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Charles RA, Bermúdez S, Banović P, Alvarez DO, Díaz-Sánchez AA, Corona-González B, Etter EMC, Rodríguez González I, Ghafar A, Jabbar A, Moutailler S, Cabezas-Cruz A. Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases in Central America and the Caribbean: A One Health Perspective. Pathogens 2021; 10:1273. [PMID: 34684222 PMCID: PMC8538257 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10101273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2021] [Revised: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Ticks have complex life cycles which involve blood-feeding stages found on wild and domestic animals, with humans as accidental hosts. At each blood-feeding stage, ticks can transmit and/or acquire pathogens from their hosts. Therefore, the circulation of tick-borne pathogens (TBPs), especially the zoonotic ones, should be studied in a multi-layered manner, including all components of the chain of infections, following the 'One Health' tenets. The implementation of such an approach requires coordination among major stakeholders (such as veterinarians, physicians, acarologists, and researchers) for the identification of exposure and infection risks and application of effective prevention measures. In this review, we summarize our current knowledge on the epidemiology of tick-borne diseases in Central America and the Caribbean and the challenges associated with the implementation of 'One Health' surveillance and control programs in the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roxanne A Charles
- Department of Basic Veterinary Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago
| | - Sergio Bermúdez
- Department of Medical Entomology, Gorgas Memorial Institute for Health Research, Panama 0816-02593, Panama
| | - Pavle Banović
- Ambulance for Lyme Borreliosis and Other Tick-Borne Diseases, Pasteur Institute Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
- Department of Microbiology with Parasitology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
| | | | | | - Belkis Corona-González
- Department of Animal Health, National Center for Animal and Plant Health, Carretera de Tapaste y Autopista Nacional, Apartado Postal 10, San José de las Lajas, Mayabeque 32700, Cuba
| | - Eric Marcel Charles Etter
- CIRAD, UMR ASTRE, Petit-Bourg, 97170 Guadeloupe, France
- ASTRE, University de Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, 34398 Montpellier, France
| | - Islay Rodríguez González
- Department of Mycology-Bacteriology, Institute of Tropical Medicine Pedro Kourí, Marianao 13, Havana 10400, Cuba
| | - Abdul Ghafar
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Melbourne Veterinary School, the University of Melbourne, Werribee, VIC 3030, Australia
| | - Abdul Jabbar
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Melbourne Veterinary School, the University of Melbourne, Werribee, VIC 3030, Australia
| | - Sara Moutailler
- Anses, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, 94700 Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz
- Anses, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, 94700 Maisons-Alfort, France
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Sun Y, Yin M, Zheng D, Wang T, Zhao X, Luo C, Li J, Liu Y, Xu S, Deng S, Wang X, Zhang D. Different acetonitrile degraders and degrading genes between anaerobic ammonium oxidation and sequencing batch reactor as revealed by stable isotope probing and magnetic-nanoparticle mediated isolation. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 758:143588. [PMID: 33218816 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2020] [Revised: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/31/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Microbial degraders play crucial roles in wastewater treatment processes, but their use is limited as most microbes are yet unculturable. Stable isotope probing (SIP) is a cultivation-independent technique identifying functional-yet-uncultivable microbes in ambient environment, but is unsatisfactory for substrates with low assimilation rate owing to the low isotope incorporation into DNA. In this study, we used acetonitrile as the target low-assimilation chemical in many wastewater treatment plants and attempted to identify the active acetonitrile degraders in the activated sludge, via DNA-SIP and magnetic-nanoparticle mediated isolation (MMI) which is another cultivation-independent approach without the requirement of substrate labeling. The two approaches identified different active acetonitrile degraders in a 3-day short-term anaerobic ammonium oxidation (ANAMMOX). MMI enriched significantly more acetonitrile-degraders than SIP, showing the advantages in identifying the active degraders for low-assimilation substrates. Sequencing batch reactor (SBR, 30-day degradation) helped in more incorporation of 15N-labeled acetonitrile into the active degraders, thus the same acetonitrile-degraders and acetonitrile-degrading genes were identified by SIP and MMI. Different acetonitrile degraders between ANAMMOX and SBR were attributed to the distinct hydrological conditions. Our study for the first time explored the succession of acetonitrile-degraders in wastewater and identified the active acetonitrile-degraders which could be further enriched for enhancing acetonitrile degradation performance. These findings provide new insights into the acetonitrile metabolic process in wastewater treatment plants and offer suggestive conclusions for selecting appropriate treatment strategy in wastewater management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujiao Sun
- College of Water Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Meng Yin
- College of Water Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Danyang Zheng
- College of Water Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Tiandai Wang
- College of Water Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Xiaohui Zhao
- College of Water Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Chunling Luo
- Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Jibing Li
- Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Yueqiao Liu
- College of Water Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Shangwei Xu
- College of Water Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Songqiang Deng
- Research Institute for Environmental Innovation (Tsinghua-Suzhou), Suzhou 215163, China
| | - Xinzi Wang
- School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Dayi Zhang
- School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; National Engineering Laboratory for Site Remediation Technologies, Beijing 100015, China.
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Gondard M, Delannoy S, Pinarello V, Aprelon R, Devillers E, Galon C, Pradel J, Vayssier-Taussat M, Albina E, Moutailler S. Upscaling the Surveillance of Tick-borne Pathogens in the French Caribbean Islands. Pathogens 2020; 9:pathogens9030176. [PMID: 32121571 PMCID: PMC7157729 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens9030176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2020] [Revised: 02/24/2020] [Accepted: 02/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the high burden of vector-borne disease in (sub)tropical areas, few information are available regarding the diversity of tick and tick-borne pathogens circulating in the Caribbean. Management and control of vector-borne disease require actual epidemiological data to better assess and anticipate the risk of (re)emergence of tick-borne diseases in the region. To simplify and reduce the costs of such large-scale surveys, we implemented a high-throughput microfluidic real-time PCR system suitable for the screening of the main bacterial and parasitic genera involved in tick-borne disease and potentially circulating in the area. We used the new screening tool to perform an exploratory epidemiological study on 132 adult specimens of Amblyomma variegatum and 446 of Rhipicephalus microplus collected in Guadeloupe and Martinique. Not only the system was able to detect the main pathogens of the area-Ehrlichia ruminantium, Rickettsia africae, Anaplasma marginale, Babesia bigemina and Babesia bovis-but the system also provided evidence of unsuspected microorganisms in Caribbean ticks, belonging to the Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, Borrelia and Leishmania genera. Our study demonstrated how high-throughput microfluidic real-time PCR technology can assist large-scale epidemiological studies, providing a rapid overview of tick-borne pathogen and microorganism diversity, and opening up new research perspectives for the epidemiology of tick-borne pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathilde Gondard
- UMR BIPAR, Animal Health Laboratory, ANSES, INRAE, National Veterinary School of Alfort, Paris-Est University, Maisons-Alfort, 94700 Paris, France; (M.G.); (E.D.); (C.G.); (M.V.-T.)
- CIRAD, UMR ASTRE, F-97170 Petit-Bourg, 97170 Guadeloupe, France; (V.P.); (R.A.); (J.P.); (E.A.)
| | - Sabine Delannoy
- IdentyPath Platform, Laboratory for Food Safety, ANSES, Maisons-Alfort, 94700 Paris, France;
| | - Valérie Pinarello
- CIRAD, UMR ASTRE, F-97170 Petit-Bourg, 97170 Guadeloupe, France; (V.P.); (R.A.); (J.P.); (E.A.)
- ASTRE, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, 34000 Montpellier, France
| | - Rosalie Aprelon
- CIRAD, UMR ASTRE, F-97170 Petit-Bourg, 97170 Guadeloupe, France; (V.P.); (R.A.); (J.P.); (E.A.)
- ASTRE, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, 34000 Montpellier, France
| | - Elodie Devillers
- UMR BIPAR, Animal Health Laboratory, ANSES, INRAE, National Veterinary School of Alfort, Paris-Est University, Maisons-Alfort, 94700 Paris, France; (M.G.); (E.D.); (C.G.); (M.V.-T.)
| | - Clémence Galon
- UMR BIPAR, Animal Health Laboratory, ANSES, INRAE, National Veterinary School of Alfort, Paris-Est University, Maisons-Alfort, 94700 Paris, France; (M.G.); (E.D.); (C.G.); (M.V.-T.)
| | - Jennifer Pradel
- CIRAD, UMR ASTRE, F-97170 Petit-Bourg, 97170 Guadeloupe, France; (V.P.); (R.A.); (J.P.); (E.A.)
- ASTRE, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, 34000 Montpellier, France
| | - Muriel Vayssier-Taussat
- UMR BIPAR, Animal Health Laboratory, ANSES, INRAE, National Veterinary School of Alfort, Paris-Est University, Maisons-Alfort, 94700 Paris, France; (M.G.); (E.D.); (C.G.); (M.V.-T.)
| | - Emmanuel Albina
- CIRAD, UMR ASTRE, F-97170 Petit-Bourg, 97170 Guadeloupe, France; (V.P.); (R.A.); (J.P.); (E.A.)
- ASTRE, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, 34000 Montpellier, France
| | - Sara Moutailler
- UMR BIPAR, Animal Health Laboratory, ANSES, INRAE, National Veterinary School of Alfort, Paris-Est University, Maisons-Alfort, 94700 Paris, France; (M.G.); (E.D.); (C.G.); (M.V.-T.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +33-1-49-77-46-50
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Laroche M, Bérenger JM, Delaunay P, Charrel R, Pradines B, Berger F, Ranque S, Bitam I, Davoust B, Raoult D, Parola P. Medical Entomology: A Reemerging Field of Research to Better Understand Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases. Clin Infect Dis 2018; 65:S30-S38. [PMID: 28859353 DOI: 10.1093/cid/cix463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
In the last decade, the Chikungunya and Zika virus outbreaks have turned public attention to the possibility of the expansion of vector-borne infectious diseases worldwide. Medical entomology is focused on the study of arthropods involved in human health. We review here some of the research approaches taken by the medical entomology team of the University Hospital Institute (UHI) Méditerranée Infection of Marseille, France, with the support of recent or representative studies. We propose our approaches to technical innovations in arthropod identification and the detection of microorganisms in arthropods, the use of arthropods as epidemiological or diagnostic tools, entomological investigations around clinical cases or within specific populations, and how we have developed experimental models to decipher the interactions between arthropods, microorganisms, and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maureen Laroche
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS 7278, IRD 198 (Dakar, Sénégal), Inserm 1095, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille (AP-HM), Unité de Recherche en Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes (URMITE), IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille
| | - Jean-Michel Bérenger
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS 7278, IRD 198 (Dakar, Sénégal), Inserm 1095, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille (AP-HM), Unité de Recherche en Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes (URMITE), IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille
| | - Pascal Delaunay
- Service de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Hôpital de l'Archet, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice, Inserm U1065, Centre Méditerranéen de Médecine Moléculaire, Université de Nice-Sophia Antipolis
| | - Remi Charrel
- UMR "Emergence des Pathologies Virales" (EPV: Aix-Marseille Université, IRD 190, Inserm 1207, EHESP), AP-HM, IHU Méditerranée Infection
| | - Bruno Pradines
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS 7278, IRD 198 (Dakar, Sénégal), Inserm 1095, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille ( AP-HM), Unité de Recherche en Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes (URMITE), IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille.,Unité Parasitologie et Entomologie, Institut de Recherche Biomédicale des Armées.,Centre National de Référence du Paludisme
| | - Franck Berger
- GSBDD Marseille-Aubagne, Centre d'épidémiologie et de santé publique des armées, Marseille, France
| | - Stéphane Ranque
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS 7278, IRD 198 (Dakar, Sénégal), Inserm 1095, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille (AP-HM), Unité de Recherche en Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes (URMITE), IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille
| | - Idir Bitam
- Laboratoire Biodiversité et Environnement: Interactions Génomes, Faculté des Sciences Biologiques Université des Sciences et de la Technologie Houari Boumediene, Bab Ezzouar, Algeria
| | - Bernard Davoust
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS 7278, IRD 198 (Dakar, Sénégal), Inserm 1095, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille (AP-HM), Unité de Recherche en Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes (URMITE), IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille
| | - Didier Raoult
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS 7278, IRD 198 (Dakar, Sénégal), Inserm 1095, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille (AP-HM), Unité de Recherche en Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes (URMITE), IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille
| | - Philippe Parola
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS 7278, IRD 198 (Dakar, Sénégal), Inserm 1095, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille (AP-HM), Unité de Recherche en Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes (URMITE), IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille
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Waner T, Keysary A, Eremeeva ME, Din AB, Mumcuoglu KY, King R, Atiya-Nasagi Y. Rickettsia africae and Candidatus Rickettsia barbariae in ticks in Israel. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2014; 90:920-2. [PMID: 24615133 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.13-0697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA of several spotted fever group rickettsiae was found in ticks in Israel. The findings include evidence for the existence of Rickettsia africae and Candidatus Rickettsia barbariae in ticks in Israel. The DNA of R. africae was detected in a Hyalomma detritum tick from a wild boar and DNA of C. Rickettsia barbariae was detected in Rhipicephalus turanicus and Rhipicephalus sanguineus collected from vegetation. The DNA of Rickettsia massiliae was found in Rh. sanguineus and Haemaphysalis erinacei, whereas DNA of Rickettsia sibirica mongolitimonae was detected in a Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) annulatus. Clinicians should be aware that diseases caused by a variety of rickettsiae previously thought to be present only in other countries outside of the Middle East may infect residents of Israel who have not necessarily traveled overseas. Furthermore, this study reveals again that the epidemiology of the spotted fever group rickettsiae may not only involve Rickettsia conorii but may include other rickettsiae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trevor Waner
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel; Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, Georgia; Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel; Israel Nature and Parks Authority, Jerusalem, Israel
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Kelly PJ, Xu C, Lucas H, Loftis A, Abete J, Zeoli F, Stevens A, Jaegersen K, Ackerson K, Gessner A, Kaltenboeck B, Wang C. Ehrlichiosis, babesiosis, anaplasmosis and hepatozoonosis in dogs from St. Kitts, West Indies. PLoS One 2013; 8:e53450. [PMID: 23335965 PMCID: PMC3546050 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0053450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2012] [Accepted: 11/28/2012] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Although tick-borne diseases are important causes of morbidity and mortality in dogs in tropical areas, there is little information on the agents causing these infections in the Caribbean. Methodology We used PCRs to test blood from a cross-section of dogs on St Kitts for Ehrlichia (E.) canis, Babesia (B.) spp., Anaplasma (A.) spp. and Hepatozoon (H.) spp. Antibodies against E. canis and A. phagocytophilum/platys were detected using commercial immunochromatography tests. Records of the dogs were examined retrospectively to obtain clinical and laboratory data. Principal findings There was serological and/or PCR evidence of infections of dogs with E. canis (27%; 46/170), Babesia spp. (24%; 90/372) including B. canis vogeli (12%; 43/372) and B. gibsoni (10%; 36/372), A. platys (11%; 17/157) and H. canis (6%; 15/266). We could not identify the Babesia sp. detected in nine dogs. There was evidence of multiple infections with dual infections with E. canis and B. canis vogeli (8%; 14/179) or B. gibsoni (7%; 11/170) being the most common. There was agreement between immunochromatography and PCR test results for E. canis for 87% of dogs. Only 13% of exposed dogs had signs of a tick-borne disease and 38% had laboratory abnormalities. All 10 dogs presenting for a recheck after treatment of E. canis with doxycycline were apparently healthy although all remained seropositive and six still had laboratory abnormalities despite an average of two treatments with the most recent being around 12 months previously. Infections with Babesia spp. were also mainly subclinical with only 6% (4/67) showing clinical signs and 13% (9/67) having laboratory abnormalities. Similarly, animals with evidence of infections with A. platys and H. canis were largely apparently healthy with only occasional laboratory abnormalities. Conclusions Dogs are commonly infected with tick-borne pathogens in the Caribbean with most having no clinical signs or laboratory abnormalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick J. Kelly
- Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, St. Kitts, West Indies
| | - Chuanling Xu
- Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China
| | - Helene Lucas
- Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, St. Kitts, West Indies
| | - Amanda Loftis
- Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, St. Kitts, West Indies
| | - Jamie Abete
- Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, St. Kitts, West Indies
| | - Frank Zeoli
- Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, St. Kitts, West Indies
| | - Audrey Stevens
- Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, St. Kitts, West Indies
| | - Kirsten Jaegersen
- Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, St. Kitts, West Indies
| | - Kate Ackerson
- Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, St. Kitts, West Indies
| | - April Gessner
- Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, St. Kitts, West Indies
| | - Bernhard Kaltenboeck
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, United States of America
| | - Chengming Wang
- Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China
- * E-mail:
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Kelly P, Lucas H, Beati L, Yowell C, Mahan S, Dame J. Rickettsia africae in Amblyomma variegatum and domestic ruminants on eight Caribbean islands. J Parasitol 2010; 96:1086-8. [PMID: 21158615 DOI: 10.1645/ge-2552.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
We used PCRs with omp A primers to determine if spotted fever group rickettsiae occurred in Amblyomma variegatum from 6 Caribbean islands. Positive amplicons were obtained from ticks from the U.S. Virgin Islands (9/18; 50%), Dominica (39/171; 30%), Montserrat (2/5; 40%), Nevis (17/34; 50%), St. Kitts (46/227; 20%), and St. Lucia (1/14; 7%). Sequences for a convenience sample of reaction products obtained from A. variegatum on St. Kitts (7), American Virgin Islands (4), Montserrat (2), and St. Lucia (1) were 100% homologous with that of Rickettsia africae , the agent of African tick-bite fever. To determine if transmission of R. africae occurred, we used Rickettsia rickettsii antigen in IFA tests and found positive titers (≥ 1/80) with sera from cattle, goats, and sheep from Dominica (24/95 [25%], 2/136 [2%], 0/58 [0%]), Nevis (12/45 [27%], 5/157 [3%], 0/90 [0%]), St. Kitts (2/43 [5%], 1/25 [4%), 1/35 [3%]), and St. Lucia (6/184 [3%] cattle), respectively. No seropositive animals were found in Grenada (0/4, 0/98/, 0/86), Montserrat (0/12, 0/26, 0/52), or Puerto Rico (0/80 cattle). Our study indicates that R. africae and African tick-bite fever are widespread in the Caribbean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Kelly
- Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, West Farm Road, Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis, West Indies.
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Robinson JB, Eremeeva ME, Olson PE, Thornton SA, Medina MJ, Sumner JW, Daschi GA. New approaches to detection and identification of Rickettsia africae and Ehrlichia ruminantium in Amblyomma variegatum (Acari: Ixodidae) ticks from the Caribbean. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2009; 46:942-951. [PMID: 19645301 DOI: 10.1603/033.046.0429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Imported from Africa in the 1700s and despite frequent modern eradication efforts, Amblyomma variegatum (F.) spread through the Caribbean by cattle transport, small ruminants, and migrating birds. A. variegatum is a vector for Rickettsia africae, the causative agent of African tick bite fever, and Ehrlichia ruminantium, the causative agent of heartwater. We examined 95 A. variegatum and six Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus (Canestrini) collected from cattle at an abattoir in Antigua. Engorged tick extracts adsorbed on Nobotu filter paper strips and new nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays for E. ruminantium and Dermatophilus congolensis were used to evaluate these ticks for the presence of these pathogenic bacteria. Amblyomma ticks (62.4%) contained R. africae DNA by PCR/restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis and DNA sequencing of the OmpA and 17-kDa antigen genes. Twenty Amblyomma and two Rh. microplus contained E. ruminantium DNA. No E. chaffeensis, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Coxiella burnetii, or D. congolensis DNA was detected in these ticks. The continued presence of Am. variegatum in the Caribbean poses a significant risk of infection in cattle with E. ruminantium and in humans by R. africae. Eradication efforts are essential to prevent the further spread of Am. variegatum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennilee B Robinson
- National Center for Zoonotic, Vector-Borne, and Enteric Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd., Atlanta, GA 30333, USA
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Roch N, Epaulard O, Pelloux I, Pavese P, Brion JP, Raoult D, Maurin M. African tick bite fever in elderly patients: 8 cases in French tourists returning from South Africa. Clin Infect Dis 2008; 47:e28-35. [PMID: 18558881 DOI: 10.1086/589868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND African tick-bite fever, a tickborne disease caused by Rickettsia africae, is endemic in rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa and in the French West Indies. Most cases reported in the literature occurred in middle-aged, otherwise-healthy persons and corresponded to benign diseases. The course of African tick bite fever in elderly people is less well documented. METHODS The medical records of 8 elderly patients infected with R. africae during a trip to South Africa in 2005 are presented to summarize the epidemiologic, clinical, microbiological, treatment, and disease course characteristics. RESULTS Eight patients, aged 63-75 years, developed African tick bite fever symptoms after a trip to South Africa. R. africae was grown from cutaneous eschar biopsy specimens obtained from 4 patients, confirming African tick bite fever. We observed unusual findings in this elderly population. Rash was frequent (present in 87.5% of patients), vesicular (in 100% of patients with rash), and often associated with an enanthema (in 50% of patients with rash). Severe clinical manifestations occurred: lymphangitis and myocarditis in 1 patient and suspected brain involvement in 2 patients. We observed severe and long-lasting general symptoms, including fever (in 75% of patients), chills (87.5%), asthenia (50%), anorexia (50%), and weight loss (12.5%). With doxycycline therapy, the outcome was favorable in all cases, but complete recovery was slow. CONCLUSION Ecotourism to sub-Saharan Africa is expanding, and people of advanced age, often with underlying chronic diseases, account for an increasing proportion of travelers. African tick bite fever appears to be more symptomatic in this population. Recommendations advising personal prophylactic measures to prevent tick bites in travelers to regions of endemicity may be particularly important for elderly individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie Roch
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Grenoble, Grenoble, France.
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Abstract
Rickettsia africae is the agent of African tick-bite fever, a mild but common disease of local persons and tourists in Africa. The major vector of this spotted fever group rickettsia is most likely Amblyomma variegatum, the tropical bont tick, which has become widely distributed through the West Indies in the last 30 years. This report reviews all available information on R. africae in the West Indies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick J Kelly
- Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis, West Indies.
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Parola P, Paddock CD, Raoult D. Tick-borne rickettsioses around the world: emerging diseases challenging old concepts. Clin Microbiol Rev 2005; 18:719-56. [PMID: 16223955 PMCID: PMC1265907 DOI: 10.1128/cmr.18.4.719-756.2005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 727] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
During most of the 20th century, the epidemiology of tick-borne rickettsioses could be summarized as the occurrence of a single pathogenic rickettsia on each continent. An element of this paradigm suggested that the many other characterized and noncharacterized rickettsiae isolated from ticks were not pathogenic to humans. In this context, it was considered that relatively few tick-borne rickettsiae caused human disease. This concept was modified extensively from 1984 through 2005 by the identification of at least 11 additional rickettsial species or subspecies that cause tick-borne rickettsioses around the world. Of these agents, seven were initially isolated from ticks, often years or decades before a definitive association with human disease was established. We present here the tick-borne rickettsioses described through 2005 and focus on the epidemiological circumstances that have played a role in the emergence of the newly recognized diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philippe Parola
- Unité des Rickettsies, CNRS UMR 6020, IFR 48, Université de la Méditerranée, Faculté de Médecine, 13385 Marseille Cedex 5, France
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