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Bruley M, Duron O. Multi-locus sequence analysis unveils a novel genus of filarial nematodes associated with ticks in French Guiana. Parasite 2024; 31:14. [PMID: 38488705 PMCID: PMC10941835 DOI: 10.1051/parasite/2024015] [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: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Filarial nematodes of the Dipetalonema lineage include tick-borne filarioids that infect both domestic and wild vertebrate hosts, but they remain understudied in many cases. In this study, we conducted a molecular characterization of a Dipetalonema-like filarioid (DLF) recently identified in two tick species in French Guiana, South America. While the cox1 mitochondrial gene was the sole marker initially sequenced for describing DLF, its classification and phylogenetic relationship with other members of the Dipetalonema lineage were unclear. Therefore, we better characterized DLF through the sequencing of six additional gene markers and conducted phylogenetic analyses. Based on this multi-locus typing scheme, DLF exhibited significant divergence from known genera and species of filarioids, or other sequences available in public databases, suggesting its potential classification as a novel genus within the Dipetalonema lineage. Phylogenetic analyses further unveiled a close evolutionary relationship between DLF and all other filarioids associated with Acari (ticks and mites) within a robust monophyletic subclade in the Dipetalonema lineage. Overall, these findings confirm the existence of a specialized, Acari-borne group of filarioids and underscore the need for comprehensive investigations into their epidemiology and potential impact on animal health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marjorie Bruley
- MIVEGEC, University of Montpellier (UM), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut pour la Recherche de la Développement (IRD) Avenue Agropolis 34090 Montpellier France
| | - Olivier Duron
- MIVEGEC, University of Montpellier (UM), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut pour la Recherche de la Développement (IRD) Avenue Agropolis 34090 Montpellier France
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2
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Price DC, Brennan JR, Wagner NE, Egizi AM. Comparative hologenomics of two Ixodes scapularis tick populations in New Jersey. PeerJ 2021; 9:e12313. [PMID: 34820166 PMCID: PMC8588856 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.12313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Tick-borne diseases, such as those transmitted by the blacklegged tick Ixodes scapularis, are a significant and growing public health problem in the US. There is mounting evidence that co-occurring non-pathogenic microbes can also impact tick-borne disease transmission. Shotgun metagenome sequencing enables sampling of the complete tick hologenome—the collective genomes of the tick and all of the microbial species contained therein, whether pathogenic, commensal or symbiotic. This approach simultaneously uncovers taxonomic composition and allows the detection of intraspecific genetic variation, making it a useful tool to compare spatial differences across tick populations. We evaluated this approach by comparing hologenome data from two tick samples (N = 6 ticks per location) collected at a relatively fine spatial scale, approximately 23 km apart, within a single US county. Several intriguing variants in the data between the two sites were detected, including polymorphisms in both in the tick’s own mitochondrial DNA and that of a rickettsial endosymbiont. The two samples were broadly similar in terms of the microbial species present, including multiple known tick-borne pathogens (Borrelia burgdorferi, Babesia microti, and Anaplasma phagocytophilum), filarial nematodes, and Wolbachia and Babesia species. We assembled the complete genome of the rickettsial endosymbiont (most likely Rickettsia buchneri) from both populations. Our results provide further evidence for the use of shotgun metagenome sequencing as a tool to compare tick hologenomes and differentiate tick populations across localized spatial scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana C Price
- Department of Entomology, Center for Vector Biology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, United States of America
| | - Julia R Brennan
- Department of Entomology, Center for Vector Biology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, United States of America
| | - Nicole E Wagner
- Department of Entomology, Center for Vector Biology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, United States of America
| | - Andrea M Egizi
- Department of Entomology, Center for Vector Biology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, United States of America.,Tick-Borne Disease Laboratory, Monmouth County Mosquito Control Division, Tinton Falls, NJ, United States of America
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3
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Role of Zoo-Housed Animals in the Ecology of Ticks and Tick-Borne Pathogens-A Review. Pathogens 2021; 10:pathogens10020210. [PMID: 33669161 PMCID: PMC7919684 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10020210] [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: 01/14/2021] [Revised: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Ticks are ubiquitous ectoparasites, feeding on representatives of all classes of terrestrial vertebrates and transmitting numerous pathogens of high human and veterinary medical importance. Exotic animals kept in zoological gardens, ranches, wildlife parks or farms may play an important role in the ecology of ticks and tick-borne pathogens (TBPs), as they may serve as hosts for local tick species. Moreover, they can develop diseases of varying severity after being infected by TBPs, and theoretically, can thus serve as reservoirs, thereby further propagating TBPs in local ecosystems. The definite role of these animals in the tick-host-pathogen network remains poorly investigated. This review provides a summary of the information currently available regarding ticks and TBPs in connection to captive local and exotic wildlife, with an emphasis on zoo-housed species.
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4
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Stanicka A, Zając KS, Jefimow M, Wojciechowski MS. Diplotriaena obtusa (Nematoda: Filariidae) infection in first-year Sylvia atricapilla from Poland – molecular evidence. THE EUROPEAN ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/24750263.2021.1998679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- A. Stanicka
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology, Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Toruń, Poland
| | - K. S. Zając
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - M. Jefimow
- Department of Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Toruń, Poland
| | - M. S. Wojciechowski
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology and Ecology, Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Toruń, Poland
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5
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Molecular Approach for the Diagnosis of Blood and Skin Canine Filarioids. Microorganisms 2020; 8:microorganisms8111671. [PMID: 33126584 PMCID: PMC7713008 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8111671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2020] [Revised: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The zoonotic Onchocerca lupi and tick-transmitted filarioids of the genus Cercopithifilaria remain less well known due to the difficulties in accessing to skin samples as target tissues. Here, we proposed a molecular approach reliying on multiplex qPCR assays that allow the rapid identification of filarioids from canine blood, skin, and tick samples. This includes two newly developed duplex qPCR tests, the first one targeting filarial and C. grassii DNA (CanFil-C. grassii). and the second qPCR assay designed for the detection of Cercopithifilaria bainae and Cercopithifilaria sp. II DNAs (C. bainae-C.spII). The third one is a triplex TaqMan cox 1 assay targeting DNA of blood microfilariae (e.g., Dirofilaria immitis, Dirofilaria repens and Acanthocheilonema reconditum). The novel duplex qPCRs developed were validated in silico and by screening of known DNA collection. The qPCR assays were also used for screening the blood and tick samples of 72 dogs from Algeria. This allowed the identification of canine filariasis infection with 100% of specificity and 89.47% and 100% of sensitivity from naturally infected blood and tick samples, respectively. The prevalences of 26.39% for D. immitis and 5.56% for both D. repens and A. reconditum were reported in blood and tick samples. Cercopithifilaria DNAs were detected only in tick samples, with a prevalence of 4.17% and 5.56% for C. bainae and Cercopithifilaria sp. II, respectively. Co-infections were diagnosed in 6.94% and 13.89% of blood and tick samples, respectively. Whereas all samples were negative for C. grassii DNA. The use of engorged ticks instead of blood and skin samples could be an easier option for the surveillance of all canine filarioids herein investigated. The multiplex qPCR assays herein validated were shown to be useful in the detection of filarial co-infections by overcoming sequencing of positive samples.
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6
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Tokarz R, Tagliafierro T, Ian Lipkin W, Marques AR. Characterization of a Monanema nematode in Ixodes scapularis. Parasit Vectors 2020; 13:371. [PMID: 32709241 PMCID: PMC7379800 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-04228-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Metagenomic studies have revealed the presence of a filarial nematode in Ixodes scapularis. The phylogeny of this agent, and its potential for human infection, are unknown. Methods We used existing metagenomic data from I. scapularis to determine the phylogeny of this tick-associated nematode and employed quantitative PCR to determine if the presence of this agent had an effect on the burden of Borrelia burgdorferi. We also developed a Luciferase Immunoprecipitation System assay using the Av33 antigen as a target to investigate the presence of antibodies against this nematode in 128 serum specimens from patients with Lyme disease and babesiosis. To demonstrate assay utility, we used 15 sera from patients with onchocerciasis as controls. Results We show that this agent is a new species in the genus Monanema and its presence in vector ticks does not impact the burden of B. burgdorferi. We did not detect IgG antibodies to this agent in 127 of 128 sera from patients with Lyme disease or babesiosis. One sample had reactivity above the threshold, but at the low-level equivalent to the least reactive onchocerciasis sera. This low positive signal could be a result of cross-reacting antibodies, antibodies from a previous infection with a filarial nematode, or, less likely, a exposure to the Ixodes scapularis-associated nematode. Conclusions We found no evidence that this nematode contributes to the spectrum of human tick-borne infections.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafal Tokarz
- Center for Infection and Immunity, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Teresa Tagliafierro
- Center for Infection and Immunity, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - W Ian Lipkin
- Center for Infection and Immunity, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Adriana R Marques
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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7
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Stewart PE, Bloom ME. Sharing the Ride: Ixodes scapularis Symbionts and Their Interactions. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:142. [PMID: 32322563 PMCID: PMC7156593 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.00142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2019] [Accepted: 03/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The deer tick Ixodes scapularis transmits a variety of disease agents in the United States, spreading the bacteria that causes Lyme borreliosis, the protozoan agent of babesiosis, and viruses such as Powassan. However, a variety of other organisms have also evolved symbiotic relationships with this tick species, and it seems likely that some of these microbes have simultaneously coevolved mechanisms to impact each other and their tick host. The number of organisms identified as I. scapularis symbionts has increased seemingly exponentially with the advent of PCR and next generation sequencing technologies, but convincing arguments have proposed that some of these are of environmental origin, unadapted to surviving the physiological conditions of the tick or that they are artifacts of ultrasensitive detection methods. In this review, we examine the diversity of the known microbes occurring within the I. scapularis microbiome, the evidence for interactions between microbes, and discuss whether some organisms reported to be symbionts of I. scapularis are experimental artifacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip E Stewart
- Biology of Vector-Borne Viruses Section, Laboratory of Virology, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, United States
| | - Marshall E Bloom
- Biology of Vector-Borne Viruses Section, Laboratory of Virology, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, United States
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8
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Microbiome analysis of Ixodes scapularis ticks from New York and Connecticut. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2019; 10:894-900. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2019.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2019] [Revised: 03/21/2019] [Accepted: 04/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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9
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Cross ST, Kapuscinski ML, Perino J, Maertens BL, Weger-Lucarelli J, Ebel GD, Stenglein MD. Co-Infection Patterns in Individual Ixodes scapularis Ticks Reveal Associations between Viral, Eukaryotic and Bacterial Microorganisms. Viruses 2018; 10:E388. [PMID: 30037148 PMCID: PMC6071216 DOI: 10.3390/v10070388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2018] [Revised: 07/20/2018] [Accepted: 07/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Ixodes scapularis ticks harbor a variety of microorganisms, including eukaryotes, bacteria and viruses. Some of these can be transmitted to and cause disease in humans and other vertebrates. Others are not pathogenic, but may impact the ability of the tick to harbor and transmit pathogens. A growing number of studies have examined the influence of bacteria on tick vector competence but the influence of the tick virome remains less clear, despite a surge in the discovery of tick-associated viruses. In this study, we performed shotgun RNA sequencing on 112 individual adult I. scapularis collected in Wisconsin, USA. We characterized the abundance, prevalence and co-infection rates of viruses, bacteria and eukaryotic microorganisms. We identified pairs of tick-infecting microorganisms whose observed co-infection rates were higher or lower than would be expected, or whose RNA levels were positively correlated in co-infected ticks. Many of these co-occurrence and correlation relationships involved two bunyaviruses, South Bay virus and blacklegged tick phlebovirus-1. These viruses were also the most prevalent microorganisms in the ticks we sampled, and had the highest average RNA levels. Evidence of associations between microbes included a positive correlation between RNA levels of South Bay virus and Borrelia burgdorferi, the Lyme disease agent. These findings contribute to the rationale for experimental studies on the impact of viruses on tick biology and vector competence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaun T Cross
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
| | - Marylee L Kapuscinski
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
| | - Jacquelyn Perino
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
| | - Bernadette L Maertens
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
| | - James Weger-Lucarelli
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA.
| | - Gregory D Ebel
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
| | - Mark D Stenglein
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
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10
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Sakamoto JM, Ng TFF, Suzuki Y, Tsujimoto H, Deng X, Delwart E, Rasgon JL. Bunyaviruses are common in male and female Ixodes scapularis ticks in central Pennsylvania. PeerJ 2016; 4:e2324. [PMID: 27602290 PMCID: PMC4991847 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.2324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2016] [Accepted: 07/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The blacklegged tick Ixodes scapularis is widely distributed in the United States and transmits multiple pathogens to humans, wildlife and domestic animals. Recently, several novel viruses in the family Bunyaviridae (South Bay virus (SBV) and Blacklegged tick phlebovirus (BTPV)) were identified infecting female I. scapularis ticks collected in New York State. We used metagenomic sequencing to investigate the distribution of viruses infecting male and female I. scapularis ticks collected in Centre County, Pennsylvania. We identified both SBV and BTPV in both male and female ticks from all collection locations. The role of male I. scapularis in pathogen epidemiology has been overlooked because they rarely bite and are not considered important pathogen vectors. However, males may act as reservoirs for pathogens that can then be transmitted to females during mating. Our data highlight the importance of examining all potential avenues of pathogen maintenance and transmission throughout the vector-pathogen life cycle in order to understand the epidemiology of tick-borne pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joyce M Sakamoto
- Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States.,Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Terry Fei Fan Ng
- Molecular Virology, Blood Systems Research Institute, San Francisco, California, United States.,Division of Viral Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
| | - Yasutsugu Suzuki
- Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States.,Department of Virology, Institute Pasteur, Paris, France.,The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Hitoshi Tsujimoto
- Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States.,Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States.,The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States.,Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, United States
| | - Xutao Deng
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Blood Systems Research Institute, San Francisco, CA, USA.,University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Eric Delwart
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Blood Systems Research Institute, San Francisco, CA, USA.,University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jason L Rasgon
- Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States.,Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States.,The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
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11
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Campana MG, Hawkins MTR, Henson LH, Stewardson K, Young HS, Card LR, Lock J, Agwanda B, Brinkerhoff J, Gaff HD, Helgen KM, Maldonado JE, McShea WJ, Fleischer RC. Simultaneous identification of host, ectoparasite and pathogen DNA via in-solution capture. Mol Ecol Resour 2016; 16:1224-39. [DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.12524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2015] [Revised: 01/08/2016] [Accepted: 01/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael G. Campana
- Center for Conservation and Evolutionary Genetics; Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute; 3001 Connecticut Avenue NW Washington DC 20008 USA
| | - Melissa T. R. Hawkins
- Center for Conservation and Evolutionary Genetics; Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute; 3001 Connecticut Avenue NW Washington DC 20008 USA
- Division of Mammals; National Museum of Natural History; Smithsonian Institution; MRC 108, P.O. Box 37012 Washington DC 20013-7012 USA
| | - Lauren H. Henson
- Center for Conservation and Evolutionary Genetics; Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute; 3001 Connecticut Avenue NW Washington DC 20008 USA
| | - Kristin Stewardson
- Center for Conservation and Evolutionary Genetics; Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute; 3001 Connecticut Avenue NW Washington DC 20008 USA
| | - Hillary S. Young
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology; University of California Santa Barbara; Santa Barbara CA 93106 USA
| | - Leah R. Card
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute; National Zoological Park; 1500 Remount Rd. Front Royal VA 22630 USA
| | - Justin Lock
- Center for Conservation and Evolutionary Genetics; Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute; 3001 Connecticut Avenue NW Washington DC 20008 USA
| | | | - Jory Brinkerhoff
- Department of Biology; B322 Gottwald Center for the Sciences; University of Richmond; 28 Westhampton Way Richmond VA 23173 USA
| | - Holly D. Gaff
- Department of Biological Sciences; Old Dominion University; Norfolk VA 23529 USA
| | - Kristofer M. Helgen
- Division of Mammals; National Museum of Natural History; Smithsonian Institution; MRC 108, P.O. Box 37012 Washington DC 20013-7012 USA
| | - Jesús E. Maldonado
- Center for Conservation and Evolutionary Genetics; Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute; 3001 Connecticut Avenue NW Washington DC 20008 USA
- Division of Mammals; National Museum of Natural History; Smithsonian Institution; MRC 108, P.O. Box 37012 Washington DC 20013-7012 USA
| | - William J. McShea
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute; National Zoological Park; 1500 Remount Rd. Front Royal VA 22630 USA
| | - Robert C. Fleischer
- Center for Conservation and Evolutionary Genetics; Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute; 3001 Connecticut Avenue NW Washington DC 20008 USA
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12
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Henning TC, Orr JM, Smith JD, Arias JR, Rasgon JL, Norris DE. Discovery of filarial nematode DNA in Amblyomma americanum in Northern Virginia. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2015; 7:315-8. [PMID: 26707835 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2015.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2014] [Revised: 11/24/2015] [Accepted: 11/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Ticks collected in 2011 were screened for the presence of filarial nematode genetic material, and positive samples were sequenced for analysis. Monanema-like filarial nematode DNA was recently discovered in Amblyomma americanum in northern Virginia, marking the first time genetic material from this parasite has been discovered in ticks in the state. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that this material was directly related to a previously discovered filarial nematode in A. americanum populations in Maryland as well as recently identified parasites in Ixodes scapularis from southern Connecticut. Further study is warranted to visually confirm the presence of these nematodes, characterize their distribution, and determine if these ticks are intermediate hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler C Henning
- The W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N Wolfe St E5132, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
| | - John M Orr
- Fair County Health Department, Disease Carrying Insects Program, 10777 Main Street, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA.
| | - Joshua D Smith
- Fair County Health Department, Disease Carrying Insects Program, 10777 Main Street, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA.
| | - Jorge R Arias
- Fair County Health Department, Disease Carrying Insects Program, 10777 Main Street, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA.
| | - Jason L Rasgon
- Department of Entomology, the Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics and the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, W127 Millennium Sci Complex, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
| | - Douglas E Norris
- The W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N Wolfe St E5132, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
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