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Balasubramanian T, Sambath U, Radja RD, Thangaraj G, Devaraju P, Srinivasan L, Srinivasan P, Nair MG, Raja K, Lakkawar AW, Soong L. Pathological Responses in Asian House Shrews ( Suncus murinus) to the Naturally Acquired Orientia tsutsugamushi Infection. Microorganisms 2024; 12:748. [PMID: 38674692 PMCID: PMC11051718 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12040748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Scrub typhus is a re-emerging disease caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi, transmitted by mites belonging to the family Trombiculidae. Humans and rodents acquire the infection by the bite of larval mites/chiggers. Suncus murinus, the Asian house shrew, has been reported to harbor the vector mites and has been naturally infected with O. tsutsugamushi. The present study aimed to localize and record O. tsutsugamushi in the tissues and the host response in shrews naturally infected with O. tsutsugamushi. Sheehan's modified May-Grunwald Giemsa staining was carried out in 365 tissues from 87 animals, and rickettsiae were documented in 87 tissues from 20 animals. Immunohistochemical (IHC) staining, using polyclonal antibodies raised against selected epitopes of the 56-kDa antigen, was carried out, and 81/87 tissue sections were tested positive for O. tsutsugamushi. By IHC, in addition to the endothelium, the pathogen was also demonstrated by IHC in cardiomyocytes, the bronchiolar epithelium, stroma of the lungs, hepatocytes, the bile duct epithelium, the epithelium and goblet cells of intestine, the tubular epithelium of the kidney, and splenic macrophages. Furthermore, the pathogen was confirmed by real-time PCR using blood (n = 20) and tissues (n = 81) of the IHC-positive animals. None of the blood samples and only 22 out of 81 IHC-positive tissues were tested positive by PCR. By nucleotide sequencing of the 56-kDa gene, Gilliam and Karp strains were found circulating among these animals. Although these bacterial strains are highly virulent and cause a wide range of pathological alterations, hence exploring their adaptive mechanisms of survival in shrews will be of significance. Given that the pathogen localizes in various organs following a transient bacteremia, we recommend the inclusion of tissues from the heart, lung, intestine, and kidney of reservoir animals, in addition to blood samples, for future molecular surveillance of scrub typhus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tharani Balasubramanian
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Veterinary Education and Research, Kurumbapet, Puducherry 605009, India; (T.B.); (U.S.); (M.G.N.); (K.R.); (A.W.L.)
| | - Uma Sambath
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Veterinary Education and Research, Kurumbapet, Puducherry 605009, India; (T.B.); (U.S.); (M.G.N.); (K.R.); (A.W.L.)
| | - Ranjana Devi Radja
- Unit of One Health, ICMR—Vector Control Research Centre, Indira Nagar, Puducherry 605006, India; (R.D.R.); (G.T.); (L.S.); (P.S.)
| | - Gowdham Thangaraj
- Unit of One Health, ICMR—Vector Control Research Centre, Indira Nagar, Puducherry 605006, India; (R.D.R.); (G.T.); (L.S.); (P.S.)
| | - Panneer Devaraju
- Unit of One Health, ICMR—Vector Control Research Centre, Indira Nagar, Puducherry 605006, India; (R.D.R.); (G.T.); (L.S.); (P.S.)
| | - Lakshmy Srinivasan
- Unit of One Health, ICMR—Vector Control Research Centre, Indira Nagar, Puducherry 605006, India; (R.D.R.); (G.T.); (L.S.); (P.S.)
| | - Pushpa Srinivasan
- Unit of One Health, ICMR—Vector Control Research Centre, Indira Nagar, Puducherry 605006, India; (R.D.R.); (G.T.); (L.S.); (P.S.)
| | - Madhavan Gopalakrishnan Nair
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Veterinary Education and Research, Kurumbapet, Puducherry 605009, India; (T.B.); (U.S.); (M.G.N.); (K.R.); (A.W.L.)
| | - Kumar Raja
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Veterinary Education and Research, Kurumbapet, Puducherry 605009, India; (T.B.); (U.S.); (M.G.N.); (K.R.); (A.W.L.)
| | - Avinash Warundeo Lakkawar
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Veterinary Education and Research, Kurumbapet, Puducherry 605009, India; (T.B.); (U.S.); (M.G.N.); (K.R.); (A.W.L.)
| | - Lynn Soong
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute for Human Infections & Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
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Hsueh YL, Chen HF, Chang MC, Yen TY, Su CL, Chiu HC, Hu HC, Chung YT, Shu PY, Yang SL. Epidemiology of Murine Typhus in Taiwan from 2013 to 2020. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2024; 110:768-778. [PMID: 38471176 PMCID: PMC10993848 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.23-0155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Murine typhus is a flea-borne disease caused by Rickettsia typhi infection. The disease is a notifiable infectious disease in Taiwan. Specimens from suspected cases are required to be sent to the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for laboratory diagnosis. In this study, 204 cases of murine typhus were identified by bacterial isolation, real-time polymerase chain reaction, or indirect immunofluorescence assay between 2013 and 2020. The average incidence rate was 0.11/100,000 person-years (95% CI: 0.08-0.13). Murine typhus occurred throughout the year, but it was most prevalent in summer (May to August). The majority of patients were males (75%), residents of Kaohsiung city (31%), and worked in agriculture, forestry, fishing, and animal husbandry (27%). Fever was the most common symptom, present in 95.6% of patients, followed by headache (41%), myalgia (33%), and liver dysfunction (33%). Only 13% of patients had a rash. Up to 80% of cases were among hospitalized patients, and 43% of patients developed severe manifestations. Serological assays also indicated coinfection events. Seven patients showed a 4-fold increase in antibody titers against Orientia tsutsugamushi (N = 2), Coxiella burnetii (n = 2), and Leptospira (N = 3). In conclusion, murine typhus is an endemic and important zoonotic rickettsial disease in Taiwan that cannot be ignored. Further epidemiological surveillance and clinical characteristics should be continuously investigated to prevent and control murine typhus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yeou-Lin Hsueh
- Center for Diagnostics and Vaccine Development, Centers for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Hsiang-Fei Chen
- Center for Diagnostics and Vaccine Development, Centers for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Mei-Chun Chang
- Center for Diagnostics and Vaccine Development, Centers for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Tsai-Ying Yen
- Center for Diagnostics and Vaccine Development, Centers for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Chien-Ling Su
- Center for Diagnostics and Vaccine Development, Centers for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Hsien-Chun Chiu
- Center for Diagnostics and Vaccine Development, Centers for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Huai-Chin Hu
- Center for Diagnostics and Vaccine Development, Centers for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Ya-Ting Chung
- Center for Diagnostics and Vaccine Development, Centers for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Pei-Yun Shu
- Center for Diagnostics and Vaccine Development, Centers for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Su-Lin Yang
- Center for Diagnostics and Vaccine Development, Centers for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taiwan, Republic of China
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Xue J, Chen SS, Xu ZY, Wang FN, Wang J, Diao D, Du L, Xie GC, Guo WP. Anaplasma, Bartonella, and Rickettsia infections in Daurian ground squirrels ( Spermophilus dauricus), Hebei, China. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1359797. [PMID: 38605713 PMCID: PMC11007220 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1359797] [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: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Rodents have been confirmed as hosts of various vector-borne zoonotic pathogens and are important for the maintenance of these microbes in nature. However, surveillance for zoonotic pathogens is limited for many wild rodent species in China, so our knowledge of pathogen ecology, genetic diversity, and the risk of cross-species transmission to humans is limited. In this study, 165 spleen samples of Daurian ground squirrels (Spermophilus dauricus) were collected from Weichang Manchu and the Mongolian Autonomous County of Hebei Province, China, and Rickettsia, Bartonella, and Anaplasma were identified by DNA detection using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Sequence analysis identified eight bacterial pathogens: R. raoultii, R. sibirica, Candidatus R. longicornii, B. washoensis, B. grahamii, B. jaculi, A. capra, and Candidatus Anaplasma cinensis. Co-infection of B. grahamii and R. raoultii in one sample was observed. Our results demonstrated the genetic diversity of bacteria in Daurian ground squirrels and contributed to the distribution of these pathogens. Six species, A. capra, R. raoultii, R. sibirica, Candidatus R. longicornii, B. washoensis, and B. grahamii, are known to be pathogenic to humans, indicating a potential public health risk to the local human population, especially to herders who frequently have close contact with Daurian ground squirrels and are thus exposed to their ectoparasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Xue
- College of Basic Medicine, Chengde Medical University, Chengde, China
| | - Si-Si Chen
- College of Basic Medicine, Chengde Medical University, Chengde, China
| | - Ze-Yun Xu
- College of Basic Medicine, Chengde Medical University, Chengde, China
| | - Fang-Ni Wang
- College of Basic Medicine, Chengde Medical University, Chengde, China
| | - Jiangli Wang
- Chengde Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chengde, China
| | - Danhong Diao
- Chengde Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chengde, China
| | - Luanying Du
- College of Basic Medicine, Chengde Medical University, Chengde, China
| | - Guang-Cheng Xie
- College of Basic Medicine, Chengde Medical University, Chengde, China
| | - Wen-Ping Guo
- College of Basic Medicine, Chengde Medical University, Chengde, China
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Liao JR, Liao YH, Liao KM, Wu HH, Tu WC, Lin YH. Nationwide survey of ticks on domesticated animals in Taiwan: Revealing the hidden threat to animal and public health. MEDICAL AND VETERINARY ENTOMOLOGY 2024; 38:99-107. [PMID: 37715613 DOI: 10.1111/mve.12692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/17/2023]
Abstract
Ticks are not only bloodsucking ectoparasites but also important vectors of tick-borne diseases (TBDs), posing significant threats to public and animal health. Domesticated animals serve as critical hosts for numerous ticks, highlighting the importance of understanding tick infestations in Taiwan. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a nationwide survey to identify ticks on domesticated animals and associated environments in 2018 and 2019. A total of 6,205 ticks were collected from 1,337 host animals, revealing the presence of seven tick species, with Rhipicephalus microplus, and Rhipicephalus sanguineus being the dominant species. High infestation rates and widespread distribution of ticks were observed on domesticated animals, especially on dogs and cattle (yellow cattle and angus cattle), and the neighbouring grassland of yellow cattle. While this study has certain limitations, it provides valuable insights into the distribution and prevalence of ticks on domesticated animals in Taiwan and their implications for controlling TBDs. Further research is needed to comprehensively understand the complex interactions among ticks, hosts and pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jhih-Rong Liao
- Systematic Zoology Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yi-Hao Liao
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, Yuanpei University of Medical Technology, Hsinchu City, Taiwan
| | - Kuei-Min Liao
- National Mosquito-Borne Diseases Control Research Center, National Health Research Institutes, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Huai-Hui Wu
- Department of Biotechnology, Tajen University, Yanpu Township, Taiwan
| | - Wu-Chun Tu
- National Mosquito-Borne Diseases Control Research Center, National Health Research Institutes, Tainan, Taiwan
- Department of Entomology, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung City, Taiwan
- School of Life Sciences and Technology, Bandung Institute of Technology, Bandung, Indonesia
| | - Ying-Hsi Lin
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, Yuanpei University of Medical Technology, Hsinchu City, Taiwan
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Shehla S, Almutairi MM, Alouffi A, Tanaka T, Chang SC, Chen CC, Ali A. Molecular Survey of Rickettsia raoultii in Ticks Infesting Livestock from Pakistan with Notes on Pathogen Distribution in Palearctic and Oriental Regions. Vet Sci 2023; 10:636. [PMID: 37999459 PMCID: PMC10675567 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci10110636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Ticks are hematophagous ectoparasites that transmit different pathogens such as Rickettsia spp. to domestic and wild animals as well as humans. Genetic characterizations of Rickettsia spp. from different regions of Pakistan are mostly based on one or two genetic markers and are confined to small sampling areas and limited host ranges. Therefore, this study aimed to molecularly screen and genetically characterize Rickettsia spp. in various tick species infesting camels, sheep, and goats. All the collected tick specimens were morphologically identified, and randomly selected tick species (148) were screened molecularly for the detection of Rickettsia spp. by amplifying three rickettsial DNA fragments, namely, the citrate-synthase gene (gltA), outer-membrane protein A (ompA), and outer-membrane protein B (ompB). After examining 261 hosts, 161 (61.7%) hosts were found infested by 564 ticks, including 287 (50.9%) nymphs, 171 (30.3%) females, and 106 (18.8%) males in five districts (Kohat, Dera Ismail Khan, Lower Dir, Bajaur, and Mansehra). The highest occurrence was noted for Hyalomma dromedarii (number = 72, 12.8%), followed by Haemaphysalis sulcata (n = 70, 12.4%), Rhipicephalus turanicus (n = 64, 11.3%), Rhipicephalus microplus (n = 55, 9.7%), Haemaphysalis cornupunctata (n = 49, 8.7%), Hyalomma turanicum (n = 48, 8.5%), Hyalomma isaaci (n = 45, 8.0%), Haemaphysalis montgomeryi (n = 44, 7.8%), Hyalomma anatolicum (n = 42, 7.5%), Haemaphysalis bispinosa (n = 38, 6.7%), and Rhipicephalus haemaphysaloides (n = 37, 6.6%). A subset of 148 ticks were tested, in which eight (5.4%) ticks, including four Hy. turanicum, two Ha. cornupunctata, one Ha. montgomeryi, and one Ha. bispinosa, were found positive for Rickettsia sp. The gltA, ompA, and ompB sequences revealed 100% identity and were phylogenetically clustered with Rickettsia raoultii reported in China, Russia, USA, Turkey, Denmark, Austria, Italy, and France. Additionally, various reports on R. raoultii from Palearctic and Oriental regions were summarized in this study. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report regarding genetic characterization and phylogenetic analysis of R. raoultii from Pakistan. Further studies to investigate the association between Rickettsia spp. and ticks should be encouraged to apprise effective management of zoonotic consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shehla Shehla
- Department of Zoology, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan, Mardan 23200, Pakistan
| | - Mashal M. Almutairi
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdulaziz Alouffi
- King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, Riyadh 12354, Saudi Arabia
| | - Tetsuya Tanaka
- Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima 890-0065, Japan
| | - Shun-Chung Chang
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Ditmanson Medical Foundation Chia-Yi Christian Hospital, Chiayi 60002, Taiwan
| | - Chien-Chin Chen
- Department of Pathology, Ditmanson Medical Foundation Chia-Yi Christian Hospital, Chiayi 60002, Taiwan
- Department of Cosmetic Science, Chia Nan University of Pharmacy and Science, Tainan 717, Taiwan
- Rong Hsing Research Center for Translational Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioindustry Sciences, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan
| | - Abid Ali
- Department of Zoology, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan, Mardan 23200, Pakistan
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Minahan NT, Wu WJ, Tsai KH. Rickettsia felis is an emerging human pathogen associated with cat fleas: A review of findings in Taiwan. JOURNAL OF MICROBIOLOGY, IMMUNOLOGY, AND INFECTION = WEI MIAN YU GAN RAN ZA ZHI 2023; 56:10-19. [PMID: 36585292 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmii.2022.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Revised: 12/03/2022] [Accepted: 12/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Rickettsia felis is an emerging rickettsial agent principally associated with cat fleas (Ctenocephalides felis), formerly discovered in 1990. Since then, clinical cases of R. felis infection have been identified globally by specific DNA sequences in patients with undifferentiated febrile illness, including in Taiwan, but such evidence is limited. R. felis rickettsiosis is self-limiting and easily treated with doxycycline, but its diagnosis remains a challenge. Environmental risk factors for R. felis rickettsiosis have yet to be clearly demonstrated, and its transmission biology is incompletely understood. Cat fleas are naturally infected with R. felis at varying rates, and vector competence in the transmission of R. felis has been demonstrated in animal models, including dogs, which may serve as reservoir hosts. In northern Taiwan, despite ∼20% of cat fleas infesting companion animals consistently found to be infected with R. felis, only a few cases of potential R. felis infection have been identified through a retrospective serological investigation, though without molecular confirmation. Ecological studies have identified divergent R. felis-like organisms in different arthropod hosts, but these strains appear to serve as nonpathogenic endosymbionts. Although its association with disease is limited, we believe cat flea-borne R. felis warrants increased recognition in an aging population due to immunosenescence and the proximity of companion animals to the elderly. Adopting a One Health approach involving collaboration and communication between clinicians, veterinarians, public health practitioners, and environmental scientists will improve our knowledge about this neglected pathogen and promote the prevention and control of vector-borne diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas T Minahan
- Institute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Jer Wu
- Department of Entomology, College of Bioresources and Agriculture, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Kun-Hsien Tsai
- Institute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Entomology, College of Bioresources and Agriculture, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Public Health, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
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Ghasemi A, Latifian M, Esmaeili S, Naddaf SR, Mostafavi E. Molecular surveillance for Rickettsia spp. and Bartonella spp. in ticks from Northern Iran. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0278579. [PMID: 36476750 PMCID: PMC9728842 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0278579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Tick-borne zoonotic diseases pose a threat to public health; hence, identifying the pathogenic agents associated with them is critical. The prevalence of Bartonella and Rickettsia in Iran is unknown. This study aimed to detect Rickettsia spp. and Bartonella species in ticks in northeast Iran and conduct phylogenetic analysis on these bacteria. Ticks from the sample bank in the Research Center for Emerging and Re-emerging Diseases were included in this study. The ticks were collected in 2017 and 2018 from domestic animals (sheep, goats, cows, camels, horses, dogs, and donkeys) and rodents in Golestan, Mazandaran, and Guilan provinces. Molecular methods were used to examine the DNA extracted from these samples to detect Rickettsia spp. and Bartonella species. The study examined a total of 3999 ticks. Ixodes ricinus (46.4%), Rhipicephalus turanicus (26.3%), and Rhipicephalus sanguineus (17.1%) were the most prevalent species. Among 638 DNA pools, real-time-PCR detected Rickettsia spp. in 161 (25.2%), mostly belonging to Rh. sanguineus (48.9%) and Rh. turanicus (41.9%). Golestan Province had the highest number of positive pools (29.7%). No positive samples for Bartonella were detected in a 638 pooled samples. Eight distinct Rickettsia species were detected in 65 sequenced samples, the majority of which were R. massiliae (n = 32, 49.2%) and R. sibirica (n = 20, 30.8%). Other species included R. rhipicephali (n = 3), R. aeschlimannii (n = 5), R. helvetica (n = 5), R. asiatica (n = 4), R. monacensis (n = 6), and R. raoultii (n = 1). The research findings may provide helpful information about tick-borne Rickettsiae in Iran and help to clarify the role of these arthropods in maintaining these agents. Rickettsia species were found to be circulating in three Northern provinces; thus, it is recommended that this disease be considered in the differential diagnosis of febrile diseases caused by tick bites and febrile diseases with skin rashes such as Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmad Ghasemi
- Department of Microbiology, Research Center of Reference Health Laboratories, Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Tehran, Iran
- National Reference Laboratory for Plague, Tularemia and Q Fever, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Akanlu, KabudarAhang, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Mina Latifian
- National Reference Laboratory for Plague, Tularemia and Q Fever, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Akanlu, KabudarAhang, Hamadan, Iran
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatics, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Saber Esmaeili
- National Reference Laboratory for Plague, Tularemia and Q Fever, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Akanlu, KabudarAhang, Hamadan, Iran
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatics, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Ehsan Mostafavi
- National Reference Laboratory for Plague, Tularemia and Q Fever, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Akanlu, KabudarAhang, Hamadan, Iran
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatics, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
- * E-mail:
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Kuo CC, Lee PL, Wang HC. Molecular identification of Rickettsia spp. in chigger mites in Taiwan. MEDICAL AND VETERINARY ENTOMOLOGY 2022; 36:223-229. [PMID: 34846757 DOI: 10.1111/mve.12560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Revised: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The genus Rickettsia is the causative agent of several rickettsial diseases that are primarily transmitted by hard ticks. The occurrence of Rickettsia in chigger mites, which are vectors of scrub typhus in the western Pacific region, has been infrequently investigated. We identified Rickettsia spp. in chiggers collected from small mammals in six counties of Taiwan. Moreover, by capitalising on parallel Rickettsia detections on small mammals and their infested ticks and fleas, we were able to identify Rickettsia spp. that suggested more intimate associations with chigger mites. Rickettsia detection rates in 318 pools of chiggers were 21.7% and 22.3% when based on the ompB and gltA gene, respectively. Overall, we identified six (based on the ompB gene) and eight (gltA gene) Rickettsia species. Approximately half of the sequenced species were most similar to Rickettsia sp. clone MB74-1 (ompB gene) and Rickettsia sp. TwKM02 (gltA gene). Furthermore, both species were either infrequently or never identified in small mammals, ticks and fleas, which suggests that chigger mites might be the primary host of both rickettsiae. Whether both species are pathogenic to humans remains to be studied. They may also be microbial endosymbionts of chigger mites, with their potential effects on the pathogenicity of the aetiologic agent of scrub typhus deserving further investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi-Chien Kuo
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Pei-Lung Lee
- Center for Diagnostics and Vaccine Development, Centers for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hsi-Chieh Wang
- Center for Diagnostics and Vaccine Development, Centers for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taipei, Taiwan
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Richards AL. Available data do not suggest Rickettsia rickettsii has been found in Indonesia. ECOHEALTH 2022; 19:3-4. [PMID: 34462848 DOI: 10.1007/s10393-021-01551-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Allen L Richards
- Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA.
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Prevalence and Molecular Characterization of Rickettsia spp. from Wild Small Mammals in Public Parks and Urban Areas of Bangkok Metropolitan, Thailand. Trop Med Infect Dis 2021; 6:tropicalmed6040199. [PMID: 34842856 PMCID: PMC8628900 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed6040199] [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: 10/05/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Rural areas usually show a higher prevalence of rickettsial infection than urban areas. However, information on the rickettsial infection status in urban settings (e.g., built-up areas and city parks) is still limited, particularly in the Bangkok metropolitan area. In this study, we performed a molecular rickettsial survey of spleen samples of small mammals caught in public parks and built-up areas of Bangkok. Out of 198 samples, the Rattus rattus complex was found to be most prevalent. The amplification of rickettsial gltA fragment gene (338 bp) by nested PCR assay revealed positive results in four samples, yielding a low prevalence of infection of 2.02%. DNA sequencing results confirmed that three samples were matched with Rickettsia typhi, and one was identified as R. felis. It is noteworthy that this is the first report of the occurrence of R. felis DNA in rodents in Southeast Asia.
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Yen TY, Wang HC, Chang YC, Su CL, Chang SF, Shu PY, Tsai KH. Seroepidemiological Study of Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiae and Identification of a Putative New Species, Rickesttsia sp. Da-1, in Gongliao, Northeast Taiwan. Pathogens 2021; 10:pathogens10111434. [PMID: 34832589 PMCID: PMC8617620 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10111434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Tick-borne spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsioses were neglected in Taiwan. The study reported a seroepidemiological survey of SFG rickettsiae in residents in Gongliao District, Northeast Taiwan. Blood samples were examined for antibodies against SFG rickettsiae by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunofluorescence assay. Risk factors were assessed using logistic regression. Ticks parasitizing dogs were collected within a 2 km radius from the houses of seropositive participants, and PCR was performed to detect possible tick-borne pathogens. Of 1108 participants, 75 (6.8%) had antibodies against SFG rickettsiae. Residents were more likely to be seropositive if they were older than 65 years, recruited by Dr. Enjoy’s Clinic, or resided in Jilin village. A total of 184 ticks including 5 species (Rhipicephalus sanguineus, Rhipicephalus haemaphysaloides, Dermacentor auratus, Haemaphysalis hystricis, Haemaphysalis ornithophila) were collected. Rickettsia spp. were detected in 6.5% (12/184) of ticks. Rickettsia sp. TwKM01 was found in 6 R. sanguineus and 4 R. haemaphysaloides; while Rickettsia sp. TwKM03 was identified in 1 R. sanguineus. Moreover, gene-based pairwise analysis indicated identification of a putative new species, Rickettsia sp. Da-1, in D. auratus. These findings provided evidence of SFG rickettsiae infection in ticks and suggested SFG rickettsiae exposure in the residents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsai-Ying Yen
- Institute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei 100025, Taiwan; (T.-Y.Y.); (H.-C.W.)
| | - Hsi-Chieh Wang
- Institute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei 100025, Taiwan; (T.-Y.Y.); (H.-C.W.)
| | - Yin-Chao Chang
- Dr. Enjoy’s Clinic, Gong-Liao District, New Taipei City 228003, Taiwan;
| | - Chien-Ling Su
- Center for Diagnostics and Vaccine Development, Centers for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taipei 115210, Taiwan; (C.-L.S.); (S.-F.C.)
| | - Shu-Fen Chang
- Center for Diagnostics and Vaccine Development, Centers for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taipei 115210, Taiwan; (C.-L.S.); (S.-F.C.)
| | - Pei-Yun Shu
- Center for Diagnostics and Vaccine Development, Centers for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taipei 115210, Taiwan; (C.-L.S.); (S.-F.C.)
- Correspondence: (P.-Y.S.); (K.-H.T.); Tel.: +886-2-26531372 (P.-Y.S.); +886-2-33668103 (K.-H.T.)
| | - Kun-Hsien Tsai
- Institute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei 100025, Taiwan; (T.-Y.Y.); (H.-C.W.)
- Department of Public Health, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei 100025, Taiwan
- Correspondence: (P.-Y.S.); (K.-H.T.); Tel.: +886-2-26531372 (P.-Y.S.); +886-2-33668103 (K.-H.T.)
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12
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Yang WH, Hsu MS, Shu PY, Tsai KH, Fang CT. Neglected human Rickettsia felis infection in Taiwan: A retrospective seroepidemiological survey of patients with suspected rickettsioses. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2021; 15:e0009355. [PMID: 33872325 PMCID: PMC8084327 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Revised: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Current knowledge on Rickettsia felis infection in humans is based on sporadic case reports. Here we conducted a retrospective seroepidemiological survey of R. felis infection among febrile patients visiting a medical center in Taipei. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS A total of 122 patients with suspected rickettsioses presenting with fever of unknown origin (FUO) but tested negative for scrub typhus, murine typhus, or Q fever were retrospectively identified during 2009 to 2010. The archived serum samples were examined for the presence of antibodies against R. felis, Rickettsia japonica, and Rickettsia typhi using microimmunofluorescence (MIF) assay. Serological evidence of Rickettsia exposure was found in 23 (19%, 23/122) patients. Eight patients had antibodies reactive to R. felis, including four with current infection (a ≥4-fold increase in IgG titer between acute and convalescent sera). The clinical presentations of these four patients included fever, skin rash, lymphadenopathy, as well as more severe conditions such as pancytopenia, hepatomegaly, elevated liver enzymes/bilirubin, and life-threatening acute respiratory distress syndrome. One of the patients died after doxycycline was stopped after being tested negative for scrub typhus, Q fever, and murine typhus. CONCLUSIONS Rickettsia felis is a neglected flea-borne pathogen in Taiwan, and its infection can be life-threatening. Further prospective studies of the prevalence of R. felis among patients with FUO and compatible clinical manifestations are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wan-Hsiu Yang
- Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Meng-Shiuan Hsu
- Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Disease, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Healthcare Administration, Oriental Institute of Technology, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Pei-Yun Shu
- Center for Diagnostics and Vaccine Development, Centers for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Kun-Hsien Tsai
- Institute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Public Health, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chi-Tai Fang
- Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Public Health, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
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13
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Kwak ML, Neves ES, Borthwick SA, Smith GJD, Meier R, Mendenhall IH. Habitat impacts the abundance and network structure within tick (Acari: Ixodidae) communities on tropical small mammals. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2021; 12:101654. [PMID: 33548598 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2021.101654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2020] [Revised: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 01/10/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Ticks of small mammals pose a significant risk to public health but these hazards are poorly understood in the tropics due to the paucity of information on the disease ecology of ticks in these regions. Mapping and quantifying the diversity of small mammal/tick networks and the effects of habitat on these medically important systems is key to disease prevention. Singapore represents a microcosm of much of tropical Asia as it has a diverse, though poorly studied, community of ticks and small mammals. Singapore also has a range of terrestrial habitats exhibiting a gradient of degradation. Small mammals and their ticks were sampled across the island in four main habitat types (old secondary forest, young secondary forest, scrubland, urban) across 4.5 years. Four tick species were collected (Amblyomma helvolum, Dermacentor auratus, Haemaphysalis semermis, Ixodes granulatus) from 10 small mammal species. Habitat was found to have a significant effect on both the abundance and structure of tick communities on small mammals. Old secondary forest communities had the highest tick abundance, comparatively high connectance, niche overlap (among ticks), linkage density, and were the preferred habitat of the zoonotic tick I. granulatus. Therefore, future disease spillover is likely to emerge from small mammal-tick communities in old secondary forests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mackenzie L Kwak
- Department of Biological Science, National University of Singapore, 16 Science Drive 4, 117558, Singapore.
| | - Erica S Neves
- Program in Emerging Infectious Diseases, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
| | - Sophie A Borthwick
- Program in Emerging Infectious Diseases, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
| | - Gavin J D Smith
- Program in Emerging Infectious Diseases, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
| | - Rudolf Meier
- Department of Biological Science, National University of Singapore, 16 Science Drive 4, 117558, Singapore
| | - Ian H Mendenhall
- Program in Emerging Infectious Diseases, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
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14
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Kuo CC, Lee PL, Wang HC. Molecular detection of Rickettsia species and host associations of Laelaps mites (Acari: Laelapidae) in Taiwan. EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2020; 81:547-559. [PMID: 32647905 PMCID: PMC7346847 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-020-00522-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2019] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Various rickettsiae have recently been detected in Laelaps mites (Acari: Laelapidae), which are common ectoparasites of rodents; however, investigations on this topic remain very scarce, particularly in Asia. In the present study, shrews and rodents were trapped from 2006 to 2010 in eight lowland regions of Taiwan (< 500 m in elevation) to collect associated Laelaps mites, from which Rickettsia-a group of emerging pathogens-were detected and identified by assaying the gltA and ompB genes. A total of 853 Laelaps mites of at least four species were collected from a sample of 1004 small mammals that included one shrew and 10 rodent species. Rattus losea was the most common species (44.9% of total hosts) and hosted the highest percentage of mites (76.6% of total mites). Laelaps nuttalli was the most abundant mite species (51.7% of total mites), followed by Laelaps echidninus (24.2%), Laelaps sedlaceki (23.1%), and Laelaps myonyssognathus (0.2%). Notably, Rickettsia species with the highest similarity to spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsiae were identified from seven of the 72 pools of Laelaps mites. The presence of SFG rickettsiae in hematophagous Laelaps mites, particularly including species that are closely associated with commensal rodents in frequent contact with humans, calls for further investigation on the competence of Laelaps mites in transmitting rickettsiae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi-Chien Kuo
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Pei-Lung Lee
- Center for Diagnostics and Vaccine Development, Centers for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hsi-Chieh Wang
- Center for Diagnostics and Vaccine Development, Centers for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taipei, Taiwan.
- Institute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
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15
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Wang HC, Lee PL, Kuo CC. Fleas of Shrews and Rodents in Rural Lowland Taiwan. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2020; 57:595-600. [PMID: 31693136 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjz194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Fleas transmit a variety of pathogens to humans but are relatively understudied in comparison to mosquitoes and ticks, including in Taiwan, where fleas in rural lowlands have never been systematically surveyed. In total, 700 fleas of four species were collected from 1,260 shrews and rodents at nine counties across lowland Taiwan. Nosopsyllus nicanus Jordan (Siphonaptera: Ceratophyllidae) and Xenopsylla cheopis Rothschild (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae) were the most abundant flea species (79.0 and 14.6% of total fleas, respectively); the former was largely limited to the islets, while the latter was restricted to the Taiwan main island. Rattus losea Swinhoe (Rodentia: Muridae) was the most common small mammal species (49.3% of total) and hosted the majority of fleas (88.3% of total). Five Rickettsia spp., including Rickettsia conorii Brumpt (Rickettsiales: Rickettsiaceae), Rickettsia felis Bouyer et al. Rickettsia japonica Uchida, Rickettsia raoultii Mediannikov, and Rickettsia rickettsii Brumpt or closely related species, were identified from 67 individually assayed fleas based on ompB and gltA genes. Rickettsia felis, mainly transmitted by fleas, was detected in one X. cheopis in southern Taiwan where a confirmed human case of infection with R. felis has been reported. The presence of R. felis, along with the other four tick-borne Rickettsia spp., demonstrates that a variety of rickettsiae circulate in rural lowland Taiwan and could pose risks to human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsi-Chieh Wang
- Center for Diagnostics and Vaccine Development, Centers for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taipei, Taiwan
- Institute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Pei-Lung Lee
- Center for Diagnostics and Vaccine Development, Centers for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chi-Chien Kuo
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
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16
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Wei CY, Wang JK, Shih HC, Wang HC, Kuo CC. Invasive plants facilitated by socioeconomic change harbor vectors of scrub typhus and spotted fever. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2020; 14:e0007519. [PMID: 31961870 PMCID: PMC6994164 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2019] [Revised: 01/31/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ecological determinants of most emerging vector-borne diseases are understudied, particularly for neglected tropical disease. Moreover, although socioeconomic impacts can have significant downstream effects on human risks to vector-borne diseases via a change in land cover, particularly facilitating the invasion of exotic plants, related studies remains very scarce. Scrub typhus and spotted fever are neglected diseases emerging around the globe and are transmitted by chigger mites and ticks infective of Orientia tsutsugamushi and Rickettsia spp., respectively, with small mammals as the primary hosts of both vectors. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We investigated how invasions of the plant Leucaena leucocephala caused by widespread abandonment of farmlands driven by industrialization affected abundance of chiggers and ticks in Penghu Island, Taiwan. We determined ectoparasite abundance by trapping small mammals in three types of habitats (invasion site, agricultural field, human residential) every two months for a year. Based on ectoparasite burdens, invasion sites harbored more chiggers and ticks than the other two habitats. Furthermore, hosts maintained higher burdens of both vectors in early winter and burdens of chiggers were more stable across seasons in invasion sites, suggesting that sites with invasive plants could be a temporary refuge for both vectors and might help mitigate the negative influence of unfavorable climate. Infective rates of O. tsutsugamushi in chiggers and Rickettsia in ticks were also consistently not lower in invasion sites. Top soil temperature and relative humidity were similar across the three habitats, but invasion sites contained more of the rat Rattus losea, on which chiggers and ticks were more engorged than those from the most commonly trapped species (Suncus murinus shrew), indicating that abundance of the host R. losea instead of microclimate might better determine the abundance of both vectors. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE This study highlights an important but largely neglected issue that socioeconomic change can have unexpected consequences for human health induced particularly by invasive plants, which could become a hotspot for emerging infectious diseases but usually are very hard to be eradicated. In the future, a more comprehensive approach that integrates socio-economics, land use, exotic species, and human health should be considered to fully understand potential emergence of vector-borne diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen-Yu Wei
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jen-Kai Wang
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Han-Chun Shih
- Center for Diagnostics and Vaccine Development, Centers for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hsi-Chieh Wang
- Center for Diagnostics and Vaccine Development, Centers for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taipei, Taiwan
- Institute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chi-Chien Kuo
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
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17
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Satjanadumrong J, Robinson MT, Hughes T, Blacksell SD. Distribution and Ecological Drivers of Spotted Fever Group Rickettsia in Asia. ECOHEALTH 2019; 16:611-626. [PMID: 30993545 PMCID: PMC6910891 DOI: 10.1007/s10393-019-01409-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2018] [Revised: 02/21/2019] [Accepted: 02/22/2019] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Spotted fever group and related rickettsia (SFGR) are a neglected group of pathogens that belong to the genus Rickettsia. SFGR are zoonotic and are transmitted by arthropod vectors, primarily ticks, fleas and mites to accidental hosts. These emerging and re-emerging infections are widely distributed throughout the world. Land-use change and increasing human-wildlife conflict compound the risk of SFGR infection to local people in endemic areas and travelers to these regions. In this article, we discuss the rickettsial organisms causing spotted fever and related diseases, their arthropod vectors in Asia and the impact of land-use change on their spread.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaruwan Satjanadumrong
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, 420/6 Rajvithee Road, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Matthew T Robinson
- Lao-Oxford-Mahosot Hospital-Wellcome Trust Research Unit (LOMWRU), Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, Churchill Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7FZ, UK
| | - Tom Hughes
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, 420/6 Rajvithee Road, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
- EcoHealth Alliance, 460 West 34th Street, 17th Floor, New York, NY, USA
| | - Stuart D Blacksell
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, 420/6 Rajvithee Road, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand.
- Lao-Oxford-Mahosot Hospital-Wellcome Trust Research Unit (LOMWRU), Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic.
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, Churchill Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7FZ, UK.
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18
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Kuo CC, Huang JL, Chien CH, Shih HC, Wang HC. First molecular detection of Anaplasma phagocytophilum in the hard tick Rhipicephalus haemaphysaloides in Taiwan. EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2018; 75:437-443. [PMID: 30116923 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-018-0283-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2018] [Accepted: 08/13/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Anaplasma phagocytophilum is transmitted mainly by hard ticks and can cause potentially fatal granulocytic anaplasmosis in humans, but its occurrence in ticks in Taiwan has never been investigated although this pathogen has been detected in Taiwanese rodents before. Ticks collected from small mammals in Hualien, eastern Taiwan, were assayed for Anaplasma infections; infections of Rickettsia and Apicomplexa protozoans were also studied. Of the 270 individually assayed Rhipicephalus haemaphysaloides ticks, A. phagocytophilum was identified in a nymphal tick. Parasites most similar to Anaplasma bovis, Rickettsia rickettsii, Rickettsia sp. TwKM01, and at least seven apicomplexan species (including genera Cryptosporidium, Hepatozoon, and Theileria) were also identified. This study shows that A. phagocytophilum does occur in the hard tick in Taiwan, although whether R. haemaphysaloides can vector this pathogen remains to be determined. This work also reveals a high diversity of tick-borne bacteria and protozoans circulating in a small region and calls for further research on their potential risks for human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi-Chien Kuo
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Center for Diagnostics and Vaccine Development, Centers for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Jing-Lun Huang
- Center for Diagnostics and Vaccine Development, Centers for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taipei, Taiwan
- Biological Sciences, Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Chia-Hao Chien
- Center for Diagnostics and Vaccine Development, Centers for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Han-Chun Shih
- Center for Diagnostics and Vaccine Development, Centers for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hsi-Chieh Wang
- Center for Diagnostics and Vaccine Development, Centers for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taipei, Taiwan.
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19
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Fischer S, Spierling NG, Heuser E, Kling C, Schmidt S, Rosenfeld UM, Reil D, Imholt C, Jacob J, Ulrich RG, Essbauer S. High prevalence of Rickettsia helvetica in wild small mammal populations in Germany. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2018; 9:500-505. [PMID: 29398604 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2018.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2017] [Revised: 11/01/2017] [Accepted: 01/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Since the beginning of the 21st century, spotted fever rickettsioses are known as emerging diseases worldwide. Rickettsiae are obligately intracellular bacteria transmitted by arthropod vectors. The ecology of Rickettsia species has not been investigated in detail, but small mammals are considered to play a role as reservoirs. Aim of this study was to monitor rickettsiae in wild small mammals over a period of five years in four federal states of Germany. Initial screening of ear pinna tissues of 3939 animals by Pan-Rick real-time PCR targeting the citrate synthase (gltA) gene revealed 296 rodents of seven species and 19 shrews of two species positive for rickettsial DNA. Outer membrane protein gene (ompB, ompAIV) PCRs based typing resulted in the identification of three species: Rickettsia helvetica (90.9%) was found as the dominantly occurring species in the four investigated federal states, but Rickettsia felis (7.8%) and Rickettsia raoultii (1.3%) were also detected. The prevalence of Rickettsia spp. in rodents of the genus Apodemus was found to be higher (approximately 14%) than in all other rodent and shrew species at all investigated sites. General linear mixed model analyses indicated that heavier (older) individuals of yellow-necked mice and male common voles seem to contain more often rickettsial DNA than younger ones. Furthermore, rodents generally collected in forests in summer and autumn more often carried rickettsial DNA. In conclusion, this study indicated a high prevalence of R. helvetica in small mammal populations and suggests an age-dependent increase of the DNA prevalence in some of the species and in animals originating from forest habitats. The finding of R. helvetica and R. felis DNA in multiple small mammal species may indicate frequent trans-species transmission by feeding of vectors on different species. Further investigations should target the reason for the discrepancy between the high rickettsial DNA prevalence in rodents and the so far almost absence of clinical apparent human infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Fischer
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Südufer 10, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Nastasja G Spierling
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Südufer 10, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Elisa Heuser
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Südufer 10, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Christopher Kling
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Department Virology and Rickettsiology, Neuherbergstr. 11, 80937 Munich, Germany
| | - Sabrina Schmidt
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Südufer 10, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Ulrike M Rosenfeld
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Südufer 10, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Daniela Reil
- Julius Kühn-Institute, Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Plant Protection in Horticulture and Forests, Vertebrate Research, Toppheideweg 88, 48161 Münster, Germany
| | - Christian Imholt
- Julius Kühn-Institute, Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Plant Protection in Horticulture and Forests, Vertebrate Research, Toppheideweg 88, 48161 Münster, Germany
| | - Jens Jacob
- Julius Kühn-Institute, Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Plant Protection in Horticulture and Forests, Vertebrate Research, Toppheideweg 88, 48161 Münster, Germany
| | - Rainer G Ulrich
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Südufer 10, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Sandra Essbauer
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Department Virology and Rickettsiology, Neuherbergstr. 11, 80937 Munich, Germany.
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Minahan NT, Chao CC, Tsai KH. The Re-Emergence and Emergence of Vector-Borne Rickettsioses in Taiwan. Trop Med Infect Dis 2017; 3:E1. [PMID: 30274400 PMCID: PMC6136612 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed3010001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2017] [Revised: 12/17/2017] [Accepted: 12/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Rickettsial diseases, particularly vector-borne rickettsioses (VBR), have a long history in Taiwan, with studies on scrub typhus and murine typhus dating back over a century. The climatic and geographic diversity of Taiwan's main island and its offshore islands provide many ecological niches for the diversification and maintenance of rickettsiae alike. In recent decades, scrub typhus has re-emerged as the most prevalent type of rickettsiosis in Taiwan, particularly in eastern Taiwan and its offshore islands. While murine typhus has also re-emerged on Taiwan's western coast, it remains neglected. Perhaps more alarming than the re-emergence of these rickettsioses is the emergence of newly described VBR. The first case of human infection with Rickettsia felis was confirmed in 2005, and undetermined spotted fever group rickettsioses have recently been detected. Taiwan is at a unique advantage in terms of detecting and characterizing VBR, as it has universal health coverage and a national communicable disease surveillance system; however, these systems have not been fully utilized for this purpose. Here, we review the existing knowledge on the eco-epidemiology of VBR in Taiwan and recommend future courses of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas T Minahan
- Institute of Environmental Health, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, No. 17, Xu-Zhou Road, Taipei 100, Taiwan.
| | - Chien-Chung Chao
- Viral and Rickettsial Diseases Department, Infectious Diseases Directorate, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA.
| | - Kun-Hsien Tsai
- Institute of Environmental Health, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, No. 17, Xu-Zhou Road, Taipei 100, Taiwan.
- Department of Public Health, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, No. 17, Xu-Zhou Road, Taipei 100, Taiwan.
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Essbauer S, Hofmann M, Kleinemeier C, Wölfel S, Matthee S. Rickettsia diversity in southern Africa: A small mammal perspective. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2017; 9:288-301. [PMID: 29174365 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2017.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2017] [Revised: 11/01/2017] [Accepted: 11/09/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Worldwide, including Africa, rickettsioses are recognized as emerging or re-emerging infections. To date, little is known about the diversity of Rickettsia species that are naturally associated with small mammals in southern Africa. The aim of the study was to screen a diversity of small mammals for the presence of rickettsial DNA. Animals were trapped at 38 localities in South Africa and Namibia. In total, 1616 ear-tissue samples from 23 species representing 17 genera were tested using real-time (rt)PCR and multi-locus sequence typing (MLST). Of the 1616 samples 251 (15.5%) were positive in an initial rtPCR. In 16 of the 23 investigated animal species rickettsial DNA was detected with an average prevalence of 15.7%. We herein describe for the first time four Rickettsia (R.) species known to be pathogenic for humans in rodents from South Africa, R. conorii, R. massiliae, R. felis and R. helvetica. In addition, by MLST and subsequent phylogenetic analyses so far undescribed Rickettsia species, Candidatus Rickettsia africaustralis, Candidatus Rickettsia rhabdomydis, and Candidatus Rickettsia muridii were confirmed. Further four new genotypes, genotype Rickettsia hofmannii, genotype Rickettsia stutterheimensis, genotype Rickettsia hogsbackensis and genotype Rickettsia kaalplaasensis, respectively, are described. The data indicate a surprisingly high diversity of Rickettsia in small mammals in South Africa and might indicate their possible role as reservoirs for Rickettsia. Ecological questions concerning their natural hosts such as small mammals, but also the role of livestock or pet animals, require further investigation. Particularly, data on the relevance of these rickettsiae for diseases in humans are of further interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Essbauer
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Department Virology and Rickettsiology, Neuherbergstr. 11, 80937 Muenchen, Germany.
| | - Mirja Hofmann
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Department Virology and Rickettsiology, Neuherbergstr. 11, 80937 Muenchen, Germany
| | - Christoph Kleinemeier
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Department Virology and Rickettsiology, Neuherbergstr. 11, 80937 Muenchen, Germany
| | - Silke Wölfel
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Department Virology and Rickettsiology, Neuherbergstr. 11, 80937 Muenchen, Germany
| | - Sonja Matthee
- Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology, Stellenbosch University, Matieland, South Africa
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Ehounoud C, Fenollar F, Dahmani M, N’Guessan J, Raoult D, Mediannikov O. Bacterial arthropod-borne diseases in West Africa. Acta Trop 2017; 171:124-137. [PMID: 28365316 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2017.03.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2016] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Arthropods such as ticks, lice, fleas and mites are excellent vectors for many pathogenic agents including bacteria, protozoa and viruses to animals. Moreover, many of these pathogens can also be accidentally transmitted to humans throughout the world. Bacterial vector-borne diseases seem to be numerous and very important in human pathology, however, they are often ignored and are not well known. Yet they are in a phase of geographic expansion and play an important role in the etiology of febrile episodes in regions of Africa. Since the introduction of molecular techniques, the presence of these pathogens has been confirmed in various samples from arthropods and animals, and more rarely from human samples in West Africa. In this review, the aim is to summarize the latest information about vector-borne bacteria, focusing on West Africa from 2000 until today in order to better understand the epidemiological risks associated with these arthropods. This will allow health and veterinary authorities to develop a strategy for surveillance of arthropods and bacterial disease in order to protect people and animals.
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Kuo CC, Wardrop N, Chang CT, Wang HC, Atkinson PM. Significance of major international seaports in the distribution of murine typhus in Taiwan. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2017; 11:e0005430. [PMID: 28264003 PMCID: PMC5354449 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0005430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2016] [Revised: 03/16/2017] [Accepted: 02/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background International seaports are hotspots for disease invasion and pathogens can persist in seaports even after ports are abandoned. Transmitted by fleas infected by Rickettsia typhi, murine typhus, a largely neglected and easily misdiagnosed disease, is known to occur primarily in large seaports. However, the significance of seaports in the occurrence of murine typhus has never been validated quantitatively. Methodology/Principal findings We studied the spatial distribution of murine typhus, a notifiable disease, in Taiwan. We investigated whether risk of infection was correlated with distance to international seaports and a collection of environmental and socioeconomic factors, using a Bayesian negative binomial conditionally autoregressive model, followed with geographically weighted regression. Seaports that are currently in use and those that operated in the 19th century for trade with China, but were later abandoned due to siltation were analyzed. A total of 476 human cases of murine typhus were reported during 2000–2014 in the main island of Taiwan, with spatial clustering in districts in southwest and central-west Taiwan. A higher incidence rate (case/population) was associated with a smaller distance to currently in-use international seaports and lower rainfall and temperature, but was uncorrelated with distance to abandoned ports. Geographically weighted regression revealed a geographic heterogeneity in the importance of distance to in-use seaports near the four international seaports of Taiwan. Conclusions/Significance Our study suggests that murine typhus is associated with international seaports, especially for those with large trading volume. Thus, one of the costs of global trade in Taiwan might be elevated risks of murine typhus. Globalization has accelerated the spread of infectious diseases, but the burden of disease varies geographically, with regions surrounding major international seaports warranting particular surveillance. Globalization has hastened the spread of infectious diseases, with seaports as hotspots for disease invasion. Transmitted by fleas infected with the rickettsia Rickettsia typhi, murine typhus occurs worldwide, but its significance as a common causative agent of illness in tropical regions remains largely neglected. Although it is recognized that murine typhus is prevalent primarily in large seaports, the significance of seaports in the occurrence of murine typhus has never been validated quantitatively. We thus investigated whether distribution of murine typhus in Taiwan was associated with international seaports. Notably, abandoned international seaports (abandoned in the 19th century due to siltation) were also studied to see whether the causative agent of murine typhus might still circulate around the ports even after being abandoned. We found that infection risk of murine typhus was negatively associated with distance to operating seaports but was uncorrelated with nearness to abandoned seaports. In addition, the importance of distance to operating seaports for risk of murine typhus infection varied spatially. Our study highlights elevated disease risk as a cost of international trade and suggests particular surveillance in regions surrounding major international seaports.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi-Chien Kuo
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
- * E-mail:
| | - Nicola Wardrop
- Geography and Environment, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Chung-Te Chang
- Department of Geography, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hsi-Chieh Wang
- Center for Diagnostics and Vaccine Development, Centers for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Peter M. Atkinson
- Geography and Environment, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Lancaster University, Lancaster, United Kingdom
- School of Geography, Archaeology and Palaeoecology, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
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24
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Heuser E, Fischer S, Ryll R, Mayer-Scholl A, Hoffmann D, Spahr C, Imholt C, Alfa DM, Fröhlich A, Lüschow D, Johne R, Ehlers B, Essbauer S, Nöckler K, Ulrich RG. Survey for zoonotic pathogens in Norway rat populations from Europe. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2017; 73:341-348. [PMID: 27299665 DOI: 10.1002/ps.4339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2015] [Revised: 06/08/2016] [Accepted: 06/09/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Norway rat Rattus norvegicus is an important reservoir of various zoonotic pathogens, such as cowpox virus and Leptospira, but also for agents of no or unknown zoonotic potential. We describe a survey of 426 Norway rats originating from five European countries and different habitats for Leptospira spp., rickettsiae, orthopoxvirus (OPV), avian metapneumovirus subtypes A and B (aMPV) and rat polyomavirus (rat PyV). RESULTS Leptospira DNA was detected in 60 out of 420 (14.3%) rats, and Rickettsia DNA was found in three out of 369 (0.8%) rats investigated. PCR-based typing resulted in the identification of L. interrogans sequence type 17, which corresponds to the serogroup Icterohaemorrhagiae, and Rickettsia helvetica respectively. Rat PyV DNA was detected in 103 out of 421 (24.5%) rats. OPV DNA and aMPV RNA were detected in none of the rats, but OPV-specific antibodies were detected in three out of 388 (0.8%) rats. The frequency of single Leptospira and rat PyV infections and coinfections was, independent of sex, greater for adults compared with juveniles/subadults and greater at rural sites compared with urban areas. CONCLUSIONS Study results indicate a broad geographical distribution of Leptospira DNA in rats within Europe, underlining the need to investigate further the potential mechanisms leading to increased prevalence in rural habitats and to assess the relevance to public health. In contrast, rickettsia and OPV infections rarely occurred in wild rat populations. The potential influence of rat PyV on the susceptibility to infections with other pathogens should be investigated in future studies. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Heuser
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Institute for Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Stefan Fischer
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Institute for Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - René Ryll
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Institute for Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | | | - Donata Hoffmann
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Carina Spahr
- Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christian Imholt
- Julius Kühn-Institute, Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Plant Protection in Horticulture and Forestry, Vertebrate Research, Münster, Germany
| | - Dewi Murni Alfa
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Institute for Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Andreas Fröhlich
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Institute of Epidemiology, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Dörte Lüschow
- Freie Universität Berlin, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Institute of Poultry Diseases, Berlin, Germany
| | - Reimar Johne
- Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Berlin, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Rainer G Ulrich
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Institute for Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Hamburg-Luebeck-Borstel-Insel Riems, Germany
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25
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Obiegala A, Oltersdorf C, Silaghi C, Kiefer D, Kiefer M, Woll D, Pfeffer M. Rickettsia spp. in small mammals and their parasitizing ectoparasites from Saxony, Germany. VETERINARY PARASITOLOGY- REGIONAL STUDIES AND REPORTS 2016; 5:19-24. [PMID: 31014532 DOI: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2016.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2016] [Revised: 08/24/2016] [Accepted: 08/31/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Rickettsiae are emerging pathogens causing various types of spotted fever and typhus and are mostly transmitted by arthropods to humans and animals. In order to investigate the distribution of Rickettsiae of the spotted fever group (SFG) in small mammals as potential reservoirs and in fleas and ticks from these animals as potential vectors, a total of 91 small mammals (seven species) were captured and their ectoparasites were collected at seven sites around Leipzig, Saxony, Germany, in 2010 and 2011. Altogether, 91 skin samples, 125 fleas (five species) and 363 ticks (four species) were investigated for DNA of Rickettsia spp. with a real-time PCR targeting the gltA gene. A total of 26 (28.6%) rodents, 5 (3.9%) fleas and 151 (41.6%) ticks were positive for Rickettsia spp. by real-time PCR. Altogether 42 positive tick-, and all positive small mammal- and flea-samples were further determined to Rickettsia species level with a conventional PCR targeting the ompB gene followed by sequencing. Sequencing of 14 positive rodent samples revealed R. helvetica (n=12) and R. raoultii (n=2). Three Rickettsia spp. were detected in ticks: Rickettsia raoultii (59.6%), R. monacensis (4.8%) and R. helvetica (33.3%). In total 85.6% of Dermacentor reticulatus ticks and 20.4% of Ixodes ricinus ticks were positive. Rickettsia raoultii was found in 4 of the 5 positive fleas. To our knowledge this is the first detection of R. raoultii in Myodes glareolus and of R. helvetica in Apodemus agrarius from Germany. The high prevalence of R. helvetica in small mammals suggests that they may play an important role as potential natural reservoir hosts. The high prevalence in engorged I. ricinus for R. helvetica and in D. reticulatus ticks for R. raoultii, mostly deriving from uninfected mammals, leads to the conclusion that those tick species may serve as vectors for those Rickettsia spp. Detection of R. raoultii in fleas, parasitizing on their small mammal hosts, may indicate accidental uptake during feeding on hosts with bacteraemia rather than an active involvement of fleas in the transmission cycle of this Rickettsia species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Obiegala
- Institute of Animal Hygiene and Veterinary Public Health, University of Leipzig, An den Tierkliniken 1, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Carolin Oltersdorf
- Institute of Animal Hygiene and Veterinary Public Health, University of Leipzig, An den Tierkliniken 1, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Cornelia Silaghi
- Comparative Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Leopoldstraße 5, 80802 Munich, Germany
| | - Daniel Kiefer
- Comparative Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Leopoldstraße 5, 80802 Munich, Germany
| | | | - Dietlinde Woll
- Institute of Animal Hygiene and Veterinary Public Health, University of Leipzig, An den Tierkliniken 1, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Martin Pfeffer
- Institute of Animal Hygiene and Veterinary Public Health, University of Leipzig, An den Tierkliniken 1, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
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26
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Khatri-Chhetri R, Wang HC, Chen CC, Shih HC, Liao HC, Sun CM, Khatri-Chhetri N, Wu HY, Pei KJC. Surveillance of ticks and associated pathogens in free-ranging Formosan pangolins (Manis pentadactyla pentadactyla). Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2016; 7:1238-1244. [PMID: 27426438 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2016.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2016] [Revised: 07/09/2016] [Accepted: 07/09/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Chinese pangolins are critically endangered insectivorous mammals distributed in several South and Southeast Asian countries. In recent years, there has been an increase in spread of tick-borne diseases in both humans and animals worldwide. Currently, limited information is available on ticks and associated pathogens infesting pangolins. The objective of the present study was to survey ticks and associated pathogens in the Formosan pangolin population in Southeastern Taiwan. Free-ranging Formosan pangolins captured during ecological survey were examined for the presence of ticks. DNA extracted from these ticks was used to identify the tick species and also to detect the tick-borne pathogens, by molecular methods. In the present study, we found 25% (13/52) of pangolins captured during 2012-2014 infested with ixodid ticks. A total of 21 ticks were collected and 3 species were identified: Haemaphysalis hystricis (14/21), Haemaphysalis formosensis (2/21) and Amblyomma testudinarium (5/21). We detected four different tick-borne pathogens, where one was identical to Anaplasma sp. strain An.H1446 while others showed close resemblance to Rickettsia conorii subsp. caspia A-167, Ehrlichia sp. TC251-2 and Cytauxzoon spp., respectively. The present study is the first survey of ticks infesting the free-ranging Chinese pangolins and pathogens harboured by these ticks. This information is important to know the diversity of ticks and tick-borne pathogens, and its conservation significance to pangolins and other sympatric wildlife. Important future step should be regular surveillance of ticks and tick-borne diseases at human-domestic animals-wildlife interface, which can provide a useful insight into the dynamics of these pathogens and can help control and prevent outbreak of zoonoses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rupak Khatri-Chhetri
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Taiwan
| | - Hsi-Chieh Wang
- Diagnostic and Vaccine Development, Centers for Disease Control, Taiwan
| | - Chen-Chih Chen
- Institute of Wildlife Conservation, College of Veterinary Medicine, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Taiwan
| | - Han-Chun Shih
- Diagnostic and Vaccine Development, Centers for Disease Control, Taiwan
| | - Hsien-Chun Liao
- Diagnostic and Vaccine Development, Centers for Disease Control, Taiwan
| | - Ching-Min Sun
- Institute of Bioresources, College of Agriculture, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Taiwan
| | - Nabin Khatri-Chhetri
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Taiwan
| | - Hung-Yi Wu
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Taiwan.
| | - Kurtis Jai-Chyi Pei
- Institute of Wildlife Conservation, College of Veterinary Medicine, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Taiwan; Pingtung Rescue Center for Endangered Wild Animals, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Taiwan.
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27
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Brown LD, Christofferson RC, Banajee KH, Del Piero F, Foil LD, Macaluso KR. Cofeeding intra- and interspecific transmission of an emerging insect-borne rickettsial pathogen. Mol Ecol 2016; 24:5475-89. [PMID: 26414611 PMCID: PMC4831916 DOI: 10.1111/mec.13403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2015] [Revised: 09/09/2015] [Accepted: 09/22/2015] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Cat fleas (Ctenocephalides felis) are known as the primary vector and reservoir of Rickettsia felis, the causative agent of flea-borne spotted fever; however, field surveys regularly report molecular detection of this infectious agent from other blood-feeding arthropods. The presence of R. felis in additional arthropods may be the result of chance consumption of an infectious bloodmeal, but isolation of viable rickettsiae circulating in the blood of suspected vertebrate reservoirs has not been demonstrated. Successful transmission of pathogens between actively blood-feeding arthropods in the absence of a disseminated vertebrate infection has been verified, referred to as cofeeding transmission. Therefore, the principal route from systemically infected vertebrates to uninfected arthropods may not be applicable to the R. felis transmission cycle. Here, we show both intra- and interspecific transmission of R. felis between cofeeding arthropods on a vertebrate host. Analyses revealed that infected cat fleas transmitted R. felis to naïve cat fleas and rat fleas (Xenopsylla cheopis) via fleabite on a nonrickettsemic vertebrate host. Also, cat fleas infected by cofeeding were infectious to newly emerged uninfected cat fleas in an artificial system. Furthermore, we utilized a stochastic model to demonstrate that cofeeding is sufficient to explain the enzootic spread of R. felis amongst populations of the biological vector. Our results implicate cat fleas in the spread of R. felis amongst different vectors, and the demonstration of cofeeding transmission of R. felis through a vertebrate host represents a novel transmission paradigm for insect-borne Rickettsia and furthers our understanding of this emerging rickettsiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa D Brown
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Skip Bertman Drive, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA
| | - Rebecca C Christofferson
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Skip Bertman Drive, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA
| | - Kaikhushroo H Banajee
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Skip Bertman Drive, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA
| | - Fabio Del Piero
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Skip Bertman Drive, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA
| | - Lane D Foil
- Department of Entomology, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, LSB-413, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA
| | - Kevin R Macaluso
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Skip Bertman Drive, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA
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28
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Chung LH, Wu WJ, Kuo CC, Wang HC. A Checklist of Chigger Mites (Acari: Trombiculidae and Leeuwenhökiidae) From Taiwan, With Descriptions of Three New Species. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2015; 52:1241-1253. [PMID: 26438572 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjv139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2015] [Accepted: 08/21/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Scrub typhus is a lethal human disease transmitted by larval trombiculid mites (i.e., chiggers) that have been infected with the rickettsia Orientia tsutsugamushi. In total, 21 chigger species are known from Taiwan. We update the checklist of chiggers of Taiwan based on an intensive survey of shrew and rodent hosts in grasslands and agricultural fields in lowland Taiwan, coupled with surveys of forests in one mountainous site and an opportunistic examination of submitted host specimens. Three new species of chiggers, Gahrliepia (Gateria) lieni sp. n., Gahrliepia (Gateria) minuta sp. n., and Gahrliepia (Gateria) yilanensis sp. n., as well as 23 newly recorded chigger species, were discovered. Accordingly, recorded chigger species of Taiwan more than doubled from 21 to 47 species. Two new species and nine newly recorded chigger species were discovered in forests in one mountainous site in northeastern Taiwan, suggesting that many more chigger species may be uncovered, particularly in mountainous Taiwan. Further studies should also investigate O. tsutsugamushi infection in different chigger species to assess its risks to human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lo-Hsuan Chung
- Center for Research, Diagnostics and Vaccine Development, Centers for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taipei 11561, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Jer Wu
- Department of Entomology, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Chi-Chien Kuo
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei 11677, Taiwan
| | - Hsi-Chieh Wang
- Center for Research, Diagnostics and Vaccine Development, Centers for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taipei 11561, Taiwan.
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29
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Kuo CC, Shu PY, Mu JJ, Lee PL, Wu YW, Chung CK, Wang HC. Widespread Rickettsia spp. Infections in Ticks (Acari: Ixodoidea) in Taiwan. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2015; 52:1096-1102. [PMID: 26336223 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjv083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2015] [Accepted: 06/09/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Ticks are second to mosquitoes as the most important disease vectors, and recent decades have witnessed the emergence of many novel tick-borne rickettsial diseases, but systematic surveys of ticks and tick-borne rickettsioses are generally lacking in Asia. We collected and identified ticks from small mammal hosts between 2006 and 2010 in different parts of Taiwan. Rickettsia spp. infections in ticks were identified by targeting ompB and gltA genes with nested polymerase chain reaction. In total, 2,732 ticks were collected from 1,356 small mammals. Rhipicephalus haemaphysaloides Supino (51.8% of total ticks), Haemaphysalis bandicota Hoogstraal & Kohls (28.0%), and Ixodes granulatus Supino (20.0%) were the most common tick species, and Rattus losea Swinhoe (44.7% of total ticks) and Bandicota indica Bechstein (39.9%) were the primary hosts. The average Rickettsia infective rate in 329 assayed ticks was 31.9% and eight Rickettsia spp. or closely related species were identified. This study shows that rickettsiae-infected ticks are widespread in Taiwan, with a high diversity of Rickettsia spp. circulating in the ticks. Because notifiable rickettsial diseases in Taiwan only include mite-borne scrub typhus and flea-borne murine typhus, more studies are warranted for a better understanding of the real extent of human risks to rickettsioses in Taiwan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi-Chien Kuo
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Pei-Yun Shu
- Center for Research, Diagnostics and Vaccine Development, Centers for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jung-Jung Mu
- Center for Research, Diagnostics and Vaccine Development, Centers for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Pei-Lung Lee
- Center for Research, Diagnostics and Vaccine Development, Centers for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yin-Wen Wu
- Department of Food Science, National Quemoy University, Taiwan
| | - Chien-Kung Chung
- Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection, Kinmen County, Taiwan
| | - Hsi-Chieh Wang
- Center for Research, Diagnostics and Vaccine Development, Centers for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taipei, Taiwan.
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