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Vikentjeva M, Geller J, Bragina O. Ticks and Tick-Borne Pathogens in Popular Recreational Areas in Tallinn, Estonia: The Underestimated Risk of Tick-Borne Diseases. Microorganisms 2024; 12:1918. [PMID: 39338592 PMCID: PMC11434170 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12091918] [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: 08/25/2024] [Revised: 09/13/2024] [Accepted: 09/18/2024] [Indexed: 09/30/2024] Open
Abstract
This study reveals a significant presence of ticks and tick-borne pathogens in urban recreational areas of Tallinn, Estonia. During the period of May-June 2018, 815 Ixodes ticks were collected from an area of 11,200 m2 using the flagging method. Tick density reached up to 18.8 ticks per 100 m2, indicating a high concentration of ticks in these urban green spaces. Pathogen analysis demonstrated that 34% of the collected ticks were infected with at least one pathogen. Specifically, Borrelia burgdorferi s.l., the causative agent of Lyme borreliosis, was detected in 17.4% of the ticks; Rickettsia spp. was detected in 13.5%; Neoehrlichia mikurensis was detected in 5.5%; Borrelia miyamotoi was detected in 2.6%; and Anaplasma phagocytophilum and tick-borne encephalitis virus were detected in 0.5% each. These findings indicate that the prevalence and abundance of ticks and tick-borne pathogens in these urban environments are comparable to or even exceed those observed in natural endemic areas. Given the increasing incidence of Lyme borreliosis in Central and Northern Europe, the risk of tick bites and subsequent infection in urban recreational sites should not be underestimated. Public health measures, including enhanced awareness and precautionary information, are essential to mitigate the risk of tick-borne diseases in these urban settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Vikentjeva
- Department of Communicable Diseases, Health Board, Paldiski mnt 81, 10614 Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Julia Geller
- Influenza Centre, Health Board, Paldiski mnt 81, 10614 Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Olga Bragina
- Division of Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, School of Science, Tallinn University of Technology, Akadeemia tee 15, 12618 Tallinn, Estonia
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Simkute E, Pautienius A, Grigas J, Sidorenko M, Radzijevskaja J, Paulauskas A, Stankevicius A. The Prevalence of Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus in Wild Rodents Captured in Tick-Borne Encephalitis Foci in Highly Endemic Lithuania. Viruses 2024; 16:444. [PMID: 38543809 PMCID: PMC10974453 DOI: 10.3390/v16030444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2024] [Revised: 03/10/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Wild rodents are considered to be one of the most important TBEV-amplifying reservoir hosts; therefore, they may be suitable for foci detection studies. To investigate the effectiveness of viral RNA detection in wild rodents for suspected TBEV foci confirmation, we trapped small rodents (n = 139) in various locations in Lithuania where TBEV was previously detected in questing ticks. Murine neuroblastoma Neuro-2a cells were inoculated with each rodent sample to maximize the chances of detecting viral RNA in rodent samples. TBEV RNA was detected in 74.8% (CI 95% 66.7-81.1) of the brain and/or internal organ mix suspensions, and the prevalence rate increased significantly following sample cultivation in Neuro-2a cells. Moreover, a strong correlation (r = 0.88; p < 0.05) was found between the average monthly air temperature of rodent trapping and the TBEV RNA prevalence rate in cell culture isolates of rodent suspensions, which were PCR-negative before cultivation in cell culture. This study shows that wild rodents are suitable sentinel animals to confirm TBEV foci. In addition, the study results demonstrate that sample cultivation in cell culture is a highly efficient method for increasing TBEV viral load to detectable quantities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelina Simkute
- Laboratory of Immunology, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilzes Str. 18, LT-47181 Kaunas, Lithuania; (A.P.); (J.G.); (A.S.)
| | - Arnoldas Pautienius
- Laboratory of Immunology, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilzes Str. 18, LT-47181 Kaunas, Lithuania; (A.P.); (J.G.); (A.S.)
- Institute of Microbiology and Virology, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilzes Str. 18, LT-47181 Kaunas, Lithuania
| | - Juozas Grigas
- Laboratory of Immunology, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilzes Str. 18, LT-47181 Kaunas, Lithuania; (A.P.); (J.G.); (A.S.)
- Institute of Microbiology and Virology, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilzes Str. 18, LT-47181 Kaunas, Lithuania
| | - Marina Sidorenko
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Vytautas Magnus University, K. Donelaicio Str. 58, LT-44248 Kaunas, Lithuania; (M.S.); (J.R.); (A.P.)
| | - Jana Radzijevskaja
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Vytautas Magnus University, K. Donelaicio Str. 58, LT-44248 Kaunas, Lithuania; (M.S.); (J.R.); (A.P.)
| | - Algimantas Paulauskas
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Vytautas Magnus University, K. Donelaicio Str. 58, LT-44248 Kaunas, Lithuania; (M.S.); (J.R.); (A.P.)
| | - Arunas Stankevicius
- Laboratory of Immunology, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilzes Str. 18, LT-47181 Kaunas, Lithuania; (A.P.); (J.G.); (A.S.)
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Sidorenko M, Radzijevskaja J, Mickevičius S, Bratchikov M, Mardosaitė-Busaitienė D, Sakalauskas P, Paulauskas A. Phylogenetic characterisation of tick-borne encephalitis virus from Lithuania. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0296472. [PMID: 38324618 PMCID: PMC10849421 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0296472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Abstract
The Baltic states are the region in Europe where tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is most endemic. The highest notification rate of TBE cases is reported in Lithuania, where the incidence of TBE has significantly increased since 1992. A recent study reported 0.4% prevalence of TBE virus (TBEV) in the two most common tick species distributed in Lithuania, Ixodes ricinus and Dermacentor reticulatus, with the existence of endemic foci confirmed in seven out of Lithuania's ten counties. However, until now, no comprehensive data on molecular characterisation and phylogenetic analysis have been available for the circulating TBEV strains. The aim of this study was to analyse TBEV strains derived from I. ricinus and D. reticulatus ticks collected from Lithuania and provide a genotypic characterisation of viruses based on sequence analysis of partial E protein and NS3 genes. The 54 nucleotide sequences obtained were compared with 81 TBEV strains selected from the NCBI database. Phylogenetic analysis of the partial E and NS3 gene sequences derived from 34 Lithuanian TBEV isolates revealed that these were specific to Lithuania, and all belonged to the European subtype, with a maximum identity to the Neudoerfl reference strain (GenBank accession no. U27495) of 98.7% and 97.4%, respectively. The TBEV strains showed significant regional genetic diversity. The detected TBEV genotypes were not specific to the tick species. However, genetic differences were observed between strains from different locations, while strains from the same location showed a high similarity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Sidorenko
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Vytautas Magnus University, Kaunas, Lithuania
| | - Jana Radzijevskaja
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Vytautas Magnus University, Kaunas, Lithuania
| | - Saulius Mickevičius
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Vytautas Magnus University, Kaunas, Lithuania
| | - Maksim Bratchikov
- Department of Physiology, Biochemistry, Microbiology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | | | - Povilas Sakalauskas
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Vytautas Magnus University, Kaunas, Lithuania
| | - Algimantas Paulauskas
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Vytautas Magnus University, Kaunas, Lithuania
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Hills SL, Poehling KA, Chen WH, Staples JE. Tick-Borne Encephalitis Vaccine: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, United States, 2023. MMWR Recomm Rep 2023; 72:1-29. [PMID: 37943707 PMCID: PMC10651317 DOI: 10.15585/mmwr.rr7205a1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus is focally endemic in parts of Europe and Asia. The virus is primarily transmitted to humans by the bites of infected Ixodes species ticks but can also be acquired less frequently by alimentary transmission. Other rare modes of transmission include through breastfeeding, blood transfusion, solid organ transplantation, and slaughtering of viremic animals. TBE virus can cause acute neurologic disease, which usually results in hospitalization, often permanent neurologic or cognitive sequelae, and sometimes death. TBE virus infection is a risk for certain travelers and for laboratory workers who work with the virus. In August 2021, the Food and Drug Administration approved Ticovac TBE vaccine for use among persons aged ≥1 year. This report summarizes the epidemiology of and risks for infection with TBE virus, provides information on the immunogenicity and safety of TBE vaccine, and summarizes the recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) for use of TBE vaccine among U.S. travelers and laboratory workers. The risk for TBE for most U.S. travelers to areas where the disease is endemic is very low. The risk for exposure to infected ticks is highest for persons who are in areas where TBE is endemic during the main TBE virus transmission season of April–November and who are planning to engage in recreational activities in woodland habitats or who might be occupationally exposed. All persons who travel to areas where TBE is endemic should be advised to take precautions to avoid tick bites and to avoid the consumption of unpasteurized dairy products because alimentary transmission of TBE virus can occur. TBE vaccine can further reduce infection risk and might be indicated for certain persons who are at higher risk for TBE. The key factors in the risk-benefit assessment for vaccination are likelihood of exposure to ticks based on activities and itinerary (e.g., location, rurality, season, and duration of travel or residence). Other risk-benefit considerations should include 1) the rare occurrence of TBE but its potentially high morbidity and mortality, 2) the higher risk for severe disease among certain persons (e.g., older persons aged ≥60 years), 3) the availability of an effective vaccine, 4) the possibility but low probability of serious adverse events after vaccination, 5) the likelihood of future travel to areas where TBE is endemic, and 6) personal perception and tolerance of risk ACIP recommends TBE vaccine for U.S. persons who are moving or traveling to an area where the disease is endemic and will have extensive exposure to ticks based on their planned outdoor activities and itinerary. Extensive exposure can be considered based on the duration of travel and frequency of exposure and might include shorter-term (e.g., <1 month) travelers with daily or frequent exposure or longer-term travelers with regular (e.g., a few times a month) exposure to environments that might harbor infected ticks. In addition, TBE vaccine may be considered for persons who might engage in outdoor activities in areas where ticks are likely to be found, with a decision to vaccinate made on the basis of an assessment of their planned activities and itinerary, risk factors for a poor medical outcome, and personal perception and tolerance of risk. In the laboratory setting, ACIP recommends TBE vaccine for laboratory workers with a potential for exposure to TBE virus
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Belova OA, Polienko AE, Averianova AD, Karganova GG. Development Features of Ixodes ricinus × I. persulcatus Hybrids under Laboratory Conditions. Microorganisms 2023; 11:2252. [PMID: 37764095 PMCID: PMC10536943 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11092252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Widely distributed Ixodes ricinus and Ixodes persulcatus ticks transmit many pathogens of both medical and veterinary significance. The ranges of these tick species overlap and form large sympatric areas in the East European Plain and Baltic countries. It has previously been shown that crossing I. ricinus and I. persulcatus is possible, resulting in the appearance of sterile hybrids. In the present study, we analyzed the features of this hybrid's life cycle under laboratory conditions. For this purpose, virgin females of I. ricinus and I. persulcatus ticks were obtained in the laboratory, and hybrid generations of ticks were bred from the reciprocal crossings of these two tick species. According to our data, mating the females of I. ricinus and I. persulcatus with the males of another species leads to a decrease in the engorgement success of the females, a decrease in the number of hatched larvae, and the appearance of a hybrid generation in which both females and males are sterile. Under laboratory conditions at a constant room temperature and under natural daylight, the morphogenetic diapause of the engorged I. persulcatus larvae began in September. For I. persulcatus nymphs, it occurred earlier than for I. ricinus, in October and November, respectively. The hybrids generally repeated the features of the life cycle of the mother species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oxana A. Belova
- Laboratory of Biology of Arboviruses, FSASI “Chumakov FSC R&D IBP RAS” (Institute of Poliomyelitis), 108819 Moscow, Russia (G.G.K.)
| | - Alexandra E. Polienko
- Laboratory of Biology of Arboviruses, FSASI “Chumakov FSC R&D IBP RAS” (Institute of Poliomyelitis), 108819 Moscow, Russia (G.G.K.)
| | - Anastasia D. Averianova
- Laboratory of Biology of Arboviruses, FSASI “Chumakov FSC R&D IBP RAS” (Institute of Poliomyelitis), 108819 Moscow, Russia (G.G.K.)
| | - Galina G. Karganova
- Laboratory of Biology of Arboviruses, FSASI “Chumakov FSC R&D IBP RAS” (Institute of Poliomyelitis), 108819 Moscow, Russia (G.G.K.)
- Institute for Translational Medicine and Biotechnology, Sechenov University, 119991 Moscow, Russia
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Bugmyrin SV, Romanova LY, Belova OA, Kholodilov IS, Bespyatova LA, Chernokhaeva LL, Gmyl LV, Klimentov AS, Ivannikova AY, Polienko AE, Yakovlev AS, Ieshko EP, Gmyl AP, Karganova GG. Pathogens in Ixodes persulcatus and Ixodes ricinus ticks (Acari, Ixodidae) in Karelia (Russia). Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2022; 13:102045. [PMID: 36183587 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2022.102045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Ixodid ticks (Acarina, Ixodidae) are vectors of dangerous human infections. The main tick species that determine the epidemiological situation for tick-borne diseases in northern Europe are Ixodes ricinus and Ixodes persulcatus. In recent years, significant changes in the number and distribution of these species have been observed, accompanied by an expansion of the sympatric range. This work summarizes the data of long-term studies carried out in Karelia since 2007 on the infection of I. persulcatus and I. ricinus ticks with various pathogens, including new viruses with unclear pathogenic potential. As a result, tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV, Siberian genotype), Alongshan virus, several representatives of the family Phenuiviridae, Borrelia afzelii, Borrelia garinii, Ehrlichia muris, Candidatus Rickettsia tarasevichiae and Candidatus Lariskella arthropodarum were identified. Data were obtained on the geographical and temporal variability of tick infection rates with these main pathogens. The average infection rates of I. persulcatus with TBEV and Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato were 4.4% and 23.4% and those of I. ricinus were 1.1% and 11.9%, respectively. We did not find a correlation between the infection rate of ticks with TBEV, B. burgdorferi s.l. and Ehrlichia muris/chaffeensis with the sex of the vector. In general, the peculiarities of the epidemiological situation in Karelia are determined by the wide distribution and high abundance of I. persulcatus ticks and by their relatively high infection rate with TBEV and B. burgdorferi s.l. in most of the territory, including the periphery of the range.
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Affiliation(s)
- S V Bugmyrin
- Institute of Biology, Karelian Research Centre, Russian Academy of Sciences, 11 Pushkinskaya St., Petrozavodsk 185910, Russia
| | - L Yu Romanova
- FSASI "Chumakov FSC R&D IBP RAS" (Institute of Poliomyelitis), prem. 8, k.17, pos. Institut Poliomyelita, poselenie Moskovskiy, Moscow 108811, Russia; Institute for Translational Medicine and Biotechnology, Sechenov University, Moscow 119146, Russia
| | - O A Belova
- FSASI "Chumakov FSC R&D IBP RAS" (Institute of Poliomyelitis), prem. 8, k.17, pos. Institut Poliomyelita, poselenie Moskovskiy, Moscow 108811, Russia
| | - I S Kholodilov
- FSASI "Chumakov FSC R&D IBP RAS" (Institute of Poliomyelitis), prem. 8, k.17, pos. Institut Poliomyelita, poselenie Moskovskiy, Moscow 108811, Russia
| | - L A Bespyatova
- Institute of Biology, Karelian Research Centre, Russian Academy of Sciences, 11 Pushkinskaya St., Petrozavodsk 185910, Russia
| | - L L Chernokhaeva
- FSASI "Chumakov FSC R&D IBP RAS" (Institute of Poliomyelitis), prem. 8, k.17, pos. Institut Poliomyelita, poselenie Moskovskiy, Moscow 108811, Russia
| | - L V Gmyl
- FSASI "Chumakov FSC R&D IBP RAS" (Institute of Poliomyelitis), prem. 8, k.17, pos. Institut Poliomyelita, poselenie Moskovskiy, Moscow 108811, Russia
| | - A S Klimentov
- FSASI "Chumakov FSC R&D IBP RAS" (Institute of Poliomyelitis), prem. 8, k.17, pos. Institut Poliomyelita, poselenie Moskovskiy, Moscow 108811, Russia
| | - A Y Ivannikova
- FSASI "Chumakov FSC R&D IBP RAS" (Institute of Poliomyelitis), prem. 8, k.17, pos. Institut Poliomyelita, poselenie Moskovskiy, Moscow 108811, Russia
| | - A E Polienko
- FSASI "Chumakov FSC R&D IBP RAS" (Institute of Poliomyelitis), prem. 8, k.17, pos. Institut Poliomyelita, poselenie Moskovskiy, Moscow 108811, Russia
| | - A S Yakovlev
- FSASI "Chumakov FSC R&D IBP RAS" (Institute of Poliomyelitis), prem. 8, k.17, pos. Institut Poliomyelita, poselenie Moskovskiy, Moscow 108811, Russia
| | - E P Ieshko
- Institute of Biology, Karelian Research Centre, Russian Academy of Sciences, 11 Pushkinskaya St., Petrozavodsk 185910, Russia
| | - A P Gmyl
- FSASI "Chumakov FSC R&D IBP RAS" (Institute of Poliomyelitis), prem. 8, k.17, pos. Institut Poliomyelita, poselenie Moskovskiy, Moscow 108811, Russia
| | - G G Karganova
- FSASI "Chumakov FSC R&D IBP RAS" (Institute of Poliomyelitis), prem. 8, k.17, pos. Institut Poliomyelita, poselenie Moskovskiy, Moscow 108811, Russia; Institute for Translational Medicine and Biotechnology, Sechenov University, Moscow 119146, Russia; Lomonosov Moscow State University, Department of Biology, Moscow 119991, Russia.
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Grygorczuk S, Dunaj-Małyszko J, Czupryna P, Sulik A, Toczyłowski K, Siemieniako-Werszko A, Żebrowska A, Pancewicz S, Moniuszko-Malinowska A. The Detectability of the Viral RNA in Blood and Cerebrospinal Fluid of Patients with Tick-Borne Encephalitis. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23169332. [PMID: 36012596 PMCID: PMC9408829 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23169332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The detection rate of viral RNA in tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is low and variable between studies, and its diagnostic/prognostic potential is not well defined. We attempted to detect RNA of TBE virus (TBEV) in body fluids of TBE patients. Methods: We studied 98 adults and 12 children with TBEV infection, stratified by the disease phase and presentation. EDTA blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples were obtained upon hospital admission. RNA was extracted from freshly obtained plasma, concentrated leukocyte-enriched CSF, and whole blood samples, and real time PCR was performed with a Rotor-Gene Q thermocycler. Results: TBEV RNA was detected in (1) plasma of one (of the two studied) adult patients with an abortive infection, (2) plasma of two (of the two studied) adults in the peripheral phase of TBE, and (3) plasma and blood of an adult in the neurologic phase of TBE presenting as meningoencephalomyelitis. No CSF samples were TBEV RNA-positive. Conclusions: The detection of TBEV RNA in blood might be diagnostic in the peripheral phase of TBE. The lack of TBEV RNA in the CSF cellular fraction speaks against TBEV influx into the central nervous system with infiltrating leukocytes and is consistent with a relatively low intrathecal viral burden.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sambor Grygorczuk
- Department of the Infectious Diseases and Neuroinfections, Medical University in Białystok, Ul. Żurawia 14, 15-540 Białystok, Poland
| | - Justyna Dunaj-Małyszko
- Department of the Infectious Diseases and Neuroinfections, Medical University in Białystok, Ul. Żurawia 14, 15-540 Białystok, Poland
| | - Piotr Czupryna
- Department of the Infectious Diseases and Neuroinfections, Medical University in Białystok, Ul. Żurawia 14, 15-540 Białystok, Poland
- Correspondence:
| | - Artur Sulik
- Department of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases of the Medical University in Białystok, Ul. Jerzego Waszyngtona 17, 15-274 Białystok, Poland
| | - Kacper Toczyłowski
- Department of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases of the Medical University in Białystok, Ul. Jerzego Waszyngtona 17, 15-274 Białystok, Poland
| | | | - Agnieszka Żebrowska
- Regional Centre of Transfusion Medicine in Białystok, Ul. Marii Skłodowskiej-Curie 23, 15-950 Białystok, Poland
| | - Sławomir Pancewicz
- Department of the Infectious Diseases and Neuroinfections, Medical University in Białystok, Ul. Żurawia 14, 15-540 Białystok, Poland
| | - Anna Moniuszko-Malinowska
- Department of the Infectious Diseases and Neuroinfections, Medical University in Białystok, Ul. Żurawia 14, 15-540 Białystok, Poland
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The Prevalence of Asymptomatic Infections with Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus and Attitude towards Tick-Borne Encephalitis Vaccine in the Endemic Area of Northeastern Poland. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:vaccines10081294. [PMID: 36016182 PMCID: PMC9412675 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10081294] [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: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
In Poland, tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) vaccination rate is low despite high incidence of severe infections with TBE virus (TBEV). However, infection with TBEV can be asymptomatic or mild, which makes the total number of cases difficult to assess. We aimed at assessing asymptomatic TBEV infections and describing attitudes towards the TBE vaccine. We studied 298 healthy adult blood donors and 180 children from the TBE endemic area of northeastern Poland for the presence of anti-TBEV IgG antibodies. We also surveyed a separate cohort of 444 adults. Thirty-eight blood donors (13%) and 38 survey respondents (9%) reported a history of a prior anti-TBEV vaccination. Forty respondents (9%) reported vaccinating their child in the past. Fourteen unvaccinated blood donors (5%) and four children (2%) were seropositive for specific anti-TBEV antibodies, suggesting a history of an undiagnosed TBEV infection. In the surveyed cohort, 130 (32%) expressed their intention to be vaccinated and 144 (36%) expressed their intention to vaccinate their child. This intention was significantly higher in respondents with a recent tick-bite, a diagnosis of tick-borne disease in a close relative, and in males. Our study shows that asymptomatic TBEV infections are common. The acceptance of TBE vaccine is low, but might be increased by communicating risks associated with tick bites.
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Herm R, Kirik H, Vilem A, Zani L, Forth JH, Müller A, Michelitsch A, Wernike K, Werner D, Tummeleht L, Kampen H, Viltrop A. No evidence for African swine fever virus DNA in haematophagous arthropods collected at wild boar baiting sites in Estonia. Transbound Emerg Dis 2021; 68:2696-2702. [PMID: 33527715 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.14013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Revised: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
African swine fever (ASF) is a highly pathogenic viral disease affecting all Suidae, with Ornithodoros moubata complex soft ticks acting as the biological arthropod vectors of the causative agent, African swine fever virus (ASFV). While ASFV is also transmissible via direct contact, pig products and fomites, other arthropods may be involved in virus transmission and persistence. Therefore, we checked various groups of blood-feeding arthropods collected during summer 2017 in wild boar habitats on the Estonian Island of Saaremaa for the presence of ASFV. Saaremaa had the highest ASF infection prevalences in Estonia in 2017, with an incidence of 9% among hunted wild boar. In addition to ASFV, we tested for other selected pathogens. In total, 784 ticks, 6,274 culicoid biting midges, 77 tabanids and 757 mosquitoes were tested as individuals or pools. No ASFV-DNA was found in any of them although about 20% of the tick samples tested positive for swine DNA. By contrast, tick-borne encephalitis virus-RNA was detected in one out of 37 tick pools (2.7%) and Borrelia burgdorferi s.l.-DNA in 20 individual ticks and 17 tick pools (25.2% of all samples). No Schmallenberg virus was detected in the Culicoides specimens. In conclusion, we found no evidence for Ixodes ricinus ticks, Culicoides punctatus and Obsoletus complex biting midges, Aedes spp., Anopheles spp. and Culiseta annulata mosquitoes, and Haematopota pluvialis tabanids playing a role in ASFV transmission in the wild boar population in Estonia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reet Herm
- Chair of Veterinary Bio- and Population Medicine, Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Heli Kirik
- Chair of Biodiversity and Nature Tourism, Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia
| | | | - Laura Zani
- Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Jan Hendrik Forth
- Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Alexandra Müller
- Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Anna Michelitsch
- Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Kerstin Wernike
- Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Doreen Werner
- Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research, Müncheberg, Germany
| | - Lea Tummeleht
- Chair of Veterinary Bio- and Population Medicine, Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Helge Kampen
- Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Arvo Viltrop
- Chair of Veterinary Bio- and Population Medicine, Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia
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10
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Vikentjeva M, Geller J, Remm J, Golovljova I. Rickettsia spp. in rodent-attached ticks in Estonia and first evidence of spotted fever group Rickettsia species Candidatus Rickettsia uralica in Europe. Parasit Vectors 2021; 14:65. [PMID: 33472659 PMCID: PMC7818765 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-04564-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rickettsia spp. are human pathogens that cause a number of diseases and are transmitted by arthropods, such as ixodid ticks. Estonia is one of few regions where the distribution area of two medically important tick species, Ixodes persulcatus and I. ricinus, overlaps. The nidicolous rodent-associated Ixodes trianguliceps has also recently been shown to be present in Estonia. Although no data are available on human disease(s) caused by tick-borne Rickettsia spp. in Estonia, the presence of three Rickettsia species in non-nidicolous ticks has been previously reported. The aim of this study was to detect, identify and partially characterize Rickettsia species in nidicolous and non-nidicolous ticks attached to rodents in Estonia. RESULTS Larvae and nymphs of I. ricinus (n = 1004), I. persulcatus (n = 75) and I. trianguliceps (n = 117), all removed from rodents and shrews caught in different parts of Estonia, were studied for the presence of Rickettsia spp. by nested PCR. Ticks were collected from 314 small animals of five species [Myodes glareolus (bank voles), Apodemus flavicollis (yellow necked mice), A. agrarius (striped field mice), Microtus subterranius (pine voles) and Sorex araneus (common shrews)]. Rickettsial DNA was detected in 8.7% (103/1186) of the studied ticks. In addition to identifying R. helvetica, which had been previously found in questing ticks, we report here the first time that the recently described I. trianguliceps-associated Candidatus Rickettsia uralica has been identified west of the Ural Mountains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Vikentjeva
- Department of Virology and Immunology, National Institute for Health Development, Tallinn, Estonia. .,Department of Gene Technology, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia.
| | - Julia Geller
- Department of Virology and Immunology, National Institute for Health Development, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Jaanus Remm
- Department of Zoology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Irina Golovljova
- Department of Virology and Immunology, National Institute for Health Development, Tallinn, Estonia.,Tallinn Children's Hospital, Tallinn, Estonia
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11
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Perveen N, Muzaffar SB, Al-Deeb MA. Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases of Livestock in the Middle East and North Africa: A Review. INSECTS 2021; 12:83. [PMID: 33477991 PMCID: PMC7835866 DOI: 10.3390/insects12010083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2020] [Revised: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Ticks are important vectors of an array of viral, bacterial and protozoan pathogens resulting in a wide range of animal and human diseases. There is limited information in the literature about tick species in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries, even though they have suitable climate and vegetation for ticks and their hosts. We reviewed the occurrence of tick species and the pathogens they transmit from the MENA on published papers from 1901-2020. We found taxonomic records of 55 tick species infesting livestock representing the following eight genera: Ornithodoros, Otobius, Amblyomma, Dermacentor, Haemaphysalis, Hyalomma, Ixodes, and Rhipicephalus. In addition, 15 pathogens were recorded causing diseases of significance, with Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, theileriosis, babesiosis and anaplasmosis being widely distributed diseases in the region. In recent decades, there has been increasing trends in disease occurrence and movement associated with global movement of humans and global trade of animals. We suggest that disease control and prevention could be achieved effectively through good integration between public health, veterinary medicine and animal management, and ecological approaches. We recommend further research in the areas of tick ecology and tick born-disease transmission. Furthermore, we suggest evaluation and improvement of disease control policies in the region.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Mohammad Ali Al-Deeb
- Department of Biology, United Arab Emirates University, Al-Ain 15551, UAE; (N.P.); (S.B.M.)
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12
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Prevalence of tick-borne encephalitis virus in questing Dermacentor reticulatus and Ixodes ricinus ticks in Lithuania. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2020; 12:101594. [PMID: 33120252 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2020.101594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2020] [Revised: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The Baltic States are the region in Europe where tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is most endemic, with one-third of the European TBE cases detected in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. With the Czech Republic and Germany, Lithuania has among the highest population incidences of TBE. Ticks from the Ixodidae family are the main vectors of the TBE virus (TBEV) in Europe. However, there is still a lack of data on the prevalence of TBEV in ticks in different parts of Lithuania. This study analysed the current prevalence of TBEV in the two most common tick species distributed in Lithuania: Ixodes ricinus and Dermacentor reticulatus. Questing I. ricinus (n = 7170) and D. reticulatus (n = 1676) ticks were collected from 81 locations in all ten counties of Lithuania between 2017 and 2019. The presence of TBEV was analysed using a real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and TBEV prevalence in ticks was calculated as the minimum infection rate (MIR). TBEV was detected in the three developmental stages (adults, nymphs and larvae) of I. ricinus and in D. reticulatus adults. The MIR of TBEV in the total sample of I. ricinus was 0.4 % (28/7170) and for D. reticulatus was also estimated to be 0.4 % (6/1676). TBEV-infected ticks were found in 16 locations in seven counties, with MIR ranging from 0.1 % to 1.0 %. The TBEV strains detected belong to the European subtype. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first report on the prevalence of TBEV in unfed D. reticulatus ticks and in I. ricinus unfed larvae in Lithuania.
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13
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Capligina V, Seleznova M, Akopjana S, Freimane L, Lazovska M, Krumins R, Kivrane A, Namina A, Aleinikova D, Kimsis J, Kazarina A, Igumnova V, Bormane A, Ranka R. Large-scale countrywide screening for tick-borne pathogens in field-collected ticks in Latvia during 2017-2019. Parasit Vectors 2020; 13:351. [PMID: 32665019 PMCID: PMC7362577 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-04219-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Tick-borne diseases are of substantial concern worldwide in both humans and animals. Several hard tick species are of medical and veterinary interest in Europe, and changes in the range of tick species can affect the spread of zoonotic pathogens. The aim of the present study was to map the current prevalence and distribution pattern of ticks and related tick-borne pathogens in Latvia, a Baltic state in northern Europe. Methods Nearly 4600 Ixodes ricinus, I. persulcatus and Dermacentor reticulatus tick samples were collected in all regions of Latvia during 2017–2019 and were screened by molecular methods to reveal the prevalence and distribution pattern of a wide spectrum of tick-borne pathogens. Results New localities of D. reticulatus occurrence were found in western and central Latvia, including the Riga region, indicating that the northern border of D. reticulatus in Europe has moved farther to the north. Among the analyzed ticks, 33.42% carried at least one tick-borne pathogen, and 5.55% of tick samples were positive for two or three pathogens. A higher overall prevalence of tick-borne pathogens was observed in I. ricinus (34.92%) and I. persulcatus (31.65%) than in D. reticulatus (24.2%). The molecular analysis revealed the presence of tick-borne encephalitis virus, Babesia spp., Borrelia spp., Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Rickettsia spp. Overall, 15 and 7 tick-borne pathogen species were detected in Ixodes spp. and D. reticulatus ticks, respectively. This is the first report of Borrelia miyamotoi in Latvian field-collected ticks. Conclusions This large-scale countrywide study provides a snapshot of the current distribution patterns of Ixodes and Dermacentor ticks in Latvia and gives us a reliable overview of tick-borne pathogens in Latvian field-collected ticks.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Capligina
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Ratsupites Street 1, Riga, Latvia
| | - Maija Seleznova
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Ratsupites Street 1, Riga, Latvia
| | - Sarmite Akopjana
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Ratsupites Street 1, Riga, Latvia
| | - Lauma Freimane
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Ratsupites Street 1, Riga, Latvia
| | - Marija Lazovska
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Ratsupites Street 1, Riga, Latvia
| | - Rudolfs Krumins
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Ratsupites Street 1, Riga, Latvia
| | - Agnija Kivrane
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Ratsupites Street 1, Riga, Latvia
| | - Agne Namina
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Ratsupites Street 1, Riga, Latvia
| | - Darja Aleinikova
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Ratsupites Street 1, Riga, Latvia
| | - Janis Kimsis
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Ratsupites Street 1, Riga, Latvia
| | - Alisa Kazarina
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Ratsupites Street 1, Riga, Latvia
| | - Viktorija Igumnova
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Ratsupites Street 1, Riga, Latvia
| | - Antra Bormane
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Ratsupites Street 1, Riga, Latvia
| | - Renate Ranka
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Ratsupites Street 1, Riga, Latvia.
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14
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Ott D, Ulrich K, Ginsbach P, Öhme R, Bock-Hensley O, Falk U, Teinert M, Lenhard T. Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) prevalence in field-collected ticks (Ixodes ricinus) and phylogenetic, structural and virulence analysis in a TBE high-risk endemic area in southwestern Germany. Parasit Vectors 2020; 13:303. [PMID: 32527288 PMCID: PMC7291635 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-04146-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2019] [Accepted: 05/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is the most common viral CNS infection with incidences much higher than all other virus infections together in many risk areas of central and eastern Europe. The Odenwald Hill region (OWH) in southwestern Germany is classified as a TBE risk region and frequent case numbers but also more severe infections have been reported within the past decade. The objective of the present study was to survey the prevalence of tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) in Ixodes ricinus and to associate TBEV genetic findings with TBE infections in the OWH. METHODS Ticks were collected by the flagging methods supported by a crowdsourcing project implementing the interested public as collectors to cover completely and collect randomly a 3532 km2 area of the OWH TBE risk region. Prevalence of TBEV in I. ricinus was analysed by reversed transcription quantitative real-time PCR. Phylogeographic analysis was performed to classify OWH TBEV isolates within a European network of known TBEV strains. Mutational sequence analysis including 3D modelling of envelope protein pE was performed and based on a clinical database, a spatial association of TBE case frequency and severity was undertaken. RESULTS Using the crowd sourcing approach we could analyse a total of 17,893 ticks. The prevalence of TBEV in I. ricinus in the OWH varied, depending on analysed districts from 0.12% to 0% (mean 0.04%). Calculated minimum infection rate (MIR) was one decimal power higher. All TBEV isolates belonged to the European subtype. Sequence analysis revealed a discontinuous segregation pattern of OWH isolates with two putative different lineages and a spatial association of two isolates with increased TBE case numbers as well as exceptional severe to fatal infection courses. CONCLUSIONS TBEV prevalence within the OWH risk regions is comparatively low which is probably due to our methodological approach and may more likely reflect prevalence of natural TBEV foci. As for other European regions, TBEV genetics show a discontinuous phylogeny indicating among others an association with bird migration. Mutations within the pE gene are associated with more frequent, severe and fatal TBE infections in the OWH risk region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Ott
- Neuroinfectious Diseases Group, Department of Neurology, University Hospital Heidelberg, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 350, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Kristina Ulrich
- Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA Scotland, UK
| | | | - Rainer Öhme
- Molecular Biology Laboratory, Landesgesundheitsamt Stuttgart, Nordbahnhofstraße 135, 70191 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Oswinde Bock-Hensley
- Gesundheitsamt Rhein-Neckarkreis, Kurfürsten-Anlage 38-40, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ulrich Falk
- Gesundheitsamt Odenwaldkreis, Michelstädter Str. 12, 64711 Erbach, Germany
| | - Martina Teinert
- Gesundheitsamt Neckar-Odenwaldkreis, Neckarelzer Str. 7, 74821 Mosbach, Germany
| | - Thorsten Lenhard
- Neuroinfectious Diseases Group, Department of Neurology, University Hospital Heidelberg, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 350, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
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15
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Krawczuk K, Czupryna P, Pancewicz S, Ołdak E, Moniuszko-Malinowska A. Comparison of tick-borne encephalitis between children and adults-analysis of 669 patients. J Neurovirol 2020; 26:565-571. [PMID: 32524423 PMCID: PMC7438291 DOI: 10.1007/s13365-020-00856-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2019] [Revised: 05/05/2020] [Accepted: 05/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
The aim of our study was to compare the course of TBE in children and adults. A retrospective analysis of the medical records of 669 patients was performed. The patients were categorized into 2 groups: Group I with 68 children and group II with 601 adults. TBE symptoms in children were milder compared with adults, with meningitis in 97% of cases. In adults, meningoencephalitis and meningoencephalomyelitis made up 49.26% of cases. Nausea and vomiting are more frequent in children, while neurological manifestations are more frequent in adults. There were no differences in CSF pleocytosis at the onset of disease in both groups, while CSF protein concentration was higher in adults. Children treated with corticosteroids over 7 days had higher checkup pleocytosis than pleocytosis at the onset of disease compared with adults. Corticosteroid use prolongs the disease duration but does not influence the development of TBE sequelae. Children had more favourable outcomes than adult patients.
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MESH Headings
- Adolescent
- Adult
- Aged
- Aged, 80 and over
- Analgesics/therapeutic use
- Anti-Inflammatory Agents/therapeutic use
- Child
- Child, Preschool
- Dexamethasone/therapeutic use
- Encephalitis Viruses, Tick-Borne/pathogenicity
- Encephalitis Viruses, Tick-Borne/physiology
- Encephalitis, Tick-Borne/diagnosis
- Encephalitis, Tick-Borne/drug therapy
- Encephalitis, Tick-Borne/pathology
- Encephalitis, Tick-Borne/virology
- Encephalitis, Viral/diagnosis
- Encephalitis, Viral/drug therapy
- Encephalitis, Viral/pathology
- Encephalitis, Viral/virology
- Female
- Humans
- Leukocytosis/diagnosis
- Leukocytosis/drug therapy
- Leukocytosis/pathology
- Leukocytosis/virology
- Male
- Mannitol/therapeutic use
- Meningitis, Viral/diagnosis
- Meningitis, Viral/drug therapy
- Meningitis, Viral/pathology
- Meningitis, Viral/virology
- Meningoencephalitis/diagnosis
- Meningoencephalitis/drug therapy
- Meningoencephalitis/pathology
- Meningoencephalitis/virology
- Middle Aged
- Retrospective Studies
- Severity of Illness Index
- Treatment Outcome
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Krawczuk
- Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Medical University of Bialystok, Białystok, Poland
| | - Piotr Czupryna
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Neuroinfections, Medical University in Bialystok, Żurawia 14, 15-540, Białystok, Poland
| | - Sławomir Pancewicz
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Neuroinfections, Medical University in Bialystok, Żurawia 14, 15-540, Białystok, Poland
| | - Elżbieta Ołdak
- Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Medical University of Bialystok, Białystok, Poland
| | - Anna Moniuszko-Malinowska
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Neuroinfections, Medical University in Bialystok, Żurawia 14, 15-540, Białystok, Poland.
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16
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Damian D, Maghembe R, Damas M, Wensman JJ, Berg M. Application of Viral Metagenomics for Study of Emerging and Reemerging Tick-Borne Viruses. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2020; 20:557-565. [PMID: 32267808 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2019.2579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Ticks are important vectors for different tick-borne viruses, some of which cause diseases and death in humans, livestock, and wild animals. Tick-borne encephalitis virus, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus, Kyasanur forest disease virus, severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus, Heartland virus, African swine fever virus, Nairobi sheep disease virus, and Louping ill virus are just a few examples of important tick-borne viruses. The majority of tick-borne viruses have RNA genomes that routinely undergo rapid genetic modifications such as point mutations during their replication. These genomic changes can influence the spread of viruses to new habitats and hosts and lead to the emergence of novel viruses that can pose a threat to public health. Therefore, investigation of the viruses circulating in ticks is important to understand their diversity, host and vector range, and evolutionary history, as well as to predict new emerging pathogens. The choice of detection method is important, as most methods detect only those viruses that have been previously well described. On the other hand, viral metagenomics is a useful tool to simultaneously identify all the viruses present in a sample, including novel variants of already known viruses or completely new viruses. This review describes tick-borne viruses, their historical background of emergence, and their reemergence in nature, and the use of viral metagenomics for viral discovery and studies of viral evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donath Damian
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Dar es Salaam, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Reuben Maghembe
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Dar es Salaam, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Modester Damas
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Dar es Salaam, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Jonas Johansson Wensman
- Section of Ruminant Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Mikael Berg
- Section of Virology, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
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17
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Răileanu C, Tauchmann O, Vasić A, Wöhnke E, Silaghi C. Borrelia miyamotoi and Borrelia burgdorferi (sensu lato) identification and survey of tick-borne encephalitis virus in ticks from north-eastern Germany. Parasit Vectors 2020; 13:106. [PMID: 32106890 PMCID: PMC7045458 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-3969-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2019] [Accepted: 02/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Ixodes ricinus is the most common tick species in Europe and the main vector for Borrelia burgdorferi (sensu lato) and tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV). It is involved also in the transmission of Borrelia miyamotoi, a relapsing fever spirochete that causes health disorders in humans. Little is known regarding the circulation of Borrelia species and the natural foci of TBEV in north-eastern Germany. The goal of this study was to investigate the infection rates of Borrelia spp. and of TBEV in I. ricinus ticks from north-eastern Germany. Methods Ticks were collected by flagging from 14 forest sites in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania between April and October 2018. RNA and DNA extraction was performed from individual adult ticks and from pools of 2–10 nymphs. Real time reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) targeted the 3′ non-coding region of TBEV, while DNA of Borrelia spp. was tested by nested PCR for the amplification of 16S-23S intergenic spacer. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) was performed on B. miyamotoi isolates. Results In total, 2407 ticks were collected (239 females, 232 males and 1936 nymphs). Female and male I. ricinus ticks had identical infection rates (both 12.1%) for Borrelia spp., while nymphal pools showed a minimum infection rate (MIR) of 3.3%. Sequencing revealed four Borrelia species: B. afzelii, B. garinii, B. valaisiana and B. miyamotoi. Borrelia afzelii had the highest prevalence in adult ticks (5.5%) and nymphs (MIR of 1.8%). Borrelia miyamotoi was identified in 3.0% of adults and registered the MIR of 0.8% in nymphs. Borrelia valaisiana was confirmed in 2.5% adult ticks and nymphs had the MIR of 0.7%, while B. garinii was present in 1.1% of adults and showed a MIR of 0.1% in nymphs. The MLST of B. miyamotoi isolates showed that they belong to sequence type 635. No tick sample was positive after RT-qPCR for TBEV RNA. Conclusions The prevalence of B. miyamotoi in I. ricinus ticks registered similar levels to other reports from Europe suggesting that this agent might be well established in the local tick population. The detection of B. burgdorferi (s.l.) indicates a constant circulation in tick populations from this region.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristian Răileanu
- Institute of Infectology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Südufer 10, 17943, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Oliver Tauchmann
- Institute of Infectology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Südufer 10, 17943, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Ana Vasić
- Institute of Infectology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Südufer 10, 17943, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Elisabeth Wöhnke
- Institute of Infectology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Südufer 10, 17943, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany.,Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Cornelia Silaghi
- Institute of Infectology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Südufer 10, 17943, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany. .,Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany. .,Department of Biology, University of Greifswald, Domstrasse 11, 17489, Greifswald, Germany.
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18
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Characterization of Novel Reoviruses Wad Medani Virus (Orbivirus) and Kundal Virus (Coltivirus) Collected from Hyalomma anatolicum Ticks in India during Surveillance for Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever. J Virol 2019; 93:JVI.00106-19. [PMID: 30971476 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00106-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2019] [Accepted: 03/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In 2011, ticks were collected from livestock following an outbreak of Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) in Gujarat state, India. CCHF-negative Hyalomma anatolicum tick pools were passaged for virus isolation, and two virus isolates were obtained, designated Karyana virus (KARYV) and Kundal virus (KUNDV), respectively. Traditional reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) identification of known viruses was unsuccessful, but a next-generation sequencing (NGS) approach identified KARYV and KUNDV as viruses in the Reoviridae family, Orbivirus and Coltivirus genera, respectively. Viral genomes were de novo assembled, yielding 10 complete segments of KARYV and 12 nearly complete segments of KUNDV. The VP1 gene of KARYV shared a most recent common ancestor with Wad Medani virus (WMV), strain Ar495, and based on nucleotide identity we demonstrate that it is a novel WMV strain. The VP1 segment of KUNDV shares a common ancestor with Colorado tick fever virus, Eyach virus, Tai Forest reovirus, and Tarumizu tick virus from the Coltivirus genus. Based on VP1, VP6, VP7, and VP12 nucleotide and amino acid identities, KUNDV is proposed to be a new species of Coltivirus Electron microscopy supported the classification of KARYV and KUNDV as reoviruses and identified replication morphology consistent with other orbi- and coltiviruses. The identification of novel tick-borne viruses carried by the CCHF vector is an important step in the characterization of their potential role in human and animal pathogenesis.IMPORTANCE Ticks and mosquitoes, as well Culicoides, can transmit viruses in the Reoviridae family. With the help of next-generation sequencing (NGS), previously unreported reoviruses such as equine encephalosis virus, Wad Medani virus (WMV), Kammavanpettai virus (KVPTV), and, with this report, KARYV and KUNDV have been discovered and characterized in India. The isolation of KUNDV and KARYV from Hyalomma anatolicum, which is a known vector for zoonotic pathogens, such as Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever virus, Babesia, Theileria, and Anaplasma species, identifies arboviruses with the potential to transmit to humans. Characterization of KUNDV and KARYV isolated from Hyalomma ticks is critical for the development of specific serological and molecular assays that can be used to determine the association of these viruses with disease in humans and livestock.
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19
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Boelke M, Bestehorn M, Marchwald B, Kubinski M, Liebig K, Glanz J, Schulz C, Dobler G, Monazahian M, Becker SC. First Isolation and Phylogenetic Analyses of Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus in Lower Saxony, Germany. Viruses 2019; 11:E462. [PMID: 31117224 PMCID: PMC6563265 DOI: 10.3390/v11050462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2019] [Revised: 05/16/2019] [Accepted: 05/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is the most important tick-borne arboviral disease in Europe. Presently, the main endemic regions in Germany are located in the southern half of the country. Although recently, sporadic human TBE cases were reported outside of these known endemic regions. The detection and characterization of invading TBE virus (TBEV) strains will considerably facilitate the surveillance and assessment of this important disease. In 2018, ticks were collected by flagging in several locations of the German federal state of Lower Saxony where TBEV-infections in humans (diagnosed clinical TBE disease or detection of TBEV antibodies) were reported previously. Ticks were pooled according to their developmental stage and tested for TBEV-RNA by RT-qPCR. Five of 730 (0.68%) pools from Ixodes spp. ticks collected in the areas of "Rauher Busch" and "Barsinghausen/Mooshuette" were found positive for TBEV-RNA. Phylogenetic analysis of the whole genomes and E gene sequences revealed a close relationship between the two TBEV isolates, which cluster with a TBEV strain from Poland isolated in 1971. This study provides first data on the phylogeny of TBEV in the German federal state of Lower Saxony, outside of the known TBE endemic areas of Germany. Our results support the hypothesis of an east-west invasion of TBEV strains in Western Europe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathias Boelke
- Institute for Parasitology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 17, 30559 Hanover, Germany.
- Research Center for Emerging Infections and Zoonoses, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 17, 30559 Hanover, Germany.
| | - Malena Bestehorn
- Parasitology Unit, University of Hohenheim, Emil-Wolff-Straße 34, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany.
- Institute of Microbiology of the Bundeswehr, Neuherbergstraße 11, 80937 Munich, Germany.
| | - Birgit Marchwald
- The Governmental Institute of Public Health of Lower Saxony (NLGA), Roesebeckstraße 4-6, 30449 Hannover, Germany.
| | - Mareike Kubinski
- Institute for Parasitology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 17, 30559 Hanover, Germany.
- Research Center for Emerging Infections and Zoonoses, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 17, 30559 Hanover, Germany.
| | - Katrin Liebig
- Institute for Parasitology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 17, 30559 Hanover, Germany.
- Research Center for Emerging Infections and Zoonoses, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 17, 30559 Hanover, Germany.
| | - Julien Glanz
- Institute for Parasitology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 17, 30559 Hanover, Germany.
- Research Center for Emerging Infections and Zoonoses, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 17, 30559 Hanover, Germany.
| | - Claudia Schulz
- Institute for Parasitology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 17, 30559 Hanover, Germany.
- Research Center for Emerging Infections and Zoonoses, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 17, 30559 Hanover, Germany.
| | - Gerhard Dobler
- Parasitology Unit, University of Hohenheim, Emil-Wolff-Straße 34, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany.
- Institute of Microbiology of the Bundeswehr, Neuherbergstraße 11, 80937 Munich, Germany.
| | - Masyar Monazahian
- The Governmental Institute of Public Health of Lower Saxony (NLGA), Roesebeckstraße 4-6, 30449 Hannover, Germany.
| | - Stefanie C Becker
- Institute for Parasitology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 17, 30559 Hanover, Germany.
- Research Center for Emerging Infections and Zoonoses, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 17, 30559 Hanover, Germany.
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Mourya DT, Yadav PD, Nyayanit DA, Majumdar TD, Jain S, Sarkale P, Shete A. Characterization of a strain of quaranfil virus isolated from soft ticks in India. Is quaranfil virus an unrecognized cause of disease in human and animals?". Heliyon 2019; 5:e01368. [PMID: 30957047 PMCID: PMC6431747 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e01368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2018] [Revised: 02/11/2019] [Accepted: 03/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The soft ticks collected during a field survey in Karnataka state, India, in 1983, yielded a novel virus isolate, which caused mortality in an infant mouse upon inoculation. Attempts at characterizing the virus using the conventional methods were unsuccessful, which prompted us to study it by Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS). This virus isolate was obtained from the viral repository of National Institute of Virology, and an initial virus stock was prepared as a mouse brain homogenate. The virus stock showed cytopathic effects in different cell-lines and was used in NGS. Based on the complete genome sequence, obtained using de novo and reference mapping approach, the virus isolate was identified as a Quaranfil virus (QRFV) belonging to the family Orthomyxoviridae, genus Quaranjavirus. The genome size of the virus is 11,427 nucleotides which consist of 6 segments encoding six proteins. Homology analysis suggested this isolate as similar to QRFV of Afghanistan. In silico analysis showed the HA protein secondary structure to be a class III penetrance similar to Thogotovirus. QRFV was first isolated in 1953 from ticks [Cairo, Egypt] and subsequently reported from other geographical areas. This is the first report describing the presence of QRFV from India. This discovery emphasizes the need for investigating mild febrile illness cases with influenza-like symptoms, particularly in the area of high risk for tick bites.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Shilpi Jain
- ICMR-National Institute of Virology, Pune, India
| | | | - Anita Shete
- ICMR-National Institute of Virology, Pune, India
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Repeated isolation of tick-borne encephalitis virus from adult Dermacentor reticulatus ticks in an endemic area in Germany. Parasit Vectors 2019; 12:90. [PMID: 30867015 PMCID: PMC6416925 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-019-3346-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2018] [Accepted: 02/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus is transmitted to humans and animals through tick bites and is thought to circulate in very strictly defined natural environments called natural foci. The most common tick serving as a vector for the TBE virus in central Europe is Ixodes ricinus; it is rarely found in other tick species and in Dermacentor reticulatus it has, so far, only been reported in Poland. Methods Between autumn 2016 and spring 2018 ticks were collected by the flagging method in a new TBE focus in the district of northern Saxony, Germany, outside the known risk areas as defined by the national Robert Koch Institute. Ticks were morphologically identified and tested in pools for the presence of TBE virus using a real-time RT-PCR. TBE virus from positive pools was isolated in A549 cells, and the E gene sequences were determined after conventional RT-PCR, followed by a phylogenetic comparison. Results TBE virus was detected in 11 pools, 9 times in flagged adults D. reticulatus (n = 1534; MIR: 0.59%, CI: 0.29–11.3%) and only twice in I. ricinus nymphs (n = 349; MIR: 0.57%, CI: 0.02–2.2%). All other ticks, I. ricinus males (n = 33), females (n = 30) and larvae (n = 58), as well as 5 I. inopinatus (2 females, 3 males) and 14 Haemaphysalis concinna (3 females, 11 nymphs), tested negative for TBE virus. TBE virus was not detected in I. ricinus during the summer, when D. reticulatus is not active. Sequence comparison of the entire E gene of the isolated virus strains resembled each other with only 3 nucleotide differences. The most closely related viral sequences belong to TBE virus strains from Poland and Neustadt an der Waldnaab (county of Neustadt an der Waldnaab, Bavaria), approximately 200 km east and 200 km south-west of the new focus, respectively. Conclusions TBE virus was found in northern Saxony, Germany, with similar MIRs in D. reticulatus and I. ricinus, indicating that D. reticulatus plays an equal role to I. ricinus in virus circulation when both tick species are sympatric.
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Panferova YA, Suvorova MA, Shapar AO, Tokarevich NK. BACTERIAL AND VIRAL PATHOGENS IN IXODES SP. TICKS IN ST. PETERSBURG AND LENINGRAD DISTRICT. RUSSIAN JOURNAL OF INFECTION AND IMMUNITY 2018. [DOI: 10.15789/2220-7619-2018-2-219-222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Tick-borne infections are the most common group of zooanthroponotic diseases in the Northern Hemisphere. For the Baltic Sea region and Fennoscandia, the dominant infectious pathologies transmitted by ticks are tick-borne borreliosis and tick- borne encephalitis. The presence of vast forested areas, actively visited by people in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region, contributes to a rather high level of encroachment on the flares and intelligence of the borreliosis and tick-borne encephalitis among the population of these regions. The relatively dangerous pathogens that can be transmitted with the tick bite are also of particular danger: Anaplasma sp., Ehrlichia sp., Coxiella burnetii, Rickettsia sp. In this work, detection was performed using molecular genetic methods of TBE virus, B. burgdorferi sensu lato and Rickettsia sp. in engorged ticksple, as well as questing ticks collected from vegetation. The established levels of infection of TBE on infected ticks, levels of infection by pathogenic Borrelia of questing and engorgeded ticks were approximately equal. Rickettsia was not found in the ticks. The conducted analysis of the pathogens prevalence in comparison with the data of russian and foreign authors. Monitoring the prevalence of tick-borne pathogens is an important issue in the prevention of tick- borne infections in the North-Western Russia.
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Grzybek M, Alsarraf M, Tołkacz K, Behnke-Borowczyk J, Biernat B, Stańczak J, Strachecka A, Guz L, Szczepaniak K, Paleolog J, Behnke JM, Bajer A. Seroprevalence of TBEV in bank voles from Poland-a long-term approach. Emerg Microbes Infect 2018; 7:145. [PMID: 30108201 PMCID: PMC6092418 DOI: 10.1038/s41426-018-0149-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2018] [Revised: 05/31/2018] [Accepted: 07/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Rodents are known to play a significant role as reservoir hosts for TBEV. During three sequential expeditions at 4-year intervals to three ecologically similar study sites in NE Poland, we trapped bank voles (Myodes glareolus) and then tested their blood for the presence of specific antiviral antibodies to TBEV. The strongest effects on seroprevalence were the extrinsic factors, site of capture of voles and year of sampling. Seroprevalence increased markedly with increasing host age, and our analysis revealed significant interactions among these three factors. Seroprevalence did not differ between the sexes. Therefore, based on the seroprevalence results, the dynamics of TBEV infection differ significantly in time, between local sub-populations of bank voles and with increasing host age. To fully understand the circulation of the virus among these reservoir hosts and in the environment, long-term monitoring is required and should employ a multi-site approach, such as the one adopted in the current study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maciej Grzybek
- Department of Tropical Parasitology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland.
| | | | | | | | - Beata Biernat
- Department of Tropical Parasitology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Joanna Stańczak
- Department of Tropical Parasitology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Aneta Strachecka
- Department of Biological Basis of Animal Production, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Leszek Guz
- Department of Biology and Fish Disease, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Klaudiusz Szczepaniak
- Department of Parasitology and Invasive Diseases, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Jerzy Paleolog
- Department of Zoology, Animal Ecology & Wildlife Management, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Jerzy M Behnke
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Anna Bajer
- Department of Parasitology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
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Belova OA, Litov AG, Kholodilov IS, Kozlovskaya LI, Bell-Sakyi L, Romanova LI, Karganova GG. Properties of the tick-borne encephalitis virus population during persistent infection of ixodid ticks and tick cell lines. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2017; 8:895-906. [PMID: 28784308 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2017.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2016] [Revised: 07/24/2017] [Accepted: 07/24/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is the causative agent of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE), a vector-borne zoonotic neuroinfection. For successful circulation in natural foci the virus has to survive in the vector for a long period of time. Information about the effect of long-term infection of ticks on properties of the viral population is of great importance. In recent years, changes in the eco-epidemiology of TBEV due to changes in distribution of ixodid ticks have been observed. These changes in TBEV-endemic areas could result in a shift of the main tick vector species, which in turn may lead to changes in properties of the virus. In the present study we evaluated the selective pressure on the TBEV population during persistent infection of various species of ticks and tick cell lines. TBEV effectively replicated and formed persistent infection in ticks and tick cell lines of the vector species (Ixodes spp.), potential vectors (Dermacentor spp.) and non-vector ticks (Hyalomma spp.). During TBEV persistence in Ixodes and Dermacentor ticks, properties of the viral population remained virtually unchanged. In contrast, persistent TBEV infection of tick cell lines from both vector and non-vector ticks favoured selection of viral variants with low neuroinvasiveness for laboratory mice and substitutions in the E protein that increased local positive charge of the virion. Thus, selective pressure on viral population may differ in ticks and tick cell lines during persistent infection. Nevertheless, virus variants with properties of the original strain adapted to mouse CNS were not eliminated from the viral population during long-term persistence of TBEV in ticks and tick cell lines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oxana A Belova
- Chumakov Institute of Poliomyelitis and Viral Encephalitides (Chumakov FSC R&D IBP RAS), prem. 8, k.17, pos. Institut Poliomyelita, poselenie Moskovskiy, Moscow, 108819, Russia.
| | - Alexander G Litov
- Chumakov Institute of Poliomyelitis and Viral Encephalitides (Chumakov FSC R&D IBP RAS), prem. 8, k.17, pos. Institut Poliomyelita, poselenie Moskovskiy, Moscow, 108819, Russia; Lomonosov MSU, Faculty of Biology, Lenin Hills, 1/12, Moscow, 119234, Russia.
| | - Ivan S Kholodilov
- Chumakov Institute of Poliomyelitis and Viral Encephalitides (Chumakov FSC R&D IBP RAS), prem. 8, k.17, pos. Institut Poliomyelita, poselenie Moskovskiy, Moscow, 108819, Russia.
| | - Liubov I Kozlovskaya
- Chumakov Institute of Poliomyelitis and Viral Encephalitides (Chumakov FSC R&D IBP RAS), prem. 8, k.17, pos. Institut Poliomyelita, poselenie Moskovskiy, Moscow, 108819, Russia; I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation (Sechenov University), 8-2 Trubetskaya st., Moscow 119991, Russia.
| | - Lesley Bell-Sakyi
- The Pirbright Institute, Pirbright, Woking, Surrey GU24 0NF, UK; Department of Infection Biology, Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L3 5RF, UK.
| | - Lidiya Iu Romanova
- Chumakov Institute of Poliomyelitis and Viral Encephalitides (Chumakov FSC R&D IBP RAS), prem. 8, k.17, pos. Institut Poliomyelita, poselenie Moskovskiy, Moscow, 108819, Russia; I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation (Sechenov University), 8-2 Trubetskaya st., Moscow 119991, Russia.
| | - Galina G Karganova
- Chumakov Institute of Poliomyelitis and Viral Encephalitides (Chumakov FSC R&D IBP RAS), prem. 8, k.17, pos. Institut Poliomyelita, poselenie Moskovskiy, Moscow, 108819, Russia; Lomonosov MSU, Faculty of Biology, Lenin Hills, 1/12, Moscow, 119234, Russia; I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation (Sechenov University), 8-2 Trubetskaya st., Moscow 119991, Russia.
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Rar V, Livanova N, Tkachev S, Kaverina G, Tikunov A, Sabitova Y, Igolkina Y, Panov V, Livanov S, Fomenko N, Babkin I, Tikunova N. Detection and genetic characterization of a wide range of infectious agents in Ixodes pavlovskyi ticks in Western Siberia, Russia. Parasit Vectors 2017; 10:258. [PMID: 28545549 PMCID: PMC5445278 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-017-2186-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2016] [Accepted: 05/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Ixodes pavlovskyi tick species, a member of the I. persulcatus/I. ricinus group, was discovered in the middle of the 20th century in the Russian Far East. Limited data have been reported on the detection of infectious agents in this tick species. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and genetic variability of a wide range of infectious agents in I. pavlovskyi ticks collected in their traditional and recently invaded habitats, the Altai Mountains and Novosibirsk Province, respectively, which are both located within the Western Siberian part of the I. pavlovskyi distribution area. RESULTS This study reports the novel discovery of Borrelia bavariensis, Rickettsia helvetica, R. heilongjiangensis, R. raoultii, "Candidatus Rickettsia tarasevichiae", Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Ehrlichia muris, "Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis" and Babesia microti in I. pavlovskyi ticks. In addition, we confirmed the previous identification of B. afzelii, B. garinii and B. miyamotoi, as well as tick-borne encephalitis and Kemerovo viruses in this tick species. The prevalence and some genetic characteristics of all of the tested agents were compared with those found in I. persulcatus ticks that were collected at the same time in the same locations, where these tick species occur in sympatry. It was shown that the prevalence and genotypes of many of the identified pathogens did not significantly differ between I. pavlovskyi and I. persulcatus ticks. However, I. pavlovskyi ticks were significantly more often infected by B. garinii and less often by B. bavariensis, B. afzelii, "Ca. R. tarasevichiae", and E. muris than I. persulcatus ticks in both studied regions. Moreover, new genetic variants of B. burgdorferi (sensu lato) and Rickettsia spp. as well as tick-borne encephalitis and Kemerovo viruses were found in both I. pavlovskyi and I. persulcatus ticks. CONCLUSION Almost all pathogens that were previously detected in I. persulcatus ticks were identified in I. pavlovskyi ticks; however, the distribution of species belonging to the B. burgdorferi (sensu lato) complex, the genus Rickettsia, and the family Anaplasmataceae was different between the two tick species. Several new genetic variants of viral and bacterial agents were identified in I. pavlovskyi and I. persulcatus ticks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vera Rar
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation
| | - Natalia Livanova
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation
- Institute of Systematics and Ecology of Animals SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation
| | - Sergey Tkachev
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation
| | - Galina Kaverina
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation
| | - Artem Tikunov
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation
| | - Yuliya Sabitova
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation
| | - Yana Igolkina
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation
| | - Victor Panov
- Institute of Systematics and Ecology of Animals SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation
| | - Stanislav Livanov
- Institute of Systematics and Ecology of Animals SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation
| | - Nataliya Fomenko
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation
| | - Igor Babkin
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation
| | - Nina Tikunova
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation
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Crowdsourcing-based nationwide tick collection reveals the distribution of Ixodes ricinus and I. persulcatus and associated pathogens in Finland. Emerg Microbes Infect 2017; 6:e31. [PMID: 28487561 PMCID: PMC5584484 DOI: 10.1038/emi.2017.17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2016] [Revised: 01/27/2017] [Accepted: 02/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
A national crowdsourcing-based tick collection campaign was organized in 2015 with the objective of producing novel data on tick distribution and tick-borne pathogens in Finland. Nearly 20 000 Ixodes ticks were collected. The collected material revealed the nationwide distribution of I. persulcatus for the first time and a shift northwards in the distribution of I. ricinus in Finland. A subset of 2038 tick samples containing both species was screened for Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (the prevalence was 14.2% for I. ricinus and 19.8% for I. persulcatus), B. miyamotoi (0.2% and 0.4%, respectively) and tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV; 0.2% and 3.0%, respectively). We also report new risk areas for TBEV in Finland and, for the first time, the presence of B. miyamotoi in ticks from mainland Finland. Most importantly, our study demonstrates the overwhelming power of citizen science in accomplishing a collection effort that would have been impossible with the scientific community alone.
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Identification of I. ricinus, I. persulcatus and I. trianguliceps species by multiplex PCR. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2017; 8:235-240. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2016.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2015] [Revised: 08/17/2016] [Accepted: 11/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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Paulauskas A, Galdikaitė-Brazienė E, Radzijevskaja J, Aleksandravičienė A, Galdikas M. Genetic diversity of Ixodes ricinus (Ixodida: Ixodidae) ticks in sympatric and allopatric zones in Baltic countries. JOURNAL OF VECTOR ECOLOGY : JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR VECTOR ECOLOGY 2016; 41:244-253. [PMID: 27860008 DOI: 10.1111/jvec.12219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2016] [Accepted: 06/29/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Ixodes ricinus (Linnaeus 1758) and Ixodes persulcatus (Schulze 1930) ticks are involved in the transmission of a wide variety of pathogens with considerable impact on human and animal health. The co-distribution zone of these two tick species is situated in the Baltic countries, which provides a special setting for the population studies. In the present study, genetic variability of I. ricinus ticks collected in allopatric and sympatric locations in the Baltic countries has been investigated using a sequence analysis of the mitochondrial DNA control region, 16S rRNA and cytb genes. There were 32 haplotypes (Hd: 0.8551) and 27 haplotypes (Hd:0.8213) of control region sequences from ticks in allopatric and sympatric zones detected, respectively. Out of 47 16S rRNA gene haplotypes, 32 haplotypes (Hd: 0.7213) were found in the allopatric zone and 27 (Hd:0.9572) in the sympatric zone. The Cytb gene was very conserved and monomorphic in ticks from the allopatric zone, whereas three unique haplotypes were observed in the sympatric zone. The higher number of unique haplotypes of the control region was detected in the allopatric zone. Median joining network and Fst analysis did not reveal a clear separation between ticks from the two zones.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Paulauskas
- Vytautas Magnus University, Vileikos St. 8, Kaunas, Lithuania
| | | | - J Radzijevskaja
- Vytautas Magnus University, Vileikos St. 8, Kaunas, Lithuania
| | | | - M Galdikas
- Vytautas Magnus University, Vileikos St. 8, Kaunas, Lithuania
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Ixodes persulcatus Ticks as Vectors for the Babesia microti U.S. Lineage in Japan. Appl Environ Microbiol 2016; 82:6624-6632. [PMID: 27590815 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02373-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2016] [Accepted: 08/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The U.S. lineage, one of the major clades in the Babesia microti group, is known as a causal agent of human babesiosis mostly in the northeastern and upper midwestern United States. This lineage, however, also is distributed throughout the temperate zone of Eurasia with several reported human cases, although convincing evidence of the identity of the specific vector(s) in this area is lacking. Here, the goal was to demonstrate the presence of infectious parasites directly in salivary glands of Ixodes persulcatus, from which U.S. lineage genetic sequences have been detected in Asia, and to molecularly characterize the isolates. Five PCR-positive specimens were individually inoculated into hamsters, resulting in infections in four; consequently, four strains were newly established. Molecular characterization, including 18S rRNA, β-tubulin, and CCT7 gene sequences, as well as Western blot analysis and indirect fluorescent antibody assay, revealed that all four strains were identical to each other and to the U.S. lineage strains isolated from rodents captured in Japan. The 18S rRNA gene sequence from the isolates was identical to those from I. persulcatus in Russia and China, but the genetic and antigenic profiles of the Japanese parasites differ from those in the United States and Europe. Together with previous epidemiological and transmission studies, we conclude that I. persulcatus is likely the principal vector for the B. microti U.S. lineage in Japan and presumably in northeastern Eurasia. IMPORTANCE The major cause of human babesiosis, the tick-borne blood parasite Babesia microti, U.S. lineage, is widely distributed in the temperate Northern Hemisphere. However, the specific tick vector(s) remains unidentified in Eurasia, where there are people with antibodies to the B. microti U.S. lineage and cases of human babesiosis. In this study, the first isolation of B. microti U.S. lineage from Ixodes persulcatus ticks, a principal vector for many tick-borne diseases, is described in Japan. Limited antigenic cross-reaction was found between the Japan and United States isolates. Thus, current serological tests based on U.S. isolates may underestimate B. microti occurrence outside the United States. This study and previous studies indicate that I. persulcatus is part of the B. microti U.S. lineage life cycle in Japan and, presumably, northeastern Eurasia. This report will be important for public health, especially since infection may occur through transfusion, and also to researchers in the field of parasitology.
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Jaenson TGT, Värv K, Fröjdman I, Jääskeläinen A, Rundgren K, Versteirt V, Estrada-Peña A, Medlock JM, Golovljova I. First evidence of established populations of the taiga tick Ixodes persulcatus (Acari: Ixodidae) in Sweden. Parasit Vectors 2016; 9:377. [PMID: 27370406 PMCID: PMC5116163 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-016-1658-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2016] [Accepted: 06/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The tick species Ixodes ricinus and I. persulcatus are of exceptional medical importance in the western and eastern parts, respectively, of the Palaearctic region. In Russia and Finland the range of I. persulcatus has recently increased. In Finland the first records of I. persulcatus are from 2004. The apparent expansion of its range in Finland prompted us to investigate if I. persulcatus also occurs in Sweden. Methods Dog owners and hunters in the coastal areas of northern Sweden provided information about localities where ticks could be present. In May-August 2015 we used the cloth-dragging method in 36 localities potentially harbouring ticks in the Bothnian Bay area, province Norrbotten (NB) of northern Sweden. Further to the south in the provinces Västerbotten (VB) and Uppland (UP) eight localities were similarly investigated. Results Ixodes persulcatus was detected in 9 of 36 field localities in the Bothnian Bay area. Nymphs, adult males and adult females (n = 46 ticks) of I. persulcatus were present mainly in Alnus incana - Sorbus aucuparia - Picea abies - Pinus sylvestris vegetation communities on islands in the Bothnian Bay. Some of these I. persulcatus populations seem to be the most northerly populations so far recorded of this species. Dog owners asserted that their dogs became tick-infested on these islands for the first time 7–8 years ago. Moose (Alces alces), hares (Lepus timidus), domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) and ground-feeding birds are the most likely carriers dispersing I. persulcatus in this area. All ticks (n = 124) from the more southern provinces of VB and UP were identified as I. ricinus. Conclusions The geographical range of the taiga tick has recently expanded into northern Sweden. Increased information about prophylactic, anti-tick measures should be directed to people living in or visiting the coastal areas and islands of the Baltic Bay. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13071-016-1658-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas G T Jaenson
- Medical Entomology Unit, Department of Organismal Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18d, SE-752 36, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Kairi Värv
- Department of Virology, National Institute for Health Development, Hiiu 42, 11619, Tallinn, Estonia
| | | | - Anu Jääskeläinen
- Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 21, FI-00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Veerle Versteirt
- Precision Pest Management Unit, Avia-GIS, Risschotlei 33, BE-2980, Zoersel, Belgium
| | - Agustín Estrada-Peña
- Department of Parasitology, University of Zaragoza, Miguel Servet 177, ES-50013, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Jolyon M Medlock
- Medical Entomology Group, Emergency Response Department, Public Health England, Porton Down, Salisbury, UK.,Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging Infections and Zoonoses, Porton Down, Salisbury, UK
| | - Irina Golovljova
- Department of Virology, National Institute for Health Development, Hiiu 42, 11619, Tallinn, Estonia
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Tonteri E, Kurkela S, Timonen S, Manni T, Vuorinen T, Kuusi M, Vapalahti O. Surveillance of endemic foci of tick-borne encephalitis in Finland 1995-2013: evidence of emergence of new foci. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 20:30020. [PMID: 26535471 DOI: 10.2807/1560-7917.es.2015.20.37.30020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2014] [Accepted: 04/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The geographical risk areas for tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) in Finland remained the same until the beginning of the 21st century, but a considerable geographical expansion has been observed in the past 10 years. In order to support public health measures, the present study describes the number of laboratory-confirmed TBE cases and laboratory tests conducted and the associated trends by hospital district, with a particular emphasis on the suspected geographical risk areas. An additional investigation was conducted on 1,957 clinical serum samples throughout the country taken from patients with neurological symptoms to screen for undiagnosed TBE cases. This study identified new TBE foci in Finland, reflecting the spread of the disease into new areas. Even in the most endemic municipalities, transmission of TBE to humans occurred in very specific and often small foci. The number of antibody tests for TBE virus more than doubled (an increase by 105%) between 2007 and 2013. Analysis of the number of tests also revealed areas in which the awareness of clinicians may be suboptimal at present. However, it appears that underdiagnosis of neuroinvasive TBE is not common.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elina Tonteri
- Departments of Virology and Veterinary Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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Ergunay K, Tkachev S, Kozlova I, Růžek D. A Review of Methods for Detecting Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus Infection in Tick, Animal, and Human Specimens. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2016; 16:4-12. [DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2015.1896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Koray Ergunay
- Hacettepe University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Microbiology, Virology Unit, Sihhiye Ankara, Turkey
| | - Sergey Tkachev
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Irina Kozlova
- FSSFE Scientific Centre of Family Health and Human Reproduction Problems, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Irkutsk, Russia
| | - Daniel Růžek
- Veterinary Research Institute, Brno, Czech Republic
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, and Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
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Jääskeläinen A, Tonteri E, Pieninkeroinen I, Sironen T, Voutilainen L, Kuusi M, Vaheri A, Vapalahti O. Siberian subtype tick-borne encephalitis virus in Ixodes ricinus in a newly emerged focus, Finland. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2015; 7:216-223. [PMID: 26548609 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2015.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2015] [Revised: 09/28/2015] [Accepted: 10/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The first tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) cases in Kotka, Finland appeared in 2010. Altogether ten human cases have been diagnosed by 2014. Four had long-lasting sequelae. We collected 195 Ixodes ricinus ticks, nine rodents, and eleven shrews from the archipelago of Kotka in 2011. Three Siberian subtype TBE virus (TBEV) strains were isolated from the ticks and three mammals were positive for TBEV antibodies. The archipelago of Kotka is a newly emerged TBE focus of Siberian subtype TBEV circulating notably in I. ricinus. The patients had on average longer hospitalization than reported for the European subtype infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anu Jääskeläinen
- Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 21, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Elina Tonteri
- Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 21, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland.
| | | | - Tarja Sironen
- Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 21, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Liina Voutilainen
- Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 21, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland; Natural Resources Institute, Vantaa Unit, P.O. Box 18, FI-01301 Vantaa, Finland.
| | - Markku Kuusi
- Department of Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Health and Welfare, P.O. Box 30, FI-00271 Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Antti Vaheri
- Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 21, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland; Department of Virology and Immunology, HUSLAB, Helsinki University Hospital, P.O. Box 400, FI-00029 Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Olli Vapalahti
- Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 21, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland; Department of Virology and Immunology, HUSLAB, Helsinki University Hospital, P.O. Box 400, FI-00029 Helsinki, Finland; Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 66, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland.
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Detection and identification of Rickettsia species in Ixodes tick populations from Estonia. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2015; 6:689-94. [PMID: 26096853 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2015.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2014] [Revised: 05/29/2015] [Accepted: 06/01/2015] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
A total of 1640 ticks collected in different geographical parts of Estonia were screened for the presence of Rickettsia species DNA by real-time PCR. DNA of Rickettsia was detected in 83 out of 1640 questing ticks with an overall prevalence of 5.1%. The majority of the ticks infected by rickettsiae were Ixodes ricinus (74 of 83), while 9 of the 83 positive ticks were Ixodes persulcatus. For rickettsial species identification, a part of the citrate synthase gltA gene was sequenced. The majority of the positive samples were identified as Rickettsia helvetica (81 out of 83) and two of the samples were identified as Rickettsia monacensis and Candidatus R. tarasevichiae, respectively. Genetic characterization based on the partial gltA gene showed that the Estonian sequences within the R. helvetica, R. monacensis and Candidatus R. tarasevichiae species demonstrated 100% similarity with sequences deposited in GenBank, originating from Rickettsia species distributed over large territories from Europe to Asia.
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Cuber P, Andreassen Å, Vainio K, Asman M, Dudman S, Szilman P, Szilman E, Ottesen P, Ånestad G, Cieśla-Nobis S, Solarz K. Risk of exposure to ticks (Ixodidae) and the prevalence of tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) in ticks in Southern Poland. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2015; 6:356-63. [PMID: 25838177 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2015.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2013] [Revised: 12/18/2014] [Accepted: 02/25/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The article presents the results of the first study on seasonal activity of ticks and prevalence of tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) in nymphs from the Silesian Province (Southern Poland). Previous studies on the prevalence of TBEV in ticks in Poland have been conducted mostly in northern and eastern regions, but none in the Silesian Province itself. The aims of this study were to analyse the seasonal variation in tick populations and compare TBEV prevalence in nymphs from different geographical locations in the Silesia. A total of 5160 questing Ixodes ricinus ticks were collected by the flagging method from 23 localities in southern Poland in 2010. Micro-climatic parameters (air temperature and humidity) were measured in order to estimate their influence on tick population. The highest tick activity was recorded in spring and was positively correlated with relative air humidity (RH). TBEV in the Silesian Province was analysed in 1750 nymphs and an overall prevalence was 0.11% (2 pools out of 175 analysed). The results of this study show that TBEV pool prevalence in nymphs is low in accordance with the low number of TBE cases reported within the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piotr Cuber
- Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, School of Pharmacy, Department of Parasitology, ul. Jedności 8, 41-200 Sosnowiec, Poland.
| | - Åshild Andreassen
- Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Division of Infectious Disease Control, Department of Virology, P.O. Box 4404 Nydalen, 0403 Oslo, Norway.
| | - Kirsti Vainio
- Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Division of Infectious Disease Control, Department of Virology, P.O. Box 4404 Nydalen, 0403 Oslo, Norway.
| | - Marek Asman
- Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, School of Pharmacy, Department of Parasitology, ul. Jedności 8, 41-200 Sosnowiec, Poland.
| | - Susanne Dudman
- Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Division of Infectious Disease Control, Department of Virology, P.O. Box 4404 Nydalen, 0403 Oslo, Norway.
| | - Piotr Szilman
- Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, School of Pharmacy, Department of Parasitology, ul. Jedności 8, 41-200 Sosnowiec, Poland.
| | - Ewa Szilman
- Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, School of Pharmacy, Department of Parasitology, ul. Jedności 8, 41-200 Sosnowiec, Poland.
| | - Preben Ottesen
- Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Division of Infectious Disease Control, Department of Pest Control, P.O. Box 4404 Nydalen, 0403 Oslo, Norway.
| | - Gabriel Ånestad
- Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Division of Infectious Disease Control, Department of Virology, P.O. Box 4404 Nydalen, 0403 Oslo, Norway.
| | - Sabina Cieśla-Nobis
- Silesian ZOO, Department of Birds, Promenada Gen. Jerzego Ziętka 7, 41-501 Chorzów, Poland.
| | - Krzysztof Solarz
- Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, School of Pharmacy, Department of Parasitology, ul. Jedności 8, 41-200 Sosnowiec, Poland.
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Kazarina A, Japiņa K, Keišs O, Salmane I, Bandere D, Capligina V, Ranka R. Detection of tick-borne encephalitis virus in I. ricinus ticks collected from autumn migratory birds in Latvia. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2014; 6:178-80. [PMID: 25534819 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2014.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2014] [Revised: 11/12/2014] [Accepted: 11/29/2014] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Birds have a potential of spreading ticks via bird migration routes. In this study, we screened 170 ticks removed during autumn 2010 from 55 birds belonging to 10 species for the presence of tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV). In total, TBEV RNA was detected in 14% of I. ricinus tick samples obtained from different birds species. The results of this study indicate the possible role of migrating birds in the dispersal of TBEV-infected ticks along the southward migration route.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alisa Kazarina
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Ratsupites Street 1, Riga LV-1067, Latvia
| | - Kristīne Japiņa
- Rīga Stradiņš University, Dzirciema Street 16, Riga LV-1007, Latvia
| | - Oskars Keišs
- Institute of Biology, University of Latvia, Miera Street 3, Salaspils LV-2169, Latvia
| | - Ineta Salmane
- Institute of Biology, University of Latvia, Miera Street 3, Salaspils LV-2169, Latvia
| | - Dace Bandere
- Rīga Stradiņš University, Dzirciema Street 16, Riga LV-1007, Latvia
| | - Valentina Capligina
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Ratsupites Street 1, Riga LV-1067, Latvia
| | - Renāte Ranka
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Ratsupites Street 1, Riga LV-1067, Latvia; Rīga Stradiņš University, Dzirciema Street 16, Riga LV-1007, Latvia.
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Holocyclotoxin-1, a cystine knot toxin from Ixodes holocyclus. Toxicon 2014; 90:308-17. [DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2014.08.068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2014] [Revised: 08/20/2014] [Accepted: 08/20/2014] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
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Drelich A, Andreassen Å, Vainio K, Kruszyński P, Wąsik TJ. Prevalence of tick-borne encephalitis virus in a highly urbanized and low risk area in Southern Poland. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2014; 5:663-7. [PMID: 25108791 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2014.04.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2014] [Revised: 03/17/2014] [Accepted: 04/27/2014] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The knowledge of the exact distribution of tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) endemic foci is crucial to plan and implement the optimal prevention of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE), including a vaccination program. In Poland, however, there is still no data on the local distribution of TBEV in many areas of the country. Silesian agglomeration area (Southern Poland) is a highly urbanized and industrialized region of the country, where TBE cases are only sporadically recorded. In this study, a total of 4350 adult Ixodes ricinus were collected between September 2010 and June 2012 at twelve locations. The screening using real-time PCR was carried out on 854 tick pools of five specimens, and the positive pools were verified by pyrosequencing. TBEV was identified in 13 pools (1.52%) at 4 sites, of which 9 pools were verified by pyrosequencing. An overall pool prevalence was estimated at 0.31% ranging from 0.19% to 1.11% for positive locations [95% CI 0.16-0.52], which is comparable with regions with high number of TBE cases reported annually.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Drelich
- Department and Institute of Microbiology and Virology, The School of Pharmacy and Division of Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland
| | - Åshild Andreassen
- Division of Infectious Disease Control, Department of Virology, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Kirsti Vainio
- Division of Infectious Disease Control, Department of Virology, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Piotr Kruszyński
- Department and Institute of Microbiology and Virology, The School of Pharmacy and Division of Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland
| | - Tomasz J Wąsik
- Department and Institute of Microbiology and Virology, The School of Pharmacy and Division of Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland.
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Pettersson JHO, Golovljova I, Vene S, Jaenson TGT. Prevalence of tick-borne encephalitis virus in Ixodes ricinus ticks in northern Europe with particular reference to Southern Sweden. Parasit Vectors 2014; 7:102. [PMID: 24618209 PMCID: PMC4007564 DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-7-102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2014] [Accepted: 02/16/2014] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In northern Europe, the tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) of the European subtype is usually transmitted to humans by the common tick Ixodes ricinus. The aims of the present study are (i) to obtain up-to-date information on the TBEV prevalence in host-seeking I. ricinus in southern and central Sweden; (ii) to compile and review all relevant published records on the prevalence of TBEV in ticks in northern Europe; and (iii) to analyse and try to explain how the TBE virus can be maintained in natural foci despite an apparently low TBEV infection prevalence in the vector population. Methods To estimate the mean minimum infection rate (MIR) of TBEV in I. ricinus in northern Europe (i.e. Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland) we reviewed all published TBEV prevalence data for host-seeking I. ricinus collected during 1958–2011. Moreover, we collected 2,074 nymphs and 906 adults of I. ricinus from 29 localities in Sweden during 2008. These ticks were screened for TBEV by RT-PCR. Results The MIR for TBEV in nymphal and adult I. ricinus was 0.28% for northern Europe and 0.23% for southern Sweden. The infection prevalence of TBEV was significantly lower in nymphs (0.10%) than in adult ticks (0.55%). At a well-known TBEV-endemic locality, Torö island south-east of Stockholm, the TBEV prevalence (MIR) was 0.51% in nymphs and 4.48% in adults of I. ricinus. Conclusions If the ratio of nymphs to adult ticks in the TBEV-analysed sample differs from that in the I. ricinus population in the field, the MIR obtained will not necessarily reflect the TBEV prevalence in the field. The relatively low TBEV prevalence in the potential vector population recorded in most studies may partly be due to: (i) inclusion of uninfected ticks from the ‘uninfected areas’ surrounding the TBEV endemic foci; (ii) inclusion of an unrepresentative, too large proportion of immature ticks, compared to adult ticks, in the analysed tick pools; and (iii) shortcomings in the laboratory techniques used to detect the virus that may be present in a very low concentration or undetectable state in ticks which have not recently fed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Thomas G T Jaenson
- Medical Entomology Unit, Subdepartment of Systematic Biology, Department of Organismal Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18d, SE-752 36, Uppsala, Sweden.
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Geller J, Nazarova L, Katargina O, Golovljova I. Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato prevalence in tick populations in Estonia. Parasit Vectors 2013; 6:202. [PMID: 23837798 PMCID: PMC3716901 DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-6-202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2013] [Accepted: 07/03/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Estonia is located in a unique area of co-distribution of Ixodes ricinus and I. persulcatus, which are the main tick vectors of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato. In the last decade, the incidence rate of Lyme borreliosis in Estonia has increased dramatically up to 115.4 per 100,000 in 2012. Here we present the first survey of the presence, the prevalence and genetic characteristics of B. burgdorferi s.l. complex spirochetes in the tick population in Estonia. Methods During the years 2006–2009, 2833 unfed Ixodes ricinus and I. persulcatus were collected from 43 sites in 7 counties in mainland Estonia as well as in 10 sites on the Saaremaa Island. DNA samples from ticks were analyzed individually using nested PCR of the ribosomal 5S-23S spacer region followed by bidirectional sequencing. Results The overall estimated prevalence of B. burgdorferi s.l was 9.7% and varied from 4.9% to 24.2% on the mainland and to 10.7% in Saaremaa Island. Ixodes persulcatus ticks showed significantly higher prevalence rates compared to that in I. ricinus-16.3% and 8.2%, respectively. The most prevalent genospecies was B. afzelii which was detected in 53.5% of Borrelia-positive ticks, followed by B. garinii and B. valaisiana with 26.2% and 5.5%, respectively. Also, B. bavariensis and B. burgdorferi s.s. DNA in single I. ricinus ticks were detected. Borrelia afzelii, B. garinii and B. valaisiana were detected in both tick species. Two genetic subgroups of B. garinii (NT29 and 20047) and two genetic subgroups of B. afzelii (NT28 and VS461) were found to be circulating in all studied regions as well as in both tick species, except B. garinii subgroup NT29, which was found only in I. persulcatus ticks. Conclusions In the current study we detected the circulation of five B. burgdorferi s.l. genospecies and estimated the prevalence in ticks in different regions of Estonia. Detection and genetic characterization of Borrelia genospecies, especially those of public health importance, in the natural foci may help assessing high risk areas of human exposure to B. burgdorferi s.l.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Geller
- Department of Virology, National Institute for Health Development, Tallinn, Estonia.
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