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Menzano A, Tizzani P, Farber MD, Garcia-Vozmediano A, Martinelli L, Rossi L, Tomassone L. Zoonotic Tick-Borne Pathogens in Ticks from Vegetation and Alpine Ibex ( Capra ibex) in the Maritime Alps, Italy. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:2251. [PMID: 39123777 PMCID: PMC11311104 DOI: 10.3390/ani14152251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2024] [Revised: 07/29/2024] [Accepted: 07/31/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024] Open
Abstract
In the Maritime Alps (northwestern Italy), we collected ticks from vegetation and Alpine ibex (Capra ibex). Ixodes ricinus was the most abundant species in the study area, questing up to 1824 m a.s.l. and infesting 28 out of 72 ibexes. Haemaphysalis punctata, H. sulcata and Dermacentor marginatus were also collected. The abundance of questing ticks significantly decreased with altitude, with beechwoods being the preferred habitat. By PCR, we identified Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. in questing I. ricinus (28.3%; 95%CI: 19.4-38.6) but not in specimens collected from animals. Rickettsia spp. infected both questing (20.6%; 95%CI: 12.9-30.3) and on-host (30.2%; 95%CI: 21.2-40.4) I. ricinus. Anaplasma phagocytophilum was detected in 4.3% (95%CI: 1.2-10.8) of questing I. ricinus and in 45.3% (95%CI: 34.6-56.4) of I. ricinus collected from ibex. Female I. ricinus collected on animals were significantly more infected with A. phagocytophilum than females collected from vegetation (OR = 11.7; 95%CI: 3.8-48.1). By amplifying and sequencing a fragment of the groEL gene, we identified 13 groEL haplotypes, clustering with ecotypes I and II; ecotype I, prevalent in our sample, is considered zoonotic. Our study demonstrates the presence of different tick-borne zoonotic agents in the study area, encompassing a wide altitudinal range, as confirmed by the ticks found on ibex, a typical mountain-dwelling mammal. The results also confirm the altitudinal range expansion of ticks and associated pathogens in the Alps and suggest that Alpine ibex may act as a reservoir for A. phagocytophilum, as do other wild ungulate species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arianna Menzano
- Ente di Gestione delle Aree Protette delle Alpi Marittime, 12010 Valdieri, Cuneo, Italy; (A.M.); (L.M.)
| | - Paolo Tizzani
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, 10095 Grugliasco, Turin, Italy; (P.T.); (A.G.-V.); (L.R.)
| | - Marisa Diana Farber
- Instituto de Agrobiotecnología y Biología Molecular (IABIMO) Inta-Conicet, Hurlingham 1686, Argentina;
| | - Aitor Garcia-Vozmediano
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, 10095 Grugliasco, Turin, Italy; (P.T.); (A.G.-V.); (L.R.)
| | - Laura Martinelli
- Ente di Gestione delle Aree Protette delle Alpi Marittime, 12010 Valdieri, Cuneo, Italy; (A.M.); (L.M.)
| | - Luca Rossi
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, 10095 Grugliasco, Turin, Italy; (P.T.); (A.G.-V.); (L.R.)
| | - Laura Tomassone
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, 10095 Grugliasco, Turin, Italy; (P.T.); (A.G.-V.); (L.R.)
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2
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Nowak TA, Burke RL, Diuk-Wasser MA, Lin YP. Lizards and the enzootic cycle of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato. Mol Microbiol 2024; 121:1262-1272. [PMID: 38830767 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.15271] [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: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 04/06/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
Emerging and re-emerging pathogens often stem from zoonotic origins, cycling between humans and animals, and are frequently vectored and maintained by hematophagous arthropod vectors. The efficiency by which these disease agents are successfully transmitted between vertebrate hosts is influenced by many factors, including the host on which a vector feeds. The Lyme disease bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato has adapted to survive in complex host environments, vectored by Ixodes ticks, and maintained in multiple vertebrate hosts. The versatility of Lyme borreliae in disparate host milieus is a compelling platform to investigate mechanisms dictating pathogen transmission through complex networks of vertebrates and ticks. Squamata, one of the most diverse clade of extant reptiles, is comprised primarily of lizards, many of which are readily fed upon by Ixodes ticks. Yet, lizards are one of the least studied taxa at risk of contributing to the transmission and life cycle maintenance of Lyme borreliae. In this review, we summarize the current evidence, spanning from field surveillance to laboratory infection studies, supporting their contributions to Lyme borreliae circulation. We also summarize the current understanding of divergent lizard immune responses that may explain the underlying molecular mechanisms to confer Lyme spirochete survival in vertebrate hosts. This review offers a critical perspective on potential enzootic cycles existing between lizard-tick-Borrelia interactions and highlights the importance of an eco-immunology lens for zoonotic pathogen transmission studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tristan A Nowak
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, USA
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Russell L Burke
- Department of Biology, Hofstra University, Hempstead, New York, USA
| | - Maria A Diuk-Wasser
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Yi-Pin Lin
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, USA
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, New York, USA
- Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, Massachusetts, USA
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Husar K, Pittman DC, Rajala J, Mostafa F, Allen LJS. Lyme Disease Models of Tick-Mouse Dynamics with Seasonal Variation in Births, Deaths, and Tick Feeding. Bull Math Biol 2024; 86:25. [PMID: 38294562 DOI: 10.1007/s11538-023-01248-y] [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: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in the United States impacting the Northeast and Midwest at the highest rates. Recently, it has become established in southeastern and south-central regions of Canada. In these regions, Lyme disease is caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, which is transmitted to humans by an infected Ixodes scapularis tick. Understanding the parasite-host interaction is critical as the white-footed mouse is one of the most competent reservoir for B. burgdorferi. The cycle of infection is driven by tick larvae feeding on infected mice that molt into infected nymphs and then transmit the disease to another susceptible host such as mice or humans. Lyme disease in humans is generally caused by the bite of an infected nymph. The main aim of this investigation is to study how diapause delays and demographic and seasonal variability in tick births, deaths, and feedings impact the infection dynamics of the tick-mouse cycle. We model tick-mouse dynamics with fixed diapause delays and more realistic Erlang distributed delays through delay and ordinary differential equations (ODEs). To account for demographic and seasonal variability, the ODEs are generalized to a continuous-time Markov chain (CTMC). The basic reproduction number and parameter sensitivity analysis are computed for the ODEs. The CTMC is used to investigate the probability of Lyme disease emergence when ticks and mice are introduced, a few of which are infected. The probability of disease emergence is highly dependent on the time and the infected species introduced. Infected mice introduced during the summer season result in the highest probability of disease emergence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kateryna Husar
- Department of Statistical Science, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27705, USA.
| | - Dana C Pittman
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Texas A &M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Johnny Rajala
- Department of Computer Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Fahad Mostafa
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, 79409, USA
| | - Linda J S Allen
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, 79409, USA
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Melis S, Batisti Biffignandi G, Olivieri E, Galon C, Vicari N, Prati P, Moutailler S, Sassera D, Castelli M. High-throughput screening of pathogens in Ixodes ricinus removed from hosts in Lombardy, northern Italy. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2024; 15:102285. [PMID: 38035456 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
Ticks are important vectors of many pathogens in Europe, where the most impactful species is Ixodes ricinus. Recently, the geographical distribution of this tick species has been expanding, resulting in an increased risk of human exposure to tick bites. With the present study, we aimed to screen 350 I. ricinus specimens collected from humans and wild animals (mainly ungulates), to have a broader understanding of the tick-borne pathogens circulating in the Lombardy region, in northern Italy. To do so, we took advantage of a high-throughput real-time microfluidic PCR approach to screen ticks in a cost-effective and time-saving manner. Molecular analysis of the dataset revealed the presence of four genera of bacteria and two genera of protozoa: in ungulates, 77 % of collected ticks carried Anaplasma phagocytophilum, while the most common pathogen species in ticks removed from humans were those belonging to Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato group (7.6 %). We also detected other pathogenic microorganisms, such as Rickettisa monacensis, Rickettsia helvetica, Neoehrlichia mikurensis, Babesia venatorum, and Hepatozoon martis. Besides, we also reported the presence of the pathogenic agent Borrelia miyamotoi in the area (1.4 % overall). The most common dual co-infection detected in the same tick individual involved A. phagocytophilum and Rickettsia spp. Our study provided evidence of the circulation of different tick-borne pathogens in a densely populated region in Italy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Melis
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | | | - Emanuela Olivieri
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna, Pavia, Italy
| | - Clémence Galon
- ANSES, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, Maisons-Alfort, F-94700, France
| | - Nadia Vicari
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna, Pavia, Italy
| | - Paola Prati
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna, Pavia, Italy
| | - Sara Moutailler
- ANSES, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, Maisons-Alfort, F-94700, France
| | - Davide Sassera
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy; Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo Pavia Italy
| | - Michele Castelli
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
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Pearson P, Rich C, Siegel EL, Brisson D, Rich SM. Differential Resistance of Borrelia burgdorferi Clones to Human Serum-Mediated Killing Does Not Correspond to Their Predicted Invasiveness. Pathogens 2023; 12:1238. [PMID: 37887754 PMCID: PMC10609869 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12101238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Reservoir host associations have been observed among and within Borrelia genospecies, and host complement-mediated killing is a major determinant in these interactions. In North America, only a subset of Borrelia burgdorferi lineages cause the majority of disseminated infections in humans. We hypothesize that differential resistance to human complement-mediated killing may be a major phenotypic determinant of whether a lineage can establish systemic infection. As a corollary, we hypothesize that borreliacidal action may differ among human subjects. To test these hypotheses, we isolated primary B. burgdorferi clones from field-collected ticks and determined whether the killing effects of human serum differed among those clones in vitro and/or whether these effects were consistent among human sera. Clones associated with human invasiveness did not show higher survival in human serum compared to noninvasive clones. These results indicate that differential complement-mediated killing of B. burgdorferi lineages is not a determinant of invasiveness in humans. Only one significant difference in the survivorship of individual clones incubated in different human sera was detected, suggesting that complement-mediated killing of B. burgdorferi is usually similar among humans. Mechanisms other than differential human complement-mediated killing of B. burgdorferi lineages likely explain why only certain lineages cause the majority of disseminated human infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Pearson
- Department of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA; (P.P.); (C.R.); (E.L.S.)
| | - Connor Rich
- Department of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA; (P.P.); (C.R.); (E.L.S.)
| | - Eric L. Siegel
- Department of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA; (P.P.); (C.R.); (E.L.S.)
| | - Dustin Brisson
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA;
| | - Stephen M. Rich
- Department of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA; (P.P.); (C.R.); (E.L.S.)
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Ollivier V, Choquet R, Gamble A, Bastien M, Combes B, Gilot‐Fromont E, Pellerin M, Gaillard J, Lemaître J, Verheyden H, Boulinier T. Temporal dynamics of antibody level against Lyme disease bacteria in roe deer: Tale of a sentinel? Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10414. [PMID: 37600488 PMCID: PMC10433119 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Changes in the risk of exposure to infectious disease agents can be tracked through variations in antibody prevalence in vertebrate host populations. However, information on the temporal dynamics of the immune status of individuals is critical. If antibody levels persist a long time after exposure to an infectious agent, they could enable the efficient detection of the past circulation of the agent; if they persist only a short time, they could provide snap shots of recent exposure of sampled hosts. Here, we explored the temporal dynamics of seropositivity against Lyme disease agent Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (Bbsl) in individuals of a widespread medium-sized mammal species, the roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), in France. Using a modified commercially available immunoassay we tested 1554 blood samples obtained in two wild deer populations monitored from 2010 to 2020. Using multi-event capture-mark-recapture models, we estimated yearly population-, age-, and sex-specific rates of seroconversion and seroreversion after accounting for imperfect detection. The yearly seroconversion rates indicated a higher level of exposure in early (2010-2013) than in late years (2014-2019) to infected tick bites in both populations, without any detectable influence of sex or age. The relatively high rates of seroreversion indicated a short-term persistence of antibody levels against Bbsl in roe deer. This was confirmed by the analysis of samples collected on a set of captive individuals that were resampled several times a few weeks apart. Our findings show the potential usefulness of deer as a sentinel for tracking the risk of exposure to Lyme disease Bbsl, although further investigation on the details of the antibody response to Bbsl in this incompetent host would be useful. Our study also highlights the value of combining long-term capture-mark-recapture sampling and short-time analyses of serological data for wildlife populations exposed to infectious agents of relevance to wildlife epidemiology and human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentin Ollivier
- CEFE Center of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, UMR 5175CNRS, University of Montpellier, EPHE, IRD, Université Paul ValéryMontpellierFrance
- ELIZ Entente for the Control of ZoonosesMalzévilleFrance
- University of Toulouse, INRAE, CEFSCastanet TolosanFrance
| | - Rémi Choquet
- CEFE Center of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, UMR 5175CNRS, University of Montpellier, EPHE, IRD, Université Paul ValéryMontpellierFrance
| | - Amandine Gamble
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary MedicineUniversity of GlasgowGlasgowUK
- Department of Public and Ecosystem HealthCornell UniversityIthacaNew YorkUSA
| | | | - Benoit Combes
- ELIZ Entente for the Control of ZoonosesMalzévilleFrance
| | - Emmanuelle Gilot‐Fromont
- LBBE Biometry and Evolutionary Biology Laboratory UMR5558CNRS – University of LyonVilleurbanneFrance
| | - Maryline Pellerin
- Ungulate Unit, Direction of Research and Scientific SupportOFB, French Biodiversity OfficeGapFrance
| | - Jean‐Michel Gaillard
- LBBE Biometry and Evolutionary Biology Laboratory UMR5558CNRS – University of LyonVilleurbanneFrance
| | - Jean‐François Lemaître
- LBBE Biometry and Evolutionary Biology Laboratory UMR5558CNRS – University of LyonVilleurbanneFrance
| | | | - Thierry Boulinier
- CEFE Center of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, UMR 5175CNRS, University of Montpellier, EPHE, IRD, Université Paul ValéryMontpellierFrance
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Snow AA, Pearson P, Xu G, Allen DN, Santamaria R, Rich SM. Tick Densities and Infection Prevalence on Coastal Islands in Massachusetts, USA: Establishing a Baseline. INSECTS 2023; 14:628. [PMID: 37504634 PMCID: PMC10380421 DOI: 10.3390/insects14070628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2023] [Revised: 07/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Tick-borne diseases and a tick-induced red meat allergy have become increasingly common in the northeastern USA and elsewhere. At the scale of local communities, few studies have documented tick densities or infection levels to characterize current conditions and provide a baseline for further monitoring. Using the town of Nantucket, MA, as a case study, we recorded tick densities by drag sampling along hiking trails in nature preserves on two islands. Nymphal blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis Say) were most abundant at shadier sites and least common in grasslands and scrub oak thickets (Quercus ilicifolia). Lone star ticks (Amblyomma americanum L.) were common on Tuckernuck Island and rare on Nantucket Island, while both tick species were more numerous in 2021 compared to 2020 and 2022. We tested for pathogens in blacklegged nymphs at five sites over two years. In 2020 and 2021, infection levels among the four Nantucket Island sites averaged 10% vs. 19% for Borrelia burgdorferi, 11% vs. 15% for Babesia microti, and 17% (both years) for Anaplasma phagocytophilum, while corresponding levels were significantly greater on Tuckernuck in 2021. Our site-specific, quantitative approach represents a practical example of how potential exposure to tick-borne diseases can be monitored on a local scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison A Snow
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Patrick Pearson
- Laboratory of Medical Zoology, Department of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Guang Xu
- Laboratory of Medical Zoology, Department of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - David N Allen
- Department of Biology, Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT 05753, USA
| | | | - Stephen M Rich
- Laboratory of Medical Zoology, Department of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
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