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Winter M, Sebastian PS, Tarragona EL, Flores FS, Abate SD, Nava S. Tick-borne microorganisms in Amblyomma tigrinum (Acari: Ixodidae) from the Patagonian region of Argentina. EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2024; 92:151-159. [PMID: 38219227 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-023-00874-4] [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: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
This study presents the results of the molecular detection of tick-borne microorganisms in Amblyomma tigrinum Koch collected near the city of Viedma, Río Negro, Argentina. Ticks were collected in their non-parasitic stage, on pet dogs and on Lycalopex gymnocercus (Pampa fox). Also, six tick samples from humans were analyzed. All ticks were morphologically identified to species level and genomic DNA was extracted. The DNA samples were examined by end point PCR assays to amplified DNA of Anaplasma sp., Babesia sp., Ehrlichia sp., Rickettsia sp. and Theileria sp. Although all tested DNA samples from the collected ticks resulted negative to the detection of Piroplasmida and Rickettsia spp., 16 samples (16.5%, including all hosts) were positive in the 16S rDNA gene PCR that detects bacteria from the Anaplasmataceae family. Phylogenetic analysis of seven obtained partial sequences resulted in the identification of three bacteria: two Ehrlichia spp. (related to Ehrlichia sp. strain Iberá and strain Viedma) and Candidatus Anaplasma boleense. The latter finding represents the first detection of this novel Candidatus species in A. tigrinum. Based on the results of this study, it must be assumed that the diversity of bacteria of the Anaplasmataceae family in Argentina is greater than previously thought, and that these bacteria can infect a wide range of domestic and wild animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Winter
- Centro de Investigaciones y Transferencia de Río Negro (CONICET-UNRN), Universidad Nacional de Río Negro, Sede Atlántica, Avenida Don Bosco 500, CP: 8500, Viedma, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - Patrick Stephan Sebastian
- Instituto de Investigación de la Cadena Láctea (IdICaL) CONICET - INTA, Ruta 34 km 227, CP: 2300, Rafaela, Santa Fe, Argentina.
| | - Evelina Luisa Tarragona
- Instituto de Investigación de la Cadena Láctea (IdICaL) CONICET - INTA, Ruta 34 km 227, CP: 2300, Rafaela, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Fernando Sebastián Flores
- Centro de Investigaciones Entomológicas de Córdoba (CIEC) - Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas (IIBYT) CONICET-UNC, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Avenida Vélez Sarsfield 1611, CP: 5016, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Sergio Damián Abate
- Centro de Investigaciones y Transferencia de Río Negro (CONICET-UNRN), Universidad Nacional de Río Negro, Sede Atlántica, Avenida Don Bosco 500, CP: 8500, Viedma, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - Santiago Nava
- Instituto de Investigación de la Cadena Láctea (IdICaL) CONICET - INTA, Ruta 34 km 227, CP: 2300, Rafaela, Santa Fe, Argentina
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Molecular Detection of Candidatus Rickettsia andeanae and Ehrlichia sp. in Amblyomma pseudoconcolor Aragão, 1908 (Acari: Ixodidae) from the Argentinian Patagonia. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12233307. [PMID: 36496828 PMCID: PMC9741119 DOI: 10.3390/ani12233307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
This study presents the molecular detection of Candidatus Rickettsia andeanae and Ehrlichia sp. in Amblyomma pseudoconcolor Aragão, 1908 (Acari: Ixodidae) collected on a large hairy armadillo (Chaetophractus villosus (Desmarest, 1804)). On 12 October 2020, a specimen of C. villosus was found dead on the road in Río Negro province, Argentina. Molecular detection of Rickettsia and Ehrlichia agents was performed amplifying the gltA and 16S rRNA gene, respectively. One tick, determined morphologically and genetically as A. pseudoconcolor, was collected on C. villosus. The rickettsial agent detected in A. pseudoconcolor was identified as Candidatus Rickettsia andeanae. The Ehrlichia sp. strain showed high sequence similarity to different uncultured Ehrlichia sp. detected in horses, capybaras and Ixodes ornithorhynchi from Nicaragua, Brazil and Australia, respectively. The results of this study and previous findings suggest that A. pseudoconcolor may be a potential vector of some Rickettsia and Ehrlichia bacteria of unknown pathogenicity.
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Navarrete MG, Hodžić A, Corona-González B, Cordeiro MD, da Silva CB, Báez LC, Obregón D, de Aguiar DM, da Silva Campos AN, Taques ÍIGG, Wu-Chuang A, López ER, Piloto-Sardiñas E, Abuin-Denis L, da Fonseca AH, Cabezas-Cruz A. Novel Ehrlichia canis genogroup in dogs with canine ehrlichiosis in Cuba. Parasit Vectors 2022; 15:295. [PMID: 35999566 PMCID: PMC9396871 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-022-05426-0] [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: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Canine monocytic ehrlichiosis (CME) is caused by the tick-borne pathogen Ehrlichia canis, an obligate intracellular Gram-negative bacterium of the family Anaplasmataceae with tropism for canine monocytes and macrophages. The trp36 gene, which encodes for the major immunoreactive protein TRP36 in E. canis, has been successfully used to characterize the genetic diversity of this pathogen in different regions of the world. Based on trp36 sequence analysis, four E. canis genogroups, United States (US), Taiwan (TWN), Brazil (BR) and Costa Rica (CR), have been identified. The aim of this study was to characterize the genetic diversity of E. canis in Cuba based on the trp36 gene. Methods Whole blood samples (n = 8) were collected from dogs found to be infested with the tick vector Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato (s.l.) and/or presenting clinical signs and symptoms of CME. Total DNA was extracted from the blood samples and trp36 fragments were amplified by PCR. Nucleotide and protein sequences were compared using alignments and phylogenetic analysis. Results Four of the trp36 sequences obtained (n = 8) fall within the phylogenetic cluster grouping the US genogroup E. canis strains. The other E. canis trp36 sequences formed a separate and well-supported clade (94% bootstrap value) that is phylogenetically distant from the other major groups and thus represents a new genogroup, herein designated as the ‘Cuba (CUB) genogroup’. Notably, dogs infected with the CUB genogroup presented frequent hemorrhagic lesions. Conclusions The results of this study suggest that genetic diversification of E. canis in Cuba is associated with the emergence of E. canis strains with increased virulence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maylin González Navarrete
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Agrarian University of Havana, Carretera de Tapaste y Autopista Nacional, Km 23 1/2, 32700, San José de las Lajas, Mayabeque, Cuba
| | - Adnan Hodžić
- Department of Pathobiology, Institute of Parasitology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinaerplatz 1, 1210, Vienna, Austria
| | - Belkis Corona-González
- Direction of Animal Health, National Center for Animal and Plant Health, Carretera de Tapaste y Autopista Nacional, Apartado Postal 10, 32700, San José de las Lajas, Mayabeque, Cuba
| | - Matheus Dias Cordeiro
- Department of Animal Parasitology, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRRJ), BR 465, Km 7, Seropedica, RJ, 23890000, Brazil
| | - Claudia Bezerra da Silva
- Department of Animal Parasitology, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRRJ), BR 465, Km 7, Seropedica, RJ, 23890000, Brazil
| | - Liani Coronado Báez
- Direction of Animal Health, National Center for Animal and Plant Health, Carretera de Tapaste y Autopista Nacional, Apartado Postal 10, 32700, San José de las Lajas, Mayabeque, Cuba
| | - Dasiel Obregón
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Daniel Moura de Aguiar
- Virology and Rickettsioses Laboratory, Hospital Veterinário da Facultade de Medicina Veterinária, Federal University of Mato Grosso State, Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil
| | - Amanda Noeli da Silva Campos
- Virology and Rickettsioses Laboratory, Hospital Veterinário da Facultade de Medicina Veterinária, Federal University of Mato Grosso State, Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil
| | - Ísis Indaiara Gonçalves Granjeiro Taques
- Virology and Rickettsioses Laboratory, Hospital Veterinário da Facultade de Medicina Veterinária, Federal University of Mato Grosso State, Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil
| | - Alejandra Wu-Chuang
- UMR BIPAR, INRAE, ANSES, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, Université Paris-Est, 94700, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Eugenio Roque López
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Agrarian University of Havana, Carretera de Tapaste y Autopista Nacional, Km 23 1/2, 32700, San José de las Lajas, Mayabeque, Cuba
| | - Elianne Piloto-Sardiñas
- Direction of Animal Health, National Center for Animal and Plant Health, Carretera de Tapaste y Autopista Nacional, Apartado Postal 10, 32700, San José de las Lajas, Mayabeque, Cuba
| | - Lianet Abuin-Denis
- Animal Biotechnology Department, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Avenue 31 between 158 and 190, P.O. Box 6162, 10600, Havana, Cuba
| | - Adivaldo Henrique da Fonseca
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRRJ), BR 465, Km 7, Seropedica, RJ, 23890000, Brazil
| | - Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz
- UMR BIPAR, INRAE, ANSES, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, Université Paris-Est, 94700, Maisons-Alfort, France.
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Muraro LS, Souza ADO, Leite TNS, Cândido SL, Melo ALT, Toma HS, Carvalho MB, Dutra V, Nakazato L, Cabezas-Cruz A, de Aguiar DM. First Evidence of Ehrlichia minasensis Infection in Horses from Brazil. Pathogens 2021; 10:pathogens10030265. [PMID: 33669023 PMCID: PMC7996482 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10030265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Revised: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The genus Ehrlichia includes tick-borne bacterial pathogens affecting humans, domestic and wild mammals. Ehrlichia minasensis has been identified in different animal species and geographical locations, suggesting that this is a widely distributed and generalist Ehrlichia. In the present study, we evaluated Ehrlichial infection in 148 Equidae presented to the Medical Clinic Department of a Veterinary Hospital from a midwestern region of Brazil. Blood samples and ticks collected from the animals were tested by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) for the presence of Ehrlichia spp. A multigenic approach including Anaplasmataceae-specific (i.e., 16S rRNA, groEL, gltA) and Ehrlichia-specific (i.e., dsb and trp36) genes was used for accurate bacteria identification. Sera samples were also collected and evaluated for the detection of anti-Ehrlichia antibodies by indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFA). Possible associations between molecular and serological diagnostics and clinical and hematological manifestations were tested using chi-squared or Fisher’s exact tests. Sequence analysis of the dsb fragment revealed that three horses (2.03%) were exposed to E. minasensis. Sixty-one (41.2%) Equidae (58 equines and three mules), were seropositive for Ehrlichia spp., with antibody titers ranging between 40 and 2560. Seropositivity to ehrlichial antigens was statistically associated with tick infestation, rural origin, hypoalbuminemia and hyperproteinemia (p ≤ 0.05). The present study reports the first evidence of natural infection by E. minasensis in horses from Brazil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lívia S. Muraro
- Laboratory of Virology and Rickettsial Infections, Veterinary Hospital, Federal University of Mato Grosso (UFMT), Av. Fernando Correa da Costa 2367, Cuiabá 78090-900, Brazil;
| | - Aneliza de O. Souza
- Veterinary Clinical Laboratory, Department of Veterinary Clinics, University of Cuiabá (UNIC), Av. Manoel José de Arruda 3100, Cuiabá 78065-900, Brazil; (A.d.O.S.); (T.N.S.L.)
| | - Tamyres N. S. Leite
- Veterinary Clinical Laboratory, Department of Veterinary Clinics, University of Cuiabá (UNIC), Av. Manoel José de Arruda 3100, Cuiabá 78065-900, Brazil; (A.d.O.S.); (T.N.S.L.)
| | - Stefhano L. Cândido
- Laboratory of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Veterinary Hospital of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Mato Grosso (UFMT), Av. Fernando Correa da Costa 2367, Cuiabá 78090-900, Brazil; (S.L.C.); (V.D.); (L.N.)
| | - Andréia L. T. Melo
- Veterinary of Clinical, Veterinary Medicine College, University of Cuiabá (UNIC), Av. Manoel José de Arruda 3100, Cuiabá 78065-900, Brazil; (A.L.T.M.); (M.B.C.)
| | - Hugo S. Toma
- Veterinary Medicine Department, Federal University of Lavras (UFLA), Campus Universitário, Mailbox 3037, Lavras 37200-000, Brazil;
| | - Mariana B. Carvalho
- Veterinary of Clinical, Veterinary Medicine College, University of Cuiabá (UNIC), Av. Manoel José de Arruda 3100, Cuiabá 78065-900, Brazil; (A.L.T.M.); (M.B.C.)
| | - Valéria Dutra
- Laboratory of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Veterinary Hospital of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Mato Grosso (UFMT), Av. Fernando Correa da Costa 2367, Cuiabá 78090-900, Brazil; (S.L.C.); (V.D.); (L.N.)
| | - Luciano Nakazato
- Laboratory of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Veterinary Hospital of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Mato Grosso (UFMT), Av. Fernando Correa da Costa 2367, Cuiabá 78090-900, Brazil; (S.L.C.); (V.D.); (L.N.)
| | - Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz
- Anses, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort, UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, F-94700 Maisons-Alfort, France;
| | - Daniel M. de Aguiar
- Laboratory of Virology and Rickettsial Infections, Veterinary Hospital, Federal University of Mato Grosso (UFMT), Av. Fernando Correa da Costa 2367, Cuiabá 78090-900, Brazil;
- Correspondence:
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Moura de Aguiar D, Pessoa Araújo Junior J, Nakazato L, Bard E, Aguilar-Bultet L, Vorimore F, Leonidovich Popov V, Moleta Colodel E, Cabezas-Cruz A. Isolation and Characterization of a Novel Pathogenic Strain of Ehrlichia minasensis. Microorganisms 2019; 7:microorganisms7110528. [PMID: 31694172 PMCID: PMC6921006 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms7110528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2019] [Revised: 10/31/2019] [Accepted: 11/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The genus Ehrlichia is composed of tick-borne obligate intracellular gram-negative alphaproteobacteria of the family Anaplasmataceae. Ehrlichia includes important pathogens affecting canids (E. canis, E. chaffeensis, and E. ewingii), rodents (E. muris), and ruminants (E. ruminantium). Ehrlichiaminasensis, an Ehrlichia closely related to E. canis, was initially reported in Canada and Brazil. This bacterium has now been reported in Pakistan, Malaysia, China, Ethiopia, South Africa, and the Mediterranean island of Corsica, suggesting that E. minasensis has a wide geographical distribution. Previously, E. minasensis was found to cause clinical ehrlichiosis in an experimentally infected calf. The type strain E. minasensis UFMG-EV was successfully isolated from Rhipicephalus microplus ticks and propagated in the tick embryonic cell line of Ixodes scapularis (IDE8). However, the isolation and propagation of E. minasensis strains from cattle has remained elusive. In this study, the E. minasensis strain Cuiabá was isolated from an eight-month-old male calf of Holstein breed that was naturally infected with the bacterium. The calf presented clinical signs and hematological parameters of bovine ehrlichiosis. The in vitro culture of the agent was established in the canine cell line DH82. Ehrlichial morulae were observed using light and electron microscopy within DH82 cells. Total DNA was extracted, and the full genome of the E. minasensis strain Cuiabá was sequenced. A core-genome-based phylogenetic tree of Ehrlichia spp. and Anaplasma spp. confirmed that E. minasensis is a sister taxa of E. canis. A comparison of functional categories among Ehrlichia showed that E. minasensis has significantly less genes in the ‘clustering-based subsystems’ category, which includes functionally coupled genes for which the functional attributes are not well understood. Results strongly suggest that E. minasensis is a novel pathogen infecting cattle. The epidemiology of this Ehrlichia deserves further attention because these bacteria could be an overlooked cause of tick-borne bovine ehrlichiosis, with a wide distribution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Moura de Aguiar
- Veterinary Hospital, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Mato Grosso State (UFMT), 78060-900 Cuiabá, Brazil; (L.N.); (E.M.C.)
- Correspondence: (D.M.d.A.); (A.C.-C.)
| | | | - Luciano Nakazato
- Veterinary Hospital, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Mato Grosso State (UFMT), 78060-900 Cuiabá, Brazil; (L.N.); (E.M.C.)
| | - Emilie Bard
- EPIA, INRA, VetAgro Sup, 63122 Saint Genès Champanelle, France;
| | - Lisandra Aguilar-Bultet
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Basel, 4031 Basel, Switzerland;
| | - Fabien Vorimore
- University Paris-Est, Anses, Animal Health Laboratory, Bacterial Zoonoses Unit, 94706 Maisons-Alfort, France;
| | | | - Edson Moleta Colodel
- Veterinary Hospital, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Mato Grosso State (UFMT), 78060-900 Cuiabá, Brazil; (L.N.); (E.M.C.)
| | - Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz
- UMR BIPAR, INRA, ANSES, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort, Université Paris-Est, 94700 Maisons-Alfort, France
- Correspondence: (D.M.d.A.); (A.C.-C.)
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Molecular characterization of Ehrlichia canis from naturally infected dogs from the state of Rio de Janeiro. Braz J Microbiol 2018; 50:1-12. [PMID: 30637653 DOI: 10.1007/s42770-018-0020-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2018] [Accepted: 09/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to evaluate the genetic diversity of Ehrlichia canis in naturally infected dogs from six mesoregions of Rio de Janeiro state. E. canis was diagnosed with a real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) targeting a 93 base pair (bp) fragment of the 16S rDNA gene. To evaluate the genetic diversity of the parasite, we amplified a positive sample from each mesoregion by distinct conventional PCR assays with targets in the gp19 (414 bp), gp36 (814 bp), and p28 (843 bp) genes. A total of 267 samples were collected from dogs in Rio de Janeiro state. Among the samples analyzed, 42.3% (n = 113/267) were 16S rDNA-qPCR positive. When performing PCR for the gp19 and gp36 genes, 100% (n = 113/113) and 5.3% (n = 6/113) of the samples amplified fragments of 414 bp and 814 bp, respectively. The six PCR-positive samples for the gp36 gene also amplified the p28 gene fragment. The characterization based on the gp19 gene demonstrated that it is highly conserved. In protein analysis (TRP36), all samples showed a tandem repeat protein (TRP) that comprised 11 replicates. Seven high-entropy amino acid sites were distributed throughout the gp36 gene. Eleven high-entropy amino acid sites were found throughout the p28 gene. There is a positive selection pressure in both genes (p ≤ 0.05). Comparing and characterizing an organism are useful for providing important information about the host's immune response and identifying new antigenic targets, as well as essential characteristics for the development of vaccines and new diagnostic tools.
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Araes-Santos AI, Moraes-Filho J, Peixoto RM, Spolidorio MG, Azevedo SS, Costa MM, Labruna MB, Horta MC. Ectoparasite Infestations and Canine Infection by Rickettsiae and Ehrlichiae in a Semi-Arid Region of Northeastern Brazil. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2016; 15:645-51. [PMID: 26565771 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2015.1786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
This study investigated the prevalence of Rickettsia spp. and Ehrlichia canis infection in dogs and their ectoparasites from rural and urban areas of two municipalities, Petrolina and Juazeiro, within a semiarid region (Caatinga biome) of northeastern Brazil, by immunofluorescence assay (IFA) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Overall, 12.1% (61/504) and 23.0% (116/504) of canine plasma samples had antibodies reactive to Rickettsia spp. and E. canis. E. canis DNA was detected by PCR in 8.3% (42/504) of canine blood samples, whereas no blood sample was positive for Rickettsia spp. The infection by E. canis was determined by PCR in 4.9% (14/285) Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato (s.l.) ticks and by Rickettsia felis in 1.1% (3/285) and 40.6% (74/182) ticks and fleas, respectively. Multivariate regression analyses revealed that canine seropositivity to Rickettsia spp. was associated statistically with the variables "to reside in Petrolina" and "presence of ectoparasites." Our results indicate that canine infection by E. canis might be endemic in the Caatinga biome as it is in other Brazilian biomes. Although no previous serosurvey for Rickettsia spp. has been conducted on dogs from the Caatinga biome, our values are much lower than the ones reported for rural dogs from other Brazilian biomes. These differences are likely related to the semiarid climate of the aatinga biome, which minimizes the exposure of rural dogs to Amblyomma spp. ticks, the most common vectors of Rickettsia spp. in Brazil. Considering that dogs are excellent sentinels for human exposure to Rickettsia spp., we can infer that the risks of human acquiring tick-borne rickettsiosis in the Caatinga region of the present study are low. The rickettsial infection rates in fleas and ticks were not related to canine seropositivity; i.e., areas with higher Rickettsia infection rates in fleas had the lowest canine seroreactivity to Rickettsia spp.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Isabel Araes-Santos
- 1 Laboratório de Doenças Parasitárias, Universidade Federal do Vale do São Francisco , Petrolina, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Jonas Moraes-Filho
- 2 Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo , São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Renata M Peixoto
- 3 Laboratório de Doenças Infecciosas, Universidade Federal do Vale do São Francisco , Petrolina, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Mariana G Spolidorio
- 2 Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo , São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sérgio S Azevedo
- 4 Unidade Acadêmica de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Campina Grande , Patos, Paraíba, Brazil
| | - Mateus M Costa
- 3 Laboratório de Doenças Infecciosas, Universidade Federal do Vale do São Francisco , Petrolina, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Marcelo B Labruna
- 2 Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo , São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Mauricio C Horta
- 1 Laboratório de Doenças Parasitárias, Universidade Federal do Vale do São Francisco , Petrolina, Pernambuco, Brazil
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Moraes-Filho J, Krawczak FS, Costa FB, Soares JF, Labruna MB. Comparative Evaluation of the Vector Competence of Four South American Populations of the Rhipicephalus sanguineus Group for the Bacterium Ehrlichia canis, the Agent of Canine Monocytic Ehrlichiosis. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0139386. [PMID: 26414283 PMCID: PMC4587558 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0139386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2015] [Accepted: 09/11/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
This study compared the vector competence of four populations of Rhipicephalus sanguineus group ticks for the bacterium Ehrlichia canis, the agent of canine monocytic ehrlichiosis (CME). Ticks (larvae and nymphs) from the four populations—one from São Paulo state, southeastern Brazil (BSP), one from Rio Grande do Sul state, southern Brazil (BRS), one from Argentina (ARG), and one from Uruguay (URU)–were exposed to E. canis infection by feeding on dogs that were experimentally infected with E. canis. Engorged ticks (larvae and nymphs) were allowed to molt to nymphs and adults, respectively, which were tested by molecular analysis (E. canis-specific PCR assay) and used to infest naïve dogs. Through infestation of adult ticks on naïve dogs, after nymphal acquisition feeding on E. canis-infected dogs, only the BSP population was shown to be competent vectors of E. canis, i.e., only the dogs infested with BSP adult ticks developed clinical illness, seroconverted to E. canis, and yielded E. canis DNA by PCR. This result, demonstrated by two independent replications, is congruent with epidemiological data, since BSP ticks were derived from São Paulo state, Brazil, where CME is highly endemic. On the other hand, BRS, ARG, and URU ticks were derived from a geographical region (South America southern cone) where CME has never been properly documented. Molecular analysis of unfed adults at 30 days post molting support these transmission results, since none of the BRS, ARG, and URU ticks were PCR positive, whereas 1% of the BSP nymphs and 31.8% of the BSP adults contained E. canis DNA. We conclude that the absence or scarcity of cases of CME due to E. canis in the South America southern cone is a result of vector incompetence of the R. sanguineus group ticks that prevail on dogs in this part of South America.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Moraes-Filho
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Felipe S. Krawczak
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Francisco B. Costa
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | | | - Marcelo B. Labruna
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
- * E-mail:
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Alves RN, Rieck SE, Ueira-Vieira C, Labruna MB, Beletti ME. Isolation, in vitro propagation, genetic analysis, and immunogenic characterization of an Ehrlichia canis strain from southeastern Brazil. J Vet Sci 2013; 15:241-8. [PMID: 24136211 PMCID: PMC4087226 DOI: 10.4142/jvs.2014.15.2.241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2013] [Accepted: 08/14/2013] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Amplification of the 16S rRNA gene from a blood sample obtained from a dog in southeastern Brazil was used to confirm a naturally acquired Ehrlichia (E.) canis infection. Following isolation and culturing of the new bacterial strain called Uberlândia, partial sequences of the dsb and p28 genes were obtained. The dsb partial sequence of the novel strain was 100% similar to dsb gene sequences of E. canis obtained from different geographic areas around the world. Conversely, the p28 partial sequence for the E. canis Uberlândia strain differed at several nucleotides from other sequences available in GenBank. To confirm the antigenic profile of the Uberlândia strain, an indirect immunofluorescence assay against E. canis antigens was performed using dog sera collected from two different areas in Brazil (Uberlândia and São Paulo). The results suggest that both antigens were able to identify animals seropositive for E. canis in Brazil since these Brazilian strains appear to be highly conserved.
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Spolidorio MG, Labruna MB, Machado RZ, Moraes-Filho J, Zago AM, Donatele DM, Pinheiro SR, Silveira I, Caliari KM, Yoshinari NH. Survey for tick-borne zoonoses in the state of Espirito Santo, southeastern Brazil. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2010; 83:201-6. [PMID: 20595502 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.2010.09-0595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Blood samples collected from 201 humans, 92 dogs, and 27 horses in the state of Espirito Santo, Brazil, were tested by polymerase chain reaction, indirect immunofluorescence assays, and indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for tick-borne diseases (rickettsiosis, ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis, borreliosis, babesiosis). Our results indicated that the surveyed counties are endemic for spotted fever group rickettsiosis because sera from 70 (34.8%) humans, 7 (7.6%) dogs, and 7 (25.9%) horses were reactive to at least one of the six Rickettsia species tested. Although there was evidence of ehrlichiosis (Ehrlichia canis) and babesiosis (Babesia canis vogeli, Theileria equi) in domestic animals, no human was positive for babesiosis and only four individuals were serologically positive for E. canis. Borrelia burgdorferi-serologic reactive sera were rare among humans and horses, but encompassed 51% of the canine samples, suggesting that dogs and their ticks can be part of the epidemiological cycle of the causative agent of the Brazilian zoonosis, named Baggio-Yoshinari Syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana G Spolidorio
- Laboratório de Investigação Médica 17 (LIM17), Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
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