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Tian D, Cui XM, Ye RZ, Li YY, Wang N, Gao WY, Wang BH, Lin ZT, Zhu WJ, Wang QS, Liu YT, Wei H, Wang YF, Sun Y, Shi XY, Jia N, Jiang JF, Cao WC, Liu ZH. Distribution and diversity of ticks determined by environmental factors in Ningxia, China. One Health 2024; 19:100897. [PMID: 39345728 PMCID: PMC11439557 DOI: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2024.100897] [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: 01/23/2024] [Revised: 08/22/2024] [Accepted: 09/16/2024] [Indexed: 10/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Ticks are important vectors of zoonotic pathogens, and represent an increasing threat for human and animal health. Considering the complex natural environments of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China, we expect the diverse tick species in this region. Here, we conduct a field survey on parasitic and host-seeking ticks. A total of 10,419 ticks were collected, which belonged to nine species of four genera. There were significant differences in terms of vegetation index, altitude, and seven climatic factors among the four tick genera -Hyalomma, Dermacentor, Haemaphysalis, and Ixodes, except between Haemaphysalis and Ixodes, where no significant differences were observed in these factors. The ecological niche modelling revealed that the suitable habitats for Hyalomma asiaticum was in the northwest Ningxia, with annual ground surface temperature as the most important factor. The suitable area for Dermacentor nuttalli was in the southwest and eastern regions of Ningxia with elevation as the highest contribution. D. silvarum was best suited to the southern Ningxia also with elevation as the most important factor. The four tick species including Haemaphysalis longicornis, Hae. qinghaiensis, Hae. japonica, and Ixodes persulcatus were best suited to the southernmost Ningxia with annual precipitation as the main factors for Hae. longicornis and elevation for the other three ticks. The results of predicted potential distribution of different tick species provide a scientific basis for the prevention and control of ticks and tick-borne diseases in the region. Furthermore, the subsequent impacts of the Greening Program to regain forests and grasslands from former agricultural lands in Ningxia on tick population dynamics deserve further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Di Tian
- School of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, PR China
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, PR China
| | - Xiao-Ming Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, PR China
- Research Unit of Discovery and Tracing of Natural Focus Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, PR China
| | - Run-Ze Ye
- Institute of EcoHealth, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Yu-Yu Li
- Institute of EcoHealth, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Ning Wang
- Institute of EcoHealth, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Wan-Ying Gao
- Institute of EcoHealth, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Bai-Hui Wang
- Institute of EcoHealth, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Zhe-Tao Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, PR China
| | - Wen-Jie Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, PR China
| | - Qiu-Shi Wang
- School of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, PR China
| | - Ya-Ting Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, PR China
| | - Hua Wei
- Institute of EcoHealth, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Yi-Fei Wang
- Institute of EcoHealth, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Yi Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, PR China
| | - Xiao-Yu Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, PR China
| | - Na Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, PR China
| | - Jia-Fu Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, PR China
| | - Wu-Chun Cao
- School of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, PR China
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, PR China
- Research Unit of Discovery and Tracing of Natural Focus Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, PR China
- Institute of EcoHealth, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Zhi-Hong Liu
- School of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, PR China
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, PR China
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Eisawi N, Ahmed J, Bakheit MA, Hassan DA, Hussien MO, El Hussein ARM. First molecular diagnosis of the human pathogen Rickettsia raoultii and other spotted fever group rickettsiae in Sudanese ixodid ticks from domestic ruminants. Vet Med Sci 2024; 10:e70014. [PMID: 39367778 DOI: 10.1002/vms3.70014] [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: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2024] [Accepted: 08/23/2024] [Indexed: 10/07/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rickettsial infections are often neglected and poorly recognized by physicians in many tropical and subtropical regions. Despite a number of recent reports describing rickettsial diseases in new locations and the discovery of new rickettsiae, medical science and research have largely neglected the diagnosis and antimicrobial treatment of rickettsial infections in subtropical and tropical areas; thus, much remains to be discovered. This study aimed to detect and characterize spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsiae in ixodid ticks infesting domestic ruminants in Khartoum State. METHODS Polymerase chain reaction targeting both genes that encode for citrate synthase (gltA) and outer membrane protein (ompA) was performed for the presence of SFG rickettsia followed by sequence and phylogenetic analysis. RESULTS Of the 202 ticks examined for the presence of SFG rickettsia, gltA gene was detected in 4 samples (2%). Furthermore, gltA-positive samples were used to amplify the ompA gene, in which only two samples yielded positive results. Sequence and phylogenetic analysis of the positive samples revealed four different species of SFG rickettsiae: Rickettsia aeschlimannii, Rickettsia rhipicephali, Rickettsia massiliae and Rickettsia raoultii. CONCLUSIONS These results indicated the presence of SFG rickettsia in Sudanese ticks. This also indicates that humans have an opportunity to acquire these infections. It is important to keep in mind the need for careful consideration of rickettsial infections in individuals with a fever of unknown origin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nagwa Eisawi
- Central Laboratory, Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Khartoum, Sudan
| | - Jabbar Ahmed
- Division of Veterinary Infection Biology and Immunology, Research Center Borstel, Borstel, Germany
| | - Mohammed A Bakheit
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Khartoum, Khartoum North, Sudan
| | - Dina A Hassan
- Central Laboratory, Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Khartoum, Sudan
| | - Mohammed O Hussien
- Central Laboratory, Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Khartoum, Sudan
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Kang T, Choi YJ, Kim J, Park HJ, Jang WJ. Whole genome sequence and comparative genomic analysis of novel Rickettsia koreansis strain CNH17-7 isolated from human. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 2024; 43:1909-1918. [PMID: 39031268 DOI: 10.1007/s10096-024-04876-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 06/15/2024] [Indexed: 07/22/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE To determine the genomic feature of novel spotted fever-causing Rickettsia koreansis strain CNH17-7, which is different from R. japonica that is a causative agent for Japanese spotted fever (JSF), and to perform its comparative genomic analysis. METHODS Whole genome sequencing (WGS) was performed on R. koreansis strain CNH17-7 by using the Illumina Miseq system. After WGS, assembly and annotation were done by SPAdes. Then, its genomic features were compared with 19 different Rickettsia species. Based on the average nucleotide identity (ANI) value, an unweighted pair group method with an arithmetic mean (UPGMA) dendrogram was generated. Following the dendrogram analysis, pan-and core-genome analysis was performed. Then additional comparative analyses with two genetically closest Rickettsia species were conducted based on gene repertoire. RESULTS R. koreansis strain CNH17-7 has a chromosome consisting of 1,392,633 bp with GC content of 32.4%. The ANI-derived UPGMA showed that R. koreansis strain CNH17-7 is genetically close to R. japonica YH and R. heilongjiangensis 054 but is distinctively differentiated. The ANI value of R. koreansis strain CNH17-7 to R. japonica YH and R. heilongjiangensis 054 are 98.14% and 98.04% respectively, indicating R. koreansis strain CNH17-7 is sufficient to be classified as a new species. Other than ANI, R. koreansis strain CNH17-7 also contains novel CDS and its COG functional category proportion which is distinct compared to R. japonica YH and R. heilongjiangensis 054. CONCLUSION We have revealed genomic features of the novel R. koreansis strain CNH17-7. Hence, we propose R. koreansis strain CNH17-7 as new Rickettsia species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taeuk Kang
- Department of Microbiology, Konkuk University School of Medicine, College of Medicine, 120 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, 05029, Republic of Korea
- Research Institute of Medical Science, Konkuk University School of Medicine, 120 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, 05029, Republic of Korea
| | - Yeon-Joo Choi
- Department of Microbiology, Konkuk University School of Medicine, College of Medicine, 120 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, 05029, Republic of Korea
- Research Institute of Medical Science, Konkuk University School of Medicine, 120 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, 05029, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeoungyeon Kim
- Department of Microbiology, Konkuk University School of Medicine, College of Medicine, 120 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, 05029, Republic of Korea
- Research Institute of Medical Science, Konkuk University School of Medicine, 120 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, 05029, Republic of Korea
| | - Hye-Jin Park
- Department of Microbiology, Konkuk University School of Medicine, College of Medicine, 120 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, 05029, Republic of Korea
- Research Institute of Medical Science, Konkuk University School of Medicine, 120 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, 05029, Republic of Korea
| | - Won-Jong Jang
- Department of Microbiology, Konkuk University School of Medicine, College of Medicine, 120 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, 05029, Republic of Korea.
- Research Institute of Medical Science, Konkuk University School of Medicine, 120 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, 05029, Republic of Korea.
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Alvarez-Londoño J, Martínez-Sánchez ET, Ramírez-Chaves HE, Castaño-Villa GJ, Rivera-Páez FA. A "One health" approach to the understanding of mammals, ticks and Rickettsia interactions in the Andes of Colombia. Acta Trop 2024; 260:107415. [PMID: 39349235 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2024.107415] [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: 08/17/2024] [Revised: 09/26/2024] [Accepted: 09/27/2024] [Indexed: 10/02/2024]
Abstract
Infectious diseases, especially zoonotic, represent a significant global threat to both human and animal health. Ticks are among the primary vectors of pathogens affecting wild and domestic animals, some of which can also cause severe human diseases. To effectively face zoonotic diseases, the "One Health" approach is being promoted to integrate the health of human, animals, and ecosystems. Here, we identify the associations between ticks, rickettsiae, wild and domestic mammals, and humans in the Andean region of Colombia. A total of 366 ticks of 17 species belonging to the genera Amblyomma, Dermacentor, Ixodes, Ornithodoros, and Rhipicephalus were collected as free-living organisms, or parasitizing humans, wild (22 species) and domestic (3 species) mammals. Infection with Rickettsia parkeri strain NOD, Rickettsia cf. monacensis and 'Candidatus Rickettsia tarasevichiae' was detected in 3.4% of the ticks analyzed (n = 3). This study highlights the diversity of ticks in humans and wild and domestic mammals in Colombia. It also underscores the risk these ectoparasites represent to human and animal health due to the potential transmission of zoonotic pathogens such as Rickettsia spp.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johnathan Alvarez-Londoño
- Grupo de Investigación Genética, Biodiversidad y Manejo de Ecosistemas (GEBIOME), Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 65 No 26-10 A.A 275, Manizales, Caldas, Colombia; Maestría en Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 65 No 26-10 A.A 275, Manizales, Caldas, Colombia
| | - Estefani T Martínez-Sánchez
- Grupo de Investigación Genética, Biodiversidad y Manejo de Ecosistemas (GEBIOME), Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 65 No 26-10 A.A 275, Manizales, Caldas, Colombia; Doctorado en Ciencias-Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 65 No 26-10 A.A 275, Manizales, Caldas, Colombia
| | - Héctor E Ramírez-Chaves
- Grupo de Investigación Genética, Biodiversidad y Manejo de Ecosistemas (GEBIOME), Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 65 No 26-10 A.A 275, Manizales, Caldas, Colombia; Centro de Museos, Museo de Historia Natural, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 58 No 21-50, 170004, Manizales, Caldas, Colombia
| | - Gabriel J Castaño-Villa
- Grupo de Investigación Genética, Biodiversidad y Manejo de Ecosistemas - GEBIOME, Departamento de Desarrollo Rural y Recursos Naturales, Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad de Caldas, Carrera 35 No 62-160 A.A 275, Manizales, Caldas, Colombia
| | - Fredy A Rivera-Páez
- Grupo de Investigación Genética, Biodiversidad y Manejo de Ecosistemas (GEBIOME), Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 65 No 26-10 A.A 275, Manizales, Caldas, Colombia.
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Oršolić M, Sarač N, Balen Topić M. Vector-Borne Zoonotic Lymphadenitis-The Causative Agents, Epidemiology, Diagnostic Approach, and Therapeutic Possibilities-An Overview. Life (Basel) 2024; 14:1183. [PMID: 39337966 PMCID: PMC11433605 DOI: 10.3390/life14091183] [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: 08/02/2024] [Revised: 09/02/2024] [Accepted: 09/16/2024] [Indexed: 09/30/2024] Open
Abstract
In addition to common skin pathogens, acute focal lymphadenitis in humans can, in rare cases, be caused by a zoonotic pathogen. Furthermore, it can develop in the absence of any direct or indirect contact with infected animals, in cases when the microorganism is transmitted by a vector. These clinical entities are rare, and therefore often not easily recognized, yet many zoonotic illnesses are currently considered emerging or re-emerging in many regions. Focal zoonotic vector-borne lymphadenitis and its numerous causative agents, with their variegated clinical manifestations, have been described in some case reports and small case series. Therefore, we summarized those data in this narrative overview, with the aim of raising clinical awareness, which could improve clinical outcomes. This overview briefly covers reported pathogens, their vectors and geographic distribution, and their main clinical manifestations, diagnostic possibilities, and recommended therapy. Vector-borne tularemia, plague, bartonellosis, rickettsioses, borreliosis, and Malayan filariasis are mentioned. According to the existing data, when acute focal bacterial vector-borne zoonotic lymphadenitis is suspected, in severe or complicated cases it seems prudent to apply combined aminoglycoside (or quinolone) plus doxycycline as an empirical therapy, pending definite diagnostic results. In this field, the "one health approach" and further epidemiological and clinical studies are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Oršolić
- University Hospital for Infectious Diseases "Dr. Fran Mihaljević", Mirogojska 8, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Nikolina Sarač
- University Hospital for Infectious Diseases "Dr. Fran Mihaljević", Mirogojska 8, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Mirjana Balen Topić
- University Hospital for Infectious Diseases "Dr. Fran Mihaljević", Mirogojska 8, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia
- School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Šalata 3, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia
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Kandathil AJ, Blair PW, Lu J, Anantharam R, Kobba K, Robinson ML, Alharthi S, Ndawula EC, Dumler JS, Kakooza F, Lamorde M, Thomas DL, Salzberg SL, Manabe YC. Metagenomic next generation sequencing of plasma RNA for diagnosis of unexplained, acute febrile illness in Uganda. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2024; 18:e0012451. [PMID: 39298515 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0012451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 08/11/2024] [Indexed: 09/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Metagenomic next generation metagenomic sequencing (mNGS) has proven to be a useful tool in the diagnosis and identification of novel human pathogens and pathogens not identified on routine clinical microbiologic tests. In this study, we applied mNGS to characterize plasma RNA isolated from 42 study participants with unexplained acute febrile illness (AFI) admitted to tertiary referral hospitals in Mubende and Arua, Uganda. Study participants were selected based on clinical criteria suggestive of viral infection (i.e., thrombocytopenia, leukopenia). The study population had a median age of 28 years (IQR:24 to 38.5) and median platelet count of 114 x103 cells/mm3 (IQR:66,500 to 189,800). An average of 25 million 100 bp reads were generated per sample. We identified strong signals from diverse virus, bacteria, fungi, or parasites in 10 (23.8%) of the study participants. These included well recognized pathogens like Helicobacter pylori, human herpes virus-8, Plasmodium falciparum, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and Rickettsia conorii. We further confirmed Rickettsia conorii infection, the cause of Mediterranean Spotted Fever (MSF), using PCR assays and Sanger sequencing. mNGS was a useful addition for detection of otherwise undetected pathogens and well-recognized non-pathogens. This is the first report to describe the molecular confirmation of a hospitalized case of MSF in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Further studies are needed to determine the utility of mNGS for disease surveillance in similar settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abraham J Kandathil
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Paul W Blair
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Department of Pathology, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Jennifer Lu
- Center for Computational Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Raghavendran Anantharam
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Kenneth Kobba
- Infectious Diseases Institute, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Matthew L Robinson
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Sultanah Alharthi
- Department of Pathology, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Edgar C Ndawula
- Infectious Diseases Institute, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - J Stephen Dumler
- Department of Pathology, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Francis Kakooza
- Infectious Diseases Institute, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Mohammed Lamorde
- Infectious Diseases Institute, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - David L Thomas
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Steven L Salzberg
- Center for Computational Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Departments of Computer Science and Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Yukari C Manabe
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
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Khan Z, Ullah F, Ullah S, Ibrahim M, Khan M, Rehman G, Tanaka T, Almutairi MM, Alouffi A, Ali A. Molecular detection of Anaplasma bovis, Candidatus Anaplasma boleense and Rickettsia spp. in ticks infesting small ruminants. BMC Vet Res 2024; 20:408. [PMID: 39261829 PMCID: PMC11389282 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-024-04259-6] [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: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 08/30/2024] [Indexed: 09/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Anaplasma spp. and Rickettsia spp. are intracellular vector-borne pathogens and harbored by a wide range of ticks and vertebrate hosts. Aim of this study was to molecularly characterize Anaplasma spp. and Rickettsia spp. in different ticks collected from livestock hosts in nine districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan. In total, 862 ticks were collected from cattle, goats and sheep. Highest tick's infestation was observed on cattle 56.14% (32/57), followed by goats 45.45% (40/88), and sheep 42.05% (45/107). Rhipicephalus microplus (305/862, 35.38%) was predominant species, followed by Haemaphysalis sulcata (243/862, 28.19%), Hyalomma anatolicum (133/862, 15.42%), Haemaphysalis bispinosa (120/862, 13.92%), and Hyalomma kumari (61/862, 7.07%). A subset of 135 ticks were screened for Anaplasma spp. and Rickettsia spp. based on the amplification of partial 16 S rDNA and outer-membrane protein A (ompA) fragments, respectively. In total, 16 ticks (11.85%) were positive for Anaplasma spp. and Rickettsia spp. Obtained 16 S rDNA sequences for Anaplasma spp. detected in Ha. bispinosa and Ha. sulcata showed 99.98% identity with Anaplasma bovis, while other detected in Rh. microplus showed 99.84% identity with Candidatus Anaplasma boleense. Similarly, detected ompA sequence in Ha. sulcata showed 100% identity with Rickettsia sp. and 97.93% with Rickettsia slovaca, and another sequence detected in Rh. microplus showed 100% identity with Candidatus Rickettsia shennongii. In phylogenetic trees, these sequences clustered with corresponding species from Pakistan, China, Turkey, South Korea, South Africa, and Herzegovina. This is the first study reporting detection of A. bovis in Ha. bispinosa and Ha. sulcata, Ca. A. boleense in Rh. microplus collected from goats, and R. slovaca-like in Ha. sulcata. Our results enforce the need for regular surveillance of Rickettsiales in hard ticks infesting livestock in the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zaibullah Khan
- Department of Zoology, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan, 23180, Pakistan
| | - Farman Ullah
- Department of Zoology, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan, 23180, Pakistan
| | - Shafi Ullah
- Department of Zoology, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan, 23180, Pakistan
| | - Mohammed Ibrahim
- Department of Chemistry, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan, 23180, Pakistan
| | - Momin Khan
- Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, 890-0065, Japan
| | - Gauhar Rehman
- Department of Zoology, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan, 23180, Pakistan
| | - Tetsuya Tanaka
- Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, 890-0065, Japan
- Laboratory of Animal Microbiology, Graduate School of Agricultural Science/Faculty of Agriculture, Tohoku University, Sendai , 980-8572, Japan
| | - 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
| | - Abid Ali
- Department of Zoology, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan, 23180, Pakistan.
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Wang Y, Li R, Yin T, He Z, Lu Z, Shao Z, Long Y. Prevalence of Tick Infection with Bartonella in China: A Review and Meta-analysis. Acta Parasitol 2024:10.1007/s11686-024-00893-0. [PMID: 39240447 DOI: 10.1007/s11686-024-00893-0] [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: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 07/30/2024] [Indexed: 09/07/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Bartonellosis is a global vector-borne zoonosis caused by Bartonella, a genus of intracellular Gram-negative bacteria. It is one of 14 emerging infectious diseases that have recently been identified in China, and the prevalence varies by region. A more in-depth understanding is needed regarding the role and influencing factors of ticks in the transmission of Bartonella, including the infection rate of ticks with Bartonella in different regions. This study explored the prevalence of Bartonella in ticks and the factors that influence it. METHODS Databases (PubMed, Embase, Elsevier ScienceDirect, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CNKI, VIP, CBM, and WanFang) were searched to review the preliminary research on Bartonella-carrying ticks in China. RESULTS We identified and included 22 articles. Bartonella infection rates in ticks varied from 0 to 22.79% examined by the included studies. Our meta-analysis revealed that the prevalence of Bartonella in ticks was 3.15% (95% CI: 1.22 - 5.82%); the prevalence was higher in parasitic ticks (4.90%; 95% CI: 1.39 -10.14%) than ticks seeking hosts (1.42%; 95% CI: 0.62 - 2.50%) (P = 0.047). CONCLUSION The prevalence of Bartonella in the southern region of China (6.45%) was higher than that in the northern region (1.28%) (P = 0.030). Knowledge of ticks' vectors and reservoir competence is crucial to reduce the disease burden.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhua Wang
- Department of Epidemiology, Ministry of Education Key Lab of Hazard Assessment and Control in Special Operational Environment, School of Public Health, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Ruishan Li
- Department of Epidemiology, Ministry of Education Key Lab of Hazard Assessment and Control in Special Operational Environment, School of Public Health, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Ting Yin
- Department of Epidemiology, Ministry of Education Key Lab of Hazard Assessment and Control in Special Operational Environment, School of Public Health, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Zhen He
- Department of Epidemiology, Ministry of Education Key Lab of Hazard Assessment and Control in Special Operational Environment, School of Public Health, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Zhenhua Lu
- Department of Epidemiology, Ministry of Education Key Lab of Hazard Assessment and Control in Special Operational Environment, School of Public Health, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Zhongjun Shao
- Department of Epidemiology, Ministry of Education Key Lab of Hazard Assessment and Control in Special Operational Environment, School of Public Health, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yong Long
- Department of Epidemiology, Ministry of Education Key Lab of Hazard Assessment and Control in Special Operational Environment, School of Public Health, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
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9
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Liu B, Liu H, Ren C, Hu D, Chen Y, Sun H, Chen Z, Liu Y. Isolation of Rickettsia heilongjiangensis (Strain AH-19) from Haemaphysalis longicornis on a Wild Hedgehog in Anhui Province, China. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2024. [PMID: 39239732 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2024.0036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: Spotted fever group rickettsioses, caused by rickettsiae of the spotted fever group, pose a significant zoonotic threat to public health. In endemic areas of Anhui Province, China, the ecology and transmission dynamics of these pathogens remain under investigation. Methods: We isolated a rickettsial strain from Haemaphysalis longicornis ticks collected from a wild hedgehog in the Dabie Mountain area. Molecular identification and phylogenetic analysis were employed to confirm the strain. Pathological examinations of the hedgehog's tissues were conducted to assess the potential impact of the infection. Results: The isolated strain was identified as R. heilongjiangensis strain AH-19. Pathological examination revealed significant tissue alterations, including cellular vacuolization, necrosis, and disarray of tissue architecture. It remains uncertain whether these changes were directly attributable to the rickettsial infection or other factors. Conclusions: The identification of R. heilongjiangensis strain AH-19 in H. longicornis suggests that hedgehogs may serve as reservoir hosts in the Dabie Mountain area.Further research is needed to clarify their role in the ecology and epidemiology of this pathogen, which could inform future public health strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boyu Liu
- Department of Microbiology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Hao Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, China
| | - Cuiping Ren
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Danyou Hu
- Department of Microbiology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Yang Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, China
| | - Haotian Sun
- School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, China
| | - Zhen Chen
- Department of Microbiology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Yan Liu
- Department of Microbiology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
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10
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Philippe C, Geebelen L, Hermy MRG, Dufrasne FE, Tersago K, Pellegrino A, Fonville M, Sprong H, Mori M, Lernout T. The prevalence of pathogens in ticks collected from humans in Belgium, 2021, versus 2017. Parasit Vectors 2024; 17:380. [PMID: 39238018 PMCID: PMC11378490 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-024-06427-x] [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: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 07/27/2024] [Indexed: 09/07/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ticks carry a variety of microorganisms, some of which are pathogenic to humans. The human risk of tick-borne diseases depends on, among others, the prevalence of pathogens in ticks biting humans. To follow-up on this prevalence over time, a Belgian study from 2017 was repeated in 2021. METHODS During the tick season 2021, citizens were invited to have ticks removed from their skin, send them and fill in a short questionnaire on an existing citizen science platform for the notification of tick bites (TekenNet). Ticks were morphologically identified to species and life stage level and screened using multiplex qPCR targeting, among others, Borrelia burgdorferi (sensu lato), Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Borrelia miyamotoi, Neoehrlichia mikurensis, Babesia spp., Rickettsia helvetica and tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV). The same methodology as in 2017 was used. RESULTS In 2021, the same tick species as in 2017 were identified in similar proportions; of 1094 ticks, 98.7% were Ixodes ricinus, 0.8% Ixodes hexagonus and 0.5% Dermacentor reticulatus. A total of 928 nymphs and adults could be screened for the presence of pathogens. Borrelia burgdorferi (s.l.) was detected in 9.9% (95% CI 8.2-12.0%), which is significantly lower than the prevalence of 13.9% (95% CI 12.2-15.7%) in 2017 (P = 0.004). The prevalences of A. phagocytophilum (4.7%; 95% CI 3.5-6.3%) and R. helvetica (13.3%; 95% CI 11.2-15.6%) in 2021 were significantly higher compared to 2017 (1.8%; 95% CI 1.3-2.7% and 6.8%; 95% CI 5.6-8.2% respectively) (P < 0.001 for both). For the other pathogens tested, no statistical differences compared to 2017 were found, with prevalences ranging between 1.5 and 2.9% in 2021. Rickettsia raoultii was again found in D. reticulatus ticks (n = 3/5 in 2021). Similar to 2017, no TBEV was detected in the ticks. Co-infections were found in 5.1% of ticks. When combining co-infection occurrence in 2017 and 2021, a positive correlation was observed between B. burgdorferi (s.l.) and N. mikurensis and B. burgdorferi (s.l.) and B. miyamotoi (P < 0.001 for both). CONCLUSIONS Although the 2021 prevalences fell within expectations, differences were found compared to 2017. Further research to understand the explanations behind these differences is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Philippe
- Sciensano, Belgian Institute for Health, Brussels, Belgium
- Laboratory of Immunology, Department of Translational Physiology, Infectiology and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | | | | | | | - Katrien Tersago
- Division of Preventive Health Policy, Flemish Department of Care, Environmental Healthcare, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Alessandro Pellegrino
- Infectious Disease Surveillance Unit, Agence pour une Vie de Qualité (AVIQ), Charleroi, Belgium
| | - Manoj Fonville
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Hein Sprong
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Marcella Mori
- Sciensano, Belgian Institute for Health, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Tinne Lernout
- Sciensano, Belgian Institute for Health, Brussels, Belgium
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11
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Maitre A, Kratou M, Corona-Guerrero I, Abuin-Denis L, Mateos-Hernández L, Mosqueda J, Almazan C, Said MB, Piloto-Sardiñas E, Obregon D, Cabezas-Cruz A. Differential interactions of Rickettsia species with tick microbiota in Rh. sanguineus and Rh. turanicus. Sci Rep 2024; 14:20674. [PMID: 39237587 PMCID: PMC11377539 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-71539-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 08/28/2024] [Indexed: 09/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Tick-borne rickettsioses, caused by Gram-negative bacteria of the Rickettsia genus, pose a growing global threat, with various arthropod vectors contributing to their transmission. Understanding the complex interactions within tick microbiota, including the role of Rickettsia species, is crucial for elucidating the dynamics of rickettsial diseases. Here, we investigate the taxonomic profiles and co-occurrence networks of Rickettsia in Rh. sanguineus sensus lato (s.l.) and Rh. turanicus ticks, revealing significant differences in community composition and local connectivity of Rickettsia species. While the microbiota of both tick species share common taxa, distinct differences in relative abundance and network topology suggest unique ecological niches. Moreover, robustness analysis demonstrates varying resilience to perturbations, indicating different strategies for network organization. Our findings also highlight metabolic differences between tick species, suggesting potential implications for Rickettsia interactions. Overall, this study provides insights into the intricate microbial landscape within ticks, shedding light on the functional redundancy and metabolic pathways associated with Rickettsia, thus advancing our understanding of tick-borne diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Apolline Maitre
- ANSES, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, 94700, Maisons-Alfort, France
- INRAE, UR 0045 Laboratoire de Recherches sur le Développement de l'Elevage (SELMET-LRDE), 20250, Corte, France
- EA 7310, Laboratoire de Virologie, Université de Corse, Corte, France
| | - Myriam Kratou
- Laboratory of Microbiology, National School of Veterinary Medicine of Sidi Thabet, University of Manouba, 2010, Manouba, Tunisia
| | - Ivan Corona-Guerrero
- Immunology and Vaccines Laboratory, C. A. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Queretaro, Mexico
- C.A. Salud Animal y Microbiologia Ambiental. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autonoma de Queretaro, Queretaro, Mexico
| | - Lianet Abuin-Denis
- ANSES, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, 94700, Maisons-Alfort, France
- Animal Biotechnology Department, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Avenue 31 between 158 and 190, P.O. Box 6162, 10600, Havana, Cuba
| | - Lourdes Mateos-Hernández
- ANSES, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, 94700, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Juan Mosqueda
- Immunology and Vaccines Laboratory, C. A. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Queretaro, Mexico
- C.A. Salud Animal y Microbiologia Ambiental. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autonoma de Queretaro, Queretaro, Mexico
| | - Consuelo Almazan
- Immunology and Vaccines Laboratory, C. A. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Queretaro, Mexico
- C.A. Salud Animal y Microbiologia Ambiental. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autonoma de Queretaro, Queretaro, Mexico
| | - Mourad Ben Said
- Laboratory of Microbiology, National School of Veterinary Medicine of Sidi Thabet, University of Manouba, 2010, Manouba, Tunisia
- Department of Basic Sciences, Higher Institute of Biotechnology of Sidi Thabet, University of Manouba, 2010, Manouba, Tunisia
| | - Elianne Piloto-Sardiñas
- ANSES, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, 94700, Maisons-Alfort, France
- Direction of Animal Health, National Center for Animal and Plant Health, Carretera de Tapaste y Autopista Nacional, Apartado Postal 10, 32700, San José de Las Lajas, Mayabeque, Cuba
| | - Dasiel Obregon
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.
| | - Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz
- ANSES, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, 94700, Maisons-Alfort, France.
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12
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Amoah S, Unicorn NM, Kyeremateng ET, Desewu G, Obuam PK, Malm RO, Osei‐Frempong E, Torto FA, Accorlor SK, Boampong K, Kwarteng SA, Addo SO, Larbi JA. Ticks and tick-borne pathogens in selected abattoirs and a slaughter slab in Kumasi, Ghana. Vet Med Sci 2024; 10:e70030. [PMID: 39285746 PMCID: PMC11405921 DOI: 10.1002/vms3.70030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 09/20/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ticks are vectors of pathogens that affect the health of animals and humans. With the constant trade of livestock across borders, there is the risk of new tick species invasion accompanied by the spread of infectious tick-borne pathogens. AIM This study sought to determine the diversity of tick species within abattoirs and a slaughter slab as well as identify the pathogens carried by these ticks. METHODS The ticks were collected from slaughtered cattle, identified and screened for pathogens using PCR and sequencing. RESULTS A total of 371 ticks were collected from slaughtered cattle across the three sampling sites: Kumasi abattoir (288, 77.63%), Akwatia Line slaughter slab (52, 14.02%) and Suame abattoir (31, 8.35%). The predominant species was Amblyomma variegatum (85.44%) with Rhipicephalus sanguineus (s.l.) (0.27%) as the least occurring species. Total nucleic acid from the tick pools was screened for pathogens based on the nucleoprotein gene region in the S segment of the Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) genome, the 295-bp fragment of the transposase gene of the Coxiella burnetii IS1111a element, the 560 bp segment of the ssrRNA gene of Babesia and Theileria, the 345 bp fragment of the Ehrlichia genus 16SrRNA gene and the rOmpA gene (OmpA) of Rickettsia. From the 52 tick pools screened, 40 (76.92%) were found positive for pathogen DNA. The pathogens identified were Rickettsia africae (69.23%), Rickettsia aeschlimannii (7.69%), C. burnetii (5.77%), uncultured Ehrlichia sp. (5.77%), Candidatus Midichloria mitochondrii (3.85%) and CCHFV (3.85%). A significant association was observed among A. variegatum, Hyalomma rufipes, Hyalomma truncatum and occurring tick-borne pathogens R. africae, R. aeschlimannii and uncultured Ehrlichia sp. (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION The findings show the occurrence of zoonotic pathogens, suggesting an increased risk of infections among the abattoir workers. There is a need to adopt control measures within the abattoirs to prevent pathogen spread.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stacy Amoah
- Department of Theoretical and Applied BiologyCollege of ScienceKNUSTKumasiGhana
| | | | | | - Genevieve Desewu
- Department of Theoretical and Applied BiologyCollege of ScienceKNUSTKumasiGhana
| | - Patrick Kwasi Obuam
- School of Public HealthKwame Nkrumah University of Science and TechnologyKumasiGhana
| | - Richard Odoi‐Teye Malm
- Parasitology DepartmentNoguchi Memorial Institute for Medical ResearchUniversity of GhanaAccraGhana
| | - Emmanuel Osei‐Frempong
- Parasitology DepartmentNoguchi Memorial Institute for Medical ResearchUniversity of GhanaAccraGhana
| | - Francisca Adai Torto
- Parasitology DepartmentNoguchi Memorial Institute for Medical ResearchUniversity of GhanaAccraGhana
| | - Stephen Kwabena Accorlor
- Parasitology DepartmentNoguchi Memorial Institute for Medical ResearchUniversity of GhanaAccraGhana
| | - Kwadwo Boampong
- Department of Theoretical and Applied BiologyCollege of ScienceKNUSTKumasiGhana
| | | | - Seth Offei Addo
- Department of Theoretical and Applied BiologyCollege of ScienceKNUSTKumasiGhana
- Parasitology DepartmentNoguchi Memorial Institute for Medical ResearchUniversity of GhanaAccraGhana
| | - John Asiedu Larbi
- Department of Theoretical and Applied BiologyCollege of ScienceKNUSTKumasiGhana
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13
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Djiman TA, Biguezoton AS, Saegerman C. Tick-Borne Diseases in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review of Pathogens, Research Focus, and Implications for Public Health. Pathogens 2024; 13:697. [PMID: 39204297 PMCID: PMC11356977 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13080697] [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: 07/29/2024] [Revised: 08/11/2024] [Accepted: 08/12/2024] [Indexed: 09/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Sub-Saharan Africa, with its hot and humid climate, is a conducive zone for tick proliferation. These vectors pose a major challenge to both animal and human health in the region. However, despite the relevance of emerging diseases and evidence of tick-borne disease emergence, very few studies have been dedicated to investigating zoonotic pathogens transmitted by ticks in this area. To raise awareness of the risks of tick-borne zoonotic diseases in sub-Saharan Africa, and to define a direction for future research, this systematic review considers the trends of research on tick-borne bacteria, parasites, and viruses from 2012 to 2023, aiming to highlight the circulation of these pathogens in ticks, cattle, sheep, goats, and humans. For this purpose, three international databases were screened to select 159 papers fitting designed inclusion criteria and used for qualitative analyses. Analysis of these studies revealed a high diversity of tick-borne pathogens in sub-Saharan Africa, with a total of 37 bacterial species, 27 parasite species, and 14 viruses identified. Among these, 27% were zoonotic pathogens, yet only 11 studies investigated their presence in humans. Furthermore, there is growing interest in the investigation of bacteria and parasites in both ticks and ruminants. However, research into viruses is limited and has only received notable interest from 2021 onwards. While studies on the detection of bacteria, including those of medical interest, have focused on ticks, little consideration has been given to these vectors in studies of parasites circulation. Regarding the limited focus on zoonotic pathogens transmitted by ticks, particularly in humans, despite documented cases of emerging zoonoses and the notable 27% proportion reported, further efforts should be made to fill these gaps. Future studies should prioritize the investigation of zoonotic pathogens, especially viruses, which represent the primary emerging threats, by adopting a One Health approach. This will enhance the understanding of their circulation and impact on both human and animal health. In addition, more attention should be given to the risk factors/drivers associated to their emergence as well as the perception of the population at risk of infection from these zoonotic pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tidjani A. Djiman
- Research Unit of Epidemiology and Risk Analysis Applied to Veterinary Sciences (UREAR-ULiège), Fundamental and Applied Research for Animals and Health (FARAH) Center, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liege, 4000 Liège, Belgium;
- Vector-Borne Diseases and Biodiversity Unit (UMaVeB), International Research and Development Centre on Livestock in Sub-humid Areas (CIRDES), Bobo-Dioulasso 454, Burkina Faso;
| | - Abel S. Biguezoton
- Vector-Borne Diseases and Biodiversity Unit (UMaVeB), International Research and Development Centre on Livestock in Sub-humid Areas (CIRDES), Bobo-Dioulasso 454, Burkina Faso;
| | - Claude Saegerman
- Research Unit of Epidemiology and Risk Analysis Applied to Veterinary Sciences (UREAR-ULiège), Fundamental and Applied Research for Animals and Health (FARAH) Center, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liege, 4000 Liège, Belgium;
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14
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Guardone L, Nogarol C, Accorsi A, Vitale N, Listorti V, Scala S, Brusadore S, Miceli IN, Wolfsgruber L, Guercio A, Di Bella S, Grippi F, Razzuoli E, Mandola ML. Ticks and Tick-Borne Pathogens: Occurrence and Host Associations over Four Years of Wildlife Surveillance in the Liguria Region (Northwest Italy). Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:2377. [PMID: 39199911 PMCID: PMC11350676 DOI: 10.3390/ani14162377] [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: 06/09/2024] [Revised: 07/28/2024] [Accepted: 08/01/2024] [Indexed: 09/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Tick-borne diseases (TBDs) are a considerable public health problem worldwide. The occurrence of Anaplasma spp., Borrelia burgdorferi s.l., Coxiella burnetii, Rickettsia spp., and tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEv) was investigated via PCR and sequencing in 683 ticks collected from 105 roe deer, 61 wild boars, 49 fallow deer, and 2 chamois, in the Liguria region, northwest Italy, between 2019 and 2022. The ticks were morphologically identified. Four different tick species were found: Ixodes ricinus (66.8% of the collected ticks), Dermacentor marginatus (15.8%), Rhipicephalus sanguineus s.s. (15.7%), and Haemaphysalis punctata (0.9%). Six ticks (0.9%) were only identified as Rhipicephalus spp. Of the 222 pools analyzed, 27.9% were positive. Most pools (n = 58, 26.1% of pools analyzed) were positive for Rickettsia spp., and several species were found: Rickettsia slovaca was the dominant species (15.3%), followed by R. monacensis (8.1%), while R. helvetica (1.8%), R. massiliae (0.5%), and R. raoultii (0.5%) were found only sporadically. Anaplasma phagocytophilum was identified in three pools and B. burgdorferi s.l. in one pool. All samples were negative for C. burnetii and TBEv. Significant associations were found between I. ricinus and roe deer, D. marginatus and wild boar, and between R. monacensis and I. ricinus. The prevalence of Rickettsia spp. differed significantly between tick and host species. This updated picture of tick species and TBPs in wild ungulates in Liguria, where the population of these animals is increasing, shows a widespread presence of potentially zoonotic Rickettsia spp. Continuous monitoring and public information on preventive measures are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Guardone
- S.S. Genova e Portualità, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, Piazza Borgo Pila 39, 16129 Genova, Italy; (A.A.); (V.L.); (L.W.)
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Viale delle Piagge 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Chiara Nogarol
- S.S. Virologia Specialistica, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, Via Bologna 148, 10154 Turin, Italy; (C.N.); (S.S.); (S.B.); (I.N.M.); (M.L.M.)
| | - Annalisa Accorsi
- S.S. Genova e Portualità, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, Piazza Borgo Pila 39, 16129 Genova, Italy; (A.A.); (V.L.); (L.W.)
| | - Nicoletta Vitale
- S.S. Epidemiologia—Sanità Animale, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, Via Bologna 148, 10154 Turin, Italy;
| | - Valeria Listorti
- S.S. Genova e Portualità, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, Piazza Borgo Pila 39, 16129 Genova, Italy; (A.A.); (V.L.); (L.W.)
| | - Sonia Scala
- S.S. Virologia Specialistica, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, Via Bologna 148, 10154 Turin, Italy; (C.N.); (S.S.); (S.B.); (I.N.M.); (M.L.M.)
| | - Sonia Brusadore
- S.S. Virologia Specialistica, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, Via Bologna 148, 10154 Turin, Italy; (C.N.); (S.S.); (S.B.); (I.N.M.); (M.L.M.)
| | - Ilaria Nina Miceli
- S.S. Virologia Specialistica, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, Via Bologna 148, 10154 Turin, Italy; (C.N.); (S.S.); (S.B.); (I.N.M.); (M.L.M.)
| | - Lara Wolfsgruber
- S.S. Genova e Portualità, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, Piazza Borgo Pila 39, 16129 Genova, Italy; (A.A.); (V.L.); (L.W.)
| | - Annalisa Guercio
- Centro Nazionale di Referenza per Anaplasma, Babesia, Rickettsia e Theileria (C.R.A.Ba.R.T.), Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia A. Mirri, Via Gino Marinuzzi 3, 90129 Palermo, Italy; (A.G.); (S.D.B.)
| | - Santina Di Bella
- Centro Nazionale di Referenza per Anaplasma, Babesia, Rickettsia e Theileria (C.R.A.Ba.R.T.), Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia A. Mirri, Via Gino Marinuzzi 3, 90129 Palermo, Italy; (A.G.); (S.D.B.)
| | - Francesca Grippi
- S.C. Diagnostica Sierologica, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia A. Mirri, Via Gino Marinuzzi 3, 90129 Palermo, Italy;
| | - Elisabetta Razzuoli
- S.S. Genova e Portualità, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, Piazza Borgo Pila 39, 16129 Genova, Italy; (A.A.); (V.L.); (L.W.)
| | - Maria Lucia Mandola
- S.S. Virologia Specialistica, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, Via Bologna 148, 10154 Turin, Italy; (C.N.); (S.S.); (S.B.); (I.N.M.); (M.L.M.)
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15
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Rymaszewska A, Piotrowski M. Rickettsia Species: Genetic Variability, Vectors, and Rickettsiosis-A Review. Pathogens 2024; 13:661. [PMID: 39204262 PMCID: PMC11357061 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13080661] [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: 04/24/2024] [Revised: 08/02/2024] [Accepted: 08/02/2024] [Indexed: 09/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Rickettsiae are an interesting group of bacteria comprising a large number of obligate intracellular species. The circulation of these bacteria in the environment depends on the presence of vectors (blood-sucking invertebrates) and their hosts. On the basis of phylogenetic analyses in 2022, a division into five groups of Rickettsia has been proposed: I belli group, II canadensis group, III typhus group, and IV and V spotted group fever (respectively II, phylogenetically older, and I). The genus Rickettsia includes species that are both pathogenic and nonpathogenic to humans and domestic and wild animals. Some Rickettsia species are invertebrate symbionts. Currently, rickettsiae, which are transmitted mainly by ticks, are spreading worldwide. This has been promoted by climate change, environmental changes caused by humans, and the synanthropisation of plants and animals. Therefore, it is extremely important to monitor the natural and urban environments. The study of potential vectors and reservoirs of bacteria in the genus Rickettsia should be a permanent part of the analysis of the modern human environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Rymaszewska
- Department of Genetics and Genomics, Institute of Biology, University of Szczecin, ul. Felczaka 3C, 71-412 Szczecin, Poland;
| | - Mariusz Piotrowski
- Department of Genetics and Genomics, Institute of Biology, University of Szczecin, ul. Felczaka 3C, 71-412 Szczecin, Poland;
- BIOSPACE Foundation, ul. Karpia 31, 61-619 Poznań, Poland
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16
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Khatib A, Findlater A, Bobotsis R, Adus SL, Zhao M, Makhani L, Boggild AK. Rash in a febrile returned traveler from Greece: A case of Mediterranean spotted fever. New Microbes New Infect 2024; 60-61:101427. [PMID: 38818248 PMCID: PMC11137585 DOI: 10.1016/j.nmni.2024.101427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Aisha Khatib
- Department of Family & Community Medicine, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Aidan Findlater
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Robert Bobotsis
- Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Samira L Adus
- Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michelle Zhao
- Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Leila Makhani
- Tropical Disease Unit, Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Family & Community Medicine, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Andrea K Boggild
- Tropical Disease Unit, Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Institute of Medical Science, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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17
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Enríquez S, Félix ML, Bermúdez S, Mosquera V, Farovitch L, Vaca F, Guevara JM, Venzal JM. Molecular detection of rickettsial agents in Amblyomma maculatum ticks (Ixodida: Ixodidae) from Ecuador. Vet Res Commun 2024; 48:2869-2876. [PMID: 38916692 DOI: 10.1007/s11259-024-10410-3] [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: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
Rickettsiales are obligate intracellular bacteria that need vertebrates and arthropods to maintain their life cycles. Some species of the genera Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, and Rickettsia are transmitted by ticks to both animals and humans and can cause mild to severe and even fatal cases. In the Americas, there is substantial data on rickettsial agents, encompassing both clinical cases and the detection of these agents in ticks, but in Ecuador, the information about them remains poorly understood. Therefore, the objective of this study was to detect molecularly rickettsial agents in Amblyomma maculatum ticks in both parasitic and free-living phases collected from domestic animals and pasture in five localities across three coastal provinces of Ecuador. Rickettsia parkeri, Candidatus Rickettsia andeanae, and Ehrlichia sp. were recorded in A. maculatum for the first time in Ecuador. These records were made in a region where antibodies to the Spotted Fever Rickettsia Group were detected in humans. Additional studies are needed to characterize Ehrlichia sp. at a specific level. Furthermore, recognizing the specific Rickettsiales species circulating in the ticks and the hosts within a region is crucial for assessing potential contact risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Enríquez
- Instituto de Investigación en Zoonosis - CIZ, Universidad Central del Ecuador, Hospital del Día Building, Third Floor, Jerónimo Leiton and Gatto Sobral Streets, Quito, Ecuador.
| | - María L Félix
- Laboratorio de Vectores y Enfermedades Transmitidas, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, CENUR Litoral Norte, Universidad de la República, Salto, Uruguay
| | - Sergio Bermúdez
- Departamento de Investigación en Entomología Médica, Instituto Conmemorativo Gorgas de Estudios de la Salud, City of Panama, Panama
| | - Vanessa Mosquera
- Instituto de Investigación en Zoonosis - CIZ, Universidad Central del Ecuador, Hospital del Día Building, Third Floor, Jerónimo Leiton and Gatto Sobral Streets, Quito, Ecuador
| | | | - Franklin Vaca
- Instituto de Investigación en Zoonosis - CIZ, Universidad Central del Ecuador, Hospital del Día Building, Third Floor, Jerónimo Leiton and Gatto Sobral Streets, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Juan Manuel Guevara
- Instituto de Investigación en Zoonosis - CIZ, Universidad Central del Ecuador, Hospital del Día Building, Third Floor, Jerónimo Leiton and Gatto Sobral Streets, Quito, Ecuador
| | - José M Venzal
- Laboratorio de Vectores y Enfermedades Transmitidas, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, CENUR Litoral Norte, Universidad de la República, Salto, Uruguay
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18
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de Lima NJ, Pádua GT, Cardoso ERN, Bittencourt RBM, Tavares MA, Paula WVDF, Neves LC, Segovia CD, dos Santos GC, Serpa MCDA, Toledo DC, Pascoal LM, Labruna MB, Biondo AW, Krawczak FDS. Serological and Molecular Survey of Rickettsial Agents in Wild Boars ( Sus scrofa) from Midwestern Brazil. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:2224. [PMID: 39123749 PMCID: PMC11311017 DOI: 10.3390/ani14152224] [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: 06/18/2024] [Revised: 07/27/2024] [Accepted: 07/27/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Wild boars (Sus scrofa L.) are considered among the most harmful invasive species worldwide, causing irreversible ecosystem damage, acting as zoonotic spreaders and reservoirs, threatening human and animal health, and having an important economic impact. Accordingly, the present study has assessed the rickettsial exposure, tick infestation of wild boars, and rickettsial DNA presence in ticks from infested animals from the Cerrado biome in midwestern Brazil. Anti-Rickettsia spp. antibodies were detected in serum samples of wild boars by immunofluorescence assay. Overall, 106/285 (37.2%) wild boar serum samples from 13 to 18 (72.2%) municipalities showed seroreactivity to at least one of the four Rickettsia spp. antigens tested, the largest number of wild boars serologically tested to Rickettsia spp. in this type of study. Among the 106 seroreactive animals, 34 showed possible homologous reactions between R. parkeri, R. amblyommatis, and R. bellii, with endpoint titers between 128 and 512. A sample of 45 ticks collected from four culled wild boars was identified as Amblyomma sculptum, and all tested negative for rickettsial DNA presence. In conclusion, this study has provided a reliable sampling seroprevalence and indicated high exposure of wild boars to rickettsial agents, with a potential interaction with Rickettsia spp. from the spotted fever group within the Cerrado biome from midwestern Brazil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Jalowitzki de Lima
- Veterinary and Animal Science School, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74605-220, Brazil; (N.J.d.L.); (W.V.d.F.P.); (L.C.N.); (L.M.P.)
| | - Gracielle Teles Pádua
- Veterinary and Animal Science School, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74605-220, Brazil; (N.J.d.L.); (W.V.d.F.P.); (L.C.N.); (L.M.P.)
| | - Ennya Rafaella Neves Cardoso
- Veterinary and Animal Science School, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74605-220, Brazil; (N.J.d.L.); (W.V.d.F.P.); (L.C.N.); (L.M.P.)
| | - Raphaela Bueno Mendes Bittencourt
- Veterinary and Animal Science School, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74605-220, Brazil; (N.J.d.L.); (W.V.d.F.P.); (L.C.N.); (L.M.P.)
| | - Mariana Avelar Tavares
- Veterinary and Animal Science School, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74605-220, Brazil; (N.J.d.L.); (W.V.d.F.P.); (L.C.N.); (L.M.P.)
| | - Warley Vieira de Freitas Paula
- Veterinary and Animal Science School, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74605-220, Brazil; (N.J.d.L.); (W.V.d.F.P.); (L.C.N.); (L.M.P.)
| | - Lucianne Cardoso Neves
- Veterinary and Animal Science School, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74605-220, Brazil; (N.J.d.L.); (W.V.d.F.P.); (L.C.N.); (L.M.P.)
| | - Carlos Damian Segovia
- Veterinary and Animal Science School, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74605-220, Brazil; (N.J.d.L.); (W.V.d.F.P.); (L.C.N.); (L.M.P.)
| | - Gabriel Cândido dos Santos
- Veterinary and Animal Science School, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74605-220, Brazil; (N.J.d.L.); (W.V.d.F.P.); (L.C.N.); (L.M.P.)
| | - Maria Carolina de Azevedo Serpa
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo—USP, São Paulo 05508-270, Brazil (M.B.L.)
| | - Denise Caroline Toledo
- Veterinary and Animal Science School, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74605-220, Brazil; (N.J.d.L.); (W.V.d.F.P.); (L.C.N.); (L.M.P.)
| | - Lívia Mendonça Pascoal
- Veterinary and Animal Science School, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74605-220, Brazil; (N.J.d.L.); (W.V.d.F.P.); (L.C.N.); (L.M.P.)
| | - Marcelo Bahia Labruna
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo—USP, São Paulo 05508-270, Brazil (M.B.L.)
| | - Alexander Welker Biondo
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Paraná—UFPR, Curitiba 81531-970, Brazil;
| | - Felipe da Silva Krawczak
- Veterinary and Animal Science School, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74605-220, Brazil; (N.J.d.L.); (W.V.d.F.P.); (L.C.N.); (L.M.P.)
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19
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McGinn J, Wen A, Edwards DL, Brinkley DM, Lamason RL. An expanded genetic toolkit for inducible expression and targeted gene silencing in Rickettsia parkeri. J Bacteriol 2024; 206:e0009124. [PMID: 38842342 PMCID: PMC11270864 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00091-24] [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: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Pathogenic species within the Rickettsia genus are transmitted to humans through arthropod vectors and cause a spectrum of diseases ranging from mild to life-threatening. Despite rickettsiae posing an emerging global health risk, the genetic requirements of their infectious life cycles remain poorly understood. A major hurdle toward building this understanding has been the lack of efficient tools for genetic manipulation, owing to the technical difficulties associated with their obligate intracellular nature. To this end, we implemented the Tet-On system to enable conditional gene expression in Rickettsia parkeri. Using Tet-On, we show inducible expression of antibiotic resistance and a fluorescent reporter. We further used this inducible promoter to screen the ability of R. parkeri to express four variants of the catalytically dead Cas9 (dCas9). We demonstrate that all four dCas9 variants can be expressed in R. parkeri and used for CRISPR interference (CRISPRi)-mediated targeted gene knockdown. We show targeted knockdown of an antibiotic resistance gene as well as the endogenous virulence factor sca2. Altogether, we have developed systems for inducible gene expression and CRISPRi-mediated gene knockdown for the first time in rickettsiae, laying the groundwork for more scalable, targeted mechanistic investigations into their infectious life cycles.IMPORTANCEThe spotted fever group of Rickettsia contains vector-borne pathogenic bacteria that are neglected and emerging threats to public health. Due to the obligate intracellular nature of rickettsiae, the development of tools for genetic manipulation has been stunted, and the molecular and genetic underpinnings of their infectious lifecycle remain poorly understood. Here, we expand the genetic toolkit by introducing systems for conditional gene expression and CRISPR interference (CRISPRi)-mediated gene knockdown. These systems allow for relatively easy manipulation of rickettsial gene expression. We demonstrate the effectiveness of these tools by disrupting the intracellular life cycle using CRISPRi to deplete the sca2 virulence factor. These tools will be crucial for building a more comprehensive and detailed understanding of rickettsial biology and pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jon McGinn
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Annie Wen
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Desmond L. Edwards
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - David M. Brinkley
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Rebecca L. Lamason
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
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20
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Sanderlin AG, Kurka Margolis H, Meyer AF, Lamason RL. Cell-selective proteomics reveal novel effectors secreted by an obligate intracellular bacterial pathogen. Nat Commun 2024; 15:6073. [PMID: 39025857 PMCID: PMC11258249 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50493-9] [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: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Pathogenic bacteria secrete protein effectors to hijack host machinery and remodel their infectious niche. Rickettsia spp. are obligate intracellular bacteria that can cause life-threatening disease, but their absolute dependence on the host cell has impeded discovery of rickettsial effectors and their host targets. We implemented bioorthogonal non-canonical amino acid tagging (BONCAT) during R. parkeri infection to selectively label, isolate, and identify effectors delivered into the host cell. As the first use of BONCAT in an obligate intracellular bacterium, our screen more than doubles the number of experimentally validated effectors for the genus. The seven novel secreted rickettsial factors (Srfs) we identified include Rickettsia-specific proteins of unknown function that localize to the host cytoplasm, mitochondria, and ER. We further show that one such effector, SrfD, interacts with the host Sec61 translocon. Altogether, our work uncovers a diverse set of previously uncharacterized rickettsial effectors and lays the foundation for a deeper exploration of the host-pathogen interface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allen G Sanderlin
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Abigail F Meyer
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Rebecca L Lamason
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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21
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Zubriková D, Blaňarová L, Hrkľová G, Syrota Y, Macko J, Blahútová D, Blažeková V, Stanko M, Švirlochová K, Víchová B. The Impact of Altitude on Tick-Borne Pathogens at Two Mountain Ranges in Central Slovakia. Pathogens 2024; 13:586. [PMID: 39057813 PMCID: PMC11279755 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13070586] [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: 06/19/2024] [Revised: 07/09/2024] [Accepted: 07/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Ticks are ectoparasites of a wide range of animals and are important vectors of numerous pathogens affecting humans, livestock, and pets. This study investigates possible correlations between selected factors, altitude, soil pH, and a factor called 'amount' (number of ticks examined in pooled samples) on the occurrence of I. ricinus ticks positive for selected tick-borne microorganisms. Questing I. ricinus ticks were collected in 2016 and 2017 across various altitudes, at two mountain ranges in central Slovakia. Tick pools were screened for the presence of Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (Bbsl), Babesia/Theileria spp., Rickettsia spp., and tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) using molecular methods. Regression analysis was employed to evaluate relationships between selected factors and the occurrence of vector-borne microorganisms. This study revealed a statistically significant influence of altitude on the occurrence of A. phagocytophilum; increasing altitude of the sampling site was associated with increased probability of pathogen occurrence. For Babesia/Theileria spp., neither altitude nor soil pH significantly affected pathogen occurrence. The occurrence of Bbsl was notably impacted by both altitude and soil pH; higher altitudes were associated with a decreased probability of pathogen presence, whereas higher soil pH increased the likelihood of pathogen occurrence. The presence of Rickettsia in a pooled sample was not affected by altitude and soil pH, but the 'amount' factor was a significant predictor, increasing the probability of pathogen detection. Neither altitude nor soil pH had a significant impact on TBEV occurrence. The regression models showed moderate goodness-of-fit levels to the data, underscoring their utility in examining the role of altitude and soil pH on pathogen occurrence. However, they explained only a small portion of the overall variance in pathogen occurrence, indicating the presence of other significant factors not covered in this study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana Zubriková
- Institute of Parasitology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Hlinkova 3, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia (Y.S.)
| | - Lucia Blaňarová
- Institute of Parasitology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Hlinkova 3, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia (Y.S.)
| | - Gabriela Hrkľová
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Catholic University in Ružomberok, Hrabovská Cesta 1A, 034 01 Ružomberok, Slovakia
| | - Yaroslav Syrota
- Institute of Parasitology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Hlinkova 3, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia (Y.S.)
- I. I. Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology NAS of Ukraine, Bogdan Khmelnytsky Street, 15, 01054 Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Jozef Macko
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Catholic University in Ružomberok, Hrabovská Cesta 1A, 034 01 Ružomberok, Slovakia
| | - Dana Blahútová
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Catholic University in Ružomberok, Hrabovská Cesta 1A, 034 01 Ružomberok, Slovakia
| | - Veronika Blažeková
- Institute of Parasitology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Hlinkova 3, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia (Y.S.)
- Department of Epizootiology, Parasitology and Protection of One Health, University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Košice, Komenského 73, 041 81 Košice, Slovakia
| | - Michal Stanko
- Institute of Parasitology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Hlinkova 3, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia (Y.S.)
- Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská Cesta 9, 845 06 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Klaudia Švirlochová
- Institute of Parasitology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Hlinkova 3, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia (Y.S.)
| | - Bronislava Víchová
- Institute of Parasitology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Hlinkova 3, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia (Y.S.)
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22
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Seo JY, Park JS, Lee HI, Ju JW. Molecular Identification of Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiae in Ticks in the Republic of Korea. Pathogens 2024; 13:575. [PMID: 39057802 PMCID: PMC11280320 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13070575] [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: 06/14/2024] [Revised: 07/03/2024] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The Rickettsia species transmitted by ticks are mostly classified within the spotted fever group rickettsiae (SFGR), which causes tick-borne rickettsiosis. Although efforts have been made to investigate their prevalence in the Republic of Korea (ROK), research has been limited to certain areas. Furthermore, the pooling method for ticks does not fully reflect the exact infection rate. Therefore, we aimed to perform molecular identification of SFGR in ticks to elucidate the current prevalence of tick-borne rickettsiosis in the ROK. The SFGR of ticks was identified using polymerase chain reaction targeting the 17 kDa antigen, ompA, and gltA, followed by sequencing for species identification and phylogenetic analysis. In total, 302 ticks belonging to four species (Haemaphysalis flava, H. longicornis, Ixodes nipponensis, and Amblyomma testudinarium) were collected between April and November 2022. The overall SFGR infection rate was 26.8% (81/302 patients). Both adult and nymphal ticks and the SFGR infection rate increased during April-May, reaching their peaks in June, followed by a marked decline in August and July, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis revealed three species (R. monacensis, R. heilongjiangensis, and Candidatus R. jingxinensis) of SFGR. Thus, our results emphasize the importance of tick surveys for the prevention and management of tick-borne rickettsiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Jung-Won Ju
- Division of Vectors and Parasitic Diseases, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, 187 Osongsaengmyeong 2-ro, Osong-eup, Heungdeok-gu, Cheongju 28159, Chungbuk, Republic of Korea
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23
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Dyczko D, Błażej P, Kiewra D. The influence of forest habitat type on Ixodes ricinus infections with Rickettsia spp. in south-western Poland. CURRENT RESEARCH IN PARASITOLOGY & VECTOR-BORNE DISEASES 2024; 6:100200. [PMID: 39148674 PMCID: PMC11324835 DOI: 10.1016/j.crpvbd.2024.100200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2024] [Revised: 07/01/2024] [Accepted: 07/07/2024] [Indexed: 08/17/2024]
Abstract
This study investigates the prevalence of Rickettsia spp. in Ixodes ricinus tick populations in different forest habitat types (broadleaf forest, mixed broadleaf and coniferous forest, and coniferous forest) in south-western Poland. During the survey periods from April to June 2018 and 2019 a total of 494 I. ricinus ticks, including 374 nymphs, 60 females and 60 males, were tested for Rickettsia infections by nested PCR targeting the gltA gene. The overall infection rate was 42.3%; however, we observed statistically significant year-to-year variation. Infection rates varied between tick developmental stages and were significantly influenced by forest habitat type. As assessed by a generalized linear mixed model (GLMM), the highest infection rates were observed in mixed broadleaf and coniferous forests, while coniferous forests had a significant negative effect on infection prevalence. DNA sequencing of selected samples confirmed the predominance of Rickettsia helvetica (91.2%) and less frequent Rickettsia monacensis (8.8%). This study suggests that the forest habitat types can influence Rickettsia spp. infection in tick populations; however, a comprehensive understanding of all factors influencing the level of infection requires future study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dagmara Dyczko
- Department of Microbial Ecology and Acaroentomology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Wroclaw, Przybyszewskiego 63, 51-148, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Paweł Błażej
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genomics, Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wroclaw, Joliot-Curie 14a, 50-383, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Dorota Kiewra
- Department of Microbial Ecology and Acaroentomology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Wroclaw, Przybyszewskiego 63, 51-148, Wroclaw, Poland
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24
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Rosa F, Silva C, Rodrigues R, Esteves-Vieira M, Barbosa I, Rosa S, Dias D, Pina-Martins F. Island hitchhikers: pathogen agents of Madeira and Azores ticks. Parasitol Res 2024; 123:261. [PMID: 38967653 PMCID: PMC11226517 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-024-08278-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: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024]
Abstract
Ticks are blood-sucking arthropods that can transmit pathogens to their host. As insular ecosystems can enhance tick-host interactions, this study aimed to understand tick diversity, pathogen presence, and their respective associations in the Azores and Madeira archipelagos. Unfed or partially engorged ticks (n = 120) were collected from 58 cats and dogs in the Azores (n = 41 specimens) and Madeira (n = 79 specimens) from November 2018 to March 2019. Vector identification was based on morphology and molecular criteria. For pathogen sequencing, 18S gene fragment for Babesia/Hepatozoon and gltA for Rickettsia were performed. Sequence data was explored using BLAST and BLAST and phylogenetic inference tools. In the Azores, Ixodes hexagonus, I. ventalloi, and Rhipicephalus sanguineus (n = 6; 14.6%, n = 6; 14.6%, and n = 29; 70.7% respectively) were found and in Madeira I. ricinus and R. sanguineus (n = 78, 98.7%; and n = 1, 1.3%; respectively) were identified. Tick COI markers confirmed species highlighting confirmation of R. sanguineus s.s. and genotype A of I. ventalloi. In the Azores Islands, the detected Rickettsia massiliae was linked to R. sanguineus (dogs and cats) and I. hexagonus (dogs), and in Madeira Island, R. monacensis (dogs) and Hepatozoon silvestris (cats) were found associated with I. ricinus. Further, I. ventalloi presence in the Azores expands west its known range, and Hepatozoon silvestris in Madeira may suggest that I. ricinus could have a role as a potential vector. Finally, as R. massiliae and R. monacensis presence underlines public health risks, surveillance by health authorities is crucial as pathogen-tick interactions may drive disease spread, therefore monitoring remains pivotal for disease prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda Rosa
- Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017, Lisbon, Portugal
- Centro de Estudos Do Ambiente E Do Mar (CESAM), LA, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Carla Silva
- Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Ricardo Rodrigues
- Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016, Lisbon, Portugal
| | | | - Inês Barbosa
- MSD Animal Health Portugal, Quinta da Fonte, Ed Vasco da Gama,19, Paço de Arcos, Portugal
| | - Sara Rosa
- Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Deodália Dias
- Centro de Estudos Do Ambiente E Do Mar (CESAM), LA, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016, Lisbon, Portugal
- Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Francisco Pina-Martins
- Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016, Lisbon, Portugal.
- Computational Biology and Population Genomics Group, cE3c - Center for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes & CHANGE - Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016, Lisbon, Portugal.
- Departamento de Engenharia Química E Biológica, Escola Superior de Tecnologia Do Barreiro, Instituto Politécnico de Setúbal, Rua Américo da Silva Marinho, 2839-001, Lavradio, Portugal.
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25
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Monroig J, de Seta M, Carranza J, Giamperetti S, Deodato B, Armitano R, Díaz Pérez P, de Salvo MN, Leonardo Cicuttin G, Lloveras S. [First autochthonous case of spotted fever associated with the Reserva Ecológica Costanera Sur, Buenos Aires City]. Rev Argent Microbiol 2024; 56:287-291. [PMID: 39095319 DOI: 10.1016/j.ram.2024.06.001] [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: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024] Open
Abstract
The first autochthonous case of rickettsiosis is reported here. The case occurred in the Costanera Sur Ecological Reserve, a protected area of the City of Buenos Aires, in August 2022, where 4 species of ticks were found, namely Amblyomma aureolatum, Ixodes auritulus sensu lato, Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu stricto and Amblyomma triste. The epidemiological, ecological, clinical and laboratory aspects that allowed timely diagnosis and appropriate treatment are also described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Monroig
- Sección Zoopatología Médica, Hospital Francisco Javier Muñiz, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Marina de Seta
- Instituto de Zoonosis Luis Pasteur, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Jose Carranza
- Sección Zoopatología Médica, Hospital Francisco Javier Muñiz, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Sergio Giamperetti
- Laboratorio Zoonosis Hospital Francisco Javier Muñiz, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Bettina Deodato
- Laboratorio Zoonosis Hospital Francisco Javier Muñiz, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Rita Armitano
- Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas, ANLIS «Dr. Carlos G. Malbrán», Ministerio de Salud de la Nación, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Paula Díaz Pérez
- Instituto de Zoonosis Luis Pasteur, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | | | | | - Susana Lloveras
- Sección Zoopatología Médica, Hospital Francisco Javier Muñiz, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Zhang EY, Kalmath P, Abernathy HA, Giandomenico DA, Nolan MS, Reiskind MH, Boyce RM. Rickettsia africae infections in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic literature review of epidemiological studies and summary of case reports. Trop Med Int Health 2024; 29:541-583. [PMID: 38813598 PMCID: PMC11216893 DOI: 10.1111/tmi.14002] [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] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
Rickettsia africae is a tick-borne bacteria known to cause African tick bite fever (ATBF). While the disease was first described more than 100 years ago, knowledge of transmission risk factors and disease burden remain poorly described. To better understand the burden of R. africae, this article reviewed and summarized the published literature related to ATBF epidemiology and clinical management. Using a systematic approach, consistent with the PRISMA guidelines, we identified more than 100 eligible articles, including 65 epidemiological studies and 41 case reports. Most reports described R. africae in ticks and livestock, while human studies were less common. Human disease case reports were exclusively among returning travellers from non-endemic areas, which limits our disease knowledge among at-risk populations: people living in endemic regions. Substantial efforts to elucidate the ATBF risk factors and clinical manifestations among local populations are needed to develop effective preventative strategies and facilitate appropriate and timely diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Y. Zhang
- College of Arts and Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599, USA
| | - Prarthana Kalmath
- College of Arts and Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599, USA
| | - Haley A. Abernathy
- Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599, USA
| | - Dana A. Giandomenico
- Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599, USA
| | - Melissa S. Nolan
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, South Carolina, 29208, USA
| | - Michael H. Reiskind
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, 27695, USA
| | - Ross M. Boyce
- Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599, USA
- Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599, USA
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Ichikawa T, Qiu Y, Ando S, Takeuchi Y, Nagasaka A. The case of Mediterranean spotted fever of the traveler returned from Zambia. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2024; 15:102347. [PMID: 38714072 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102347] [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: 01/16/2024] [Revised: 04/06/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/09/2024]
Abstract
We report the case of a traveler who returned from Zambia and was diagnosed with Mediterranean spotted fever (MSF), an infectious disease caused by Rickettsia conorii conorii. The patient presented to Sapporo City General Hospital with symptoms of fever, malaise, headache, and rash. The pathogen was identified by Polymerase Chain Reaction assays and subsequent analyses. The patient improved with 10-day treatment of oral doxycycline. Although some cases of MSF have been reported in sub-Saharan Africa, none have been reported in Zambia. Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato, the vector of the Rickettsia conorii conorii, has been found in various areas of Zambia. Our case report highlights the potential threat of Mediterranean spotted fever in urban areas of Zambia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takahiro Ichikawa
- Sapporo City General Hospital Department of Infectious Diseases, 13-1-1, Kita-11-jonishi, Chuo-ku, Sapporo 060-8604, Japan.
| | - Yongjin Qiu
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Department of Disease Control, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo: Kita 8, Nishi 5, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0808, Japan
| | - Shuji Ando
- National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1, Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan
| | - Yuto Takeuchi
- Sapporo City General Hospital Department of Infectious Diseases, 13-1-1, Kita-11-jonishi, Chuo-ku, Sapporo 060-8604, Japan
| | - Atsushi Nagasaka
- Sapporo City General Hospital Department of Infectious Diseases, 13-1-1, Kita-11-jonishi, Chuo-ku, Sapporo 060-8604, Japan
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Millán J, Rodríguez-Pastor R, Estrada-Peña A. Description of Rhipicephalus hibericus sp. nov. (Ixodoidea: Ixodidae), a species of the Rhipicephalus sanguineus group in southwestern Europe. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2024; 15:102340. [PMID: 38582063 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102340] [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: 12/23/2023] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024]
Abstract
We describe all the life stages of Rhipicephalus hibericus n. sp., provide the types, and present molecular support for a new species of the Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato group, present in southwestern Europe, that has been historically confused with Rhipicephalus turanicus Pomerantzev, 1940. A new name is proposed for this taxon because it was impossible to ascribe to types of already described species in the group, deposited for more than 100 years in natural history institutions. The males have a dorsum showing deep and coarse punctations (absent in Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu stricto) and adanal plates with large punctations (absent in R. sanguineus s.s.); the tail of the spiracular plate is as wide as the closest festoon (half the width in R. sanguineus s.s.). Females have large punctations in dorsal fields, a wide spiracular plate, and a "V" shaped genital opening; such a combination of characters cannot be found in other species of the group. Immatures are described from specimens collected on hosts (Rodentia and Eulipotyphla). Both larvae and nymphs are markedly smaller than R. sanguineus s.s. Nymphs display long, backward-projected auriculae; larvae are almost half the size of R. sanguineus s.s. The new species can hybridize with R. sanguineus s.s. in laboratory colonies producing an unfertile F2, laying brown and dry eggs that did not hatch. Phylogenetic analysis of partial coxI gene sequences placed R. hibericus in a well-supported clade with other sequences of R. sanguineus s.l. from Portugal, as a sister clade of R. sanguineus s.s. The new species does not belong to the R. turanicus group of species. Both 12S and 16S partial gene sequences were not as precise in the correct phylogenetic placement of R. hibericus, in part probably due to the existence of erroneously identified sequences in GenBank©. This description, together with the previous reinstatement of Rhipicephalus secundus and Rhipicephalus rutilus, and the description of the neotypes of R. sanguineus s.s. should help researchers to adequately identify their collections. Our findings demonstrate that R. turanicus is absent in southwestern Europe. Old collections should be re-examined to provide the actual range of the new species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Millán
- Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón-IA2 (Universidad de Zaragoza-CITA), 50013 Zaragoza, Spain; Fundación ARAID, Avda. Ranillas 1, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain; Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile.
| | - Ruth Rodríguez-Pastor
- Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón-IA2 (Universidad de Zaragoza-CITA), 50013 Zaragoza, Spain; Departamento de Patología Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Zaragoza, Miguel Servet 177, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Agustín Estrada-Peña
- Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón-IA2 (Universidad de Zaragoza-CITA), 50013 Zaragoza, Spain; Departamento de Patología Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Zaragoza, Miguel Servet 177, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain; Retired
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Pustijanac E, Buršić M, Millotti G, Paliaga P, Iveša N, Cvek M. Tick-Borne Bacterial Diseases in Europe: Threats to public health. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 2024; 43:1261-1295. [PMID: 38676855 DOI: 10.1007/s10096-024-04836-5] [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: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tick-borne diseases, caused by bacterial pathogens, pose a growing threat to public health in Europe. This paper provides an overview of the historical context of the discovery of the most impactful pathogens transmitted by ticks, including Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, Rickettsia spp., Anaplasma spp., Francisella spp., Ehrlichia spp., and Neoehrlichia mikurensis. Understanding the historical context of their discovery provides insight into the evolution of our understanding of these pathogens. METHODS AND RESULTS Systematic investigation of the prevalence and transmission dynamics of these bacterial pathogens is provided, highlighting the intricate relationships among ticks, host organisms, and the environment. Epidemiology is explored, providing an in-depth analysis of clinical features associated with infections. Diagnostic methodologies undergo critical examination, with a spotlight on technological advancements that enhance detection capabilities. Additionally, the paper discusses available treatment options, addressing existing therapeutic strategies and considering future aspects. CONCLUSIONS By integrating various pieces of information on these bacterial species, the paper aims to provide a comprehensive resource for researchers and healthcare professionals addressing the impact of bacterial tick-borne diseases in Europe. This review underscores the importance of understanding the complex details influencing bacterial prevalence and transmission dynamics to better combat these emerging public health threats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emina Pustijanac
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Juraj Dobrila University of Pula, Zagrebačka 30, 52100, Pula, Croatia.
| | - Moira Buršić
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Juraj Dobrila University of Pula, Zagrebačka 30, 52100, Pula, Croatia
| | - Gioconda Millotti
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Juraj Dobrila University of Pula, Zagrebačka 30, 52100, Pula, Croatia
| | - Paolo Paliaga
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Juraj Dobrila University of Pula, Zagrebačka 30, 52100, Pula, Croatia
| | - Neven Iveša
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Juraj Dobrila University of Pula, Zagrebačka 30, 52100, Pula, Croatia
| | - Maja Cvek
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Braće Branchetta 20, 51000, Rijeka, Croatia
- Teaching Institute of Public Health of the Region of Istria, Nazorova 23, 52100, Pula, Croatia
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Fernandes NNU, Jorge FR, Costa VMD, Rodrigues AKPP, Magalhães MML, Junior RSL, Braz GF, Cavalcante FRA, de Azevedo Serpa MC, Martins TF, Muñoz-Leal S, Labruna MB, Teixeira BM. Evaluating the circulation of Ehrlichia canis and Rickettsia spp. in domestic dogs from a semiarid region in Brazil. Vet Parasitol Reg Stud Reports 2024; 52:101041. [PMID: 38880564 DOI: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2024.101041] [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: 11/12/2023] [Revised: 05/03/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
Tick-borne diseases are important for animal and human health, because they can cause death if not diagnosed and treated early. Canine monocytic ehrlichiosis (CME) can cause high morbidity in dog populations. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) is among the most virulent infectious in humans; dogs are also susceptible to infection. The aims of this study were to evaluate the presence of Ehrlichia canis and Rickettsia spp. infections in domestic dogs, and to identify tick species parasitizing dogs among urban areas of two municipalities (Sobral and Alcântaras) in the Ceará State, Northeastern Brazil. A total of 208 domiciled dogs was sampled. After clinical evaluation, blood samples and ticks were collected and submitted to Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) targeting E. canis DNA. Serum samples were screened by Indirect Immunofluorescence Assays (IFA) for antibodies against different strains of Rickettsia spp. previously recognized in Brazil. The results of this study indicate the molecular detection of E. canis in the state of Ceará, Brazil, where the proportion of canine infection in Sobral (9.9%) was higher than in Alcântaras (5.6%). Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato was the prevalent tick species infesting the dogs in both municipalities (43.5 and 53.3%, respectively). Our serological results indicate that dogs of the study area were at low risk of exposure to these tick-borne Rickettsia spp. of the spotted fever group. Our study offers epidemiological data of these diseases to better understanding Rickettsiales epidemic and enzootic cycles in the Brazilian semiarid region, improving prevention and control measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naiani Nara Uchôa Fernandes
- Núcleo de Estudo e Pesquisa em Animais Silvestres - NEPAS, Mestrado em Biotecnologia - Centro Universitário INTA - UNINTA, Rua José Lopes Ponte, 359 - Dom Expedito, Sobral, Ceará, CEP: 60.050-100, Brazil
| | - Felipe Rodrigues Jorge
- Núcleo de Estudo e Pesquisa em Animais Silvestres - NEPAS, Mestrado em Biotecnologia - Centro Universitário INTA - UNINTA, Rua José Lopes Ponte, 359 - Dom Expedito, Sobral, Ceará, CEP: 60.050-100, Brazil
| | - Viviane Maria Dias Costa
- Núcleo de Estudo e Pesquisa em Animais Silvestres - NEPAS, Mestrado em Biotecnologia - Centro Universitário INTA - UNINTA, Rua José Lopes Ponte, 359 - Dom Expedito, Sobral, Ceará, CEP: 60.050-100, Brazil
| | - Ana Kétylla Ponte Prado Rodrigues
- Núcleo de Estudo e Pesquisa em Animais Silvestres - NEPAS, Mestrado em Biotecnologia - Centro Universitário INTA - UNINTA, Rua José Lopes Ponte, 359 - Dom Expedito, Sobral, Ceará, CEP: 60.050-100, Brazil
| | - Meylling Mayara Linhares Magalhães
- Núcleo de Estudo e Pesquisa em Animais Silvestres - NEPAS, Mestrado em Biotecnologia - Centro Universitário INTA - UNINTA, Rua José Lopes Ponte, 359 - Dom Expedito, Sobral, Ceará, CEP: 60.050-100, Brazil
| | - Romilson Silva Lopes Junior
- Núcleo de Estudo e Pesquisa em Animais Silvestres - NEPAS, Mestrado em Biotecnologia - Centro Universitário INTA - UNINTA, Rua José Lopes Ponte, 359 - Dom Expedito, Sobral, Ceará, CEP: 60.050-100, Brazil
| | - Gissandra Farias Braz
- Núcleo de Estudo e Pesquisa em Animais Silvestres - NEPAS, Mestrado em Biotecnologia - Centro Universitário INTA - UNINTA, Rua José Lopes Ponte, 359 - Dom Expedito, Sobral, Ceará, CEP: 60.050-100, Brazil
| | - Francisco Roger Aguiar Cavalcante
- Núcleo de Estudo e Pesquisa em Animais Silvestres - NEPAS, Mestrado em Biotecnologia - Centro Universitário INTA - UNINTA, Rua José Lopes Ponte, 359 - Dom Expedito, Sobral, Ceará, CEP: 60.050-100, Brazil
| | - Maria Carolina de Azevedo Serpa
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Orlando Marques de Paiva, 87, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, CEP: 05508-270, Brazil
| | - Thiago Fernandes Martins
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Orlando Marques de Paiva, 87, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, CEP: 05508-270, Brazil
| | - Sebastian Muñoz-Leal
- Departamento de Ciencia Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad de Concepción, Av. Vicente Méndez 595, Casilla 537, Chillán, Ñuble, Chile
| | - Marcelo Bahia Labruna
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Orlando Marques de Paiva, 87, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, CEP: 05508-270, Brazil
| | - Bruno Marques Teixeira
- Núcleo de Estudo e Pesquisa em Animais Silvestres - NEPAS, Mestrado em Biotecnologia - Centro Universitário INTA - UNINTA, Rua José Lopes Ponte, 359 - Dom Expedito, Sobral, Ceará, CEP: 60.050-100, Brazil.
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Vondrak CJ, Sit B, Suwanbongkot C, Macaluso KR, Lamason RL. A conserved interaction between the effector Sca4 and host endocytic machinery suggests additional roles for Sca4 during rickettsial infection. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.24.600492. [PMID: 38979345 PMCID: PMC11230260 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.24.600492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Intracellular bacterial pathogens deploy secreted effector proteins that manipulate diverse host machinery and pathways to promote infection. Although many effectors carry out a single specific function or interaction, there are a growing number of secreted pathogen effectors capable of interacting with multiple host factors. However, few effectors secreted by obligate intracellular Rickettsia species have been linked to multiple host targets. Here, we investigated the conserved rickettsial secreted effector Sca4, which was previously shown to interact with host vinculin to promote cell-to-cell spread in the model Rickettsia species R. parkeri . We discovered that Sca4 also binds the host cell endocytic factor clathrin heavy chain (CHC, CLTC ) via a conserved segment in the Sca4 N-terminus. Ablation of CLTC expression or chemical inhibition of endocytosis reduced R. parkeri cell-to-cell spread, indicating that clathrin promotes efficient spread between mammalian cells. This activity was independent of Sca4 and appeared restricted to the recipient host cell, suggesting that the Sca4-clathrin interaction also regulates another aspect of the infectious lifecycle. Indeed, R. parkeri lacking Sca4 or expressing a Sca4 truncation unable to bind clathrin had markedly reduced burdens in tick cells, hinting at a cell-type specific function for the Sca4-clathrin interaction. Sca4 homologs from diverse Rickettsia species also bound clathrin, suggesting that the function of this novel effector-host interaction may be broadly important for rickettsial infection. We conclude that Sca4 has multiple targets during infection and that rickettsiae may manipulate host endocytic machinery to facilitate several stages of their life cycles.
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Almazán C, Torres Rodríguez L, Alanazi AD, Šlapeta J. American mitogenome reference for the tropical brown dog tick, Rhipicephalus linnaei (Audouin, 1826). CURRENT RESEARCH IN PARASITOLOGY & VECTOR-BORNE DISEASES 2024; 6:100194. [PMID: 39036815 PMCID: PMC11260381 DOI: 10.1016/j.crpvbd.2024.100194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2024] [Revised: 06/09/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
The brown dog tick, Rhipicephalus linnaei (Audouin, 1826), is distributed across the American continent and is formerly known as the "tropical lineage". It belongs to the Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Latreille, 1806) species complex, referred to as R. sanguineus (sensu lato). Mitochondrial genome sequences are frequently used for the identification and represent reference material for field studies. In the present study, the entire mitochondrial genomes of R. linnaei (∼15 kb) collected from dogs in Mexico were sequenced and compared with available mitogenomes of R. sanguineus (s.l.). The mitochondrial genome is ∼90% identical to the reference genome of R. sanguineus (sensu stricto, former "temperate lineage") and > 99% identical to R. linnaei mitogenome derived from the neotype. Two additional mitogenomes were obtained and described as R. linnaei and R. turanicus from dogs in Saudi Arabia. The present study delivers a molecular reference for R. linnaei from America and complements R. linnaei mitogenomes from Africa, Asia and Australia. We propose to consider the complete mitogenome, as the reference for American R. linnaei, even when partial mitochondrial cox1, 12S rRNA or 16S rRNA genes are characterised.
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Affiliation(s)
- Consuelo Almazán
- Immunology and Vaccines Laboratory, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Querétaro, Qro., 76140, Mexico
| | - Lorena Torres Rodríguez
- Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas, Km 5 Carretera Victoria-Mante, Cd. Victoria, Tam., CP, 87000, Mexico
| | - Abdullah D. Alanazi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science and Humanities, Shaqra University, P.O. Box 1040, Ad-Dawadimi, 11911, Saudi Arabia
| | - Jan Šlapeta
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, 2006, Australia
- Sydney Infectious Diseases Institute, The University of Sydney, New South Wales, 2006, Australia
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Biller ML, Kaiser KP, Kessel J, Koepsell J, Besier S, Kenikstul N, Bucur J, Müller M, Kohnen T. [Rickettsial retinitis]. DIE OPHTHALMOLOGIE 2024; 121:494-497. [PMID: 38507088 DOI: 10.1007/s00347-024-02019-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Marvin Lucas Biller
- Klinik für Augenheilkunde, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt am Main, Deutschland.
| | - Klemens Paul Kaiser
- Klinik für Augenheilkunde, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt am Main, Deutschland
| | - Johanna Kessel
- Medizinische Klinik II, Schwerpunkt Infektiologie, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt am Main, Deutschland
| | - Julia Koepsell
- Medizinische Klinik II, Schwerpunkt Infektiologie, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt am Main, Deutschland
| | - Silke Besier
- Institut für Medizinische Mikrobiologie und Krankenhaushygiene, Universitätsklinik Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt am Main, Deutschland
| | - Ninel Kenikstul
- Klinik für Augenheilkunde, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt am Main, Deutschland
| | - Julian Bucur
- Klinik für Augenheilkunde, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt am Main, Deutschland
| | - Michael Müller
- Klinik für Augenheilkunde, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt am Main, Deutschland
| | - Thomas Kohnen
- Klinik für Augenheilkunde, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt am Main, Deutschland
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34
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Ortega N, Arcenillas-Hernández I, Villa MI, González MD, Caro MR. Molecular identification of Borrelia and SFG Rickettsia spp. in hard ticks parasitizing domestic and wild animals in southeastern Spain. Vet Res Commun 2024; 48:1785-1790. [PMID: 38231370 PMCID: PMC11147859 DOI: 10.1007/s11259-023-10292-x] [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: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
Lyme disease and the spotted fever group rickettsiosis, involve bacteria belonging to the genus Borrelia and Rickettsia, respectively. These infections are the most important tick-borne zoonotic diseases involving ticks as vectors. Descriptive and epidemiological studies are essential to determine the animal hosts involved in the maintenance of these diseases. In the present study, 94 tick pool samples from 15 different host species located in the Region of Murcia (southeastern, Spain) were analysed. Ticks were morphologically identified as: Dermacentor marginatus, Hyalomma lusitanicum, Ixodes Ricinus, and Rhipicephalus sanguineus. Our results showed that 5.3% of the tick pool samples carried Borrelia spp. DNA, and 20.2% carried SFG Rickettsia DNA. In every hard tick pool Spot Fever Group (SFG) Rickettsia spp. DNA were detected, except for H. lusitanicum. Likewise, D. marginatum was the only species in which Borrelia spp. DNA was not detected. Barbary sheep and wild boar were the host species in which tick pools showed DNA presence of both pathogens. This study increases the knowledge about the presence of Borrelia spp. DNA and SFG Rickettsia spp. DNA in different hard tick species from this geographical area.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Ortega
- Dpto. de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Campus de Excelencia Internacional, "Campus Mare Nostrum" Universidad de Murcia, Espinardo, Murcia, 30100, Spain.
| | - I Arcenillas-Hernández
- Dpto. de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Campus de Excelencia Internacional, "Campus Mare Nostrum" Universidad de Murcia, Espinardo, Murcia, 30100, Spain
| | - M I Villa
- Dirección General de Salud Pública y Adicciones. Servicio de Seguridad Alimentaria y Zoonosis, Consejería de Salud de la Comunidad Autónoma de Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - M D González
- Dirección General de Salud Pública y Adicciones. Servicio de Seguridad Alimentaria y Zoonosis, Consejería de Salud de la Comunidad Autónoma de Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - M R Caro
- Dpto. de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Campus de Excelencia Internacional, "Campus Mare Nostrum" Universidad de Murcia, Espinardo, Murcia, 30100, Spain
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Pf B, Ac A, N VEB, Jr M. Cervids as Sentinels for Rickettsia spp. in Portugal. Acta Trop 2024; 254:107202. [PMID: 38565332 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2024.107202] [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: 01/18/2024] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/30/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Cervids are highly exposed to ticks, however, their role in the life cycle of these rickettsiae has not been fully elucidated. Given the expanding distribution and growing population of deer species in Portugal, coupled with their direct and indirect interactions with humans during hunting, it becomes crucial to explore their role as sentinels and potential reservoirs of Rickettsia. The present investigation aimed to detect and evaluate exposure to Rickettsia in free-living deer from Portugal. Blood samples (n = 77) were collected from hunted game animals (red deer and fallow deer) from different areas throughout Portugal (Idanha-a-Nova, Monte Fidalgo, Montalvão and Arraiolos) and sera were tested by immunofluorescence assay, to detect antibodies. Additionally, blood DNA samples were screened for SFGR by nested-polymerase chain reaction targeting a fragment of the outer membrane protein B (ompB) gene, as well as for Anaplasma and Ehrlichia spp. targeting the 16S rRNA gene. Thirty-five per cent (25 deer and two fallow deer) tested positive (sera with a titer ≥1:64) for IgG antibodies against Rickettsia conorii. No rickettsial DNA was detected by PCR for the ompB gene, and all DNA samples tested negative for Anaplasma and Ehrlichia. As far as we know, this study is the first screening of cervid species in Portugal for Rickettsia antibodies. The findings suggest that these animals serve as useful sentinel indicators for the circulation of rickettsiae, offering a complementary perspective to studies focused on ticks. The increasing numbers of hunted deer in Portugal and the potential zoonotic features of Rickettsia spp. highlight the importance of continued surveillance directed at tick-borne diseases, especially those involving wild animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barradas Pf
- EPIUnit - Instituto de Saúde Pública, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal; Laboratório para a Investigação Integrativa e Translacional em Saúde Populacional (ITR), Porto, Portugal; 1H -TOXRUN - One Health Toxicology Research Unit, University Institute of Health Sciences, CESPU, CRL, 4585-116 Gandra, Paredes, Portugal (PB, NVB).
| | - Abrantes Ac
- CECAV-Animal and Veterinary Research Centre, Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro University, Quinta de Prados, Vila Real, Portugal (ACA)
| | - Vieira E Brito N
- 1H -TOXRUN - One Health Toxicology Research Unit, University Institute of Health Sciences, CESPU, CRL, 4585-116 Gandra, Paredes, Portugal (PB, NVB)
| | - Mesquita Jr
- EPIUnit - Instituto de Saúde Pública, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal; Laboratório para a Investigação Integrativa e Translacional em Saúde Populacional (ITR), Porto, Portugal; Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal (JRM)
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36
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Barradas PF, Marques J, Tavares C, Brito NV, Mesquita JR. Detection of tick-borne pathogens in Rhipicephalus bursa ticks collected from the autochthonous Garrano breed of horses in Portugal. Vet Parasitol Reg Stud Reports 2024; 51:101033. [PMID: 38772649 DOI: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2024.101033] [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: 10/09/2023] [Revised: 04/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024]
Abstract
The Garrano is a semi-feral horse breed native to several mountains in the northern Iberian Peninsula. Despite being endangered, this unique breed of pony has managed to survive in the wild and continues to be selectively bred, highlighting their remarkable resilience and adaptability to harsh environments. Wildlife plays a critical role in the survival of tick vectors in their natural habitats and the transfer of tick-borne pathogens, as they can serve as reservoir hosts for many agents and amplifiers for these vectors. The semi-feral lifestyle of the Garrano horses makes them particularly vulnerable to exposure to numerous tick species throughout the year. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence of Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, Babesia, Theileria, and spotted fever rickettsiae in the Garrano horse ticks to obtain a knowledge of circulating agents in this host population. The collected ticks (n = 455) were identified as Rhipicephalus bursa. DNA specimens were organized in pools of 5 ticks, for molecular screening. Pools PCR results confirmed the presence of Candidatus Rickettsia barbariae (n = 12 for the ompB gene, n = 11 for the ompA gene and n = 6 for the gltA gene), Babesia bigemina (n = 1), Babesia caballi (n = 3), Theileria equi (n = 15) and Theileria haneyi (n = 1).These results confirm the circulation of an emerging rickettsial spotted fever group member, Candidatus R. barbariae, in R. bursa ticks. Our findings demonstrated that Candidatus R. barbariae co-circulates with B. bigemina and T. equi, which are vectored by R. bursa. We are reporting for the first time, the detection of T. haneyi among R. bursa ticks feeding in the Garrano horses in Portugal. Surveillance studies for tick-borne infections are essential to provide information that can facilitate the implementation of preventive and control strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrícia F Barradas
- EPIUnit - Instituto de Saúde Pública, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal; Laboratório para a Investigação Integrativa e Translacional em Saúde Populacional (ITR), Porto, Portugal; 1H -TOXRUN - One Health Toxicology Research Unit, University Institute of Health Sciences, CESPU, CRL, 4585-116 Gandra, Portugal.
| | - João Marques
- Nanta Portugal, 2615-180 Alverca do Ribatejo, Portugal
| | - Catarina Tavares
- 1H -TOXRUN - One Health Toxicology Research Unit, University Institute of Health Sciences, CESPU, CRL, 4585-116 Gandra, Portugal; i3S-Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal; Instituto de Patologia e Imunologia Molecular da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Nuno Vieira Brito
- 1H -TOXRUN - One Health Toxicology Research Unit, University Institute of Health Sciences, CESPU, CRL, 4585-116 Gandra, Portugal
| | - João R Mesquita
- EPIUnit - Instituto de Saúde Pública, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal; Laboratório para a Investigação Integrativa e Translacional em Saúde Populacional (ITR), Porto, Portugal; ICBAS-School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Porto University, Porto, Portugal
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Kim KG, Hwang DJ, Park JW, Ryu MG, Kim Y, Yang SJ, Lee JE, Lee GS, Lee JH, Park JS, Seo JM, Kim SH. Distribution and pathogen prevalence of field-collected ticks from south-western Korea: a study from 2019 to 2022. Sci Rep 2024; 14:12336. [PMID: 38811622 PMCID: PMC11136998 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-61126-y] [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: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Hard ticks are known vectors of various pathogens, including the severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus, Rickettsia spp., Coxiella burnetii, Borrelia spp., Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Ehrlichia spp. This study aims to investigate the distribution and prevalence of tick-borne pathogens in southwestern Korea from 2019 to 2022. A total of 13,280 ticks were collected during the study period, with H. longicornis accounting for 86.1% of the collected ticks. H. flava, I. nipponensis and A. testudinarium comprised 9.4%, 3.6%, and 0.8% of the ticks, respectively. Among 983 pools tested, Rickettsia spp. (216 pools, 1.6% MIR) were the most prevalent pathogens across all tick species, with R. japonica and R. monacensis frequently detected in I. nipponensis and Haemaphysalis spp., respectively. Borrelia spp. (28 pools, 0.2% MIR) were predominantly detected in I. nipponensis (27 pools, 13.8% MIR, P < 0.001). Co-infections, mainly involving Rickettsia monacensis and Borrelia afzelii, were detected in I. nipponensis. Notably, this study identified R. monacensis for the first time in A. testudinarium in South Korea. These findings offer valuable insights into the tick population and associated pathogens in the region, underscoring the importance of tick-borne disease surveillance and prevention measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kwang Gon Kim
- Division of Infectious Disease Investigation, Health and Environment Research Institute of Gwangju, 584 Mugindae-ro, Seo-gu, Gwangju, 61954, Republic of Korea.
| | - Da Jeong Hwang
- Division of Infectious Disease Investigation, Health and Environment Research Institute of Gwangju, 584 Mugindae-ro, Seo-gu, Gwangju, 61954, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung Wook Park
- Division of Infectious Disease Investigation, Health and Environment Research Institute of Gwangju, 584 Mugindae-ro, Seo-gu, Gwangju, 61954, Republic of Korea
| | - Mi Geum Ryu
- Division of Infectious Disease Investigation, Health and Environment Research Institute of Gwangju, 584 Mugindae-ro, Seo-gu, Gwangju, 61954, Republic of Korea
| | - Yujin Kim
- Division of Infectious Disease Investigation, Health and Environment Research Institute of Gwangju, 584 Mugindae-ro, Seo-gu, Gwangju, 61954, Republic of Korea
| | - So-Jin Yang
- Division of Infectious Disease Investigation, Health and Environment Research Institute of Gwangju, 584 Mugindae-ro, Seo-gu, Gwangju, 61954, Republic of Korea
| | - Ji-Eun Lee
- Division of Infectious Disease Investigation, Health and Environment Research Institute of Gwangju, 584 Mugindae-ro, Seo-gu, Gwangju, 61954, Republic of Korea
| | - Gi Seong Lee
- Division of Infectious Disease Investigation, Health and Environment Research Institute of Gwangju, 584 Mugindae-ro, Seo-gu, Gwangju, 61954, Republic of Korea
| | - Ju Hye Lee
- Division of Infectious Disease Investigation, Health and Environment Research Institute of Gwangju, 584 Mugindae-ro, Seo-gu, Gwangju, 61954, Republic of Korea
| | - Ji Sun Park
- Division of Infectious Disease Investigation, Health and Environment Research Institute of Gwangju, 584 Mugindae-ro, Seo-gu, Gwangju, 61954, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung Mi Seo
- Division of Infectious Disease Investigation, Health and Environment Research Institute of Gwangju, 584 Mugindae-ro, Seo-gu, Gwangju, 61954, Republic of Korea
| | - Sun-Hee Kim
- Division of Infectious Disease Investigation, Health and Environment Research Institute of Gwangju, 584 Mugindae-ro, Seo-gu, Gwangju, 61954, Republic of Korea.
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Tsioka K, Saratsis A, Pappa S, Papa A. Pathogens Detected in Questing Ixodes ricinus Ticks in a Mountainous Area in Greece. Pathogens 2024; 13:449. [PMID: 38921747 PMCID: PMC11206748 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13060449] [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: 04/15/2024] [Revised: 05/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Ixodes ricinus ticks are vectors of a plethora of pathogens. The purpose of this study was to screen 398 I. ricinus ticks for a variety of pathogens. Following the pooling, homogenization, and extraction of total nucleic acids, a real-time PCR was applied for the detection of a panel of tick-borne pathogens, while additional conventional PCRs combined with Sanger sequencing were applied for the detection of viruses and typing of Rickettsia and Borrelia species. At least one pathogen was detected in 60 of the 80 (75%) tick pools. Rickettsia spp. predominated, as it was detected in 63.75% of the pools (51/80; MIR 12.81%), followed by Borrelia spp. (35 pools (45%); MIR 8.79%), while Anaplasma phagocytophilum was detected in 2 pools (2.5%, MIR 0.5%). The ticks of six Rickettsia-positive pools were tested individually (from stored half-ticks); all sequences were identical to those of R. monacensis. Similarly, the ticks of six Borrelia-positive pools were tested individually, and it was shown that four belonged to the genospecies Borrelia garinii and two to Borrelia valaisiana. Phleboviruses were detected in 3 pools (3.75%; MIR 0.75%), with sequences clustering in the Ixovirus genus, while nairoviruses were detected in 7 pools (8.75%; MIR 1.76%), with one sequence clustering in the Orthonairovirus genus, and six clustering in the Norwavirus genus. Although a small number of ticks from only one area in Greece were tested, a variety of pathogens together with recently identified viruses were detected, prompting further studies in ticks and surveillance studies in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katerina Tsioka
- Department of Microbiology, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece; (K.T.); (S.P.)
| | - Anastasios Saratsis
- Hellenic Agricultural Organisation-Dimitra (ELGO-DIMITRA), Veterinary Research Institute, 57001 Thermi, Greece;
| | - Styliani Pappa
- Department of Microbiology, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece; (K.T.); (S.P.)
| | - Anna Papa
- Department of Microbiology, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece; (K.T.); (S.P.)
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Blažeková V, Stanko M, Sprong H, Kohl R, Zubriková D, Vargová L, Bona M, Miklisová D, Víchová B. Ixodiphagus hookeri (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) and Tick-Borne Pathogens in Ticks with Sympatric Occurrence (and Different Activities) in the Slovak Karst National Park (Slovakia), Central Europe. Pathogens 2024; 13:385. [PMID: 38787237 PMCID: PMC11123704 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13050385] [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: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 04/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/04/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Ticks are involved in the transmission a plethora of pathogens. To effectively control ticks and mitigate the risks associated with tick-borne diseases, it is important to implement tick control measures. These may include the use of acaricides as well as the development and implementation of an alternative, environmentally friendly tick management program that include practices such as habitat modification or establishing biological control. Ixodiphagus hookeri Howard is a tick-specific parasitoid wasp that predates on several species of ixodid ticks and could contribute to the control of the tick population. This work aimed to detect the presence of parasitoid wasps in ticks (Ixodidae) using genetic approaches. Several tick species of the genera Ixodes, Haemaphysalis, and Dermacentor, with a sympatric occurrence in the Slovak Karst National Park in southeastern Slovakia, were screened for the presence of wasps of the genus Ixodiphagus. The DNA of the parasitoids was detected in four tick species from three genera. This work presents the first molecular detection of parasitoids in two Dermacentor tick species, as well as the first molecular identification of Ixodiphagus wasps in Ixodes ricinus and Haemaphysalis concinna ticks from the Karst area. In the given area, it was observed that I. ricinus and H. concinna ticks are hyper-parasitized by wasps. Moreover, it was observed that wasps here can parasitize several tick species, some of which are of less significance for human and animal health (as they transmit fewer pathogens).
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronika Blažeková
- Laboratory of Molecular Ecology of Vectors, Institute of Parasitology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Hlinkova 3, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia; (V.B.); (M.S.); (D.Z.); (L.V.); (D.M.)
- Department of Epizootiology, Parasitology and Protection of One Health, University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Košice, Komenského 73, 040 81 Košice, Slovakia
| | - Michal Stanko
- Laboratory of Molecular Ecology of Vectors, Institute of Parasitology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Hlinkova 3, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia; (V.B.); (M.S.); (D.Z.); (L.V.); (D.M.)
- Institute of Zoology Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 06 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Hein Sprong
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Antonie van Leeuwenhoeklaan 9, 3721 MA Bilthoven, The Netherlands; (H.S.); (R.K.)
| | - Robert Kohl
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Antonie van Leeuwenhoeklaan 9, 3721 MA Bilthoven, The Netherlands; (H.S.); (R.K.)
| | - Dana Zubriková
- Laboratory of Molecular Ecology of Vectors, Institute of Parasitology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Hlinkova 3, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia; (V.B.); (M.S.); (D.Z.); (L.V.); (D.M.)
| | - Lucia Vargová
- Laboratory of Molecular Ecology of Vectors, Institute of Parasitology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Hlinkova 3, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia; (V.B.); (M.S.); (D.Z.); (L.V.); (D.M.)
| | - Martin Bona
- Department of Medical Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice, Trieda SNP 1, 040 11 Košice, Slovakia;
| | - Dana Miklisová
- Laboratory of Molecular Ecology of Vectors, Institute of Parasitology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Hlinkova 3, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia; (V.B.); (M.S.); (D.Z.); (L.V.); (D.M.)
| | - Bronislava Víchová
- Laboratory of Molecular Ecology of Vectors, Institute of Parasitology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Hlinkova 3, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia; (V.B.); (M.S.); (D.Z.); (L.V.); (D.M.)
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40
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Podkamennaya NA, Danchinova GA, Liapunova NA, Solovarov IS, Lagunova EK, Khamnueva NV, Shubin VY, Savelkaeva MV, Petrova IV, Khasnatinov MA. The structure and behavioral patterns of the human population affected by ixodid tick bites in Irkutsk Region, Eastern Siberia, Russia. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2024; 15:102327. [PMID: 38460341 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102327] [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: 10/05/2023] [Revised: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/11/2024]
Abstract
The bites of hard ticks are the major route of transmission of tick-borne infections to humans, causing thousands of cases of diseases worldwide. However, the characteristics of the human population that is exposed to tick bites are still understudied. This work is aimed at characterizing both the structure of the population directly contacting ticks and the human behavioral features associated with tick bites. We studied 25,970 individuals who sought medical help after a tick bite at the Centre for Diagnostics and Prevention of Tick-borne Infections (CDPTBI) in Irkutsk City (Russian Federation). The demographic and behavioral characteristics of the human population were analyzed using z-tests for proportions, the Mann-Whitney U test, and the Spearman rank correlation coefficient. The majority of bitten people were urban residents (70 %), and most of them were either of active ages between 30 and 74 years old (62 %), or children between 0 and 9 years old (approximately 20%). Tick bites occurred mostly in the range of 150 km around the location of the diagnostic facility (83 %). In comparison to the general population, significant differences were revealed in the representation of different age groups among bitten people. The population affected by tick bites included fewer men and women in the ages of 10-29 and over 75 years old than would be predicted based on the demographics of the general population. Vice versa, the proportions of people in the ages of 5-9 and 60-74 increased among bitten people. Among men, such activities (in order of occurrence) as "leisure and recreation", "visiting allotments", "foraging for forest food", and "fulfilling work duties" tend to be more associated with tick bites. Among women, tick bites occurred mainly during "visiting allotments", "leisure and recreation", "visiting cemeteries" and "contact with pets and plants at home". The overall vaccination rate was 12 %; however, significantly more men than women were vaccinated against tick-borne encephalitis (up to 20 % vs. approximately 7 % respectively). The structure of the tick bite - affected population suggests that it is age-specific human behavior that mainly determines the frequency of contact between people and ticks. However, in several age groups, especially among children from 5 to 9 and people aged 30-39 years old, gender-related factors could significantly change the exposure of people to tick bites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadezhda A Podkamennaya
- Federal state public scientific institution "Scientific Centre for family health and human reproduction problems" (FSPSI SC FHHRP), Irkutsk, Russian Federation
| | - Galina A Danchinova
- Federal state public scientific institution "Scientific Centre for family health and human reproduction problems" (FSPSI SC FHHRP), Irkutsk, Russian Federation
| | - Natalia A Liapunova
- Federal state public scientific institution "Scientific Centre for family health and human reproduction problems" (FSPSI SC FHHRP), Irkutsk, Russian Federation
| | - Innokentii S Solovarov
- Federal state public scientific institution "Scientific Centre for family health and human reproduction problems" (FSPSI SC FHHRP), Irkutsk, Russian Federation
| | - Ekaterina K Lagunova
- Federal state public scientific institution "Scientific Centre for family health and human reproduction problems" (FSPSI SC FHHRP), Irkutsk, Russian Federation
| | - Nadezhda V Khamnueva
- Federal state public scientific institution "Scientific Centre for family health and human reproduction problems" (FSPSI SC FHHRP), Irkutsk, Russian Federation
| | - Vladimir Yu Shubin
- Federal state public scientific institution "Scientific Centre for family health and human reproduction problems" (FSPSI SC FHHRP), Irkutsk, Russian Federation
| | - Marina V Savelkaeva
- Federal state public scientific institution "Scientific Centre for family health and human reproduction problems" (FSPSI SC FHHRP), Irkutsk, Russian Federation
| | - Irina V Petrova
- Federal state public scientific institution "Scientific Centre for family health and human reproduction problems" (FSPSI SC FHHRP), Irkutsk, Russian Federation
| | - Maxim A Khasnatinov
- Federal state public scientific institution "Scientific Centre for family health and human reproduction problems" (FSPSI SC FHHRP), Irkutsk, Russian Federation.
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Chitimia-Dobler L, Bröker M, Wölfel S, Dobler G, Schaper S, Müller K, Obiegala A, Maas L, Mans BJ, von Buttlar H. Ticks and tick-borne diseases from Mallorca Island, Spain. Parasitology 2024; 151:606-614. [PMID: 38767137 PMCID: PMC11428005 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182024000544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Ixodid ticks are obligate blood-feeding arthropods and important vectors of pathogens. In Mallorca, almost no data on the tick fauna are available. Herein, we investigated ticks and tick-borne pathogens in ticks collected from dogs, a cat and humans in Mallorca as result of a citizen science project. A total of 91 ticks were received from German tourists and residents in Mallorca. Ticks were collected from March to October 2023 from dogs, cat and humans, morphologically and genetically identified and tested for pathogens by PCRs. Six tick species could be identified: Ixodes ricinus (n = 2), Ixodes ventalloi (n = 1), Hyalomma lusitanicum (n = 7), Hyalomma marginatum (n = 1), Rhipicephalus sanguineus s.l. (n = 71) and Rhipicephalus pusillus (n = 9). Rhipicephalus sanguineus s.l. adults were collected from dogs and four females from a cat and the 16S rDNA sequences identified it as Rh. sanguineus s.s. Hyalomma lusitanicum was collected from 1 human, 1 dog and 5 specimens were collected from the ground in the community of Santanyi, together with one H. marginatum male. This is the first report of Hyalomma marginatum in Mallorca. Both I. ricinus were collected from humans and I. ventalloi female was collected from a dog. All ticks tested negative for Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Coxiella spp., Francisella spp., and piroplasms. In 32/71 (45%) specimens of Rh. sanguineus s.s., Rickettsia spp. could be detected and in 18/32 (56.2%) sequenced tick DNAs R. massiliae was identified. Ixodes ventalloi female and both I. ricinus tested positive in the screening PCR, but the sequencing for the identification of the Rickettsia sp. failed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lidia Chitimia-Dobler
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Munich, Germany
- Fraunhofer Institute of Immunology, Infection and Pandemic Research, Penzberg, Germany
| | | | - Silke Wölfel
- amedes MVZ for Laboratory Medicine and Microbiology, Fuerstenfeldbruck, Germany
| | - Gerhard Dobler
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Munich, Germany
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biology, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
- Dept. of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | | | | | - Anna Obiegala
- Institute of Animal Hygiene and Veterinary Public Health, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Lara Maas
- Institute of Animal Hygiene and Veterinary Public Health, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ben J Mans
- Epidemiology, Parasites and Vectors, Agricultural Research Council-Onderstepoort Veterinary Research, Onderstepoort, South Africa
- Department of Life and Consumer Sciences, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein 9301, South Africa
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Sousa ACP, Suzin A, da Silva Rodrigues V, Rezende LM, da Costa Maia R, Vieira RBK, Szabó MPJ. Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) and rickettsiae associated with wild boars in a rural area of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Vet Parasitol Reg Stud Reports 2024; 50:101016. [PMID: 38644046 DOI: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2024.101016] [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: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
Wild boars or feral pigs are classified by the Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Resources (IBAMA) in "Category I of invasive exotic species". They cause economic losses, harm the environment, serve as hosts and reservoirs for several zoonotic disease agents, and provide a blood meal for tick species that act as vectors for zoonotic diseases. The objective of this study was to identify tick species on wild boars, assess host-seeking ticks in the related environment, and identify other potential tick hosts coexisting with wild boars on a farm located in the state of Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil. Additionally, the study aimed to determine the presence of rickettsiae in these arthropods and assess the exposure of wild boars to rickettsiae species from the Spotted Fever Group and Rickettsia bellii through serology. A total of 3585 host-seeking ticks from three species (Amblyomma sculptum - 41.58%; Amblyomma dubitatum - 0.39% and Rhipicephalus microplus - 0.05%) were collected in the environment and A. sculptum was the most abundant species. Thirty-one wild boars were evaluated, resulting in the collection of 415 ticks, all of which were A. sculptum. Rickettsia DNA was not detected in samples of A. sculptum and R. microplus from the environment or in A. sculptum ticks from wild boars. However, all A. dubitatum ticks (n = 14) had Rickettsia bellii DNA confirmed by the species-specific PCR protocol. Out of the 31 serum samples from wild boars, 24 reacted with at least one Rickettsia antigen. Among these, seven individuals exhibited a reaction to a probable homologous antigen (PHA) of three rickettsiae species: R. rickettsii (n = 3), R. amblyommatis (n = 3) and R. rhipicephali (n = 1). Despite the high prevalence of seroreactivity, titers were low, indicating limited exposure to Rickettsia spp. Camera traps generated 874 animal records, capturing a total of 1688 individuals. At least 11 species of birds and 14 species of mammals (12 wild and two domestic) shared the environment with wild boars and potentially shared ticks with them. These findings provide baseline information for understanding the sharing of ticks and tick-borne pathogens between wild boars and other animals within the Cerrado biome. Further studies are necessary to monitor the potential and actual risk of wild boars to harbor infected ticks and their role in the transmission and maintenance cycle of Rickettsia spp.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Carolina Prado Sousa
- Laboratório de Ixodologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Imunologia e Parasitologia Aplicadas, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
| | - Adriane Suzin
- Laboratório de Ixodologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Vinícius da Silva Rodrigues
- Laboratório de Ixodologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Imunologia e Parasitologia Aplicadas, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Laís Miguel Rezende
- Laboratório de Ixodologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo da Costa Maia
- Laboratório de Ixodologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Imunologia e Parasitologia Aplicadas, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Raíssa Brauner Kamla Vieira
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Clínica e Reprodução Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Matias Pablo Juan Szabó
- Laboratório de Ixodologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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Mbiri P, Matomola OC, Muleya W, Mhuulu L, Diegaardt A, Noden BH, Changula K, Chimwamurombe P, Matos C, Weiss S, Nepolo E, Chitanga S. Molecular Detection and Characterization of Rickettsia Species in Ixodid Ticks from Selected Regions of Namibia. Microorganisms 2024; 12:912. [PMID: 38792739 PMCID: PMC11124484 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12050912] [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: 03/14/2024] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Rickettsial pathogens are among the emerging and re-emerging vector-borne zoonoses of public health importance. Reports indicate human exposure to Rickettsial pathogens in Namibia through serological surveys, but there is a lack of data on infection rates in tick vectors, hindering the assessment of the relative risk to humans. Our study sought to screen Ixodid ticks collected from livestock for the presence of Rickettsia species in order to determine infection rates in ticks and to determine the Rickettsia species circulating in the country. We collected and pooled Hyalomma and Rhipicephalus ticks from two adjacent regions of Namibia (Khomas and Otjozondjupa) and observed an overall minimum Rickettsia infection rate of 8.6% (26/304), with an estimated overall pooled prevalence of 9.94% (95% CI: 6.5-14.3). There were no statistically significant differences in the estimated pooled prevalence between the two regions or tick genera. Based on the nucleotide sequence similarity and phylogenetic analysis of the outer membrane protein A (n = 9) and citrate synthase (n = 12) genes, BLAST analysis revealed similarity between Rickettsia africae (n = 2) and Rickettsia aeschlimannii (n = 11), with sequence identities ranging from 98.46 to 100%. Our initial study in Namibia indicates that both zoonotic R. africae and R. aeschlimannii are in circulation in the country, with R. aeschlimannii being the predominant species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pricilla Mbiri
- Department of Production Animal Studies, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Namibia, Private Bag 13301, Windhoek 10005, Namibia;
| | - Ophelia Chuma Matomola
- Department of Preclinical Studies, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Namibia, Private Bag 13301, Windhoek 10005, Namibia;
| | - Walter Muleya
- Department of Preclinical Studies, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, P.O. Box 32379, Lusaka 10101, Zambia;
| | - Lusia Mhuulu
- Department of Human Biology and Translational Medicine, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Namibia, Private Bag 13301, Windhoek 10005, Namibia; (L.M.); (A.D.); (E.N.)
| | - Azaria Diegaardt
- Department of Human Biology and Translational Medicine, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Namibia, Private Bag 13301, Windhoek 10005, Namibia; (L.M.); (A.D.); (E.N.)
| | - Bruce Howard Noden
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA;
| | - Katendi Changula
- Department of Paraclinical Studies, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, P.O. Box 32379, Lusaka 10101, Zambia;
| | - Percy Chimwamurombe
- Department of Natural and Applied Sciences, Namibia University of Science & Technology, Windhoek 10005, Namibia;
| | - Carolina Matos
- Centre for International Health Protection, Robert Koch Institute, 13353 Berlin, Germany; (C.M.); (S.W.)
| | - Sabrina Weiss
- Centre for International Health Protection, Robert Koch Institute, 13353 Berlin, Germany; (C.M.); (S.W.)
| | - Emmanuel Nepolo
- Department of Human Biology and Translational Medicine, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Namibia, Private Bag 13301, Windhoek 10005, Namibia; (L.M.); (A.D.); (E.N.)
| | - Simbarashe Chitanga
- Department of Preclinical Studies, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Namibia, Private Bag 13301, Windhoek 10005, Namibia;
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Health Sciences, University of Zambia, P.O. Box 50110, Lusaka 10101, Zambia
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Daněk O, Hrbatová A, Volfová K, Ševčíková S, Lesiczka P, Nováková M, Ghodrati S, Hrazdilova K, Veneziano V, Napoli E, Otranto D, Montarsi F, Mihalca AD, Mechouk N, Adamík P, Modrý D, Zurek L. Italian peninsula as a hybridization zone of Ixodes inopinatus and I. ricinus and the prevalence of tick-borne pathogens in I. inopinatus, I. ricinus, and their hybrids. Parasit Vectors 2024; 17:196. [PMID: 38685096 PMCID: PMC11059663 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-024-06271-z] [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: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ixodes inopinatus was described from Spain on the basis of morphology and partial sequencing of 16S ribosomal DNA. However, several studies suggested that morphological differences between I. inopinatus and Ixodes ricinus are minimal and that 16S rDNA lacks the power to distinguish the two species. Furthermore, nuclear and mitochondrial markers indicated evidence of hybridization between I. inopinatus and I. ricinus. In this study, we tested our hypothesis on tick dispersal from North Africa to Southern Europe and determined the prevalence of selected tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) in I. inopinatus, I. ricinus, and their hybrids. METHODS Ticks were collected in Italy and Algeria by flagging, identified by sequencing of partial TROSPA and COI genes, and screened for Borrelia burgdorferi s.l., B. miyamotoi, Rickettsia spp., and Anaplasma phagocytophilum by polymerase chain reaction and sequencing of specific markers. RESULTS Out of the 380 ticks, in Italy, 92 were I. ricinus, 3 were I. inopinatus, and 136 were hybrids of the two species. All 149 ticks from Algeria were I. inopinatus. Overall, 60% of ticks were positive for at least one TBP. Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. was detected in 19.5% of ticks, and it was significantly more prevalent in Ixodes ticks from Algeria than in ticks from Italy. Prevalence of Rickettsia spotted fever group (SFG) was 51.1%, with significantly greater prevalence in ticks from Algeria than in ticks from Italy. Borrelia miyamotoi and A. phagocytophilum were detected in low prevalence (0.9% and 5.2%, respectively) and only in ticks from Italy. CONCLUSIONS This study indicates that I. inopinatus is a dominant species in Algeria, while I. ricinus and hybrids were common in Italy. The higher prevalence of B. burgdorferi s.l. and Rickettsia SFG in I. inopinatus compared with that in I. ricinus might be due to geographical and ecological differences between these two tick species. The role of I. inopinatus in the epidemiology of TBPs needs further investigation in the Mediterranean Basin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ondřej Daněk
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Alena Hrbatová
- CEITEC University of Veterinary Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Karolina Volfová
- CEITEC University of Veterinary Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Sylvie Ševčíková
- Department of Microbiology, Nutrition and Dietetics, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Paulina Lesiczka
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Markéta Nováková
- CEITEC University of Veterinary Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Sajjad Ghodrati
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Kristyna Hrazdilova
- Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Biomedical Center, Charles University, Pilsen, Czech Republic
| | - Vincenzo Veneziano
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Ettore Napoli
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Domenico Otranto
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Valenzano, Italy
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Fabrizio Montarsi
- Instituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Italy
| | - Andrei Daniel Mihalca
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Noureddine Mechouk
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Peter Adamík
- Department of Zoology, Palacky University Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - David Modrý
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Ludek Zurek
- CEITEC University of Veterinary Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic.
- Department of Microbiology, Nutrition and Dietetics, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic.
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De Jesus CE, Harman MEA, Sutton A, Bredin S, Romagosa CM, Wisely SM. Spatially limited pathogen pollution in an invasive tick and host system. Biol Invasions 2024; 26:2037-2047. [PMID: 38947421 PMCID: PMC11213802 DOI: 10.1007/s10530-024-03291-9] [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: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
Expansion of global commerce has facilitated pathogen pollution via the transportation and translocation of invasive species and their associated parasites and pathogens. In Florida, imported cane toads (Rhinella horribilis) were accidentally and intentionally released on multiple occasions. Early populations were found to be infested with the invasive tick, Amblyomma rotundatum, yet it is unknown if these ticks dispersed with their hosts as cane toads spread throughout much of the state. The objectives of our investigation were to (1) determine if there are fewer tick infestations on toads at the periphery than at the core of their distribution as predicted by founder effect events, and (2) identify if ticks were infected with exotic pathogens. We captured toads from 10 populations across Florida. We collected ticks, vent tissue, and tick attachment site tissue from each toad, then tested samples for bacteria in the genus, Rickettsia. We found that 3/10 populations had toads that were infested with A. rotundatum, and infested individuals were in the earliest introduced populations at the core of their distribution. Pathogen testing confirmed Rickettisa bellii in ticks, but not in toad tissues. Haplotype networks could not clearly distinguish if R. bellii in Florida was more closely related to North or South American strains, but host-tick associations suggest that the pathogen was exotic to Florida. Our investigation demonstrated that an invasive species facilitated the introduction of parasites and pathogens into Florida, yet the invasive tick species encountered limitations to dispersal on this host species. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10530-024-03291-9.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carrie E. De Jesus
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL USA
| | - Madison E. A. Harman
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL USA
| | - Amber Sutton
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL USA
| | - Stephen Bredin
- Biology Department, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA USA
| | - Christina M. Romagosa
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL USA
| | - Samantha M. Wisely
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL USA
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Habib J, Zenner L, Garel M, Mercier A, Poirel MT, Itty C, Appolinaire J, Amblard T, Benedetti P, Sanchis F, Benabed S, Abi Rizk G, Gibert P, Bourgoin G. Prevalence of tick-borne pathogens in ticks collected from the wild mountain ungulates mouflon and chamois in 4 regions of France. Parasite 2024; 31:21. [PMID: 38602373 PMCID: PMC11008225 DOI: 10.1051/parasite/2024011] [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: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Ticks are major vectors of various pathogens of health importance, such as bacteria, viruses and parasites. The problems associated with ticks and vector-borne pathogens are increasing in mountain areas, particularly in connection with global climate change. We collected ticks (n = 2,081) from chamois and mouflon in 4 mountainous areas of France. We identified 6 tick species: Ixodes ricinus, Rhipicephalus bursa, Rh. sanguineus s.l., Haemaphysalis sulcata, H. punctata and Dermacentor marginatus. We observed a strong variation in tick species composition among the study sites, linked in particular to the climate of the sites. We then analysed 791 ticks for DNA of vector-borne pathogens: Babesia/Theileria spp., Borrelia burgdorferi s.l., Anaplasma phagocytophilum, A. marginale, A. ovis, and Rickettsia of the spotted fever group (SFG). Theileria ovis was detected only in Corsica in Rh. bursa. Babesia venatorum (2 sites), Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. (B. afzelii and B. garinii; 2 sites) and Anaplasma phagocytophilum (3 sites) were detected in I. ricinus. Anaplasma ovis was detected at one site in I. ricinus and Rh. sanguineus s.l. SFG Rickettsia were detected at all the study sites: R. monacensis and R. helvetica in I. ricinus at the 3 sites where this tick is present; R. massiliae in Rh. sanguineus s.l. (1 site); and R. hoogstraalii and Candidatus R. barbariae in Rh. bursa in Corsica. These results show that there is a risk of tick-borne diseases for humans and domestic and wild animals frequenting these mountain areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jad Habib
- Université de Lyon, VetAgro Sup – Campus Vétérinaire de Lyon, Laboratoire de Parasitologie Vétérinaire 1 avenue Bourgelat BP 83 69280 Marcy-l’Etoile France
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, VetAgro Sup, UMR 5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive 43 bd du 11 novembre 1918 69622 Villeurbanne France
- Université Libanaise, Faculté d’Agronomie et de Médecine Vétérinaire, Département de Médecine Vétérinaire 3 rue de l'université Beyrouth Lebanon
| | - Lionel Zenner
- Université de Lyon, VetAgro Sup – Campus Vétérinaire de Lyon, Laboratoire de Parasitologie Vétérinaire 1 avenue Bourgelat BP 83 69280 Marcy-l’Etoile France
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, VetAgro Sup, UMR 5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive 43 bd du 11 novembre 1918 69622 Villeurbanne France
| | - Mathieu Garel
- Office Français de la Biodiversité, Service Anthropisation et Fonctionnement des Écosystèmes Terrestres 5 allée de Bethléem, Z.I. Mayencin 38610 Gières France
| | - Antoine Mercier
- Université de Lyon, VetAgro Sup – Campus Vétérinaire de Lyon, Laboratoire de Parasitologie Vétérinaire 1 avenue Bourgelat BP 83 69280 Marcy-l’Etoile France
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, VetAgro Sup, UMR 5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive 43 bd du 11 novembre 1918 69622 Villeurbanne France
| | - Marie-Thérèse Poirel
- Université de Lyon, VetAgro Sup – Campus Vétérinaire de Lyon, Laboratoire de Parasitologie Vétérinaire 1 avenue Bourgelat BP 83 69280 Marcy-l’Etoile France
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, VetAgro Sup, UMR 5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive 43 bd du 11 novembre 1918 69622 Villeurbanne France
| | - Christian Itty
- Office Français de la Biodiversité, Service Appui aux Acteurs et Mobilisation des Territoires, Direction Régionale Occitanie 7 rue du Four, Fagairolles 34610 Castanet-le-Haut France
| | - Joël Appolinaire
- Office Français de la Biodiversité, Service Anthropisation et Fonctionnement des Écosystèmes Terrestres 5 allée de Bethléem, Z.I. Mayencin 38610 Gières France
| | - Thibaut Amblard
- Office Français de la Biodiversité, Service Anthropisation et Fonctionnement des Écosystèmes Terrestres 5 allée de Bethléem, Z.I. Mayencin 38610 Gières France
| | - Pierre Benedetti
- Office Français de la Biodiversité, Unité Espaces Naturels de Corse Funtanella 20218 Moltifao France
| | - Frédéric Sanchis
- Office Français de la Biodiversité, Unité Espaces Naturels de Corse Funtanella 20218 Moltifao France
| | - Slimania Benabed
- Université de Lyon, VetAgro Sup – Campus Vétérinaire de Lyon, Laboratoire de Parasitologie Vétérinaire 1 avenue Bourgelat BP 83 69280 Marcy-l’Etoile France
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, VetAgro Sup, UMR 5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive 43 bd du 11 novembre 1918 69622 Villeurbanne France
| | - Georges Abi Rizk
- Université Libanaise, Faculté d’Agronomie et de Médecine Vétérinaire, Département de Médecine Vétérinaire 3 rue de l'université Beyrouth Lebanon
| | - Philippe Gibert
- Office Français de la Biodiversité, Service Anthropisation et Fonctionnement des Écosystèmes Terrestres 5 allée de Bethléem, Z.I. Mayencin 38610 Gières France
| | - Gilles Bourgoin
- Université de Lyon, VetAgro Sup – Campus Vétérinaire de Lyon, Laboratoire de Parasitologie Vétérinaire 1 avenue Bourgelat BP 83 69280 Marcy-l’Etoile France
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, VetAgro Sup, UMR 5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive 43 bd du 11 novembre 1918 69622 Villeurbanne France
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Cheng R, Zhou C, Zhao M, Zhang S, Wan W, Yu Y, Wen B, Jiao J, Xiong X, Xu Q, OuYang X. TRIM56-mediated production of type I interferon inhibits intracellular replication of Rickettsia rickettsii. Microbiol Spectr 2024; 12:e0369523. [PMID: 38358243 PMCID: PMC10986528 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.03695-23] [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] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Rickettsia rickettsii (R. rickettsii), the causative agent of Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF), is the most pathogenic member among Rickettsia spp. Previous studies have shown that tripartite motif-containing 56 (TRIM56) E3 ligase-induced ubiquitination of STING is important for cytosolic DNA sensing and type I interferon production to induce anti-DNA viral immunity, but whether it affects intracellular replication of R. rickettsii remains uncharacterized. Here, we investigated the effect of TRIM56 on HeLa and THP-1 cells infected with R. rickettsii. We found that the expression of TRIM56 was upregulated in the R. rickettsii-infected cells, and the overexpression of TRIM56 inhibited the intracellular replication of R. rickettsii, while R. rickettsii replication was enhanced in the TRIM56-silenced host cells with the reduced phosphorylation of IRF3 and STING and the increased production of interferon-β. In addition, the mutation of the TRIM56 E3 ligase catalytic site impairs the inhibitory function against R. rickettsii in HeLa cells. Altogether, our study discovers that TRIM56 is a host restriction factor of R. rickettsii by regulating the cGAS-STING-mediated signaling pathway. This study gives new evidence for the role of TRIM56 in the innate immune response against intracellular bacterial infection and provides new therapeutic targets for RMSF. IMPORTANCE Given that Rickettsia rickettsii (R. rickettsii) is the most pathogenic member within the Rickettsia genus and serves as the causative agent of Rocky Mountain spotted fever, there is a growing need to explore host targets. In this study, we examined the impact of host TRIM56 on R. rickettsii infection in HeLa and THP-1 cells. We observed a significant upregulation of TRIM56 expression in R. rickettsii-infected cells. Remarkably, the overexpression of TRIM56 inhibited the intracellular replication of R. rickettsii, while silencing TRIM56 enhanced bacterial replication accompanied by reduced phosphorylation of IRF3 and STING, along with increased interferon-β production. Notably, the mutation of the TRIM56's E3 ligase catalytic site did not impede R. rickettsii replication in HeLa cells. Collectively, our findings provide novel insights into the role of TRIM56 as a host restriction factor against R. rickettsii through the modulation of the cGAS-STING signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruxi Cheng
- Artemisinin Research Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Chunyu Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Mingliang Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Shan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Weiqiang Wan
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Yonghui Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Bohai Wen
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Jun Jiao
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaolu Xiong
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Qin Xu
- Artemisinin Research Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Xuan OuYang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
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Jimale KA, Zeni V, Ripamonti A, Canale A, Mele M, Benelli G, Otranto D. Grazing system and Hyalomma marginatum tick infestation in cattle with high prevalence of SFG Rickettsia spp. Vet Parasitol Reg Stud Reports 2024; 49:100994. [PMID: 38462300 DOI: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2024.100994] [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: 09/16/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Tick-borne diseases (TBDs) represent a significant portion of infectious diseases of global public health interest. In Italy, knowledge about the occurrence of tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) in ticks parasitizing cattle is scarce. In this research, we focused on ticks infesting Maremmana cattle grazing in open pasture and silvopasture systems. After being morphologically identified, ticks were molecularly tested for the presence of pathogens of the genus Rickettsia. Of the 794 ticks detected, 117 were collected, being the majority Hyalomma marginatum (72.6%), followed by other Hyalomma species (23%), Rhipicephalus turanicus (1.7%), Rh. bursa (0.9%), Hy. lusitanicum (0.9%) and Dermatocentor marginatus (0.9%). All ticks were adults, 58.1% males and 41.8% females. The highest tick prevalence was noted in April for silvopasture system cattle (90%), and in May for open pasture ones (85%). TBPs were detected only in Hy. marginatum, and all belong to Rickettsia spp. of zoonotic interest. In particular, 21/40 (52.5%) ticks scored positive for Rickettsia spp. by gltA gene and of these 15/21 (71.4%) also to spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsiae by ompA gene. Of the total positive specimens, 19 were successfully sequenced and scored Rickettsia aeschilimannii (17/19, 89.5%), R. slovaca (1/19, 5%), and R. massiliae (1/19, 5%). This research highlights the potential impact of grazing systems on cattle parasitization by hard ticks. The molecular investigation of TBPs in ticks collected from Maremmana cattle shed light on the presence of pathogenic bacteria of SFG Rickettsia spp., pointing out the potential risk of TBPs transmission between livestock and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Valeria Zeni
- Department of Agriculture, Food, and Environment, University of Pisa, via del Borghetto 80, Pisa 56124, Italy
| | - Alice Ripamonti
- Department of Agriculture, Food, and Environment, University of Pisa, via del Borghetto 80, Pisa 56124, Italy
| | - Angelo Canale
- Department of Agriculture, Food, and Environment, University of Pisa, via del Borghetto 80, Pisa 56124, Italy
| | - Marcello Mele
- Department of Agriculture, Food, and Environment, University of Pisa, via del Borghetto 80, Pisa 56124, Italy
| | - Giovanni Benelli
- Department of Agriculture, Food, and Environment, University of Pisa, via del Borghetto 80, Pisa 56124, Italy
| | - Domenico Otranto
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Valenzano, Bari, Italy; Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, SAR, China.
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Intirach J, Lv X, Sutthanont N, Cai B, Champakaew D, Chen T, Han Q, Lv Z. Molecular and next-generation sequencing analysis of tick-borne pathogens of Rhipicephalus ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) in cattle and dogs. Acta Trop 2024; 252:107138. [PMID: 38307363 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2024.107138] [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: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/04/2024]
Abstract
Ticks are small and adaptable arachnid ectoparasites and global carriers of various pathogens that threaten both human and animal health. They are present in many parts of China. A total of 858 ticks were collected from various regions and hosts, then subjected to species identification based on morphological and molecular characteristics, as described in the authors' previous study. Eighty-three individual tick samples were selected for screening pathogens based on metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays. The genomic DNA of tick species was extracted, and amplification of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene was carried out from DNA of individual ticks using V3-V4 hypervariable regions, before subjecting to metagenomic analysis. Each tick underwent specific PCR tests for identifying the bacterial species present, including Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, Coxiella, and Rickettsia, and also protozoans such as Babesia, Theileria, and Hepatozoon. Illumina NovaSeq sequencing results revealed that the dominant phylum and family in Rhipicephalus spp. were Bacteroidota and Muribaculaceae, respectively. Alpha diversity patterns varied depending on tick sex (R. linnaei only), species and location, but not on host. Furthermore, bacterial pathogens, including A. marginale (58 %, 29/50), A. platys (6 %, 3/50), E. minasensis (2 %, 1/50), Ehrlichia sp. (10 %, 5/50), T. sinensis (24 %, 12/50), T. orientalis (54 %, 27/50) and Coxiella-like bacteria (CLB) (80 %, 40/50) were detected in R. microplus, while E. canis (33.33 %, 10/30), H. canis (20 %, 6/30) and CLB (100 %, 30/30) were detected in R. linnaei. Also, Anaplasma sp. (33.33 %, 1/3), A. marginale (33.33 %, 1/3), R. felis (33.33 %, 1/3) and CLB (100 %, 3/3) were detected in R. haemaphysaloides. Dual and triple co-infections involving pathogens or CLB were detected in 84.00 % of R. microplus, 66.66 % of R. haemaphysaloides, and 33.00 % of R. linnaei. The report on microbial communities and pathogens, which found from Rhipicephalus spp. in Hainan Island, is an important step towards a better understanding of tick-borne disease transmission. This is the first report in the area on the presence of Anaplasma sp., A. marginale, R. felis and Coxiella, in R. haemaphysaloides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jitrawadee Intirach
- Laboratory of Tropical Veterinary Medicine and Vector Biology, School of Life and Health Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan 570228, China; Hainan General Hospital, Hainan Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, Hainan 570100, China; Hainan Tropical Diseases Research Center (Hainan Sub-Center, Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research), Haikou, Hainan 571199, China
| | - Xin Lv
- International School of Public Health and One Health, Hainan Medical University, Haikou 571199, China
| | - Nataya Sutthanont
- Department of Medical Entomology, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
| | - Benchi Cai
- Hainan General Hospital, Hainan Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, Hainan 570100, China
| | - Danita Champakaew
- Parasitology and Entomology Research Cluster (PERC), Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
| | - Tao Chen
- Hainan General Hospital, Hainan Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, Hainan 570100, China; Hainan Provincial Bureau of Disease Prevention and Control, Haikou 570100, China.
| | - Qian Han
- Laboratory of Tropical Veterinary Medicine and Vector Biology, School of Life and Health Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan 570228, China.
| | - Zhiyue Lv
- Hainan General Hospital, Hainan Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, Hainan 570100, China; Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Biological Vector Control, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China; Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control (Sun Yat-sen University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China.
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50
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McGinn J, Wen A, Edwards DL, Brinkley DM, Lamason RL. An expanded genetic toolkit for inducible expression and targeted gene silencing in Rickettsia parkeri. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.15.585227. [PMID: 38559073 PMCID: PMC10980030 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.15.585227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Pathogenic species within the Rickettsia genus are transmitted to humans through arthropod vectors and cause a spectrum of diseases ranging from mild to life-threatening. Despite rickettsiae posing an emerging global health risk, the genetic requirements of their infectious life cycles remain poorly understood. A major hurdle toward building this understanding has been the lack of efficient tools for genetic manipulation, owing to the technical difficulties associated with their obligate intracellular nature. To this end, we implemented the Tet-On system to enable conditional gene expression in Rickettsia parkeri. Using Tet-On, we show inducible expression of antibiotic resistance and a fluorescent reporter. We further used this inducible promoter to screen the ability of R. parkeri to express four variants of the catalytically dead Cas9 (dCas9). We demonstrate that all four dCas9 variants can be expressed in R. parkeri and used for CRISPR interference (CRISPRi)-mediated targeted gene knockdown. We show targeted knockdown of an antibiotic resistance gene as well as the endogenous virulence factor sca2. Altogether, we have developed systems for inducible gene expression and CRISPRi-mediated gene knockdown for the first time in rickettsiae, laying the groundwork for more scalable, targeted mechanistic investigations into their infectious life cycles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jon McGinn
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Annie Wen
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Desmond L Edwards
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - David M Brinkley
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Rebecca L Lamason
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
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