Gastric canthariasis caused by invasion of mealworm beetle larvae in weaned pigs in large-scale farming.

BACKGROUND: Mealworm beetle T. molitor (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) (Linnaeus, 1758) is one of the most important cosmopolitan primary storage pests, scavenging on a variety of post-harvest grains and affecting the quality and safety of food and feed. In addition to being an important factor in feed hygiene, the insect can also be an epidemiological factor of canthariasis. Livestock infestations with T. molitor are rarely reported. This article describes T. molitor-caused canthariasis in pigs in large scale closed-cycle farming. RESULTS: In the spring, we registered a significantly increased mortality among weaned pigs. In autopsy, live 3-6 mm long T. molitor larvae were found in their stomachs, especially in the non-glandular oesophageal region, on average 2-3 larvae per 10 cm2 of gastric mucosa. Corrective actions reduced the number of deaths back to basal levels. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first documented case of potentially lethal gastric canthariasis in weaned pigs, caused by invasion of T. molitor larvae. Although canthariasis caused by T. molitor has not been a significant problem in farm animals so far, our case indicates that the presence of mealworm beetles is a potential threat to animal welfare and health.

Neoehrlichia mikurensis-A New Emerging Tick-Borne Pathogen in North-Eastern Poland?

Neoehrlichia mikurensis is a new emerging tick-borne Gram-negative bacterium, belonging to the family Anaplasmataceae, the main vector of which in Europe is the tick Ixodes ricinus. N. mikurensis is responsible for neoehrlichiosis, occurring mostly in patients with underlying diseases. In the present study, a total of 348 I. ricinus and Dermacentor reticulatus ticks collected in north-eastern Poland were analyzed for the prevalence of N. mikurensis. A total of 140 questing ticks (124 of I. ricinus ticks and 16 D. reticulatus) collected with the flagging method and 208 ticks (105 and 103 I. ricinus and D. reticulatus, respectively) removed from dogs were selected for the study. cDNA (questing ticks) and total DNA (questing and feeding ticks) were analyzed by qPCR targeting the 16S rRNA gene of N. mikurensis. Positive samples were further analyzed by nested PCR and sequencing. The prevalence differed between ticks collected from vegetation (19.3%; 27/140) and ticks removed from dogs (6.7%; 14/208). The presence of the pathogen in questing and feeding D. reticulatus ticks was proven in Poland for the first time. In summary, our research showed that infections of ticks of both the most common tick species I. ricinus and D. reticulatus in north-eastern Poland are present and ticks collected from urban areas were more often infected than ticks from suburban and natural areas. The detection of N. mikurensis in I. ricinus and D. reticulatus ticks from north-eastern Poland indicates potential transmission risk for tick-bitten humans at this latitude.