Molecular detection and characterization of Coxiella burnetii in aborted samples of livestock in China.

Coxiella burnetii is the causative agent of zoonotic Q fever. Animals are the natural reservoirs of C. burnetii, and domestic livestock represent the major sources of human infection. C. burnetii infection in pregnant females may causes abortion during late pregnancy, whereby massive shedding of C. burnetii with abortion products becomes aerosolized and persists in the environment. Therefore, monitoring and surveillance of this infection in livestock is important for the prevention of the C. burnetii transmission. Previous serological surveys have shown that C. burnetii infection is endemic in livestock in China. However, few data are available on the diagnosis of C. burnetii as a cause of abortion by molecular methods in livestock. To get a better understanding of the impact of C. burnetii infection on domestic livestock in China, a real-time PCR investigation was carried out on collected samples from different domestic livestock suffering abortion during 2021-2023. A total of 338 samples collected from eight herds of five livestock species were elected. The results showed that 223 (66 %) of the collected samples were positive for C. burnetii DNA using real-time PCR. For the aborted samples, 82 % (128/15) of sheep, 81 % (34/42) of goats, 44 % (15/34) of cattle, 69 % (18/26) of camels, and 50 % (17/34) of donkeys were positive for C. burnetii. Besides, 44 % (8/18) and 4 % (1/25) of asymptomatic individuals of sheep and donkey were also positive for C. burnetii. In addition, the positive samples were further confirmed by amplification and sequencing of the C. burnetii-specific isocitrate dehydrogenase (icd) gene. Phylogenetic analysis based on specific gene fragments of icd genes revealed that the obtained sequences in this study were clustered into two different groups associated with different origin of hosts and geographic regions. This is the first report confirming that C. burnetii exists in aborted samples of sheep, goats, cattle, donkeys and camels in China. Further studies are needed to fully elucidate the epidemiology of this pathogen in livestock as well as the potential risks to public health.

Molecular detection of Coxiella burnetii in small ruminants and genotyping of specimens collected from goats in Poland.

BACKGROUND: Coxiella burnetii is the etiological agent of Q fever, a zoonosis affecting many animal species including sheep and goats. The aims of this study were to evaluate the shedding of Coxiella burnetii in small ruminant herds and to identify the pathogen's genotypes and sequence types (STs) using multiple-locus variable number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) and multispacer sequence typing (MST) methods. RESULTS: Overall, 165 samples from 43 herds of goats and 9 flocks of sheep were collected including bulk tank milk (BTM), individual milk samples, vaginal swabs, tissue sections from stillborn kids, feces and placentas. These were tested by real-time PCR targeting the IS1111 element. C. burnetii infection was confirmed in 51.16% of the herds of goats and 22.2% of the flocks of sheep. Six out of nine samples originating from goats were successfully genotyped using the MLVA method. The presence was confirmed of two widely distributed MLVA genotypes (I and J) and genotype PL1 previously reported only in cattle. Only one sequence type (ST61) was identified; however, the majority of specimens represented partial STs and some of them may belong to ST61. Other partial STs could possibly be ST74. CONCLUSION: This study confirmed the relatively common occurrence of Coxiella burnetii in small ruminant herds in Poland. Interestingly, all genotyped samples represent cattle-associated MLVA genotypes.

The epidemic of Q fever in 2018 to 2019 in Zhuhai city of China determined by metagenomic next-generation sequencing.

Q fever is a worldwide zoonosis caused by Coxiella burnetii (Cb). From January 2018 to November 2019, plasma samples from 2,382 patients with acute fever of unknown cause at a hospital in Zhuhai city of China were tested using metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS). Of those tested, 138 patients (5.8%) were diagnosed with Q fever based on the presence of Cb genomic DNA detected by mNGS. Among these, 78 cases (56.5%) presented from Nov 2018 to Mar 2019, suggesting an outbreak of Q fever. 55 cases with detailed clinical information that occurred during the outbreak period were used for further analysis. The vast majority of plasma samples from those Cb-mNGS-positive patients were positive in a Cb-specific quantitative polymerase chain reaction (n = 38) and/or indirect immunofluorescence assay (n = 26). Mobile phone tracing data was used to define the area of infection during the outbreak. This suggested the probable infection source was Cb-infected goats and cattle at the only official authorized slaughterhouse in Zhuhai city. Phylogenic analysis based on genomic sequences indicated Cb strains identified in the patients, goat and cattle were formed a single branch, most closely related to the genomic group of Cb dominated by strains isolated from goats. Our study demonstrates Q fever was epidemic in 2018-2019 in Zhuhai city, and this is the first confirmed epidemic of Q fever in a contemporary city in China.

Molecular epidemiology of Coxiella Brunetii in small ruminants in Punjab, Pakistan: a novel reporting analytical cross sectional study.

Coxiella burnetii, an intracellular zoonotic bacterium, causes query (Q) fever in ruminants. Its role has never been elucidated in small ruminants from Pakistan. The current study is designed to (a) determine the prevalence of coxiellosis in small ruminants, (b) evaluate the association of various potential risk factors and biomarkers in the occurrence of Coxiella burnetii, (c) and determine phylogeny and genetic variability of its various isolates identified during the study. For this purpose, 320 blood samples from sheep (n = 160) and goats (n = 160) were collected from 9 Union Councils of district Kasur, Punjab, and processed for DNA extraction. C. burnetii was confirmed by amplification of IS1111 transposase gene with an amplicon size of 294 bp. The results showed that the overall positive percentage of C. burnetii is 36.87% (sheep: 46.9% and goats: 30%). The phylogenetic tree was also constructed which described the possible origin of this pathogen from environment. Besides, after translation into amino acid, the resultant alignment showed several unique changes at position numbers 18 and 27 in the isolates from goats and at 27 and 66 from those of sheep. These mutations can have major impact on the infectious characteristics of this pathogen. Furthermore, different potential risk factors and clinical biomarkers like age, tick infestation, abortion, mastitis, and infertility were also studied and found that these are significantly (p < 0.05) associated with the occurrence of coxiellosis. It is concluded from the study that C. burnetii is endemic in small ruminants in Punjab, Pakistan. The outcomes of this study are alarming for scientific community as well as for policy makers because coxiellosis is an emerging threat to both humans and animals in this region due to its interspecies transmission ability.

Coxiella burnetii in slaughterhouses in Brazil: A public health concern.

Q fever is an important zoonosis, yet it is often neglected and can present large outbreaks, as observed in the Netherlands. In the past few years, cases of Q fever have been described in Brazil; however, the epidemiological situation of Q fever in ruminants, the main reservoir of the pathogen, is unknown in this country. Our study aimed to estimate the prevalence of C. burnetii in cattle sent to slaughterhouses using an immunofluorescence assay (IFA) and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). From 1515 cattle serum samples collected from nine slaughterhouses, 23.8% (360/1515) were serologically positive by IFA (cutoff titer>1:64), indicating past or recent exposure to C. burnetii infection. Among the 54 cities sampled during the study, 83.3% (45/54) had at least one seropositive animal. Subsequently, all seropositive samples were submitted to qPCR for C. burnetii DNA, and 12.2% (44/360) of the sera were qPCR positive, which indicates bacteremia and suggests active or recent infection. The results highlight the risk for abattoir workers that results from exposure to contaminated aerosols produced during slaughter procedures. Moreover, the heat maps that were construction from the positive samples demonstrate the widespread distribution of C. burnetii in the State of São Paulo, Brazil and denotes the need for surveillance and preventive measures to reduce the prevalence in cattle.

Molecular investigation, isolation and phylogenetic analsysis of Coxiella burnetii from aborted fetus and ticks.

Q fever is a zoonotic infection threatening human health, causing abortions in cattle, sheep and goats. Coxiella burnetii (C. burnetii) also causes serious problems such as low birth weight, infertility. This study is the first exemplary for analysis of Q fever around Black Sea region in Turkey. In the study, a total of 270 aborted fetuses (171 cattle, 79 sheep, 20 goats) and 1069 tick samples were aimed to be searched by PCR method. C. burnetii DNA was detected in 8 (2.96 %) of 270 sheep specimens while it could not be found in cattle and goat specimens. 406 sample pools were created from 1069 tick samples (490 male, 579 female) collected from 254 farm animals (187 cattle, 54 sheep, 13 goats) and 11 of these were stated positive. Tick species determined as C. burnetii positive were Hyalomma marginatum, Hyalomma anoliticum excavatum, Hyalomma detritum and Boophilus annulatus. Agent isolation was carried out within embryonated eggs. Agents were stained with Giemsa and was showed. Sequence analysis was performed for TUR/SAM/coxiella_1 (MN917207) isolate and phylogenetic tree was created. This tree, created in compliance with IS1111 transposon gene, did not form different branches in regard to host affiliation (goat, sheep, tick, human) and geographical distribution. As a result, an important zoonotic agent, C. burnetii was diagnosed in sheep aborted fetuses and the infection was proved to have spread among sheep herds in Black Sea region. Besides, 4 separate tick species found in our region hosted the agent and were found important for infection.

Molecular epidemiology of Rickettsia sp. and Coxiella burnetii collected from Hyalomma asiaticum in Bactrian camels (Camelus bactrianus) in inner Mongolia of China.

The purpose of the present study was to determine the presence of Rickettsia sp. and Coxiella burnetii in Hyalomma asiaticum collected from Bactrian camels (Camelus bactrianus) in Inner Mongolia of China. A total of 385 H. asiaticum adults collected from Bactrian camels from Alxa in Inner Mongolia from 2017 to 2018 were examined using PCR combined with sequencing. The results indicated that 18 (4.7 %) and 5 (1.3 %) samples tested positive for Rickettsia and C. burnetii, respectively. The corresponding nucleotide identities among detected genes ranged between 99.7 % and 100 % for the sequences of 17 kD and ompB from Rickettsia and 16S rRNA and FtsX from C. burnetii. Two representative strains-Rickettsia IMA-1 strain and C. burnetii IMA-1 strain-were used for subsequent analysis. NCBI BLAST and phylogenetic analyses demonstrated that the detected strain Rickettsia IMA-1 may represent a novel species of spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsiae. The C. burnetii IMA-1 strain was grouped with Coxiella burnetii str. RSA439 (GenBank: CP040059.1). In addition, the Rickettsia sp. was successfully isolated from the ticks in Vero cells incubated at 28 °C. These findings indicate that the H. asiaticum collected off Bactrian camels in Inner Mongolia carried SFG Rickettsia species and C. burnetii and could contribute to the etiology of febrile illness in animals and humans.

Confirmation that candidatus Coxiella cheraxi from redclaw crayfish (Cherax quadricarinatus) is a close relative of Coxiella burnetii, the agent of Q-fever.

A Coxiella sp. closely related to the agent of Q-fever, Coxiella burnetii, has been associated with mortalities in redclaw crayfish, (Cherax quadricarinatus), in farms and experimental facilities for three decades. Limited sequence data including 16S rRNA have placed the rickettsial species as a new species, candidatus C. cheraxi closely related to C. burnetii. MinION sequencing was conducted on the last remaining sample from an outbreak of disease, TO-98. The accuracy of base pair reads was mostly 99·9% (error rate 1 in 1000) or better. After filtering for reads of co-isolated Citrobacter freundii, 2629 sequences remained with the longest being 12 585 base pairs (bp). The longest 21 sequences are presented with their single best hit statistics when examined by NCBI blastn (nucleotides) and the nucleotides translated into proteins NCBI blastx. All sequences hit with either C. burnetii (29/42, 69%) or Coxiella (10/42, 24%) or rickettsia (3/42, 7%) with an error rate of less than 1 in 1 million for either bp or amino acids. Sequencing in this report confirms candidatus C. cheraxi is a new species very closely related to C. burnetii. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This work reports on the use of newer technologies on archival samples and provides significantly more data on the currently limited genome data of candidatus Coxiella cheraxi, one of the few species isolated in the genus Coxiella. Candidatus Coxiella cheraxi causes death in redclaw crayfish and has been reported as being closely related to C. burnettii, the agent of Q-fever, based on 16S rRNA sequencing. This work provides confirmation for this claim.

Occurrence and Genotyping of Coxiella burnetii in Hedgehogs in China.

Coxiella burnetii is the causative agent of query fever (Q fever), and distributes broadly in environment. Livestock are identified as main reservoirs, which may infect people through their contaminative urine, feces, milk, and birth products. Wild animals can also be the potential carriers and transmitters of C. burnetii. To understand the geographic distribution and host species of C. burnetii in China, we investigated the prevalence of C. burnetii in hedgehogs (Erinaceus amurensis) in Hubei Province. Hedgehogs were tested for C. burnetii with PCR targeting three genes (com1, rrs, and icd) followed by multispacer sequence typing (MST). We found that 12.2% (5/41) hedgehogs were PCR positive for C. burnetii. MST revealed presence of two novel genotypes and phylogenetic analysis revealed that the strains were similar to a group of isolates from chronic Q fever patients and mammals. This study showed that C. burnetii are highly prevalent in hedgehogs in Hubei Province in central China, suggesting that hedgehogs may play an important role in the ecology and transmission of C. burnetii to humans because it is captured and used as traditional medicine in China.

Transmission of Coxiella burnetii by ingestion in mice.

Coxiella burnetii, the causative agent of Q fever, is widely present in dairy products around the world. It has been isolated from unpasteurised milk and cheese and can survive for extended periods of time under typical storage conditions for these products. Although consumption of contaminated dairy products has been suggested as a potential route for transmission, it remains controversial. Given the high prevalence of C. burnetii in dairy products, we sought to examine the feasibility of transmitting the major sequence types (ST16, ST8 and ST20) of C. burnetii circulating in the United States. We delivered three strains of C. burnetii, comprising each sequence type, directly into the stomachs of immunocompetent BALB/c mice via oral gavage (OG) and assessed them for clinical symptoms, serological response and bacterial dissemination. We found that mice receiving C. burnetii by OG had notable splenomegaly only after infection with ST16. A robust immune response and persistence in the stomach and mesenteric lymph nodes were observed in mice receiving ST16 and ST20 by OG, and dissemination of C. burnetii to peripheral tissues was observed in all OG infected mice. These findings support the oral route as a mode of transmission for C. burnetii.

Selective whole genome amplification and sequencing of Coxiella burnetii directly from environmental samples.

Whole genome sequencing (WGS) is a widely available, inexpensive means of providing a wealth of information about an organism's diversity and evolution. However, WGS for many pathogenic bacteria remain limited because they are difficult, slow and/or dangerous to culture. To avoid culturing, metagenomic sequencing can be performed directly on samples, but the sequencing effort required to characterize low frequency organisms can be expensive. Recently developed methods for selective whole genome amplification (SWGA) can enrich target DNA to provide efficient sequencing. We amplified Coxiella burnetii (a bacterial select agent and human/livestock pathogen) from 3 three environmental samples that were overwhelmed with host DNA. The 68- to 147-fold enrichment of the bacterial sequences provided enough genome coverage for SNP analyses and phylogenetic placement. SWGA is a valuable tool for the study of difficult-to-culture organisms and has the potential to facilitate high-throughput population characterizations as well as targeted epidemiological or forensic investigations.

Molecular typing of Coxiella burnetii from sheep in Egypt.

Coxiella burnetii, the etiological agent of Q fever, is a globally distributed zoonotic disease. The disease was reported serologically in different animal species and humans in Egypt but the genetic information about circulating Coxiella strains is limited. The present study aimed to genetically characterize Coxiella positive samples, identified in abortive sheep, based on a 17-loci Multiple Locus Variable number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) panel and Multispacer Sequence Typing (MST). Four MLVA types were found among six examined samples. While all three samples examined by MST were identified as novel sequence type (ST) closely related to human heart valve isolates from France, Saudi Arabia, USA and United Kingdom. This study provides the first genetic information about circulating Coxiella strains in Egypt and improves epidemiological data of Q fever in the country.

From cell culture to cynomolgus macaque: infection models show lineage-specific virulence potential of Coxiella burnetii.

Coxiella burnetii is an obligate intracellular pathogen that causes the zoonotic disease Q fever in humans, which can occur in either an acute or a chronic form with serious complications. The bacterium has a wide host range, including unicellular organisms, invertebrates, birds and mammals, with livestock representing the most significant reservoir for human infections. Cell culture models have been used to decipher the intracellular lifestyle of C. burnetii, and several infection models, including invertebrates, rodents and non-human primates, are being used to investigate host-pathogen interactions and to identify bacterial virulence factors and vaccine candidates. However, none of the models replicate all aspects of human disease. Furthermore, it is becoming evident that C. burnetii isolates belonging to different lineages exhibit differences in their virulence in these models. Here, we compare the advantages and disadvantages of commonly used infection models and summarize currently available data for lineage-specific virulence.

Extensive genome analysis of Coxiella burnetii reveals limited evolution within genomic groups.

BACKGROUND: Coxiella burnetii is a zoonotic pathogen that resides in wild and domesticated animals across the globe and causes a febrile illness, Q fever, in humans. An improved understanding of the genetic diversity of C. burnetii is essential for the development of diagnostics, vaccines and therapeutics, but genotyping data is lacking from many parts of the world. Sporadic outbreaks of Q fever have occurred in the United Kingdom, but the local genetic make-up of C. burnetii has not been studied in detail. RESULTS: Here, we report whole genome data for nine C. burnetii sequences obtained in the UK. All four genomes of C. burnetii from cattle, as well as one sheep sample, belonged to Multi-spacer sequence type (MST) 20, whereas the goat samples were MST33 (three genomes) and MST32 (one genome), two genotypes that have not been described to be present in the UK to date. We established the phylogenetic relationship between the UK genomes and 67 publically available genomes based on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the core genome, which confirmed tight clustering of strains within genomic groups, but also indicated that sub-groups exist within those groups. Variation is mainly achieved through SNPs, many of which are non-synonymous, thereby confirming that evolution of C. burnetii is based on modification of existing genes. Finally, we discovered genomic-group specific genome content, which supports a model of clonal expansion of previously established genotypes, with large scale dissemination of some of these genotypes across continents being observed. CONCLUSIONS: The genetic make-up of C. burnetii in the UK is similar to the one in neighboring European countries. As a species, C. burnetii has been considered a clonal pathogen with low genetic diversity at the nucleotide level. Here, we present evidence for significant variation at the protein level between isolates of different genomic groups, which mainly affects secreted and membrane-associated proteins. Our results thereby increase our understanding of the global genetic diversity of C. burnetii and provide new insights into the evolution of this emerging zoonotic pathogen.

The hypervirulent Coxiella burnetii Guiana strain compared in silico, in vitro and in vivo to the Nine Mile and the German strain.

OBJECTIVE: Q fever epidemic outbreaks have been reported in French Guiana and in The Netherlands. To determine whether the C. burnetii strains involved in these epidemics had a peculiar virulence pattern, we compared the pathogenicity of the Guiana and the German strain (a clone of The Netherlands strain), in silico, in vitro, and in vivo versus the Nine Mile strain. METHOD: The pan-genomes of the Guiana (Cb175), German (Z3055), and the referent Nine Mile (RSA 493) C. burnetii strains were compared. In vitro, the growth rate and the morphological presentation were compared. In vivo (SCID and Balb/c mice), weight loss, histological lesions, C. burnetii bacterial load in deep organs, and serological response were reported according to each C. burnetii strain studied. RESULTS: The Guiana strain had 77 times more missing genes and 12 times more unique genes than the German strain. The Guiana strain presented as large cell variants (LCVs) and led to the most pronounced fatality rate in SCID mice (100% at 4 weeks). The German strain presented as small cell variants (SCVs), and had an intermediate fatality rate (75% at 4 weeks). Both the Guiana and the German strains led to a significant higher serological response at 2 and 4 weeks post infection (p <0.05). CONCLUSION: The Guiana strain was the most virulent strain, followed by the German strain and the referent Nine Mile strain. Unique and missing genes could be implicated but further investigations are necessary to specify their role.

Coxiella burnetii: A Pathogenic Intracellular Acidophile.

Coxiella burnetii is an obligate intracellular pathogen that causes acute and chronic Q fever. C. burnetii grows within a eukaryotic host cell in a vacuole highly similar to a phagolysosome. Found worldwide, this environmentally stable pathogen is maintained in nature via chronic infection of ruminants. Aerosol-mediated infection of humans results in infection and usurpation of alveolar macrophages through mechanisms using a bacterial Type 4B Secretion System and secreted effector proteins. Advances in axenic culture and genetic systems are changing our understanding of the pathogen's physiology and intimate molecular manipulations of host cells during infection.

Genotyping of Coxiella burnetii in sheep and goat abortion samples.

BACKGROUND: Q fever, caused by Coxiella burnetii, is a zoonosis that presents a worldwide distribution and affects both humans and animals. The route of dispersal of the pathogen by ruminants into the environment usually involves stages of abortion and parturition, nevertheless the agent can, also, be detected in other animal samples. Therefore it is considered as important in terms of proper diagnosis, as well as, for epidemiology and surveillance purposes, to genotype the pathogen. The aim of the current study was to investigate the presence of different genotypes of the agent in animals that had suffered from abortion during a two-year survey in Greece. RESULTS: Sixty nine tissue samples (37 stomach contents, 11 liver samples, 21 cotyledons) were collected from 59 abortion cases in sheep (N = 45) and goats (N = 14) from 65 farms at eight different areas of Greece. Samples were screened by qPCR and positive ones were further genotyped using a 10-locus multiple loci (ms 1, 3, 7, 12, 20, 21, 22, 26, 30 and 36) variable number of tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) method. Three genotypes were identified in sheep (A, B, C). Samples representing each of the obtained MLVA profile were further used for MST genotyping. Ten spacers (Cox 2, 5, 6, 18, 20, 22, 37, 51, 56 and 57) were amplified. A close relatedness among the identified MLVA genotypes was confirmed since they all belonged to MST group 32. CONCLUSIONS: The current study introduces into the aspect of genotyping of C. burnetii in Greece. Further studies are needed to explore the presence of more genotypes, to associate the genotypes circulating in the animal and tick population with those causing human disease in order to further expand on the epidemiological aspects of the pathogen.

Genotyping of Coxiella burnetii detected in placental tissues from aborted dairy cattle in the north of Algeria.

Coxiella burnetii, is an obligate intracellular bacterium which is present throughout the world. In humans, C. burnetii is the causative agent of Q fever. In cattle, the infection is suspected to cause stillbirths, retained fetal membranes, metritis and infertility. The birth products of ruminants shed huge amounts of bacteria, and are considered a major source for human infection. The present study was designed to search for the presence of C. burnetii in placental tissues collected from aborted and normal calving dairy cows in Algeria, using molecular tools. A total of 77 placental tissue fragments were collected from dairy cows. 73 samples were collected from aborted cows and four samples were collected from natural calving cows over a period of two years from January 2013 to March 2015. The presence of C. burnetii in these samples was screened by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) targeting two different genes, IS1111 and IS30 A. The positive PCR amplicons were subsequently sequenced for Multispacer Sequence Typing determination (MST) using seven pairs of sequences (Cox2, Cox5, Cox18, Cox37, Cox56, Cox57, and Cox61). Fourteen placental tissues (19.1%) were found to be positive for C. burnetii by qPCR; 9 (12.3%) from the city of Blida and 5 (6.84%) from the city of Medea. Genotyping of the corresponding amplicons displayed 100% identity with C. burnetii MST20 genotype, confirming the circulation of this clone in dairy farms from Algeria.

Detection of bacterial pathogens in clade E head lice collected from Niger's refugees in Algeria.

BACKGROUND: Head lice, Pediculus humanus capitis, are obligate blood-sucking parasites. Phylogenetically, they occur in five divergent mitochondrial clades (A, D, B, C and E), each having a particular geographical distribution. Recent studies have revealed that head lice, as is the case of body lice, can act as a vector for louse-borne diseases. Here, we aimed to study the genetic diversity of head lice collected from Niger's refugees (migrant population) arriving in Algeria, northern Africa, and to look for louse-borne pathogens. Comparative head lice samples collected from indigenous population of schoolchildren (non-immigrant) were also analyzed to frame the study. RESULTS: In this study, 37 head lice samples were collected from 31 Nigerien refugees, as well as 45 head lice from 27 schoolchildren. The collection was established in three localities of eastern Algiers, north Algeria. Quantitative real-time PCR screening of pathogens bacteria and the genetic characterisation of the head lice satut were performed. Through amplification and sequencing of the cytb gene, results showed that all head lice of Nigerien refugees 37/82 (45.12%) belonged to clade E with the presence of four new haplotypes, while, of the 45 head lice of schoolchildren, 34/82 lice (41.46%) belonged to clade A and 11/82 (13.41%) belonged to clade B. Our study is the first to report the existence of clade E haplogroup in Nigerien head lice. DNA of Coxiella burnetii was detected in 3/37 (8.10%) of the head lice collected from 3 of the 31 (9.67%) migrant population. We also revealed the presence of Acinetobacter DNA in 20/37 (54.05%) of head lice collected from 25/31 (80.64%) of the Nigerien refugees, and in 25/45 (55.55%) head lice collected from 15/27 (55.55%) schoolchildren. All positive Nigerien-head lice for Acinetobacter spp. were identified as A. baumannii, while positive schoolchildren-head lice were identified as A. johnsonii 15/25 (60%), A. variabilis 8/25 (32%) and A. baumannii 2/25 (8%). CONCLUSIONS: Based on these findings from head lice collected on migrant and non-migrant population, our results show, for the first time, that head lice from Niger belong to haplogroup E, and confirm that the clade E had a west African distribution. We also detected, for the first time, the presence of C. burnetii and A. baumannii in these Nigerien head lice. Nevertheless, further studies are needed to determine whether the head lice can transmit these pathogenic bacteria from one person to another.

Body lice of homeless people reveal the presence of several emerging bacterial pathogens in northern Algeria.

BACKGROUND: Human lice, Pediculus humanus, are obligate blood-sucking parasites. Body lice, Pediculus h. humanus, occur in two divergent mitochondrial clades (A and D) each exhibiting a particular geographic distribution. Currently, the body louse is recognized as the only vector for louse-borne diseases. In this study, we aimed to study the genetic diversity of body lice collected from homeless populations in three localities of northern Algeria, and to investigate louse-borne pathogens in these lice. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In this study, 524 body lice specimens were collected from 44 homeless people in three localities: Algiers, Tizi Ouzou and Boumerdès located in northern Algeria. Duplex clade specific real-time PCRs (qPCR) and Cytochrome b (cytb) mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis were performed in order to identify the mitochondrial clade. Screening of louse-borne pathogens bacteria was based on targeting specific genes for each pathogen using qPCR supplemented by sequencing. All body lice belong to clade A. Through amplification and sequencing of the cytb gene we confirmed the presence of three haplotypes: A5, A9 and A63, which is novel. The molecular investigation of the 524 body lice samples revealed the presence of four human pathogens: Bartonella quintana (13.35%), Coxiella burnetii (10.52%), Anaplasma phagocytophilum (0.76%) and Acinetobacter species (A. baumannii, A. johnsonii, A. berezeniae, A. nosocomialis and A. variabilis, in total 46.94%). CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: To the best of our knowledge, our study is the first to show the genetic diversity and presence of several emerging pathogenic bacteria in homeless' body lice from Algeria. We also report for the first time, the presence of several species of Acinetobacter in human body lice. Our results highlight the fact that body lice may be suspected as being a much broader vector of several pathogenic agents than previously thought. Nevertheless, other studies are needed to encourage epidemiological investigations and surveys of louse-associated infections.