michal Stanko
- Institute of Parasitology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Hlinkova 3, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia
| | - Katarína Schwarzová
- Institute of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine Comenius University and University Hospital, Sasinkova 4, 811 08 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Zdenko Špitalský
- Polymer Institute, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 41 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Ľudovít Škultéty
- Institute of Virology, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 05 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Sabína Fumačová Havlíková
- Institute of Virology, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 05 Bratislava, Slovakia
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Rubel F, Brugger K, Walter M, Vogelgesang JR, Didyk YM, Fu S, Kahl O. Geographical distribution, climate adaptation and vector competence of the Eurasian hard tick Haemaphysalis concinna. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2018; 9:1080-1089. [PMID: 29678401 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2018.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2018] [Revised: 03/29/2018] [Accepted: 04/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
The ixodid tick Haemaphysalis concinna Koch, 1844 is a proven vector of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus and Francisella tularensis, the causative agent of tularaemia. In the present study, up-to-date maps depicting the geographical distribution and climate adaptation of H. concinna are presented. A dataset was compiled, resulting in 656 georeferenced locations in Eurasia. The distribution of H. concinna ranges from the Spanish Atlantic coast to Kamchatka, Russia, within the belt of 28-64° N latitude. H. concinna is the second most abundant tick species after Ixodes ricinus collected from birds, and third most abundant tick species flagged from vegetation in Central Europe. To investigate the climate adaptation of H. concinna, the georeferenced locations were superimposed on a high-resolution map of the Köppen-Geiger climate classification. A frequency distribution of the H. concinna occurrence under different climates shows three peaks related to the following climates: warm temperate with precipitation all year round, boreal with precipitation all year round and boreal, winter dry. Almost 87.3 % of all H. concinna locations collected are related to these climates. Thus, H. concinna prefers climates with a warm and moist summer. The remaining tick locations were characterized as cold steppes (6.2%), cold deserts (0.8%), Mediterranean climates (2.7%) or warm temperate climates with dry winter (2.9%). In those latter climates H. concinna occurs only sporadically, provided the microclimate is favourable. Beyond proven vector competence pathogen findings in questing H. concinna are compiled from the literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franz Rubel
- Institute for Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Austria.
| | - Katharina Brugger
- Institute for Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Austria
| | - Melanie Walter
- Institute for Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Austria
| | - Janna R Vogelgesang
- Institute for Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Austria
| | - Yuliya M Didyk
- Department of Acarology, Institute of Zoology, NAS of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Su Fu
- Eye Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
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Hornok S, Sugár L, Fernández de Mera IG, de la Fuente J, Horváth G, Kovács T, Micsutka A, Gönczi E, Flaisz B, Takács N, Farkas R, Meli ML, Hofmann-Lehmann R. Tick- and fly-borne bacteria in ungulates: the prevalence of Anaplasma phagocytophilum, haemoplasmas and rickettsiae in water buffalo and deer species in Central Europe, Hungary. BMC Vet Res 2018; 14:98. [PMID: 29554900 PMCID: PMC5859536 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-018-1403-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2017] [Accepted: 03/01/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Hunting constitutes an important industry in Europe. However, data on the prevalence of vector-borne bacteria in large game animal species are lacking from several countries. Blood or spleen samples (239 and 270, respectively) were taken from red, fallow and roe deer, as well as from water buffaloes, mouflons and wild boars in Hungary, followed by DNA extraction and molecular analyses for Anaplasma phagocytophilum, haemoplasmas and rickettsiae. Results Based on blood samples, the prevalence rate of A. phagocytophilum infection was significantly higher in red deer (97.9%) than in fallow deer (72.7%) and roe deer (60%), and in all these compared to mouflons (6.3%). In addition, 39.2% of the spleen samples from wild boars were PCR positive for A. phagocytophilum, but none of the buffalos. Based on blood samples, the prevalence rates of both Mycoplasma wenyonii (Mw) and ‘Candidatus M. haemobos’ (CMh) infections were significantly higher in buffaloes (Mw: 91.2%; CMh: 73.3%) than in red deer (Mw: 64.6%; CMh: 45.8%), and in both of them compared to fallow deer (Mw: 30.3%; CMh: 9.1%) and roe deer (Mw: 20%; CMh: 1.5%). The prevalence of Mw and CMh infection significantly correlated with the body sizes of these hosts. Furthermore, Mw was significantly more prevalent than CMh in buffaloes, red and roe deer. Mycoplasma ovis was detected in mouflons, M. suis in wild boars, R. helvetica in one fallow deer and one mouflon, and an unidentified Rickettsia sp. in a fallow deer. Conclusions Forest-dwelling game animal species were found to be important carriers of A. phagocytophilum. In contrast, animals grazing grassland (i.e. buffaloes) were less likely to get infected with this Ixodes ricinus-borne pathogen. Water buffaloes, deer species, mouflons and wild boars harbored haemoplasmas that may affect domestic ungulates. Evaluated animals with larger body size had significantly higher prevalence of infection with haemoplasmas compared to smaller deer species. The above host species rarely carried rickettsiae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sándor Hornok
- Department of Parasitology and Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - László Sugár
- Department of Game Management and Ethology, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Kaposvár, Kaposvár, Hungary
| | | | - José de la Fuente
- SaBio. Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC-CSIC-UCLM-JCCLM), Ciudad Real, Spain.,Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Center for Veterinary Health Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA
| | | | | | | | - Enikő Gönczi
- Clinical Laboratory and Center for Clinical Studies, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Barbara Flaisz
- Department of Parasitology and Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Nóra Takács
- Department of Parasitology and Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Róbert Farkas
- Department of Parasitology and Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Marina L Meli
- Clinical Laboratory and Center for Clinical Studies, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Regina Hofmann-Lehmann
- Clinical Laboratory and Center for Clinical Studies, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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Díaz-Regañón D, Villaescusa A, Ayllón T, Rodríguez-Franco F, García-Sancho M, Agulla B, Sainz Á. Epidemiological study of hemotropic mycoplasmas (hemoplasmas) in cats from central Spain. Parasit Vectors 2018; 11:140. [PMID: 29554981 PMCID: PMC5859754 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-018-2740-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2018] [Accepted: 02/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Hemotropic mycoplasmas (hemoplasmas) have been found infecting cats worldwide. However, studies about feline hemoplasma infections in Spain are scarce. Therefore, the purpose of the research was to evaluate the prevalence of feline hemotropic mycoplasmas and to characterize risk factors and clinical findings associated with these infections in a cat population from the Madrid area, Spain. Methods Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was employed to detect Mycoplasma haemofelis (Mhf), “Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum” (CMhm) and “Candidatus Mycoplasma turicensis” (CMt) in blood samples from 456 client-owned and 138 stray cats from Madrid. In order to assess associations between these hemoplasma infections and epidemiological parameters, data regarding signalment, environment, prophylaxis measures, retrovirus status, clinical signs and laboratory findings were compiled, whenever possible. Results DNA of feline hemoplasmas was detected from the blood of 63 out of 594 cats (10.6%), with a prevalence of 3.7% (22/594) for Mhf, 8.1% (48/594) for CMhm and 0.5% (3/594) for CMt. Stray cats had statistically higher prevalences of feline hemoplasmas (15.9%) and, specifically, of Mhf (8.7%) than client-owned cats (9 and 2.2%, respectively). A total of seven cats (1.17%) were co-infected with “Candidatus M. haemominutum” and M. haemofelis, two (0.33%) with “Candidatus M. haemominutum” and “Candidatus M. turicensis” and another one (0.17%) with M. haemofelis and Candidatus “M. turicensis”. Male gender, collection of blood during warm months and FeLV/FIV positivity status were associated with hemotropic mycoplasma infection in cats from Madrid. Additionally, within the group of client-owned cats, hemoplasma infection was associated with adult age, outdoor access, and the existence of low haematocrit, erythrocyte count and haemoglobin concentration values. Conclusions To our knowledge, this is the first epidemiological survey of feline hemoplasmas performed in central Spain (Madrid). Our study confirms that “Ca. Mycoplasma haemominutum”, Mycoplasma haemofelis and “Ca. Mycoplasma turicensis” are infecting client-owned and stray cats in this region of Spain, “Ca. Mycoplasma haemominutum” being the most prevalent species. More studies are necessary to help understand the role of the natural infection by these species of hemoplasma in cats.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Díaz-Regañón
- Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, College of Veterinary Medicine, Complutense University of Madrid, Avda. Puerta de Hierro s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alejandra Villaescusa
- Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, College of Veterinary Medicine, Complutense University of Madrid, Avda. Puerta de Hierro s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Tania Ayllón
- Instituto Nacional de Infectología Evandro Chagas, Fiocruz, Avenida Brazil 4365, CEP 21040- 900, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Fernando Rodríguez-Franco
- Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, College of Veterinary Medicine, Complutense University of Madrid, Avda. Puerta de Hierro s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Mercedes García-Sancho
- Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, College of Veterinary Medicine, Complutense University of Madrid, Avda. Puerta de Hierro s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Beatriz Agulla
- Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, College of Veterinary Medicine, Complutense University of Madrid, Avda. Puerta de Hierro s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ángel Sainz
- Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, College of Veterinary Medicine, Complutense University of Madrid, Avda. Puerta de Hierro s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
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Silva AB, Vizzoni VF, Costa AP, Costa FB, Moraes-Filho J, Labruna MB, Gazêta GS, de Maria Seabra Nogueira R. First report of a Rickettsia asembonensis related infecting fleas in Brazil. Acta Trop 2017; 172:44-49. [PMID: 28427962 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2017.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2017] [Revised: 04/10/2017] [Accepted: 04/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The present study was performed in a non-endemic area for spotted fever (SF) in Imperatriz microregion, state of Maranhão, Brazil. Blood samples and ectoparasites were collected from 300 dogs of the Imperatriz microregion. Canine serum samples were tested individually by indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA), using five Rickettsia isolates from Brazil. Antibodies reactive to at least one of the five species of Rickettsia were detected in 1.6% of the dogs (5/300). These sera were considered reactive to Rickettsia rickettsii and Rickettsia amblyommatis or very closely related species. The ticks (Acari: Ixodidae), identified as Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato (Latreille), and the fleas, identified as Ctenocephalides felis, were tested by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for detection of rickettsial DNA. More than 78% (83/106) of the C. felis fleas were found to be infected with Rickettsia species using gltA as rickettsial PCR targets, whereas no evidence of Rickettsia spp. was found in R. sanguineus s. l. Genetic analysis based on genes gltA, htrA and ompB showed that the detected strain, is most closely related to Rickettsia asembonensis (formerly Candidatus Rickettsia asemboensis). The present study is the first report of a R. asembonensis related infecting C. felis fleas in Brazil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arannadia Barbosa Silva
- Programa de Pós-graduação do Mestrado em Ciência Animal, Universidade Estadual do Maranhão, São Luís, Maranhão, MA, Brazil; Fundação Oswaldo Cruz/Instituto Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ/IOC), Laboratório de Referência Nacional em Vetores das Riquetsioses (LIRN), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Vinicius Figueiredo Vizzoni
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz/Instituto Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ/IOC), Laboratório de Referência Nacional em Vetores das Riquetsioses (LIRN), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Andréa Pereira Costa
- Programa de Pós-graduação do Mestrado em Ciência Animal, Universidade Estadual do Maranhão, São Luís, Maranhão, MA, Brazil
| | - Francisco Borges Costa
- Programa de Pós-graduação do Mestrado em Ciência Animal, Universidade Estadual do Maranhão, São Luís, Maranhão, MA, Brazil
| | - Jonas Moraes-Filho
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Bahia Labruna
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Gilberto Salles Gazêta
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz/Instituto Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ/IOC), Laboratório de Referência Nacional em Vetores das Riquetsioses (LIRN), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Rita de Maria Seabra Nogueira
- Programa de Pós-graduação do Mestrado em Ciência Animal, Universidade Estadual do Maranhão, São Luís, Maranhão, MA, Brazil.
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Dahmani M, Davoust B, Tahir D, Raoult D, Fenollar F, Mediannikov O. Molecular investigation and phylogeny of Anaplasmataceae species infecting domestic animals and ticks in Corsica, France. Parasit Vectors 2017; 10:302. [PMID: 28645313 PMCID: PMC5481957 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-017-2233-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2017] [Accepted: 06/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUNDS Corsica is a French island situated in the Mediterranean Sea. The island provides suitable natural conditions to study disease ecology, especially tick-borne diseases and emerging diseases in animals and ticks. The family Anaplasmataceae is a member of the order Rickettsiales; it includes the genera Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, Neorickettsia and Wolbachia. Anaplasmosis and ehrlichiosis traditionally refer to diseases caused by obligate intracellular bacteria of the genera Anaplasma and Ehrlichia. The aim of this study was to identify and estimate the prevalence of Anaplasmataceae species infecting domestic animals and ticks in Corsica. METHODS In this study, 458 blood samples from sheep, cattle, horses, goats, dogs, and 123 ticks removed from cattle, were collected in Corsica. Quantitative real-time PCR screening and genetic characterisation of Anaplasmataceae bacteria were based on the 23S rRNA, rpoB and groEl genes. RESULTS Two tick species were collected in the present study: Rhipicephalus bursa (118) and Hyalomma marginatum marginatum (5). Molecular investigation showed that 32.1% (147/458) of blood samples were positive for Anaplasmataceae infection. Anaplasma ovis was identified in 42.3% (93/220) of sheep. Anaplasma marginale was amplified from 100% (12/12) of cattle and two R. bursa (2/123). Several potentially new species were also identified: Anaplasma cf. ovis, "Candidatus Anaplasma corsicanum", "Candidatus Anaplasma mediterraneum" were amplified from 17.3% (38/220) of sheep, and Anaplasma sp. marginale-like was amplified from 80% (4/5) of goats. Finally, one R. bursa tick was found to harbour the DNA of E. canis. All samples from horses and dogs were negative for Anaplasmataceae infection. CONCLUSIONS To our knowledge, this study is the first epidemiological survey on Anaplasmataceae species infecting animals and ticks in Corsica and contributes toward the identification of current Anaplasmataceae species circulating in Corsica.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mustapha Dahmani
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, IRD, INSERM, AP-HM, URMITE, IHU - Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - Bernard Davoust
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, IRD, INSERM, AP-HM, URMITE, IHU - Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - Djamel Tahir
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, IRD, INSERM, AP-HM, URMITE, IHU - Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - Didier Raoult
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, IRD, INSERM, AP-HM, URMITE, IHU - Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - Florence Fenollar
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, IRD, INSERM, AP-HM, URMITE, IHU - Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - Oleg Mediannikov
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, IRD, INSERM, AP-HM, URMITE, IHU - Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
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Westmoreland LS, Stoskopf MK, Maggi RG. Detection and prevalence of four different hemotropic Mycoplasma spp. in Eastern North Carolina American black bears (Ursus americanus). Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis 2017; 50:106-109. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cimid.2016.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2016] [Revised: 12/13/2016] [Accepted: 12/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Sansyzbayev Y, Nurmakhanov T, Berdibekov A, Vilkova A, Yeskhodzhayev O, St John HK, Jiang J, Farris CM, Richards AL. Survey for Rickettsiae Within Fleas of Great Gerbils, Almaty Oblast, Kazakhstan. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2016; 17:172-178. [PMID: 27992288 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2016.2049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Little is known of the endemicity of flea-borne rickettsiae in Kazakhstan. Thus, a survey for rickettsiae within great gerbil fleas was conducted in Almaty oblast. High prevalence of Rickettsia asembonensis was detected among Xenopsylla gerbilli, demonstrating that flea-borne rickettsiae are endemic to southeastern Kazakhstan. Interestingly, no Rickettsia typhi were detected in these same fleas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yerlan Sansyzbayev
- 1 Kazakh Scientific Center for Quarantine and Zoonotic Disease , Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Talgat Nurmakhanov
- 1 Kazakh Scientific Center for Quarantine and Zoonotic Disease , Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Almas Berdibekov
- 1 Kazakh Scientific Center for Quarantine and Zoonotic Disease , Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Anna Vilkova
- 1 Kazakh Scientific Center for Quarantine and Zoonotic Disease , Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Olzhas Yeskhodzhayev
- 1 Kazakh Scientific Center for Quarantine and Zoonotic Disease , Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | | | - Ju Jiang
- 2 Naval Medical Research Center , Silver Spring, Maryland
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Raimundo JM, Guimarães A, Botelho CFM, Peixoto MP, Pires MS, Machado CH, Santos HA, Massard CL, André MR, Machado RZ, Baldani CD. Hematological changes associated with hemoplasma infection in cats in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 25:441-449. [PMID: 27982300 DOI: 10.1590/s1984-29612016086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2016] [Accepted: 10/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
This study aimed to detect Mycoplasma spp. in naturally infected cats from Rio de Janeiro and to evaluate hematological abnormalities and factors associated with this infection. Out of the 197 cats sampled, 11.2% presented structures compatible with hemoplasma organisms on blood smears. In contrast, 22.8% were positive for Mycoplasma spp. by means of 16S rRNA gene real-time polymerase chain reaction, which reflects the weak concordance between techniques. The infection rates, by means of 16S rRNA gene conventional polymerase chain reaction, was 4.6%, 4.6% and 11.7% for Mycoplasma haemofelis (Mhf), 'Candidatus Mycoplasma turicensis' (CMt) and 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum' (CMhm), respectively. Mhf and CMhm infections are more frequent in the summer (p>0.05). Presence of anemia (p < 0.02), lymphocytosis (p < 0.03), thrombocytopenia (p < 0.04) and activated monocytes (p < 0.04) was associated with Mhf infection. No hematological abnormality was associated with CMt or CMhm infection. Male cats were more prone to be infected by Mhf or CMhm (p < 0.01). Adult cats had more chance to be infected by CMhm. Three hemoplasma species occur in the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro and Mhf seems to be the most pathogenic of them. Anemia is the most important hematological abnormality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana Macedo Raimundo
- Laboratório de Patologia Clínica Veterinária, Departamento de Medicina e Cirurgia Veterinária, Instituto de Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro - UFRRJ, Seropédica, RJ, Brasil
| | - Andresa Guimarães
- Laboratório de Patologia Clínica Veterinária, Departamento de Medicina e Cirurgia Veterinária, Instituto de Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro - UFRRJ, Seropédica, RJ, Brasil
| | - Camila Flávia Magalhães Botelho
- Laboratório de Patologia Clínica Veterinária, Departamento de Medicina e Cirurgia Veterinária, Instituto de Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro - UFRRJ, Seropédica, RJ, Brasil
| | - Maristela Peckel Peixoto
- Laboratório de Hemoparasitos e Vetores, Departamento de Parasitologia Animal, Instituto de Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro - UFRRJ, Seropédica, RJ, Brasil
| | - Marcus Sandes Pires
- Laboratório de Hemoparasitos e Vetores, Departamento de Parasitologia Animal, Instituto de Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro - UFRRJ, Seropédica, RJ, Brasil
| | - Carlos Henrique Machado
- Laboratório de Patologia Clínica Veterinária, Departamento de Medicina e Cirurgia Veterinária, Instituto de Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro - UFRRJ, Seropédica, RJ, Brasil
| | - Huarrisson Azevedo Santos
- Laboratório de Sanidade Avícola, Departamento de Epidemiologia e Saúde Pública, Instituto de Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro - UFRRJ, Seropédica, RJ, Brasil
| | - Carlos Luiz Massard
- Laboratório de Hemoparasitos e Vetores, Departamento de Parasitologia Animal, Instituto de Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro - UFRRJ, Seropédica, RJ, Brasil
| | - Marcos Rogério André
- Laboratório de Imunoparasitologia, Departamento de Patologia Veterinária, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Universidade Estadual Paulista - UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP, Brasil
| | - Rosangela Zacarias Machado
- Laboratório de Imunoparasitologia, Departamento de Patologia Veterinária, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Universidade Estadual Paulista - UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP, Brasil
| | - Cristiane Divan Baldani
- Laboratório de Patologia Clínica Veterinária, Departamento de Medicina e Cirurgia Veterinária, Instituto de Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro - UFRRJ, Seropédica, RJ, Brasil
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Földvári G, Široký P, Szekeres S, Majoros G, Sprong H. Dermacentor reticulatus: a vector on the rise. Parasit Vectors 2016; 9:314. [PMID: 27251148 PMCID: PMC4888597 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-016-1599-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 159] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2015] [Accepted: 05/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Dermacentor reticulatus is a hard tick species with extraordinary biological features. It has a high reproduction rate, a rapid developmental cycle, and is also able to overcome years of unfavourable conditions. Dermacentor reticulatus can survive under water for several months and is cold-hardy even compared to other tick species. It has a wide host range: over 60 different wild and domesticated hosts are known for the three active developmental stages. Its high adaptiveness gives an edge to this tick species as shown by new data on the emergence and establishment of D. reticulatus populations throughout Europe. The tick has been the research focus of a growing number of scientists, physicians and veterinarians. Within the Web of Science database, more than a fifth of the over 700 items published on this species between 1897 and 2015 appeared in the last three years (2013–2015). Here we attempt to synthesize current knowledge on the systematics, ecology, geographical distribution and recent spread of the species and to highlight the great spectrum of possible veterinary and public health threats it poses. Canine babesiosis caused by Babesia canis is a severe leading canine vector-borne disease in many endemic areas. Although less frequently than Ixodes ricinus, D. reticulatus adults bite humans and transmit several Rickettsia spp., Omsk haemorrhagic fever virus or Tick-borne encephalitis virus. We have not solely collected and reviewed the latest and fundamental scientific papers available in primary databases but also widened our scope to books, theses, conference papers and specialists colleagues’ experience where needed. Besides the dominant literature available in English, we also tried to access scientific literature in German, Russian and eastern European languages as well. We hope to inspire future research projects that are necessary to understand the basic life-cycle and ecology of this vector in order to understand and prevent disease threats. We conclude that although great strides have been made in our knowledge of the eco-epidemiology of this species, several gaps still need to be filled with basic research, targeting possible reservoir and vector roles and the key factors resulting in the observed geographical spread of D. reticulatus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gábor Földvári
- Department of Parasitology and Zoology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Szent István University, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Pavel Široký
- Department of Biology and Wildlife Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Brno, Czech Republic.,CEITEC-Central European Institute of Technology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Sándor Szekeres
- Department of Parasitology and Zoology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Szent István University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gábor Majoros
- Department of Parasitology and Zoology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Szent István University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Hein Sprong
- National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
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Abstract
Rickettsia felis is an emerging insect-borne rickettsial pathogen and the causative agent of flea-borne spotted fever. First described as a human pathogen from the USA in 1991, R. felis is now identified throughout the world and considered a common cause of fever in Africa. The cosmopolitan distribution of this pathogen is credited to the equally widespread occurrence of cat fleas (Ctenocephalides felis), the primary vector and reservoir of R. felis. Although R. felis is a relatively new member of the pathogenic Rickettsia, limited knowledge of basic R. felis biology continues to hinder research progression of this unique bacterium. This is a comprehensive review examining what is known and unknown relative to R. felis transmission biology, epidemiology of the disease, and genetics, with an insight into areas of needed investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa D. Brown
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Skip Bertman Drive, SVM-3213, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 USA
| | - Kevin R. Macaluso
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Skip Bertman Drive, SVM-3213, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 USA
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48
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Duscher GG, Hodžić A, Weiler M, Vaux AGC, Rudolf I, Sixl W, Medlock JM, Versteirt V, Hubálek Z. First report of Rickettsia raoultii in field collected Dermacentor reticulatus ticks from Austria. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2016; 7:720-722. [PMID: 26976704 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2016.02.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2016] [Revised: 02/19/2016] [Accepted: 02/29/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
In a set of pooled field collected Dermacentor reticulatus ticks, Rickettsia raoultii, the causative agent of Tick-borne lymphadenopathy/Dermacentor-borne necrosis erythema and lymphadenopathy, was found for the first time in Austria. The coordinates of the positive locations for tick and pathogen abundance are given and shown in a map.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georg G Duscher
- Institute of Parasitology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinaerplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Adnan Hodžić
- Institute of Parasitology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinaerplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Martin Weiler
- NBC-Defense School, Austrian Armed Forces, Platz der Eisenbahnpioniere 1, 2100 Korneuburg, Austria; Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Specific Prophylaxis and Tropical Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Kinderspitalgasse 15, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Alexander G C Vaux
- Medical Entomology and Zoonoses Ecology, Emergency Response Science and Technology, Public Health England, Porton Down, Wiltshire SP4 0JG, United Kingdom.
| | - Ivo Rudolf
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, v.v.i., Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Květná 8, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Wolfdieter Sixl
- Institute of Hygiene, University of Graz, Universitatsplatz 4, A-8010 Graz, Austria.
| | - Jolyon M Medlock
- Medical Entomology and Zoonoses Ecology, Emergency Response Science and Technology, Public Health England, Porton Down, Wiltshire SP4 0JG, United Kingdom; Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging Infections & Zoonoses, Public Health England, Porton Down, Wiltshire SP4 0JG, United Kingdom.
| | | | - Zdenek Hubálek
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, v.v.i., Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Květná 8, Brno, Czech Republic.
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49
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Szekeres S, Docters van Leeuwen A, Rigó K, Jablonszky M, Majoros G, Sprong H, Földvári G. Prevalence and diversity of human pathogenic rickettsiae in urban versus rural habitats, Hungary. EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2016; 68:223-226. [PMID: 26613759 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-015-9989-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2015] [Accepted: 10/31/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Tick-borne rickettsioses belong to the important emerging infectious diseases worldwide. We investigated the potential human exposure to rickettsiae by determining their presence in questing ticks collected in an urban park of Budapest and a popular hunting and recreational forest area in southern Hungary. Differences were found in the infectious risk between the two habitats. Rickettsia monacensis and Rickettsia helvetica were identified with sequencing in questing Ixodes ricinus, the only ticks species collected in the city park. Female I. ricinus had a particularly high prevalence of R. helvetica (45%). Tick community was more diverse in the rural habitat with Dermacentor reticulatus ticks having especially high percentage (58%) of Rickettsia raoultii infection. We conclude that despite the distinct eco-epidemiological traits, the risk (hazard and exposure) of acquiring human pathogenic rickettsial infections in both the urban and the rural study sites exists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sándor Szekeres
- Faculty of Veterinary Science, Szent István University, 2 István Street, Budapest, 1078, Hungary
| | | | - Krisztina Rigó
- Faculty of Veterinary Science, Szent István University, 2 István Street, Budapest, 1078, Hungary
| | - Mónika Jablonszky
- Faculty of Veterinary Science, Szent István University, 2 István Street, Budapest, 1078, Hungary
| | - Gábor Majoros
- Faculty of Veterinary Science, Szent István University, 2 István Street, Budapest, 1078, Hungary
| | - Hein Sprong
- National Institute of Public Health and Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Gábor Földvári
- Faculty of Veterinary Science, Szent István University, 2 István Street, Budapest, 1078, Hungary.
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50
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Jones RT, Borchert J, Eisen R, MacMillan K, Boegler K, Gage KL. Flea-Associated Bacterial Communities across an Environmental Transect in a Plague-Endemic Region of Uganda. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0141057. [PMID: 26485147 PMCID: PMC4617453 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0141057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2015] [Accepted: 10/01/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The vast majority of human plague cases currently occur in sub-Saharan Africa. The primary route of transmission of Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague, is via flea bites. Non-pathogenic flea-associated bacteria may interact with Y. pestis within fleas and it is important to understand what factors govern flea-associated bacterial assemblages. Six species of fleas were collected from nine rodent species from ten Ugandan villages between October 2010 and March 2011. A total of 660,345 16S rRNA gene DNA sequences were used to characterize bacterial communities of 332 individual fleas. The DNA sequences were binned into 421 Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) based on 97% sequence similarity. We used beta diversity metrics to assess the effects of flea species, flea sex, rodent host species, site (i.e. village), collection date, elevation, mean annual precipitation, average monthly precipitation, and average monthly temperature on bacterial community structure. Flea species had the greatest effect on bacterial community structure with each flea species harboring unique bacterial lineages. The site (i.e. village), rodent host, flea sex, elevation, precipitation, and temperature also significantly affected bacterial community composition. Some bacterial lineages were widespread among flea species (e.g. Bartonella spp. and Wolbachia spp.), but each flea species also harbored unique bacterial lineages. Some of these lineages are not closely related to known bacterial diversity and likely represent newly discovered lineages of insect symbionts. Our finding that flea species has the greatest effect on bacterial community composition may help future investigations between Yersinia pestis and non-pathogenic flea-associated bacteria. Characterizing bacterial communities of fleas during a plague epizootic event in the future would be helpful.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Thomas Jones
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, United States of America
- Montana Institute on Ecosystems, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, United States of America
| | - Jeff Borchert
- Division of Vector-Borne Disease; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Rebecca Eisen
- Division of Vector-Borne Disease; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Katherine MacMillan
- Division of Vector-Borne Disease; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Karen Boegler
- Division of Vector-Borne Disease; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Kenneth L. Gage
- Division of Vector-Borne Disease; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
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