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Xiong L, Yang G. Description and molecular characterisation of Babesia ailuropodae n. sp., a new piroplasmid species infecting giant pandas. Parasit Vectors 2024; 17:315. [PMID: 39033131 PMCID: PMC11265107 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-024-06402-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 07/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Babesia spp. are protozoan parasites that infect the red blood cells of domesticated animals, wildlife and humans. A few cases of giant pandas (a flagship species in terms of wildlife conservation) infected with a putative novel Babesia sp. have been reported. However, comprehensive research on the morphological and molecular taxonomic classification of this novel Babesia sp. is still lacking. This study was designed to close this gap and formally describe this new Babesia sp. infecting giant pandas. METHODS Detailed morphological, molecular and phylogenetic analyses were conducted to characterise this Babesia sp. and to assess its systematic relationships with other Babesia spp. Blood samples from giant pandas infected with Babesia were subjected to microscopic examination. The 18S ribosomal RNA (18S rRNA), cytochrome b (cytb) and mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of the new Babesia sp. were amplified, sequenced and assembled using DNA purified from blood samples taken from infected giant pandas. Based on the newly generated 18S rRNA, cytb and mitogenome sequences, phylogenetic trees were constructed. RESULTS Morphologically, the Babesia sp. from giant pandas exhibited various forms, including round to oval ring-shaped morphologies, resembling those found in other small canine Babesia spp. and displaying typical tetrads. Phylogenetic analyses with the 18S rRNA, cytb and mitogenome sequences revealed that the new Babesia sp. forms a monophyletic group, with a close phylogenetic relationship with the Babesia spp. that infect bears (Ursidae), raccoons (Procyonidae) and canids (Canidae). Notably, the mitogenome structure consisted of six ribosomal large subunit-coding genes (LSU1-6) and three protein-coding genes (cytb, cox3 and cox1) arranged linearly. CONCLUSIONS Based on coupled morphological and genetic analyses, we describe a novel species of the genus Babesia, namely, Babesia ailuropodae n. sp., which infects giant pandas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lang Xiong
- Sichuan Agricultural University, Sichuan, China
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2
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Bourke BP, Dusek RJ, Ergunay K, Linton YM, Drovetski SV. Viral pathogen detection in U.S. game-farm mallard ( Anas platyrhynchos) flags spillover risk to wild birds. Front Vet Sci 2024; 11:1396552. [PMID: 38860005 PMCID: PMC11163284 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1396552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The threat posed by emerging infectious diseases is a major concern for global public health, animal health and food security, and the role of birds in transmission is increasingly under scrutiny. Each year, millions of mass-reared game-farm birds are released into the wild, presenting a unique and a poorly understood risk to wild and susceptible bird populations, and to human health. In particular, the shedding of enteric pathogens through excrement into bodies of water at shared migratory stop-over sites, and breeding and wintering grounds, could facilitate multi-species long-distance pathogen dispersal and infection of high numbers of naive endemic birds annually. The Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) is the most abundant of all duck species, migratory across much of its range, and an important game species for pen-rearing and release. Major recent population declines along the US Atlantic coast has been attributed to game-farm and wild mallard interbreeding and the introduction maladaptive traits into wild populations. However, pathogen transmission and zoonosis among game-farms Mallard may also impact these populations, as well as wildlife and human health. Here, we screened 16 game-farm Mallard from Wisconsin, United States, for enteric viral pathogens using metatranscriptomic data. Four families of viral pathogens were identified - Picobirnaviridae (Genogroup I), Caliciviridae (Duck Nacovirus), Picornaviridae (Duck Aalivirus) and Sedoreoviridae (Duck Rotavirus G). To our knowledge, this is the first report of Aalivirus in the Americas, and the first report of Calicivirus outside domestic chicken and turkey flocks in the United States. Our findings highlight the risk of viral pathogen spillover from peri-domestically reared game birds to naive wild bird populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian P. Bourke
- Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit, Museum Support Center MRC-534, Smithsonian Institution, Suitland, MD, United States
- One Health Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, United States
- Department of Entomology, Smithsonian Institution—National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Robert J. Dusek
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Koray Ergunay
- Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit, Museum Support Center MRC-534, Smithsonian Institution, Suitland, MD, United States
- One Health Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, United States
- Department of Entomology, Smithsonian Institution—National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, United States
- Hacettepe University, Department of Medical Microbiology, Ankara, Türkiye
| | - Yvonne-Marie Linton
- Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit, Museum Support Center MRC-534, Smithsonian Institution, Suitland, MD, United States
- One Health Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, United States
- Department of Entomology, Smithsonian Institution—National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Sergei V. Drovetski
- U.S. Geological Survey, Eastern Ecological Science Center at the Patuxent Research Refuge, Laurel, MD, United States
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Moerbeck L, Parreira R, Szczotko M, Seixas G, Velez R, Dmitryjuk M, Santos AS, Domingos A, Antunes S. Ticks and Tick-Borne Pathogens Circulating in Peri-Domestic Areas in Mainland Portugal. Microorganisms 2024; 12:1006. [PMID: 38792834 PMCID: PMC11123758 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12051006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2024] [Revised: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Over the years, tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) have garnered significant interest due to their medical, veterinary and economic importance. Additionally, TBPs have drawn attention to how these microorganisms interact with their own vectors, increasing the risk to human and animal infection of emerging and reemerging zoonoses. In this sense, ticks, which are obligate hematophagous ectoparasites, have a key role in maintaining and transmitting TBPs among humans and animals. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of neglected TBPs in mainland Portugal, namely Anaplasma spp., Babesia spp., Ehrlichia spp. and Neoehrlichia mikurensis. DNA fragments were detected in questing ticks collected from five different ecological areas under investigation. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this study reports new worldwide findings, including B. bigemina infecting Ixodes frontalis, Ixodes ricinus and Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato. Additionally, it presents new findings in Portugal of N. mikurensis infecting I. ricinus and of presumably Wolbachia endosymbionts being detected in I. ricinus. Overall, there were 208 tick samples that were negative for all screened TBPs. The results herein obtained raise concerns about the circulation of neglected TBPs in mainland Portugal, especially in anthropophilic ticks, highlighting the importance of adopting a One Health perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo Moerbeck
- Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical (IHMT), Universidade NOVA de Lisboa (UNL), Rua da Junqueira 100, 1349-008 Lisboa, Portugal; (R.P.); (G.S.); (A.D.)
- Global Health and Tropical Medicine (GHTM), Associate Laboratory in Translation and Innovation Towards Global Health (LA-REAL), Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical (IHMT), Universidade NOVA de Lisboa (UNL), Rua da Junqueira 100, 1349-008 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Ricardo Parreira
- Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical (IHMT), Universidade NOVA de Lisboa (UNL), Rua da Junqueira 100, 1349-008 Lisboa, Portugal; (R.P.); (G.S.); (A.D.)
- Global Health and Tropical Medicine (GHTM), Associate Laboratory in Translation and Innovation Towards Global Health (LA-REAL), Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical (IHMT), Universidade NOVA de Lisboa (UNL), Rua da Junqueira 100, 1349-008 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Magdalena Szczotko
- Students’ Parasitology “Vermis” Science Club, Department of Medical Biology, Collegium Medicum, School of Public Health, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland;
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Oczapowskiego 1A, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland;
| | - Gonçalo Seixas
- Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical (IHMT), Universidade NOVA de Lisboa (UNL), Rua da Junqueira 100, 1349-008 Lisboa, Portugal; (R.P.); (G.S.); (A.D.)
- Global Health and Tropical Medicine (GHTM), Associate Laboratory in Translation and Innovation Towards Global Health (LA-REAL), Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical (IHMT), Universidade NOVA de Lisboa (UNL), Rua da Junqueira 100, 1349-008 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Rita Velez
- Centro de Estudos de Vetores e Doenças Infeciosas Dr. Francisco Cambournac, Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge (CEVDI-INSA), 2965-575 Águas de Moura, Portugal; (R.V.); (A.S.S.)
| | - Małgorzata Dmitryjuk
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Oczapowskiego 1A, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland;
| | - Ana Sofia Santos
- Centro de Estudos de Vetores e Doenças Infeciosas Dr. Francisco Cambournac, Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge (CEVDI-INSA), 2965-575 Águas de Moura, Portugal; (R.V.); (A.S.S.)
- Instituto de Saúde Ambiental, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-004 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Ana Domingos
- Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical (IHMT), Universidade NOVA de Lisboa (UNL), Rua da Junqueira 100, 1349-008 Lisboa, Portugal; (R.P.); (G.S.); (A.D.)
- Global Health and Tropical Medicine (GHTM), Associate Laboratory in Translation and Innovation Towards Global Health (LA-REAL), Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical (IHMT), Universidade NOVA de Lisboa (UNL), Rua da Junqueira 100, 1349-008 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Sandra Antunes
- Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical (IHMT), Universidade NOVA de Lisboa (UNL), Rua da Junqueira 100, 1349-008 Lisboa, Portugal; (R.P.); (G.S.); (A.D.)
- Global Health and Tropical Medicine (GHTM), Associate Laboratory in Translation and Innovation Towards Global Health (LA-REAL), Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical (IHMT), Universidade NOVA de Lisboa (UNL), Rua da Junqueira 100, 1349-008 Lisboa, Portugal
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Wilhelmsson P, Lager M, Jaenson TGT, Waldenström J, Olsen B, Lindgren PE. Anaplasma phagocytophilum in Ticks Blood-Feeding on Migratory Birds in Sweden. Microorganisms 2024; 12:735. [PMID: 38674679 PMCID: PMC11052380 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12040735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2024] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Migratory birds play a dual role as potential reservoirs of tick-borne pathogens, and potential dispersers of pathogen-containing ticks during their migratory journeys. Ixodes ricinus, a prevalent tick species in Northern and Western Europe, serves as a primary vector for Anaplasma phagocytophilum-a bacterium with implications for human and animal health. There is limited information available regarding A. phagocytophilum in birds. Our investigation focused on A. phagocytophilum prevalence in ticks collected from migratory birds in southeastern Sweden. The identification of ticks involved both molecular analyses for species determination and morphological classification to ascertain the developmental stage. The presence of A. phagocytophilum was determined using real-time PCR. Of the 1115 ticks analyzed from 4601 birds, 0.9% (n = 10), including I. ricinus and Ixodes frontalis, tested positive for A. phagocytophilum. Notably, common blackbirds (Turdus merula) yielded the highest number of A. phagocytophilum-infected ticks. The findings suggest that A. phagocytophilum is present in a small proportion of ticks infesting migratory birds in southeastern Sweden. Consequently, the role of birds as hosts for ticks infected with A. phagocytophilum appears to be low, suggesting that birds seem to play a minor indirect role in the geographic dispersal of A. phagocytophilum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Wilhelmsson
- Division of Inflammation and Infection, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden;
- National Reference Laboratory for Borrelia and Other Tick-Borne Bacteria, Division of Clinical Microbiology, Laboratory Medicine, Region Jönköping County, SE-551 85 Jönköping, Sweden;
| | - Malin Lager
- National Reference Laboratory for Borrelia and Other Tick-Borne Bacteria, Division of Clinical Microbiology, Laboratory Medicine, Region Jönköping County, SE-551 85 Jönköping, Sweden;
| | - Thomas G. T. Jaenson
- Department of Organismal Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, SE-752 36 Uppsala, Sweden;
| | - Jonas Waldenström
- Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems, Linnaeus University, SE-392 31 Kalmar, Sweden;
| | - Björn Olsen
- Zoonosis Science Center, Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, SE-751 23 Uppsala, Sweden;
| | - Per-Eric Lindgren
- Division of Inflammation and Infection, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden;
- National Reference Laboratory for Borrelia and Other Tick-Borne Bacteria, Division of Clinical Microbiology, Laboratory Medicine, Region Jönköping County, SE-551 85 Jönköping, Sweden;
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Jaenson TGT, Gray JS, Lindgren PE, Wilhelmsson P. Coinfection of Babesia and Borrelia in the Tick Ixodes ricinus-A Neglected Public Health Issue in Europe? Pathogens 2024; 13:81. [PMID: 38251388 PMCID: PMC10818971 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13010081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Ixodes ricinus nymphs and adults removed from humans, and larvae and nymphs from birds, have been analysed for infection with Babesia species and Borrelia species previously in separately published studies. Here, we use the same data set to explore the coinfection pattern of Babesia and Borrelia species in the ticks. We also provide an overview of the ecology and potential public health importance in Sweden of I. ricinus infected both with zoonotic Babesia and Borrelia species. Among 1952 nymphs and adult ticks removed from humans, 3.1% were PCR-positive for Babesia spp. Of these Babesia-positive ticks, 43% were simultaneously Borrelia-positive. Among 1046 immatures of I. ricinus removed from birds, 2.5% were Babesia-positive, of which 38% were coinfected with Borrelia species. This study shows that in I. ricinus infesting humans or birds in Sweden, potentially zoonotic Babesia protozoa sometimes co-occur with human-pathogenic Borrelia spp. Diagnostic tests for Babesia spp. infection are rarely performed in Europe, and the medical significance of this pathogen in Europe could be underestimated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas G. T. Jaenson
- Evolutionary Biology Centre, Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18d, SE-752 36 Uppsala, Sweden;
| | - Jeremy S. Gray
- UCD School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, D04 N2E5 Dublin, Ireland;
| | - Per-Eric Lindgren
- Division of Inflammation and Infection, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden;
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Region Jönköping County, SE-551 11 Jönköping, Sweden
| | - Peter Wilhelmsson
- Division of Inflammation and Infection, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden;
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Region Jönköping County, SE-551 11 Jönköping, Sweden
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Bakker JW, Begemann HLM, Fonville M, Esser HJ, de Boer WF, Sprong H, Koenraadt CJM. Differential associations of horizontally and vertically transmitted symbionts on Ixodes ricinus behaviour and physiology. Parasit Vectors 2023; 16:443. [PMID: 38017525 PMCID: PMC10685571 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-023-06025-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ixodes ricinus ticks are infected with a large diversity of vertically and horizontally transmitted symbionts. While horizontally transmitted symbionts rely on a vertebrate host for their transmission, vertically transmitted symbionts rely more on the survival of their invertebrate host for transmission. We therefore hypothesized horizontally transmitted symbionts to be associated with increased tick activity to increase host contact rate and vertically transmitted symbionts to be associated with higher tick weight and lipid fraction to promote tick survival. METHODS We used a behavioural assay to record the questing activity of I. ricinus ticks. In addition, we measured weight and lipid fraction and determined the presence of ten symbiont species in these ticks using qPCR, of which six were vertically transmitted and four horizontally transmitted. RESULTS Vertically transmitted symbionts (e.g. Midichloria mitochondrii) were associated with an increase in tick weight, whereas horizontally transmitted symbionts (e.g. Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato) were often associated with lower weight and lipid fraction of ticks. Moreover, horizontally transmitted symbionts (e.g. B. burgdorferi s.l.) were associated with increased tick activity, which may benefit pathogen transmission and increases tick-borne disease hazard. CONCLUSIONS Our study shows that horizontally and vertically transmitted symbionts differentially influence the behaviour and physiology of I. ricinus and warrants future research to study the underlying mechanisms and effects on transmission dynamics of tick-borne pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian W Bakker
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Hannah L M Begemann
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Manoj Fonville
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute of Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Helen J Esser
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Willem F de Boer
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Hein Sprong
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute of Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands
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Yousefi-Behzadi M, Mehrabi A, Ahmadinezhad M, Rohani M, Naddaf SR, Bagheri A, Shams-Ghahfarokhi M, Maghsoudlou E, Mojahed N, Mounesan L, Tahmasebi Z, Sohrabi A, Salehi-Vaziri M, Salehi Z, Razzaghi-Abyaneh M. Metagenomics Characterization of Ixodes ricinus Intestinal Microbiota as Major Vector of Tick-Borne Diseases in Domestic Animals. J Arthropod Borne Dis 2023; 17:152-164. [PMID: 37822757 PMCID: PMC10562206 DOI: 10.18502/jad.v17i2.13620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Understanding the microbiota of disease vectors can help for developing new strategies to prevent the transmission of vector pathogens. Ixodes ricinus is one of the most notorious tick vectors with increasing importance in Iran and other parts of the world while there is limited data on its microbiota. This study aimed to use metagenomics for identifying the I. ricinus tick's microbiota of Iran. Methods A total of 39 adult ticks were collected from Mazandaran (21 females), Gilan (17 females), and Golestan (1 male). Five tick pools prepared from 39 adults of I. ricinus were subjected to metagenomics analysis. The data were analyzed by targeting the V6 region of the 16S rRNA gene by Illumina 4000 Hiseq sequencing. Results Among hundreds of intestinal microbiota identified by metagenomics, various pathogenic microorganisms distributed in 30 genera and species including those responsible for tick-borne diseases resided in the genera Coxiella, Rickettsia, and Burkholderia were found. Conclusion Our results indicated that metagenomics identifies bacteria genera and species which cannot be easily recognized by routine methods. The presence of such pathogenic bacteria indicates the importance of possible zoonotic diseases in this region which could affect public health. These results further substantiate the importance of advanced metagenomics analyses to identify neglected tick-borne pathogens which enable researchers to provide efficient mapping roads for the management of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manijeh Yousefi-Behzadi
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatics, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
- National Reference Laboratory of Plague, Tularemia and Q Fever, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Akanlu, Kabudar-Ahang, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Atefeh Mehrabi
- School of Advanced Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran Medical Branch, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mozhgan Ahmadinezhad
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatics, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahdi Rohani
- Department of Microbiology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Amin Bagheri
- Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Science and Research, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Ebrahim Maghsoudlou
- Department of Computer Science, School of Computing, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Illinois
| | - Nooshin Mojahed
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois
| | - Leila Mounesan
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatics, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Zahra Tahmasebi
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatics, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
- National Reference Laboratory of Plague, Tularemia and Q Fever, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Akanlu, Kabudar-Ahang, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Aria Sohrabi
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatics, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
- National Reference Laboratory of Plague, Tularemia and Q Fever, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Akanlu, Kabudar-Ahang, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Mostafa Salehi-Vaziri
- Department of Arboviruses and Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Zahra Salehi
- Department of Mycology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
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Čisovská Bazsalovicsová E, Víchová B, Oboňa J, Radačovská A, Blažeková V, Králová-Hromadová I. Bird Louse Flies Ornithomya spp. (Diptera: Hippoboscidae) as Potential Vectors of Mammalian Babesia and Other Pathogens. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2023; 23:275-283. [PMID: 36944122 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2022.0088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Birds and mammals share various ectoparasites, which are responsible for the transmission of a wide range of pathogens. The louse flies (family Hippoboscidae) are ectoparasitic dipterans feeding strictly on the blood of mammals and birds. Both sexes of the louse flies are obligatory hematophagous and are known to act as the vectors of infectious agents. Materials and Methods: A total of 20 specimens of Ornithomya sp. were collected by hand on birds caught in nets or by hand from humans in two localities in Eastern Slovakia in 2021. The DNA samples were individually screened by species-specific PCRs for the presence of selected vector-borne pathogens. Results: Taxonomic identification folowed by molecular analyses revealed two louse fly species of Ornithomya spp. (O. avicularia and O. biloba). The molecular screening provided negative PCR results for Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Borrelia burgdorferi s.l., Rickettsia spp., Bartonella spp., and Hepatozoon canis. In contrast, positive PCR results were obtained for Babesia spp., Wolbachia spp., and Trypanosoma corvi. Conclusions: Of epidemiological importance is that the louse flies can presumably spread Babesia and other pathogens by host switching which facilitates the transmission and spread of numerous pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jozef Oboňa
- Faculty of Humanities and Natural Sciences, University of Prešov, Prešov, Slovakia
| | | | - Veronika Blažeková
- Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute of Parasitology, Košice, Slovakia
- The University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Košice, Košice, Slovakia
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First Molecular Identification of Trypanosomes and Absence of Babesia sp. DNA in Faeces of Non-Human Primates in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Pathogens 2022; 11:pathogens11121490. [PMID: 36558823 PMCID: PMC9785249 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11121490] [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: 10/23/2022] [Revised: 11/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Trypanosomes are a group of pathogens distributed in the continents of Africa, America, Asia and Europe, and they affect all vertebrates including the neotropical primate group. Information about the trypanosome's diversity, phylogeny, ecology and pathology in non-human primates (NHPs) from the neotropical region is scarce. The objective of the study was to identify Trypanosoma and Babesia molecularly in NHPs under the phylogenetic species concept. We extracted DNA from a total of 76 faecal samples collected between 2019 and 2021, from a total of 11 non-human primate species of which 46 are from captive NHPs and 30 are free-living NHPs in the Western Amazon region of Ecuador. We did not detect DNA of Babesia sp. by polymerase chain reaction test in any of the faecal samples. However, the nested-PCR-based method revealed Trypanosoma parasites by ITS gene amplification in two faecal samples; one for the species Leontocebus lagonotus (from the captive population) and a second one for Cebus albifrons (from the free-ranging population). Maximum parsimony and likelihood methods with the Kimura2+G+I model inferred the evolutionary history of the two records, which showed an evolutionary relationship with the genus Trypanosoma. Two sequences are monophyletic with Trypanosoma. However, the number of sequences available in GenBank for their species identification is limited. The two samples present different molecular identifications and evolutionary origins in the tree topology. We are most likely referring to two different species, and two different localities of infection. We suggest that health management protocols should be implemented to prevent the transmission of blood-borne pathogens such as Trypanosoma sp. among captive populations. In addition, these protocols also protect the personnel of wildlife rehabilitation centers working in close proximity to NHPs and vice versa.
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Rataud A, Galon C, Bournez L, Henry PY, Marsot M, Moutailler S. Diversity of Tick-Borne Pathogens in Tick Larvae Feeding on Breeding Birds in France. Pathogens 2022; 11:pathogens11080946. [PMID: 36015066 PMCID: PMC9414652 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11080946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Birds play a role in maintaining tick-borne diseases by contributing to the multiplication of ticks and pathogens on a local scale during the breeding season. In the present study, we describe the diversity of tick and pathogen species of medical and veterinary importance in Europe hosted by 1040 captured birds (56 species) during their breeding season in France. Of the 3114 ticks collected, Ixodes ricinus was the most prevalent species (89.5%), followed by I. frontalis (0.8%), I. arboricola (0.7%), Haemaphysalis concinna (0.5%), H. punctata (0.5%), Hyalomma spp. (0.2%), and Rhipicephalus spp. (0.06%). Because they may be representative of the bird infection status for some pathogen species, 1106 engorged tick larvae were screened for pathogens. Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato was the most prevalent pathogen genus in bird-feeding larvae (11.7%), followed by Rickettsia spp. (7.4%), Anaplasma spp. (5.7%), Babesia spp. (2.3%), Ehrlichia spp. (1.4%), and B. miyamotoi (1%). Turdidae birds (Turdus merula and T. philomelos), Troglodytes troglodytes, and Anthus trivialis had a significantly higher prevalence of B. burgdorferi s.l.-infected larvae than other pathogen genera. This suggests that these bird species could act as reservoir hosts for B. burgdorferi s.l. during their breeding season, and thus play an important role in acarological risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amalia Rataud
- Laboratory for Animal Health, Epidemiology Unit, Université Paris Est, ANSES, 94700 Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Clemence Galon
- ANSES, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort, UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, 94700 Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Laure Bournez
- ANSES, Nancy Laboratory for Rabies and Wildlife, 54220 Malzéville, France
| | - Pierre-Yves Henry
- Mécanismes Adaptatifs et Evolution (MECADEV UMR 7179), Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, 91800 Brunoy, France
- Centre de Recherches sur la Biologie des Populations d’Oiseaux (CRBPO), Centre d’Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO UMR 7204), Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Maud Marsot
- Laboratory for Animal Health, Epidemiology Unit, Université Paris Est, ANSES, 94700 Maisons-Alfort, France
- Correspondence: (M.M.); (S.M.)
| | - Sara Moutailler
- ANSES, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort, UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, 94700 Maisons-Alfort, France
- Correspondence: (M.M.); (S.M.)
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Ebani VV, Guardone L, Rocchigiani G, Bascherini A, Cagnoli G, Bertelloni F, Bongi P, Russo C, Riccioli F, Mancianti F. Molecular survey on the presence of arthropod-borne bacteria and protozoans in roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) and ticks from Central Italy. Acta Trop 2022; 233:106586. [PMID: 35787417 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2022.106586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Revised: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Environmental changes, due to climatic emergency and to anthropogenic activities severely impact on the epidemiology of vector borne diseases, mostly when transmitted by ticks. The data about the distribution of microorganisms responsible for them in roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) population living in Italy are scanty and completely lacking in Tuscany, so a molecular survey was carried out to estimate the prevalence of some zoonotic tick-borne pathogens in roe deer, and ticks removed from them, living in areas of Central Italy with high risk of arthropod exposure. Spleen samples from 72 roe deer were tested by PCR for Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Borrelia burgdorferi s.l., Francisella tularensis and piroplasms. Moreover, 345 ticks were removed from 65 roe deer, morphologically or molecularly identified and grouped into 162 pools that were submitted to PCR for detecting the same pathogens. Forty-six (63.88%) roe deer were positive for at least one investigated pathogen: 43 (59.72%) for A. phagocytophilum, 2 (2.78%) for Babesia capreoli, 1 (1.39%) for B. burgdorferi, and 1 (1.39%) for Babesia sp.. No animals were PCR positive for F. tularensis. All ticks were identified as Ixodes ricinus. Seventy-six (46.91%) tick pools showed DNA of one or more pathogens: 66 (40.74%) were positive for A. phagocytophilum, 22 (13.58%) for B. burgodorferi s.l., 6 (3.70%) for B. venatorum and 3 (1.85%) for B. capreoli. No pools were positive for F. tularensis. Two or three pathogens were detected in 23 (14.19%) pools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Virginia Ebani
- Department of Veterinary Sciences - University of Pisa - Viale delle Piagge 2, Pisa 56124, Italy; Centre for Climate Change Impact, University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, Pisa 56124, Italy.
| | - Lisa Guardone
- Department of Veterinary Sciences - University of Pisa - Viale delle Piagge 2, Pisa 56124, Italy
| | - Guido Rocchigiani
- Department of Veterinary Anatomy, Physiology and Pathology, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, Leahurst Campus, University of Liverpool, Chester High Road, Neston CH64 7TE, UK
| | - Alice Bascherini
- Department of Veterinary Sciences - University of Pisa - Viale delle Piagge 2, Pisa 56124, Italy
| | - Giulia Cagnoli
- Department of Veterinary Sciences - University of Pisa - Viale delle Piagge 2, Pisa 56124, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Bertelloni
- Department of Veterinary Sciences - University of Pisa - Viale delle Piagge 2, Pisa 56124, Italy
| | - Paolo Bongi
- Ambito Territoriale Caccia Massa (ATCMS), largo Bonfigli 3/5, Aulla (Massa) 54011, Italy
| | - Claudia Russo
- Department of Veterinary Sciences - University of Pisa - Viale delle Piagge 2, Pisa 56124, Italy
| | - Francesco Riccioli
- Department of Veterinary Sciences - University of Pisa - Viale delle Piagge 2, Pisa 56124, Italy
| | - Francesca Mancianti
- Department of Veterinary Sciences - University of Pisa - Viale delle Piagge 2, Pisa 56124, Italy
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Ebani VV, Mancianti F. Potential Role of Avian Populations in the Epidemiology of Rickettsia spp. and Babesia spp. Vet Sci 2021; 8:vetsci8120334. [PMID: 34941861 PMCID: PMC8709085 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci8120334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2021] [Revised: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Birds often are carriers of hard and/or soft ticks harboring pathogens of humans and veterinary concern. Migratory avian species, which cover long distance by their flight, may deeply influence the ticks’ distribution worldwide; in particular, they can introduce in a given geographic area new tick species and related tick-borne pathogens. Studies about the detection of tick-borne agents in birds are not numerous, whereas more attention has been turned to the presence of these microorganisms in ticks carried by birds. The present review focused on the role of avian populations in the epidemiology of rickettsioses and babesioses, which represent two severe problems for the health of humans and other mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Virginia Ebani
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Viale delle Piagge 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy;
- Centre for Climate Change Impact, University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy
- Interdepartmental Research Center “Nutraceuticals and Food for Health”, University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-050-221-6968
| | - Francesca Mancianti
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Viale delle Piagge 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy;
- Interdepartmental Research Center “Nutraceuticals and Food for Health”, University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy
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Ticks, Human Babesiosis and Climate Change. Pathogens 2021; 10:pathogens10111430. [PMID: 34832586 PMCID: PMC8625897 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10111430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The effects of current and future global warming on the distribution and activity of the primary ixodid vectors of human babesiosis (caused by Babesia divergens, B. venatorum and B. microti) are discussed. There is clear evidence that the distributions of both Ixodes ricinus, the vector in Europe, and I. scapularis in North America have been impacted by the changing climate, with increasing temperatures resulting in the northwards expansion of tick populations and the occurrence of I. ricinus at higher altitudes. Ixodes persulcatus, which replaces I. ricinus in Eurasia and temperate Asia, is presumed to be the babesiosis vector in China and Japan, but this tick species has not yet been confirmed as the vector of either human or animal babesiosis. There is no definite evidence, as yet, of global warming having an effect on the occurrence of human babesiosis, but models suggest that it is only a matter of time before cases occur further north than they do at present.
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