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Petrosyan V, Dinets V, Osipov F, Dergunova N, Khlyap L. Range Dynamics of Striped Field Mouse ( Apodemus agrarius) in Northern Eurasia under Global Climate Change Based on Ensemble Species Distribution Models. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:1034. [PMID: 37508463 PMCID: PMC10376031 DOI: 10.3390/biology12071034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
The striped field mouse (Apodemus agrarius Pallas, 1771) is a widespread species in Northern Eurasia. It damages crops and carries zoonotic pathogens. Its current and future range expansion under climate change may negatively affect public health and the economy, warranting further research to understand the ecological and invasive characteristics of the species. In our study, we used seven algorithms (GLM, GAM, GBS, FDA, RF, ANN, and MaxEnt) to develop robust ensemble species distribution models (eSDMs) under current (1970-2000) and future climate conditions derived from global circulation models (GCMs) for 2021-2040, 2041-2060, 2061-2080, and 2081-2100. Simulation of climate change included high-, medium-, and low-sensitivity GCMs under four scenarios (SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, SSP3-7.0, and SSP5-8.5). We analyzed the habitat suitability across GCMs and scenarios by constructing geographical ranges and calculating their centroids. The results showed that the range changes depended on both the sensitivity of GCMs and scenario. The main trends were range expansion to the northeast and partial loss of habitat in the steppe area. The striped field mouse may form a continuous range from Central Europe to East Asia, closing the range gap that has existed for 12 thousand years. We present 49 eSDMs for the current and future distribution of A. agrarius (for 2000-2100) with quantitative metrics (gain, loss, change) of the range dynamics under global climate change. The most important predictor variables determining eSDMs are mean annual temperature, mean diurnal range of temperatures, the highest temperature of the warmest month, annual precipitation, and precipitation in the coldest month. These findings could help limit the population of the striped field mouse and predict distribution of the species under global climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Varos Petrosyan
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119071, Russia
| | - Vladimir Dinets
- Psychology Department, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | - Fedor Osipov
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119071, Russia
| | - Natalia Dergunova
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119071, Russia
| | - Lyudmila Khlyap
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119071, Russia
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Current Data on Rickettsia felis Occurrence in Vectors, Human and Animal Hosts in Europe: A Scoping Review. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10122491. [PMID: 36557744 PMCID: PMC9781214 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10122491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Revised: 12/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Rickettsia felis is an emerging pathogen with increasing reports of human cases and detection in arthropod and animal host species worldwide. In this scoping review we record the newest data reported for R. felis in Europe: the vector and host species found to be infected, and the geographical distribution and prevalence of R. felis infection in vectors and hosts. A total of 15 European countries reported the occurrence of R. felis in hosts and vectors during 2017−2022. The vectors found to be infected by R. felis were flea, tick and mite species; Ctenocephalides felis and Ixodes ricinus were the dominant ones. The hosts found to be infected and/or exposed to R. felis were humans, cats and small mammals. Physicians should be aware of the epidemiology and include illness caused by R. felis in the differential diagnosis of febrile disease. Veterinarians should keep training pet owners on the need for effective year-round arthropod control on their pets, especially for fleas.
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Incidence of tick-borne spotted fever group Rickettsia species in rodents in two regions in Kazakhstan. Sci Rep 2022; 12:14872. [PMID: 36050456 PMCID: PMC9437098 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-19145-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Records on the distribution of Rickettsia spp. in their natural hosts in Central Asia are incomplete. Rodents and small mammals are potential natural reservoirs for Rickettsiae in their natural lifecycle. Studies about the maintenance of Rickettsia in wild animals are available for Western nations, but—to our knowledge—no studies and data are available in the Republic of Kazakhstan so far. The first case description of Rickettsioses in Kazakhstan was made in the 1950ies in the Almaty region and now Kyzylorda, East Kazakhstan, Pavlodar and North Kazakhstan are endemic areas. The existence of murine and endemic typhus was proven in arthropod vectors in the regions Kyzylorda and Almaty. Here we show for the first time investigations on tick-borne Rickettsia species detected by a pan-rickettsial citrate synthase gene (gltA) real-time PCR in ear lobes of small mammals (n = 624) in Kazakhstan. From all analysed small mammals 2.72% were positive for Rickettsia raoultii, R. slovaca or R. conorii. Sequencing of the rickettsial gene OmpAIV and the 23S–5S interspacer region revealed a similar heritage of identified Rickettsia species that was observed in ticks in previous studies from the region. In summary, this study proves that rodents in Kazakhstan serve as a natural reservoir of Rickettsia spp.
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Selmi R, Belkahia H, Dhibi M, Abdelaali H, Lahmar S, Ben Said M, Messadi L. Zoonotic vector-borne bacteria in wild rodents and associated ectoparasites from Tunisia. INFECTION, GENETICS AND EVOLUTION : JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY GENETICS IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2021; 95:105039. [PMID: 34438095 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2021.105039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2021] [Revised: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Wild rodents are considered as potential carriers of several zoonotic vector-borne bacteria but their epidemiology is poorly understood in Tunisia. A total of 305 biological samples (100 spleens, 100 livers, 100 kidneys, and 5 pooled ectoparasites (Xenopsylla cheopis, Laelaps echidninus, Ornithonyssus sp., Hoplopleura sp. and eggs of the rat fleas)) were collected from 100 wild rodents from three Tunisian governorates. Molecular screening was performed to reveal infections with main vector-borne bacteria. Captured rodents belonged to three rodent genera and species including Rattus rattus (n = 51, 51%), Meriones shawi (n = 24, 24%) and Mus musculus (n = 25, 25%). Examined rodents were found to be heavily infested by the rat flea X. cheopis (n = 32, 47%) and the rat mite L. echidninus (n = 22, 32.3%). However, the rat mite Ornithonyssus sp. (n = 13, 19.1%) and the rat lice Hoplopleura sp. (n = 1, 1.5%) were rarely identified. Based on 16S rRNA and msp4 genes, infection with Anaplasmataceae bacteria was detected in six specimens of R. rattus and one M. shawi. Pathogenic A. phagocytophilum (n = 1), A. phagocytophilum-like 1 (Anaplasma sp. Japan) (n = 1), and A. ovis (n = 5) were identified. On the basis of ompB, ompA and gltA genes, infection with Rickettsia spp. was identified in three specimens of R. rattus and one of M. shawi. Five Rickettsia species of the spotted fever group, corresponding to R. monacensis, R. helvetica, R. massiliae, R. africae, and R. aeschlimannii, were detected in mixed infections. Bartonella henselae DNA was also found in two R. rattus, based on rpoB partial sequences. All revealed Anaplasma, Rickettsia and Bartonella bacteria were detected in spleen samples. Ehrlichia, Coxiella and Borrelia spp. were not identified in any of the tested samples. In Tunisia, this is the first report indicating infections with Anaplasma, Rickettsia and Bartonella spp. in wild rodents, particularly present alongside domestic livestock and human. This represents a serious risk of potential bacterial transmission. Thus, controlling rodent population in animal herds, residential areas and sensitizing local people to this risk seem absolutely necessary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachid Selmi
- Service de Microbiologie et Immunologie, Ecole Nationale de Médecine Vétérinaire, Univ. Manouba, Sidi Thabet, Tunisie; Ministère de la Défense Nationale, Direction Générale de la Santé Militaire, Service Vétérinaire, Tunis, Tunisie
| | - Hanène Belkahia
- Service de Microbiologie et Immunologie, Ecole Nationale de Médecine Vétérinaire, Univ. Manouba, Sidi Thabet, Tunisie
| | - Mokhtar Dhibi
- Service de Parasitologie, Ecole Nationale de Médecine Vétérinaire, Univ. Manouba, Sidi Thabet, Tunisie
| | - Hedi Abdelaali
- Ministère de la Défense Nationale, Direction Générale de la Santé Militaire, Service Vétérinaire, Tunis, Tunisie
| | - Samia Lahmar
- Service de Parasitologie, Ecole Nationale de Médecine Vétérinaire, Univ. Manouba, Sidi Thabet, Tunisie
| | - Mourad Ben Said
- Service de Microbiologie et Immunologie, Ecole Nationale de Médecine Vétérinaire, Univ. Manouba, Sidi Thabet, Tunisie; Institut Supérieur de Biotechnologie de Sidi Thabet, Département des Sciences Fondamentales, Univ. Manouba, Sidi Thabet, Tunisie.
| | - Lilia Messadi
- Service de Microbiologie et Immunologie, Ecole Nationale de Médecine Vétérinaire, Univ. Manouba, Sidi Thabet, Tunisie.
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Khlyap LA, Dinets V, Warshavsky AA, Osipov FA, Dergunova NN, Petrosyan VG. Aggregated occurrence records of the invasive alien striped field mouse ( Apodemus agrarius Pall.) in the former USSR. Biodivers Data J 2021; 9:e69159. [PMID: 34239342 PMCID: PMC8245395 DOI: 10.3897/bdj.9.e69159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Open access to occurrence records of the most dangerous invasive species in a standardised format have important potential applications for ecological research and management, including the assessment of invasion risks, formulation of preventative and management plans in the context of global climate and land use changes in the short and long perspective. The striped field mouse (Apodemusagrarius Pallas, 1771) is a common species in the temperate latitudes of the Palaearctic. Due to land use and global climate changes, several waves of expansion of the range of this species have been observed or inferred. By intrusion into new regions, the striped field mouse has become an alien species there. Apodemusagrarius causes significant harm to agriculture and is one of the most important pests of grain crops. In tree nurseries, A.agrarius destroys seeds of valuable tree species and gnaws at the bark of saplings of broadleaf species and berry bushes. It is one of the most epidemiologically important rodents, involved in the circulation of the causative agents of haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) and many other zoonotic infections. The foregoing allows us to classify the striped field mouse as a dangerous invasive alien species in the expanding part of the range. A lot of data accumulated for this species are of interest from both ecological and applied points of view. The accumulation and aggregation of data on the occurrence records of A.agrarius is relevant for the study of ecology, biogeography and construction of the spatial distribution and ecological niche models in the context of global climate change. We have created a dataset of 1603 occurrence records of this species, collected from 1936 to December 2020 by various zoologists, previously published or original. These records relate to a significant part of the striped field mouse’s range in Russia (1264 records) and neighbouring countries (339 records). The dataset shows the position of the northern and central parts of A.agrarius range, the disjunction of the range in Transbaikalia and isolated populations in the north of the range. The data were obtained in different formats from literature, indicating different degrees of accuracy of geographic coordinates and with several variations of the species' name. In the process of aggregating and fixing errors, we created a set of georeferenced occurrence records, adopted a controlled vocabulary, removed duplicates and standardised the format of records using unified data structure. We examined the dataset for inconsistencies with the taxonomic position of A.agrarius and removed the incorrect records. This paper presents the resulting dataset of A.agrarius occurrence records in the territory of Russia and neighbouring countries in a standardised format. New information This is a validated and comprehensive dataset of occurrence records of A.agrarius, including both our own observations and records from literature. This dataset is available for extension by other researchers using a standard format in accordance with Darwin Core standards. In different countries, there are a lot of occurrence records for the striped field mouse, but the overwhelming part of them is presented in separate literary sources, stored in the form of maps and in zoological collections. Prior to this project, such information was not available to a wide range of researchers and did not allow the use of these spatial data for further processing by modern methods of analysis, based on geographic information systems (GIS technologies). The created dataset combines species occurrence records of many Soviet zoologists who studied the distribution of the striped field mouse over a significant part of its recent range, in Russia and neighbouring countries (within the former USSR). The final set of records was created by combining the species occurrence records using a uniform data structure, checking geographic coordinates and removing duplicate and erroneous records. The dataset expands the available information on the spatial and temporal distribution of the dangerous invasive species in Russia and neighbouring countries of the former USSR (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan).
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Affiliation(s)
- Lyudmila A Khlyap
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences Moscow Russia
| | - Vladimir Dinets
- University of Tennessee, Knoxville, United States of America University of Tennessee Knoxville United States of America.,Kean University, Union, United States of America Kean University Union United States of America
| | - Andrey A Warshavsky
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences Moscow Russia
| | - Fedor A Osipov
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences Moscow Russia
| | - Natalia N Dergunova
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences Moscow Russia
| | - Varos G Petrosyan
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences Moscow Russia
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Aleksandravičienė A, Paulauskas A, Stanko M, Fričová J, Radzijevskaja J. New Records of Bartonella spp. and Rickettsia spp. in Lice Collected from Small Rodents. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2021; 21:342-350. [PMID: 33728990 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2020.2722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Lice are blood-sucking insects that are of medical and veterinary significance as parasites and vectors for various infectious agents. More than half of described blood-sucking lice species are found on rodents. Rodents are important hosts of several Bartonella and Rickettsia species, and some of these bacteria are characterized as human pathogens in Europe. Rodent ectoparasites, such as fleas and ticks, are important vectors of Bartonella spp. and Rickettsia spp., but knowledge about the presence of these bacteria in lice is limited. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of Bartonella and Rickettsia bacteria in lice collected from rodents in Slovakia. The ectoparasites were collected from small rodents captured from 2010 to 2015 at four different sites in eastern Slovakia. The presence of Bartonella and Rickettsia species in lice samples was screened by real-time PCR, targeting ssrA and gltA genes, respectively. The molecular characterization of the Bartonella strains was based on sequence analysis of partial rpoB and intergenic spacer (ITS) genes, and of the Rickettsia species on sequence analysis of the gltA gene. A total of 1074 lice of seven species were collected from six rodent species. Bartonella DNA was detected in Hoplopleura affinis (collected from Apodemus agrarius, Apodemus flavicollis, and Myodes glareolus), Polyplax serrata (from A. agrarius), and Hoplopleura sp. (from A. flavicollis). Sequence analysis revealed that the Bartonella strains belonged to the Bartonella coopersplainsensis, Bartonella tribocorum, and Bartonella taylorii genogroups. Rickettsia DNA was detected in H. affinis and P. serrata collected from A. agrarius. Sequence analysis revealed two Rickettsia species: Rickettsia helvetica and Rickettsia sp. The results of the study confirm the presence of Bartonella spp. and Rickettsia spp. in lice collected from rodents.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Michal Stanko
- Department of Vector-Borne Diseases, Institute of Parasitology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Košice, Slovak Republic
| | - Jana Fričová
- Department of Vector-Borne Diseases, Institute of Parasitology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Košice, Slovak Republic
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Spatio-temporal trends in richness and persistence of bacterial communities in decline-phase water vole populations. Sci Rep 2020; 10:9506. [PMID: 32528097 PMCID: PMC7290036 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-66107-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the driving forces that control vole population dynamics requires identifying bacterial parasites hosted by the voles and describing their dynamics at the community level. To this end, we used high-throughput DNA sequencing to identify bacterial parasites in cyclic populations of montane water voles that exhibited a population outbreak and decline in 2014-2018. An unexpectedly large number of 155 Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) representing at least 13 genera in 11 families was detected. Individual bacterial richness was higher during declines, and vole body condition was lower. Richness as estimated by Chao2 at the local population scale did not exhibit clear seasonal or cycle phase-related patterns, but at the vole meta-population scale, exhibited seasonal and phase-related patterns. Moreover, bacterial OTUs that were detected in the low density phase were geographically widespread and detected earlier in the outbreak; some were associated with each other. Our results demonstrate the complexity of bacterial community patterns with regard to host density variations, and indicate that investigations about how parasites interact with host populations must be conducted at several temporal and spatial scales: multiple times per year over multiple years, and at both local and long-distance dispersal scales for the host(s) under consideration.
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Azagi T, Hoornstra D, Kremer K, Hovius JWR, Sprong H. Evaluation of Disease Causality of Rare Ixodes ricinus-Borne Infections in Europe. Pathogens 2020; 9:pathogens9020150. [PMID: 32102367 PMCID: PMC7168666 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens9020150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2020] [Revised: 02/21/2020] [Accepted: 02/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In Europe, Ixodes ricinus ticks transmit pathogens such as Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV). In addition, there is evidence for transmission to humans from I. ricinus of Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Babesia divergens, Babesia microti, Babesia venatorum, Borrelia miyamotoi, Neoehrlichia mikurensis, Rickettsia helvetica and Rickettsia monacensis. However, whether infection with these potential tick-borne pathogens results in human disease has not been fully demonstrated for all of these tick-borne microorganisms. To evaluate the available evidence for a causative relation between infection and disease, the current study analyses European case reports published from 2008 to 2018, supplemented with information derived from epidemiological and experimental studies. The evidence for human disease causality in Europe found in this review appeared to be strongest for A. phagocytophilum and B. divergens. Nonetheless, some knowledge gaps still exist. Importantly, comprehensive evidence for pathogenicity is lacking for the remaining tick-borne microorganisms. Such evidence could be gathered best through prospective studies, for example, studies enrolling patients with a fever after a tick bite, the development of specific new serological tools, isolation of these microorganisms from ticks and patients and propagation in vitro, and through experimental studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tal Azagi
- Centre for Infectious Diseases Research, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, P.O. Box 1, Bilthoven 3720 BA, The Netherlands; (K.K.); (H.S.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Dieuwertje Hoornstra
- Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine, Amsterdam University Medical Centers Location Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam 1105 AZ, The Netherlands; (D.H.); (J.W.R.H.)
| | - Kristin Kremer
- Centre for Infectious Diseases Research, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, P.O. Box 1, Bilthoven 3720 BA, The Netherlands; (K.K.); (H.S.)
| | - Joppe W. R. Hovius
- Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine, Amsterdam University Medical Centers Location Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam 1105 AZ, The Netherlands; (D.H.); (J.W.R.H.)
| | - Hein Sprong
- Centre for Infectious Diseases Research, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, P.O. Box 1, Bilthoven 3720 BA, The Netherlands; (K.K.); (H.S.)
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Phylogeography of the striped field mouse, Apodemus agrarius (Rodentia: Muridae), throughout its distribution range in the Palaearctic region. Mamm Biol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s42991-019-00001-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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Ma L, Huang S, Luo Y, Min F, He L, Chen M, Pan J, Zhang Y, Wang J. Isolation and characterization of Bordetella pseudohinzii in mice in China. Animal Model Exp Med 2019; 2:217-221. [PMID: 31773098 PMCID: PMC6762218 DOI: 10.1002/ame2.12075] [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: 05/05/2019] [Revised: 07/15/2019] [Accepted: 07/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
We report on the first detection and isolation of B. pseudohinzii (Bordetella pseudohinzii) in laboratory mice in China. Forty-one B. pseudohinzii strains were isolated from 3094 mice in 33 different laboratory animal facilities in southern China. The isolates were identified through culture and genome sequenceing. Phylogenetic analysis based on the sequences of 16S rRNA and OmpA genes demonstrated that these strains were on the same clade as other B. pseudohinzii strains isolated from mice. Experimental infected mice presented an asymptomatic infection. B. pseudohinzii replicated in both the respiratory tract and the digestive tract. Most importantly B. pseudohinzii shed via feces and infected a group of sentinel mice in a separate cage via cage padding contaminated with B. pseudohinzii-positive feces, indicating that B. pseudohinzii could transmit efficiently among mice and contaminate environmental facilities. Our study highlights the importance of routine monitoring of the pathogen in laboratory mice and provides vital insights into the transmission of Brodetellae in rodents and human.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Ma
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Laboratory AnimalsGuangdong Laboratory Animals Monitoring InstituteGuangzhouGuangdongChina
| | - Shuwu Huang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Laboratory AnimalsGuangdong Laboratory Animals Monitoring InstituteGuangzhouGuangdongChina
| | - Yinzhu Luo
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Laboratory AnimalsGuangdong Laboratory Animals Monitoring InstituteGuangzhouGuangdongChina
| | - Fangui Min
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Laboratory AnimalsGuangdong Laboratory Animals Monitoring InstituteGuangzhouGuangdongChina
| | - Lifang He
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Laboratory AnimalsGuangdong Laboratory Animals Monitoring InstituteGuangzhouGuangdongChina
| | - Meiling Chen
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Laboratory AnimalsGuangdong Laboratory Animals Monitoring InstituteGuangzhouGuangdongChina
| | - Jinchun Pan
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Laboratory AnimalsGuangdong Laboratory Animals Monitoring InstituteGuangzhouGuangdongChina
| | - Yu Zhang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Laboratory AnimalsGuangdong Laboratory Animals Monitoring InstituteGuangzhouGuangdongChina
| | - Jing Wang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Laboratory AnimalsGuangdong Laboratory Animals Monitoring InstituteGuangzhouGuangdongChina
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Moonga LC, Hayashida K, Nakao R, Lisulo M, Kaneko C, Nakamura I, Eshita Y, Mweene AS, Namangala B, Sugimoto C, Yamagishi J. Molecular detection of Rickettsia felis in dogs, rodents and cat fleas in Zambia. Parasit Vectors 2019; 12:168. [PMID: 30975188 PMCID: PMC6460736 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-019-3435-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2018] [Accepted: 04/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Flea-borne spotted fever is a zoonosis caused by Rickettsia felis, a Gram-negative obligate intracellular bacterium. The disease has a worldwide distribution including western and eastern sub-Saharan Africa where it is associated with febrile illness in humans. However, epidemiology and the public health risks it poses remain neglected especially in developing countries including Zambia. While Ctenocephalides felis (cat fleas) has been suggested to be the main vector, other arthropods including mosquitoes have been implicated in transmission and maintenance of the pathogen; however, their role in the epidemiological cycle remains to be elucidated. Thus, the aim of this study was to detect and characterize R. felis from animal hosts and blood-sucking arthropod vectors in Zambia. Methods Dog blood and rodent tissue samples as well as cat fleas and mosquitoes were collected from various areas in Zambia. DNA was extracted and screened by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting genus Rickettsia and amplicons subjected to sequence analysis. Positive samples were further subjected to R. felis-specific real-time quantitative polymerase chain reactions. Results Rickettsia felis was detected in 4.7% (7/150) of dog blood samples and in 11.3% (12/106) of rodent tissue samples tested by PCR; this species was also detected in 3.7% (2/53) of cat fleas infesting dogs, co-infected with Rickettsia asembonensis. Furthermore, 37.7% (20/53) of cat flea samples tested positive for R. asembonensis, a member of spotted fever group rickettsiae of unknown pathogenicity. All the mosquitoes tested (n = 190 pools) were negative for Rickettsia spp. Conclusions These observations suggest that R. felis is circulating among domestic dogs and cat fleas as well as rodents in Zambia, posing a potential public health risk to humans. This is because R. felis, a known human pathogen is present in hosts and vectors sharing habitat with humans. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13071-019-3435-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lavel Chinyama Moonga
- Division of Collaboration and Education, Research Center for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Kita 20, Nishi 10, Kita-Ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 001-0020, Japan
| | - Kyoko Hayashida
- Division of Collaboration and Education, Research Center for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Kita 20, Nishi 10, Kita-Ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 001-0020, Japan
| | - Ryo Nakao
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Department of Disease Control, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita 18, Nishi 9, Kita-Ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-0818, Japan
| | - Malimba Lisulo
- The University of Edinburgh, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, Deanery of Biomedical Sciences, 1 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Chiho Kaneko
- Project for Zoonoses Education and Research, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Miyazaki, 1-1, Gakuen-kibanadai-nishi, Miyazaki, 889-2192, Japan
| | - Ichiro Nakamura
- Unit of International Cooperation, Research Center for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Kita 20, Nishi 10, Kita-Ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 001-0020, Japan
| | - Yuki Eshita
- Division of Collaboration and Education, Research Center for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Kita 20, Nishi 10, Kita-Ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 001-0020, Japan
| | - Aaron S Mweene
- Department of Disease Control, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, P. O. Box 32379, Lusaka, Zambia.,African Centre of Excellence for Infectious Diseases of Human and Animals, University of Zambia, PO Box 32379, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Boniface Namangala
- Department of Paraclinical Studies, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, PO Box 32379, Lusaka, Zambia.,African Centre of Excellence for Infectious Diseases of Human and Animals, University of Zambia, PO Box 32379, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Chihiro Sugimoto
- Division of Collaboration and Education, Research Center for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Kita 20, Nishi 10, Kita-Ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 001-0020, Japan.,Global Station for Zoonosis Control, GI-CoRE, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Junya Yamagishi
- Division of Collaboration and Education, Research Center for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Kita 20, Nishi 10, Kita-Ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 001-0020, Japan. .,Global Station for Zoonosis Control, GI-CoRE, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan.
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Perec-Matysiak A, Leśniańska K, Buńkowska-Gawlik K, Čondlová Š, Sak B, Kváč M, Rajský D, Hildebrand J. The opportunistic pathogen Encephalitozoon cuniculi in wild living Murinae and Arvicolinae in Central Europe. Eur J Protistol 2019; 69:14-19. [PMID: 30825553 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejop.2019.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2018] [Revised: 01/16/2019] [Accepted: 02/08/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Encephalitozoon spp. is an obligate intracellular microsporidian parasite that infects a wide range of mammalian hosts, including humans. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of Encephalitozoon spp. in wild living rodents from Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Faecal and spleen samples were collected from individuals of Apodemus agrarius, Apodemus flavicollis, Apodemus sylvaticus, and Myodes glareolus (n = 465) and used for DNA extraction. PCR, targeting the ITS region of the rRNA gene was performed. The overall prevalence of microsporidia was 15.1%. The occurrence of Encephalitozoon cuniculi in the abovementioned host species of rodents has been presented for the first time, with the highest infection rate recorded for A. flavicollis. Sequence analysis showed that the most frequent species was E. cuniculi genotype II (92.5%). E. cuniculi genotypes I (1.5%) and III (6.0%) were also identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Perec-Matysiak
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Genetics and Microbiology, University of Wrocław, Przybyszewskiego 63, 51-148 Wrocław, Poland.
| | - Kinga Leśniańska
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Genetics and Microbiology, University of Wrocław, Przybyszewskiego 63, 51-148 Wrocław, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Buńkowska-Gawlik
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Genetics and Microbiology, University of Wrocław, Przybyszewskiego 63, 51-148 Wrocław, Poland
| | - Šárka Čondlová
- Faculty of Agriculture, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Studentská 13, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; Institute of Parasitology, the Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Bohumil Sak
- Institute of Parasitology, the Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Kváč
- Faculty of Agriculture, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Studentská 13, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; Institute of Parasitology, the Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Dušan Rajský
- Faculty of Forestry, Department of Forest Protection and Wildlife Management, Technical University in Zvolen, Zvolen, Slovak Republic
| | - Joanna Hildebrand
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Genetics and Microbiology, University of Wrocław, Przybyszewskiego 63, 51-148 Wrocław, Poland
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Mlera L, Bloom ME. The Role of Mammalian Reservoir Hosts in Tick-Borne Flavivirus Biology. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2018; 8:298. [PMID: 30234026 PMCID: PMC6127651 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2018.00298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2018] [Accepted: 08/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Small-to-medium sized mammals and large animals are lucrative sources of blood meals for ixodid ticks that transmit life-threatening tick-borne flaviviruses (TBFVs). TBFVs have been isolated from various organs obtained from wild-caught Myodes and Apodemus species in Europe and Asia. Thus, these rodents are well-established reservoirs of TBFVs. Wild-caught Peromyscus species have demonstrated seropositivity against Powassan virus, the only TBFV known to circulate in North America, suggesting that they may play an important role in the biology of the virus in this geographic region. However, virus isolation from Peromyscus species is yet to be demonstrated. Wild-caught medium-sized mammals, such as woodchucks (Marmota monax) and skunks (Mephitis mephitis) have also demonstrated seropositivity against POWV, and virus was isolated from apparently healthy animals. Despite the well-established knowledge that small-to-medium sized animals are TBFV reservoirs, specific molecular biology addressing host-pathogen interactions remains poorly understood. Elucidating these interactions will be critical for gaining insight into the mechanism(s) of viral pathogenesis and/or resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luwanika Mlera
- Biology of Vector-Borne Viruses Section, Laboratory of Virology, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Hamilton, MT, United States
| | - Marshall E Bloom
- Biology of Vector-Borne Viruses Section, Laboratory of Virology, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Hamilton, MT, United States
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