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Ogola HJO, Ijoma GN, Edokpayi JN. Exploring the dichotomy: Shotgun metagenomics reveals diversity of beneficial and pathogenic protist community in arid wetlands of northeastern South Africa. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 946:174306. [PMID: 38942318 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2024] [Revised: 06/09/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/30/2024]
Abstract
Arid regions harbor seasonal and permanent wetlands, as biodiversity hotspots crucial for ecosystem services despite harsh conditions. These wetlands, typically dependent on episodic intense rainfall, are understudied compared to their humid counterparts. While the diversity of plants and animals in these wetlands is well-known, the microbial communities remain largely unexplored. To address this knowledge gap, we employed metagenome sequencing technologies to profile protist communities, including pathogenic protozoa, and their associated functional pathways, in sediment of permanent and seasonal arid freshwater wetlands across northern South Africa. Results revealed a core community of protists dominated by phylum Apicomplexa (66.73 %), Euglenazoa (19.03 %), Bacillariophyta (5.44 %), Metamonada (4.65 %), Cryptophyta (1.90 %), and Amoebazoa (1.21 %). Seasonal wetlands showed significantly higher protist diversity compared to permanent wetlands (Shannon index, p = 0.019; Chao1, p = 0.0095). A high abundance and diversity of human and zoonotic pathogenic protists (87.67 %) was observed, with lower levels of photoautotrophs (6.69 %) and limited diversity of phagotrophs (5.64 %). Key photoautotrophs identified included diatoms (Thalassiosiraceae and Phaeodactylaceae) and cryptophytes (genus Hemiselmis and Cryptophyta), with consumers/phagotrophs exhibited a correlation with the bacterial community abundance (r2 = 0.218, p < 0.001). Pathogenic protozoans identified, include malaria-causing Plasmodium, kinetoplastids (genus Besnoita, Theilleria, Neospora, Toxoplasma, Encephalitozoon, and Babesia) and waterborne protozoans of public health importance (such as Cryptosporidium parvum and Giardia lamblia). Furthermore, the enrichment of pathogenesis-associated pathways (amino acid biosynthesis, peptidoglycan maturation, heme biosynthesis and degradation, and the Calvin-Benson-Bassham cycle), along with virulence gene families identified, highlighted these wetlands as potential reservoirs for infectious diseases. Our results unveil a baseline protist taxonomic and functional composition within arid wetlands, including beneficial and pathogenic protozoa. The close proximity of these wetlands to human activity raises concern for local and transboundary spread of these pathogens. Thus, continued monitoring is vital for disease control and preserving these unique ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henry Joseph Oduor Ogola
- Department of Environmental Sciences, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, University of South Africa (UNISA), Florida Campus, Roodepoort 1709, South Africa.
| | - Grace Nkechinyere Ijoma
- Department of Environmental Sciences, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, University of South Africa (UNISA), Florida Campus, Roodepoort 1709, South Africa
| | - Joshua Nosa Edokpayi
- Water and Environmental Management Research Group, Faculty of Science, Engineering and Agriculture, University of Venda, Thohoyandou, 0950, South Africa
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Amer MM, Galon EM, Soliman AM, Do T, Zafar I, Ma Y, Li H, Ji S, Mohanta UK, Xuan X. Molecular detection of tick-borne piroplasmids in camel blood samples collected from Cairo and Giza governorates, Egypt. Acta Trop 2024; 256:107252. [PMID: 38801911 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2024.107252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Revised: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Piroplasmosis, a tick-borne disease affecting livestock, including camels, is caused by intracellular apicomplexan parasites belonging to the order Piroplasmida. Despite its importance, there's limited research on piroplasmosis among Egyptian camels. This study aimed to fill this gap by investigating tick-borne piroplasmids in camels from Cairo and Giza Governorates. Out of 181 blood samples collected between October 2021 and March 2022 from apparently healthy one-humped camels (Camelus dromedarius), PCR assays revealed a 41.4 % infection rate with various piroplasmids. Detected species included B. bovis (17.7 %), B. bigemina (12.2 %), B. caballi (8.3 %), B. naoakii (11.6 %), B. microti (1.7 %), T. equi (4.4 %), and Theileria spp. (28.7 %). Phylogenetic analysis revealed the first detection of T. equi genotype E in Egypt and identified a novel B. caballi genotype. Additionally, B. microti isolates were identified as the US-type. These findings shed lights on piroplasmosis among Egyptian camels, and provide valuable information for devising effective control strategies, especially B. microti, a pathogen with potential human health risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moaz M Amer
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan; Department of Biotechnology, Animal Health Research Institute, Dokki 12618, Egypt
| | - Eloiza May Galon
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan
| | - Ahmed M Soliman
- Department of Biotechnology, Animal Health Research Institute, Dokki 12618, Egypt
| | - Thom Do
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan
| | - Iqra Zafar
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan
| | - Yihong Ma
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan
| | - Hang Li
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan
| | - Shengwei Ji
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan
| | - Uday Kumar Mohanta
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan; Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka 1207, Bangladesh
| | - Xuenan Xuan
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan.
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Veinović G, Sukara R, Mihaljica D, Penezić A, Ćirović D, Tomanović S. The Occurrence and Diversity of Tick-Borne Pathogens in Small Mammals from Serbia. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2024; 24:285-292. [PMID: 38346321 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2023.0088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: Despite abundance of small mammals in Serbia, there is no information on their role in the epidemiology of tick-borne diseases (TBDs). This retrospective study aimed to identify different tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) in small mammals in Serbia collected during 2011. Materials and Methods: A total of 179 small mammals were collected from seven different localities in Serbia. The five localities belong to the capital city of Serbia-Belgrade: recreational areas-Ada Ciganlija, Titov gaj, and Košutnjak as well as mountainous suburban areas used for hiking-Avala and Kosmaj. The locality Veliko Gradište is a tourist place in northeastern Serbia, whereas the locality Milošev Do is a remote area in western Serbia with minor human impact on the environment. Results: The results of the presented retrospective study are the first findings of Rickettsia helvetica, Rickettsia monacensis, Neoehrlichia mikurensis, Borrelia afzelii, Borrelia miyamotoi, Babesia microti, Hepatozoon canis, and Coxiella burnetii in small mammals in Serbia. The presence of R. helvetica was confirmed in two Apodemus flavicollis, the presence of one of the following pathogens, R. monacensis, B. afzelii, H. canis, Ba. microti, and N. mikurensis was confirmed in one A. flavicollis each, whereas the presence of B. miyamotoi was confirmed in one Apodemus agrarius. Coinfection with B. afzelii and Ba. microti was confirmed in one A. flavicollis. DNA of C. burnetii was detected in 3 of 18 pools. Conclusions: The results confirm that detected pathogens circulate in the sylvatic cycle in Serbia and point to small mammals as potential reservoir hosts for the detected TBPs. Further large-scale studies on contemporary samples are needed to clarify the exact role of particular small mammal species in the epidemiology of TBDs caused by the detected pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gorana Veinović
- Group for Medical Entomology, Centre of Excellence for Food and Vector-Borne Zoonoses, Institute for Medical Research, National Institute of Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Ratko Sukara
- Group for Medical Entomology, Centre of Excellence for Food and Vector-Borne Zoonoses, Institute for Medical Research, National Institute of Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Darko Mihaljica
- Group for Medical Entomology, Centre of Excellence for Food and Vector-Borne Zoonoses, Institute for Medical Research, National Institute of Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | | | - Duško Ćirović
- Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Snežana Tomanović
- Group for Medical Entomology, Centre of Excellence for Food and Vector-Borne Zoonoses, Institute for Medical Research, National Institute of Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
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4
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Kim HJ, Han B, Lee HI, Ju JW, Shin HI. Current Status of Trypanosoma grosi and Babesia microti in Small Mammals in the Republic of Korea. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:989. [PMID: 38612228 PMCID: PMC11010837 DOI: 10.3390/ani14070989] [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: 02/04/2024] [Revised: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Small mammals, such as rodents and shrews, are natural reservoir hosts of zoonotic diseases, including parasitic protozoa. To assess the risk of rodent-borne parasitic protozoa in the Republic of Korea (ROK), this study investigated the status of parasitic protozoa, namely Trypanosoma, Babesia, and Theileria, in small mammals. In total, 331 blood samples from small mammals were analyzed for parasites using PCR and sequenced. Samples were positive for Trypanosoma grosi (23.9%; n = 79) and Babesia microti (10%; n = 33) but not Theileria. Small mammals from Seogwipo-si showed the highest infection rate of T. grosi (48.4%), while the highest B. microti infection rate was observed in those from Gangneung-si (25.6%). Sequence data revealed T. grosi to be of the AKHA strain. Phylogenetic analysis of B. microti revealed the US and Kobe genotypes. B. microti US-type-infected small mammals were detected throughout the country, but the Kobe type was only detected in Seogwipo-si. To our knowledge, this is the first nationwide survey that confirmed T. grosi and B. microti infections at the species level in small mammals in the ROK and identified the Kobe type of B. microti. These results provide valuable information for further molecular epidemiological studies on these parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Hyun-Il Shin
- Division of Vectors and Parasitic Diseases, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, 187 Osongsaenmyeong 2-ro, Osong-eup, Heungdeok-gu, Cheongju 28159, Republic of Korea; (H.J.K.); (B.H.); (H.-I.L.); (J.-W.J.)
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5
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Huggins LG, Colella V, Young ND, Traub RJ. Metabarcoding using nanopore long-read sequencing for the unbiased characterization of apicomplexan haemoparasites. Mol Ecol Resour 2024; 24:e13878. [PMID: 37837372 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/16/2023]
Abstract
Apicomplexan haemoparasites generate significant morbidity and mortality in humans and other animals, particularly in many low-to-middle income countries. Malaria caused by Plasmodium remains responsible for some of the highest numbers of annual deaths of any human pathogen, whilst piroplasmids, such as Babesia and Theileria can have immense negative economic effects through livestock loss. Diagnosing haemoparasites via traditional methods like microscopy is challenging due to low-level and transient parasitaemia. PCR-based diagnostics overcome these limitations by being both highly sensitive and specific, but they may be unable to accurately detect coinfections or identify novel species. In contrast, next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based methods can characterize all pathogens from a group of interest concurrently, although, the short-read platforms previously used have been limited in the taxonomic resolution achievable. Here, we used Oxford Nanopore Technologies' (ONT) long-read MinION™ sequencer to conduct apicomplexan haemoparasite metabarcoding via sequencing the near full-length 18S ribosomal RNA gene, demonstrating its ability to detect Babesia, Hepatozoon, Neospora, Plasmodium, Theileria and Toxoplasma species. This method was tested on blood-extracted DNA from 100 dogs and the results benchmarked against qPCR and Illumina-based metabarcoding. For two common haemoparasites, nanopore sequencing performed as well as qPCR (kappa agreement statistics > 0.98), whilst also detecting one pathogen, Hepatozoon felis, missed by the other techniques. The long-reads obtained by nanopore sequencing provide an improved species-level taxonomic resolution whilst the method's broad applicability mean it can be used to explore apicomplexan communities from diverse mammalian hosts, on a portable sequencer that easily permits adaptation to field use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas G Huggins
- Melbourne Veterinary School, Faculty of Science, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Vito Colella
- Melbourne Veterinary School, Faculty of Science, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Neil D Young
- Melbourne Veterinary School, Faculty of Science, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Rebecca J Traub
- Melbourne Veterinary School, Faculty of Science, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
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Jaenson TGT, Gray JS, Lindgren PE, Wilhelmsson P. Coinfection of Babesia and Borrelia in the Tick Ixodes ricinus-A Neglected Public Health Issue in Europe? Pathogens 2024; 13:81. [PMID: 38251388 PMCID: PMC10818971 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13010081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Ixodes ricinus nymphs and adults removed from humans, and larvae and nymphs from birds, have been analysed for infection with Babesia species and Borrelia species previously in separately published studies. Here, we use the same data set to explore the coinfection pattern of Babesia and Borrelia species in the ticks. We also provide an overview of the ecology and potential public health importance in Sweden of I. ricinus infected both with zoonotic Babesia and Borrelia species. Among 1952 nymphs and adult ticks removed from humans, 3.1% were PCR-positive for Babesia spp. Of these Babesia-positive ticks, 43% were simultaneously Borrelia-positive. Among 1046 immatures of I. ricinus removed from birds, 2.5% were Babesia-positive, of which 38% were coinfected with Borrelia species. This study shows that in I. ricinus infesting humans or birds in Sweden, potentially zoonotic Babesia protozoa sometimes co-occur with human-pathogenic Borrelia spp. Diagnostic tests for Babesia spp. infection are rarely performed in Europe, and the medical significance of this pathogen in Europe could be underestimated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas G. T. Jaenson
- Evolutionary Biology Centre, Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18d, SE-752 36 Uppsala, Sweden;
| | - Jeremy S. Gray
- UCD School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, D04 N2E5 Dublin, Ireland;
| | - Per-Eric Lindgren
- Division of Inflammation and Infection, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden;
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Region Jönköping County, SE-551 11 Jönköping, Sweden
| | - Peter Wilhelmsson
- Division of Inflammation and Infection, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden;
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Region Jönköping County, SE-551 11 Jönköping, Sweden
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7
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Drews SJ, Kjemtrup AM, Krause PJ, Lambert G, Leiby DA, Lewin A, O'Brien SF, Renaud C, Tonnetti L, Bloch EM. Transfusion-transmitted Babesia spp.: a changing landscape of epidemiology, regulation, and risk mitigation. J Clin Microbiol 2023; 61:e0126822. [PMID: 37750699 PMCID: PMC10595070 DOI: 10.1128/jcm.01268-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Babesia spp. are tick-borne parasites with a global distribution and diversity of vertebrate hosts. Over the next several decades, climate change is expected to impact humans, vectors, and vertebrate hosts and change the epidemiology of Babesia. Although humans are dead-end hosts for tick-transmitted Babesia, human-to-human transmission of Babesia spp. from transfusion of red blood cells and whole blood-derived platelet concentrates has been reported. In most patients, transfusion-transmitted Babesia (TTB) results in a moderate-to-severe illness. Currently, in North America, most cases of TTB have been described in the United States. TTB cases outside North America are rare, but case numbers may change over time with increased recognition of babesiosis and as the epidemiology of Babesia is impacted by climate change. Therefore, TTB is a concern of microbiologists working in blood operator settings, as well as in clinical settings where transfusion occurs. Microbiologists play an important role in deploying blood donor screening assays in Babesia endemic regions, identifying changing risks for Babesia in non-endemic areas, investigating recipients of blood products for TTB, and drafting TTB policies and guidelines. In this review, we provide an overview of the clinical presentation and epidemiology of TTB. We identify approaches and technologies to reduce the risk of collecting blood products from Babesia-infected donors and describe how investigations of TTB are undertaken. We also describe how microbiologists in Babesia non-endemic regions can assess for changing risks of TTB and decide when to focus on laboratory-test-based approaches or pathogen reduction to reduce TTB risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven J. Drews
- Microbiology, Donation Policy and Studies, Canadian Blood Services, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Division of Diagnostic and Applied Microbiology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Anne M. Kjemtrup
- California Department of Public Health, Vector-Borne Disease Section, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - Peter J. Krause
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health and Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Grayson Lambert
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health and Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - David A. Leiby
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine, George Washington University, Washington, USA
| | - Antoine Lewin
- Epidemiology, Surveillance and Biological Risk Assessment, Medical Affairs and Innovation, Héma-Québec, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
- Département d'Obstétrique et de Gynécologie, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Sheila F. O'Brien
- Epidemiology and Surveillance, Canadian Blood Services, Donation Policy and Studies, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Christian Renaud
- Department of Microbiology, CHU Sainte-Justine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Laura Tonnetti
- American Red Cross, Scientific Affairs, Holland Laboratories for the Biomedical Sciences, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Evan M. Bloch
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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Jackson JA, Bajer A, Behnke-Borowczyk J, Gilbert FS, Grzybek M, Alsarraf M, Behnke JM. Remotely sensed localised primary production anomalies predict the burden and community structure of infection in long-term rodent datasets. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:5568-5581. [PMID: 37548403 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
The increasing frequency and cost of zoonotic disease emergence due to global change have led to calls for the primary surveillance of wildlife. This should be facilitated by the ready availability of remotely sensed environmental data, given the importance of the environment in determining infectious disease dynamics. However, there has been little evaluation of the temporal predictiveness of remotely sensed environmental data for infection reservoirs in vertebrate hosts due to a deficit of corresponding high-quality long-term infection datasets. Here we employ two unique decade-spanning datasets for assemblages of infectious agents, including zoonotic agents, in rodents in stable habitats. Such stable habitats are important, as they provide the baseline sets of pathogens for the interactions within degrading habitats that have been identified as hotspots for zoonotic emergence. We focus on the enhanced vegetation index (EVI), a measure of vegetation greening that equates to primary productivity, reasoning that this would modulate infectious agent populations via trophic cascades determining host population density or immunocompetence. We found that EVI, in analyses with data standardised by site, inversely predicted more than one-third of the variation in an index of infectious agent total abundance. Moreover, in bipartite host occupancy networks, weighted network statistics (connectance and modularity) were linked to total abundance and were also predicted by EVI. Infectious agent abundance and, perhaps, community structure are likely to influence infection risk and, in turn, the probability of transboundary emergence. Thus, the present results, which were consistent in disparate forest and desert systems, provide proof-of-principle that within-site fluctuations in satellite-derived greenness indices can furnish useful forecasting that could focus primary surveillance. In relation to the well-documented global greening trend of recent decades, the present results predict declining infection burden in wild vertebrates in stable habitats; but if greening trends were to be reversed, this might magnify the already upwards trend in zoonotic emergence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph A Jackson
- School of Science, Engineering and Environment, University of Salford, Manchester, UK
| | - Anna Bajer
- Department of Eco-Epidemiology of Parasitic Diseases, Institute of Developmental Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jolanta Behnke-Borowczyk
- Department of Forest Pathology, Faculty of Forestry, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poznań, Poland
| | - Francis S Gilbert
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, UK
| | - Maciej Grzybek
- Department of Tropical Parasitology, Institute of Maritime and Tropical Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdynia, Poland
| | - Mohammed Alsarraf
- Department of Eco-Epidemiology of Parasitic Diseases, Institute of Developmental Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jerzy M Behnke
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, UK
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Mordue DG, Hale SJ, Dennis WE, Vuong CV, Li XM, Yang N, Wormser GP. Plasma Blood Levels of Tafenoquine following a Single Oral Dosage in BALBc Mice with Acute Babesia microti Infection That Resulted in Rapid Clearance of Microscopically Detectable Parasitemia. Pathogens 2023; 12:1113. [PMID: 37764921 PMCID: PMC10534932 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12091113] [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: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 08/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous studies of mice infected with Babesia microti have shown that a single dose of tafenoquine administered orally is extremely effective at decreasing microscopically detectable parasitemia. However, a critical limitation of studies to date is the lack of data concerning the plasma levels of tafenoquine that are needed to treat babesiosis. In the current study, we begin to address this gap by examining the plasma levels of tafenoquine associated with the rapid reduction of B. microti patent parasitemia in a mouse model of babesiosis. In the current study, we infected BALB/c mice with 1 × 107B. microti-infected red blood cells. Two days post-infection, mice were treated with 20 mg/kg of tafenoquine succinate or vehicle control administered orally by gavage. Parasitemia and plasma levels of tafenoquine were evaluated every 24 h post-treatment for 96 h. This allowed us to correlate blood plasma levels of tafenoquine with reductions in parasitemia in treated mice. Consistent with previous studies, a single oral dose of 20 mg/kg tafenoquine resulted in a rapid reduction in parasitemia. Plasma levels of tafenoquine 24 h post-administration ranged from 347 to 503 ng/mL and declined thereafter. This blood plasma tafenoquine level is similar to that achieved in humans using the current FDA-approved dose for the prevention of malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana G. Mordue
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY 10520, USA
| | - Synthia J. Hale
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY 10520, USA
| | - William E. Dennis
- Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Experimental Therapeutics Branch, Department of Drug Development, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA; (W.E.D.)
| | - Chau V. Vuong
- Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Experimental Therapeutics Branch, Department of Drug Development, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA; (W.E.D.)
| | - Xiu-Min Li
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY 10520, USA
| | - Nan Yang
- General Nutraceutical Technology, LLC, Elmsford, NY 10523, USA;
| | - Gary P. Wormser
- Division of Infectious Diseases, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY 10520, USA;
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Wang Y, Zhang S, Li X, Nian Y, Liu X, Liu J, Yin H, Guan G, Wang J. A high-resolution melting approach for the simultaneous differentiation of five human babesiosis-causing Babesia species. Parasit Vectors 2023; 16:299. [PMID: 37641091 PMCID: PMC10463647 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-023-05839-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Six species of apicomplexan parasites of the genus Babesia, namely B. microti, B. divergens, B. duncani, B. motasi, B. crassa-like and B. venatorum, are considered to be the primary causal agents of human babesiosis in endemic areas. These six species possess variable degrees of virulence for their primary hosts. Therefore, the accurate identification of these species is critical for the adoption of appropriate therapeutic strategies. METHODS We developed a real-time PCR-high-resolution melting (qPCR-HRM) approach targeting 18S ribosomal RNA gene of five Babesia spp. based on melting temperature (Tm) and genotype confidence percentage values. This approach was then evaluated using 429 blood samples collected from patients with a history of tick bites, 120 DNA samples mixed with plasmids and 80 laboratory-infected animal samples. RESULTS The sensitivity and specificity of the proposed qPCR-HRM method were 95% and 100%, respectively, and the detection limit was 1-100 copies of the plasmid with the cloned target gene. The detection level depended on the species of Babesia analyzed. The primers designed in this study ensured not only the high interspecific specificity of our proposed method but also a high versatility for different isolates from the same species worldwide. Additionally, the Tm obtained from the prepared plasmid standard is theoretically suitable for identifying isolates of all known sequences of the five Babesia species. CONCLUSIONS The developed detection method provides a useful tool for the epidemiological investigation of human babesiosis and pre-transfusion screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanbo Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Lanzhou, Gansu People’s Republic of China
- The Second Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shangdi Zhang
- The Second Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaoyun Li
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Lanzhou, Gansu People’s Republic of China
| | - Yueli Nian
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Lanzhou, Gansu People’s Republic of China
- The Second Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xinyue Liu
- The Second Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Junlong Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Lanzhou, Gansu People’s Republic of China
| | - Hong Yin
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Lanzhou, Gansu People’s Republic of China
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for the Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Disease and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009 China
| | - Guiquan Guan
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Lanzhou, Gansu People’s Republic of China
| | - Jinming Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Lanzhou, Gansu People’s Republic of China
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11
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Papaioannou I, Owen JS, Yáñez‐Muñoz RJ. Clinical applications of gene therapy for rare diseases: A review. Int J Exp Pathol 2023; 104:154-176. [PMID: 37177842 PMCID: PMC10349259 DOI: 10.1111/iep.12478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Rare diseases collectively exact a high toll on society due to their sheer number and overall prevalence. Their heterogeneity, diversity, and nature pose daunting clinical challenges for both management and treatment. In this review, we discuss recent advances in clinical applications of gene therapy for rare diseases, focusing on a variety of viral and non-viral strategies. The use of adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors is discussed in the context of Luxturna, licenced for the treatment of RPE65 deficiency in the retinal epithelium. Imlygic, a herpes virus vector licenced for the treatment of refractory metastatic melanoma, will be an example of oncolytic vectors developed against rare cancers. Yescarta and Kymriah will showcase the use of retrovirus and lentivirus vectors in the autologous ex vivo production of chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR-T), licenced for the treatment of refractory leukaemias and lymphomas. Similar retroviral and lentiviral technology can be applied to autologous haematopoietic stem cells, exemplified by Strimvelis and Zynteglo, licenced treatments for adenosine deaminase-severe combined immunodeficiency (ADA-SCID) and β-thalassaemia respectively. Antisense oligonucleotide technologies will be highlighted through Onpattro and Tegsedi, RNA interference drugs licenced for familial transthyretin (TTR) amyloidosis, and Spinraza, a splice-switching treatment for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). An initial comparison of the effectiveness of AAV and oligonucleotide therapies in SMA is possible with Zolgensma, an AAV serotype 9 vector, and Spinraza. Through these examples of marketed gene therapies and gene cell therapies, we will discuss the expanding applications of such novel technologies to previously intractable rare diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - James S. Owen
- Division of MedicineUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | - Rafael J. Yáñez‐Muñoz
- AGCTlab.orgCentre of Gene and Cell TherapyCentre for Biomedical SciencesDepartment of Biological SciencesSchool of Life Sciences and the EnvironmentRoyal Holloway University of LondonEghamUK
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12
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Broecke BV, Tafompa PJJ, Mwamundela BE, Bernaerts L, Ribas A, Mnyone LL, Leirs H, Mariën J. Drivers behind co-occurrence patterns between pathogenic bacteria, protozoa, and helminths in populations of the multimammate mouse, Mastomys natalensis. Acta Trop 2023; 243:106939. [PMID: 37156346 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2023.106939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Advances in experimental and theoretical work increasingly suggest that parasite interactions within a single host can affect the spread and severity of wildlife diseases. Yet empirical data to support predicted co-infection patterns are limited due to the practical challenges of gathering convincing data from animal populations and the stochastic nature of parasite transmission. Here, we investigated co-infection patterns between micro- (bacteria and protozoa) and macroparasites (gastro-intestinal helminths) in natural populations of the multimammate mouse (Mastomys natalensis). Fieldwork was performed in Morogoro (Tanzania), where we trapped 211 M. natalensis and tested their behaviour using a modified open-field arena. All animals were checked for the presence of helminths in their gastro-intestinal tract, three bacteria (Anaplasma, Bartonella, and Borrelia) and two protozoan genera (Babesia and Hepatozoon). Besides the presence of eight different helminth genera (reported earlier), we found that 21% of M. natalensis were positive for Anaplasma, 13% for Bartonella, and 2% for Hepatozoon species. Hierarchical modelling of species communities was used to investigate the effect of the different host-related factors on these parasites' infection probability and community structure. Our results show that the infection probability of Bartonella increased with the host's age, while the infection probability of Anaplasma peaked when individuals reached adulthood. We also observed that less explorative and stress-sensitive individuals had a higher infection probability with Bartonella. Finally, we found limited support for within-host interactions between micro-and macroparasites, as most co-infection patterns could be attributed to host exposure time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bram Vanden Broecke
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | | | | | - Lisse Bernaerts
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Alexis Ribas
- Parasitology Section, Department of Biology, Healthcare and Environment, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Science, Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ladslaus L Mnyone
- Institute of Pest Management, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania
| | - Herwig Leirs
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Joachim Mariën
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; Department of Biology, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium.
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13
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Li S, Zhang L, Zhou P, Li Z, Song H, Song Y, Li C, Xiangzheng W, Wu J. Detection of Babesia spp., Theileria spp., and Anaplasma ovis in Ornithodoros lahorensis from southern Xinjiang, China. J Vet Res 2023; 67:79-85. [PMID: 37008774 PMCID: PMC10062040 DOI: 10.2478/jvetres-2023-0016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Introduction
Ticks are blood-sucking arthropods that have negative economic impacts and can spread a variety of diseases through their bites. There are few reports on soft ticks (Acari: Argasidae) and tick-borne pathogens in southern Xinjiang, China. This investigation supplements the available information for this region and is concerned with an argasid tick, apicomplexan parasites of the Babesia and Theileria genera and a bacterium of the Anaplasma genus.
Material and Methods
In this study, 330 soft ticks were collected from nine sampling sites in southern Xinjiang between 2020 and 2021. The ticks were identified according to their morphological characteristics and confirmed as Ornithodoros lahorensis using mitochondrial 16S rDNA sequences. Babesia and Theileria were identified at the species level based on two fragments of the 18S rRNA gene, and one set of primers targeting the 16S rRNA gene was used to identify the Anaplasma genus.
Results
Among the 330 samples, one Babesia species (Babesia sp.), two Theileria species (T. ovis and T. annulata), and one Anaplasma (A. ovis) species were detected.
Conclusion
This study provides fundamental evidence for the occurrence of Babesia, Theileria and Anaplasma spp. in soft ticks. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the detection of Babesia sp. and T. annulata in O. lahorensis. Therefore, the potential threat of soft ticks to livestock and humans should not be ignored.
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Anisuzzaman, Hossain MS, Hatta T, Labony SS, Kwofie KD, Kawada H, Tsuji N, Alim MA. Food- and vector-borne parasitic zoonoses: Global burden and impacts. ADVANCES IN PARASITOLOGY 2023; 120:87-136. [PMID: 36948728 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apar.2023.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/14/2023]
Abstract
Around 25% of the global population suffer from one or more parasitic infections, of which food- and vector-borne parasitic zoonotic diseases are a major concern. Additionally, zoonoses and communicable diseases, common to man and animals, are drawing increased attention worldwide. Significant changes in climatic conditions, cropping pattern, demography, food habits, increasing international travel, marketing and trade, deforestation, and urbanization play vital roles in the emergence and re-emergence of parasitic zoonoses. Although it is likely to be underestimated, the collective burden of food- and vector-borne parasitic diseases accounts for ∼60 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). Out of 20 neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) listed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 13 diseases are of parasitic origin. There are about 200 zoonotic diseases of which the WHO listed eight as neglected zoonotic diseases (NZDs) in the year 2013. Out of these eight NZDs, four diseases, namely cysticercosis, hydatidosis, leishmaniasis, and trypanosomiasis, are caused by parasites. In this review, we discuss the global burden and impacts of food- and vector-borne zoonotic parasitic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anisuzzaman
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh.
| | - Md Shahadat Hossain
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh
| | - Takeshi Hatta
- Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, Kitasato University School of Medicine, Minami, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Sharmin Shahid Labony
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh
| | - Kofi Dadzie Kwofie
- Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, Kitasato University School of Medicine, Minami, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan; Department of Parasitology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Hayato Kawada
- Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, Kitasato University School of Medicine, Minami, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Naotoshi Tsuji
- Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, Kitasato University School of Medicine, Minami, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan.
| | - Md Abdul Alim
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh
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First Molecular Identification of Trypanosomes and Absence of Babesia sp. DNA in Faeces of Non-Human Primates in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Pathogens 2022; 11:pathogens11121490. [PMID: 36558823 PMCID: PMC9785249 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11121490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2022] [Revised: 11/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Trypanosomes are a group of pathogens distributed in the continents of Africa, America, Asia and Europe, and they affect all vertebrates including the neotropical primate group. Information about the trypanosome's diversity, phylogeny, ecology and pathology in non-human primates (NHPs) from the neotropical region is scarce. The objective of the study was to identify Trypanosoma and Babesia molecularly in NHPs under the phylogenetic species concept. We extracted DNA from a total of 76 faecal samples collected between 2019 and 2021, from a total of 11 non-human primate species of which 46 are from captive NHPs and 30 are free-living NHPs in the Western Amazon region of Ecuador. We did not detect DNA of Babesia sp. by polymerase chain reaction test in any of the faecal samples. However, the nested-PCR-based method revealed Trypanosoma parasites by ITS gene amplification in two faecal samples; one for the species Leontocebus lagonotus (from the captive population) and a second one for Cebus albifrons (from the free-ranging population). Maximum parsimony and likelihood methods with the Kimura2+G+I model inferred the evolutionary history of the two records, which showed an evolutionary relationship with the genus Trypanosoma. Two sequences are monophyletic with Trypanosoma. However, the number of sequences available in GenBank for their species identification is limited. The two samples present different molecular identifications and evolutionary origins in the tree topology. We are most likely referring to two different species, and two different localities of infection. We suggest that health management protocols should be implemented to prevent the transmission of blood-borne pathogens such as Trypanosoma sp. among captive populations. In addition, these protocols also protect the personnel of wildlife rehabilitation centers working in close proximity to NHPs and vice versa.
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Nested qPCR assay to detect Babesia duncani infection in hamsters and humans. Parasitol Res 2022; 121:3603-3610. [PMID: 36192649 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-022-07685-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 10/10/2022]
Abstract
Human babesiosis is caused by Babesia duncani that is transmitted through tick bites, blood transfusions, and transplacental transmission. Despite its health burden, diagnostic assays for this pathogen are either unsuitable for clinical applications or have a low detection efficiency; therefore, it remains undetected during transfusion and utilization of blood and blood-component transfusions. This study used a molecular approach via nested quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) by designing primers and probes corresponding to the variable regions of B. duncani 18S rRNA gene to specifically detect B. duncani DNA in experimentally infected LVG Golden Syrian hamster (n = 70) and human (n = 492; tick bite patients from Gansu Province, China) blood samples. Moreover, comparative analyses of this technique with previously reported nested PCR and microscopy were conducted. The newly optimized diagnostic technique exhibited no cross-reactivity with genomic DNA or plasmids containing the 18S rRNA gene of other zoonotically important Babesia spp., including B. microti, B. divergens, B. crassa, and B. motasi Hebei. The detection limit of nested qPCR was approximately one plasmid copy in 20 μL or one infected red blood cell in 200 μL whole blood. The specificity and sensitivity of the method were 100% and 98.6%, respectively. Comparative analyses revealed that nested qPCR detected B. duncani had relatively higher efficacy and specificity than microscopic examination and nested PCR. The 492 human blood samples were negative for B. duncani infection. Thus, the present study provides an improved diagnostic assay for the efficient and effective detection and analysis of B. duncani infections and its prevalence in infection-prone areas.
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Zafar I, Galon EM, Kondoh D, Efstratiou A, Li J, Ji S, Liu M, Li Y, Hasegawa Y, Zhou J, Xuan X. The Cross-Species Immunity During Acute Babesia Co-Infection in Mice. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:885985. [PMID: 35719355 PMCID: PMC9198632 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.885985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Babesiosis causes high morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised individuals. An earlier study suggested that lethal Babesia rodhaini infection in murine can be evaded by Babesia microti primary infection via activated macrophage-based immune response during the chronic stage of infection. However, whether the same immune dynamics occur during acute B. microti co-infection is not known. Hence, we used the mouse model to investigate the host immunity during simultaneous acute disease caused by two Babesia species of different pathogenicity. Results showed that B. microti primary infection attenuated parasitemia and conferred immunity in challenge-infected mice as early as day 4 post-primary infection. Likewise, acute Babesia co-infection undermined the splenic immune response, characterized by the significant decrease in splenic B and T cells leading to the reduction in antibody levels and decline in humoral immunity. Interestingly, increased macrophage and natural killer splenic cell populations were observed, depicting their subtle role in the protection. Pro-inflammatory cytokines (i.e. IFN-γ, TNF-α) were downregulated, while the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 was upregulated in mouse sera during the acute phase of Babesia co-infection. Herein, the major cytokines implicated in the lethality caused by B. rodhaini infection were IFN- γ and IL-10. Surprisingly, significant differences in the levels of serum IFN- γ and IL-10 between co-infected survival groups (day 4 and 6 challenge) indicated that even a two-day delay in challenge infection was crucial for the resulting pathology. Additionally, oxidative stress in the form of reactive oxygen species contributed to the severity of pathology during acute babesiosis. Histopathological examination of the spleen showed that the erosion of the marginal zone was more pronounced during B. rodhaini infection, while the loss of cellularity of the marginal zone was less evident during co-infection. Future research warrants investigation of the roles of various immune cell subtypes in the mechanism involved in the protection of Babesia co-infected hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iqra Zafar
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Japan.,Livestock and Dairy Development Department, Veterinary Research Institute, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Eloiza May Galon
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Japan
| | - Daisuke Kondoh
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Japan
| | | | - Jixu Li
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Japan.,College of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Qinghai University, Xining, China
| | - Shengwei Ji
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Japan
| | - Mingming Liu
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Japan.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Basic Medicine, Hubei University of Arts and Science, Xiangyang, China
| | - Yongchang Li
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Japan.,Parasitology Laboratory, Veterinary College, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi, China
| | - Yae Hasegawa
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Japan
| | - Jinlin Zhou
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Xuenan Xuan
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Japan
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Morozov A, Tischenkov A, Silaghi C, Proka A, Toderas I, Movila A, Frickmann H, Poppert S. Prevalence of Bacterial and Protozoan Pathogens in Ticks Collected from Birds in the Republic of Moldova. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10061111. [PMID: 35744630 PMCID: PMC9227923 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10061111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Epidemiological knowledge on pathogens in ticks feeding on birds in Moldova is scarce. To reduce this gap of information, a total of 640 migrating and native birds of 40 species were caught from 2012 to 2015 and examined for the presence of ticks in the Republic of Moldova. Altogether, 262 ticks belonging to five tick species (Ixodes ricunus n = 245, Ixodes frontalis n = 12, Haemaphysalis punctata n = 2, Hyalomma marginatum n = 2 (only males), Dermacentor marginatus n = 1) were collected from 93 birds. Of these ticks, 250 (96%) were at the stage of a nymph and 9 at the stage of a larva (3%). One imago of I. frontalis and two imagoes of Hy. marginatum were found. Generally, ticks infested 14.1% of the assessed birds belonging to 12 species. DNA was extracted from individual ticks with subsequent PCR targeting Rickettsia spp., Borrelia spp. in general, as well as relapsing fever-associated Borrelia spp., in particular, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Neoehrlichia mikurensis, Babesia spp. and Coxiella burnetii. The bird species Turdus merula showed the heaviest infestation with ticks and the highest incidence of infected ticks. Altogether, 32.8% of the assessed ticks (n = 86) were positive for one of the pathogens. DNA of Borrelia spp. was found in 15.2% (40/262) of the investigated ticks; in 7.6% of ticks (20/262), DNA of rickettsiae was detected; 6.9% (18/262) of the ticks were positive for A. phagocytophilum DNA; in 1.5% of the ticks (4/262), DNA of Neoehrlichia mikurensis was detected, followed by 1.5% (4/262) Babesia microti and 1.5% (4/262) Borrelia miyamotoi. Within the B. burgdorferi complex, B. garinii (n = 36) was largely predominant, followed by B. valaisiana (n = 2) and B. lusitaniae (n = 2). Among the detected Rickettsia spp., R. monacensis (n = 16), R. helvetica (n = 2) and R. slovaca (n = 1) were identified. In conclusion, the study provided some new information on the prevalence of ticks on birds in Moldova, as well as the presence of DNA of pathogens in the ticks. By doing so, it provided an additional piece in the puzzle of the global epidemiology of tick-transmitted infectious diseases from a geographic side from where respective surveillance data are scarce.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandr Morozov
- Center of Research of Biological Invasions, Institute of Zoology, MD-2012 Chisinau, Moldova; (A.P.); (I.T.); (A.M.)
- Correspondence: (A.M.); (S.P.)
| | - Alexei Tischenkov
- Natural Geography Department, Shevchenko Transnistria State University, MD-3300 Tiraspol, Moldova;
| | - Cornelia Silaghi
- Comparative Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 80802 Munich, Germany;
- Institute of Infectology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, 17493 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Andrei Proka
- Center of Research of Biological Invasions, Institute of Zoology, MD-2012 Chisinau, Moldova; (A.P.); (I.T.); (A.M.)
| | - Ion Toderas
- Center of Research of Biological Invasions, Institute of Zoology, MD-2012 Chisinau, Moldova; (A.P.); (I.T.); (A.M.)
| | - Alexandru Movila
- Center of Research of Biological Invasions, Institute of Zoology, MD-2012 Chisinau, Moldova; (A.P.); (I.T.); (A.M.)
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Comprehensive Care, Indiana University School of Dentistry, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Hagen Frickmann
- Department of Microbiology and Hospital Hygiene, Bundeswehr Hospital Hamburg, 20359 Hamburg, Germany;
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Virology and Hygiene, University Medicine Rostock, 18057 Rostock, Germany
| | - Sven Poppert
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine Hamburg, 20359 Hamburg, Germany
- Correspondence: (A.M.); (S.P.)
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Hussain S, Perveen N, Hussain A, Song B, Aziz MU, Zeb J, Li J, George D, Cabezas-Cruz A, Sparagano O. The Symbiotic Continuum Within Ticks: Opportunities for Disease Control. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:854803. [PMID: 35369485 PMCID: PMC8969565 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.854803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Among blood-sucking arthropods, ticks are recognized as being of prime global importance because of their role as vectors of pathogens affecting human and animal health. Ticks carry a variety of pathogenic, commensal, and symbiotic microorganisms. For the latter, studies are available concerning the detection of endosymbionts, but their role in the physiology and ecology of ticks remains largely unexplored. This review paper focuses on tick endosymbionts of the genera Coxiella, Rickettsia, Francisella, Midichloria, and Wolbachia, and their impact on ticks and tick-pathogen interactions that drive disease risk. Tick endosymbionts can affect tick physiology by influencing nutritional adaptation, fitness, and immunity. Further, symbionts may influence disease ecology, as they interact with tick-borne pathogens and can facilitate or compete with pathogen development within the vector tissues. Rickettsial symbionts are frequently found in ticks of the genera of Ixodes, Amblyomma, and Dermacentor with relatively lower occurrence in Rhipicephalus, Haemaphysalis, and Hyalomma ticks, while Coxiella-like endosymbionts (CLEs) were reported infecting almost all tick species tested. Francisella-like endosymbionts (FLEs) have been identified in tick genera such as Dermacentor, Amblyomma, Ornithodoros, Ixodes, and Hyalomma, whereas Wolbachia sp. has been detected in Ixodes, Amblyomma, Hyalomma, and Rhipicephalus tick genera. Notably, CLEs and FLEs are obligate endosymbionts essential for tick survival and development through the life cycle. American dog ticks showed greater motility when infected with Rickettsia, indirectly influencing infection risk, providing evidence of a relationship between tick endosymbionts and tick-vectored pathogens. The widespread occurrence of endosymbionts across the tick phylogeny and evidence of their functional roles in ticks and interference with tick-borne pathogens suggests a significant contribution to tick evolution and/or vector competence. We currently understand relatively little on how these endosymbionts influence tick parasitism, vector capacity, pathogen transmission and colonization, and ultimately on how they influence tick-borne disease dynamics. Filling this knowledge gap represents a major challenge for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabir Hussain
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Public Health, Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Nighat Perveen
- Department of Biology, College of Science, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Abrar Hussain
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Baolin Song
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Public Health, Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Muhammad Umair Aziz
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Public Health, Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Jehan Zeb
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Public Health, Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Jun Li
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Public Health, Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - David George
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz
- Anses, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort, UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Olivier Sparagano
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Public Health, Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
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20
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Vlasov AV, Osipov SD, Bondarev NA, Uversky VN, Borshchevskiy VI, Yanyushin MF, Manukhov IV, Rogachev AV, Vlasova AD, Ilyinsky NS, Kuklin AI, Dencher NA, Gordeliy VI. ATP synthase F OF 1 structure, function, and structure-based drug design. Cell Mol Life Sci 2022; 79:179. [PMID: 35253091 PMCID: PMC11072866 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-022-04153-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Revised: 12/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
ATP synthases are unique rotatory molecular machines that supply biochemical reactions with adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-the universal "currency", which cells use for synthesis of vital molecules and sustaining life. ATP synthases of F-type (FOF1) are found embedded in bacterial cellular membrane, in thylakoid membranes of chloroplasts, and in mitochondrial inner membranes in eukaryotes. The main functions of ATP synthases are control of the ATP synthesis and transmembrane potential. Although the key subunits of the enzyme remain highly conserved, subunit composition and structural organization of ATP synthases and their assemblies are significantly different. In addition, there are hypotheses that the enzyme might be involved in the formation of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore and play a role in regulation of the cell death processes. Dysfunctions of this enzyme lead to numerous severe disorders with high fatality levels. In our review, we focus on FOF1-structure-based approach towards development of new therapies by using FOF1 structural features inherited by the representatives of this enzyme family from different taxonomy groups. We analyzed and systematized the most relevant information about the structural organization of FOF1 to discuss how this approach might help in the development of new therapies targeting ATP synthases and design tools for cellular bioenergetics control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexey V Vlasov
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141700, Dolgoprudny, Russia
- Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, 141980, Dubna, Russia
| | - Stepan D Osipov
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141700, Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | - Nikolay A Bondarev
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141700, Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | - Vladimir N Uversky
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141700, Dolgoprudny, Russia
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Byrd Alzheimer's Research Institute, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Valentin I Borshchevskiy
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141700, Dolgoprudny, Russia
- Institute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-7: Structural Biochemistry), Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425, Jülich, Germany
- JuStruct: Jülich Center for Structural Biology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52428, Jülich, Germany
| | - Mikhail F Yanyushin
- Institute of Basic Biological Problems, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290, Pushchino, Moscow region, Russia
| | - Ilya V Manukhov
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141700, Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | - Andrey V Rogachev
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141700, Dolgoprudny, Russia
- Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, 141980, Dubna, Russia
| | - Anastasiia D Vlasova
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141700, Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | - Nikolay S Ilyinsky
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141700, Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | - Alexandr I Kuklin
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141700, Dolgoprudny, Russia
- Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, 141980, Dubna, Russia
| | - Norbert A Dencher
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141700, Dolgoprudny, Russia
- Physical Biochemistry, Department Chemistry, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Alarich-Weiss-Straße 4, 64287, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Valentin I Gordeliy
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141700, Dolgoprudny, Russia.
- Institute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-7: Structural Biochemistry), Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425, Jülich, Germany.
- JuStruct: Jülich Center for Structural Biology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52428, Jülich, Germany.
- Institut de Biologie Structurale Jean-Pierre Ebel, Université Grenoble Alpes-Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives-CNRS, 38027, Grenoble, France.
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21
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Fava NMN, Alves TS, Lopes MG, Labruna MB, Santos AQ, Cury MC. Occurrence and Molecular Identification of Hemoparasites in Wild Mammals Kept in Rehabilitation Centers in Brazil. Acta Parasitol 2022; 67:476-486. [PMID: 34797498 DOI: 10.1007/s11686-021-00492-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Hepatozoonosis and piroplasmosis are diseases caused by apicomplexan protozoa that affect different types of animals, including mammals. The present study aimed to evaluate the occurrence of Hepatozoon spp. and piroplasms in wild mammals kept in captivity in rehabilitation centers in the states of Minas Gerais and Goiás, Brazil. METHODS For this, blood samples from 152 animals were collected and analyzed by conventional optical microscopy and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). In addition, positive PCR samples were submitted to sequencing for molecular characterization of the specimens found. RESULTS Microscopic analysis revealed 53 of the 152 animals (28.3%) parasitized by piroplasms. No Hepatozoon sp. was observed. On the other hand, using the primers HepF300/HepR900 and Piro1F/Piro5R, both amplifying fragments of the 18S rDNA gene, eight animals (5.2%) were positive for Hepatozoon spp. and 40 (26.3%) for piroplasms. From the sequencing of the positive samples Hepatozoon canis, Hepatozoon felis, Theileria cervi, Theileria equi and Cytauxzoon felis were identified. In addition to the aforementioned hemoparasites, some animals were found parasitized by microfilaria. Such data ratify the presence of hemoparasites in captive wild animals, and are unprecedented in the two geographical regions covered by the present study. 19.7% of mammals harbored ectoparasites of the genera Amblyomma and Rhipicephalus. CONCLUSION Wild mammals are infected by several pathogens that can also infect domestic animals, some of them potentially zoonotic which can directly contribute to mortality and species reduction. Therefore, a deep understanding of the parasites, the hosts and the diseases is extremely necessary so that prevention, control and treatment measures are effectively applied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natália M N Fava
- Laboratory of Parasitology and Molecular Biology of Parasites, Biomedical Science Institute, Federal University of Uberlândia (UFU), Amazonas Avenue w/n, Umuarama Campus, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, 38400-902, Brazil.
| | - Talita Silva Alves
- Laboratory of Parasitology and Molecular Biology of Parasites, Biomedical Science Institute, Federal University of Uberlândia (UFU), Amazonas Avenue w/n, Umuarama Campus, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, 38400-902, Brazil
| | - Marcos Gomes Lopes
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, Prof. Dr. Orlando Marques de Paiva Avenue, 87-Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Bahia Labruna
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, Prof. Dr. Orlando Marques de Paiva Avenue, 87-Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - André Quagliatto Santos
- Wild Animals Teaching and Research Laboratory (LAPAS), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Uberlândia, Mato Grosso Avenue, 3289-Umuarama Campus, Uberlândia, MG, Brazil
| | - Márcia Cristina Cury
- Laboratory of Parasitology and Molecular Biology of Parasites, Biomedical Science Institute, Federal University of Uberlândia (UFU), Amazonas Avenue w/n, Umuarama Campus, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, 38400-902, Brazil
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22
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The Piroplasmida Babesia, Cytauxzoon, and Theileria in farm and companion animals: species compilation, molecular phylogeny, and evolutionary insights. Parasitol Res 2022; 121:1207-1245. [DOI: 10.1007/s00436-022-07424-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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23
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Delbecq S. Major Surface Antigens in Zoonotic Babesia. Pathogens 2022; 11:pathogens11010099. [PMID: 35056047 PMCID: PMC8780968 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11010099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Human babesiosis results from a combination of tick tropism for humans, susceptibility of a host to sustain Babesia development, and contact with infected ticks. Climate modifications and increasing diagnostics have led to an expanded number of Babesia species responsible for human babesiosis, although, to date, most cases have been attributed to B. microti and B. divergens. These two species have been extensively studied, and in this review, we mostly focus on the antigens involved in host–parasite interactions. We present features of the major antigens, so-called Bd37 in B. divergens and BmSA1/GPI12 in B. microti, and highlight the roles of these antigens in both host cell invasion and immune response. A comparison of these antigens with the major antigens found in some other Apicomplexa species emphasizes the importance of glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins in host–parasite relationships. GPI-anchor cleavage, which is a property of such antigens, leads to soluble and membrane-bound forms of these proteins, with potentially differential recognition by the host immune system. This mechanism is discussed as the structural basis for the protein-embedded immune escape mechanism. In conclusion, the potential consequences of such a mechanism on the management of both human and animal babesiosis is examined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephane Delbecq
- Centre de Biologie Structurale, Faculté de Pharmacie, University of Montpellier, UMR CNRS 5048, 34090 Montpellier, France
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24
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Bastos RG, Alzan HF, Rathinasamy VA, Cooke BM, Dellagostin OA, Barletta RG, Suarez CE. Harnessing Mycobacterium bovis BCG Trained Immunity to Control Human and Bovine Babesiosis. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:123. [PMID: 35062784 PMCID: PMC8781211 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10010123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2021] [Revised: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Babesiosis is a disease caused by tickborne hemoprotozoan apicomplexan parasites of the genus Babesia that negatively impacts public health and food security worldwide. Development of effective and sustainable vaccines against babesiosis is currently hindered in part by the absence of definitive host correlates of protection. Despite that, studies in Babesia microti and Babesia bovis, major causative agents of human and bovine babesiosis, respectively, suggest that early activation of innate immune responses is crucial for vertebrates to survive acute infection. Trained immunity (TI) is defined as the development of memory in vertebrate innate immune cells, allowing more efficient responses to subsequent specific and non-specific challenges. Considering that Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG), a widely used anti-tuberculosis attenuated vaccine, induces strong TI pro-inflammatory responses, we hypothesize that BCG TI may protect vertebrates against acute babesiosis. This premise is supported by early investigations demonstrating that BCG inoculation protects mice against experimental B. microti infection and recent observations that BCG vaccination decreases the severity of malaria in children infected with Plasmodium falciparum, a Babesia-related parasite. We also discuss the potential use of TI in conjunction with recombinant BCG vaccines expressing Babesia immunogens. In conclusion, by concentrating on human and bovine babesiosis, herein we intend to raise awareness of BCG TI as a strategy to efficiently control Babesia infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reginaldo G. Bastos
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-7040, USA;
| | - Heba F. Alzan
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-7040, USA;
- Parasitology and Animal Diseases Department, Veterinary Research Institute, National Research Center, Giza 12622, Egypt
| | - Vignesh A. Rathinasamy
- Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD 4870, Australia; (V.A.R.); (B.M.C.)
| | - Brian M. Cooke
- Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD 4870, Australia; (V.A.R.); (B.M.C.)
| | - Odir A. Dellagostin
- Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas 96010-900, Rio Grande Do Sul, Brazil;
| | - Raúl G. Barletta
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583-0905, USA;
| | - Carlos E. Suarez
- Animal Disease Research Unit, United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service, Pullman, WA 99164-7040, USA
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25
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Hussain S, Hussain A, Aziz MU, Song B, Zeb J, George D, Li J, Sparagano O. A Review of Zoonotic Babesiosis as an Emerging Public Health Threat in Asia. Pathogens 2021; 11:pathogens11010023. [PMID: 35055971 PMCID: PMC8779675 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11010023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Revised: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Zoonotic babesiosis poses a serious health risk in many parts of the world. Its emergence in Asia is thus a cause for significant concern, demanding that appropriate control measures are implemented to suppress its spread in this region. This study focuses on zoonotic Babesia species reported in Asia, offering an extensive review of those species reported in animals and humans. We reported 11 studies finding zoonotic Babesia species in animals and 16 in humans. In China, the most prevalent species was found to be Babesia microti, reported in both humans (n = 10) and wild and domesticated animals (n = 4). In Korea, only two studies reported human babesiosis, with a further two studies reporting Babesia microti in wild animals. Babesia microti was also reported in wild animal populations in Thailand and Japan, with evidence of human case reports also found in Singapore, Mongolia and India. This is the first review to report zoonotic babesiosis in humans and animals in Asia, highlighting concerns for future public health in this region. Further investigations of zoonotic species of Babesia in animal populations are required to confirm the actual zoonotic threat of babesiosis in Asia, as well as its possible transmission routes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabir Hussain
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Public Health, Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China; (M.U.A.); (B.S.); (J.Z.); (J.L.)
- Correspondence: (S.H.); (O.S.)
| | - Abrar Hussain
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore 54600, Pakistan;
| | - Muhammad Umair Aziz
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Public Health, Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China; (M.U.A.); (B.S.); (J.Z.); (J.L.)
| | - Baolin Song
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Public Health, Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China; (M.U.A.); (B.S.); (J.Z.); (J.L.)
| | - Jehan Zeb
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Public Health, Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China; (M.U.A.); (B.S.); (J.Z.); (J.L.)
| | - David George
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK;
| | - Jun Li
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Public Health, Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China; (M.U.A.); (B.S.); (J.Z.); (J.L.)
| | - Olivier Sparagano
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Public Health, Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China; (M.U.A.); (B.S.); (J.Z.); (J.L.)
- Correspondence: (S.H.); (O.S.)
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26
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Athanasiou LV, Katsogiannou EG, Tsokana CN, Boutsini SG, Bisia MG, Papatsiros VG. Wild Rabbit Exposure to Leishmania infantum, Toxoplasma gondii, Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Babesia caballi Evidenced by Serum and Aqueous Humor Antibody Detection. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9122616. [PMID: 34946216 PMCID: PMC8706172 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9122616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2021] [Revised: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Wild rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) can be important sentinel species for the presence of zoonotic pathogens. Therefore, we collected blood samples from wild rabbits harvested by hunters during the hunting season 2019–2020 on the island of Lemnos, to determine exposure of wild rabbits to the zoonotic pathogens Leishmania infantum, Toxoplasma gondii, Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Babesia caballi, as well as aqueous humor to assess its diagnostic performance in terms of sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative likelihood ratios. Antibodies against these pathogens were detected by Indirect Immunofluorescence Antibody (IFA) assay. Out of the 72 wild rabbits included in the study, 4.2%, 5.5%, 18% and 9.7% were seropositive to L. infantum, T. gondii, A. phagocytophilum and B. caballi, respectively. Although less frequently, antibodies were also detected in aqueous humor of wild rabbits. The antibody detection in aqueous humor presented 100% specificity but decreased sensitivity compared to serum suggesting that aqueous humor could be successfully used in epidemiological studies to confirm exposure at the population level but has little diagnostic value at the individual level. This is the first report on the seropositivity of wild rabbits to A. phagocytophilum and B. caballi and the detection of antibodies against A. phagocytopylum, L. infantum, T. gondii and B. caballi in the aqueous humor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Labrini V. Athanasiou
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Thessaly, 43100 Karditsa, Greece; (E.G.K.); (C.N.T.); (M.G.B.); (V.G.P.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +30-244-106-6009; Fax: +30-244-106-6053
| | - Eleni G. Katsogiannou
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Thessaly, 43100 Karditsa, Greece; (E.G.K.); (C.N.T.); (M.G.B.); (V.G.P.)
| | - Constantina N. Tsokana
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Thessaly, 43100 Karditsa, Greece; (E.G.K.); (C.N.T.); (M.G.B.); (V.G.P.)
| | - Sofia G. Boutsini
- Veterinary Centre of Athens, General Directorate of Veterinary Services, Parasitology—Parasitic Diseases, Entomology and Bee Health Department, 15341 Athens, Greece;
| | - Marina G. Bisia
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Thessaly, 43100 Karditsa, Greece; (E.G.K.); (C.N.T.); (M.G.B.); (V.G.P.)
| | - Vasileios G. Papatsiros
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Thessaly, 43100 Karditsa, Greece; (E.G.K.); (C.N.T.); (M.G.B.); (V.G.P.)
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27
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Ebani VV, Mancianti F. Potential Role of Avian Populations in the Epidemiology of Rickettsia spp. and Babesia spp. Vet Sci 2021; 8:vetsci8120334. [PMID: 34941861 PMCID: PMC8709085 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci8120334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2021] [Revised: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Birds often are carriers of hard and/or soft ticks harboring pathogens of humans and veterinary concern. Migratory avian species, which cover long distance by their flight, may deeply influence the ticks’ distribution worldwide; in particular, they can introduce in a given geographic area new tick species and related tick-borne pathogens. Studies about the detection of tick-borne agents in birds are not numerous, whereas more attention has been turned to the presence of these microorganisms in ticks carried by birds. The present review focused on the role of avian populations in the epidemiology of rickettsioses and babesioses, which represent two severe problems for the health of humans and other mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Virginia Ebani
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Viale delle Piagge 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy;
- Centre for Climate Change Impact, University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy
- Interdepartmental Research Center “Nutraceuticals and Food for Health”, University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-050-221-6968
| | - Francesca Mancianti
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Viale delle Piagge 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy;
- Interdepartmental Research Center “Nutraceuticals and Food for Health”, University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy
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28
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Karshima SN, Karshima MN, Ahmed MI. Global meta-analysis on Babesia infections in human population: prevalence, distribution and species diversity. Pathog Glob Health 2021; 116:220-235. [PMID: 34788196 DOI: 10.1080/20477724.2021.1989185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Human babesiosis is an emerging tick-borne protozoan zoonosis caused by parasites of the genus Babesia and transmitted by ixodid ticks. It was thought to be a public health problem mainly for the immunocompromised, however the increasing numbers of documented cases among immunocompetent individuals is a call for concern. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we reported from 22 countries and 69 studies, an overall pooled estimate (PE) of 2.23% (95% CI: 1.46-3.39) for Babesia infections in humans. PEs for all sub-groups varied significantly (p < 0.05) with a continental range of 1.54% (95% CI: 0.89-2.65) in North America to 4.17% (95% CI: 2.11-8.06) in Europe. PEs for country income levels, methods of diagnosis, study period, sample sizes, Babesia species and targeted population ranged between 0.43% (95% CI: 0.41-0.44) and 7.41% (95% CI: 0.53-54.48). Babesia microti recorded the widest geographic distribution and was the predominant specie reported in North America while B. divergens was predominantly reported in Europe. Eight Babesia species; B. bigemina, B. bovis, B. crassa-like, B. divergens, B. duncani, B. microti, B. odocoilei and B. venatorum were reported in humans from different parts of the world with the highest prevalence in Europe, lower middle income countries and among individuals with history of tick bite and other tick-borne diseases. To control the increasing trend of this emerging public health threat, tick control in human settlements, the use of protective clothing by occupationally exposed people and the screening of transfusion blood in endemic countries are recommended.Abbreviations AJOL: African Journals OnLine, CI: Confidence interval, CIL: Country income level, df: Degree of freedom, HIC: Higher-income countries, HQ: High quality, I2: Inverse variance index, IFAT: Indirect fluorescent antibody test, ITBTBD: Individuals with tick-bite and tick-borne diseases, JBI: Joanna Briggs Institute, LIC: Lower-income countries, LMIC: Lower middle-income countries, MQ: Medium quality, NA: Not applicable, N/America: North America, OEI: Occupational exposed individuals, OR: Odds ratio, PE: Pooled estimates, PCR: Polymerase chain reaction, Prev: Prevalence, PRISMA: Preferred Reporting System for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses, Q: Cochran's heterogeneity statistic, QA: Quality assessment, Q-p: Cochran's p-value, qPCR: Quantitative polymerase chain reaction, S/America: South America, Seq: Sequencing, UMIC: Upper middle-income countries, USA: United States of America.
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Affiliation(s)
- Solomon Ngutor Karshima
- Department of Veterinary Public Health and Preventive Medicine, University of Jos, Jos, Nigeria
| | | | - Musa Isiyaku Ahmed
- Department of Veterinary Parasitology and Entomology, Federal University of Agriculture, Zuru, Nigeria
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29
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Karshima SN, Karshima MN, Ahmed MI. Infection rates, species diversity, and distribution of zoonotic Babesia parasites in ticks: a global systematic review and meta-analysis. Parasitol Res 2021; 121:311-334. [PMID: 34750651 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-021-07359-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Zoonotic Babesia species are emerging public health threats globally, and are the cause of a mild to severe malaria-like disease which may be life threatening in immunocompromised individuals. In this study, we determine the global infection rate, distribution, and the diversity of zoonotic Babesia species in tick vectors using a systematic review and meta-analysis. We used the random-effects model to pool data and determined quality of individual studies using the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal instrument for prevalence studies, heterogeneity using Cochran's Q test, and across study bias using Egger's regression test. Herein, we reported a 2.16% (3915/175345, 95% CI: 1.76-2.66) global infection rate of zoonotic Babesia species (B. divergens, B. microti, and B. venatorum) in tick vectors across 36 countries and 4 continents. Sub-group infection rates ranged between 0.65% (95% CI: 0.09-4.49) and 3.70% (95% CI: 2.61-5.21). B. microti was the most prevalent (1.79%, 95% CI: 1.38-2.31) species reported in ticks, while Ixodes scapularis recorded the highest infection rate (3.92%, 95% CI: 2.55-5.99). Larvae 4.18% (95% CI: 2.15-7.97) and females 4.08% (95% CI: 2.56-6.43) were the tick stage and sex with the highest infection rates. The presence of B. divergens, B. microti, and B. venatorum in tick vectors as revealed by the present study suggests possible risk of transmission of these pathogens to humans, especially occupationally exposed population. The control of tick vectors through chemical and biological methods as well as the use of repellants and appropriate clothing by occupationally exposed population are suggested to curtail the epidemiologic, economic, and public health threats associated with this emerging public health crisis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Solomon Ngutor Karshima
- Department of Veterinary Public Health and Preventive Medicine, University of Jos, PMB 2084, Jos, Nigeria.
| | - Magdalene Nguvan Karshima
- Department of Parasitology and Entomology, Modibbo Adama University of Technology, Yola, PMB 2076, Yola, Adamawa State, Nigeria
| | - Musa Isiyaku Ahmed
- Department of Veterinary Parasitology and Entomology, Federal University of Agriculture, Zuru, PMB 28, Zuru, Kebbi State, Nigeria
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Rojas-Pirela M, Medina L, Rojas MV, Liempi AI, Castillo C, Pérez-Pérez E, Guerrero-Muñoz J, Araneda S, Kemmerling U. Congenital Transmission of Apicomplexan Parasites: A Review. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:751648. [PMID: 34659187 PMCID: PMC8519608 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.751648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Apicomplexans are a group of pathogenic protists that cause various diseases in humans and animals that cause economic losses worldwide. These unicellular eukaryotes are characterized by having a complex life cycle and the ability to evade the immune system of their host organism. Infections caused by some of these parasites affect millions of pregnant women worldwide, leading to various adverse maternal and fetal/placental effects. Unfortunately, the exact pathogenesis of congenital apicomplexan diseases is far from being understood, including the mechanisms of how they cross the placental barrier. In this review, we highlight important aspects of the diseases caused by species of Plasmodium, Babesia, Toxoplasma, and Neospora, their infection during pregnancy, emphasizing the possible role played by the placenta in the host-pathogen interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maura Rojas-Pirela
- Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile.,Instituto de Biología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile.,Facultad de Farmacia y Bioanálisis, Universidad de Los Andes, Mérida, Venezuela
| | - Lisvaneth Medina
- Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Maria Verónica Rojas
- Instituto de Biología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Ana Isabel Liempi
- Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Christian Castillo
- Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile.,Núcleo de Investigación Aplicada en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Agronomía, Universidad de Las Américas, Santiago, Chile
| | | | - Jesús Guerrero-Muñoz
- Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Sebastian Araneda
- Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile.,Facultad de Salud y Odontología, Universidad Diego Portales, Santiago, Chile
| | - Ulrike Kemmerling
- Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
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Olsthoorn F, Sprong H, Fonville M, Rocchi M, Medlock J, Gilbert L, Ghazoul J. Occurrence of tick-borne pathogens in questing Ixodes ricinus ticks from Wester Ross, Northwest Scotland. Parasit Vectors 2021; 14:430. [PMID: 34446082 PMCID: PMC8393815 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-021-04946-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Lyme borreliosis and other tick-borne diseases emerge from increased interactions between humans, other animals, and infected ticks. The risk of acquiring a tick-borne infection varies across space and time, so knowledge of the occurrence and prevalence of pathogens in ticks can facilitate disease diagnosis in a specific area and the implementation of mitigation measures and awareness campaigns. Here we identify the occurrence and prevalence of several pathogens in Ixodes ricinus ticks in Wester Ross, Northwest Scotland, a region of high tourism and tick exposure, yet data-poor in terms of tick-borne pathogens. Methods Questing I. ricinus nymphs (n = 2828) were collected from 26 sites in 2018 and 2019 and tested for the presence of tick-borne pathogens using PCR-based methods. Prevalence was compared with other regions of Scotland, England, Wales, and the Netherlands. Results Anaplasma phagocytophilum (4.7% prevalence), Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) (2.2%), Babesia from clade X (0.2%), Rickettsia helvetica (0.04%), and Spiroplasma ixodetis (0.4%) were detected, but no Neoehrlichia mikurensis, Borrelia miyamotoi, or Babesia microti. Typing of A. phagocytophilum using a fragment of the GroEL gene identified the presence of both ecotype I and ecotype II. Genospecies identification of Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. revealed B. afzelii (53% of infected nymphs), B. garinii (9%), B. burgdorferi sensu stricto (7%), and B. valaisiana (31%). We found similar prevalence of A. phagocytophilum in Wester Ross as in the Netherlands, but higher than in other parts of Great Britain. We found lower B. burgdorferi s.l. prevalence than in England or the Netherlands, and similar to some other Scottish studies. We found higher prevalence of B. valaisiana and lower prevalence of B. garinii than in other Scottish studies. We found S. ixodetis at much lower prevalence than in the Netherlands, and R. helvetica at much lower prevalence than in England and the Netherlands. Conclusions As far as we know, this is the first description of S. ixodetis in Great Britain. The results are relevant for disease surveillance and management for public and veterinary health. The findings can also aid in designing targeted public health campaigns and in raising awareness among outdoor recreationists and professionals. Graphical abstract ![]()
Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13071-021-04946-5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanny Olsthoorn
- Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems, Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich, Universitätstrasse 16, 8092, Zürich, Switzerland.
| | - Hein Sprong
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Antonie van Leeuwenhoeklaan 9, 3720 MA, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Manoj Fonville
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Antonie van Leeuwenhoeklaan 9, 3720 MA, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Mara Rocchi
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentland Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik, EH26 0PZ, UK
| | - Jolyon Medlock
- Medical Entomology and Zoonoses Ecology Group, Emergency Response Department Science and Technology, Public Health England, Porton Down, Salisbury, SP4 0JG, Wiltshire, UK
| | - Lucy Gilbert
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, Graham Kerr Building, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Jaboury Ghazoul
- Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems, Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich, Universitätstrasse 16, 8092, Zürich, Switzerland
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Karshima SN, Karshima MN, Ahmed MI. Animal reservoirs of zoonotic Babesia species: A global systematic review and meta-analysis of their prevalence, distribution and species diversity. Vet Parasitol 2021; 298:109539. [PMID: 34375806 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2021.109539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Revised: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Zoonotic babesiosis caused by Babesia divergens, B. microti and B. venatorum is a vector-borne protozoan zoonosis of increasing public health importance worldwide. A complex system of animal reservoirs including a wide range of mammals and a limited number of birds play a central role in maintaining the infection. Governed by the PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the global prevalence, distribution and the diversity of zoonotic Babesia species in animal reservoirs. We pooled data using the random-effects model and determined quality of individual studies, heterogeneity and across study bias using the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal instrument for prevalence studies, Cochran's Q-test and Egger's regression test respectively. Seventy nine studies from 29 countries reported a total 9311 positive cases of zoonotic Babesia infections from 46,649 animal reservoirs, yielding an overall estimated prevalence of 12.45% (95% CI: 10.09-15.27). Continental prevalence ranged between 8.55 (95% CI: 1.90-31.11) in Africa and 27.81% (95% CI: 21.25-35.48) in North America. Estimated prevalence in relation to country income levels, methods of diagnosis, study periods, sample sizes and reservoir categories ranged between 4.97 (95% CI: 1.80-13.00) and 30.12% (95% CI: 22.49-39.04). B. divergens was the most prevalent (12.50%, 95% CI: 8.30-18.39) of the 3 species of zoonotic Babesia reported in animal reservoirs. Zoonotic Babesia infections are prevalent in animal reservoirs across the world with the highest prevalence in North America and domestic animals. B. microti had the widest geographic distribution. We recommend tick control as well as strategic and prophylactic treatment against these parasites in animal reservoirs to curtail the economic losses associated with zoonotic Babesia species and possible transmission to humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Solomon Ngutor Karshima
- Department of Veterinary Public Health and Preventive Medicine, University of Jos, PMB 2084, Jos, Nigeria.
| | - Magdalene Nguvan Karshima
- Department of Parasitology and Entomology, Modibbo Adama University of Technology, Yola, PMB 2076, Yola, Adamawa State, Nigeria.
| | - Musa Isiyaka Ahmed
- Federal University of Agriculture, Zuru, PMB 28, Zuru, Kebbi State, Nigeria.
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Panait LC, Hrazdilová K, Ionică AM, Deak G, Chişamera GB, Adam C, Gherman CM, Mihalca AD. Babesia pisicii n. sp. and Babesia canis Infect European Wild Cats, Felis silvestris, in Romania. Microorganisms 2021; 9:1474. [PMID: 34361906 PMCID: PMC8308005 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9071474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Revised: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Haemoparasites of the genus Babesia infect a wide range of domestic and wild animals. Feline babesiosis is considered endemic in South Africa, while data on Babesia spp. infection in felids in Europe is scarce. Using samples from 51 wild felids, 44 Felis silvestris and 7 Lynx lynx, the study aimed to determine the presence and genetic diversity of Babesia spp. in wild felids in Romania by analyzing the 18S rDNA and two mitochondrial markers, cytochrome b (Cytb) and cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) genes. By 18S rDNA analyses, Babesia spp. DNA was detected in 20 European wild felids. All sequences showed 100% similarity to B. canis by BLAST analysis. Conversely, Cytb and COI analyses revealed the presence of two Babesia spp., B. pisicii n. sp., which we herein describe, and B. canis. The pairwise comparison of both mitochondrial genes of B. pisicii n. sp. showed a genetic distance of at least 10.3% from the most closely related species, B. rossi. Phylogenetic analyses of Cytb and COI genes revealed that B. pisicii n. sp. is related to the so-called "large" canid-associated Babesia species forming a separate subclade in a sister position to B. rossi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luciana Cătălina Panait
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (G.D.); (C.M.G.); (A.D.M.)
| | - Kristýna Hrazdilová
- CEITEC VETUNI, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, 61242 Brno, Czech Republic;
- Biomedical Center, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, 32300 Plzeň, Czech Republic
| | - Angela Monica Ionică
- Molecular Biology and Veterinary Parasitology Unit (CDS-9), “Regele Mihai I al României” Life Science Institute, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
| | - Georgiana Deak
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (G.D.); (C.M.G.); (A.D.M.)
| | - Gabriel Bogdan Chişamera
- “Grigore Antipa” National Museum of Natural History, 011341 Bucharest, Romania; (G.B.C.); (C.A.)
| | - Costică Adam
- “Grigore Antipa” National Museum of Natural History, 011341 Bucharest, Romania; (G.B.C.); (C.A.)
| | - Călin Mircea Gherman
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (G.D.); (C.M.G.); (A.D.M.)
| | - Andrei Daniel Mihalca
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (G.D.); (C.M.G.); (A.D.M.)
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Babesia microti in Rodents from Different Habitats of Lithuania. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11061707. [PMID: 34200491 PMCID: PMC8227240 DOI: 10.3390/ani11061707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Revised: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Babesia microti, the causative agent of human babesiosis, is an intraerythrocytic protozoan parasite, that circulates among small rodents and ixodid ticks in many countries worldwide. Zoonotic and non-zoonotic B. microti strains have been identified in rodent populations in Europe. Analyzing eight species of small rodents collected from different habitats (meadows, forests and their ecotones) in Lithuania, we checked for the presence of B. microti and found the highest infection prevalence to be in Microtus oeconomus and Microtus agrestis rodents. Of note, this study also detected the first reported cases of Babesia parasites in Micromys minutus mice. In term of habitat, the highest prevalence of Babesia parasites was detected in rodents trapped in meadows. Our results demonstrate that rodents, especially Microtus voles, can play an important role in the circulation of the zoonotic B. microti ‘Jena/Germany’ strain in Lithuania. Abstract Babesia microti (Aconoidasida: Piroplasmida) (Franca, 1910) is an emerging tick-borne parasite with rodents serving as the considered reservoir host. However, the distribution of B. microti in Europe is insufficiently characterized. Based on the sample of 1180 rodents from 19 study sites in Lithuania, the objectives of this study were: (1) to investigate the presence of Babesia parasites in eight species of rodents, (2) to determine the prevalence of Babesia parasites in rodents from different habitats, and (3) to characterize the detected Babesia strains using partial sequencing of the 18S rRNR gene. Babesia DNA was detected in 2.8% rodents. The highest prevalence of Babesia was found in Microtus oeconomus (14.5%) and Microtus agrestis (7.1%) followed by Clethrionomys glareolus (2.3%), Apodemus flavicollis (2.2%) and Micromys minutus (1.3%). In M.minutus, Babesia was identified for the first time. The prevalence of Babesia-infected rodents was higher in the meadow (5.67%) than in the ecotone (1.69%) and forest (0.31%) habitats. The sequence analysis of the partial 18S rRNA gene reveals that Babesia isolates derived from rodents were 99–100% identical to human pathogenic B. microti ‘Jena/Germany’ strain.
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Sojka D, Šnebergerová P, Robbertse L. Protease Inhibition-An Established Strategy to Combat Infectious Diseases. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:5762. [PMID: 34071206 PMCID: PMC8197795 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22115762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Revised: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Therapeutic agents with novel mechanisms of action are urgently needed to counter the emergence of drug-resistant infections. Several decades of research into proteases of disease agents have revealed enzymes well suited for target-based drug development. Among them are the three recently validated proteolytic targets: proteasomes of the malarial parasite Plasmodium falciparum, aspartyl proteases of P. falciparum (plasmepsins) and the Sars-CoV-2 viral proteases. Despite some unfulfilled expectations over previous decades, the three reviewed targets clearly demonstrate that selective protease inhibitors provide effective therapeutic solutions for the two most impacting infectious diseases nowadays-malaria and COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Sojka
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Branišovská 1160/31, CZ-37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; (P.Š.); (L.R.)
| | - Pavla Šnebergerová
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Branišovská 1160/31, CZ-37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; (P.Š.); (L.R.)
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Branišovská 1760c, CZ-37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Luïse Robbertse
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Branišovská 1160/31, CZ-37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; (P.Š.); (L.R.)
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A historical review of Babesia spp. associated with deer in Europe: Babesia divergens/Babesia divergens-like, Babesia capreoli, Babesia venatorum, Babesia cf. odocoilei. Vet Parasitol 2021; 294:109433. [PMID: 33930692 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2021.109433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Revised: 04/10/2021] [Accepted: 04/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
This review is intended to provide an overview of the occurrence and diversity of Babesia spp. in European deer. Babesiosis is an emerging vector-borne disease with negative implications on animal and public health. Cervidae are important hosts for Ixodidae ticks, playing a critical role in the epidemiology of the parasite. Deer are susceptible to different Babesia spp., some of them with zoonotic potential. The infection is usually asymptomatic with high prevalence rates, although some fatal cases due to B. capreoli and B. venatorum have been reported. In Europe, 3 main Babesia spp. have been described in deer: Babesia divergens/B. divergens-like, B. capreoli and B. venatorum. Additionally, close relatives of B. odocoilei, the Babesia species of the American white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), have been isolated in several European countries. The occurrence of B. divergens/B. divergens-like generated concerns about the role of cervidae in the life cycle of the parasite, and the potential threat for public health. Few human cases have been attributed to B. venatorum so far, including hunters. Although this species is strictly related to the presence of roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), it has been occasionally reported in moose (Alces alces) and captive reindeer (Rangifer tarandus). Over recent years, vector-borne diseases received increased attention from International Organizations. However, technical difficulties persist, affecting surveillance efficiency. Given the veterinary and zoonotic importance of babesiosis, the author advocates the need for an effective monitoring at wildlife-domestic animals-humans interface and the implementation of management plans to reduce the risk of Babesia spp. infection for both humans and domestic animals.
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Wilhelmsson P, Pawełczyk O, Jaenson TGT, Waldenström J, Olsen B, Forsberg P, Lindgren PE. Three Babesia species in Ixodes ricinus ticks from migratory birds in Sweden. Parasit Vectors 2021; 14:183. [PMID: 33794970 PMCID: PMC8017608 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-021-04684-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Migratory birds can cross geographical and environmental barriers and are thereby able to facilitate transmission of tick-borne pathogens both as carriers of infected ticks and as reservoirs of pathogenic microorganisms. Ixodes ricinus is one of the most abundant tick species in the Northern Hemisphere and a main vector of several Babesia species, some which pose a potential threat to human and animal health. At present only two cases of overt babesiosis in humans have so far been reported in Sweden. To better understand the potential role of birds as disseminators of zoonotic Babesia protozoan parasites, we investigated the presence of Babesia species in ticks removed from migratory birds. Methods Ticks were collected from birds captured at Ottenby Bird Observatory, south-eastern Sweden, from March to November 2009. Ticks were molecularly identified to species, and morphologically to developmental stage, and the presence of Babesia protozoan parasites was determined by real-time PCR. Results In total, 4601 migratory birds of 65 species were examined for tick infestation. Ticks removed from these birds have previously been investigated for the presence of Borrelia bacteria and the tick-borne encephalitis virus. In the present study, a total of 1102 ticks were available for molecular analysis of Babesia protozoan parasites. We found that 2.4% of the ticks examined, all I. ricinus, were positive for mammal-associated Babesia species. Out of all Babesia-positive samples, Babesia venatorum was the most prevalent (58%) species, followed by Babesia microti (38%) and Babesia capreoli (4.0%). B. venatorum and B. capreoli were detected in I. ricinus larvae, whereas B. microti was only present in I. ricinus nymphs. This supports the view that the two first-mentioned species are vertically (transovarially) transmitted in the tick population, in contrast to B. microti. The largest number of Babesia-infected ticks was removed from the common redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus) and European robin (Erithacus rubecula). Conclusions This study reveals that Babesia protozoan parasites are present in ticks infesting migratory birds in south-eastern Sweden, which could potentially lead to the dissemination of these tick-borne microorganisms into new areas, thus posing a threat to humans and other mammals. ![]()
Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13071-021-04684-8.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Wilhelmsson
- Division of Inflammation and Infection, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden. .,Department of Clinical Microbiology, Region Jönköping County, Jönköping, Sweden.
| | - Olga Pawełczyk
- Division of Inflammation and Infection, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.,Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences in Sosnowiec, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland
| | - Thomas G T Jaenson
- Department of Organismal Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jonas Waldenström
- Center for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
| | - Björn Olsen
- Zoonosis Science Center, Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Pia Forsberg
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Per-Eric Lindgren
- Division of Inflammation and Infection, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.,Department of Clinical Microbiology, Region Jönköping County, Jönköping, Sweden
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Palomar AM, Veiga J, Portillo A, Santibáñez S, Václav R, Santibáñez P, Oteo JA, Valera F. Novel Genotypes of Nidicolous Argas Ticks and Their Associated Microorganisms From Spain. Front Vet Sci 2021; 8:637837. [PMID: 33855055 PMCID: PMC8039128 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.637837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
The knowledge of the distribution, richness and epidemiological importance of soft ticks of the genus Argas is incomplete. In Spain, five Argas species have been recorded, including three ornitophilic nidicolous ticks, but their associated microorganisms remain unknown. This study aimed to investigate ticks from bird nests and their microorganisms. Ticks were collected extensively from natural cavities and nest-boxes used by European rollers (Coracias garrulus) and little owls (Athene noctua) in Southeastern and Central Spain. Ticks were morphologically and genetically identified and corresponding DNA/RNA tick extracts were analyzed [individually (n = 150) or pooled (n = 43)] using specific PCR assays for bacteria (Anaplasmataceae, Bartonella, Borrelia, Coxiella/Rickettsiella, and Rickettsia spp.), viruses (Flaviviruses, Orthonairoviruses, and Phenuiviruses), and protozoa (Babesia/Theileria spp.). Six Argas genotypes were identified, of which only those of Argas reflexus (n = 8) were identified to the species level. Two other genotypes were closely related to each other and to Argas vulgaris (n = 83) and Argas polonicus (n = 33), respectively. These two species have not been previously reported from Western Europe. Two additional genotypes (n = 4) clustered with Argas persicus, previously reported in Spain. The remaining genotype (n = 22) showed low sequence identity with any Argas species, being most similar to the African Argas africolumbae. The microbiological screening revealed infection with a rickettsial strain belonging to Rickettsia fournieri and Candidatus Rickettsia vini group in 74.7% of ticks, mainly comprising ticks genetically related to A. vulgaris and A. polonicus. Other tick endosymbionts belonging to Coxiella, Francisella and Rickettsiella species were detected in ten, one and one tick pools, respectively. In addition, one Babesia genotype, closely related to avian Babesia species, was found in one tick pool. Lastly, Anaplasmataceae, Bartonella, Borrelia, and viruses were not detected. In conclusion, five novel Argas genotypes and their associated microorganisms with unproven pathogenicity are reported for Spain. The re-use of nests between and within years by different bird species appears to be ideal for the transmission of tick-borne microorganisms in cavity-nesting birds of semiarid areas. Further work should be performed to clarify the taxonomy and the potential role of soft Argas ticks and their microorganisms in the epidemiology of zoonoses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana M Palomar
- Centre of Rickettsiosis and Arthropod-Borne Diseases, Hospital Universitario San Pedro-Center for Biomedical Research of La Rioja (CIBIR), Logroño, Spain
| | - Jesús Veiga
- Departamento de Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas -Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (EEZA-CSIC), Ctra. de Sacramento s/n, La Cañada de San Urbano, Almería, Spain
| | - Aránzazu Portillo
- Centre of Rickettsiosis and Arthropod-Borne Diseases, Hospital Universitario San Pedro-Center for Biomedical Research of La Rioja (CIBIR), Logroño, Spain
| | - Sonia Santibáñez
- Centre of Rickettsiosis and Arthropod-Borne Diseases, Hospital Universitario San Pedro-Center for Biomedical Research of La Rioja (CIBIR), Logroño, Spain
| | - Radovan Václav
- Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Paula Santibáñez
- Centre of Rickettsiosis and Arthropod-Borne Diseases, Hospital Universitario San Pedro-Center for Biomedical Research of La Rioja (CIBIR), Logroño, Spain
| | - José A Oteo
- Centre of Rickettsiosis and Arthropod-Borne Diseases, Hospital Universitario San Pedro-Center for Biomedical Research of La Rioja (CIBIR), Logroño, Spain
| | - Francisco Valera
- Departamento de Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas -Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (EEZA-CSIC), Ctra. de Sacramento s/n, La Cañada de San Urbano, Almería, Spain
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Yue C, Deng Z, Qi D, Li Y, Bi W, Ma R, Yang G, Luo X, Hou R, Liu S. First detection and molecular identification of Babesia sp. from the giant panda, Ailuropoda melanoleuca, in China. Parasit Vectors 2020; 13:537. [PMID: 33121531 PMCID: PMC7597363 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-04412-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Parasitic infections are among the important causes of death of giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) that hamper their survival in the wild. There are about 35 species of parasites which have been identified in giant pandas, but no information is currently available regarding the infection of Babesia in giant pandas. Babesia spp. are common intraerythrocytic parasite in wildlife, transmitted by ixodid ticks, which cause babesiosis. Clinical signs of babesiosis include fever, hemolysis, anemia, jaundice and death. METHODS A species of Babesia was detected in the blood of a giant panda based on morphology and PCR amplification of the 18S rRNA gene. The phylogenetic relationship of Babesia sp. infecting giant panda was assessed by gene sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis. RESULTS Our analysis revealed that the Babesia isolate detected was most similar to an unidentified species of Babesia identified in black bears (Ursus thibetanus japonicus) from Japan (Babesia sp. Iwate, AB586027.1) with a 99.56% sequence similarity, followed by Babesia sp. EBB (AB566229.1, 99.50%) and Babesia sp. Akita (AB566229.1, 99.07%). CONCLUSIONS To our knowledge, this is the first report of Babesia detected in the giant panda. The results indicate that this Babesia sp. may be a novel species, currently named Babesia sp. strain EBP01.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chanjuan Yue
- Sichuan Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Sichuan Academy of Giant Panda, 1375 Panda Road, Chenghua District, 610081, Sichuan, China
| | - Zeshuai Deng
- Sichuan Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Sichuan Academy of Giant Panda, 1375 Panda Road, Chenghua District, 610081, Sichuan, China
| | - Dunwu Qi
- Sichuan Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Sichuan Academy of Giant Panda, 1375 Panda Road, Chenghua District, 610081, Sichuan, China
| | - Yunli Li
- Sichuan Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Sichuan Academy of Giant Panda, 1375 Panda Road, Chenghua District, 610081, Sichuan, China
| | - Wenlei Bi
- Sichuan Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Sichuan Academy of Giant Panda, 1375 Panda Road, Chenghua District, 610081, Sichuan, China
| | - Rui Ma
- Sichuan Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Sichuan Academy of Giant Panda, 1375 Panda Road, Chenghua District, 610081, Sichuan, China
| | - Guangyou Yang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Xue Luo
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Rong Hou
- Sichuan Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Sichuan Academy of Giant Panda, 1375 Panda Road, Chenghua District, 610081, Sichuan, China.
| | - Songrui Liu
- Sichuan Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Sichuan Academy of Giant Panda, 1375 Panda Road, Chenghua District, 610081, Sichuan, China.
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40
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Shah JS, Caoili E, Patton MF, Tamhankar S, Myint MM, Poruri A, Mark O, Horowitz RI, Ashbaugh AD, Ramasamy R. Combined Immunofluorescence (IFA) and Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (FISH) Assays for Diagnosing Babesiosis in Patients from the USA, Europe and Australia. Diagnostics (Basel) 2020; 10:diagnostics10100761. [PMID: 32998244 PMCID: PMC7650773 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics10100761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Revised: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Apicomplexan parasites of the genus Babesia cause babesiosis in humans and animals worldwide. Human babesiosis is a predominantly zoonotic disease transmitted by hard ticks that is of increasing health concern in the USA and many other countries. Microscopic examination of stained blood smears, detection of serum antibodies by immunoassays and identification of parasite nucleic acid in blood by qPCR and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) are some methods available for diagnosing babesiosis. This study investigated the use of a Babesia genus-specific FISH test for detecting Babesia parasites in blood smears and immunofluorescence assay (IFA) for detecting serum antibodies to Babesia duncani and Babesia microti, two common species that cause human babesiosis in the USA. The findings with clinical samples originating from USA, Australia, Europe and elsewhere demonstrate that the parallel use of Babesia genus-specific FISH and IFA tests for B. duncani and B. microti provides more useful diagnostic information in babesiosis and that B. duncani infections are more widespread globally than presently recognized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jyotsna S. Shah
- ID-FISH Technology Inc., Milpitas, CA 95035, USA
- IGenex Inc., 556 Gibraltar Drive, Milpitas, CA 95035, USA; (E.C.); (M.F.P.); (S.T.); (M.M.M.); (A.P.); (O.M.)
- Correspondence: (J.S.S.); (R.R.)
| | - Eddie Caoili
- IGenex Inc., 556 Gibraltar Drive, Milpitas, CA 95035, USA; (E.C.); (M.F.P.); (S.T.); (M.M.M.); (A.P.); (O.M.)
| | - Marie Fe Patton
- IGenex Inc., 556 Gibraltar Drive, Milpitas, CA 95035, USA; (E.C.); (M.F.P.); (S.T.); (M.M.M.); (A.P.); (O.M.)
| | - Snehal Tamhankar
- IGenex Inc., 556 Gibraltar Drive, Milpitas, CA 95035, USA; (E.C.); (M.F.P.); (S.T.); (M.M.M.); (A.P.); (O.M.)
| | - Mu Mu Myint
- IGenex Inc., 556 Gibraltar Drive, Milpitas, CA 95035, USA; (E.C.); (M.F.P.); (S.T.); (M.M.M.); (A.P.); (O.M.)
| | - Akhila Poruri
- IGenex Inc., 556 Gibraltar Drive, Milpitas, CA 95035, USA; (E.C.); (M.F.P.); (S.T.); (M.M.M.); (A.P.); (O.M.)
| | - Olivia Mark
- IGenex Inc., 556 Gibraltar Drive, Milpitas, CA 95035, USA; (E.C.); (M.F.P.); (S.T.); (M.M.M.); (A.P.); (O.M.)
| | - Richard I. Horowitz
- Hudson Valley Healing Arts Center, New York, NY 12538, USA;
- HHS Subcommittee on Babesia and Tick-Borne Pathogens, US Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC 20201, USA
| | - Alan D. Ashbaugh
- College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA;
| | - Ranjan Ramasamy
- ID-FISH Technology Inc., Milpitas, CA 95035, USA
- Correspondence: (J.S.S.); (R.R.)
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Guardone L, Ebani VV, Verin R, Nardoni S, Consolazione A, Bennett M, Mancianti F. Molecular Detection of Arthropod-Borne Pathogens in Eurasian Badgers ( Meles meles) from the United Kingdom. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:E446. [PMID: 32155963 PMCID: PMC7143893 DOI: 10.3390/ani10030446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2020] [Revised: 02/24/2020] [Accepted: 03/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Arthropod-borne diseases (ABD) are of increasing interest in veterinary and public health. Eurasian badgers (Meles meles) are known to harbor a wide range of pathogens, but information on their role as ABD reservoirs and their potential epidemiological relevance is limited. This study aimed to investigate the occurrence of arthropod-borne pathogens, specifically piroplasmids and the bacteria Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Ehrlichia canis, Coxiella burnetii, Francisella tularensis and Bartonella spp., in badgers from Great Britain (GB). Blood and heart samples from 18 badgers were examined using PCR and sequencing. A neighbour-joining (NJ) phylogram was also produced. Nine animals tested positive for Babesia sp., while none of the samples was positive for the investigated bacteria. The sequences obtained clustered with other sequences of Babesia sp. from badgers from GB and elsewhere, including China, Hungary, Spain and Italy, showing a widespread distribution of this parasite in badgers. Badger-associated Babesia DNA was also found recently in a wild cat in Bosnia Herzegovina, in a wolf in Italy and in dogs in Hungary. Further investigations are needed to understand the epidemiology of this putative pathogen and its impact on the health of wild and domestic carnivores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Guardone
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Viale delle Piagge 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (L.G.); (S.N.); (A.C.); (F.M.)
| | - Valentina Virginia Ebani
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Viale delle Piagge 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (L.G.); (S.N.); (A.C.); (F.M.)
| | - Ranieri Verin
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, Viale dell’Università 16, 35020 Legnaro, Padova, Italy;
| | - Simona Nardoni
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Viale delle Piagge 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (L.G.); (S.N.); (A.C.); (F.M.)
| | - Antonio Consolazione
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Viale delle Piagge 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (L.G.); (S.N.); (A.C.); (F.M.)
| | - Malcolm Bennett
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, LE12 5RD, UK;
| | - Francesca Mancianti
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Viale delle Piagge 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (L.G.); (S.N.); (A.C.); (F.M.)
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