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Cancino-Faure B, González CR, Piñeiro González A, Pinochet S, Bustos S, Morchón R, Piñeiro Cazaux A, Quezada Aguilar I, Salas Espinoza M, Acevedo Salgado R, Barra Díaz C, Segovia C, Lozada-Yavina R, Álvarez Rojas CA. Filarial nematodes in domestic dogs and mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) from semi-rural areas in Central Chile. Front Vet Sci 2024; 10:1334832. [PMID: 38260205 PMCID: PMC10800365 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1334832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Climate change, competent vectors, and reservoir animals are the main factors for developing vector-borne zoonotic diseases. These diseases encompass a significant and widespread category of pathogens (e.g., viruses, bacteria, protozoa, and helminths) transmitted by blood-feeding arthropods, including ticks, fleas, lice, triatomines, mosquitoes, sandflies, and blackflies. In Chile, several studies have explored the role of dogs as reservoirs of vector-borne pathogens; however, there is a lack of research investigating the presence of pathogens in arthropods. Specifically, within the order Diptera, limited knowledge exists regarding their roles as carriers of pathogens. This study aimed to examine the presence of zoonotic filarial nematodes in mosquitoes and dogs within a previously unstudied semi-rural area of Central Chile. Two hundred samples of dog blood and seven hundred and twenty-four mosquitoes were collected during 2021-2022 and studied for filarial nematodes by PCR. The prevalence of microfilaremic dogs detected by Knott's test was 7.5%, with Acanthocheilonema reconditum being the only species identified. Aedes (Ochlerotatus) albifasciatus was the most abundant mosquito species collected, and 15 out of 65 pools were positive for filarial nematodes. Among these pools, 13 tested positive for Acanthocheilonema reconditum, and two tested positive for Setaria equina through PCR. Additionally, five Culex pipiens specimens were positive for Acanthocheilonema reconditum. Despite the absence of zoonotic filarial species, these findings underscore the significance of monitoring pathogens in mosquitoes and animal hosts and continued research into the dynamics of vector-borne diseases, particularly in unexplored regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Cancino-Faure
- Laboratorio de Microbiología y Parasitología, Departamento de Ciencias Preclínicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca, Chile
| | - Christian R. González
- Instituto de Entomología, Facultad de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad Metropolitana de Ciencias de la Educación, Santiago, Chile
| | - Alejandro Piñeiro González
- Laboratorio de Microbiología y Parasitología, Departamento de Ciencias Preclínicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca, Chile
| | - Soledad Pinochet
- Vicerrectoría de Investigación y Postgrado, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca, Chile
| | - Sofía Bustos
- Laboratorio de Microbiología y Parasitología, Departamento de Ciencias Preclínicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca, Chile
| | - Rodrigo Morchón
- Zoonotic Disease and One Health Group, Faculty of Pharmacy, Campus Miguel Unamuno, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | | | | | | | | | - Carmen Barra Díaz
- Clínica Veterinaria del Dr. Alejandro Piñeiro Cazaux, San Clemente, Chile
| | - Christian Segovia
- Laboratorio de Microbiología y Parasitología, Departamento de Ciencias Preclínicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca, Chile
- Programa de Doctorado en Salud Ecosistémica, Centro de Investigación de Estudios Avanzados del Maule, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca, Chile
| | - Rafael Lozada-Yavina
- Laboratorio de Microbiología y Parasitología, Departamento de Ciencias Preclínicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca, Chile
- Programa de Doctorado en Modelamiento Matemático Aplicado, Departamento de Matemática, Física y Estadística, Facultad de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca, Chile
| | - Cristian A. Álvarez Rojas
- Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Facultad de Agronomía e Ingeniería Forestal, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas y Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
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Benyedem H, Hajji T, Romdhane R, Obara I, Mhadhbi M, Sebai E, Elati K, Chaari S, Rekik M, Darghouth MA. Genetic diversity of Hyalomma marginatum in Tunisia is not influenced by the bio-climate. Parasitol Res 2023; 122:3013-3025. [PMID: 37823993 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-023-07990-5] [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: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
Ticks are important ectoparasites responsible for the transmission of several pathogens with significant medical, veterinary, and economic impacts. Climate and social changes have generated substantial changes in ticks' distribution, abundance, and activity patterns, including ticks belonging to the Hyalomma marginatum species. Knowledge on the genetic structure and dynamics of H. marginatum populations might contribute to a better understanding of their current and future evolution under the effects of anthropogenic factors and eco-climatic changes. In the present study, we investigated the genetic structure and phylogenetic distribution of H. marginatum across three bioclimatic regions in Tunisia using two mitochondrial markers (16S and 12S rRNA). The molecular investigations were based on 47 adult H. marginatum ticks collected from humid, upper semi-arid, and sub-humid regions of Tunisia. Our results revealed a genetic diversity of 0.278% and 0.809% using the 16S and 12S markers, respectively. The low genetic diversity that we observed raises the hypothesis of a bottleneck event occasioned by a reduction in the size of the tick population under the effects of environmental factors and/or human activities. This hypothesis is supported by the population's demographic history analysis, which revealed a clear deviation from neutrality and supports the occurrence of a bottleneck event followed by a demographic expansion. The fact that most 16S and 12S variability was present in the ticks from the humid bioclimatic zone may suggest that those ticks represent the ancestral population. Overall, the analysis has shown that the phylogenetic clusters do not correspond to the bioclimatic zones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayet Benyedem
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie, École Nationale de Médecine Vétérinaire de Sidi Thabet, Institution de La Recherche et de L'Enseignement Supérieur Agricoles and Univ. Manouba, Manouba, Tunisia.
- Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia.
| | - Tarek Hajji
- Laboratory of Biotechnology and Valorization of Bio-Geo-Resources (LR11ES31), Higher Institute of Biotechnology - Sidi Thabet, Univ. Manouba, Ariana, Tunisia
| | - Rihab Romdhane
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie, École Nationale de Médecine Vétérinaire de Sidi Thabet, Institution de La Recherche et de L'Enseignement Supérieur Agricoles and Univ. Manouba, Manouba, Tunisia
| | - Isaiah Obara
- Institute of Parasitology and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Robert-Von-Ostertag-Str. 7, 14163, Berlin, Germany
| | - Moez Mhadhbi
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie, École Nationale de Médecine Vétérinaire de Sidi Thabet, Institution de La Recherche et de L'Enseignement Supérieur Agricoles and Univ. Manouba, Manouba, Tunisia
| | - Essia Sebai
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie, École Nationale de Médecine Vétérinaire de Sidi Thabet, Institution de La Recherche et de L'Enseignement Supérieur Agricoles and Univ. Manouba, Manouba, Tunisia
| | - Khawla Elati
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie, École Nationale de Médecine Vétérinaire de Sidi Thabet, Institution de La Recherche et de L'Enseignement Supérieur Agricoles and Univ. Manouba, Manouba, Tunisia
- Institute of Parasitology and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Robert-Von-Ostertag-Str. 7, 14163, Berlin, Germany
- Veterinary Centre for Resistance Research, Freie Universität Berlin, Robert-Von-Ostertag-Str. 8, Berlin, Germany
| | - Soufiene Chaari
- Laboratoire Pharmaceutique Vétérinaire MEDIVET, Soliman, Tunisia
| | - Mourad Rekik
- International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Mohamed Aziz Darghouth
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie, École Nationale de Médecine Vétérinaire de Sidi Thabet, Institution de La Recherche et de L'Enseignement Supérieur Agricoles and Univ. Manouba, Manouba, Tunisia.
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Nava S, Beati L, Venzal JM, Durden LA, Bermudez SE, Tarragona EL, Mangold AJ, Gleason D, Mastropaolo M, Guglielmone AA. Description of two new species in the Ixodes ricinus complex from the New World (Acari: Ixodidae), and redescription of Ixodes affinis Neumann, 1899. Zootaxa 2023; 5361:53-73. [PMID: 38220777 DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5361.1.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
Ixodes chacoensis n. sp. is described based on males, females, nymphs and larvae collected from vegetation, ungulates and passerine birds in northeastern Argentina. Ixodes affinis Neumann, 1899 is redescribed based on the original type specimens (females) from Leopardus pardalis, and from recently collected specimens from Costa Rica. Ixodes keiransi n. sp., previously treated as North American populations of Ixodes affinis, is described based on males and females from carnivores and ungulates from the southeastern United States. Concatenated total evidence phylogenetics based on combined DNA sequence analyses from mitochondrial genes (12SrDNA, 16SrDNA and COI) and a nuclear gene (ITS2) corroborate the recognition of these species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santiago Nava
- Instituto de Investigacin de la Cdena Lctea (IDICAL; INTA-CONICET); Instituto Nacional de Tecnologa Agropecuaria; Estacin Experimental Agropecuaria Rafaela (INTA E.E.A. Rafaela); Ruta 34 Km 227; Rafaela; Santa Fe; Argentina.
| | - Lorenza Beati
- United States National Tick Collection; Institute for Coastal Plain; Science; Georgia Southern University; Statesboro; GA 30460; USA.
| | - Jose M Venzal
- Laboratorio de Vectores y Enfermedades Transmitidas; Departamento de Ciencias Biolgicas; CENUR Litoral Norte; Universidad de la Repblica; Rivera 1350; 50000 Salto; CP; Uruguay.
| | - Lance A Durden
- Department of Biology; Georgia Southern University; Statesboro; GA 30460; USA.
| | | | - Evelina L Tarragona
- Instituto de Investigacin de la Cdena Lctea (IDICAL; INTA-CONICET); Instituto Nacional de Tecnologa Agropecuaria; Estacin Experimental Agropecuaria Rafaela (INTA E.E.A. Rafaela); Ruta 34 Km 227; Rafaela; Santa Fe; Argentina.
| | - Atilio J Mangold
- Instituto de Investigacin de la Cdena Lctea (IDICAL; INTA-CONICET); Instituto Nacional de Tecnologa Agropecuaria; Estacin Experimental Agropecuaria Rafaela (INTA E.E.A. Rafaela); Ruta 34 Km 227; Rafaela; Santa Fe; Argentina.
| | - Debbie Gleason
- Georgia Southern Museum; Georgia Southern University; Statesboro; GA 30460; USA.
| | | | - Alberto A Guglielmone
- Instituto de Investigacin de la Cdena Lctea (IDICAL; INTA-CONICET); Instituto Nacional de Tecnologa Agropecuaria; Estacin Experimental Agropecuaria Rafaela (INTA E.E.A. Rafaela); Ruta 34 Km 227; Rafaela; Santa Fe; Argentina.
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Tarragona EL, Lado P, Beati L, Mangold AJ, Guglielmone AA, Nava S. Do parapatric populations of the ticks Amblyomma tonelliae Nava, Beati & Labruna, 2014 and Amblyomma sculptum Berlese, 1888 (Acari: Ixodidae) hybridize? MEDICAL AND VETERINARY ENTOMOLOGY 2023; 37:407-417. [PMID: 36734032 DOI: 10.1111/mve.12642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
This work aimed to determine if the tick species, Amblyomma sculptum and Amblyomma tonelliae, hybridize along their contact zones in Argentina. Free-living adults and nymphs of A. sculptum and A. tonelliae were collected in seven sampling locations of northern Argentina. In four of them, the two species occur in parapatry (possible hybrid zone) whereas in the other three sites, only one species is known to occur. A total of 65 A. sculptum and 65 A. tonelliae from both, allopatric and parapatric populations, were analysed. The nuclear (ITS2) and mitochondrial (COI and 12SrDNA) gene sequences of each tick were amplified and analysed to verify whether or not they could reveal the presence of hybrids among the parapatric samples. No morphological and molecular evidence was found to support the hypothesis of ongoing natural hybridization. Intrinsic postzygotic barriers may be the cause of lack of gene flow between the two species in areas of co-ocurrence. The results can be explained by the length of time the two lineages spent in allopatry since the middle of the Miocene and before their respective distribution range expanded again reaching a narrow secondary contact zone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelina Luisa Tarragona
- Instituto de Investigación de la Cadena Láctea (IDICAL, INTA-CONICET) Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, E.E.A. Rafaela, Rafaela, Argentina
| | - Paula Lado
- Center for Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Lorenza Beati
- United States National Tick Collection, Institute for Coastal Plain Science, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, Georgia, USA
| | - Atilio José Mangold
- Instituto de Investigación de la Cadena Láctea (IDICAL, INTA-CONICET) Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, E.E.A. Rafaela, Rafaela, Argentina
| | - Alberto Alejandro Guglielmone
- Instituto de Investigación de la Cadena Láctea (IDICAL, INTA-CONICET) Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, E.E.A. Rafaela, Rafaela, Argentina
| | - Santiago Nava
- Instituto de Investigación de la Cadena Láctea (IDICAL, INTA-CONICET) Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, E.E.A. Rafaela, Rafaela, Argentina
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Fountain-Jones NM, Khoo BS, Rau A, Berman JD, Burton EN, Oliver JD. Positive associations matter: Microbial relationships drive tick microbiome composition. Mol Ecol 2023. [PMID: 37173817 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Untangling how factors such as environment, host, associations among bacterial species and dispersal predict microbial composition is a fundamental challenge. In this study, we use complementary machine-learning approaches to quantify the relative role of these factors in shaping microbiome variation of the blacklegged tick Ixodes scapularis. I. scapularis is the most important vector for Borrelia burgdorferi (the causative agent for Lyme disease) in the U.S. as well as a range of other important zoonotic pathogens. Yet the relative role of the interactions between pathogens and symbionts compared to other ecological forces is unknown. We found that positive associations between microbes where the occurrence of one microbe increases the probability of observing another, including between both pathogens and symbionts, was by far the most important factor shaping the tick microbiome. Microclimate and host factors played an important role for a subset of the tick microbiome including Borrelia (Borreliella) and Ralstonia, but for the majority of microbes, environmental and host variables were poor predictors at a regional scale. This study provides new hypotheses on how pathogens and symbionts might interact within tick species, as well as valuable predictions for how some taxa may respond to changing climate.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Benedict S Khoo
- School of Public Health, Division of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Austin Rau
- School of Public Health, Division of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Jesse D Berman
- School of Public Health, Division of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Erin N Burton
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
| | - Jonathan D Oliver
- School of Public Health, Division of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
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Egizi A, Maestas LP. Where have all the grouse ticks gone? Apparent decline in collections of Haemaphysalis chordeilis Packard. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY: PARASITES AND WILDLIFE 2022; 19:323-329. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2022.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Revised: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Backus LH, Foley JE, Hobbs GB, Bai Y, Beati L. A new species of tick, Ixodes (Ixodes) mojavensis (Acari: Ixodidae), from the Amargosa Valley of California. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2022; 13:102020. [PMID: 35987116 PMCID: PMC10917073 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2022.102020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Revised: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
Ixodes (Ixodes) mojavensis, n. sp. (Acari: Ixodidae), is described from all parasitic stages collected from the endangered vole Microtus californicus scirpensis Bailey, 1900 (Rodentia: Cricetidae), Mus musculus L. 1758 (Rodentia: Muridae), and Reithrodontomys megalotis (Baird; 1857) (Rodentia: Cricetidae) in the Amargosa Valley of California. When first collected in 2014, this tick was tentatively identified as Ixodes minor Neumann, 1902 because the nucleotide similarity between its 16S rDNA sequence and a homologous GenBank sequence from an I. minor from the eastern U.S. was 99.51%. Nevertheless, adults of I. mojavensis differ morphologically from I. minor by hypostomal dentition, absence of a spur on palpal segment I, and punctation patterns; nymphs by the shapes of basis capituli, auriculae, cervical grooves and external files of hypostomal denticles; and larvae by the length of idiosomal setae and hypostomal dentition. DNA sequencing of fragments of 4 different genes, 12S rDNA, 16S rDNA, cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI), and intergenic transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) of I. mojavensis and of closely related species of Ixodes shows that the mitochondrial gene sequences of the new tick species are almost identical to the I. minor homologous genes. Phylogenetically, the two species do not cluster in mutually exclusive monophyletic clades. However, ITS2 sequences of I. mojavensis and I. minor diverge deeply (≥ 5.74% maximum likelihood divergence) and are as different as homologous genes from other recognized species. The discrepancy between the two sets of genes is suggestive of past mitochondrial introgression or incomplete mitochondrial lineage sorting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura H Backus
- Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, United States
| | - Janet E Foley
- Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, United States
| | - Guy B Hobbs
- U.S. National Tick Collection, Institute for Coastal Plain Science, Georgia Southern University, 69 Georgia Avenue, Statesboro, GA 30460, United States
| | - Ying Bai
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Bacterial Diseases Branch, Fort Collins, CO 80521, United States
| | - Lorenza Beati
- U.S. National Tick Collection, Institute for Coastal Plain Science, Georgia Southern University, 69 Georgia Avenue, Statesboro, GA 30460, United States.
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Yessinou RE, Cazan CD, Bonnet SI, Farougou S, Mihalca AD. Geographical distribution of hard ticks (Acari:Ixodidae) and tick-host associations in Benin, Burkina-Faso, Ivory-Coast and Togo. Acta Trop 2022; 232:106510. [PMID: 35568068 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2022.106510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Revised: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Knowledge of ticks and associated pathogens is crucial to assess the risk of exposure of humans and animals to pathogens. For this review, we collected relevant data from published articles and field collections to provide an update on the biodiversity of ticks, and tick-host associations in four countries of West Africa: Benin, Burkina-Faso, Ivory-Coast, and Togo. The literature review was done according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. The search was limited to literature published from 1953 to 2021 in English and French sources. Out of 104 articles retrieved, only 41 studies met the eligibility criteria and were included in the review. The final database included a total of 53,619 adults, nymphs and larval ticks belonging to 24 species and five genera (Amblyomma, Haemaphysalis, Hyalomma, Ixodes and Rhipicephalus) that were collected from 23 different species of wild and domestic animals. This is the first record of Ixodes aulacodi and Rhipicephalus simpsoni in Benin, together with two new host records for A. latum. This checklist allows an update on tick-host associations and provides information on the diversity of ticks in West Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roland Eric Yessinou
- Communicable Disease Research Unit (URMaT), University of Abomey-Calavi, Cotonou, Benin, 01 Po. Box: 2009, Cotonou, Benin.
| | - Cristina Daniela Cazan
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, 3-5 Calea Mănăştur, 400372, Cluj-Napoca, Romania; CDS-9 Molecular Biology and Veterinary Parasitology Unit, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, 3-5 Calea Mănăştur, 400372, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Sarah Irène Bonnet
- Functional Genetics of Infectious Diseases Unit, Institut Pasteur, CNRS UMR 2000, Université de Paris, 75015, Paris, France; Animal Health Department, INRAE, 37380, Nouzilly, France
| | - Souaïbou Farougou
- Communicable Disease Research Unit (URMaT), University of Abomey-Calavi, Cotonou, Benin, 01 Po. Box: 2009, Cotonou, Benin
| | - Andrei Daniel Mihalca
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, 3-5 Calea Mănăştur, 400372, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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Hu H, Du X, Ma H, Chen S, Zheng W. Severe Rhipicephalus sanguineus tick infestation in a home from rural area of Nanchang in China. Parasitol Int 2022; 90:102610. [PMID: 35716885 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2022.102610] [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: 04/28/2022] [Revised: 05/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
On October 13, 2021, a tick infestation occurred in a home in rural area of Nanchang city, China, and we were asked to inspect the tick infestation. Ticks were collected in the largest number on courtyard door jambs, followed by living room and bedroom door jambs. Ticks were identified morphologically as Rhipicephalus sanguineus adults. The 16S rRNA analysis effectively distinguished the ticks in this study from other Rhipicephalus species, including R. sanguineus south-east, temperate and tropical lineages and identified genetically as R. sanguineus south China lineage. Tick samples were subjected to conventional PCR analysis and detected negative for the presence of tick-borne pathogens. Our findings indicate that there was low transmission risk of tick-borne pathogens to humans in the tick-infested home. Further studies are needed to proactively investigate the tick species in Nanchang, and determine the presence of tick-borne pathogens for assessing their threat to human health in the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haijun Hu
- The Collaboration Unit for Field Epidemiology of State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Jiangxi Provincial key Laboratory of Animal-origin and Vector-borne Diseases, Nanchang Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Honggutan New District, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330038, China
| | - Xinghuang Du
- Center for Disease Control and Prevention of Nanchang county, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330200, China
| | - Hongmei Ma
- The Collaboration Unit for Field Epidemiology of State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Jiangxi Provincial key Laboratory of Animal-origin and Vector-borne Diseases, Nanchang Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Honggutan New District, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330038, China
| | - Shengen Chen
- The Collaboration Unit for Field Epidemiology of State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Jiangxi Provincial key Laboratory of Animal-origin and Vector-borne Diseases, Nanchang Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Honggutan New District, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330038, China.
| | - Weiqing Zheng
- The Collaboration Unit for Field Epidemiology of State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Jiangxi Provincial key Laboratory of Animal-origin and Vector-borne Diseases, Nanchang Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Honggutan New District, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330038, China.
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Ozelame KPC, Mattia MMC, Dedavid e Silva LA, Randall LM, Corvo I, Saporiti T, Seixas A, da Silva Vaz I, Alvarez G. Novel tick glutathione transferase inhibitors as promising acaricidal compounds. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2022; 13:101970. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2022.101970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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Pillay A, Manyangadze T, Mukaratirwa S. Prevalence of Rickettsia africae in tick vectors collected from mammalian hosts in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2022; 13:101960. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2022.101960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2021] [Revised: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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King'ori EM, Obanda V, Nyamota R, Remesar S, Chiyo PI, Soriguer R, Morrondo P. Population genetic structure of the elephant tick Amblyomma tholloni from different elephant populations in Kenya. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2022; 13:101935. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2022.101935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Molecular survey of cattle ticks in Burundi: First report on the presence of the invasive Rhipicephalus microplus tick. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0261218. [PMID: 34890445 PMCID: PMC8664164 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0261218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
A recent research study on prevalence of tick-borne pathogens in Burundi reported high prevalence and endemicity of Theileria parva, Anaplasma marginale and Babesia bigemina infections in cattle. Detailed information about tick species infesting animals, their distribution and genetic diversity in Burundi is outdated and limited. This study therefore assessed the prevalence and genetic diversity of tick species infesting cattle across agroecological zones (AEZs) in Burundi. A cross-sectional study on the occurrence of tick species was conducted in 24 districts of Burundi between October and December 2017. Differential identification and characterization of ticks collected was conducted using tick morphological keys and molecular tools (cox1 and 12S rRNA gene). Chi-square test was used to test for association between agroecological zones and the prevalence of tick species. Phylogenetic relationships were inferred using bayesian and maximum likelihood algorithms. A total of 483 ticks were collected from the five AEZs sampled. Six tick species comprising of Rhipicephalus appendiculatus, R. sanguineus, R. evertsi evertsi, R. microplus, R. decoloratus and Amblyomma variegatum were observed. Rhipicephalus appendiculatus were the most prevalent ticks (~45%). A total of 138 specimens (28%) were found to be Rhipicephalus microplus, suggesting an emerging threat for cattle farmers. Twelve R. appendiculatus cox1 haplotypes were obtained from 106 specimens that were sequenced. Two cox1 haplotypes of R. microplus which clustered into previously reported Clade A were observed. Rhipicephalus sanguineus and R. evertsi evertsi ticks, the vectors of numerous zoonotic pathogens, were collected from cattle, which constitute a high risk for public health. These findings reveal an overlapping distribution of tick vectors in Burundi. The design of ticks and tick-borne diseases control strategies should consider the distribution of different vectors across the AEZs particularly the presence of the highly invasive R. microplus tick in Burundi and the potential risk of introducing the pathogenic Babesia bovis.
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Hoffman T, Carra LG, Öhagen P, Fransson T, Barboutis C, Piacentini D, Figuerola J, Kiat Y, Onrubia A, Jaenson TGT, Nilsson K, Lundkvist Å, Olsen B. Association between guilds of birds in the African-Western Palaearctic region and the tick species Hyalomma rufipes, one of the main vectors of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus. One Health 2021; 13:100349. [PMID: 34825045 PMCID: PMC8605260 DOI: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2021.100349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Revised: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction The ecology of the vertebrate host contributes to the geographical range expansion of ticks. In this study, we investigated which tick taxa that infest and are dispersed by birds along African-Western Palaearctic flyways during northward migration, and whether bird ecology was associated with tick taxa. Materials and methods Ticks were collected from birds trapped at bird observatories in Spain, Italy, Greece, and Israel during the spring migration of 2014 and 2015, using mist nets. The tick-infested bird species were classified into guilds, using different combinations of the variables: migration distance, wintering region, foraging behaviour, and winter habitat. Ticks were molecularly determined to genus and species level by sequencing fragments of the 12S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) gene and by phylogenetic inference, using the Maximum Likelihood algorithm. Data were analysed using descriptive measures, graphs, Chi2 tests, the Tukey-Kramer test, and a parametric linear model (generalized linear model) in order to analyse and adjust for characteristics in the bird guilds and their relationship to collected tick taxa. Results Most (84.2%) of the 10,209 trapped birds were long-distance migrants, of which 2.4% were infested by ticks. The most common tick species was Hyalomma rufipes (77.7%; 447/575), a known vector and reservoir of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus. Bird guilds containing only long-distance migrants with wintering areas in Africa were associated with the tick species H. rufipes (p < 0.0001). Furthermore, bird winter habitat was associated with H. rufipes (p = 0.003); with bird species overwintering in open habitat (p = 0.014) and wetlands (p = 0.046) having significantly more H. rufipes as compared to birds with a winter habitat comprising forest and shrubs (p = 0.82). Conclusions With climate change, the likelihood of establishment of permanent Hyalomma populations in central and northern Europe is increasing. Thus, surveillance programs for monitoring the risk of introduction and establishment of H. rufipes in the Western-Palaearctic should be established. Our study suggests that migratory bird species wintering in African open habitats and wetlands are good candidates for monitoring potential introduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tove Hoffman
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Zoonosis Science Center, Uppsala University, Husargatan 3, SE-751 23 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Laura G Carra
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Zoonosis Science Center, Uppsala University, Husargatan 3, SE-751 23 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Patrik Öhagen
- Uppsala Clinical Research Center, Dag Hammarskjölds väg 38, SE-751 85 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Thord Fransson
- Department of Environmental Research and Monitoring, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Christos Barboutis
- Antikythira Bird Observatory, Hellenic Ornithological Society/BirdLife Greece, Athens, Greece
| | | | - Jordi Figuerola
- Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, Avda. Américo Vespucio s/n, 410 92 Sevilla, Spain.,CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), 280 29 Madrid, Spain
| | - Yosef Kiat
- Israeli Bird Ringing Center (IBRC), Israel Ornithological Center (IOC), Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI), Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | | | - Thomas G T Jaenson
- Department of Organismal Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18d, SE-752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Kenneth Nilsson
- Department of Medical Sciences, Section of Clinical Microbiology, Uppsala University, SE-751 85 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Åke Lundkvist
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Zoonosis Science Center, Uppsala University, Husargatan 3, SE-751 23 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Björn Olsen
- Department of Medical Sciences, Zoonosis Science Center, Uppsala University, SE-751 85, Uppsala, Sweden
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Kobayashi T, Chatanga E, Qiu Y, Simuunza M, Kajihara M, Hang’ombe BM, Eto Y, Saasa N, Mori-Kajihara A, Simulundu E, Takada A, Sawa H, Katakura K, Nonaka N, Nakao R. Molecular Detection and Genotyping of Coxiella-Like Endosymbionts in Ticks Collected from Animals and Vegetation in Zambia. Pathogens 2021; 10:pathogens10060779. [PMID: 34205691 PMCID: PMC8234379 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10060779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Revised: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Ticks are obligate ectoparasites as they require to feed on their host blood during some or all stages of their life cycle. In addition to the pathogens that ticks harbor and transmit to vertebrate hosts, they also harbor other seemingly nonpathogenic microorganisms including nutritional mutualistic symbionts. Tick nutritional mutualistic symbionts play important roles in the physiology of the host ticks as they are involved in tick reproduction and growth through the supply of B vitamins as well as in pathogen maintenance and propagation. Coxiella-like endosymbionts (CLEs) are the most widespread endosymbionts exclusively reported in ticks. Although CLEs have been investigated in ticks in other parts of the world, there is no report of their investigation in ticks in Zambia. To investigate the occurrence of CLEs, their maintenance, and association with host ticks in Zambia, 175 ticks belonging to six genera, namely Amblyomma, Argas, Haemaphysalis, Hyalomma, Ornithodoros, and Rhipicephalus, were screened for CLEs, followed by characterization of CLEs by multi-locus sequence typing of the five Coxiella housekeeping genes (dnaK, groEL, rpoB, 16S rRNA, and 23S rRNA). The results showed that 45.7% (n = 80) were positive for CLEs. The comparison of the tick 16S rDNA phylogenetic tree with that of the CLEs concatenated sequences showed that there was a strong correlation between the topology of the trees. The results suggest that most of the CLEs have evolved within tick species, supporting the vertical transmission phenomenon. However, the negative results for CLE in some ticks warrants further investigations of other endosymbionts that the ticks in Zambia may also harbor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshiya Kobayashi
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Department of Disease Control, Graduate School of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, N 18 W 9, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan; (T.K.); (E.C.); (K.K.); (N.N.)
| | - Elisha Chatanga
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Department of Disease Control, Graduate School of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, N 18 W 9, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan; (T.K.); (E.C.); (K.K.); (N.N.)
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Lilongwe P.O. Box 219, Malawi
| | - Yongjin Qiu
- Division of International Research Promotion, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, N 20 W10, Kita-ku, Sapporo 001-0020, Japan;
| | - Martin Simuunza
- Department of Diseases Control, School of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Zambia, Lusaka P.O. Box 32379, Zambia; (M.S.); (N.S.); (E.S.); (A.T.); (H.S.)
- Africa Centre of Excellence for Infectious Diseases of Humans and Animals, The University of Zambia, Lusaka P.O. Box 32379, Zambia;
| | - Masahiro Kajihara
- Division of Global Epidemiology, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, N 20 W10, Kita-ku, Sapporo 001-0020, Japan; (M.K.); (Y.E.); (A.M.-K.)
| | - Bernard Mudenda Hang’ombe
- Africa Centre of Excellence for Infectious Diseases of Humans and Animals, The University of Zambia, Lusaka P.O. Box 32379, Zambia;
- Department of ParaClinical Studies, School of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Zambia, Lusaka P.O. Box 32379, Zambia
| | - Yoshiki Eto
- Division of Global Epidemiology, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, N 20 W10, Kita-ku, Sapporo 001-0020, Japan; (M.K.); (Y.E.); (A.M.-K.)
| | - Ngonda Saasa
- Department of Diseases Control, School of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Zambia, Lusaka P.O. Box 32379, Zambia; (M.S.); (N.S.); (E.S.); (A.T.); (H.S.)
| | - Akina Mori-Kajihara
- Division of Global Epidemiology, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, N 20 W10, Kita-ku, Sapporo 001-0020, Japan; (M.K.); (Y.E.); (A.M.-K.)
| | - Edgar Simulundu
- Department of Diseases Control, School of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Zambia, Lusaka P.O. Box 32379, Zambia; (M.S.); (N.S.); (E.S.); (A.T.); (H.S.)
- Macha Research Trust, Choma P.O. Box 630166, Zambia
| | - Ayato Takada
- Department of Diseases Control, School of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Zambia, Lusaka P.O. Box 32379, Zambia; (M.S.); (N.S.); (E.S.); (A.T.); (H.S.)
- Division of Global Epidemiology, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, N 20 W10, Kita-ku, Sapporo 001-0020, Japan; (M.K.); (Y.E.); (A.M.-K.)
| | - Hirofumi Sawa
- Department of Diseases Control, School of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Zambia, Lusaka P.O. Box 32379, Zambia; (M.S.); (N.S.); (E.S.); (A.T.); (H.S.)
- Division of Molecular Pathobiology, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, N 20 W10, Kita-ku, Sapporo 001-0020, Japan
| | - Ken Katakura
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Department of Disease Control, Graduate School of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, N 18 W 9, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan; (T.K.); (E.C.); (K.K.); (N.N.)
| | - Nariaki Nonaka
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Department of Disease Control, Graduate School of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, N 18 W 9, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan; (T.K.); (E.C.); (K.K.); (N.N.)
| | - Ryo Nakao
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Department of Disease Control, Graduate School of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, N 18 W 9, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan; (T.K.); (E.C.); (K.K.); (N.N.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +81-11-706-5196
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Growth Dynamics and Antibiotic Elimination of Symbiotic Rickettsia buchneri in the Tick Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae). Appl Environ Microbiol 2021; 87:AEM.01672-20. [PMID: 33188003 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01672-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Rickettsia buchneri is the principal symbiotic bacterium of the medically significant tick Ixodes scapularis This species has been detected primarily in the ovaries of adult female ticks and is vertically transmitted, but its tissue tropism in other life stages and function with regard to tick physiology is unknown. In order to determine the function of R. buchneri, it may be necessary to produce ticks free from this symbiont. We quantified the growth dynamics of R. buchneri naturally occurring in I. scapularis ticks throughout their life cycle and compared it with bacterial growth in ticks in which symbiont numbers were experimentally reduced or eliminated. To eliminate the bacteria, we exposed ticks to antibiotics through injection and artificial membrane feeding. Both injection and membrane feeding of the antibiotic ciprofloxacin were effective at eliminating R. buchneri from most offspring of exposed females. Because of its effectiveness and ease of use, we have determined that injection of ciprofloxacin into engorged female ticks is an efficient means of clearing R. buchneri from the majority of progeny.IMPORTANCE This paper describes the growth of symbiotic Rickettsia buchneri within Ixodes scapularis through the life cycle of the tick and provides methods to eliminate R. buchneri from I. scapularis ticks.
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Pintore E, Olivieri E, Floriano AM, Sassera D, Sanna N, Garippa G. First detection of Amblyomma variegatum and molecular finding of Rickettsia africae in Sardinia, Italy. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2020; 12:101561. [PMID: 33007667 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2020.101561] [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: 02/06/2020] [Revised: 09/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Here we present the first detection of a male Amblyomma variegatum tick infesting a sheep on the island of Sardinia, as well as the detection of a pathogen, Rickettsia africae, in DNA extracted from this tick. The tick, the second individual of this species reported in Italy (the first one was reported in Sicily by Albanese in 1971) was collected in August 2018 from the inguinal region of an adult female sheep in a farm located near Sassari (North-West Sardinia). The tick was identified as an adult A. variegatum male under a stereomicroscope using morphological keys. A phylogenetic analysis showed that the 12S sequence clustered with that of African A. variegatum individuals and was embedded within the previously identified West African group. We tested the tick for the presence of microorganisms of the genera Ehrlichia, Rickettsia, Anaplasma, Theileria and Babesia, using published PCR protocols. The tick was found positive to Rickettsia and the obtained sequence matched at 100 % identity with R. africae. The area where the tick was detected was inspected on multiple occasions, looking for other specimens of A. variegatum, without any results. In the same period another male specimen of A. variegatum was found in Haute Corse in 2019. The authors' hypothesis is that the presence of the A. variegatum specimen is an occasional finding, probably linked to the migrating birds that cross Sardinia and Corsica from Africa during summer. Although this may have been an incidental finding, it must be considered that global warming could increase the risk of establishment of colonies of these ticks, that show a strong spreading capability. It is also important to emphasize that this tick species is a proven vector and reservoir of R. africae, an uncommon zoonotic pathogen in Italy, thus additional monitoring must be performed as the establishment of a stable population in Sardinia could represent a serious veterinary and public health issue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabetta Pintore
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy.
| | - Emanuela Olivieri
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
| | | | - Davide Sassera
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
| | - Nino Sanna
- Independent Veterinarian, Sassari, Italy.
| | - Giovanni Garippa
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy.
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Bottero MNS, Beati L, Venzal JM, Guardia L, Thompson CS, Mangold AJ, Guglielmone AA, Nava S. Ixodes silvanus n. sp. (Acari: Ixodidae), a new member of the subgenus Trichotoixodes Reznik, 1961 from northwestern Argentina. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2020; 12:101572. [PMID: 33068841 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2020.101572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Revised: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Females, nymphs, and larvae of Ixodes silvanus n. sp. collected from birds and from the vegetation in northwestern Argentina (Yungas Phytogeographic Province) are described herein. The new species belongs to the subgenus Trichotoixodes (Acari: Ixodidae). The female is diagnosed by a combination of the following characters: scutum with setae moderately long and more numerous in central field, fewer and moderately long setae on lateral fields, and inconspicuous setae in anterior field; basis capituli subtriangular dorsally; porose areas large and irregular in shape, lacking distinct margins; auriculae with straight edges diverging posterolaterally and ending with small blunt processes; hypostome narrow and pointed with dental formula 4/4 in the anterior third, then 3/3 and 2/2 near the base; coxae I with two spurs, sub-equal in size, internal slightly slimmer than external. The nymph is diagnosed by notum with numerous and long setae, ventral surface covered by numerous whitish setae, scutum with short scapulae and few and shallow punctations, setae on scutum few, short and irregularly distributed, basis capituli sub-triangular dorsally with posterior margin straight, cornua large and directed postero-laterally, auriculae large and projected laterally, lateral margin of basis capituli above auriculae with a lateral and triangular projection, hypostome pointed with dental formula 3/3 in the anterior third and then 2/2, and coxa I with two short, sub-equal, triangular spurs. The diagnostic characters of the larva are: basis capituli dorsally sub-triangular with lateral angles acute and posterior margin straight, auriculae as large triangular lateral projections, hypostome with apex bluntly pointed and dental formula 3/3 in the anterior third and then 2/2, coxa I with two short, sub-equal, triangular spurs, and pattern of dorsal and ventral body setae. This new species is phylogenetically related to Ixodes brunneus, Ixodes turdus and Ixodes frontalis, and the principal hosts for all its parasitic stages are birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria N Saracho Bottero
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Rafaela, CC 22, 2300 Rafaela, Santa Fe, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Argentina
| | - Lorenza Beati
- United States National Tick Collection, Institute for Coastal Plain Science, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 30460, USA
| | - José M Venzal
- Laboratorio de Vectores y Enfermedades Transmitidas, Facultad de Veterinaria, CENUR Litoral Norte-Salto, Universidad de la República, Rivera 1350, CP 50000 Salto, Uruguay
| | - Leonor Guardia
- Instituto Superior de Entomología "Dr. Abraham Willink" (INSUE), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e IML, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Carolina S Thompson
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Rafaela, CC 22, 2300 Rafaela, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Atilio J Mangold
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Rafaela, CC 22, 2300 Rafaela, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Alberto A Guglielmone
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Rafaela, CC 22, 2300 Rafaela, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Santiago Nava
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Rafaela, CC 22, 2300 Rafaela, Santa Fe, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Argentina.
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Lado P, Smith ML, Carstens BC, Klompen H. Population genetic structure and demographic history of the lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum (Ixodida: Ixodidae): New evidence supporting old records. Mol Ecol 2020; 29:2810-2823. [PMID: 32574413 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2019] [Revised: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Range expansions are a potential outcome of changes in habitat suitability, which commonly result as a consequence of climate change. Hypotheses on such changes in the geographic distribution of a certain species can be evaluated using population genetic structure and demography. In this study we explore the population genetic structure, genetic variability, demographic history of, and habitat suitability for Amblyomma americanum, a North American tick species that is a known vector of several pathogenic microorganisms. We used a double digestion restriction site-associated DNA sequencing technique (dd-RAD seq) and discovered 8,181 independent single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 189 ticks from across the geographic range of the species. Genetic diversity was low, particularly when considering the broad geographic range of this species. The edge populations were less diverse than populations belonging to the historic range, possibly indicative of a range expansion, but this hypothesis was not statistically supported by a test based on genetic data. Nonetheless, moderate levels of population structure and substructure were detected between geographic regions. For New England, demographic and species distribution models support a scenario where A. americanum was present in more northern locations in the past, underwent a bottleneck, and subsequently recovered. These results are consistent with a hypothesis that this species is re-establishing in this area, rather than one focused on range expansion from the south. This hypothesis is consistent with old records describing the presence of A. americanum in the northeastern US in the early colonial period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Lado
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Megan L Smith
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Bryan C Carstens
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Hans Klompen
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
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Bilbija B, Auer M, Široký P. Long term persistence of introduced Amblyomma geoemydae tick population under indoor conditions in Austria. MEDICAL AND VETERINARY ENTOMOLOGY 2019; 33:317-321. [PMID: 30746727 DOI: 10.1111/mve.12361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2018] [Revised: 12/03/2018] [Accepted: 12/18/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
An indoor terrarium population of Amblyomma geoemydae was established subsequent to the import of a single yellow-marginated box turtle Cuora flavomarginata. This indoor tick population revealed an unexpected resistance against de-ticking trials, with persistence between 2010 and 2015, when the ticks were successfully eliminated. Ticks were collected from the bodies and shells of turtles, as well as from terraria soil. Species diagnosis of ticks was carried out according to distinguishable morphological characters and supported by molecular analysis using DNA-barcoding. Introduced exotic ticks are potential vectors of pathogens and can have an impact on wildlife, domestic animals and the human population. This case emphasizes the need for sharp surveillance and control measures on imported reptiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Bilbija
- Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, Department of Biology and Wildlife Diseases, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - M Auer
- Senckenberg Natural History Collections Dresden, Museum of Zoology, Dresden, Germany
| | - P Široký
- Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, Department of Biology and Wildlife Diseases, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
- CEITEC-Central European Institute of Technology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
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Muñoz-Leal S, Macedo C, Gonçalves TC, Dias Barreira J, Labruna MB, de Lemos ERS, Ogrzewalska M. Detected microorganisms and new geographic records of Ornithodoros rietcorreai (Acari: Argasidae) from northern Brazil. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2019; 10:853-861. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2019.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2018] [Revised: 03/27/2019] [Accepted: 04/08/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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Lado P, Klompen H. Evolutionary history of New World ticks of the genus Dermacentor (Ixodida: Ixodidae), and the origin of D. variabilis. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blz063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
This study integrates biogeographical and phylogenetic data to determine the evolutionary history of the New World Dermacentor, and the origin of D. variabilis. The phylogenetic reconstructions presented here strongly support the hypothesis of an Afrotropical origin for Dermacentor, with later dispersal to Eurasia and the Nearctic. Phylogenetic and biogeographical data suggest that the genus reached the New World through the Beringia land bridge, from south-east Asia. The monophyly of the genus is supported, and most of the New World Dermacentor species appear as monophyletic. Dermacentor occidentals constitutes the sister lineage of D. variabilis, and the latter is subdivided into two well-supported clades: an eastern and a western clade. The western clade is genetically more variable than the eastern.
The genus Dermacentor probably originated in Africa, and dispersed to the Palearctic and then to the New World through the Beringian route. Dermacentor variabilis appears to have originated in western North America, and then dispersed to eastern North America, probably in a single migration event.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Lado
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, Museum of Biological Diversity, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Hans Klompen
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, Museum of Biological Diversity, Columbus, OH, USA
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Karger A, Bettin B, Gethmann JM, Klaus C. Whole animal matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry of ticks - Are spectra of Ixodes ricinus nymphs influenced by environmental, spatial, and temporal factors? PLoS One 2019; 14:e0210590. [PMID: 30645604 PMCID: PMC6333373 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0210590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2018] [Accepted: 12/25/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In the recent years matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) has become a useful tool to characterize arthropod species and their different stages of development. It was reported for sand flies and mosquitoes at immature stages and also assumed for ticks that geographic location can have a subtle influence on MALDI-TOF mass spectra which allows the discrimination of animals with specific local variations of the MALDI-TOF MS phenotype. It is so far uncertain, however, if these mass-spectrometric differences are based on genetic variation or on spectral features which depend on environmental or temporal features. The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of the geographic location, environmental factors and the season of the year on the MALDI-TOF mass spectra of Ixodes (I.) ricinus nymphs and if spectral variation would allow to draw conclusions with respect to the tick’s provenience or conditions that influence the tick life cycle. Application of multivariate statistical models on spectra of ticks collected in different seasons and different habitats and locations within Germany showed that the impact of the location seemed to be small while season and habitat seemed to have stronger impact on the MALDI-TOF mass spectra. Possibilities and limitations of MALDI-TOF mass spectra to draw conclusions on the tick life cycle are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Axel Karger
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Barbara Bettin
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Joern M. Gethmann
- Institute of Epidemiology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Christine Klaus
- Institute of Bacterial Infections and Zoonoses, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Jena, Germany
- * E-mail:
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Lado P, Nava S, Mendoza-Uribe L, Caceres AG, Delgado-de la Mora J, Licona-Enriquez JD, Delgado-de la Mora D, Labruna MB, Durden LA, Allerdice MEJ, Paddock CD, Szabó MPJ, Venzal JM, Guglielmone AA, Beati L. The Amblyomma maculatum Koch, 1844 (Acari: Ixodidae) group of ticks: phenotypic plasticity or incipient speciation? Parasit Vectors 2018; 11:610. [PMID: 30497533 PMCID: PMC6267817 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-018-3186-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2018] [Accepted: 11/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The goal of this study was to reassess the taxonomic status of A. maculatum, A. triste and A. tigrinum by phylogenetic analysis of five molecular markers [four mitochondrial: 12S rDNA, 16S rDNA, the control region (DL) and cytochrome c oxidase 1 (cox1), and one nuclear: ribosomal intergenic transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2)]. In addition, the phenotypic diversity of adult ticks identified as A. maculatum and A. triste from geographically distinct populations was thoroughly re-examined. RESULTS Microscopic examination identified four putative morphotypes distinguishable by disjunct geographical ranges, but very scant fixed characters. Analysis of the separated mitochondrial datasets mostly resulted in conflicting tree topologies. Nuclear gene sequences were almost identical throughout the geographical ranges of the two species, suggesting a very recent, almost explosive radiation of the terminal operational taxonomic units. Analysis of concatenated molecular datasets was more informative and indicated that, although genetically very close to the A. maculatum - A. triste lineage, A. tigrinum was a monophyletic separate entity. Within the A. maculatum - A. triste cluster, three main clades were supported. The two morphotypes, corresponding to the western North American and eastern North American populations, consistently grouped in a single monophyletic clade with many shared mitochondrial sequences among ticks of the two areas. Ticks from the two remaining morphotypes, south-eastern South America and Peruvian, corresponded to two distinct clades. CONCLUSIONS Given the paucity of morphological characters, the minimal genetic distance separating morphotypes, and more importantly the fact that two morphotypes are genetically indistinguishable, our data suggest that A. maculatum and A. triste should be synonymized and that morphological differences merely reflect very recent local adaptation to distinct environments in taxa that might be undergoing the first steps of speciation but have yet to complete lineage sorting. Nonetheless, future investigations using more sensitive nuclear markers and/or crossbreeding experiments might reveal the occurrence of very rapid speciation events in this group of taxa. Tentative node dating revealed that the A. tigrinum and A. maculatum - A. triste clades split about 2 Mya, while the A. maculatum - A.triste cluster radiated no earlier than 700,000 years ago.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Lado
- U. S. National Tick Collection, Institute for Coastal Plain Science, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 30460 USA
- Present address: Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43212 USA
| | - Santiago Nava
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria, Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Rafaela, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | | | - Abraham G. Caceres
- Departamento Académico de Microbiologia Médica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Peru
- Laboratorio de Entomología, Instituto Nacional de Salud, Lima, Peru
| | | | | | - David Delgado-de la Mora
- Department of Agronomic and Veterinary Sciences, Technologic Institute of Sonora, Ciudad Obregón, Sonora Mexico
| | - Marcelo B. Labruna
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Lance A. Durden
- Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 30460 USA
| | - Michelle E. J. Allerdice
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA USA
| | - Christopher D. Paddock
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA USA
| | - Matias P. J. Szabó
- Laboratório de Ixodologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais Brazil
| | - José M. Venzal
- Departamento de Parasitología Veterinaria, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de la República, Regional Norte - Salto, Rivera 1350, 50000 Salto, CP Uruguay
| | - Alberto A. Guglielmone
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria, Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Rafaela, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Lorenza Beati
- U. S. National Tick Collection, Institute for Coastal Plain Science, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 30460 USA
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Tarragona EL, Sebastian PS, Saracho Bottero MN, Martinez EI, Debárbora VN, Mangold AJ, Guglielmone AA, Nava S. Seasonal dynamics, geographical range size, hosts, genetic diversity and phylogeography of Amblyomma sculptum in Argentina. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2018; 9:1264-1274. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2018.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2017] [Revised: 02/28/2018] [Accepted: 04/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Luz HR, Silva-Santos E, Costa-Campos CE, Acosta I, Martins TF, Muñoz-Leal S, McIntosh D, Faccini JLH, Labruna MB. Detection of Rickettsia spp. in ticks parasitizing toads (Rhinella marina) in the northern Brazilian Amazon. EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2018; 75:309-318. [PMID: 29846852 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-018-0270-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Accepted: 05/23/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
This study evaluated rickettsial infection in ticks collected on toads from the northern Brazilian Amazon (Amapá state), where to our knowledge there are neither records of ticks from amphibians nor rickettsial infections in ticks. During 2016-2017, a total of 22 free-living toads were captured and identified as Rhinella marina. Overall, 12 (54.5%) toads were parasitized by a total of 97 ticks (6 males, 39 females, 31 nymphs, 21 larvae), giving a mean intensity of 8.1 ticks per infested toad. Two tick species were morphologically identified: Amblyomma rotundatum Koch (31 females, 14 nymphs), and Amblyomma dissimile Koch (6 males, 8 females, 17 nymphs). The 21 larvae were morphologically denoted as Amblyomma sp. Five toads were co-infested by A. rotundatum and A. dissimile. Morphological identifications were confirmed by nucleotide sequencing of fragments of the mitochondrial genes 16S rDNA, 12S rDNA and/or COX1. A total of 54 ticks were analyzed for the presence of rickettsial DNA. Eleven (9 females and 2 nymphs) out of 14 A. rotundatum ticks contained Rickettsia bellii. None of the 25 specimens of A. dissimile (6 males, 6 females, 13 nymphs) contained amplifiable rickettsial DNA. From 15 Amblyomma sp. larvae, a pool of 10 individuals contained Rickettsia sp. strain Colombianensi. Sequencing of the 16S rDNA amplicon derived from the positive pool yielded a sequence of A. dissimile. We detected Rickettsia sp. strain Colombianensi for the first time in Brazil. Prior records of this agent were restricted to Colombia and Honduras. In addition, we report the presence of A. rotundatum for the first time in the state of Amapá, where the only other record of A. dissimile was registered over 20 years ago.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hermes Ribeiro Luz
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Av. Prof. Orlando Marques de Paiva, 87, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, 05508-000, Brazil.
| | - Ercileide Silva-Santos
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Laboratório de Herpetologia, Universidade Federal do Amapá (UNIFAP), Rodovia Juscelino Kubitschek, Km 02, Jardim Marco Zero, Macapá, Amapá, 69903-419, Brazil
| | - Carlos Eduardo Costa-Campos
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Laboratório de Herpetologia, Universidade Federal do Amapá (UNIFAP), Rodovia Juscelino Kubitschek, Km 02, Jardim Marco Zero, Macapá, Amapá, 69903-419, Brazil
| | - Igor Acosta
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Av. Prof. Orlando Marques de Paiva, 87, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Thiago F Martins
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Av. Prof. Orlando Marques de Paiva, 87, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Sebástian Muñoz-Leal
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Av. Prof. Orlando Marques de Paiva, 87, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Douglas McIntosh
- Departamento de Parasitologia Animal, Instituto de Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro (UFRRJ), Seropédica, RJ, 23890-000, Brazil
| | - João Luis Horacio Faccini
- Departamento de Parasitologia Animal, Instituto de Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro (UFRRJ), Seropédica, RJ, 23890-000, Brazil
| | - Marcelo B Labruna
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Av. Prof. Orlando Marques de Paiva, 87, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, 05508-000, Brazil
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Villarreal Z, Stephenson N, Foley J. Possible Northward Introgression of a Tropical Lineage of Rhipicephalus sanguineus Ticks at a Site of Emerging Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. J Parasitol 2018; 104:240-245. [PMID: 29553918 DOI: 10.1645/18-10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Increasing rates of Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico underscore the importance of studying the ecology of the brown dog tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus, the vector in that region. This species is reported to comprise distinct tropical and temperate lineages that may differ in vectorial capacity for RMSF and are hypothesized to be limited in their geographical range by climatic conditions. In this study, lineage was determined for ticks from 9 locations in California, Arizona, and Mexico by DNA sequencing of 12S, 16S, and D-loop ribosomal RNA. As expected, sites in northern California and eastern Arizona had temperate-lineage ticks, and phylogenetic analysis revealed considerable genetic variability among these temperate-lineage ticks. However, tropical-lineage ticks extended north from Oaxaca, Mexico were well established along the entire border from San Diego, California to western Arizona, and were found as far north as Lytle Creek near Los Angeles, California (a site where both lineages were detected). Far less genetic variability in the tropical lineage despite the large geographical distances is supportive of a hypothesis of rapid northward expansion. Discovery of the tropical lineage north of the identified climatic limitations suggests that more work is needed to characterize this tick's ecology, vectorial capacity, expansion, possible evolution, and response to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary Villarreal
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, California 95616
| | - Nicole Stephenson
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, California 95616
| | - Janet Foley
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, California 95616
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Hekimoglu O, Ozer AN. Distribution and phylogeny of Hyalomma ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) in Turkey. EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2017; 73:501-519. [PMID: 29177952 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-017-0192-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2017] [Accepted: 11/17/2017] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
The genus Hyalomma includes some of the most medically and veterinarily important tick species in the world. To clarify and identify the current distribution of the species of Hyalomma, field studies were conducted in 65 localities in Turkey and five localities in Cyprus. Additionally, using mitochondrial 12S and 16S ribosomal DNA, specimens of Hyalomma from Turkey, H. excavatum from Cyprus, H. marginatum from Spain and Italy were evaluated together with the available sequences obtained from Genbank. Morphological and molecular analyses demonstrated the presence of four species in Turkey: H. marginatum, H. excavatum, H. aegyptium and H. asiaticum. Hyalomma marginatum is the dominant species in the Central and Northern parts of Turkey, whereas H. excavatum distributes mostly in the Southern parts. Hyalomma asiaticum is restricted to the Southeastern Anatolia. However, some sympatric regions were observed for these species. Phylogenetic trees obtained with Maximum Likelihood method demonstrated five clades. Data supported previous conclusions, but placed H. asiaticum, H. scupense, H. dromedarii and H. aegyptium in different clades with high bootstrap values. Specimens of H. anatolicum group and H. marginatum complex are sister groups. Pairwise distance analyses of these groups showed 2.8 and 3% differences for 12S rDNA and 16S rDNA, respectively. Therefore, additional analyses with the samples from different locations using different markers need to evaluate the exact status of the species of these groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olcay Hekimoglu
- Division of Ecology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Hacettepe University, Beytepe, 06800, Ankara, Turkey.
| | - Ayşe Nurdan Ozer
- Division of Ecology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Hacettepe University, Beytepe, 06800, Ankara, Turkey
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Diarra AZ, Almeras L, Laroche M, Berenger JM, Koné AK, Bocoum Z, Dabo A, Doumbo O, Raoult D, Parola P. Molecular and MALDI-TOF identification of ticks and tick-associated bacteria in Mali. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2017; 11:e0005762. [PMID: 28742123 PMCID: PMC5542699 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0005762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2017] [Revised: 08/03/2017] [Accepted: 06/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Ticks are considered the second vector of human and animal diseases after mosquitoes. Therefore, identification of ticks and associated pathogens is an important step in the management of these vectors. In recent years, Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) has been reported as a promising method for the identification of arthropods including ticks. The objective of this study was to improve the conditions for the preparation of tick samples for their identification by MALDI-TOF MS from field-collected ethanol-stored Malian samples and to evaluate the capacity of this technology to distinguish infected and uninfected ticks. A total of 1,333 ticks were collected from mammals in three distinct sites from Mali. Morphological identification allowed classification of ticks into 6 species including Amblyomma variegatum, Hyalomma truncatum, Hyalomma marginatum rufipes, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus, Rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi and Rhipicephalus sanguineus sl. Among those, 471 ticks were randomly selected for molecular and proteomic analyses. Tick legs submitted to MALDI-TOF MS revealed a concordant morpho/molecular identification of 99.6%. The inclusion in our MALDI-TOF MS arthropod database of MS reference spectra from ethanol-preserved tick leg specimens was required to obtain reliable identification. When tested by molecular tools, 76.6%, 37.6%, 20.8% and 1.1% of the specimens tested were positive for Rickettsia spp., Coxiella burnetii, Anaplasmataceae and Borrelia spp., respectively. These results support the fact that MALDI-TOF is a reliable tool for the identification of ticks conserved in alcohol and enhances knowledge about the diversity of tick species and pathogens transmitted by ticks circulating in Mali.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adama Zan Diarra
- Aix Marseille Université, UM63, CNRS 7278, IRD 198, INSERM 1095, AP-HM, IHU - Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
- Malaria Research and Training Center, Département d’Epidémiologie des Affections Parasitaires, Faculté de Médecine et d’Odontostomatologie, Faculté de Pharmacie, USTTB, Bamako, Mali
| | - Lionel Almeras
- Aix Marseille Université, UM63, CNRS 7278, IRD 198, INSERM 1095, AP-HM, IHU - Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
- Unité de Parasitologie et Entomologie, Département des Maladies Infectieuses, Institut de Recherche Biomédicale des Armées, Marseille, France
| | - Maureen Laroche
- Aix Marseille Université, UM63, CNRS 7278, IRD 198, INSERM 1095, AP-HM, IHU - Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - Jean-Michel Berenger
- Aix Marseille Université, UM63, CNRS 7278, IRD 198, INSERM 1095, AP-HM, IHU - Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - Abdoulaye K. Koné
- Malaria Research and Training Center, Département d’Epidémiologie des Affections Parasitaires, Faculté de Médecine et d’Odontostomatologie, Faculté de Pharmacie, USTTB, Bamako, Mali
| | | | - Abdoulaye Dabo
- Malaria Research and Training Center, Département d’Epidémiologie des Affections Parasitaires, Faculté de Médecine et d’Odontostomatologie, Faculté de Pharmacie, USTTB, Bamako, Mali
| | - Ogobara Doumbo
- Malaria Research and Training Center, Département d’Epidémiologie des Affections Parasitaires, Faculté de Médecine et d’Odontostomatologie, Faculté de Pharmacie, USTTB, Bamako, Mali
| | - Didier Raoult
- Aix Marseille Université, UM63, CNRS 7278, IRD 198, INSERM 1095, AP-HM, IHU - Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - Philippe Parola
- Aix Marseille Université, UM63, CNRS 7278, IRD 198, INSERM 1095, AP-HM, IHU - Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
- * E-mail:
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Luz HR, Faccini JLH, McIntosh D. Molecular analyses reveal an abundant diversity of ticks and rickettsial agents associated with wild birds in two regions of primary Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2017; 8:657-665. [PMID: 28479066 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2017.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2016] [Revised: 04/17/2017] [Accepted: 04/18/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Brazilian wild birds are recognized as frequent and important hosts for immature stages of more than half of the 32 recognized species of Amblyomma ticks recorded in that country. Several species of Amblyomma harbor rickettsial agents, including members of the spotted fever group (SFG). Most studies on this topic relied primarily on morphological characterization and reported large portions of the collected ticks at the genus rather than species level. Clearly, this factor may have contributed to an underestimation of tick diversity and distribution and makes comparisons between studies difficult. The current investigation combined morphological and molecular analyses to assess the diversity of ticks and rickettsial agents associated with wild birds, captured in two regions of native Atlantic rainforest, in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. A total of 910 birds were captured, representing two orders, 34 families and 106 species, among which 93 specimens (10.2%), were parasitized by 138 immature ticks (60 larvae and 78 nymphs), representing 10 recognized species of the genus Amblyomma; together with two reasonably well classified haplotypes (Amblyomma sp. haplotype Nazaré and Amblyomma sp. strain USNTC 6792). Amplification by PCR and sequencing of rickettsial genes (htrA, gltA, ompA and ompB), demonstrated the presence of Rickettsia DNA in 48 (34%) of the ticks. Specifically, Rickettsia bellii was detected in a single larva and a single nymph of A. aureolatum; R. amblyomatis was found in 16 of 37 A. longirostre and was recorded for the first time in three nymphs of A. calcaratum; R. rhipicephali was detected in 9 (47%) of 19 Amblyomma sp. haplotype Nazaré ticks. The remaining ticks were infected with genetic variants of R. parkeri, namely strain ApPR in 12 A. parkeri and seven Amblyomma sp. haplotype Nazaré ticks, with the strain NOD found in two specimens of A. nodosum. Interestingly, a single larvae of A. ovale was shown to be infected with the emerging human pathogen Rickettsia sp. strain Atlantic rainforest (ARF), suggesting a possible role for birds in the dispersal of ticks infected with this variant of R. parkeri. The diversity of ticks and Rickettsia recorded in this study is, to our knowledge, the most abundant recorded to date in Brazil and highlighted the value of employing methods capable of providing species level identification of the ixodofauna of wild birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hermes Ribeiro Luz
- Departamento de Parasitologia Animal, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, UFRRJ, Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
| | - João Luiz Horacio Faccini
- Departamento de Parasitologia Animal, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, UFRRJ, Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
| | - Douglas McIntosh
- Departamento de Parasitologia Animal, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, UFRRJ, Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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Budachetri K, Williams J, Mukherjee N, Sellers M, Moore F, Karim S. The microbiome of neotropical ticks parasitizing on passerine migratory birds. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2016; 8:170-173. [PMID: 27802919 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2016.10.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2015] [Revised: 10/17/2016] [Accepted: 10/24/2016] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Seasonal migration of passerine birds between temperate North America and tropical Central and South America is an ecological phenomenon. Migration of birds has been associated with the introduction of ectoparasites like ticks or tick-borne pathogens across the avian migration routes. In this study, the microbial diversity was determined in the ticks and bird DNA samples using 454 pyrosequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA gene. Tick DNA samples showed the dominance of genera Lactococcus, Francisella, Raoultella, Wolbachia and Rickettsia across all the ticks, but birds DNA did not share common microbial diversity with ticks. Furthermore, "Candidatus Rickettsia amblyommii" infection in the 91 ticks collected off the songbirds was also quantified by qPCR assay. Interestingly, "Candidatus R. amblyommii" was tested positive in 24 ticks (26% infection), and infection varied from as low as three copies to thousands of copies, but bird blood samples showed no amplification. Our results provide evidence that songbirds serve as transport carrier for immature ticks, and less likely to be a reservoir for "Candidatus R. amblyommii".
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Affiliation(s)
- Khemraj Budachetri
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, 118 College Drive #5018, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, USA
| | - Jaclyn Williams
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, 118 College Drive #5018, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, USA
| | - Nabanita Mukherjee
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, 118 College Drive #5018, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, USA
| | - Michael Sellers
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, 118 College Drive #5018, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, USA
| | - Frank Moore
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, 118 College Drive #5018, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, USA
| | - Shahid Karim
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, 118 College Drive #5018, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, USA.
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Zeringóta V, Maturano R, Luz HR, Senra TOS, Daemon E, Faccini JLH, McIntosh D. Molecular detection of Rickettsia rhipicephali and other spotted fever group Rickettsia species in Amblyomma ticks infesting wild birds in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2016; 8:81-89. [PMID: 27745888 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2016.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2016] [Revised: 09/23/2016] [Accepted: 10/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The current study evaluated parasitism of wild birds by ticks in a fragment of Atlantic Forest in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, and examined the ticks for rickettsial agents. Birds were captured during 2014 and 2015 and ticks were identified by sequencing fragments of the 16S and 12S ribosomal DNA. Among 260 birds representing 19 families and 52 species, a total of 69 (26.5%) were found to be infested by larvae (LL) and/or nymphs (NN) of Amblyomma longirostre (Koch, 1844) (45 LL, 4 NN), Amblyomma calcaratum Neumann, 1899 (9 LL, 15 NN), Amblyomma nodosum Neumann, 1899 (2 NN), Amblyomma parkeri Fonseca and Aragão, 1952 (21 LL), Amblyomma sp. haplotype Nazaré (77 LL), and Haemaphysalis leporispalustris (Packard, 1869) (17 LL, 1 NN). The use of PCR and sequencing of the rickettsial genes gltA, htrA, ompA and ompB, revealed the presence of "Candidatus Rickettsia amblyommii" in A. longirostre (13/49; 26%) and Rickettsia parkeri (strain ApPR) in both A. parkeri (1/21; 5%) and haplotype Nazaré (42/77; 55%) ticks. In addition, we detected Rickettsia rhipicephali in 31 (40%) of the 77 haplotype Nazaré ticks. This is the first record of this rickettsial agent in a species of the genus Amblyomma. The pathogenic potential of this bacterium is undetermined, but the unprecedented association with Amblyomma ticks may represent a cause for concern for public and/or animal health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viviane Zeringóta
- Programa de Pós Graduação em Ciências Veterinárias, Departamento de Parasitologia Animal, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, UFRRJ, Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.
| | - Ralph Maturano
- Programa de Pós Graduação em Ciências Veterinárias, Departamento de Parasitologia Animal, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, UFRRJ, Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.
| | - Hermes Ribeiro Luz
- Programa de Pós Graduação em Ciências Veterinárias, Departamento de Parasitologia Animal, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, UFRRJ, Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.
| | - Tatiane Oliveira Souza Senra
- Programa de Pós Graduação em Ciências Veterinárias, Departamento de Parasitologia Animal, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, UFRRJ, Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.
| | - Erik Daemon
- Programa de Pós Graduação em Ciências Biológicas - Comportamento e Biologia Animal, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, UFJF, Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brasil.
| | - João Luiz Horacio Faccini
- Programa de Pós Graduação em Ciências Veterinárias, Departamento de Parasitologia Animal, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, UFRRJ, Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.
| | - Douglas McIntosh
- Programa de Pós Graduação em Ciências Veterinárias, Departamento de Parasitologia Animal, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, UFRRJ, Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.
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Cangi N, Gordon JL, Bournez L, Pinarello V, Aprelon R, Huber K, Lefrançois T, Neves L, Meyer DF, Vachiéry N. Recombination Is a Major Driving Force of Genetic Diversity in the Anaplasmataceae Ehrlichia ruminantium. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2016; 6:111. [PMID: 27747194 PMCID: PMC5040723 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2016.00111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2016] [Accepted: 09/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The disease, Heartwater, caused by the Anaplasmataceae E. ruminantium, represents a major problem for tropical livestock and wild ruminants. Up to now, no effective vaccine has been available due to a limited cross protection of vaccinal strains on field strains and a high genetic diversity of Ehrlichia ruminantium within geographical locations. To address this issue, we inferred the genetic diversity and population structure of 194 E. ruminantium isolates circulating worldwide using Multilocus Sequence Typing based on lipA, lipB, secY, sodB, and sucA genes. Phylogenetic trees and networks were generated using BEAST and SplitsTree, respectively, and recombination between the different genetic groups was tested using the PHI test for recombination. Our study reveals the repeated occurrence of recombination between E. ruminantium strains, suggesting that it may occur frequently in the genome and has likely played an important role in the maintenance of genetic diversity and the evolution of E. ruminantium. Despite the unclear phylogeny and phylogeography, E. ruminantium isolates are clustered into two main groups: Group 1 (West Africa) and a Group 2 (worldwide) which is represented by West, East, and Southern Africa, Indian Ocean, and Caribbean strains. Some sequence types are common between West Africa and Caribbean and between Southern Africa and Indian Ocean strains. These common sequence types highlight two main introduction events due to the movement of cattle: from West Africa to Caribbean and from Southern Africa to the Indian Ocean islands. Due to the long branch lengths between Group 1 and Group 2, and the propensity for recombination between these groups, it seems that the West African clusters of Subgroup 2 arrived there more recently than the original divergence of the two groups, possibly with the original waves of domesticated ruminants that spread across the African continent several thousand years ago.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nídia Cangi
- CIRAD, UMR CMAEEPetit-Bourg, Guadeloupe, France
- INRA, UMR1309 CMAEEMontpellier, France
- Centro de Biotecnologia-UEM, Eduardo Mondlane UniversityMaputo, Mozambique
- Université des AntillesPointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe, France
| | - Jonathan L. Gordon
- CIRAD, UMR CMAEEPetit-Bourg, Guadeloupe, France
- INRA, UMR1309 CMAEEMontpellier, France
| | - Laure Bournez
- CIRAD, UMR CMAEEPetit-Bourg, Guadeloupe, France
- INRA, UMR1309 CMAEEMontpellier, France
| | - Valérie Pinarello
- CIRAD, UMR CMAEEPetit-Bourg, Guadeloupe, France
- INRA, UMR1309 CMAEEMontpellier, France
| | - Rosalie Aprelon
- CIRAD, UMR CMAEEPetit-Bourg, Guadeloupe, France
- INRA, UMR1309 CMAEEMontpellier, France
| | | | | | - Luís Neves
- Centro de Biotecnologia-UEM, Eduardo Mondlane UniversityMaputo, Mozambique
- Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of PretoriaOnderstepoort, South Africa
| | - Damien F. Meyer
- CIRAD, UMR CMAEEPetit-Bourg, Guadeloupe, France
- INRA, UMR1309 CMAEEMontpellier, France
| | - Nathalie Vachiéry
- CIRAD, UMR CMAEEPetit-Bourg, Guadeloupe, France
- INRA, UMR1309 CMAEEMontpellier, France
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Düttmann C, Flores B, Kadoch Z N, Bermúdez C S. Hard ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) of livestock in Nicaragua, with notes about distribution. EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2016; 70:125-135. [PMID: 27392740 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-016-0059-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2016] [Accepted: 06/23/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
We document the species of ticks that parasitize livestock in Nicaragua. The study was based on tick collection on cattle and horses from 437 farms in nine departments. Of 4841 animals examined (4481 cows and 360 horses), 3299 were parasitized, which represent 68 % of the bovines and 67 % of the equines in study: 59 cows and 25 horses were parasitized by more than one species. In addition, 280 specimens of the entomological museum in León were examined. The ticks found on cattle were Rhipicephalus microplus (75.2 % of the ticks collected), Amblyomma mixtum (20.8 %), A. parvum (2.6 %), A. tenellum (0.7 %), A. maculatum (0.7 %). While the ticks collected from the horses were: Dermacentor nitens (41.5 %), A. mixtum (31.7 %), R. microplus (13.8 %), A. parvum (6.5 %), A. tenellum (3.3 %), D. dissimilis (2.4 %) and A. maculatum (0.8 %).
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Affiliation(s)
- Christiane Düttmann
- Centro Veterinario de Diagnóstico e Investigación, Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Nicaragua, León, Nicaragua
| | - Byron Flores
- Centro Veterinario de Diagnóstico e Investigación, Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Nicaragua, León, Nicaragua
| | - Nathaniel Kadoch Z
- Dirección Ejecutiva de Cuarentena Agropecuaria, Ministerio de Desarrollo Agropecuario, Chiriquí, Panama
| | - Sergio Bermúdez C
- Departamento de Investigación en Entomología Médica, Instituto Conmemorativo Gorgas de Estudios de la Salud, Avenida Justo Arosemena, Apo. Postal 0816-02593, Panama, Panama.
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Bitencourth K, Voloch CM, Serra-Freire NM, Machado-Ferreira E, Amorim M, Gazêta GS. Analysis of Amblyomma sculptum haplotypes in an area endemic for Brazilian spotted fever. MEDICAL AND VETERINARY ENTOMOLOGY 2016; 30:342-350. [PMID: 27120044 DOI: 10.1111/mve.12174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2015] [Revised: 12/11/2015] [Accepted: 02/04/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Amblyomma sculptum (Ixodida: Ixodidae) Berlese, 1888, a member of the Amblyomma cajennense complex, is the major vector of Brazilian spotted fever (BSF) in southeastern Brazil. In this study, the genetic diversity of A. sculptum populations in the state of Rio de Janeiro (RJ), Brazil, was investigated because genetic variability in tick populations may be related to vector competence. Samples of A. sculptum from 19 municipalities in 7 regions of RJ were subjected to DNA extraction, amplification and sequencing of D-loop, cytochrome oxidase II and 12S rDNA mitochondrial genes. These sequences were used to map the genetic diversity of this tick. Amblyomma sculptum populations are genetically diverse in RJ, especially in the South Centre and Highland regions. Few unique haplotypes were observed in all populations, and the majority of genetic variation found was among ticks within each population. Phylogenetic reconstruction reinforced the assumption that all the haplotypes identified in RJ belong to A. sculptum. However, some RJ haplotypes are closer to A. sculptum from Argentina than to A. sculptum from elsewhere in Brazil. In RJ, A. sculptum has high genetic diversity, although little genetic differentiation. Observations also indicated a high level of gene flow among the studied populations and no evidence of population structure according to region in RJ.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Bitencourth
- Laboratório de Referência Nacional em Vetores das Riquetsioses, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade e Saúde, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - C M Voloch
- Laboratório de Biologia Evolutiva Teórica e Aplicada, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - N M Serra-Freire
- Laboratório de Referência Nacional em Vetores das Riquetsioses, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade e Saúde, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - E Machado-Ferreira
- Laboratório de Genética Molecular de Eucariontes e Simbiontes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - M Amorim
- Laboratório de Referência Nacional em Vetores das Riquetsioses, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - G S Gazêta
- Laboratório de Referência Nacional em Vetores das Riquetsioses, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade e Saúde, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
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Presence of Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti (Linnaeus, 1762) and its natural infection with dengue virus at unrecorded heights in Colombia. BIOMEDICA 2016; 36:303-8. [PMID: 27622492 DOI: 10.7705/biomedica.v36i2.3301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2016] [Revised: 04/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Aedes aegypti is the main vector of urban yellow fever, dengue, chikungunya and Zika viruses. The biogeographical distribution of this species has expanded due to global warming, and socioeconomic and cultural factors. The changes in the altitudinal distribution patterns of this vector and its natural infection are priority fields of research to develop entomological, virological and public health surveillance strategies. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the presence of A. aegypti and its natural infection with dengue virus in altitudes above 1.800 meters above sea level in two peripheral municipalities of the Valle de Aburrá, Antioquia, Colombia. MATERIALS AND METHODS Twenty-one ovitraps were set in the municipalities of Bello and San Pedro de los Milagros, at altitudes ranging from 1.882 to 2.659 masl. Emerged adults caught in the ovitraps were tested by RT-PCR for dengue virus detection. RESULTS We collected 367 A. aegypti adults, seven of which were found as high as 2.302 masl in Tierradentro, Bello. We detected serotype 2 dengue infection in 12 A. aegypti specimens collected in the neighbourhood of París, in Bello, at 1.984 masl. CONCLUSION We recorded A. aegypti at 2.302 masl, so far the highest altitudinal record in Colombia for this vector. Furthermore, mosquitoes collected at 1.984 masl were positive for dengue virus. These findings are significant as they identify regions in Colombia at risk of potential autochthonous transmission of dengue and other arboviruses by A. aegypti.
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Loftis AD, Kelly PJ, Paddock CD, Blount K, Johnson JW, Gleim ER, Yabsley MJ, Levin ML, Beati L. Panola Mountain Ehrlichia in Amblyomma maculatum From the United States and Amblyomma variegatum (Acari: Ixodidae) From the Caribbean and Africa. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2016; 53:696-698. [PMID: 26744465 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjv240] [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: 09/21/2015] [Accepted: 12/03/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Panola Mountain Ehrlichia (PME) has been suggested as an emerging pathogen of humans and dogs. Domestic goats and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are also susceptible and likely serve as reservoirs. Experimentally, both the lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum (L.)) and the Gulf Coast tick (Amblyomma maculatum Koch) can transmit PME among deer and goats. In the current study, we detected PME in adult wild-caught A. maculatum from the United States and Amblyomma variegatum (F.) from the Caribbean and Africa. This significantly expands the range, potential tick vectors, and risk for exposure to PME.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda D Loftis
- Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, P.O. Box 334, Basseterre, St. Kitts, St. Kitts and Nevis (; ),
| | - Patrick J Kelly
- Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, P.O. Box 334, Basseterre, St. Kitts, St. Kitts and Nevis (; )
| | - Christopher D Paddock
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30333 (; )
| | - Keith Blount
- Department of Biology, U.S. Air Force Academy, CO 80840
| | - Jason W Johnson
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Lincoln Memorial University, 6965 Cumberland Gap Parkway, Harrogate, TN 37752
| | - Elizabeth R Gleim
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA (; )
- Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, Department of Population Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Georgia, 589 DW Brooks Drive, Athens Georgia 30602
- Joseph W. Jones Ecological Research Center at Ichauway, Newton, GA, and
| | - Michael J Yabsley
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA (; )
- Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, Department of Population Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Georgia, 589 DW Brooks Drive, Athens Georgia 30602
| | - Michael L Levin
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30333 (; )
| | - Lorenza Beati
- The U.S. National Tick Collection, Georgia Southern University, Georgia Avenue - Building 204, P.O. Box 8056, Statesboro, Georgia 30460
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Lado P, Nava S, Labruna MB, Szabo MPJ, Durden LA, Bermudez S, Montagna M, Sánchez Quirós AC, Beati L. Amblyomma parvum Aragão, 1908 (Acari: Ixodidae): Phylogeography and systematic considerations. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2016; 7:817-827. [PMID: 27062445 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2016.03.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2015] [Revised: 02/08/2016] [Accepted: 03/30/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
The geographical distribution of Amblyomma parvum Aragão 1908 in the New World is disjunct, with two main clusters separated from each other by the Amazon basin. The main objectives of this study were to further investigate the systematic relationships within A. parvum, to determine whether or not populations from different geographical areas might represent cryptic species, and to reconstruct the phylogeographical evolutionary history of the species. The genetic diversity of A. parvum collected throughout its distributional range was analyzed by using 6 molecular markers: 5 mitochondrial [the small and the large ribosomal subunits 12rDNA and 16SrDNA, the cytochrome oxidase I (COI) and II (COII) and the control region or d-loop (DL)], and one nuclear (ITS2, Inter transcribed spacer 2). Phylogenetic trees were inferred by using maximum parsimony and Bayesian analyses. In addition, node dating was attempted for the main lineages identified phylogenetically. Although mitochondrial and nuclear topologies were not totally congruent, they all identified at least two main supported clusters, a Central American lineage, and a Brazilian-Argentinian lineage. Clade support and divergence values strongly suggest that the two lineages correspond to different taxonomic entities. Node dating placed the split between the Central American and the Brazilian-Argentinian lineages at approximately 5.8-4.9 Mya, just after the progressive replacement of the dry areas that occupied the northern part of South America by the Amazon Basin in the early-mid Miocene. This event might be the cause of fragmentation and putative speciation within the ancestral relatively xerophilic A. parvum population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Lado
- Institute for Coastal Plain Science, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 30460, USA.
| | - Santiago Nava
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria, Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Rafaela, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Marcelo B Labruna
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Matias P J Szabo
- Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Lance A Durden
- Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, P.O. 8042, Statesboro, GA 30460, USA
| | - Sergio Bermudez
- Departamento de Investigación en Entomología Médica, Instituto Conmemorativo Gorgas de Estudios de la Salud, Panama, Panama
| | - Matteo Montagna
- Dipartamento di Scienze Agrarie e Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | | | - Lorenza Beati
- Institute for Coastal Plain Science, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 30460, USA
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Zeringóta V, Maturano R, Santolin ÍDAC, McIntosh D, Famadas KM, Daemon E, Faccini JLH. New host records of Haemaphysalis leporispalustris (Acari: Ixodidae) on birds in Brazil. Parasitol Res 2016; 115:2107-10. [PMID: 26965425 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-016-4978-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2016] [Accepted: 03/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Birds are an important component of the life histories and bioecology of a number of tick species and of some tick associated pathogens. An examination of the data concerning bird/tick associations in the Neotropics, showed that the tick Haemaphysalis leporispalustrisis (Packard, 1869) was rarely recorded infesting birds. The current study reports parasitism by H. leporispalustris in wild birds collected from Atlantic rain forest environments in the states of Rio de Janeiro (4LL) and Minas Gerais (17LL, 1NN), Brazil. All ticks were identified morphologically to the genus level; total DNA was extracted from each Haemaphysalis tick and examined by PCR and nucleotide sequencing of fragments of the eukaryotic genes encoding 16S rRNA and 12S rRNA. The bird species Arremon semitorquatus, Corythopis delalandi, Fluvicola nengeta, Troglodytes musculus, and Volatinia jacarina were recorded as hosts for H. leporispalustris for the first time in South America, and Turdus rufiventris represented a new record for Brazil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viviane Zeringóta
- Program in Veterinary Sciences, Parasitology Animal Department, Rio de Janeiro Federal Rural University, UFRRJ, Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
| | - Ralph Maturano
- Program in Veterinary Sciences, Parasitology Animal Department, Rio de Janeiro Federal Rural University, UFRRJ, Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Ísis Daniele Alves Costa Santolin
- Program in Veterinary Sciences, Parasitology Animal Department, Rio de Janeiro Federal Rural University, UFRRJ, Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Douglas McIntosh
- Program in Veterinary Sciences, Parasitology Animal Department, Rio de Janeiro Federal Rural University, UFRRJ, Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Kátia Maria Famadas
- Program in Veterinary Sciences, Parasitology Animal Department, Rio de Janeiro Federal Rural University, UFRRJ, Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Erik Daemon
- Program in Animal Behavior and Biology, Juiz de Fora Federal University, UFJF, Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - João Luiz Horacio Faccini
- Program in Veterinary Sciences, Parasitology Animal Department, Rio de Janeiro Federal Rural University, UFRRJ, Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Ehounoud CB, Yao KP, Dahmani M, Achi YL, Amanzougaghene N, Kacou N’Douba A, N’Guessan JD, Raoult D, Fenollar F, Mediannikov O. Multiple Pathogens Including Potential New Species in Tick Vectors in Côte d'Ivoire. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2016; 10:e0004367. [PMID: 26771308 PMCID: PMC4714895 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0004367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2015] [Accepted: 12/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Our study aimed to assess the presence of different pathogens in ticks collected in two regions in Côte d'Ivoire. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Real-time PCR and standard PCR assays coupled to sequencing were used. Three hundred and seventy eight (378) ticks (170 Amblyomma variegatum, 161 Rhipicepalus microplus, 3 Rhipicephalus senegalensis, 27 Hyalomma truncatum, 16 Hyalomma marginatum rufipes, and 1 Hyalomma impressum) were identified and analyzed. We identified as pathogenic bacteria, Rickettsia africae in Am. variegatum (90%), Rh. microplus (10%) and Hyalomma spp. (9%), Rickettsia aeschlimannii in Hyalomma spp. (23%), Rickettsia massiliae in Rh. senegalensis (33%) as well as Coxiella burnetii in 0.2%, Borrelia sp. in 0.2%, Anaplasma centrale in 0.2%, Anaplasma marginale in 0.5%, and Ehrlichia ruminantium in 0.5% of all ticks. Potential new species of Borrelia, Anaplasma, and Wolbachia were detected. Candidatus Borrelia africana and Candidatus Borrelia ivorensis (detected in three ticks) are phylogenetically distant from both the relapsing fever group and Lyme disease group borreliae; both were detected in Am. variegatum. Four new genotypes of bacteria from the Anaplasmataceae family were identified, namely Candidatus Anaplasma ivorensis (detected in three ticks), Candidatus Ehrlichia urmitei (in nine ticks), Candidatus Ehrlichia rustica (in four ticks), and Candidatus Wolbachia ivorensis (in one tick). CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE For the first time, we demonstrate the presence of different pathogens such as R. aeschlimannii, C. burnetii, Borrelia sp., A. centrale, A. marginale, and E. ruminantium in ticks in Côte d'Ivoire as well as potential new species of unknown pathogenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cyrille Bilé Ehounoud
- Aix-Marseille Université, URMITE, UM63, CNRS 7278, IRD 198, Inserm U1095, Faculté de médecine, Marseille cedex 05, France
- Campus International UCAD-IRD, Dakar, Senegal
- Felix Houphouet Boigny Université, UFR Biosciences, Côte D’Ivoire
| | | | - Mustapha Dahmani
- Aix-Marseille Université, URMITE, UM63, CNRS 7278, IRD 198, Inserm U1095, Faculté de médecine, Marseille cedex 05, France
| | - Yaba Louise Achi
- Ecole de spécialisation en Elevage de Bingerville, Côte D’Ivoire
| | - Nadia Amanzougaghene
- Aix-Marseille Université, URMITE, UM63, CNRS 7278, IRD 198, Inserm U1095, Faculté de médecine, Marseille cedex 05, France
| | | | | | - Didier Raoult
- Aix-Marseille Université, URMITE, UM63, CNRS 7278, IRD 198, Inserm U1095, Faculté de médecine, Marseille cedex 05, France
- Campus International UCAD-IRD, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Florence Fenollar
- Aix-Marseille Université, URMITE, UM63, CNRS 7278, IRD 198, Inserm U1095, Faculté de médecine, Marseille cedex 05, France
- Campus International UCAD-IRD, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Oleg Mediannikov
- Aix-Marseille Université, URMITE, UM63, CNRS 7278, IRD 198, Inserm U1095, Faculté de médecine, Marseille cedex 05, France
- Campus International UCAD-IRD, Dakar, Senegal
- * E-mail:
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Tarragona EL, Mangold AJ, Mastropaolo M, Guglielmone AA, Nava S. Ecology and genetic variation of Amblyomma tonelliae in Argentina. MEDICAL AND VETERINARY ENTOMOLOGY 2015; 29:297-304. [PMID: 25736471 DOI: 10.1111/mve.12110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2014] [Revised: 11/15/2014] [Accepted: 11/22/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The ecology of Amblyomma tonelliae (Ixodida: Ixodidae), including its seasonal distribution and the development periods of each stage, was investigated during a study carried out over two consecutive years in northwestern Argentina. In addition, the genetic variation of this tick was studied through analyses of 16S rDNA sequences. Amblyomma tonelliae has a 1-year lifecycle characterized by a long pre-moult period in larvae with no development of morphogenetic diapause. Larvae peak in abundance during late autumn and early winter; nymphs peak in abundance in spring, and adults do so from late spring to early summer. Amblyomma tonelliae shows a marked ecological preference for the driest areas of the Chaco ecoregion. In analyses of 16S rDNA sequences in genes from different populations of A. tonelliae, values for nucleotide diversity and the average number of nucleotide differences showed genetic diversity within this species to be low. No significant differences were found in comparisons among populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- E L Tarragona
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Rafaela, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Rafaela, Santa Fe, Argentina
- Cátedra de Parasitología y Enfermedades Parasitarias, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Esperanza, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - A J Mangold
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Rafaela, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Rafaela, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - M Mastropaolo
- Cátedra de Parasitología y Enfermedades Parasitarias, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Esperanza, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - A A Guglielmone
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Rafaela, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Rafaela, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - S Nava
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Rafaela, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Rafaela, Santa Fe, Argentina
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Thirty years of tick population genetics: A comprehensive review. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2015; 29:164-79. [DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2014.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2014] [Revised: 11/06/2014] [Accepted: 11/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Kelly PJ, Lucas HM, Randolph CM, Ackerson K, Blackburn JK, Dark MJ. Efficacy of slow-release tags impregnated with aggregation-attachment pheromone and deltamethrin for control of Amblyomma variegatum on St. Kitts, West Indies. Parasit Vectors 2014; 7:182. [PMID: 24731252 PMCID: PMC3999386 DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-7-182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2014] [Accepted: 04/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Amblyomma variegatum is an important cause of morbidity, mortality and economic losses in Africa and the West Indies. Attempts to control and/or eradicate the tick from the Caribbean have largely been unsuccessful because of difficulties relating to the biology of the three-host tick and problems with applying acaricides on a regular basis to free-ranging domestic ruminants. While plastic collars impregnated with insecticides are widely and effectively used in companion animals to control external parasites there is little information on this technology in ruminants. Methods Over 21 months we tested the efficacy of slow-release plastic tags impregnated with deltamethrin (7%) and aggregation-attachment pheromones (DPITs) in controlling A. variegatum on free-ranging cattle on two farms on St. Kitts. The tags were replaced every three months or when found to be lost. Results On sentinel animals fitted with tags containing only aggregation-attachment pheromones there were an average of 23.1 ticks per semi-monthly visit although this number varied considerably, peaking in the dry season around May and being lowest in August to October during the wet season. Significantly fewer ticks (3.5 on average) were found on cattle with DPITs at each visit (P < 0.001). Although the DIPTs provided good control (92% on average), they did not significantly reduce A. variegatum in the environment with tick numbers on sentinels being higher in the second year of the study, despite up to 44% of animals being fitted with DPITs. The tags were economical, costing 0.2% of the 1% flumethrin pour-on treatment widely recommended for A. variegatum control in the Caribbean. The major problem encountered was that 38% of tail tags were lost before they were due for replacement every three months. Conclusions Our study has shown that DPITs are cheap to produce, easy to place, only require handling of animals every three months, and are very effective in protecting cattle from A. variegatum. Before DPITs can be considered for eradication programs the problems needing to be addressed include loss of tail tags, particularly in thick vegetation, and the optimum number of animals that must be treated to reduce numbers of ticks in the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick J Kelly
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Ross University, Basseterre, St, Kitts and Nevis, West Indies.
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Mukherjee N, Beati L, Sellers M, Burton L, Adamson S, Robbins RG, Moore F, Karim S. Importation of exotic ticks and tick-borne spotted fever group rickettsiae into the United States by migrating songbirds. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2014; 5:127-34. [PMID: 24252263 PMCID: PMC3946858 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2013.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2013] [Revised: 09/19/2013] [Accepted: 09/20/2013] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Birds are capable of carrying ticks and, consequently, tick-transmitted microorganisms over long distances and across geographical barriers such as oceans and deserts. Ticks are hosts for several species of spotted fever group rickettsiae (SFGR), which can be transmitted to vertebrates during blood meals. In this study, the prevalence of this group of rickettsiae was examined in ticks infesting migratory songbirds by using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). During the 2009 and 2010 spring migration season, 2064 northward-migrating passerine songbirds were examined for ticks at Johnson Bayou, Louisiana. A total of 91 ticks was removed from 35 individual songbirds for tick species identification and spotted fever group rickettsia detection. Ticks were identified as Haemaphysalis juxtakochi (n=38, 42%), Amblyomma longirostre (n=22, 24%), Amblyomma nodosum (n=17, 19%), Amblyomma calcaratum (n=11, 12%), Amblyomma maculatum (n=2, 2%), and Haemaphysalis leporispalustris (n=1, 1%) by comparing their 12S rDNA gene sequence to homologous sequences in GenBank. Most of the identified ticks were exotic species originating outside of the United States. The phylogenetic analysis of the 71 ompA gene sequences of the rickettsial strains detected in the ticks revealed the occurrence of 6 distinct rickettsial genotypes. Two genotypes (corresponding to a total of 28 samples) were included in the Candidatus Rickettsia amblyommii clade (less than 1% divergence), 2 of them (corresponding to a total of 14 samples) clustered with Rickettsia sp. "Argentina" with less than 0.2% sequence divergence, and 2 of them (corresponding to a total of 27 samples), although closely related to the R. parkeri-R. africae lineage (2.50-3.41% divergence), exhibited sufficient genetic divergence from its members to possibly constitute a new rickettsial genotype. Overall, there does not seem to be a specific relationship between exotic tick species, the rickettsiae they harbor, or the reservoir competence of the corresponding bird species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nabanita Mukherjee
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, USA
| | - Lorenza Beati
- Institute of Coastal Plain Sciences, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 30458, USA
| | - Michael Sellers
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, USA
| | - Laquita Burton
- Institute of Coastal Plain Sciences, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 30458, USA
| | - Steven Adamson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, USA
| | - Richard G Robbins
- Armed Forces Pest Management Board, Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Installations and Environment, Building 172, U.S. Army Garrison Forest Glen, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA
| | - Frank Moore
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, USA
| | - Shahid Karim
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, USA.
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Villar M, Popara M, Mangold AJ, de la Fuente J. Comparative proteomics for the characterization of the most relevant Amblyomma tick species as vectors of zoonotic pathogens worldwide. J Proteomics 2013; 105:204-16. [PMID: 24382551 DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2013.12.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2013] [Revised: 12/04/2013] [Accepted: 12/19/2013] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Ticks transmit zoonotic pathogens worldwide. Nevertheless, very little information is available on their genome, transcriptome and proteome. Herein, we characterized the proteome of Amblyomma americanum adults and nymphs because of their role in pathogen transmission and compared the proteome of A. americanum, A. cajennense and A. variegatum adult ticks. We also used de novo sequencing proteomics data for the analysis of the phylogenetic relationships between the three Amblyomma spp. in a proof of concept for phyloproteomics. The results showed that host and tick proteins involved in blood digestion, heme detoxification, development and innate immunity were differentially represented between adults and nymphs. Although these ticks were unfed, over-represented host proteins may supply nutrients during off-host periods. Tick proteins involved in tick attachment, feeding, heat shock response, protease inhibition and heme detoxification were differentially represented between Amblyomma spp., suggesting adaptation processes to biotic and abiotic factors. These results suggested that phyloproteomics might be a useful tool for the phylogenetic analysis of tick species in which sequence data is a limiting factor and demonstrate the possibilities of proteomics studies for the characterization of relevant tick vector species and provide new relevant information to understand the physiology, development and evolution of these tick species. BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE This is the first report on the proteome of the most important Amblyomma tick species for their relevance as vectors of zoonotic pathogens worldwide. Nevertheless, very little information is available on the genome, transcriptome and proteome of these vector ectoparasites. The results reported herein provide new relevant information to understand the physiology, development and evolution of these tick species. Phyloproteomics using de novo protein sequencing was assayed as a new approach for the phylogenetic analysis of tick species in which sequence data is a limiting factor.This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Proteomics of non-model organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margarita Villar
- Sabio. Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos IREC-CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ronda de Toledo s/n, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain.
| | - Marina Popara
- Sabio. Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos IREC-CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ronda de Toledo s/n, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Atilio J Mangold
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Rafaela, CC 22, CP 2300 Rafaela, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - José de la Fuente
- Sabio. Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos IREC-CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ronda de Toledo s/n, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain; Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Center for Veterinary Health Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA.
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Beati L, Nava S, Burkman EJ, Barros-Battesti DM, Labruna MB, Guglielmone AA, Cáceres AG, Guzmán-Cornejo CM, León R, Durden LA, Faccini JLH. Amblyomma cajennense (Fabricius, 1787) (Acari: Ixodidae), the Cayenne tick: phylogeography and evidence for allopatric speciation. BMC Evol Biol 2013; 13:267. [PMID: 24320199 PMCID: PMC3890524 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2148-13-267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2013] [Accepted: 12/03/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Amblyomma cajennense F. is one of the best known and studied ticks in the New World because of its very wide distribution, its economical importance as pest of domestic ungulates, and its association with a variety of animal and human pathogens. Recent observations, however, have challenged the taxonomic status of this tick and indicated that intraspecific cryptic speciation might be occurring. In the present study, we investigate the evolutionary and demographic history of this tick and examine its genetic structure based on the analyses of three mitochondrial (12SrDNA, d-loop, and COII) and one nuclear (ITS2) genes. Because A. cajennense is characterized by a typical trans-Amazonian distribution, lineage divergence dating is also performed to establish whether genetic diversity can be linked to dated vicariant events which shaped the topology of the Neotropics. Results Total evidence analyses of the concatenated mtDNA and nuclear + mtDNA datasets resulted in well-resolved and fully congruent reconstructions of the relationships within A. cajennense. The phylogenetic analyses consistently found A. cajennense to be monophyletic and to be separated into six genetic units defined by mutually exclusive haplotype compositions and habitat associations. Also, genetic divergence values showed that these lineages are as distinct from each other as recognized separate species of the same genus. The six clades are deeply split and node dating indicates that they started diverging in the middle-late Miocene. Conclusions Behavioral differences and the results of laboratory cross-breeding experiments had already indicated that A. cajennense might be a complex of distinct taxonomic units. The combined and congruent mitochondrial and nuclear genetic evidence from this study reveals that A. cajennense is an assembly of six distinct species which have evolved separately from each other since at least 13.2 million years ago (Mya) in the earliest and 3.3 Mya in the latest lineages. The temporal and spatial diversification modes of the six lineages overlap the phylogeographical history of other organisms with similar extant trans-Amazonian distributions and are consistent with the present prevailing hypothesis that Neotropical diversity often finds its origins in the Miocene, after the Andean uplift changed the topology and consequently the climate and ecology of the Neotropics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenza Beati
- Institute for Coastal Plain Sciences and Biology Department, Georgia Southern University, P,O, Box 8056, Statesboro, GA 30460, USA.
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Parola P, Paddock CD, Socolovschi C, Labruna MB, Mediannikov O, Kernif T, Abdad MY, Stenos J, Bitam I, Fournier PE, Raoult D. Update on tick-borne rickettsioses around the world: a geographic approach. Clin Microbiol Rev 2013; 26:657-702. [PMID: 24092850 PMCID: PMC3811236 DOI: 10.1128/cmr.00032-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 916] [Impact Index Per Article: 83.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Tick-borne rickettsioses are caused by obligate intracellular bacteria belonging to the spotted fever group of the genus Rickettsia. These zoonoses are among the oldest known vector-borne diseases. However, in the past 25 years, the scope and importance of the recognized tick-associated rickettsial pathogens have increased dramatically, making this complex of diseases an ideal paradigm for the understanding of emerging and reemerging infections. Several species of tick-borne rickettsiae that were considered nonpathogenic for decades are now associated with human infections, and novel Rickettsia species of undetermined pathogenicity continue to be detected in or isolated from ticks around the world. This remarkable expansion of information has been driven largely by the use of molecular techniques that have facilitated the identification of novel and previously recognized rickettsiae in ticks. New approaches, such as swabbing of eschars to obtain material to be tested by PCR, have emerged in recent years and have played a role in describing emerging tick-borne rickettsioses. Here, we present the current knowledge on tick-borne rickettsiae and rickettsioses using a geographic approach toward the epidemiology of these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philippe Parola
- Aix Marseille Université, Unité de Recherche en Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes (URMITE), UM63, CNRS 7278, IRD 198, Inserm 1095, WHO Collaborative Center for Rickettsioses and Other Arthropod-Borne Bacterial Diseases, Faculté de Médecine, Marseille, France
| | | | - Cristina Socolovschi
- Aix Marseille Université, Unité de Recherche en Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes (URMITE), UM63, CNRS 7278, IRD 198, Inserm 1095, WHO Collaborative Center for Rickettsioses and Other Arthropod-Borne Bacterial Diseases, Faculté de Médecine, Marseille, France
| | - Marcelo B. Labruna
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia Universidade de São Paulo, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Oleg Mediannikov
- Aix Marseille Université, Unité de Recherche en Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes (URMITE), UM63, CNRS 7278, IRD 198, Inserm 1095, WHO Collaborative Center for Rickettsioses and Other Arthropod-Borne Bacterial Diseases, Faculté de Médecine, Marseille, France
| | - Tahar Kernif
- Service d'Ecologie des Systèmes Vectoriels, Institut Pasteur d'Algérie, Algiers, Algeria
| | - Mohammad Yazid Abdad
- Division of Veterinary and Biomedical Science, Murdoch University, Australian Rickettsial Reference Laboratory, Barwon Health, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | - John Stenos
- Division of Veterinary and Biomedical Science, Murdoch University, Australian Rickettsial Reference Laboratory, Barwon Health, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | - Idir Bitam
- University of Boumerdes, Boumerdes, Algeria
| | - Pierre-Edouard Fournier
- Aix Marseille Université, Unité de Recherche en Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes (URMITE), UM63, CNRS 7278, IRD 198, Inserm 1095, WHO Collaborative Center for Rickettsioses and Other Arthropod-Borne Bacterial Diseases, Faculté de Médecine, Marseille, France
| | - Didier Raoult
- Aix Marseille Université, Unité de Recherche en Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes (URMITE), UM63, CNRS 7278, IRD 198, Inserm 1095, WHO Collaborative Center for Rickettsioses and Other Arthropod-Borne Bacterial Diseases, Faculté de Médecine, Marseille, France
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Hamer SA, Bernard AB, Donovan RM, Hartel JA, Wrangham RW, Otali E, Goldberg TL. Coincident tick infestations in the nostrils of wild chimpanzees and a human in Uganda. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2013; 89:924-7. [PMID: 24080634 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.13-0081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Ticks in the nostrils of humans visiting equatorial African forests have been reported sporadically for decades, but their taxonomy and natural history have remained obscure. We report human infestation with a nostril tick in Kibale National Park, Uganda, coincident with infestation of chimpanzees in the same location with nostril ticks, as shown by high-resolution digital photography. The human-derived nostril tick was identified morphologically and genetically as a nymph of the genus Amblyomma, but the mitochondrial 12S ribosomal RNA or the nuclear intergenic transcribed spacer 2 DNA sequences of the specimen were not represented in GenBank. These ticks may represent a previously uncharacterized species that is adapted to infesting chimpanzee nostrils as a defense against grooming. Ticks that feed upon apes and humans may facilitate cross-species transmission of pathogens, and the risk of exposure is likely elevated for persons who frequent ape habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah A Hamer
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas; Freelance Nature Photographer, Merchantville, New Jersey; Freelance Nature Photographer, Helena Montana; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California; Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge Massachusetts; Makerere University Biological Field Station, Fort Portal, Uganda; Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin
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Stachurski F, Tortosa P, Rahajarison P, Jacquet S, Yssouf A, Huber K. New data regarding distribution of cattle ticks in the south-western Indian Ocean islands. Vet Res 2013; 44:79. [PMID: 24016261 PMCID: PMC3848863 DOI: 10.1186/1297-9716-44-79] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2012] [Accepted: 08/01/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have produced new insight into the origin and distribution of some cattle ticks in the south-western Indian Ocean islands. Rhipicephalus appendiculatus, introduced from Tanzania in 2002, is now well established on Grande Comore but has not yet reached the other islands of the archipelago (Mohéli, Anjouan and Mayotte). Only one of the two clades identified in Africa has settled so far. Amblyomma variegatum, which was not supposed to be able to persist in the Antananarivo region (1300 m) nor in other Malagasy regions of high altitude without regular introductions of ticks by infested cattle, is now endemic as a general rule up to 1600 m although other regions of lower altitude (1400 m) are still free of the tick. This species remains confined in a small area of the west coast on La Reunion Island. On the contrary, Hyalomma dromedarii could not settle on Madagascar where it was introduced in 2008 and Rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi is not yet present in Grande Comore despite regular introductions by infested cattle from Tanzania. A phylogeographic approach has been carried out at an intra-specific level for A. variegatum. This study has led to the identification of two main lineages, one covering all species distribution and one restricted to East Africa and the Indian Ocean area. These two lineages are in sympatry in Madagascar where a high genetic diversity has been described, whereas a lower genetic diversity is observed on other islands. These results seem to agree with the historical data concerning the introduction of the tick in the Indian Ocean area.
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Movila A, Morozov A, Sitnicova N. Genetic Polymorphism of 12S rRNA Gene amongDermacentor reticulatusFabricius Ticks in the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone. J Parasitol 2013; 99:40-3. [DOI: 10.1645/ge-3225.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
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