1
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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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2
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Xu N, Liu H, Qu C, Wen S, Zou W, Chang C, Wang G. The presence of foci of Rickettsia conorii infection in China. INFECTIOUS MEDICINE 2023; 2:334-337. [PMID: 38205175 PMCID: PMC10774659 DOI: 10.1016/j.imj.2023.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Revised: 08/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
China is not considered as an endemic area of Rickettsia conorii, so there is no routine clinical way to diagnose this infection. This study aims to determine whether 2 febrile patients who had a tick bite in East China were indeed infected with R. conorii. The citrate synthase gene (gltA) was amplified with universal rickettsial primers by real-time fluorescent PCR from the patients' blood samples. Nested PCR was used to amplify the outer membrane protein A gene (ompA) for positive specimens. PCR products were further identified and analyzed through nucleic acid sequencing. Positive amplification of the gltA and ompA genes was found in both patients. The nucleotide sequences (303 bp) of the ompA gene of the 2 patients had high homology (99%) with the R. conorii Indian tick typhus strain in GenBank. A more than 4-fold increase in IgG against R. conorii provided supportive evidence of SFG Rickettsia infection. And the rapid recovery after doxycycline treatment also supported a rickettsial cause for the disease. Physicians in East China should be aware of human infections with R. conorii. PCR-based diagnostic methods offer a rapid and precise way to diagnose rickettsiosis, improving patient identification and management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nannan Xu
- Department of Infectious Disease, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Hui Liu
- Institute of Bacterial Disease, Jinan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Jinan 250021, China
| | - Chunmei Qu
- Department of Infectious Disease, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Sai Wen
- Department of Infectious Disease, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Wenlu Zou
- Department of Infectious Disease, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Caiyun Chang
- Institute for Infectious Disease Control, Jinan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Jinan 250021, China
| | - Gang Wang
- Department of Infectious Disease, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
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3
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Gafarova MT, Eremeeva ME. History and Current Status of Mediterranean Spotted Fever (MSF) in the Crimean Peninsula and Neighboring Regions along the Black Sea Coast. Pathogens 2023; 12:1161. [PMID: 37764969 PMCID: PMC10536518 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12091161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2023] [Revised: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Mediterranean spotted fever (MSF) is a tick-borne rickettsiosis caused by Rickettsia conorii subspecies conorii and transmitted to humans by Rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks. The disease was first discovered in Tunisia in 1910 and was subsequently reported from other Mediterranean countries. The first cases of MSF in the former Soviet Union were detected in 1936 on the Crimean Peninsula. This review summarizes the historic information and main features of MSF in that region and contemporary surveillance and control efforts for this rickettsiosis. Current data pertinent to the epidemiology of the disease, circulation of the ticks and distribution of animal hosts are discussed and compared for each of the countries in the Black Sea basin where MSF occurs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muniver T. Gafarova
- S.I. Georgievsky Medical Academy (Academic Unit), V.I. Vernadsky Crimean Federal University, 295051 Simferopol, Russia
| | - Marina E. Eremeeva
- Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 30458, USA
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4
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Ullah S, Alouffi A, Almutairi MM, Islam N, Rehman G, Ul Islam Z, Ahmed H, Júnior IDSV, Labruna MB, Tanaka T, Ali A. First Report of Rickettsia conorii in Hyalomma kumari Ticks. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13091488. [PMID: 37174525 PMCID: PMC10177544 DOI: 10.3390/ani13091488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
As a vector of wide range of pathogenic agents, ticks pose health threats to wild and domestic animals, and humans. Information is unavailable about the prevalence and spatial survey of Hyalomma kumari ticks and associated Rickettsia spp. in Pakistan. Concerning this knowledge gap, the present study aimed to molecularly detect Rickettsia species associated with H. kumari infesting small ruminants in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan. A total of 409 H. kumari ticks were collected from 163/295 infested hosts with an infestation rate of 55.25%. A total of 204 females, 158 males, and 47 nymphs were collected. Goats were heavily infested by 224 ticks having an infestation rate of 58.33% (98/168), whereas sheep were infested by 185 ticks having a lesser infestation rate of 51.18% (65/127). Genomic DNA extracted from ticks was used for the amplification of tick (cox I, 16S rRNA, ITS-2) species and Rickettsia (gltA, ompA, and ompB) partial genes. Eighty-three ticks were subjected to PCR, and 8/83 (9.6%) were found positive for rickettsial agents. The cox I and 16S rRNA sequences of H. kumari showed 98.90-99.74% identity with H. kumari sequences reported from Pakistan, and phylogenetically clustered to the corresponding species reported from Pakistan and India. The obtained rickettsial gltA, ompA, and ompB sequences showed 100% identity with Rickettsia sp. of the Rickettsia conorii reported from Pakistan. In the phylogenetic trees, rickettsial sequences clustered with uncharacterized Rickettsia sp. from Pakistan and R. conorii from Israel, Russia, South Africa, and India. The present molecular based detection of H. kumari-associated R. conorii will facilitate effective surveillance in the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shafi Ullah
- Department of Zoology, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan 23200, Pakistan
| | - Abdulaziz Alouffi
- King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, Riyadh 12354, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mashal M Almutairi
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nabila Islam
- Department of Chemistry, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan 23200, Pakistan
| | - Gauhar Rehman
- Department of Zoology, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan 23200, Pakistan
| | - Zia Ul Islam
- Department of Biotechnology, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan 23200, Pakistan
| | - Haroon Ahmed
- Department of Biosciences, COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI), Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
| | - Itabajara da Silva Vaz Júnior
- Centro de Biotecnologia and Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 91501-970, Brazil
| | - Marcelo B Labruna
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, Sao Paulo 05508-060, Brazil
| | - Tetsuya Tanaka
- Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima 890-0065, Japan
| | - Abid Ali
- Department of Zoology, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan 23200, Pakistan
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5
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Update on Accepted Novel Bacterial Isolates Derived from Human Clinical Specimens and Taxonomic Revisions Published in 2020 and 2021. J Clin Microbiol 2023; 61:e0028222. [PMID: 36533910 PMCID: PMC9879126 DOI: 10.1128/jcm.00282-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
A number of factors, including microbiome analyses and the increased utilization of whole-genome sequencing in the clinical microbiology laboratory, has contributed to the explosion of novel prokaryotic species discovery, as well as bacterial taxonomy revision. This review attempts to summarize such changes relative to human clinical specimens that occurred in 2020 and 2021, per primary publication in the International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology or acceptance on Validation Lists published by the International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology. Of particular significance among valid and effectively published taxa within the past 2 years were novel Corynebacterium spp., coagulase-positive staphylococci, Pandoraea spp., and members of family Yersiniaceae. Noteworthy taxonomic revisions include those within the Bacillus and Lactobacillus genera, family Staphylococcaceae (including unifications of subspecies designations to species level taxa), Elizabethkingia spp., and former members of Clostridium spp. and Bacteroides spp. Revisions within the Brucella genus have the potential to cause deleterious effects unless the relevance of such changes is properly communicated by microbiologists to stakeholders in clinical practice, infection prevention, and public health.
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6
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Didyk YM, Mangová B, Špitalská E, Derdáková M. Rickettsial infection in Ixodes ricinus and Dermacentor reticulatus ticks in urban green areas of Ukraine. Biologia (Bratisl) 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s11756-023-01323-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
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7
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Moerbeck L, Domingos A, Antunes S. Tick-Borne Rickettsioses in the Iberian Peninsula. Pathogens 2022; 11:pathogens11111377. [PMID: 36422628 PMCID: PMC9695430 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11111377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 11/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Tick-borne rickettsioses (TBR) are caused by obligate, intracellular bacteria of the spotted-fever group (SFG) of the genus Rickettsia (Order Rickettsiales), transmitted by hard ticks. TBR are one of the oldest known vector-borne zoonoses and pose a threat to both human and animal health, as over the years, new SFG Rickettsia spp. have been reported worldwide with the potential to be human pathogens. In Portugal and Spain, the countries that constitute the Iberian Peninsula, reported TB rickettsiae causing human disease include Rickettsia conorii conorii, Rickettsia conorii israelensis, Rickettsia slovaca, Rickettsia raoultii, Candidatus Rickettsia rioja, Rickettsia sibirica mongolitimonae, and Rickettsia monacensis. An allochthonous case of TBR caused by Rickettsia massiliae, described in Spain, points to the need to monitor disease epidemiology, to predict risks of exposure and spread of disease, and taking into account globalization and climate changes. This review aims to provide up-to-date information on the status of TBR in the Iberian Peninsula, as well as to show the importance of a national and international collaborative epidemiology surveillance network, towards monitoring Rickettsia spp. circulation in both Portugal and Spain.
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8
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Onyiche TE, Labruna MB, Saito TB. Unraveling the epidemiological relationship between ticks and rickettsial infection in Africa. FRONTIERS IN TROPICAL DISEASES 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fitd.2022.952024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Tick-borne rickettsioses are emerging and re-emerging diseases of public health concern caused by over 30 species of Rickettsia. Ticks are obligate hematophagous arthropods with over 700 species of Ixodid ticks known worldwide. The escalating geographical dispersal of tick vectors and concomitant increase in the incidences of tick-borne diseases have fueled interest in the ecology of tick-borne pathogens. This review focuses on aspects of the Rickettsia pathogen, including biology, taxonomy, phylogeny, genetic diversity, epidemiology of the disease, and the role of vertebrate host in the perpetuation of rickettsioses in Africa. Our review also highlights some of the species of Rickettsia that are responsible for disease, the role of tick vectors (both hard and soft ticks) and the species of Rickettsia associated with diverse tick species across the continent. Additionally, this article emphasizes the evolutionary perspective of rickettsiae perpetuation and the possible role of amplifying vertebrate host and other small mammals, domestic animals and wildlife in the epidemiology of Rickettsia species. We also specifically, discussed the role of avian population in the epidemiology of SFG rickettsiae. Furthermore, we highlighted tick-borne rickettsioses among travelers due to African tick-bite fever (ATBF) and the challenges to surveillance of rickettsial infection, and research on rickettsiology in Africa. Our review canvasses the need for more rickettsiologists of African origin based within the continent to further research towards understanding the biology, characterization, and species distribution, including the competent tick vectors involved in their transmission of rickettsiae across the continent in collaboration with established researchers in western countries. We further highlighted the need for proper funding to encourage research despite competing demands for resources across the various sectors. We finalize by discussing the similarities between rickettsial diseases around the world and which steps need to be taken to help foster our understanding on the eco-epidemiology of rickettsioses by bridging the gap between the growing epidemiological data and the molecular characterization of Rickettsia species.
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9
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Jia W, Chen S, Chi S, He Y, Ren L, Wang X. Recent Progress on Tick-Borne Animal Diseases of Veterinary and Public Health Significance in China. Viruses 2022; 14:v14020355. [PMID: 35215952 PMCID: PMC8875255 DOI: 10.3390/v14020355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Ticks and tick-borne diseases pose a growing threat to human and animal health, which has brought great losses to livestock production. With the continuous expansion of human activities and the development of natural resources, there are more and more opportunities for humans to contract ticks and tick-borne pathogens. Therefore, research on ticks and tick-borne diseases is of great significance. This paper reviews recent progress on tick-borne bacterial diseases, viral diseases, and parasitic diseases in China, which provides a theoretical foundation for the research of tick-borne diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weijuan Jia
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia Minzu University, Tongliao 028000, China; (W.J.); (S.C.); (Y.H.)
| | - Si Chen
- College of Animal Sciences, Key Lab for Zoonoses Research, Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, China;
| | - Shanshan Chi
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia Minzu University, Tongliao 028000, China; (W.J.); (S.C.); (Y.H.)
| | - Yunjiang He
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia Minzu University, Tongliao 028000, China; (W.J.); (S.C.); (Y.H.)
| | - Linzhu Ren
- College of Animal Sciences, Key Lab for Zoonoses Research, Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, China;
- Correspondence: (L.R.); (X.W.); Tel.: +86-15924529577 (X.W.)
| | - Xueli Wang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia Minzu University, Tongliao 028000, China; (W.J.); (S.C.); (Y.H.)
- Correspondence: (L.R.); (X.W.); Tel.: +86-15924529577 (X.W.)
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10
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Mediterranean Spotted Fever: Current Knowledge and Recent Advances. Trop Med Infect Dis 2021; 6:tropicalmed6040172. [PMID: 34698275 PMCID: PMC8544691 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed6040172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2021] [Revised: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Mediterranean spotted fever (MSF) is an emerging tick-borne rickettsiosis of the spotted fever group (SFG), endemic in the Mediterranean basin. By virtue of technological innovations in molecular genetics, it has been determined that the causative agent of MSF is Rickettsia conorii subspecies conorii. The arthropod vector of this bacterium is the brown dog tick Rhipicephalus sanguineus. The true nature of the reservoir of R. conorii conorii has not been completely deciphered yet, although many authors theorize that the canine population, other mammals, and the ticks themselves could potentially contribute as reservoirs. Typical symptoms of MSF include fever, maculopapular rash, and a characteristic eschar (“tache noire”). Atypical clinical features and severe multi-organ complications may also be present. All of these manifestations arise from the disseminated infection of the endothelium by R. conorii conorii. Several methods exist for the diagnosis of MSF. Serological tests are widely used and molecular techniques have become increasingly available. Doxycycline remains the treatment of choice, while preventive measures are focused on modification of human behavior and vector control strategies. The purpose of this review is to summarize the current knowledge on the epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment of MSF.
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11
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Xu N, Gai W, Zhang Y, Wang W, Wang G, Dasch GA, Eremeeva ME. Confirmation of Rickettsia conorii Subspecies indica Infection by Next-Generation Sequencing, Shandong, China. Emerg Infect Dis 2021; 27:2691-2694. [PMID: 34545782 PMCID: PMC8462315 DOI: 10.3201/eid2710.204764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
We describe 3 similar cases of rickettsial disease that occurred after tick bites in a mountainous rural area of Shandong Province, China. Next-generation sequencing indicated the etiologic agent of 1 patient was Rickettsia conorii subspecies indica. This agent may be more widely distributed across China than previously thought.
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12
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Cohen R, Finn T, Babushkin F, Paran Y, Ben Ami R, Atamna A, Reisfeld S, Weber G, Petersiel N, Zayyad H, Leshem E, Weinberger M, Maor Y, Makhoul N, Nesher L, Zaide G, Klein D, Beth-Din A, Atiya-Nasagi Y. Spotted Fever Group Rickettsioses in Israel, 2010-2019. Emerg Infect Dis 2021; 27:2117-2126. [PMID: 34286684 PMCID: PMC8314820 DOI: 10.3201/eid2708.203661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In a multicenter, nationwide, retrospective study of patients hospitalized with spotted fever group rickettsiosis in Israel during 2010-2019, we identified 42 cases, of which 36 were autochthonous. The most prevalent species was the Rickettsia conorii Israeli tick typhus strain (n = 33, 79%); infection with this species necessitated intensive care for 52% of patients and was associated with a 30% fatality rate. A history of tick bite was rare, found for only 5% of patients; eschar was found in 12%; and leukocytosis was more common than leukopenia. Most (72%) patients resided along the Mediterranean shoreline. For 3 patients, a new Rickettsia variant was identified and had been acquired in eastern, mountainous parts of Israel. One patient had prolonged fever before admission and clinical signs resembling tickborne lymphadenopathy. Our findings suggest that a broad range of Rickettsia species cause spotted fever group rickettsiosis in Israel.
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13
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McKee CD, Bai Y, Webb CT, Kosoy MY. Bats are key hosts in the radiation of mammal-associated Bartonella bacteria. INFECTION, GENETICS AND EVOLUTION : JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY GENETICS IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2021; 89:104719. [PMID: 33444855 PMCID: PMC10915969 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2021.104719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Revised: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Bats are notorious reservoirs of several zoonotic diseases and may be uniquely tolerant of infection among mammals. Broad sampling has revealed the importance of bats in the diversification and spread of viruses and eukaryotes to other animal hosts. Vector-borne bacteria of the genus Bartonella are prevalent and diverse in mammals globally and recent surveys have revealed numerous Bartonella lineages in bats. We assembled a sequence database of Bartonella strains, consisting of nine genetic loci from 209 previously characterized Bartonella lineages and 121 new cultured isolates from bats, and used these data to perform a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of the Bartonella genus. This analysis included estimation of divergence dates using a molecular clock and ancestral reconstruction of host associations and geography. We estimate that Bartonella began infecting mammals 62 million years ago near the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary. Additionally, the radiation of particular Bartonella clades correlate strongly to the timing of diversification and biogeography of mammalian hosts. Bats were inferred to be the ancestral hosts of all mammal-associated Bartonella and appear to be responsible for the early geographic expansion of the genus. We conclude that bats have had a deep influence on the evolutionary radiation of Bartonella bacteria and their spread to other mammalian orders. These results support a 'bat seeding' hypothesis that could explain similar evolutionary patterns in other mammalian parasite taxa. Application of such phylogenetic tools as we have used to other taxa may reveal the general importance of bats in the ancient diversification of mammalian parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clifton D McKee
- Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, 1021 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA; Department of Biology, Colorado State University, 1878 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
| | - Ying Bai
- Bacterial Diseases Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
| | - Colleen T Webb
- Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, 1021 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA; Department of Biology, Colorado State University, 1878 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Michael Y Kosoy
- KB One Health, LLC, 3244 Reedgrass Court, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
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14
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Oren A, Garrity GM. List of new names and new combinations that have appeared in effective publications outside of the IJSEM and are submitted for valid publication. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2020; 70:5596-5600. [DOI: 10.1099/ijsem.0.004484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Aharon Oren
- The Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, The Edmond J. Safra Campus, 9190401 Jerusalem, Israel
| | - George M. Garrity
- Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics, Biomedical Physical Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824-4320, USA
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15
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Diop A, El Karkouri K, Raoult D, Fournier PE. Genome sequence-based criteria for demarcation and definition of species in the genus Rickettsia. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2020; 70:1738-1750. [DOI: 10.1099/ijsem.0.003963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Over recent years, genomic information has increasingly been used for prokaryotic species definition and classification. Genome sequence-based alternatives to the gold standard DNA–DNA hybridization (DDH) relatedness have been developed, notably average nucleotide identity (ANI), which is one of the most useful measurements for species delineation in the genomic era. However, the strictly intracellar lifestyle, the few measurable phenotypic properties and the low level of genetic heterogeneity made the current standard genomic criteria for bacterial species definition inapplicable to
Rickettsia
species. We evaluated a range of whole genome sequence (WGS)-based taxonomic parameters to develop guidelines for the classification of
Rickettsia
isolates at genus and species levels. By comparing the degree of similarity of 74 WGSs from 31
Rickettsia
species and 61 WGSs from members of three closely related genera also belonging to the order
Rickettsiales
(
Orientia
, 11 genomes;
Ehrlichia
, 22 genomes; and
Anaplasma
, 28 genomes) using digital DDH (dDDh) and ANI by orthology (OrthoANI) parameters, we demonstrated that WGS-based taxonomic information, which is easy to obtain and use, can serve for reliable classification of isolates within the
Rickettsia
genus and species. To be classified as a member of the genus
Rickettsia
, a bacterial isolate should exhibit OrthoANI values with any
Rickettsia
species with a validly published name of ≥83.63 %. To be classified as a new
Rickettsia
species, an isolate should not exhibit more than any of the following degrees of genomic relatedness levels with the most closely related species: >92.30 and >99.19 % for the dDDH and OrthoANI values, respectively. When applied to four rickettsial isolates of uncertain status, the above-described thresholds enabled their classification as new species in one case. Thus, we propose WGS-based guidelines to efficiently delineate
Rickettsia
species, with OrthoANI and dDDH being the most accurate for classification at the genus and species levels, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Awa Diop
- Institut Hospitalo-universitaire Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
- UMR VITROME, Aix-Marseille University, Institut pour la Recherche et le Développement, Service de Santé des Armées, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille, Institut Hospitalo-universitaire Méditerranée Infection, 19-21 Boulevard Jean Moulin, 13005 Marseille, France
| | - Khalid El Karkouri
- Institut Hospitalo-universitaire Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
- UMR VITROME, Aix-Marseille University, Institut pour la Recherche et le Développement, Service de Santé des Armées, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille, Institut Hospitalo-universitaire Méditerranée Infection, 19-21 Boulevard Jean Moulin, 13005 Marseille, France
| | - Didier Raoult
- UMR MEPHI, Aix-Marseille University, Institut pour la Recherche et le Développement, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille, Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
- Institut Hospitalo-universitaire Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - Pierre-Edouard Fournier
- Institut Hospitalo-universitaire Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
- UMR VITROME, Aix-Marseille University, Institut pour la Recherche et le Développement, Service de Santé des Armées, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille, Institut Hospitalo-universitaire Méditerranée Infection, 19-21 Boulevard Jean Moulin, 13005 Marseille, France
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New Spotted Fever Group Rickettsia Isolate, Identified by Sequence Analysis of Conserved Genomic Regions. Pathogens 2019; 9:pathogens9010011. [PMID: 31861899 PMCID: PMC7168670 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens9010011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2019] [Revised: 12/17/2019] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The clinical features of spotted fever group (SFG) Rickettsia induced disease range from a mild to severe illness. The clinical complexity is even greater due to the fact that the disease can be caused by different species with varying degrees of virulence. Current knowledge asserts that the Israeli SFG (ISF) strain Rickettsia conorii israelensis is the only human pathogenic SFG member in Israel. Current diagnostic procedures distinguish between SFG and the typhus group rickettsiosis, assuming all SFG-positive clinical samples positive for ISF. Molecular studies on questing ticks over the past decade have uncovered the existence of other SFG strains besides ISF in Israel and the region. This study describes the first documented analysis of SFG-positive samples from Israeli patients with the goal of distinguishing between ISF and non-ISF SFG strains. We managed to identify a new Rickettsia isolate from three independent clinical samples in Israel which was shown to be an as-yet unknown SFG member, showing no absolute identity with any known Rickettsia species present in the NCBI database.
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Alowaysi M, Chen J, Stark S, Teague K, LaCourse M, Proctor J, Vigil K, Corrigan J, Harding A, Li J, Kurtti T, Zhong J. Isolation and characterization of a Rickettsia from the ovary of a Western black-legged tick, Ixodes pacificus. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2019; 10:918-923. [PMID: 31056486 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2019.04.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2018] [Revised: 04/06/2019] [Accepted: 04/22/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
A rickettsial isolate was obtained from a partially engorged Ixodes pacificus female, which was collected from Humboldt County, California. The isolate was provisionally named Rickettsia endosymbiont Ixodes pacificus (REIP). The REIP isolate displayed the highest nucleotide sequence identity to Rickettsia species phylotype G021 in I. pacificus (99%, 99%, and 100% for ompA, 16S rRNA, and gltA, respectively), a bacterium that was previously identified in I. pacifiucs by PCR. Analysis of sequences from complete opening frames of five genes, 16S rRNA, gltA, ompA, ompB, and sca4, provided inference to the bacteria's classification among other Rickettsia species. The REIP isolate displayed 99.8%, 99.4%, 99.2%, 99.5%, and 99.6% nucleotide sequence identity for 16S rRNA, gltA, ompA, ompB, and sca4 gene, respectively, with genes of 'R. monacensis' str. IrR/Munich, indicating the REIP isolate is closely related to 'R. monacensis'. Our suggestion was further supported by phylogenetic analysis using concatenated sequences of 16S rRNA, gltA, ompA, ompB, and sca4 genes, concatenated sequences of dksA-xerC, mppA-purC, and rpmE-tRNAfMet intergenic spacer regions. Both phylogenetic trees implied that the REIP isolate is most closely related to 'R. monacensis' str. IrR/Munich. We propose the bacterium be considered as 'Rickettsia monacensis' str. Humboldt for its closest phylogenetic relative (=DSM 103975 T = ATCC TSD-94 T).
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Alowaysi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA, 95521, USA
| | - Junyan Chen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA, 95521, USA
| | - Sierra Stark
- Department of Biological Sciences, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA, 95521, USA
| | - Kristine Teague
- Department of Biological Sciences, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA, 95521, USA
| | - Monique LaCourse
- Department of Biological Sciences, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA, 95521, USA
| | - Joanna Proctor
- Department of Biological Sciences, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA, 95521, USA
| | - Katie Vigil
- Department of Biological Sciences, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA, 95521, USA
| | - Jeremy Corrigan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA, 95521, USA
| | - Aja Harding
- Department of Biological Sciences, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA, 95521, USA
| | - Jinze Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA, 95521, USA
| | - Timothy Kurtti
- Department of Entomology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Jianmin Zhong
- Department of Biological Sciences, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA, 95521, USA.
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18
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Paddock CD, Yoshimizu MH, Zambrano ML, Lane RS, Ryan BM, Espinosa A, Hacker JK, Karpathy SE, Padgett KA. Rickettsia Species Isolated from Dermacentor occidentalis (Acari: Ixodidae) from California. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2018; 55:1555-1560. [PMID: 29982649 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjy100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The Pacific Coast tick (Dermacentor occidentalis Marx, 1892) is one of the most widely distributed and frequently encountered tick species in California. This tick is the primary vector of an unclassified spotted fever group rickettsial pathogen, designated currently as Rickettsia 364D, the etiologic agent of a recently recognized tick-borne rickettsiosis known as Pacific Coast tick fever. Despite intensified interest in this pathogen, important questions remain regarding its taxonomic status and possible variations in genotype among different strains that could influence its pathogenicity. Only the extensively passaged prototypical isolate (strain 364-D) is widely available to rickettsiologists and public health scientists worldwide. To achieve a larger, more geographically diverse, and contemporary collection of strains, 1,060 questing adult D. occidentalis ticks were collected from 18 sites across six counties in northern and southern California in 2016 and 2017. Fourteen ticks (1.3%) yielded DNA of Rickettsia 364D and from these, 10 unique isolates from Lake and Orange counties were obtained. Additionally, Rickettsia rhipicephali was detected in 108 (10.2%) ticks, from which eight isolates were obtained, and Rickettsia bellii in six (0.6%), from which three isolates were obtained. The panel of recently acquired, low-passage strains of Rickettsia 364D derived from this study could enhance opportunities for investigators to accurately determine the taxonomic standing of this agent and to develop specific diagnostic assays for detecting infections with Rickettsia 364D in ticks and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher D Paddock
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
| | - Melissa H Yoshimizu
- Vector-Borne Disease Section, Division of Communicable Disease Control, California Department of Public Health, Richmond, CA
| | - Maria L Zambrano
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
| | - Robert S Lane
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA
| | | | - Alex Espinosa
- Vector-Borne Disease Section, Division of Communicable Disease Control, California Department of Public Health, Richmond, CA
| | - Jill K Hacker
- Vector-Borne Disease Section, Division of Communicable Disease Control, California Department of Public Health, Richmond, CA
| | - Sandor E Karpathy
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
| | - Kerry A Padgett
- Vector-Borne Disease Section, Division of Communicable Disease Control, California Department of Public Health, Richmond, CA
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19
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Cicala F, Moore JD, Cáceres-Martínez J, Del Río-Portilla MA, Hernández-Rodríguez M, Vásquez-Yeomans R, Rocha-Olivares A. Monomorphic pathogens: The case of Candidatus Xenohaliotis californiensis from abalone in California, USA and Baja California, Mexico. J Invertebr Pathol 2018; 154:19-23. [PMID: 29577877 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2018.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2017] [Revised: 03/15/2018] [Accepted: 03/21/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Withering syndrome (WS) is a chronic wasting disease affecting abalone species attributed to the pathogen Candidatus Xenohaliotis californiensis (CXc). Wild populations of blue (Haliotis fulgens) and yellow (H. corrugata) abalone have experienced unusual mortality rates since 2009 off the peninsula of Baja California and WS has been hypothesized as a possible cause. Currently, little information is available about the genetic diversity of CXc and particularly the possible existence of strains differing in pathogenicity. In a recent phylogenetic analysis, we characterized five coding genes from this rickettsial pathogen. Here, we analyze those genes and two additional intergenic non-coding regions following multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) and multi-spacer typing (MST) approaches to assess the genetic variability of CXc and its relationship with blue, yellow and red (H. rufescens) abalone. Moreover, we used 16S rRNA pyrosequencing reads from gut microbiomes of blue and yellow abalone to complete the genetic characterization of this prokaryote. The presence of CXc was investigated in more than 150 abalone of the three species; furthermore, a total of 385 DNA sequences and 7117 16S rRNA reads from Candidatus Xenohaliotis californiensis were used to evaluate its population genetic structure. Our findings suggest the absence of polymorphism in the DNA sequences of analyzed loci and the presence of a single lineage of CXc infecting abalone from California (USA) and Baja California (Mexico). We posit that the absence of genetic variably in this marine rickettsia may be the result of evolutionary and ecological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Cicala
- Molecular Ecology Laboratory, Department of Biological Oceanography, CICESE, Carretera Tijuana-Ensenada km 3918, Ensenada, Baja California 22860, Mexico
| | - James D Moore
- Bodega Marine Laboratory, University of California at Davis, P.O. Box 247, Bodega Bay, CA, USA
| | - Jorge Cáceres-Martínez
- Department of Aquaculture, CICESE, Carretera Tijuana-Ensenada km 3918, Ensenada Baja California 22860, Mexico
| | - Miguel A Del Río-Portilla
- Department of Aquaculture, CICESE, Carretera Tijuana-Ensenada km 3918, Ensenada Baja California 22860, Mexico
| | - Mónica Hernández-Rodríguez
- Department of Aquaculture, CICESE, Carretera Tijuana-Ensenada km 3918, Ensenada Baja California 22860, Mexico
| | - Rebeca Vásquez-Yeomans
- Department of Aquaculture, CICESE, Carretera Tijuana-Ensenada km 3918, Ensenada Baja California 22860, Mexico
| | - Axayácatl Rocha-Olivares
- Molecular Ecology Laboratory, Department of Biological Oceanography, CICESE, Carretera Tijuana-Ensenada km 3918, Ensenada, Baja California 22860, Mexico.
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20
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Torpiano P, Pace D. Clinically-diagnosed Mediterranean Spotted Fever in Malta. Travel Med Infect Dis 2018; 26:16-24. [PMID: 29462726 DOI: 10.1016/j.tmaid.2018.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2017] [Revised: 02/13/2018] [Accepted: 02/16/2018] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mediterranean Spotted Fever (MSF) is a tick-borne zoonosis caused by Rickettsia conorii which is endemic in Malta, an island in the South Mediterranean that is a popular tourist destination. Diagnosis is frequently based on clinical manifestations as laboratory results are often limited to a retrospective diagnosis. We describe the clinical presentation, diagnosis and treatment of children <16 years who presented with MSF from 2011 to 2016. METHOD The demographics, clinical findings, laboratory results, management and outcome of all children hospitalised with suspected MSF based on the presence of fever and an eschar, were retrieved from their case notes. RESULTS Over the five-year study period six children, aged between 17 months and 15 years, were diagnosed with MSF. All children had contact with ticks and the majority presented in summer. Laboratory results were non-specific and included elevated inflammatory markers, lymphocytosis/lymphopenia and hyponatraemia. Serological and molecular techniques were used for diagnosis. Response to clarithromycin or doxycycline was immediate. CONCLUSION MSF should be included in the differential diagnosis of fever, rash and an eschar in children who travel to Malta. Despite advances in molecular diagnostics, clinical diagnosis remains important in the management of children with suspected MSF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Torpiano
- Department of Paediatrics, Mater Dei Hospital, Tal-Qroqq, Msida, MSD 2090, Malta.
| | - David Pace
- Department of Paediatrics, Mater Dei Hospital, Tal-Qroqq, Msida, MSD 2090, Malta
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Blanda V, Torina A, La Russa F, D'Agostino R, Randazzo K, Scimeca S, Giudice E, Caracappa S, Cascio A, de la Fuente J. A retrospective study of the characterization of Rickettsia species in ticks collected from humans. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2017; 8:610-614. [PMID: 28457821 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2017.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2016] [Revised: 04/10/2017] [Accepted: 04/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Rickettsiae (family Rickettsiaceae, order Rickettsiales) are obligate intracellular bacteria transmitted by arthropod vectors. Several Rickettsia species causing vector-borne rickettsioses belong to the spotted fever group (SFG). Traditionally, Rickettsia conorii has been considered as the main etiologic agent of Mediterranean spotted fever. However, the molecular characterization of rickettsiae allowed identifying other species involved in spotted fever in the Mediterranean region. In this study, 42 ticks collected from humans were subjected to morphological identification and molecular characterization of Rickettsia species potentially involved in human rickettsiosis in Sicily. Fourteen ticks positive to at least two Rickettsia spp. molecular markers were used in the study. Identified Rickettsia spp. included R. conorii, found in Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato and Rhipicephalus turanicus, Rickettsia aeschlimannii found in Hyalomma marginatum, Hyalomma lusitanicum, Dermacentor marginatus and Ixodes ricinus, Rickettsia massiliae found in R. turanicus and R. sanguineus s.l., and Rickettsia slovaca found in D. marginatus and R. sanguineus s.l. Our results showed a great variety of zoonotic Rickettsia spp. in ticks collected from humans in Sicily. The Rickettsia spp. reported in this study were identified in previously recognized or new potential tick vectors in Europe, highlighting the risk of infection by different Rickettsia spp. for humans bitten by ticks in Sicily.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Blanda
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia, Via Gino Marinuzzi 3, 90129 Palermo, Italy.
| | - Alessandra Torina
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia, Via Gino Marinuzzi 3, 90129 Palermo, Italy.
| | - Francesco La Russa
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia, Via Gino Marinuzzi 3, 90129 Palermo, Italy.
| | - Rosalia D'Agostino
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia, Via Gino Marinuzzi 3, 90129 Palermo, Italy.
| | - Kety Randazzo
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia, Via Gino Marinuzzi 3, 90129 Palermo, Italy.
| | - Salvatore Scimeca
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia, Via Gino Marinuzzi 3, 90129 Palermo, Italy.
| | - Elisabetta Giudice
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno d'Alcontres 31, 98166 S. Agata-Messina, Italy.
| | - Santo Caracappa
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia, Via Gino Marinuzzi 3, 90129 Palermo, Italy.
| | - Antonio Cascio
- Department of Health Promotion Sciences and Mother and Child Care "G. D'Alessandro", University of Palermo, Via del Vespro, 129 - 90127 Palermo, Italy.
| | - José de la Fuente
- SaBio. Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC (CSIC, UCLM, JCCM), Ronda de Toledo s/n, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain; Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Center for Veterinary Health Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA.
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22
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Genetic characterization of spotted fever group rickettsiae in questing ixodid ticks collected in Israel and environmental risk factors for their infection. Parasitology 2017; 144:1088-1101. [PMID: 28330517 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182017000336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
This study aimed to genetically characterize spotted fever group rickettsiae (SFGR) in questing ixodid ticks from Israel and to identify risk factors associated with SFGR-positive ticks using molecular techniques and geographic information systems (GIS) analysis. 1039 ticks from the genus Rhipicephalus were collected during 2014. 109/1039 (10·49%) carried SFGR-DNA of either Rickettsia massiliae (95), 'Candidatus Rickettsia barbariae' (8) or Rickettsia conorii (6). Higher prevalence of SFGR was found in Rhipicephalus turanicus (18·00%) compared with Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato (3·22%). Rickettsia massiliae was the most commonly detected species and the most widely disseminated throughout Israel (87·15% of all Rickettsia-positive ticks). GIS analysis revealed that Central and Northern coastal regions are at high risk for SFGR. The presence of ticks was significantly associated with normalized difference vegetation index and temperature variation over the course of the year. The presence of rickettsiae was significantly associated with brown type soils, higher land surface temperature and higher precipitation. The latter parameters may contribute to infection of the tick with SFGR. Health care professionals should be aware of the possible exposure of local communities and travellers to R. massillae. Molecular and geographical information can help professionals to identify areas that are susceptible to SFGR-infected ticks.
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Guo LP, Jiang SH, Liu D, Wang SW, Chen CF, Wang YZ. Emerging spotted fever group rickettsiae in ticks, northwestern China. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2016; 7:1146-1150. [PMID: 27554852 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2016.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2016] [Revised: 08/05/2016] [Accepted: 08/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
We report Rickettsia conorii subsp. indica, Candidatus R. barbariae and R. massiliae in Rhipicephalus turanicus from sheep around the Taklamakan desert, northwestern China. The topology of the phylogenetic trees produced from the maximum likelihood (ML) analyses of the ompA-gltA-rrs-geneD-ompB concatenated sequence data was very similar to that of the neighbor joining (NJ) tree, and with total support of 69%-100% bootstrap values for the inclusion of the rickettsiae in Rh. turanicus within the clade that contained R. conorii subsp. indica; Candidatus R. barbariae and Rickettsia sp. Tselentii; R. massiliae str. AZT80; and R. massiliae MTU5, respectively. Studies suggest that the co-existence of these spotted fever group rickettsiae is a threat to public health in China. Work is important in exploring novel and emerging pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Ping Guo
- School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832000, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China.
| | - Su-Hua Jiang
- School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832000, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China; Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030 Hubei, China.
| | - Dan Liu
- School of Animal Science and Technology, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832000, Xinjiang, China.
| | - Shi-Wei Wang
- School of Animal Science and Technology, Tarim University, Aral 843300, Xinjiang, China.
| | - Chuang-Fu Chen
- School of Animal Science and Technology, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832000, Xinjiang, China.
| | - Yuan-Zhi Wang
- School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832000, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China.
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Luce-Fedrow A, Mullins K, Kostik AP, St John HK, Jiang J, Richards AL. Strategies for detecting rickettsiae and diagnosing rickettsial diseases. Future Microbiol 2016; 10:537-64. [PMID: 25865193 DOI: 10.2217/fmb.14.141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Rickettsial diseases and scrub typhus constitute a group of the oldest known vector-borne diseases. The cosmopolitan distribution of the vectors that transmit rickettsiae and orientiae leads to a worldwide prevalence of these diseases. Despite their significant historical status, detection and diagnosis of these diseases are still evolving today. Serological methods remain among the most prevalent techniques used for the detection/diagnosis of rickettsial diseases and scrub typhus. Molecular techniques have been instrumental in increasing the sensitivity/specificity of diagnosis, identifying new Rickettsia and Orientia species and have enhanced epidemiological capabilities when used in combination with serological methods. In this review, we discuss these techniques and their associated pros and cons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison Luce-Fedrow
- Naval Medical Research Center, 503 Robert Grant Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA
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25
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Faccini-Martínez ÁA, García-Álvarez L, Hidalgo M, Oteo JA. Syndromic classification of rickettsioses: an approach for clinical practice. Int J Infect Dis 2014; 28:126-39. [PMID: 25242696 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2014.05.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2014] [Revised: 04/23/2014] [Accepted: 05/24/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Rickettsioses share common clinical manifestations, such as fever, malaise, exanthema, the presence or absence of an inoculation eschar, and lymphadenopathy. Some of these manifestations can be suggestive of certain species of Rickettsia infection. Nevertheless none of these manifestations are pathognomonic, and direct diagnostic methods to confirm the involved species are always required. A syndrome is a set of signs and symptoms that characterizes a disease with many etiologies or causes. This situation is applicable to rickettsioses, where different species can cause similar clinical presentations. We propose a syndromic classification for these diseases: exanthematic rickettsiosis syndrome with a low probability of inoculation eschar and rickettsiosis syndrome with a probability of inoculation eschar and their variants. In doing so, we take into account the clinical manifestations, the geographic origin, and the possible vector involved, in order to provide a guide for physicians of the most probable etiological agent.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lara García-Álvarez
- Infectious Diseases Department, Center of Rickettsioses and Vector-borne Diseases, Hospital San Pedro-CIBIR, Logroño, Spain
| | - Marylin Hidalgo
- Microbiology Department, Faculty of Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - José A Oteo
- Infectious Diseases Department, Center of Rickettsioses and Vector-borne Diseases, Hospital San Pedro-CIBIR, Logroño, Spain.
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Merhej V, Angelakis E, Socolovschi C, Raoult D. Genotyping, evolution and epidemiological findings of Rickettsia species. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2014; 25:122-37. [DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2014.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2013] [Revised: 03/10/2014] [Accepted: 03/12/2014] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
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27
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Levin ML, Zemtsova GE, Montgomery M, Killmaster LF. Effects of homologous and heterologous immunization on the reservoir competence of domestic dogs for Rickettsia conorii (israelensis). Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2014; 5:33-40. [PMID: 24201056 PMCID: PMC5659121 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2013.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2013] [Revised: 06/24/2013] [Accepted: 07/03/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
A number of spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsiae cause serious infections in humans. Several antigenically related rickettsial agents may coexist within the same geographical area, and humans or vertebrate hosts may be sequentially exposed to multiple SFG agents. We assessed whether exposure of a vertebrate reservoir to one SFG Rickettsia will affect the host's immune response to a related pathogen and the efficiency of transmission to uninfected ticks. Two pairs of dogs were each infected with either Rickettsia massiliae or Rickettsia conorii israelensis, and their immune response was monitored twice weekly by IFA. The four immunized dogs and a pair of naïve dogs were each challenged with R. conorii israelensis-infected Rhipicephalus sanguineus nymphs. Uninfected Rh. sanguineus larvae were acquisition-fed on the dogs on days 1, 7, and 14 post-challenge. These ticks were tested for the presence of rickettsial DNA after molting to the nymphal stage. The naive dogs became infected with R. conorii israelensis and were infectious to ticks for at least 3 weeks, whereas reservoir competence of dogs previously infected with either R. massiliae or R. conorii was significantly diminished. This opens an opportunity for decreasing the efficiency of transmission and propagation of pathogenic Rickettsia in natural foci by immunizing the primary hosts with closely related nonpathogenic SFG bacteria. However, neither homologous immunization nor cross-immunization significantly affected the efficiency of R. conorii transmission between cofeeding infected nymphs and uninfected larvae. At high densities of ticks, the efficiency of cofeeding transmission may be sufficient for yearly amplification and persistent circulation of a rickettsial pathogen in the vector population.
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Affiliation(s)
- M L Levin
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA.
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Fernández de Mera IG, Ruiz-Fons F, de la Fuente G, Mangold AJ, Gortázar C, de la Fuente J. Spotted fever group rickettsiae in questing ticks, central Spain. Emerg Infect Dis 2014; 19:1163-5. [PMID: 23763913 PMCID: PMC3713984 DOI: 10.3201/eid1907.130005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
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Detection of Rickettsia in Rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks and Ctenocephalides felis fleas from southeastern Tunisia by reverse line blot assay. J Clin Microbiol 2013; 52:268-74. [PMID: 24226919 DOI: 10.1128/jcm.01925-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Ticks (n = 663) and fleas (n = 470) collected from domestic animals from southeastern Tunisia were screened for Rickettsia infection using reverse line blot assay. Evidence of spotted fever group Rickettsia was obtained. We detected Rickettsia felis in fleas, Rickettsia massiliae Bar 29 and the Rickettsia conorii Israeli spotted fever strain in ticks, and Rickettsia conorii subsp. conorii and Rickettsia spp. in both arthropods. The sensitivity of the adopted technique allowed the identification of a new association between fleas and R. conorii subsp. conorii species. The presence of these vector-borne Rickettsia infections should be considered when diagnosing this disease in humans in Tunisia.
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Cascio A, Torina A, Valenzise M, Blanda V, Camarda N, Bombaci S, Iaria C, De Luca F, Wasniewska M. Scalp eschar and neck lymphadenopathy caused by Rickettsia massiliae. Emerg Infect Dis 2013; 19:836-7. [PMID: 23697545 PMCID: PMC3647502 DOI: 10.3201/eid1905.121169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
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Parola P, Paddock CD, Socolovschi C, Labruna MB, Mediannikov O, Kernif T, Abdad MY, Stenos J, Bitam I, Fournier PE, Raoult D. Update on tick-borne rickettsioses around the world: a geographic approach. Clin Microbiol Rev 2013; 26:657-702. [PMID: 24092850 PMCID: PMC3811236 DOI: 10.1128/cmr.00032-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 916] [Impact Index Per Article: 83.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Tick-borne rickettsioses are caused by obligate intracellular bacteria belonging to the spotted fever group of the genus Rickettsia. These zoonoses are among the oldest known vector-borne diseases. However, in the past 25 years, the scope and importance of the recognized tick-associated rickettsial pathogens have increased dramatically, making this complex of diseases an ideal paradigm for the understanding of emerging and reemerging infections. Several species of tick-borne rickettsiae that were considered nonpathogenic for decades are now associated with human infections, and novel Rickettsia species of undetermined pathogenicity continue to be detected in or isolated from ticks around the world. This remarkable expansion of information has been driven largely by the use of molecular techniques that have facilitated the identification of novel and previously recognized rickettsiae in ticks. New approaches, such as swabbing of eschars to obtain material to be tested by PCR, have emerged in recent years and have played a role in describing emerging tick-borne rickettsioses. Here, we present the current knowledge on tick-borne rickettsiae and rickettsioses using a geographic approach toward the epidemiology of these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philippe Parola
- Aix Marseille Université, Unité de Recherche en Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes (URMITE), UM63, CNRS 7278, IRD 198, Inserm 1095, WHO Collaborative Center for Rickettsioses and Other Arthropod-Borne Bacterial Diseases, Faculté de Médecine, Marseille, France
| | | | - Cristina Socolovschi
- Aix Marseille Université, Unité de Recherche en Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes (URMITE), UM63, CNRS 7278, IRD 198, Inserm 1095, WHO Collaborative Center for Rickettsioses and Other Arthropod-Borne Bacterial Diseases, Faculté de Médecine, Marseille, France
| | - Marcelo B. Labruna
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia Universidade de São Paulo, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Oleg Mediannikov
- Aix Marseille Université, Unité de Recherche en Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes (URMITE), UM63, CNRS 7278, IRD 198, Inserm 1095, WHO Collaborative Center for Rickettsioses and Other Arthropod-Borne Bacterial Diseases, Faculté de Médecine, Marseille, France
| | - Tahar Kernif
- Service d'Ecologie des Systèmes Vectoriels, Institut Pasteur d'Algérie, Algiers, Algeria
| | - Mohammad Yazid Abdad
- Division of Veterinary and Biomedical Science, Murdoch University, Australian Rickettsial Reference Laboratory, Barwon Health, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | - John Stenos
- Division of Veterinary and Biomedical Science, Murdoch University, Australian Rickettsial Reference Laboratory, Barwon Health, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | - Idir Bitam
- University of Boumerdes, Boumerdes, Algeria
| | - Pierre-Edouard Fournier
- Aix Marseille Université, Unité de Recherche en Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes (URMITE), UM63, CNRS 7278, IRD 198, Inserm 1095, WHO Collaborative Center for Rickettsioses and Other Arthropod-Borne Bacterial Diseases, Faculté de Médecine, Marseille, France
| | - Didier Raoult
- Aix Marseille Université, Unité de Recherche en Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes (URMITE), UM63, CNRS 7278, IRD 198, Inserm 1095, WHO Collaborative Center for Rickettsioses and Other Arthropod-Borne Bacterial Diseases, Faculté de Médecine, Marseille, France
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Abstract
The field of rickettsiology is rapidly evolving. Rickettsiae are small Gram-negative bacteria that can be transmitted to humans by arthropods. In most cases they are transmitted transovarially in the arthropod; human beings are incidental hosts. In recent years the use of cell culture and molecular biology has profoundly changed our knowledge of rickettsiae and has led to the description of several new species. New rickettsial diseases have been found in three main situations: firstly, in places where no new species have been identified, typical rickettsial symptoms have been observed (Japan, China); secondly, typical rickettsioses have been found to be caused by different organisms - in such cases a new Rickettsia species has been misdiagnosed as a previously identified bacterium (for example, R. parkeri was confused with R. rickettsii); thirdly, atypical clinical symptoms have been found to be caused by rickettsial organisms such as R. slovaca. These findings challenge the old dogma that only one tick-borne rickettsiosis is prevalent in one geographical area. Many Rickettsia spp. have been identified in ticks, but have not yet been implicated in human pathology. These rickettsiae should be considered as potential pathogens. All known or suspected rickettsial diseases should be treated (including in children) with doxycycline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurélie Renvoisé
- Unité des Rickettsies, CNRS-IRD UMR6236-198, Université de la Méditerranée, Faculté de Médecine, 27 bd Jean Moulin, 13385 Marseille cedex 5, France
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Hockett KL, Burch AY, Lindow SE. Thermo-regulation of genes mediating motility and plant interactions in Pseudomonas syringae. PLoS One 2013; 8:e59850. [PMID: 23527276 PMCID: PMC3602303 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0059850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2012] [Accepted: 02/22/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Pseudomonas syringae is an important phyllosphere colonist that utilizes flagellum-mediated motility both as a means to explore leaf surfaces, as well as to invade into leaf interiors, where it survives as a pathogen. We found that multiple forms of flagellum-mediated motility are thermo-suppressed, including swarming and swimming motility. Suppression of swarming motility occurs between 28° and 30°C, which coincides with the optimal growth temperature of P. syringae. Both fliC (encoding flagellin) and syfA (encoding a non-ribosomal peptide synthetase involved in syringafactin biosynthesis) were suppressed with increasing temperature. RNA-seq revealed 1440 genes of the P. syringae genome are temperature sensitive in expression. Genes involved in polysaccharide synthesis and regulation, phage and IS elements, type VI secretion, chemosensing and chemotaxis, translation, flagellar synthesis and motility, and phytotoxin synthesis and transport were generally repressed at 30°C, while genes involved in transcriptional regulation, quaternary ammonium compound metabolism and transport, chaperone/heat shock proteins, and hypothetical genes were generally induced at 30°C. Deletion of flgM, a key regulator in the transition from class III to class IV gene expression, led to elevated and constitutive expression of fliC regardless of temperature, but did not affect thermo-regulation of syfA. This work highlights the importance of temperature in the biology of P. syringae, as many genes encoding traits important for plant-microbe interactions were thermo-regulated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin L. Hockett
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Adrien Y. Burch
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Steven E. Lindow
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Abstract
Rickettsioses are caused by obligate intracellular bacteria within the genus Rickettsia, mainly transmitted by arthropods. Until recently, Mediterranean spotted fever (MSF) caused by Rickettsia conorii was considered the only tick-borne rickettsiosis in Europe. However, 'new' TBR have been described in Europe during last years. For instance, other subspecies such as R. conorii caspia and R. conorii israelensis have been involved in MSF. Dermacentor-borne necrosis erythema and lymphadenopathy/tick-borne lymphadenopathy (DEBONEL/TIBOLA) cases caused by Rickettsia slovaca, Rickettsia raoultii, and Rickettsia rioja been described in several countries where Dermacentor marginatus ticks (the mainly implicated vector) are present. Rickettsia helvetica has also been involved as a human pathogen in cases of fever with and without rash and in patients with meningitis and carditis. Other TBR such as lymphangitis-associated rickettsioses (LAR), caused by Rickettsia sibirica mongolitimonae, have been diagnosed in different European countries (France, Spain, Portugal and Greece). Rickettsia massiliae is considered an etiological agent of MSF-like illness in the Mediterranean basin. Furthermore, Rickettsia monacensis that is distributed all along Europe has been isolated from patients with MSF-like illness in Spain. Although Rickettsia aeschlimannii has been associated with MSF-like in Africa and is distributed in the Mediterranean area, no autochthonous human cases have been reported for Europe. Other Rickettsia species detected in ticks and unrelated to human disease (Candidatus Rickettsia kotlanii, Candidatus Rickettsia barbariae, Candidatus Rickettsia vini) could be potentially involved in the next years. Climate changes, among other factors, may contribute to the emergence of other rickettsioses or change their distribution. Lastly, African tick-bite fever (ATBF), caused by Rickettsia africae, is frequently diagnosed in Europe in patients returning from endemic areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- José A Oteo
- Infectious Diseases Area, Center of Rickettsioses and Arthropod-Borne Diseases, Hospital San Pedro-CIBIR, Logroño (La Rioja), Spain.
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Genome sequence of Rickettsia conorii subsp. israelensis, the agent of Israeli spotted fever. J Bacteriol 2012; 194:5130-1. [PMID: 22933760 DOI: 10.1128/jb.01118-12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Rickettsia conorii subsp. israelensis is the agent of Israeli spotted fever. The present study reports the draft genome of Rickettsia conorii subsp. israelensis strain ISTT CDC1, isolated from a Rhipicephalus sanguineus tick collected in Israel.
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Genome sequence of Rickettsia conorii subsp. caspia, the agent of Astrakhan fever. J Bacteriol 2012; 194:4763-4. [PMID: 22887666 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00992-12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Rickettsia conorii subsp. caspia is the agent of Astrakhan fever, a spotted fever group rickettsiosis endemic to Astrakhan, Russia. The present study reports the draft genome of Rickettsia conorii subsp. caspia strain A-167.
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Torina A, Fernández de Mera IG, Alongi A, Mangold AJ, Blanda V, Scarlata F, Di Marco V, de la Fuente J. Rickettsia conorii Indian tick typhus strain and R. slovaca in humans, Sicily. Emerg Infect Dis 2012; 18:1008-10. [PMID: 22608066 PMCID: PMC3358144 DOI: 10.3201/eid1806.110966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
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Genome sequence of Rickettsia conorii subsp. indica, the agent of Indian tick typhus. J Bacteriol 2012; 194:3288-9. [PMID: 22628514 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00462-12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Rickettsia conorii subsp. indica is the agent of Indian tick typhus. The present study reports the draft genome of Rickettsia conorii subsp. indica strain ITTR (ATCC VR-597).
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40
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Bechah Y, Mege JL, Raoult D. Cross-protection among Rickettsia species and subspecies in a guinea pig model of cutaneous infection. Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis 2012; 35:551-6. [PMID: 22784931 DOI: 10.1016/j.cimid.2012.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2012] [Revised: 06/12/2012] [Accepted: 06/14/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Pathogenic rickettsiae of the spotted fever group (SFG) induce skin lesions called "eschars" at the sites of arthropod bites. We recently described a guinea pig model based on eschar formation to predict the eventual pathogenicity of new Rickettsia species, and in this study, we used the model to study cross-protection among SFG Rickettsia species and subspecies. We showed that the intradermal inoculation of guinea pigs with Rickettsia conorii subsp. conorii significantly reduced, but not completely prevented, the number of eschars after sub-challenges with the same pathogen (P=0.0004). The same effect was also observed for other subspecies of the R. conorii complex. Additionally, the bacterial load in the eschars was significantly lower in immunized animals than in naïve animals. No protection was observed when sub-challenges were performed with other Rickettsia species, such as R. africae, R. sibirica subsp. mongolitimonae, R. aeschlimannii and R. massiliae. Our data suggest that patients may experience several episodes of infection with related or with the same species of Rickettsia. Moreover, the absence of cross-protection between Rickettsia species may explain the co-existence of two or more tick-borne rickettsioses in the same geographic areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yassina Bechah
- Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses Transmissibles et Emergentes, Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS UMR 7278, INSERM U1095, Faculté de Médecine, 27 Boulevard Jean Moulin, 13385 Marseille Cedex 05, France
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Hsu YM, Lin CC, Chomel BB, Tsai KH, Wu WJ, Huang CG, Chang CC. Identification of Rickettsia felis in fleas but not ticks on stray cats and dogs and the evidence of Rickettsia rhipicephali only in adult stage of Rhipicephalus sanguineus and Rhipicephalus haemaphysaloides. Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis 2011; 34:513-8. [PMID: 22000945 DOI: 10.1016/j.cimid.2011.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2011] [Revised: 09/22/2011] [Accepted: 09/23/2011] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Rickettsia spp. are zoonotic pathogens and mainly transmitted by various arthropod vectors, such as fleas, ticks, and lice. Previous epidemiological studies indicated that ectoparasites infested on dogs or cats may be infected by Rickettsia spp., and transmit them to human beings accidentally. In this study, the prevalence of Rickettsia infection was evaluated using fleas and ticks from stray dogs and cats in Taiwan. A total of 158 pools made by 451 cat fleas (Ctenocephalides felis) from 37 dogs and 4 cats were used for analysis. Besides, 386 Rhipicephalus ticks collected from the other 62 stray dogs were included in this study. Nymphal and adult ticks were individually analyzed but larvae were separated into 21 pools for molecular detection. Partial sequencing analysis of the gltA gene was applied for Rickettsia identification. The results showed that 44.3% (70/158) of the cat flea pools were harboring Rickettsia DNA. Although 6.9% (13/187) of adult ticks were infected with Rickettsia, neither larval pools nor nymphal ticks were found to contain Rickettsia DNA. According to the results of sequencing analyses, all Rickettsia PCR-positive cat flea pools were infected with R. felis, and all Rickettsia PCR-positive adult ticks were infected with R. rhipicephali. The results of this study demonstrated that C. felis but not Rhipicephlus sanguineus (the brown dog tick) and Rh. haemaphysaloides collected from stray animals in Taiwan could be infected the zoonotic pathogen R. felis. Moreover, R. rhipicephali was only identified in adult stage of Rhipicephalus sanguineus and Rh. haemaphysaloides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan-Man Hsu
- Department of Biological Science and Technology, College of Life Sciences, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
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Botelho-Nevers E, Rovery C, Richet H, Raoult D. Analysis of risk factors for malignant Mediterranean spotted fever indicates that fluoroquinolone treatment has a deleterious effect. J Antimicrob Chemother 2011; 66:1821-30. [DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkr218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Host, pathogen and treatment-related prognostic factors in rickettsioses. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 2011; 30:1139-50. [PMID: 21519943 DOI: 10.1007/s10096-011-1208-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2011] [Accepted: 02/28/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Diseases caused by rickettsiae, which are vector-borne bacteria, vary widely from mild and self-limiting, to severe and life-threatening. Factors influencing this diversity of outcome are related to the host, to the infectious agent and to the treatment used to treat the infection. A literature search was conducted on PubMed using the phrases "factors-related severity, outcome, host, pathogen, Rickettsia conorii, R. rickettsii, R. africae, R. felis, R. prowazekii, R. typhi, genomics". Among host factors, old age and the male gender have been associated with poor outcome in rickettsioses. Co-morbidities, ethnical factors and the genetic background of the host also seem to influence the outcome of rickettsial diseases. Moreover, although the degree of the host response is beneficial, it could also partly explain the severity observed in some patients. Among pathogen-related factors, traditional concepts of factors of virulence had been challenged and genomic reductive evolution with loss of regulatory genes is the main hypothesis to explain virulence observed in some species, such as Rickettsia prowazekii, the agent of epidemic typhus. R. prowazekii is the more pathogenic rickettsiae and harbours the smaller genome size (1.1 Mb) compared to less or non-virulent species, and is not intracellularly motile, a factor considered as a virulence factor for other intracellular bacteria. The antibiotic regimen used to treat rickettsioses also has an influence on prognosis. Usual concepts of severity and virulence in rickettsioses are challenging and are frequently paradoxical. In this mini-review, we will describe factors currently thought to influence the outcome of the main rickettsioses responsible for illness in humans.
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Harrus S, Perlman-Avrahami A, Mumcuoglu K, Morick D, Baneth G. Molecular detection of Rickettsia massiliae, Rickettsia sibirica mongolitimonae and Rickettsia conorii israelensis in ticks from Israel. Clin Microbiol Infect 2011; 17:176-80. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-0691.2010.03224.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Zemtsova G, Killmaster LF, Mumcuoglu KY, Levin ML. Co-feeding as a route for transmission of Rickettsia conorii israelensis between Rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks. EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2010; 52:383-392. [PMID: 20589416 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-010-9375-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2010] [Accepted: 06/10/2010] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Rickettsia conorii is widely distributed in Europe, Asia, and Africa. The brown dog tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus, is the recognized vector of R. conorii. In this study, we assessed the efficiency of R. conorii israelensis transmission between co-feeding Rh. sanguineus ticks. Infected Rh. sanguineus adults and uninfected nymphs were fed simultaneously upon either naïve dogs or a dog previously exposed to this agent. When ticks were placed upon naïve dogs, 92-100% of nymphs acquired the infection and 80-88% of infected engorged nymphs transmitted it transstadially. When ticks were placed upon a seropositive dog, only 8-28.5% of recipient nymphs became infected. Our results establish the first evidence for efficient natural transmission of R. conorii israelensis between co-feeding ticks upon both naïve and seropositive dogs. This route of transmission can ensure continuous circulation of R. conorii israelensis in tick vectors even in the absence of naïve reservoir hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Zemtsova
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Mail Stop G-13, National Center for Zoonotic, Vector-Borne and Enteric Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA
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de Almeida DN, Favacho AR, Rozental T, Barcaui H, Guterres A, Gomes R, Levis S, Coelho J, Chebabo A, Costa LC, Andrea S, Barroso PF, de Lemos ER. Fatal spotted fever group rickettsiosis due to Rickettsia conorii conorii mimicking a hemorrhagic viral fever in a South African traveler in Brazil. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2010; 1:149-50. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2010.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2010] [Revised: 04/29/2010] [Accepted: 05/10/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Merhej V, Raoult D. Rickettsial evolution in the light of comparative genomics. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2010; 86:379-405. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-185x.2010.00151.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 183] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Papa A, Dalla V, Petala A, Maltezou H, Maltezos E. Fatal Mediterranean spotted fever in Greece. Clin Microbiol Infect 2010; 16:589-92. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-0691.2009.02910.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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