1
|
Alkathiri B, Lee S, Ahn K, Cho YS, Youn SY, Seo K, Umemiya-Shirafuji R, Xuan X, Kwak D, Shin S, Lee SH. 16S rRNA metabarcoding for the identification of tick-borne bacteria in ticks in the Republic of Korea. Sci Rep 2024; 14:19708. [PMID: 39181959 PMCID: PMC11344767 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-70815-7] [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: 05/06/2024] [Accepted: 08/21/2024] [Indexed: 08/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Ticks are blood-sucking ectoparasites that act as vectors for transmission of various pathogens. The purpose of this study was to assess tick-borne bacteria, whether pathogenic or not, in ticks distributed in Korea using 16S rRNA metabarcoding and to confirm the results by PCR. Questing ticks were collected from four provinces in Korea in 2021 using the flagging method. After pooling the DNAs from the 61 tick pools (including 372 ticks), the bacterial 16S rRNA V3-V4 hypervariable region was amplified and sequenced using the MiSeq platform. Rickettsia, Ehrlichia, and the endosymbiont Wolbachia were confirmed by conventional PCR and molecular analysis. In total, 6907 ticks (534 pools) were collected and identified as belonging to five species (Haemaphysalis spp., H. longicornis, H. flava, I. nipponensis, and A. testudinarium). Through 16S rRNA metabarcoding, 240 amplicon sequence variants were identified. The dominant taxa were Rickettsiella and Coxiella. Additionally, pathogenic bacteria such as Rickettsia and Ehrlichia, endosymbiotic bacteria such as Wolbachia and Spiroplasma were identified. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed to confirm the presence of Rickettsia, Ehrlichia, Bartonella, and Wolbachia in individual ticks. Overall, 352 (65.92%) of 534 pools tested positive for at least one of the screened tick-borne bacteria. Rickettsia was the most prevalent (61.42%), followed by Wolbachia (5.05%). Ehrlichia was detected in 4.86% of tested samples, whereas Bartonella was not detected. In this study, 16S rRNA metabarcoding revealed the presence of Rickettsia, Wolbachia, and Ehrlichia, in that order of abundance, while showing absence of Bartonella. These results were confirmed to exhibit the same trend as that of the conventional PCR. Therefore, large-scale screening studies based on pooling, as applied in this study, will be useful for examining novel or rare pathogens present in various hosts and vectors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Badriah Alkathiri
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Chungbuk, 28644, Republic of Korea
| | - Subin Lee
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Chungbuk, 28644, Republic of Korea
| | - KyuSung Ahn
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, Republic of Korea
| | - Yun Sang Cho
- Laboratory of Parasitic and Honeybee Diseases, Bacterial Disease Division, Department of Animal & Plant Health Research, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, Gimcheon, 39660, Republic of Korea
| | - So Youn Youn
- Laboratory of Parasitic and Honeybee Diseases, Bacterial Disease Division, Department of Animal & Plant Health Research, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, Gimcheon, 39660, Republic of Korea
| | - Kwangwon Seo
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Chungbuk, 28644, Republic of Korea
| | - Rika Umemiya-Shirafuji
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, 080-8555, Japan
| | - Xuenan Xuan
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, 080-8555, Japan
| | - Dongmi Kwak
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, 41566, Republic of Korea
| | - SungShik Shin
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung-Hun Lee
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Chungbuk, 28644, Republic of Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Tang J, Xu J, Liu XH, Lv FZ, Yao QJ, Zhou XF, Lu HY, Yu TM, Jiang ZZ, Jin XZ, Guo F, Yu XJ. Prevalence and genetic diversity of Anaplasma and Ehrlichia in ticks and domesticated animals in Suizhou County, Hubei Province, China. Sci Rep 2024; 14:12621. [PMID: 38824201 PMCID: PMC11144266 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-63267-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Anaplasma and Ehrlichia are tick-borne bacterial pathogens that cause anaplasmoses and ehrlichioses in humans and animals. In this study, we examined the prevalence of Anaplasma and Ehrlichia species in ticks and domesticated animals in Suizhou County, Hubei Province in the central China. We used PCR amplification and DNA sequencing of the 16S rRNA, groEL, and gltA genes to analyze. We collected 1900 ticks, including 1981 Haemaphysalis longicornis and 9 Rhipicephalus microplus, 159 blood samples of goats (n = 152), cattle (n = 4), and dogs (n = 3) from May to August of 2023. PCR products demonstrated that Anaplasma bovis, Anaplasma capra, and an Ehrlichia species were detected in the H. longicornis with the minimum infection rates (MIR) of 1.11%, 1.32%, and 0.05%, respectively; A. bovis, A. capra, and unnamed Anaplasma sp. were detected in goats with an infection rate of 26.31%, 1.31% and 1.97%, respectively. Anaplasma and Ehrlichia species were not detected from cattle, dogs and R. microplus ticks. The genetic differences in the groEL gene sequences of the Anaplasma in the current study were large, whereas the 16S rRNA and gltA gene sequences were less disparate. This study shows that ticks and goats in Suizhou County, Hubei Province carry multiple Anaplasma species and an Ehrlichia species, with relatively higher infection rate of A. bovis in goats. Our study indicates that multiple Anaplasma and Ehrlichia species exist in ticks and goats in the central China with potential to cause human infection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ju Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Jiao Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Xiao-Hui Liu
- Suizhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Suizhou, Hubei Province, China
| | - Fang-Zhi Lv
- Suizhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Suizhou, Hubei Province, China
| | - Qiu-Ju Yao
- Suizhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Suizhou, Hubei Province, China
| | - Xiao-Fan Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Hui-Ya Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Tian-Mei Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Ze-Zheng Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Xiao-Zhou Jin
- Suizhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Suizhou, Hubei Province, China.
| | - Fang Guo
- Suizhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Suizhou, Hubei Province, China.
| | - Xue-Jie Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Seo J, Kim G, Lim JA, Song S, Yoo DS, Cho HS, Oh Y. Tick Diversity and Pathogen Transmission in Daejeon, Korea: Implications from Companion Animals and Walking Trails. Vet Sci 2024; 11:90. [PMID: 38393108 PMCID: PMC10892892 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci11020090] [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: 12/22/2023] [Revised: 02/04/2024] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
With the ongoing global warming-induced climate change, there has been a surge in vector-borne diseases, particularly tick-borne diseases (TBDs). As the population of companion animals grows, there is growing concern from a One Health perspective about the potential for these animals to spread TBDs. In this study, ticks were collected from companion animals and the surrounding environment in Daejeon Metropolitan City, Korea, using flagging and dragging, and CO2 trap methods. These ticks were then subjected to conventional (nested) PCR for severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV), Anaplasma spp., Ehrlichia spp., and Borrelia spp. We identified a total of 29,176 ticks, consisting of three genera and four species: H. longicornis, H. flava, I. nipponensis, and A. testudinarium. Notably, H. longicornis was the predominant species. The presence of A. testudinarium suggested that the species traditionally found in southern regions are migrating northward, likely as a result of climate change. Our PCR results confirmed the presence of all four pathogens in both companion animals and the surrounding environment, underscoring the potential for the indirect transmission of tick-borne pathogens to humans through companion animals. These findings emphasize the importance of the ongoing surveillance of companion animals in the management and control of TBDs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jinwoo Seo
- Division of Animal Health, Daejeon Institute of Health and Environment, Daejeon 34142, Republic of Korea; (J.S.); (J.-a.L.); (S.S.)
| | - Gyurae Kim
- College of Veterinary Medicine and Institute of Veterinary Science, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Republic of Korea;
| | - Jeong-ah Lim
- Division of Animal Health, Daejeon Institute of Health and Environment, Daejeon 34142, Republic of Korea; (J.S.); (J.-a.L.); (S.S.)
| | - Seungho Song
- Division of Animal Health, Daejeon Institute of Health and Environment, Daejeon 34142, Republic of Korea; (J.S.); (J.-a.L.); (S.S.)
| | - Dae-Sung Yoo
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Republic of Korea;
| | - Ho-Seong Cho
- College of Veterinary Medicine and Bio-Safety Research Institute, Jeonbuk National University, Iksan 54596, Republic of Korea;
| | - Yeonsu Oh
- College of Veterinary Medicine and Institute of Veterinary Science, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Republic of Korea;
| |
Collapse
|