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Cuadrado-Matías R, Moraga-Fernández A, Peralbo-Moreno A, Negredo AI, Sánchez-Seco MP, Ruiz-Fons F. Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus in questing non-Hyalomma spp. ticks in Northwest Spain, 2021. Zoonoses Public Health 2024; 71:578-583. [PMID: 38590023 DOI: 10.1111/zph.13130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Revised: 02/17/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) unexpectedly emerged in humans in Northwest Spain in 2021, and two additional cases were reported in the region in 2022. The 2021 case was associated with a tick bite on the outskirts of the city where the patient lived. PCR analysis of 95 questing ticks collected in the outskirts of that city in 2021, none of the genus Hyalomma, revealed a prevalence of confirmed CCHF virus (CCHFV) infection of 10.5%. Our results in this emerging scenario suggest the need to consider that CCHFV may be effectively spreading to Northwest Spain and to urgently understand any possible role of non-Hyalomma spp. ticks in the eco-epidemiological dynamics of CCHFV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raúl Cuadrado-Matías
- Health & Biotechnology (SaBio) Group, Spanish Game & Wildlife Research Institute (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Alberto Moraga-Fernández
- Health & Biotechnology (SaBio) Group, Spanish Game & Wildlife Research Institute (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Alfonso Peralbo-Moreno
- Health & Biotechnology (SaBio) Group, Spanish Game & Wildlife Research Institute (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Ana Isabel Negredo
- Centro Nacional de Microbiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- CIBERINFEC, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - María Paz Sánchez-Seco
- Centro Nacional de Microbiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- CIBERINFEC, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Francisco Ruiz-Fons
- Health & Biotechnology (SaBio) Group, Spanish Game & Wildlife Research Institute (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain
- CIBERINFEC, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
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Peralbo-Moreno A, Espí A, Barandika JF, García-Pérez AL, Acevedo P, Ruiz-Fons F. Spatiotemporal dynamics of Ixodes ricinus abundance in northern Spain. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2024; 15:102373. [PMID: 38964219 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 06/19/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024]
Abstract
Ixodes ricinus is the most medically relevant tick species in Europe because it transmits the pathogens that cause Lyme borreliosis and tick-borne encephalitis. Northern Spain represents the southernmost margin of its main European range and has the highest rate of Lyme borreliosis hospitalisations in the country. Currently, the environmental determinants of the spatiotemporal patterns of I. ricinus abundance remain unknown in this region and these may differ from drivers in highly favourable areas for the species in Europe. Therefore, our study aimed to understand the main factors modulating questing I. ricinus population dynamics to map abundance patterns in northern Spain. From 2012 to 2014, monthly/fortnightly samplings were conducted at 13 sites in two regions of northern Spain to estimate spatiotemporal variation in I. ricinus questing abundance. Local abundance of I. ricinus was modelled in relation to variation in local biotic and abiotic environmental conditions by constructing generalised linear mixed models with a zero-inflated negative binomial distribution for overdispersed data. The different developmental stages of I. ricinus were most active at different times of the year. Adults and nymphs showed a peak of abundance in spring, while questing larvae were more frequent in summer. The main determinants affecting the spatiotemporal abundance of the different stages were related to humidity and temperature. For adults and larvae, summer seemed to be the most influential period for their abundance, while for nymphs, winter conditions and those of the preceding months seemed to be determining factors. The highest abundances of nymphs and adults were predicted for the regions of northern Spain with the highest rate of Lyme borreliosis hospitalisations. Our models could be the basis on which to build more accurate predictive models to identify the spatiotemporal windows of greatest potential interaction between animals/humans and I. ricinus that may lead to the transmission of I. ricinus-borne pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfonso Peralbo-Moreno
- Health & Biotechnology (SaBio) group, Spanish Game & Wildlife Research Institute (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | | | - Jesús F Barandika
- Animal Health Department, NEIKER-Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Derio, Spain
| | - Ana L García-Pérez
- Animal Health Department, NEIKER-Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Derio, Spain
| | - Pelayo Acevedo
- Health & Biotechnology (SaBio) group, Spanish Game & Wildlife Research Institute (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Francisco Ruiz-Fons
- Health & Biotechnology (SaBio) group, Spanish Game & Wildlife Research Institute (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain; CIBERINFEC, ISC III, Madrid, Spain.
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Frías M, Fischer K, Castro-Scholten S, Bost C, Cano-Terriza D, Risalde MÁ, Acevedo P, Jiménez-Ruiz S, Sadeghi B, Groschup MH, Caballero-Gómez J, García-Bocanegra I. Epidemiologic Survey of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus in Suids, Spain. Emerg Infect Dis 2024; 30:984-990. [PMID: 38666621 PMCID: PMC11060457 DOI: 10.3201/eid3005.240074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
We conducted a cross-sectional study in wild boar and extensively managed Iberian pig populations in a hotspot area of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) in Spain. We tested for antibodies against CCHFV by using 2 ELISAs in parallel. We assessed the presence of CCHFV RNA by means of reverse transcription quantitative PCR protocol, which detects all genotypes. A total of 113 (21.8%) of 518 suids sampled showed antibodies against CCHFV by ELISA. By species, 106 (39.7%) of 267 wild boars and 7 (2.8%) of 251 Iberian pigs analyzed were seropositive. Of the 231 Iberian pigs and 231 wild boars analyzed, none tested positive for CCHFV RNA. These findings indicate high CCHFV exposure in wild boar populations in endemic areas and confirm the susceptibility of extensively reared pigs to CCHFV, even though they may only play a limited role in the enzootic cycle.
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Baz-Flores S, Jiménez-Martín D, Peralbo-Moreno A, Herraiz C, Cano-Terriza D, Cuadrado-Matías R, García-Bocanegra I, Ruiz-Fons F. Animal Exposure Model for Mapping Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus Emergence Risk. Emerg Infect Dis 2024; 30:672-680. [PMID: 38526057 PMCID: PMC10977842 DOI: 10.3201/eid3004.221604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/26/2024] Open
Abstract
To estimate the determinants of spatial variation in Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) transmission and to create a risk map as a preventive public health tool, we designed a survey of small domestic ruminants in Andalusia, Spain. To assess CCHFV exposure spatial distribution, we analyzed serum from 2,440 sheep and goats by using a double-antigen ELISA and modeled exposure probability with environmental predictors by using generalized linear mixed models. CCHFV antibodies detected in 84 samples confirmed low CCHFV prevalence in small domestic ruminants in the region. The best-fitted statistical model indicated that the most significant predictors of virus exposure risk were cattle/horse density and the normalized difference vegetation index. Model validation showed 99.7% specificity and 10.2% sensitivity for identifying CCHFV circulation areas. To map CCHFV exposure risk, we projected the model at a 1 × 1-km spatial resolution. Our study provides insight into CCHFV ecology that is useful for preventing virus transmission.
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Baz-Flores S, Herraiz C, Peralbo-Moreno A, Barral M, Arnal MC, Balseiro A, Cano-Terriza D, Castro-Scholten S, Cevidanes A, Conde-Lizarralde A, Cuadrado-Matías R, Escribano F, de Luco DF, Fidalgo LE, Hermoso-de Mendoza J, Fandos P, Gómez-Guillamón F, Granados JE, Jiménez-Martín D, López-Olvera JR, Martín I, Martínez R, Mentaberre G, García-Bocanegra I, Ruiz-Fons F. Mapping the risk of exposure to Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus in the Iberian Peninsula using Eurasian wild boar (Sus scrofa) as a model. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2024; 15:102281. [PMID: 37995393 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) virus (CCHFV) is a tick-borne zoonotic pathogen that can cause a lethal haemorrhagic disease in humans. Although the virus appears to be endemically established in the Iberian Peninsula, CCHF is an emerging disease in Spain. Clinical signs of CCHFV infection are mainly manifested in humans, but the virus replicates in several animal species. Understanding the determinants of CCHFV exposure risk from animal models is essential to predicting high-risk exposure hotspots for public health action. With this objective in mind, we designed a cross-sectional study of Eurasian wild boar (Sus scrofa) in Spain and Portugal. The study analysed 5,291 sera collected between 2006 and 2022 from 90 wild boar populations with a specific double-antigen ELISA to estimate CCHFV serum prevalence and identify the main determinants of exposure probability. To do so, we statistically modelled exposure risk with host- and environment-related predictors and spatially projected it at a 10 × 10 km square resolution at the scale of the Iberian Peninsula to map foci of infection risk. Fifty-seven (63.3 %) of the 90 populations had at least one seropositive animal, with seroprevalence ranging from 0.0 to 88.2 %. Anti-CCHFV antibodies were found in 1,026 of 5,291 wild boar (19.4 %; 95 % confidence interval: 18.3-20.5 %), with highest exposure rates in southwestern Iberia. The most relevant predictors of virus exposure risk were wild boar abundance, local rainfall regime, shrub cover, winter air temperature and soil temperature variation. The spatial projection of the best-fit model identified high-risk foci as occurring in most of western and southwestern Iberia and identified recently confirmed risk foci in eastern Spain. The results of the study demonstrate that serological surveys of CCHFV vector hosts are a powerful, robust and highly informative tool for public health authorities to take action to prevent human cases of CCHF in enzootic and emergency settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Baz-Flores
- Health & Biotechnology (SaBio) group, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Cesar Herraiz
- Health & Biotechnology (SaBio) group, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Alfonso Peralbo-Moreno
- Health & Biotechnology (SaBio) group, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Marta Barral
- Department of Animal Health, NEIKER-Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Parque Científico y Tecnológico de Bizkaia, Derio, Spain
| | - Mari Cruz Arnal
- Departamento de Patología Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Ana Balseiro
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de León, 24071 León, Spain; Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Instituto de Ganadería de Montaña (CSIC-Universidad de León), Finca Marzanas, Grulleros, 24346 León, Spain
| | - David Cano-Terriza
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Grupo de Investigación en Sanidad Animal y Zoonosis (GISAZ), UIC Zoonosis y Enfermedades Emergentes ENZOEM, Universidad de Córdoba, 14004 Córdoba, Spain
| | - Sabrina Castro-Scholten
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Grupo de Investigación en Sanidad Animal y Zoonosis (GISAZ), UIC Zoonosis y Enfermedades Emergentes ENZOEM, Universidad de Córdoba, 14004 Córdoba, Spain
| | - Aitor Cevidanes
- Department of Animal Health, NEIKER-Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Parque Científico y Tecnológico de Bizkaia, Derio, Spain
| | - Alazne Conde-Lizarralde
- Health & Biotechnology (SaBio) group, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Raúl Cuadrado-Matías
- Health & Biotechnology (SaBio) group, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Fernando Escribano
- Centro de Recuperación de Fauna Silvestre "El Valle", Ctra. Subida del Valle 62, 30150, La Alberca, Murcia, Spain
| | - Daniel Fernández de Luco
- Departamento de Patología Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Luis Eusebio Fidalgo
- Departamento de Anatomía, Producción Animal y Ciencias Clínicas Veterinarias (APAyCCV) Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain
| | - Javier Hermoso-de Mendoza
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Extremadura, 10003 Cáceres, Spain
| | | | - Félix Gómez-Guillamón
- Consejería de Agricultura, Ganadería, Pesca y Desarrollo Sostenible, Junta de Andalucía, Málaga, Spain
| | - José E Granados
- Parque Nacional y Parque Natural Sierra Nevada, Carretera Antigua de Sierra Nevada km 7, 18071 Pinos Genil, Granada, Spain
| | - Débora Jiménez-Martín
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Grupo de Investigación en Sanidad Animal y Zoonosis (GISAZ), UIC Zoonosis y Enfermedades Emergentes ENZOEM, Universidad de Córdoba, 14004 Córdoba, Spain
| | - Jorge R López-Olvera
- Wildlife Ecology & Health (WE&H) research group and Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Inés Martín
- Departamento de Biología Aplicada, Universidad Miguel Hernández, 03202 Elche (Alicante), Spain
| | - Remigio Martínez
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Grupo de Investigación en Sanidad Animal y Zoonosis (GISAZ), UIC Zoonosis y Enfermedades Emergentes ENZOEM, Universidad de Córdoba, 14004 Córdoba, Spain; Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Extremadura, 10003 Cáceres, Spain
| | - Gregorio Mentaberre
- Wildlife Ecology and Health Group (WE&H), Departament de Ciència Animal, Escola Tècnica Superior d'Enginyeria Agrària (ETSEA), Universitat de Lleida (UdL), Lleida, Spain
| | - Ignacio García-Bocanegra
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Grupo de Investigación en Sanidad Animal y Zoonosis (GISAZ), UIC Zoonosis y Enfermedades Emergentes ENZOEM, Universidad de Córdoba, 14004 Córdoba, Spain; CIBERINFEC, ISCIII - CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III
| | - Francisco Ruiz-Fons
- Health & Biotechnology (SaBio) group, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain; CIBERINFEC, ISCIII - CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III,.
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6
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Carrera-Faja L, Espunyes J, Cardells J, Fernández Aguilar X, Pailler-García L, Napp S, Cabezón O. Dynamics of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus in two wild ungulate hosts during a disease-induced population collapse. One Health 2023; 17:100622. [PMID: 38024274 PMCID: PMC10665167 DOI: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2023.100622] [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: 04/30/2023] [Revised: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Identifying the role that host species play in pathogen transmission and maintenance is crucial for disease control, but it is a difficult task, in particular for vector-borne and multi-host pathogens, and especially when wildlife species are involved. This is the case for a Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) hotspot in north-eastern Spain, where Iberian ibex (Capra pyrenaica) and wild boar (Sus scrofa) are involved, but their roles in disease transmission are unclear. In this context, we studied the dynamics of CCHFV transmission in these two species during the collapse of an Iberian ibex population due to a sarcoptic mange outbreak. We carried out a repeated cross-sectional study measuring the trends of CCHFV seroprevalence in Iberian ibex and wild boar and their abundances. In addition, we identified the tick species present in this area on the vegetation and on wild boars, and evaluated relevant meteorological factors. Results show that while the trends in CCHFV seroprevalence in Iberian Ibex and density of wild boars remained constant (p = 1.0 and p = 0.8, respectively), both the trends in Iberian ibex census and CCHFV seroprevalence in wild boars decreased significantly (p = 0.003 and p = 0.0001, respectively), and were correlated (Spearman's rank, 0.02 < p-adjusted<0.05). The correlation between the patterns of reduction of Iberian ibex abundance and the decrease of seroprevalence in wild boars suggests some sort of shared transmission cycle between the two species. Data from tick species in the area suggest a possible role of Rhipicephalus bursa in CCHFV transmission. The dynamics of CCHFV were unlikely caused by changes in meteorological variables such as temperature or water vapor pressure deficit. Further studies will be needed to confirm these hypotheses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Carrera-Faja
- Wildlife Conservation Medicine Research Group (WildCoM), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Johan Espunyes
- Wildlife Conservation Medicine Research Group (WildCoM), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Jesús Cardells
- Servicio de Análisis, Investigación y Gestión de Animales Silvestres (SAIGAS), Veterinary Faculty, Universidad CEU-Cardenal Herrera, Tirant lo Blanc Street 7, Alfara del Patriarca 46115, Valencia, Spain
| | - Xavier Fernández Aguilar
- Wildlife Conservation Medicine Research Group (WildCoM), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Lola Pailler-García
- Unitat mixta d'Investigació IRTA-UAB en Sanitat Animal, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Catalonia, Spain
- IRTA, Programa de Sanitat Animal, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Sebastian Napp
- Unitat mixta d'Investigació IRTA-UAB en Sanitat Animal, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Catalonia, Spain
- IRTA, Programa de Sanitat Animal, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Oscar Cabezón
- Wildlife Conservation Medicine Research Group (WildCoM), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
- Unitat mixta d'Investigació IRTA-UAB en Sanitat Animal, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Catalonia, Spain
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Valcárcel F, Elhachimi L, Vilá M, Tomassone L, Sánchez M, Selles SMA, Kouidri M, González MG, Martín-Hernández R, Valcárcel Á, Fernández N, Tercero JM, Sanchis J, Bellido-Blasco J, González-Coloma A, Olmeda AS. Emerging Hyalomma lusitanicum: From identification to vectorial role and integrated control. MEDICAL AND VETERINARY ENTOMOLOGY 2023; 37:425-459. [PMID: 37144688 DOI: 10.1111/mve.12660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
In the Mediterranean basin, the tick species Hyalomma lusitanicum Koch stands out among other species of the Hyalomma genus due to its wide distribution, and there is great concern about its potential role as a vector and/or reservoir and its continuous expansion to new areas because of climate warming and human and other animal movements. This review aims to consolidate all the information on H. lusitanicum, including taxonomy and evolution, morphological and molecular identification, life cycle, sampling methods, rearing under laboratory conditions, ecology, hosts, geographical distribution, seasonality, vector role and control methods. The availability of adequate data is extremely relevant to the development of appropriate control strategies in areas where this tick is currently distributed as well as in new areas where it could become established in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Félix Valcárcel
- Grupo de Parasitología Animal, Departamento de Reproducción Animal, INIA-CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - L Elhachimi
- Département de parasitologie et de Santé Publique, Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II, Rabat, Morocco
| | - M Vilá
- Grupo de Investigación COPAR (GI-2120; USC), Departamento de Patoloxia Animal, Facultade de Veterinaria, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain
| | - L Tomassone
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - M Sánchez
- Grupo de Parasitología Animal, Departamento de Reproducción Animal, INIA-CSIC, Madrid, Spain
- Villamagna S.A., Finca "La Garganta", Villanueva de Córdoba, Spain
- Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Alfonso X El Sabio (UAX), Madrid, Spain
| | - S M A Selles
- Institute of Veterinary Sciences, University of Tiaret, Tiaret, Algeria
- Laboratory of Research on Local Animal Products, University of Tiaret, Tiaret, Algeria
| | - M Kouidri
- Laboratory of Farm Animal Products, University of Tiaret, Tiaret, Algeria
| | - M G González
- Grupo de Parasitología Animal, Departamento de Reproducción Animal, INIA-CSIC, Madrid, Spain
- Villamagna S.A., Finca "La Garganta", Villanueva de Córdoba, Spain
| | - R Martín-Hernández
- Laboratorio de Patología Apícola, Centro de Investigación Apícola y Agroambiental (CIAPA), IRIAF-Instituto Regional de Investigación y Desarrollo Agroalimentario y Forestal, Marchamalo, 19180, Spain. Instituto de Recursos Humanos para la Ciencia y la Tecnología (INCRECYT-ESF/EC-FSE), Fundación Parque Científico y Tecnológico de Castilla-La Mancha, Albacete, Spain
| | - Á Valcárcel
- Lokimica S.L., c/ Valdemorillo, Madrid, Spain
- Veterinary Pathobiology section, University College Dublín, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - N Fernández
- Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Alfonso X El Sabio (UAX), Madrid, Spain
| | - J M Tercero
- Villamagna S.A., Finca "La Garganta", Villanueva de Córdoba, Spain
| | - J Sanchis
- Facultad de Veterinaria, CENUR Litoral Norte, Universidad de la República, Uruguay
| | - J Bellido-Blasco
- Sección de Epidemiología, Centro de Salud Pública de Castelló, CIBER-ESP. Universitat Jaume I (UJI), Castelló, Spain
| | | | - A S Olmeda
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, UCM, Madrid, Spain
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8
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Remesar S, Cano-Terriza D, Morrondo P, Jiménez-Ruiz S, López CM, Jiménez-Martín D, Díaz P, Paniagua J, García-Bocanegra I. Molecular detection of Rickettsia spp. in wild ungulates and their ticks in Mediterranean areas of southwestern Spain. Zoonoses Public Health 2023; 70:485-497. [PMID: 37264752 DOI: 10.1111/zph.13058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2023] [Revised: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Wildlife is an important reservoir of zoonotic pathogens. The objective of the present study was to assess the importance of wild ungulates in the epidemiology of Rickettsia spp. Ticks and spleen samples were collected from 262 red deer (Cervus elaphus) and 83 wild boar (Sus scrofa) hunted in southwestern Spain over a 5-year period. DNA was extracted from tick pools (n = 191) and spleens (n = 345), and two nested PCR assays targeting the rOmpA and rOmpB genes were used to detect Rickettsia DNA. Five tick species were identified (Hyalomma lusitanicum, Dermacentor marginatus, Ixodes ricinus, Rhipicephalus bursa and Haemaphysalis sulcata). Rickettsia DNA was detected in 31 (16.2%) tick pools and two red deer spleen samples (0.8%). Four validated Rickettsia species (R. slovaca, R. monacensis, R. helvetica and R. raoultii), one uncultivated species (Candidatus R. rioja) and two uncharacterized Rickettsia spp. were detected in ticks. R. helvetica and R. slovaca were also detected in spleen samples from red deer. The overall prevalence in ungulate spleen samples was lower than in tick pools suggesting that these ungulates do not play a major role in the transmission of Rickettsia spp. However, their importance as spreaders of positive ticks cannot be ruled out. The results present a challenge for the veterinary and public health communities since most of the Rickettsia spp. detected are pathogenic. Furthermore, the new Rickettsia species could be potential pathogens. For these reasons, identifying Rickettsia species present in ticks and wildlife is of particular interest to clarify their sylvatic cycle and establish appropriate control measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susana Remesar
- Investigación en Sanidad Animal: Galicia (Grupo INVESAGA), Facultade de Veterinaria, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain
| | - David Cano-Terriza
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Grupo de Investigación en Sanidad Animal y Zoonosis (GISAZ), Unidad de Investigación Competitiva Zoonosis y Enfermedades Emergentes desde la Perspectiva de Una Salud (ENZOEM), Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
- CIBERINFEC, ISCIII - CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Patrocinio Morrondo
- Investigación en Sanidad Animal: Galicia (Grupo INVESAGA), Facultade de Veterinaria, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain
| | - Saúl Jiménez-Ruiz
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Grupo de Investigación en Sanidad Animal y Zoonosis (GISAZ), Unidad de Investigación Competitiva Zoonosis y Enfermedades Emergentes desde la Perspectiva de Una Salud (ENZOEM), Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
- Grupo de Sanidad y Biotecnología, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, Universidad de Castilla la Mancha (SaBio-IREC, UCLM-CSIC-JCCM), Ciudad Real, Spain
- Laboratório Associado (InBIO), Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning (BIOPOLIS), Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos (CIBIO), Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Ceferino M López
- Investigación en Sanidad Animal: Galicia (Grupo INVESAGA), Facultade de Veterinaria, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain
| | - Débora Jiménez-Martín
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Grupo de Investigación en Sanidad Animal y Zoonosis (GISAZ), Unidad de Investigación Competitiva Zoonosis y Enfermedades Emergentes desde la Perspectiva de Una Salud (ENZOEM), Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Pablo Díaz
- Investigación en Sanidad Animal: Galicia (Grupo INVESAGA), Facultade de Veterinaria, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain
| | - Jorge Paniagua
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Grupo de Investigación en Sanidad Animal y Zoonosis (GISAZ), Unidad de Investigación Competitiva Zoonosis y Enfermedades Emergentes desde la Perspectiva de Una Salud (ENZOEM), Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Ignacio García-Bocanegra
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Grupo de Investigación en Sanidad Animal y Zoonosis (GISAZ), Unidad de Investigación Competitiva Zoonosis y Enfermedades Emergentes desde la Perspectiva de Una Salud (ENZOEM), Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
- CIBERINFEC, ISCIII - CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
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9
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Gago H, Ruiz-Fons F, Drechsler RM, Alambiaga I, Monros JS. Response to letter-to-the-editor by A. Estrada-Peña "Regarding the identification of Rhipicephalus ticks in the Western Mediterranean: A comment on Gago et al. (2022)". Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2023; 14:102164. [PMID: 36931955 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/19/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Hector Gago
- Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, c/Catedratico Jose Beltran Martinez 2, Paterna, Valencia 46980, Spain.
| | - Francisco Ruiz-Fons
- Health and Biotechnology (SaBio) group, Instituto de Investigacion en Recursos Cinegeticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Robby M Drechsler
- Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, c/Catedratico Jose Beltran Martinez 2, Paterna, Valencia 46980, Spain
| | - Ivan Alambiaga
- Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, c/Catedratico Jose Beltran Martinez 2, Paterna, Valencia 46980, Spain
| | - Juan S Monros
- Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, c/Catedratico Jose Beltran Martinez 2, Paterna, Valencia 46980, Spain
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10
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Carrilho M, Teixeira D, Silva M, Nunes M, Vieira ML, Novo MT, Santos-Reis M, Miguel Rosalino L. Prevalence of Ectoparasites on Small Mammals Inhabiting an Agroforestry System of Western Portugal. COMP PARASITOL 2023. [DOI: 10.1654/copa-d-21-00002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Maílis Carrilho
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Change (cE3c) & CHANGE - Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal (e-mail: ; ;
| | - Daniela Teixeira
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Change (cE3c) & CHANGE - Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal (e-mail: ; ;
| | - Marcelo Silva
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Change (cE3c) & CHANGE - Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal (e-mail: ; ;
| | - Mónica Nunes
- Global Health and Tropical Medicine (GHTM), Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical (IHMT), Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Rua da Junqueira,100, 1349-008 Lisbon, Portugal (e-mail:
; )
| | - Maria Luísa Vieira
- Global Health and Tropical Medicine (GHTM), Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical (IHMT), Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Rua da Junqueira,100, 1349-008 Lisbon, Portugal (e-mail:
; )
| | - Maria Teresa Novo
- Global Health and Tropical Medicine (GHTM), Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical (IHMT), Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Rua da Junqueira,100, 1349-008 Lisbon, Portugal (e-mail:
; )
| | - Margarida Santos-Reis
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Change (cE3c) & CHANGE - Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal (e-mail: ; ;
| | - Luís Miguel Rosalino
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Change (cE3c) & CHANGE - Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal (e-mail: ; ;
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11
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Peralbo-Moreno A, Baz-Flores S, Cuadrado-Matías R, Barroso P, Triguero-Ocaña R, Jiménez-Ruiz S, Herraiz C, Ruiz-Rodríguez C, Acevedo P, Ruiz-Fons F. Environmental factors driving fine-scale ixodid tick abundance patterns. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 853:158633. [PMID: 36084775 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Tick abundance is an essential demographic parameter to infer tick-borne pathogen transmission risks. Spatiotemporal patterns of tick abundance are heterogeneous, so its determinants at small spatial scales need to be understood to reduce their negative effects on hosts. Current knowledge of these determinants is scarce, especially in Mediterranean environments, limiting the possibilities for designing efficient tick control strategies. With the goal of unravelling tick abundance determinants and informing new tick management strategies, we estimated tick burdens on 1965 wild ungulates in Doñana National Park, Spain, annually between 2010 and 2020. Under the hypothesis of a predominant host influence on tick abundance, we modelled the burdens of Rhipicephalus annulatus, Hyalomma lusitanicum, and Ixodes ricinus with relevant predictors grouped into four factors: i) environment; ii) host population; iii) host individual; and iv) land-use. Generalized linear mixed models with a zero-inflated negative binomial distribution were built. Additionally, we analysed the differential contribution to abundance of each factor by deviance partitioning. We finally estimated the similarity in the environmental space of tick species by analysing their niche overlap with the environmental principal component analysis method. Our work hypothesis was confirmed for R. annulatus and H. lusitanicum, but we found that tick abundance at a fine spatial scale is jointly driven by multiple drivers, including all four factors considered in this study. This result points out that understanding the demography of ticks is a complex multifactorial issue, even at small spatial scales. We found no niche differences between the three tick species at the study spatial scale, thus showing similar host and environmental dependencies. Overall results identify that host aggregation areas displaying environmentally favourable traits for ticks are relevant tick and vector-borne pathogen transmission hotspots. Our findings will facilitate the design of new strategies to reduce the negative effects of tick parasitism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfonso Peralbo-Moreno
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Sara Baz-Flores
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Raúl Cuadrado-Matías
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Patricia Barroso
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Roxana Triguero-Ocaña
- VISAVET Health Surveillance Centre, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Saúl Jiménez-Ruiz
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain; Animal Health and Zoonoses Research Group (GISAZ), Department of Animal Health, University of Cordoba, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Cesar Herraiz
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Carmen Ruiz-Rodríguez
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Pelayo Acevedo
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Francisco Ruiz-Fons
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain.
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12
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Cuadrado-Matías R, Baz-Flores S, Peralbo-Moreno A, Herrero-García G, Risalde MA, Barroso P, Jiménez-Ruiz S, Ruiz-Rodriguez C, Ruiz-Fons F. Determinants of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus exposure dynamics in Mediterranean environments. Transbound Emerg Dis 2022; 69:3571-3581. [PMID: 36183164 PMCID: PMC10092370 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.14720] [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: 07/02/2022] [Revised: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is an emerging tick-borne human disease in Spain. Understanding the spatiotemporal dynamics and exposure risk determinants of CCHF virus (CCHFV) in animal models is essential to predict the time and areas of highest transmission risk. With this goal, we designed a longitudinal survey of two wild ungulate species, the red deer (Cervus elaphus) and the Eurasian wild boar (Sus scrofa), in Doñana National Park, a protected Mediterranean biodiversity hotspot with high ungulate and CCHFV vector abundance, and which is also one of the main stopover sites for migratory birds between Africa and western Europe. Both ungulates are hosts to the principal CCHFV vector in Spain, Hyalomma lusitanicum. We sampled wild ungulates annually from 2005 to 2020 and analysed the frequency of exposure to CCHFV by a double-antigen ELISA. The annual exposure risk was modelled as a function of environmental traits in an approach to understanding exposure risk determinants that allow us to predict the most likely places and years for CCHFV transmission. The main findings show that H. lusitanicum abundance is a fundamental driver of the fine-scale spatial CCHFV transmission risk, while inter-annual risk variation is conditioned by virus/vector hosts, host community structure and weather variations. The most relevant conclusion of the study is that the emergence of CCHF in Spain might be associated with recent wild ungulate population changes promoting higher vector abundance. This work provides relevant insights into the transmission dynamics of CCHFV in enzootic scenarios that would allow deepening the understanding of the ecology of CCHFV and its major determinants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raúl Cuadrado-Matías
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Sara Baz-Flores
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Alfonso Peralbo-Moreno
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Gloria Herrero-García
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain.,Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de León, León, Spain
| | - María A Risalde
- Departamento de Anatomía y Anatomía Patológica Comparadas y Toxicología, Grupo de Investigación en Sanidad Animal y Zoonosis (GISAZ), UIC Zoonosis y Enfermedades Emergentes ENZOEM, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain.,CIBERINFEC (ISCIII), CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Patricia Barroso
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Saúl Jiménez-Ruiz
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain.,Grupo de Investigación en Sanidad Animal y Zoonosis (GISAZ), Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Carmen Ruiz-Rodriguez
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Francisco Ruiz-Fons
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain
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13
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Direct and Indirect Role of Migratory Birds in Spreading CCHFV and WNV: A Multidisciplinary Study on Three Stop-Over Islands in Italy. Pathogens 2022; 11:pathogens11091056. [PMID: 36145488 PMCID: PMC9505975 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11091056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Revised: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The annual movements of migratory birds can contribute to the spread of African ticks and tick-borne pathogens of potential public health concern across Europe. The aim of the study was to investigate their role in the possible introduction of African ticks and tick-borne pathogens into European countries during spring migration. A total of 2344 ticks were collected during three spring seasons from 1079 birds captured on three Italian stop-over islands during their northbound migration. Once identified, each tick was tested by RT-PCR for the presence of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHFV), West Nile (WNV), and Usutu (USUV) viruses. Moreover, carcasses of birds found dead were collected and tested for the possible presence of WNV and USUV. Results confirmed a higher contribution of trans-Saharan migrants compared to intra-Palearctic ones and the prevalence of African tick species in the sample. CCHFV was detected for the second time in Italy in a Hyalomma rufipes, and WNV was found in two ticks of the same genus, all carried by trans-Saharan birds. WNV lineage 1 was also found in the organs of a Garden warbler. These results confirm the role of migratory birds in carrying African ticks, as well as viruses of zoonotic importance, from Africa into Europe.
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14
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Tsapko NV. Importation of Hyalomma rufipes Koch, 1844, Vectors of Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever Virus to the South Russia by Migratory Birds: Epidemiological Aspect. RUSSIAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS 2022. [DOI: 10.1134/s2075111722020126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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15
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Bedouhene A, Kelanemer R, Medrouh B, Kernif T, Saidi F, Tail G, Ziam H. Seasonal Dynamics and Predilection Sites of Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) Feeding on Cows in the Western Parts of the Djurdjura, Algeria. FRONTIERS IN TROPICAL DISEASES 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fitd.2022.856179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study aimed to determine the phenology and predilection sites of ticks infesting cattle in the western region of Djurdjura (North Algeria) from November 2018 and October 2020. Nineteen cattle farms located in thirteen localities within four provinces were visited monthly for two years. Among the 289 examined cattle, 64.36 ± 2.81% (n=189) were infested by ticks. Of the 10,243 collected ticks, the most abundant tick species was Rhipicephalus bursa (31.57 ± 0.46%), followed by R. annulatus (31.26 ± 0.45%), Hyalomma marginatum (10.67 ± 0.30%), H. lusitanicum (7.02 ± 0.25%), H. excavatum (5.52±%0.22), H. scupense (4.27 ± 0.19%) and H. impeltatum (3.32 ± 0.17%). Ticks of the Hyalomma species were present throughout the year but in a limited number during the winter. H. scupense and H. impletatum showed similar activity from March to October and peaked in April and July, respectively (P<0.001). H. lusitanicum and H. excavatum were active from April to November and both peaked in September and October respectively. Rhipicephalus bursa was collected from April to August and R. annulatus from July to October. R. turanicus was active between April and June. Hyalomma genus had an affinity of attachment for the inguinal region (P<0.001). All parasitic stages of R. annulatus had an affinity for the necks (P<0.001). Nymphs of R. bursa prefer the neck (P<0.001), the adults attach to the perennial and inguinal regions (P<0.001). R. turanicus attach to the ears (P<0.001). As far as we know, this is the first study on the phenology and predilection sites of cattle ticks in the west region of Djurdjura in Algeria.
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16
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THE TICKS <i>HYALOMMA RUFIPES</i> KOCH, 1844 IMPORTATION BY MIGRATORY BIRDS TO THE SOUTH OF RUSSIA - VECTORS OF CRIMEAN-CONGO HAEMORRHAGIC FEVER VIRUS: EPIDEMIOLOGICAL ASPECT. RUSSIAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS 2022. [DOI: 10.35885/1996-1499-15-1-129-135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Koch, 1844 (Acari, Ixodidae) is the main vector of the Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) virus in southern and eastern Africa. In the spring migrations of birds, immature stages of this species are carried out beyond the range of the parasite and are often found in various countries of Europe. Finds of adult ticks in Europe are single. In June 2018, in the north of the Stavropol Territory, one male of with characteristic features was removed from a cow. Prior to this, single registrations of this species were known on the territory of the Astrakhan Region, Dagestan and the Stavropol Territory in the middle of the last century.
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17
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Babesia and Theileria Identification in Adult Ixodid Ticks from Tapada Nature Reserve, Portugal. Pathogens 2022; 11:pathogens11020222. [PMID: 35215163 PMCID: PMC8876925 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11020222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Revised: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
This study, conducted in a nature reserve in southern Portugal, investigated the frequency and diversity of tick-borne piroplasms in six species of adult ixodid ticks removed from 71 fallow deer (Dama dama) and 12 red deer (Cervus elaphus), collected over the period 2012–2019. The majority of 520 ticks were Ixodes ricinus (78.5%), followed by Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato, Hyalomma lusitanicum, Haemaphysalis punctata, Dermacentor marginatus, and Ixodes hexagonus. The R. sanguineus ticks collected from the deer were clearly exophilic, in contrast to the endophilic species usually associated with dogs. Four tick-borne piroplasms, including Theileria spp., and the zoonotic species, Babesia divergens and Babesia microti, were detected. B. divergens 18S rDNA, identical to that of the bovine reference strain U16370 and to certain strains from red deer, was detected in I. ricinus ticks removed from fallow deer. The sporadic detection of infections in ticks removed from the same individual hosts suggests that the piroplasms were present in the ticks rather than the hosts. Theileria sp OT3 was found in I. ricinus and, along with T. capreoli, was also detected in some of the other tick species. The natural vector and pathogenic significance of this piroplasm are unknown.
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18
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Calleja-Bueno L, Sainz Á, García-Sancho M, González-Martín JV, Díaz-Regañón D, Rodríguez-Franco F, Agulla B, Tormo B, Villaescusa A. First detection of Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Babesia divergens and high infection rates of Anaplasma marginale and Babesia bigemina in cattle in extensive grazing systems of Central Spain. Transbound Emerg Dis 2021; 69:e1090-e1100. [PMID: 34792293 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.14394] [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: 07/27/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Bovine vector-borne diseases have a considerable economic impact worldwide and affect health of humans and animals. However, different aspects of their epidemiology and their pathogenesis remain unclear. Despite the frequent description of clinical cases reported by practitioners attending cattle from Madrid, Central Spain, molecular prevalence of Anaplasma spp. and Babesia spp. has not been described. The aim of this study was to assess the positivity rate of A. phagocytophilum, A. marginale, A. centrale, B. bigemina and B. divergens in livestock of this area and to evaluate the existence of associations between these pathogens and haematological, biochemical and epidemiological data. Babesia divergens and A. phagocytophilum were detected for the first time in cattle from Madrid. Their positivity percentages were low (2.2% ± 1.4% and 1.8% ± 1.2%, respectively), but this description is of special interest, as these agents are potentially zoonotic. Both agents were found in areas of higher altitude and relative humidity and lower temperature. The detection of ticks in livestock during the moment of sampling was confirmed as a risk factor for these infections. Anaplasma marginale showed the highest molecular infection rate (30% ± 4.1%) in this study, followed by B. bigemina (21.9% ± 3.7%). Higher positivity rates of A. marginale and B. bigemina were found in the areas of mountain climate and warm-summer continental Mediterranean climate. The use of ectoparasiticide treatment was found as a risk factor for infection by A. marginale and B. bigemina. This finding could lead to reconsider the ectoparasiticide protocols that are used nowadays. Grazing on pastures with domestic or wild ruminants and the presence of wild carnivores were associated with higher rates of infection by these four agents and coinfections were frequently found.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lydia Calleja-Bueno
- Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ángel Sainz
- Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Mercedes García-Sancho
- Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan V González-Martín
- Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - David Díaz-Regañón
- Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Fernando Rodríguez-Franco
- Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Beatriz Agulla
- Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Bárbara Tormo
- Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alejandra Villaescusa
- Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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19
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Cuadrado-Matías R, Cardoso B, Sas MA, García-Bocanegra I, Schuster I, González-Barrio D, Reiche S, Mertens M, Cano-Terriza D, Casades-Martí L, Jiménez-Ruiz S, Martínez-Guijosa J, Fierro Y, Gómez-Guillamón F, Gortázar C, Acevedo P, Groschup MH, Ruiz-Fons F. Red deer reveal spatial risks of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus infection. Transbound Emerg Dis 2021; 69:e630-e645. [PMID: 34739746 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.14385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Revised: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) continues to cause new human cases in Iberia while its spatial distribution and ecological determinants remain unknown. The virus remains active in a silent tick-animal cycle to which animals contribute maintaining the tick populations and the virus itself. Wild ungulates, in particular red deer, are essential hosts for Hyalomma ticks in Iberia, which are the principal competent vector of CCHFV. Red deer could be an excellent model to understand the ecological determinants of CCHFV as well as to predict infection risks for humans because it is large, gregarious, abundant and the principal host for Hyalomma lusitanicum. We designed a cross-sectional study, analysed the presence of CCHFV antibodies in 1444 deer from 82 populations, and statistically modelled exposure risk with host and environmental predictors. The best-fitted statistical model was projected for peninsular Spain to map infection risks. Fifty out of 82 deer populations were seropositive, with individual population prevalence as high as 88%. The highest prevalence of exposure to CCHFV occurred in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula. Climate and ungulate abundance were the most influential predictors of the risk of exposure to the virus. The highest risk regions were those where H. lusitanicum is most abundant. Eight of the nine primary human cases occurred in or bordering these regions, demonstrating that the model predicts human infection risk accurately. A recent human case of CCHF occurred in northwestern Spain, a region that the model predicted as low risk, pointing out that it needs improvement to capture all determinants of the CCHFV infection risk. In this study, we have been able to identify the main ecological determinants of CCHFV, and we have also managed to create an accurate model to assess the risk of CCHFV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raúl Cuadrado-Matías
- Health & Biotechnology (SaBio) Group, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Beatriz Cardoso
- Health & Biotechnology (SaBio) Group, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ciudad Real, Spain.,CIBIO/InBio, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Miriam A Sas
- Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Ignacio García-Bocanegra
- Grupo de Investigación en Sanidad Animal y Zoonosis (GISAZ), Dpto. de Sanidad Animal, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Isolde Schuster
- Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Insel Riems, Germany
| | - David González-Barrio
- Health & Biotechnology (SaBio) Group, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ciudad Real, Spain.,Parasitology Reference and Research Laboratory, Spanish National Centre for Microbiology, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sven Reiche
- Department of Experimental Animal Facilities and Biorisk Management, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Marc Mertens
- Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Insel Riems, Germany
| | - David Cano-Terriza
- Grupo de Investigación en Sanidad Animal y Zoonosis (GISAZ), Dpto. de Sanidad Animal, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Laia Casades-Martí
- Health & Biotechnology (SaBio) Group, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Saúl Jiménez-Ruiz
- Health & Biotechnology (SaBio) Group, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ciudad Real, Spain.,Grupo de Investigación en Sanidad Animal y Zoonosis (GISAZ), Dpto. de Sanidad Animal, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Jordi Martínez-Guijosa
- Health & Biotechnology (SaBio) Group, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ciudad Real, Spain
| | | | - Félix Gómez-Guillamón
- Consejería de Agricultura, Ganadería, Pesca y Desarrollo Sostenible, Junta de Andalucía, Málaga, Spain
| | - Christian Gortázar
- Health & Biotechnology (SaBio) Group, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Pelayo Acevedo
- Health & Biotechnology (SaBio) Group, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Martin H Groschup
- Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Francisco Ruiz-Fons
- Health & Biotechnology (SaBio) Group, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ciudad Real, Spain
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20
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Remesar S, Prieto A, García-Dios D, López-Lorenzo G, Martínez-Calabuig N, Díaz-Cao JM, Panadero R, López CM, Fernández G, Díez-Baños P, Morrondo P, Díaz P. Diversity of Anaplasma species and importance of mixed infections in roe deer from Spain. Transbound Emerg Dis 2021; 69:e374-e385. [PMID: 34529897 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.14319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Although wildlife can act as reservoirs of some Anaplasma species, studies on the presence and distribution of Anaplasma spp. in wild cervids are mainly limited and focused on zoonotic species. In order to identify the Anaplasma species in roe deer from Spain and to detect co-infections, 224 spleen samples were tested for Anaplasma spp. using a commercial qPCR; positive samples were further characterized using generic 16S rRNA primers and species-specific primers targeting the msp2 and groEL genes. Anaplasma DNA was detected in the 50.9% of samples, and four Anaplasma species were identified. Anaplasma phagocytophilum (43.8%) was predominant, followed by Anaplasma bovis (13.8%), Anaplasma capra (5.8%) and Anaplasma ovis (2.2%). In addition, strains similar to Anaplasma platys were found in nine animals. Most positive roe deer (71.9%) were infected with a single Anaplasma species, whereas co-infections with two (19.3%) or three (8.8%) Anaplasma species were also found. This study confirms the widespread occurrence of Anaplasma spp. in roe deer from Spain, being the first report of A. platys-like strains and A. capra in this cervid; it is also the first report of A. capra in Spain. The detection of Anaplasma species pathogenic for humans and/or domestic animals in roe deer suggests that this cervid may play a role in the sylvatic cycle of these bacteria contributing to the appearance of clinical anaplasmosis cases. In addition, co-infections are common in roe deer revealing that Anaplasma species specific PCR assays are essential for a reliable identification as well as for determining their real prevalence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susana Remesar
- Investigación en Sanidad Animal: Galicia (Grupo INVESAGA), Facultade de Veterinaria, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain
| | - Alberto Prieto
- Investigación en Sanidad Animal: Galicia (Grupo INVESAGA), Facultade de Veterinaria, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain
| | - David García-Dios
- Investigación en Sanidad Animal: Galicia (Grupo INVESAGA), Facultade de Veterinaria, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain
| | - Gonzalo López-Lorenzo
- Investigación en Sanidad Animal: Galicia (Grupo INVESAGA), Facultade de Veterinaria, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain
| | - Néstor Martínez-Calabuig
- Investigación en Sanidad Animal: Galicia (Grupo INVESAGA), Facultade de Veterinaria, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain
| | - José Manuel Díaz-Cao
- Investigación en Sanidad Animal: Galicia (Grupo INVESAGA), Facultade de Veterinaria, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain
| | - Rosario Panadero
- Investigación en Sanidad Animal: Galicia (Grupo INVESAGA), Facultade de Veterinaria, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain
| | - Ceferino Manuel López
- Investigación en Sanidad Animal: Galicia (Grupo INVESAGA), Facultade de Veterinaria, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain
| | - Gonzalo Fernández
- Investigación en Sanidad Animal: Galicia (Grupo INVESAGA), Facultade de Veterinaria, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain
| | - Pablo Díez-Baños
- Investigación en Sanidad Animal: Galicia (Grupo INVESAGA), Facultade de Veterinaria, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain
| | - Patrocinio Morrondo
- Investigación en Sanidad Animal: Galicia (Grupo INVESAGA), Facultade de Veterinaria, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain
| | - Pablo Díaz
- Investigación en Sanidad Animal: Galicia (Grupo INVESAGA), Facultade de Veterinaria, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain
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21
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Márquez FJ, Caruz A. Phylogeography of Hyalomma (Euhyalomma) lusitanicum (Acarina, Parasitiformes, Ixodidae) in Andalusia based on mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I gene. EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2021; 85:49-61. [PMID: 34435267 PMCID: PMC8486715 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-021-00652-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The genetic population structure relationships of Hyalomma (Euhyalomma) lusitanicum in Andalusia (the south of the Iberian Peninsula) were examined using mtDNA sequence data from 887 bp of cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) gene. The sequence for the COI region was determined for 84 individuals collected in several localities of Andalusia, and 10 for other localities (i.e., five from Toledo, central Iberian Peninsula, four from Sicily (Italy) and one from Canary Island). Seventeen haplotypes were detected, including 27 polymorphic sites. The number of amino acid substitutions per site from mean diversity calculations for the entire population was 0.017. AMOVA analysis revealed a low gene flow that characterises the genetic population structure of this species in South Iberian Peninsula, with a haplotype diversity (h) value of 0.815. No geographically induced differentiation was observed, and separate evolutionary units were not detected. Our results indicate low genetic diversity across the geographical range of H. lusitanicum tick in Andalusia. Our data do not show any genetic discontinuity between the tick populations studied, including specimens from Canary Island and Sicily (Italy).
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco J Márquez
- Departamento de Biología Animal, Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Universidad de Jaén, Campus Las Lagunillas, s.n., 23071, Jaén, Spain.
| | - Antonio Caruz
- Departamento de Biología Experimental, Universidad de Jaén, Campus Las Lagunillas, s.n., 23071, Jaén, Spain
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22
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Castillo-Contreras R, Magen L, Birtles R, Varela-Castro L, Hall JL, Conejero C, Aguilar XF, Colom-Cadena A, Lavín S, Mentaberre G, López-Olvera JR. Ticks on wild boar in the metropolitan area of Barcelona (Spain) are infected with spotted fever group rickettsiae. Transbound Emerg Dis 2021; 69:e82-e95. [PMID: 34331835 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.14268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) constitute an emerging public health concern favoured by multidimensional global changes. Amongst these, increase and spread of wild boar (Sus scrofa) populations are of special concern since this species can act as a reservoir of zoonotic pathogens and promote tick abundance. Thus, we aimed to make a first assessment of the risk by TBPs resulting from wild boar and ticks in the vicinity of a highly populated area. Between 2014 and 2016, we collected spleen samples and 2256 ticks from 261 wild boars (out of 438 inspected) in the metropolitan area of Barcelona (MAB; northeast Spain). We morphologically identified four tick species: Hyalomma lusitanicum (infestation prevalence: 33.6%), Dermacentor marginatus (26.9%), Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato (18.9%) and R. bursa (0.2%). Ticks were pooled according to species and individual host. A total of 180 tick pools and 167 spleen samples were screened by real-time PCR and/or reverse line blot hybridization assay for Ehrlichia sp., Anaplasma sp., Babesia sp., Rickettsia sp., Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and Coxiella burnetii. Seventy-two out of the 180 tick pools were positive to Rickettsia spp. (minimum prevalence of 8.7%), including Rickettsia massiliae, R. slovaca and R. raoultii. We did not detect Rickettsia spp. in wild boar spleens nor other TBPs in ticks or wild boars. Since the ticks identified can bite humans, and the recorded spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsiae are zoonotic pathogens, there is a risk of SFG rickettsiae transmission for MAB inhabitants. Our results suggest a broader distribution of H. lusitanicum, competent vector for the Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus than previously known. Wild boar is not a Rickettsia spp. reservoir according to the spleen negative results. However, its abundance could favour tick life cycle and abundance, and its proximity to humans could promote the infection risk by Rickettsia spp.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Castillo-Contreras
- Wildlife Ecology & Health group and Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge, Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Luis Magen
- Wildlife Ecology & Health group and Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge, Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Richard Birtles
- University of Salford Tick Infections Group, School of Environment and Life Sciences, University of Salford, Salford, UK
| | - Lucía Varela-Castro
- Wildlife Ecology & Health group and Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge, Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jessica L Hall
- University of Salford Tick Infections Group, School of Environment and Life Sciences, University of Salford, Salford, UK
| | - Carles Conejero
- Wildlife Ecology & Health group and Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge, Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Xavier Fernandez Aguilar
- Wildlife Ecology & Health group and Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge, Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Andreu Colom-Cadena
- Wildlife Ecology & Health group and Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge, Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Santiago Lavín
- Wildlife Ecology & Health group and Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge, Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gregorio Mentaberre
- Wildlife Ecology & Health group and Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge, Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.,Wildlife Ecology & Health group and Departament de Ciència Animal, Escola Tècnica Superior d'Enginyeria Agraria, Universitat de Lleida, Lleida, Spain
| | - Jorge R López-Olvera
- Wildlife Ecology & Health group and Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge, Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
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23
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Fanelli A, Buonavoglia D. Risk of Crimean Congo haemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) introduction and spread in CCHF-free countries in southern and Western Europe: A semi-quantitative risk assessment. One Health 2021; 13:100290. [PMID: 34307823 PMCID: PMC8283130 DOI: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2021.100290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Revised: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a severe tick-borne viral zoonotic disease caused by Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV). The disease is usually asymptomatic in domestic and wild animals, both of which may act as reservoirs of the virus. CCHF is endemic in parts of Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Eastern Europe. During the last decade, the emergence or re-emergence of CCHF was described in several countries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, with an increasing risk of extension into new areas. Given the public health importance, this study undertakes a semi-quantitative risk assessment to analyse the likelihood of entry and exposure of CCHFV into 9 CCHF-free countries in Southern and Western Europe. Based on a framework outlining the probability of the virus entry and exposure, the risk estimates were assessed for each individual country. The risk assessment was performed using information from public databases and the available scientific literature. The likelihood of entry was conducted considering 3 main pathways: infected tick vectors, wildlife and livestock. The likelihood of exposure was assessed considering the probability of survival of the infected ticks once introduced in CCHF-free countries (depending on abiotic and biotic factors), and the exposure of resident uninfected susceptible ticks to infected imported wildlife and livestock. The risk estimates (combined CCHFV introduction and exposure) were low for the majority of the countries (Austria, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Slovenia and Switzerland) and medium for France and Italy, if accounting only for animal health consequences. Considering the public health consequences only, the risks were rated low for all the countries, except for Italy where it was assessed to be medium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Fanelli
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Valenzano (BA), Italy
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24
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Ciebiera O, Łopińska A, Gabryś G. Ticks on game animals in the fragmented agricultural landscape of western Poland. Parasitol Res 2021; 120:1781-1788. [PMID: 33788023 PMCID: PMC8084817 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-021-07132-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Ticks (Acari: Ixodida) are well known external parasites of game animals that cause serious veterinary and medical problems. The occurrence and geographical distribution of different species of ticks in Western Poland have changed over the last decades. The purpose of the present study was to determine the species spectrum and prevalence of ticks parasitizing three species of game animals, the Eurasian wild boar Sus scrofa L., red deer Cervus elaphus L., and roe deer Capreolus capreolus (L.) in two hunting districts in Lubuskie Province. In addition, the distribution of ticks on the host’s body and the intensity of infestation were determined. Ticks were collected from dead animals during the hunting seasons in 2013 and 2014, over the periods from May to June and from August to December. In total, 286 specimens were examined: 138 Eurasian wild boars, 8 red deers, and 140 roe deers. Altogether, 1891 ticks were collected. Three species of ticks were determined: Ixodes ricinus (L.), Dermacentor reticulatus (Fabricius, 1794), and Haemaphysalis concinna (C.L. Koch, 1844). H. concinna was recorded for the first time in Lubuskie Province.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olaf Ciebiera
- Department of Nature Conservation, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Zielona Góra, Prof. Z. Szafrana 1, 65-516, Zielona Góra, Poland.
| | - Andżelina Łopińska
- Department of Human Nutrition and Diet Therapy, University of Zielona Góra, Pałac Kalsk - Kalsk 67, 66-100, Sulechów, Poland
| | - Grzegorz Gabryś
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Zielona Góra, Prof. Z. Szafrana 1, 65-516, Zielona Góra, Poland
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25
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Díaz-Cao JM, Adaszek Ł, Dzięgiel B, Paniagua J, Caballero-Gómez J, Winiarczyk S, Winiarczyk D, Cano-Terriza D, García-Bocanegra I. Prevalence of selected tick-borne pathogens in wild ungulates and ticks in southern Spain. Transbound Emerg Dis 2021; 69:1084-1094. [PMID: 33686775 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.14065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Revised: 02/06/2021] [Accepted: 03/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
A survey study was carried out to assess the occurrence of selected tick-borne pathogens (TBP) in wild ungulates in Mediterranean ecosystems in southern Spain. Spleen samples were collected from 1,132 wild ungulates, including 578 red deer, 269 wild boar, 135 mouflon, 121 fallow deer and 29 roe deer, between 2009 and 2015. Eighty-nine ticks collected from TBP-positive animals were also analysed. Samples were tested by PCR and sequenced whenever possible. TBP DNA was detected in 127 of 863 wild ruminants (14.7%; 95% CI: 12.4-17.3) including the following: Anaplasma phagocytophilum (9.2%), Babesia divergens (2.9%), Theileria sp. OT3 (1.7%), Borrelia afzelii (0.7%) and Theileria capreoli (0.2%), but no positive samples were detected in wild boar (0/269). All the strains from mouflon were identified as Theileria sp. OT3, while B. divergens and T. capreoli were mainly found in red deer. Co-infection with A. phagocytophilum and B. divergens, and A. phagocytophilum and Theileria spp. was detected in red deer and mouflon, respectively. The risk factor analysis showed that the prevalences of A. phagocytophilum and piroplasms were species-related. Eighty-nine tick specimens collected from ungulates found to be infected with the selected TBP were identified as Hyalomma lusitanicum (95.5%) and Ixodes ricinus (4.5%). Thirty ticks were positive for Anaplasma/Ehrlichia spp. (33.7%), 25 for Babesia/Theileria (28.1%) and two for B. burgdorferi s.l. (2.3%). Eleven specimens showed co-infections with Anaplasma/Ehrlichia and Babesia/Theileria (10.1%) or Anaplasma/Ehrlichia and B. burgdorferi s.l. (2.3%). The estimated prevalences obtained in the present study suggest the possible contribution of wild ruminants to the maintenance of some selected TBP in Mediterranean ecosystems in southern Spain, while the role of wild boar in the epidemiology of these pathogens seems to be limited in this region.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Manuel Díaz-Cao
- Animal Health and Zoonosis Research Group (GISAZ), Department of Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain
| | - Łukasz Adaszek
- Department of Epizootiology and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Beata Dzięgiel
- Department of Epizootiology and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Jorge Paniagua
- Animal Health and Zoonosis Research Group (GISAZ), Department of Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain
| | - Javier Caballero-Gómez
- Animal Health and Zoonosis Research Group (GISAZ), Department of Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain.,Infectious Diseases Unit, Clinical Virology and Zoonoses research group, Reina Sofia University Hospital, Maimonides Biomedical Research Insitute of Cordoba (IMIBIC), University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain
| | - Stanislaw Winiarczyk
- Department of Epizootiology and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Dagmara Winiarczyk
- Department of Epizootiology and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - David Cano-Terriza
- Animal Health and Zoonosis Research Group (GISAZ), Department of Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain
| | - Ignacio García-Bocanegra
- Animal Health and Zoonosis Research Group (GISAZ), Department of Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain
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26
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Gray J, Kahl O, Zintl A. What do we still need to know about Ixodes ricinus? Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2021; 12:101682. [PMID: 33571753 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2021.101682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2020] [Revised: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
In spite of many decades of intensive research on Ixodes ricinus, the castor bean tick of Europe, several important aspects of its basic biology remain elusive, such as the factors determining seasonal development, tick abundance and host specificity, and the importance of water management. Additionally, there are more recent questions about the geographical diversity of tick genotypes and phenotypes, the role of migratory birds in the ecoepidemiology of I. ricinus, the importance of protective immune responses against I. ricinus, particularly in the context of vaccination, and the role of the microbiome in pathogen transmission. Without more detailed knowledge of these issues, it is difficult to assess the likely effects of changes in climate and biodiversity on tick distribution and activity, to predict potential risks arising from new and established tick populations and I. ricinus-borne pathogens, and to improve prevention and control measures. This review aims to discuss the most important outstanding questions against the backdrop of the current state of knowledge of this important tick species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy Gray
- UCD School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.
| | | | - Annetta Zintl
- UCD School of Veterinary Sciences, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.
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27
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Gillingham EL, Cull B, Pietzsch ME, Phipps LP, Medlock JM, Hansford K. The Unexpected Holiday Souvenir: The Public Health Risk to UK Travellers from Ticks Acquired Overseas. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:E7957. [PMID: 33138220 PMCID: PMC7663673 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17217957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Revised: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Overseas travel to regions where ticks are found can increase travellers' exposure to ticks and pathogens that may be unfamiliar to medical professionals in their home countries. Previous studies have detailed non-native tick species removed from recently returned travellers, occasionally leading to travel-associated human cases of exotic tick-borne disease. There are 20 species of tick endemic to the UK, yet UK travellers can be exposed to many other non-native species whilst overseas. Here, we report ticks received by Public Health England's Tick Surveillance Scheme from humans with recent travel history between January 2006 and December 2018. Altogether, 16 tick species were received from people who had recently travelled overseas. Confirmed imports (acquired outside of the UK) were received from people who recently travelled to 22 countries. Possible imports (acquired abroad or within the UK) were received from people who had recently travelled to eight European countries. Species-specific literature reviews highlighted nine of the sixteen tick species are known to vector at least one tick-borne pathogen to humans in the country of acquisition, suggesting travellers exposed to ticks may be at risk of being bitten by a species that is a known vector, with implications for novel tick-borne disease transmission to travellers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma L. Gillingham
- Medical Entomology and Zoonoses Ecology, Emergency Response Department, Public Health England, Porton Down, Salisbury SP4 0JG, UK; (B.C.); (M.E.P.); (J.M.M.); (K.H.)
| | - Benjamin Cull
- Medical Entomology and Zoonoses Ecology, Emergency Response Department, Public Health England, Porton Down, Salisbury SP4 0JG, UK; (B.C.); (M.E.P.); (J.M.M.); (K.H.)
| | - Maaike E. Pietzsch
- Medical Entomology and Zoonoses Ecology, Emergency Response Department, Public Health England, Porton Down, Salisbury SP4 0JG, UK; (B.C.); (M.E.P.); (J.M.M.); (K.H.)
| | - L. Paul Phipps
- Wildlife Zoonoses and Vector-Borne Research Group, Department of Virology, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Addlestone, Surrey KT15 3NB, UK;
| | - Jolyon M. Medlock
- Medical Entomology and Zoonoses Ecology, Emergency Response Department, Public Health England, Porton Down, Salisbury SP4 0JG, UK; (B.C.); (M.E.P.); (J.M.M.); (K.H.)
| | - Kayleigh Hansford
- Medical Entomology and Zoonoses Ecology, Emergency Response Department, Public Health England, Porton Down, Salisbury SP4 0JG, UK; (B.C.); (M.E.P.); (J.M.M.); (K.H.)
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Garcia-Vozmediano A, Giglio G, Ramassa E, Nobili F, Rossi L, Tomassone L. Dermacentor marginatus and Dermacentor reticulatus, and Their Infection by SFG Rickettsiae and Francisella-Like Endosymbionts, in Mountain and Periurban Habitats of Northwestern Italy. Vet Sci 2020; 7:E157. [PMID: 33081422 PMCID: PMC7712301 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci7040157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2020] [Revised: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
We investigated the distribution of Dermacentor spp. and their infection by zoonotic bacteria causing SENLAT (scalp eschar neck lymphadenopathy) in Turin province, northwestern Italy. We collected ticks in a mountain and in a periurban park, from vegetation and different animal sources, and we sampled tissues from wild boar. Dermacentor marginatus (n = 121) was collected in both study areas, on vegetation, humans, and animals, while D. reticulatus (n = 13) was exclusively collected on wild boar from the periurban area. Rickettsia slovaca and Candidatus Rickettsia rioja infected 53.1% of the ticks, and R. slovaca was also identified in 11.3% of wild boar tissues. Bartonella spp. and Francisella tularensis were not detected, however, Francisella-like endosymbionts infected both tick species (9.2%). Our findings provide new insights on the current distribution of Dermacentor spp. and their infection with a spotted-fever group rickettsiae in the Alps region. Wild boar seem to play a major role in their eco-epidemiology and dispersion in the study area. Although further studies are needed to assess the burden of rickettsial diseases, our results highlight the risk of contracting SENLAT infection through Dermacentor spp. bites in the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aitor Garcia-Vozmediano
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, L.go Braccini, 2, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy; (G.G.); (L.R.)
| | - Giorgia Giglio
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, L.go Braccini, 2, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy; (G.G.); (L.R.)
| | - Elisa Ramassa
- Ente di gestione delle aree protette delle Alpi Cozie, Via Fransuà Fontan, 1, 10050 Salbertrand, Italy;
| | - Fabrizio Nobili
- Ente di Gestione delle Aree Protette del Po Torinese, Corso Trieste, 98, 10024 Moncalieri, Italy;
| | - Luca Rossi
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, L.go Braccini, 2, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy; (G.G.); (L.R.)
| | - Laura Tomassone
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, L.go Braccini, 2, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy; (G.G.); (L.R.)
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Control of tick infestations in wild roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) vaccinated with the Q38 Subolesin/Akirin chimera. Vaccine 2020; 38:6450-6454. [PMID: 32798140 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2020.07.062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Revised: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) are considered to be the most important vectors of disease-causing pathogens in domestic and wild animals, and emerging and re-emerging tick-borne diseases (TBD) exert an enormous impact on them. Wild ungulates are hosts for a wide variety of tick species and tick-borne pathogens that affect human and animal health. Consequently, the control of tick infestations and tick-borne pathogen prevalence is essential in some regions. Acaricides and animal management or culling have been used for the control of tick infestations and TBD, but tick vaccines constitute the best alternative to reduce the impact of acaricides on tick resistance and the environment. Previous results of controlled vaccination trials have shown that the Q38 Subolesin/Akirin chimera containing conserved protective epitopes could be a candidate universal antigen to control multiple tick species infestations. Thus, vaccination trials are necessary to validate these results under field conditions. In this study, we characterized the effect of Q38 vaccine on a wild population of European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) in the Andalusian roe deer Reference Station (Junta de Andalucía, Cádiz, Spain). In this location, roe deer suffer especially severe parasitic conditions in some periods and commercial pesticides and ixodicides that are authorized to control ticks without specificity are frequently applied in the field, posing a threat to the environment. Animals vaccinated over a three-year period showed an antibody response to the vaccine antigen and a reduction in tick infestations by multiple species including Hyalomma marginatum, H. lusitanicum, Rhipicephalus bursa and Ixodes ricinus previously identified in roe deer, when compared to untreated controls. These results suggest the efficacy of Q38 for the control of tick infestations in wildlife.
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30
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Moraga-Fernández A, Ruiz-Fons F, Habela MA, Royo-Hernández L, Calero-Bernal R, Gortazar C, de la Fuente J, Fernández de Mera IG. Detection of new Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus genotypes in ticks feeding on deer and wild boar, Spain. Transbound Emerg Dis 2020; 68:993-1000. [PMID: 32738065 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.13756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2020] [Revised: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) is the causative agent of the severe tick-borne, often fatal, zoonotic Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF), which is widely distributed worldwide. The CCHFV transmission to humans occurs through tick bite, crushing of engorged ticks or contact with infected host blood. Previously, CCHFV genotype Africa III was reported in Spain. Given the emergence of CCHF and the role of ticks in pathogen maintenance and transmission, we investigated the presence and genotype identity of the virus in tick species parasitizing abundant wild host species in south-western Spain. A total of 613 adult ticks were collected from hunter-harvested wild ungulates in twenty locations throughout south-western Spain. Ticks were identified, nucleic acids were extracted, RNA was analysed by a nested RT-PCR targeting CCHFV S segment, and the amplicons were sequenced. According to the 212-bp sequence amplified, the presence of CCHFV human genotype Europe V was detected in Hyalomma lusitanicum and Dermacentor marginatus ticks collected from red deer, fallow deer and Eurasian wild boar in different locations from south-western Spain. Genotype Africa IV was also detected in a H. lusitanicum tick collected from a red deer. The detection of CCHFV in different tick species collected from various wild hosts and localities provided strong evidence of widespread CCHFV presence in the region, suggesting that the circulation of the virus in Spain requires more attention. Additionally, the identification of the CCHFV genotype Europe V in ticks suggested that its introduction in Spain was probably from Eastern Europe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Moraga-Fernández
- SaBio, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos IREC-CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Francisco Ruiz-Fons
- SaBio, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos IREC-CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Miguel A Habela
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Extremadura, Cáceres, Spain
| | - Lara Royo-Hernández
- SaBio, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos IREC-CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Rafael Calero-Bernal
- SALUVET, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Christian Gortazar
- SaBio, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos IREC-CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - José de la Fuente
- SaBio, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos IREC-CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain.,Center for Veterinary Health Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA
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31
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Valente AM, Acevedo P, Figueiredo AM, Fonseca C, Torres RT. Overabundant wild ungulate populations in Europe: management with consideration of socio‐ecological consequences. Mamm Rev 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/mam.12202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ana M. Valente
- Departamento de Biologia e CESAM Universidade de Aveiro Campus Universitário de Santiago 3810‐193 Aveiro Portugal
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (UCLM‐CSIC‐JCCM) Ronda de Toledo 12 13071 Ciudad Real Spain
| | - Pelayo Acevedo
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (UCLM‐CSIC‐JCCM) Ronda de Toledo 12 13071 Ciudad Real Spain
| | - Ana M. Figueiredo
- Departamento de Biologia e CESAM Universidade de Aveiro Campus Universitário de Santiago 3810‐193 Aveiro Portugal
| | - Carlos Fonseca
- Departamento de Biologia e CESAM Universidade de Aveiro Campus Universitário de Santiago 3810‐193 Aveiro Portugal
| | - Rita T. Torres
- Departamento de Biologia e CESAM Universidade de Aveiro Campus Universitário de Santiago 3810‐193 Aveiro Portugal
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Valcárcel F, González J, González MG, Sánchez M, Tercero JM, Elhachimi L, Carbonell JD, Olmeda AS. Comparative Ecology of Hyalomma lusitanicum and Hyalomma marginatum Koch, 1844 (Acarina: Ixodidae). INSECTS 2020; 11:insects11050303. [PMID: 32414220 PMCID: PMC7290797 DOI: 10.3390/insects11050303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Revised: 05/08/2020] [Accepted: 05/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The genus Hyalomma belongs to the Ixodidae family and includes many tick species. Most species in this genus are African species, but two of them, Hyalomma lusitanicum and Hyalomma marginatum, are also found in Europe and, owing to their morphological similarity, it is very difficult to tell them apart. This is a major concern because their phenology and vector capacities are quite different. Moreover, they share many habitats and both are currently spreading to new areas, probably due to climate change and animal/human movements. In this study, we review the described ecology of the two species and provide further interesting data on H. lusitanicum based on the authors' experience, which could be useful in assessing the risk they pose to humans and animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Félix Valcárcel
- Grupo de Parasitología Animal, Animalario del Departamento de Reproducción Animal, INIA, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (M.G.G.); (M.S.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Julia González
- Villamagna S.A., Finca ‘‘La Garganta’’, 14440 Villanueva de Córdoba, Spain; (J.G.); (J.M.T.)
- Center for Vector Biology, Department of Entomology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| | - Marta G. González
- Grupo de Parasitología Animal, Animalario del Departamento de Reproducción Animal, INIA, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (M.G.G.); (M.S.)
- Villamagna S.A., Finca ‘‘La Garganta’’, 14440 Villanueva de Córdoba, Spain; (J.G.); (J.M.T.)
| | - María Sánchez
- Grupo de Parasitología Animal, Animalario del Departamento de Reproducción Animal, INIA, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (M.G.G.); (M.S.)
- Villamagna S.A., Finca ‘‘La Garganta’’, 14440 Villanueva de Córdoba, Spain; (J.G.); (J.M.T.)
| | - José María Tercero
- Villamagna S.A., Finca ‘‘La Garganta’’, 14440 Villanueva de Córdoba, Spain; (J.G.); (J.M.T.)
| | - Latifa Elhachimi
- Département de Parasitologie et Santé Publique, Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II, Rabat-Instituts B.P. 6202, Morocco;
| | - Juan D. Carbonell
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, UCM, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (J.D.C.); (A.S.O.)
| | - A. Sonia Olmeda
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, UCM, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (J.D.C.); (A.S.O.)
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Pascucci I, Di Domenico M, Capobianco Dondona G, Di Gennaro A, Polci A, Capobianco Dondona A, Mancuso E, Cammà C, Savini G, Cecere JG, Spina F, Monaco F. Assessing the role of migratory birds in the introduction of ticks and tick-borne pathogens from African countries: An Italian experience. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2019; 10:101272. [PMID: 31481344 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2019.101272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Revised: 07/29/2019] [Accepted: 08/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The continuous flow of billions of birds between Africa and Europe creates an "ecological bridge" between physically remote areas. Migratory birds fly south from their breeding grounds during late summer/fall and fly back in spring. These movements regulate the spread of internal and external parasites, as well as pathogens of potential public health concern. The aim of the present study was to investigate the possible introduction of exotic tick species and tick-borne pathogens into Europe via migratory birds. At the bird observatory of Ventotene island (Italy), 443 feeding ticks were collected from 249 birds captured and ringed during their northbound migration in spring 2013. Each tick was identified by morphological and molecular methods and then tested for bacterial and viral pathogens: Borrelia burgdorferi s.l., Rickettsia spp., Ehrlichia ruminantium and Coxiella burnetii, Crimean Congo haemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) and Flavivirus. Morphological and molecular identification confirmed Hyalomma rufipes as the most abundant species among the collected arthropods (366/443; 82.6%) followed by Hyalomma marginatum (10/433; 2.3%). Rickettsia aeschlimannii was identified in 158 ticks, while one engorged Amblyomma variegatum nymph was infected with Rickettsia africae. The other bacteria were not detected in any specimen. Among viruses, RNA belonging to West Nile virus and other Flavivirus were detected whereas all ticks were negative for CCHFV RNA. These results confirm how migratory birds play a role in carrying Rickettsia-infected ticks, as well as viruses of zoonotic importance, from Africa into Europe. To what extent tick species are capable of establishing a permanent population once introduced in naïve areas, is far from defined and deserve further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Pascucci
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e Molise "G. Caporale" Campo Boario, 64100, Teramo, Italy.
| | - Marco Di Domenico
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e Molise "G. Caporale" Campo Boario, 64100, Teramo, Italy
| | - Giulia Capobianco Dondona
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e Molise "G. Caporale" Campo Boario, 64100, Teramo, Italy
| | - Annapia Di Gennaro
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e Molise "G. Caporale" Campo Boario, 64100, Teramo, Italy
| | - Andrea Polci
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e Molise "G. Caporale" Campo Boario, 64100, Teramo, Italy
| | - Andrea Capobianco Dondona
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e Molise "G. Caporale" Campo Boario, 64100, Teramo, Italy
| | - Elisa Mancuso
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e Molise "G. Caporale" Campo Boario, 64100, Teramo, Italy
| | - Cesare Cammà
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e Molise "G. Caporale" Campo Boario, 64100, Teramo, Italy
| | - Giovanni Savini
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e Molise "G. Caporale" Campo Boario, 64100, Teramo, Italy
| | - Jacopo G Cecere
- Area Avifauna Migratrice, Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale (ISPRA), via Ca' Fornacetta 9, I-40064, Ozzano Emilia, BO, Italy
| | - Fernando Spina
- Area Avifauna Migratrice, Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale (ISPRA), via Ca' Fornacetta 9, I-40064, Ozzano Emilia, BO, Italy
| | - Federica Monaco
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e Molise "G. Caporale" Campo Boario, 64100, Teramo, Italy
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Moraga-Fernández A, Chaligiannis Ι, Cabezas-Cruz A, Papa A, Sotiraki S, de la Fuente J, G Fernández de Mera I. Molecular identification of spotted fever group Rickettsia in ticks collected from dogs and small ruminants in Greece. EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2019; 78:421-430. [PMID: 31175472 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-019-00392-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2019] [Accepted: 05/31/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Spotted fever group (SFG) Rickettsia are zoonotic and emerging pathogens with considerable impact in public and animal health. Greece is an endemic country of diseases caused by SFG Rickettsia. This work aims to evaluate the prevalence of SFG Rickettsia in ticks collected from domestic hosts including sheep, goats and dogs. Several genetic markers for bacterial genes, such as 16S rRNA, ompA, ompB, atpA, gltA, recA, dnaA and dnaK, were amplified and sequenced to accurately classified the rickettsial pathogens in the ticks. Taxonomy and species classification of the Rickettsia was achieved by combining phylogenetic and in silico digestion analysis of the gene sequences obtained. A total of 187 ticks were collected and classified at the species level as Ixodes gibosus, Dermacentor marginatus, Haemaphysalis parva, H. sulcata, H. punctata, Hyalomma scavatum, Rhipicephalus sanguineus, R. bursa and Rhipicephalus sp. The results showed that 7.5% of ticks were infected with at least one SFG Rickettsia including R. massiliae (n = 3), R. slovaca (n = 5), R. raoultii (n = 1) and R. hoogstraalii (n = 5), collected from sheep (n = 4), goats (n = 5) and dogs (n = 3). Molecular analysis revealed the presence of novel genetic variants of R. hoogstraalii (in H. sulcata and H. parva from goat and sheep) and R. raoultii (in D. marginatus from goat). These results proof the presence of SFG Rickettsia in domestic hosts in Greece, and support the need for continued monitoring, surveillance and further analyses of other hosts and study areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Moraga-Fernández
- SaBio, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ronda de Toledo, 12, 13005, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Ιlias Chaligiannis
- Veterinary Research Institute, Hellenic Agricultural Organization Demeter, Thermi, 57001, Thessaloniki, Greece
- Department of Microbiology, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz
- UMR BIPAR, INRA, ANSES, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, Université Paris-Est, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Anna Papa
- Department of Microbiology, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Smaragda Sotiraki
- Veterinary Research Institute, Hellenic Agricultural Organization Demeter, Thermi, 57001, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - José de la Fuente
- SaBio, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ronda de Toledo, 12, 13005, Ciudad Real, Spain
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Center for Veterinary Health Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, 74078, USA
| | - Isabel G Fernández de Mera
- SaBio, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ronda de Toledo, 12, 13005, Ciudad Real, Spain.
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Hansford KM, Carter D, Gillingham EL, Hernandez-Triana LM, Chamberlain J, Cull B, McGinley L, Paul Phipps L, Medlock JM. Hyalomma rufipes on an untraveled horse: Is this the first evidence of Hyalomma nymphs successfully moulting in the United Kingdom? Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2019; 10:704-708. [PMID: 30876825 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2019.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2019] [Revised: 03/05/2019] [Accepted: 03/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
During September 2018, a tick was submitted to Public Health England's Tick Surveillance Scheme for identification. The tick was sent from a veterinarian who removed it from a horse in Dorset, England, with no history of overseas travel. The tick was identified as a male Hyalomma rufipes using morphological and molecular methods and then tested for a range of tick-borne pathogens including; Alkhurma virus, Anaplasma, Babesia, Bhanja virus, Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic fever virus, Rickettsia and Theileria. The tick tested positive for Rickettsia aeschlimannii, a spotted fever group rickettsia linked to a number of human cases in Africa and Europe. This is the first time H. rufipes has been reported in the United Kingdom (UK), and the lack of travel by the horse (or any in-contact horses) suggests that this could also be the first evidence of successful moulting of a Hyalomma nymph in the UK. It is postulated that the tick was imported into the UK on a migratory bird as an engorged nymph which was able to complete its moult to the adult stage and find a host. This highlights that passive tick surveillance remains an important method for the detection of unusual species that may present a threat to public health in the UK. Horses are important hosts of Hyalomma sp. adults in their native range, therefore, further surveillance studies should be conducted to check horses for ticks in the months following spring bird migration; when imported nymphs may have had time to drop off their avian host and moult to adults. The potential human and animal health risks of such events occurring more regularly are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kayleigh M Hansford
- Medical Entomology and Zoonoses Ecology Group, Emergency Response Department, Public Health England, Porton Down, Salisbury, SP4 0JG, UK; NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Environmental Change and Health, UK.
| | - Daniel Carter
- Diagnostic and Genomic Technologies, National Infection Service, Public Health England, Porton Down, Salisbury, SP4 0JG, UK; NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections, UK
| | - Emma L Gillingham
- Medical Entomology and Zoonoses Ecology Group, Emergency Response Department, Public Health England, Porton Down, Salisbury, SP4 0JG, UK; NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Environmental Change and Health, UK
| | - Luis M Hernandez-Triana
- Wildlife Zoonoses and Vector-Borne Diseases Research Group, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Addlestone, UK
| | - John Chamberlain
- Virology & Pathogenesis, National Infection Service, Public Health England, Porton Down, Salisbury, SP4 0JG, UK
| | - Benjamin Cull
- Medical Entomology and Zoonoses Ecology Group, Emergency Response Department, Public Health England, Porton Down, Salisbury, SP4 0JG, UK
| | - Liz McGinley
- Medical Entomology and Zoonoses Ecology Group, Emergency Response Department, Public Health England, Porton Down, Salisbury, SP4 0JG, UK
| | - L Paul Phipps
- Wildlife Zoonoses and Vector-Borne Diseases Research Group, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Addlestone, UK
| | - Jolyon M Medlock
- Medical Entomology and Zoonoses Ecology Group, Emergency Response Department, Public Health England, Porton Down, Salisbury, SP4 0JG, UK; NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Environmental Change and Health, UK; Virology & Pathogenesis, National Infection Service, Public Health England, Porton Down, Salisbury, SP4 0JG, UK
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Vicente J, Martinez-Guijosa J, Tvarijonaviciute A, Fernandez-de Mera IG, Gortazar C, Ceron JJ, Martinez-Subiela S. Serum haptoglobin response in red deer naturally infected with tuberculosis. Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis 2019; 64:25-30. [PMID: 31174696 DOI: 10.1016/j.cimid.2019.01.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2018] [Revised: 01/21/2019] [Accepted: 01/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The analysis of haptoglobin (Hp) serum concentration is a very sensitive, but non-specific, indicator of inflammation or infection. Methods to accurately diagnose infection in vivo in wildlife are usually constrained by low sensitivity due to the effects of stress on individual immune response and the challenging logistics of performing tests in the wild. Firstly, we sought to determine serum Hp concentration in red deer (Cervus elaphus) naturally infected with bovine tuberculosis (TB). Secondly, we assessed the complementary diagnostic value of serum Hp levels in conjunction with the cervical comparative skin test (CCT) performed in a subsample (n = 33). Serum Hp concentrations were significantly higher in TB-infected individuals (based on the presence of macroscopic lesions confirmed by culture) compared to those uninfected. In addition, serum Hp significantly changed with the type of animal handling, with captured and handled animals showing higher levels of Hp than hunted animals. Four out of 6 TB positive individuals that tested negative to the CCT (false negatives) showed Hp levels higher than the 95th percentile of healthy animals. These findings indicate that an acute phase response develops in animals with TB. In this paper, we demonstrate for the first time that an acute phase protein can provide a complementary assessment for specific diagnosis tests in wild species.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Vicente
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), 13071, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - J Martinez-Guijosa
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), 13071, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - A Tvarijonaviciute
- Departament de Medicina i Cirugia Animals, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, 08193, Barcelona, Spain
| | - I G Fernandez-de Mera
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), 13071, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - C Gortazar
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), 13071, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - J J Ceron
- Interlab-UMU, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Regional Campus of International Excellence 'Campus Mare Nostrum', University of Murcia, 30100, Espinardo, Murcia, Spain
| | - S Martinez-Subiela
- Interlab-UMU, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Regional Campus of International Excellence 'Campus Mare Nostrum', University of Murcia, 30100, Espinardo, Murcia, Spain.
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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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Millins C, Gilbert L, Medlock J, Hansford K, Thompson DB, Biek R. Effects of conservation management of landscapes and vertebrate communities on Lyme borreliosis risk in the United Kingdom. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 372:rstb.2016.0123. [PMID: 28438912 PMCID: PMC5413871 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/17/2016] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Landscape change and altered host abundance are major drivers of zoonotic pathogen emergence. Conservation and biodiversity management of landscapes and vertebrate communities can have secondary effects on vector-borne pathogen transmission that are important to assess. Here we review the potential implications of these activities on the risk of Lyme borreliosis in the United Kingdom. Conservation management activities include woodland expansion, management and restoration, deer management, urban greening and the release and culling of non-native species. Available evidence suggests that increasing woodland extent, implementing biodiversity policies that encourage ecotonal habitat and urban greening can increase the risk of Lyme borreliosis by increasing suitable habitat for hosts and the tick vectors. However, this can depend on whether deer population management is carried out as part of these conservation activities. Exclusion fencing or culling deer to low densities can decrease tick abundance and Lyme borreliosis risk. As management actions often constitute large-scale perturbation experiments, these hold great potential to understand underlying drivers of tick and pathogen dynamics. We recommend integrating monitoring of ticks and the risk of tick-borne pathogens with conservation management activities. This would help fill knowledge gaps and the production of best practice guidelines to reduce risks. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Conservation, biodiversity and infectious disease: scientific evidence and policy implications’.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Millins
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK .,The Boyd Orr Centre for Population and Ecosystem Health, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK.,School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G61 1QH, UK
| | - Lucy Gilbert
- The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB15 8QH, UK
| | - Jolyon Medlock
- Medical Entomology Group, Emergency Response Department, Public Health England, Salisbury, SP4 0JG, UK.,Health Protection Research Unit in Environment and Health, Porton Down, Salisbury SP4 0JG, UK
| | - Kayleigh Hansford
- Medical Entomology Group, Emergency Response Department, Public Health England, Salisbury, SP4 0JG, UK
| | - Des Ba Thompson
- Scottish Natural Heritage, 231 Corstorphine Road, Edinburgh, EH12 7AT, UK
| | - Roman Biek
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK.,The Boyd Orr Centre for Population and Ecosystem Health, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
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Honig V, Carolan HE, Vavruskova Z, Massire C, Mosel MR, Crowder CD, Rounds MA, Ecker DJ, Ruzek D, Grubhoffer L, Luft BJ, Eshoo MW. Broad-range survey of vector-borne pathogens and tick host identification of Ixodes ricinus from Southern Czech Republic. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2017; 93:4331634. [PMID: 29029144 PMCID: PMC5812510 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fix129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2017] [Accepted: 10/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Ixodes ricinus ticks are vectors of numerous human and animal pathogens. They are host generalists able to feed on more than 300 vertebrate species. The prevalence of tick-borne pathogens is influenced by host-vector-pathogen interactions that results in spatial distribution of infection risk. Broad-range polymerase chain reaction electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (PCR/ESI-MS) was used to analyze 435 I. ricinus nymphs from four localities in the south of the Czech Republic for the species identification of tick-borne pathogens. Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato spirochetes were the most common pathogen detected in the ticks; 21% of ticks were positive for a single genospecies and 2% were co-infected with two genospecies. Other tick-borne pathogens detected included Rickettsia helvetica (3.9%), R. monacensis (0.2%), Anaplasma phagocytophilum (2.8%), Babesia venatorum (0.9%), and Ba. microti (0.5%). The vertebrate host of the ticks was determined using PCR followed by reverse line blot hybridization from the tick's blood-meal remnants. The host was identified for 61% of ticks. DNA of two hosts was detected in 16% of samples with successful host identification. The majority of ticks had fed on artiodactyls (50.7%) followed by rodents (28.6%) and birds (7.8%). Other host species were wild boar, deer, squirrels, field mice and voles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vaclav Honig
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Branisovska 31, 370 05, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, 370 05, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
- Department of Virology, Veterinary Research Institute, Hudcova 70, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Heather E. Carolan
- Ibis Biosciences Inc., Abbott Laboratories, 2251 Faraday Ave, Ste 150, Carlsbad, CA 92008, USA
| | - Zuzana Vavruskova
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Branisovska 31, 370 05, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, 370 05, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Christian Massire
- Ibis Biosciences Inc., Abbott Laboratories, 2251 Faraday Ave, Ste 150, Carlsbad, CA 92008, USA
| | - Michael R. Mosel
- Ibis Biosciences Inc., Abbott Laboratories, 2251 Faraday Ave, Ste 150, Carlsbad, CA 92008, USA
| | - Christopher D. Crowder
- Ibis Biosciences Inc., Abbott Laboratories, 2251 Faraday Ave, Ste 150, Carlsbad, CA 92008, USA
| | - Megan A. Rounds
- Ibis Biosciences Inc., Abbott Laboratories, 2251 Faraday Ave, Ste 150, Carlsbad, CA 92008, USA
| | - David J. Ecker
- Ibis Biosciences Inc., Abbott Laboratories, 2251 Faraday Ave, Ste 150, Carlsbad, CA 92008, USA
| | - Daniel Ruzek
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Branisovska 31, 370 05, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
- Department of Virology, Veterinary Research Institute, Hudcova 70, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Libor Grubhoffer
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Branisovska 31, 370 05, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, 370 05, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Benjamin J. Luft
- Department of Medicine, State University of New York, Stony Brook, NY 11794-8166, USA
| | - Mark W. Eshoo
- Ibis Biosciences Inc., Abbott Laboratories, 2251 Faraday Ave, Ste 150, Carlsbad, CA 92008, USA
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Calleja-Bueno L, Sainz Á, García-Sancho M, Rodríguez-Franco F, González-Martín JV, Villaescusa A. Molecular, epidemiological, haematological and biochemical evaluation in asymptomatic Theileria annulata infected cattle from an endemic region in Spain. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2017; 8:936-941. [PMID: 28887101 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2017.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2017] [Revised: 07/24/2017] [Accepted: 08/17/2017] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Mediterranean theileriosis is one of the most fatal theilerioses, with considerable economic impact on livestock production. The potential consequences of asymptomatic infection on the animal's health and on the epidemiology in endemic regions are still unclear. The objectives of this study were to determine the molecular prevalence of T. annulata in a representative population of asymptomatic cattle in extensive management in Madrid, Central Spain, an area where practitioners frequently report cases of clinical theileriosis, and to evaluate the existence of associations between infection by this pathogen and haematological, biochemical and epidemiological data. T. annulata DNA was detected in 22.4% of the study population. The age was statistically associated with T. annulata prevalence rates, with a higher prevalence in cows older than 8 years (26.1%). Introduction of new cattle to the farm, grazing on pastures with other herds of cattle and previous history of clinical cases were statistically related to a higher prevalence of T. annulata infection. Herds with more than one ectoparasiticide treatment per year and that used more than one drug had significantly lower prevalences of infection with T. annulata. The location of farms in areas with a mean temperature higher than 17.1°C and mean altitude lower than 962m was statistically associated with the presence of T. annulata. In our study, the mean values of haematological parameters were within the normal adult range, but it is noteworthy that some T. annulata-infected animals presented low values for red blood cell parameters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lydia Calleja-Bueno
- 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
| | - 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
| | - 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
| | - Juan V González-Martín
- 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
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Valcárcel F, González J, Tercero-Jaime JM, Olmeda AS. The effect of excluding ungulates on the abundance of ixodid ticks on wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus). EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2017; 72:439-447. [PMID: 28840404 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-017-0166-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2017] [Accepted: 08/14/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Tick abundance depends heavily on host density, so reducing access to the host should reduce tick populations in a determined area. In this study we compared the Parasitic Index (PI = average number of ticks per rabbit) of two wild rabbit populations separated 16 years ago by a fence keeping ungulates from moving freely. Two areas were selected (closed and open) wherein 50 wild rabbits per area were sampled for ticks. The PI in the open area (PI = 989.62) was significantly higher than in the closed area (PI = 515.40). Hyalomma lusitanicum Koch was globally the most abundant species, followed by Rhipicephalus pusillus Gil Collado, Rhipicephalus bursa Canestrini and Fanzago, Haemaphysalis hispanica Gil Collado, Rhipicephalus sanguineus s.l. Latreille and Ixodes ventalloi Gil Collado. Differences between areas varied depending on the species. The number of H. hispanica, R. bursa and R. pusillus were significantly more abundant on rabbits in the closed area, whereas H. lusitanicum predominated in the open area. Ungulates in the open area may have played an important role as the main or alternative host for ticks and/or drawing some tick species away from rabbits. In the closed area other reasons such as inter-specific competition could have influenced the tick abundance. These results show a clear reduction in tick abundance for at least 16 years as well as influenced species distribution.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Valcárcel
- Departamento de Reproducción Animal (INIA), Grupo de Parasitología, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
| | - J González
- Finca "La Garganta" Villamagna SA, Villanueva de Córdoba, Spain
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - A S Olmeda
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain
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González J, Valcárcel F, Aguilar A, Olmeda AS. In vitro feeding of Hyalomma lusitanicum ticks on artificial membranes. EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2017; 72:449-459. [PMID: 28840366 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-017-0167-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2017] [Accepted: 08/14/2017] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
In vitro feeding of ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) is an important means to study the biology of ticks and their vectorial capacity. Here, we have adapted the tick Hyalomma lusitanicum Koch to previously published silicone-based membranes for in vitro feeding. For comparison purposes data on pre-oviposition, oviposition and hatching from females engorged on animals were used. A total of 68 engorged females out of 169 were obtained; feeding duration and feeding behaviour were similar to that of ticks on live host animals, although the final weight achieved for membrane-fed ticks was lower than that of their animal-fed counterparts. Comparison of the time taken for egg production and hatching showed that pre-oviposition was faster for membrane-fed ticks (16 days) than for animal-fed ticks (36 days), whereas the duration of oviposition-hatching was the same for the two feeding methods (34 days). We also observed that seasonality has an influence on tick feeding success: the conditions in Spring/Summer accelerated the tick life cycle. It is concluded that relatively large numbers of homogeneous laboratory-raised Hyalomma ticks can be produced without feeding them on experimental animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- J González
- Villamagna SA, Finca "La Garganta", 14440, Villanueva de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
| | - F Valcárcel
- Grupo de Parasitología Animal, Animalario del Departamento de Reproducción Animal, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agria y Alimentaria (INIA), 28040, Madrid, Spain.
| | - A Aguilar
- Grupo de Parasitología Animal, Animalario del Departamento de Reproducción Animal, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agria y Alimentaria (INIA), 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - A S Olmeda
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain
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Requena-García F, Cabrero-Sañudo F, Olmeda-García S, González J, Valcárcel F. Influence of environmental temperature and humidity on questing ticks in central Spain. EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2017; 71:277-290. [PMID: 28417247 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-017-0117-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2016] [Accepted: 04/02/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Ticks are important ectoparasites and vectors of the pathogens that cause disease in humans and animals. At a natural reserve in Ciudad Real (Spain), an uncontrollable infestation of wild animals with Hyalomma lusitanicum (Koch) has been reported by some game reserve owners. Many questions about distribution, abundance, and phenology of this tick in this area remain unanswered. The aim of this study was to determine if temperature and relative humidity affect the questing tick's activity in four species of ticks in a meso-Mediterranean area, especially that of H. lusitanicum. Data for tick populations in six selected sampling sites every month, between January 2007 and December 2013 were used. Temperature and humidity values (ground and environmental) were recorded. The sampling effort, the similarity between sites, and the phenology of the species were analyzed. Effects of environmental variables on tick's activity were assessed by general linear models (GLM) whereas the comparative importance of variables was measured by hierarchical variance partitioning. Hyalomma lusitanicum represented 96.3% of the four species of ticks collected. Spring and summer months presented a higher activity of ticks, than autumn and winter months. In general, humidity variables were negatively related to the activity of ticks, whereas temperature variables were positively related. Our results suggest that the highest activity in the area is produced by biological characteristics of H. lusitanicum; being temperature and humidity the most important environmental factors influencing the abundance of this species in the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Requena-García
- Departamento de Zoología y Antropología Física, Facultad de Biología, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
| | - F Cabrero-Sañudo
- Departamento de Zoología y Antropología Física, Facultad de Biología, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - S Olmeda-García
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Julia González
- Grupo de Parasitología Animal, Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA-INIA), Madrid, Spain
| | - F Valcárcel
- Grupo de Parasitología Animal, Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA-INIA), Madrid, Spain
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Opalińska P, Wierzbicka A, Asman M. The PCR and nested PCR detection of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Babesia microti in Dermacentor reticulatus F. collected in a new location in Poland (Trzciel, Western Poland). Acta Parasitol 2016; 61:849-854. [PMID: 27787203 DOI: 10.1515/ap-2016-0117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2016] [Accepted: 08/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The study was performed in the Trzciel Forest Districts which is located in the west part of Poland. The Scots pine is the main tree species creating forest landscape there. Dermacentor reticulatus, usually found in wet, boggy and damp habitat, in this case was discovered in fresh mixed coniferous forest and fresh coniferous forest. In Central Europe the Dermacentor reticulatus is after Ixodes ricinus the second most important vector for tick-borne diseases in Europe. The ticks were collected by flagging from lower vegetation during the autumn peak of their activity. All Dermacentor reticulatus were checked for presence of tickborne pathogens using PCR and nested PCR. In total 125 Dermacentor reticulatus ticks were collected. Among the pathogens examined, only Babesia microti has been found in 4% of them whereas Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and Anaplasma phagocytophilum have not been found. In this research the presence of Babesia. microti in Dermacentor reticulatus has been proved. It should be stressed that it is a new focus for the Dermacentor reticulatus tick in Western Poland.
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Grech-Angelini S, Stachurski F, Lancelot R, Boissier J, Allienne JF, Marco S, Maestrini O, Uilenberg G. Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) infesting cattle and some other domestic and wild hosts on the French Mediterranean island of Corsica. Parasit Vectors 2016; 9:582. [PMID: 27842608 PMCID: PMC5109666 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-016-1876-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2016] [Accepted: 11/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Corsica is a mountainous French island in the north-western Mediterranean presenting a large diversity of natural environments where many interactions between domestic animals and wild fauna occur. Despite a favourable context for ticks and tick-borne diseases (TBDs), the tick fauna of Corsica has not systematically been investigated. Methods For one year (May 2014-May 2015), a survey of ticks infesting cattle was performed in the three Corsican cattle slaughterhouses. Two of these were visited monthly and one quarterly; the ticks were manually collected, just after flaying. Ticks were identified on their morphology; when necessary, some specimens were also molecularly identified by sequencing mitochondrial cox1 (cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1) and 16S ribosomal RNA genes and ITS2 (internal transcribed spacer 2). During the same period, ticks from other domestic animals (small ruminants, horses, domestic carnivores) and wild animals (wild boars, mouflons, deer) were occasionally collected. Results A total of 1,938 ticks was collected from 264 of 418 cattle examined, reared in 86 different localities. Eight tick species were found infesting cattle: Rhipicephalus bursa (56.1 %), Hyalomma marginatum (21.5 %), Hy. scupense (8.7 %), Ixodes ricinus (5.7 %), Haemaphysalis punctata (4.8 %), Rh. sanguineus (sensu lato) (2.3 %), Rh. (Boophilus) annulatus (0.7 %) and Dermacentor marginatus (0.2 %). The cattle infestation rate remained high all year (more than 50 %). Several tick species showed seasonal variation of their activity. From other Corsican animals 1,196 ticks were collected. Comparing ticks collected from cattle with those found on other animals, several host preferences were shown. A noteworthy record is that of a few Ha. sulcata on mouflons which were mainly infested by Rh. bursa. Conclusion The Corsican tick fauna is characterized by typical Mediterranean species (Rh. bursa and Hy. marginatum), but the mild climate and diversified environment provide satisfactory habitats both for species usually found in dry areas (Hy. scupense) and species usually collected in humid areas (I. ricinus).
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Affiliation(s)
- Sébastien Grech-Angelini
- INRA, UR045 Laboratoire de recherches sur le développement de l'élevage, 20250, Corte, France. .,Corsican Health Research (CHR), 20111, Calcatoggio, France.
| | - Frédéric Stachurski
- CIRAD, UMR CMAEE, 34398, Montpellier, France.,INRA, UMR 1309 CMAEE, 34398, Montpellier, France
| | - Renaud Lancelot
- CIRAD, UMR CMAEE, 34398, Montpellier, France.,INRA, UMR 1309 CMAEE, 34398, Montpellier, France
| | - Jérôme Boissier
- Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, IHPE UMR 5244, CNRS, IFREMER, Université de Montpellier, F-66860, Perpignan, France
| | - Jean-François Allienne
- Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, IHPE UMR 5244, CNRS, IFREMER, Université de Montpellier, F-66860, Perpignan, France
| | | | - Oscar Maestrini
- INRA, UR045 Laboratoire de recherches sur le développement de l'élevage, 20250, Corte, France
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González J, Valcárcel F, Pérez-Sánchez JL, Tercero-Jaime JM, Olmeda AS. Seasonal dynamics of ixodid ticks on wild rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus (Leporidae) from Central Spain. EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2016; 70:369-380. [PMID: 27411939 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-016-0069-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2016] [Accepted: 07/05/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease and Myxomatosis caused a decline in the rabbit population in the second half of the last century. Despite some recovery, the risk of vector-borne disease is present and thus the importance of controlling vector populations. In the current study, we describe the ixodid tick fauna in wild rabbit in a natural reserve in Ciudad Real (Central Spain) during the course of two 3-year periods (2007-2009 and 2012-2014). Of all the ticks collected on average 72.5 % were larvae, 24.4 % nymphs and 3.1 % adults, although the percentage varied monthly. Seven tick species were identified: Hyalomma lusitanicum Koch (Parasitic indicator [PI] = number of ticks per examined rabbit = 96.47), Rhipicephalus pusillus Gil Collado (PI = 47.37), Haemaphysalis hispanica Gil Collado (PI = 12.15), Ixodes ventalloi Gil Collado (PI = 0.65), R. bursa Canestrini and Fanzago (PI = 0.18), R. sanguineus Latreille (PI = 0.11), Dermacentor marginatus Sulzer (PI = 0.01). In spring and summer, most abundant were larvae of H. lusitanicum, followed by immature stages of R. pusillus and Ha. hispanica. In autumn, the main tick species were nymphs of I. ventalloi whereas in winter adults of Ha. hispanica were more numerous. Rhipicephalus pusillus was present all year long, although not always in high percentage. PI of other species (R. bursa, R. sanguineus and D. marginatus) were too low to be representative. The seasonal dynamics of ticks on wild rabbit defined in this study could be useful to design species-specific control strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- J González
- Villamagna SA, Finca "La Garganta", 14.440 Villanueva de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
| | - F Valcárcel
- Grupo de Parasitología Animal, Departamento de Reproducción Animal, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnologías Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), 28040, Madrid, Spain.
| | - J L Pérez-Sánchez
- Villamagna SA, Finca "La Garganta", 14.440 Villanueva de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - J M Tercero-Jaime
- Villamagna SA, Finca "La Garganta", 14.440 Villanueva de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
| | - A S Olmeda
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain
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Chitimia-Dobler L, Nava S, Bestehorn M, Dobler G, Wölfel S. First detection of Hyalomma rufipes in Germany. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2016; 7:1135-1138. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2016.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2016] [Revised: 08/16/2016] [Accepted: 08/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Vial L, Stachurski F, Leblond A, Huber K, Vourc’h G, René-Martellet M, Desjardins I, Balança G, Grosbois V, Pradier S, Gély M, Appelgren A, Estrada-Peña A. Strong evidence for the presence of the tick Hyalomma marginatum Koch, 1844 in southern continental France. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2016; 7:1162-1167. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2016.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2016] [Revised: 08/05/2016] [Accepted: 08/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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González-Barrio D, Jado I, Fernández-de-Mera IG, Del Rocio Fernández-Santos M, Rodríguez-Vargas M, García-Amil C, Beltrán-Beck B, Anda P, Ruiz-Fons F. Genotypes of Coxiella burnetii in wildlife: disentangling the molecular epidemiology of a multi-host pathogen. ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS 2016; 8:708-714. [PMID: 27336914 DOI: 10.1111/1758-2229.12431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2016] [Accepted: 05/20/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Evidences point to a relevant role of wildlife in the ecology of Coxiella burnetii worldwide. The lack of information on C. burnetii genotypes in wildlife prevents tracing-back clinical animal and human Q fever cases with potential wildlife origin. To compare C. burnetii genotypes circulating in wildlife, livestock and humans, 107 samples from red deer, European wild rabbit, racoon, small mammals, goat and sheep were genotyped by polymerase chain reaction and reverse line blot hybridization. Genomic groups I, II, VI and VII were found in wildlife and groups I, II, III and IV in domestic ruminants. Livestock genotypes clustered mainly with genotypes reported previously in livestock. Genotyping confirmed previous findings that suggest that C. burnetii may display host specificity since most genotypes of sympatric deer and rabbits clustered in separate groups. Wildlife genotypes clustered with genotypes from ticks and from acute hepatitis human Q fever cases, suggesting that particular C. burnetii genotypes circulating in a wildlife-tick cycle may occasionally jump into humans through tick bites or exposure to wildlife. This finding could be behind the reported geographic variation in the clinical presentation of acute Q fever in humans in Spain: atypical pneumonia in the north and hepatitis in the south.
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Affiliation(s)
- David González-Barrio
- Health and Biotechnology (SaBio) group, Spanish Wildlife Research Institute IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ronda de Toledo 12, Ciudad Real 13071, Spain
| | - Isabel Jado
- Department of Bacteriology, Laboratorio de Investigación y Referencia en Patógenos Especiales, Centro Nacional de Microbiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Ctra. de Pozuelo km 2.6, Majadahonda, Madrid, 28220, Spain
| | - Isabel G Fernández-de-Mera
- Health and Biotechnology (SaBio) group, Spanish Wildlife Research Institute IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ronda de Toledo 12, Ciudad Real 13071, Spain
| | - María Del Rocio Fernández-Santos
- Health and Biotechnology (SaBio) group, Spanish Wildlife Research Institute IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ronda de Toledo 12, Ciudad Real 13071, Spain
| | - Manuela Rodríguez-Vargas
- Department of Bacteriology, Laboratorio de Investigación y Referencia en Patógenos Especiales, Centro Nacional de Microbiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Ctra. de Pozuelo km 2.6, Majadahonda, Madrid, 28220, Spain
| | - Cristina García-Amil
- Department of Bacteriology, Laboratorio de Investigación y Referencia en Patógenos Especiales, Centro Nacional de Microbiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Ctra. de Pozuelo km 2.6, Majadahonda, Madrid, 28220, Spain
| | - Beatriz Beltrán-Beck
- Health and Biotechnology (SaBio) group, Spanish Wildlife Research Institute IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ronda de Toledo 12, Ciudad Real 13071, Spain
| | - Pedro Anda
- Department of Bacteriology, Laboratorio de Investigación y Referencia en Patógenos Especiales, Centro Nacional de Microbiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Ctra. de Pozuelo km 2.6, Majadahonda, Madrid, 28220, Spain
| | - Francisco Ruiz-Fons
- Health and Biotechnology (SaBio) group, Spanish Wildlife Research Institute IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ronda de Toledo 12, Ciudad Real 13071, Spain
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50
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Gortázar C, Ruiz-Fons JF, Höfle U. Infections shared with wildlife: an updated perspective. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-016-1033-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
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