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The European red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) is a common host for Ixodes ricinus ticks in urban and rural habitats, however, studies on ticks and tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) of squirrels have not been conducted in Poland yet. Thus, the aims of the current study were to assess and compare the prevalence and abundance of ticks on red squirrels trapped at two sites in the Warsaw area (in an urban forest reserve and an urban park) and using molecular tools, to assess the genetic diversity of three pathogens (Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, Rickettsia and Babesia spp.) in I. ricinus ticks collected from squirrels. For the detection of Rickettsia spp. a 750 bp long fragment of the citrate synthase gltA gene was amplified; for B. burgdorferi s.l. 132f/905r and 220f/824r primers were used to amplify the bacterial flaB gene fragments (774 and 605 bp, respectively) and for Babesia spp., a 550 bpfragment of 18S rRNA gene was amplified. In total, 91 red squirrels were examined for ticks. There were differences in tick prevalence and mean abundance of infestation in squirrels from the urban forest reserve and urban park. Three species of B. burgdorferi s.l., Rickettsia spp., and Babesia microti were detected in ticks removed from the squirrels. Our results broaden knowledge of S. vulgaris as an important host for immature I. ricinus stages and support the hypothesis that red squirrels act as a reservoir of B. burgdorferi. Moreover, we conclude that red squirrels may also play a role in facilitating the circulation of other pathogens causing serious risk of tick-borne diseases in natural and urban areas.
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Background: Spotted fever group rickettsioses, caused by rickettsiae of the spotted fever group, pose a significant zoonotic threat to public health. In endemic areas of Anhui Province, China, the ecology and transmission dynamics of these pathogens remain under investigation. Methods: We isolated a rickettsial strain from Haemaphysalis longicornis ticks collected from a wild hedgehog in the Dabie Mountain area. Molecular identification and phylogenetic analysis were employed to confirm the strain. Pathological examinations of the hedgehog's tissues were conducted to assess the potential impact of the infection. Results: The isolated strain was identified as R. heilongjiangensis strain AH-19. Pathological examination revealed significant tissue alterations, including cellular vacuolization, necrosis, and disarray of tissue architecture. It remains uncertain whether these changes were directly attributable to the rickettsial infection or other factors. Conclusions: The identification of R. heilongjiangensis strain AH-19 in H. longicornis suggests that hedgehogs may serve as reservoir hosts in the Dabie Mountain area.Further research is needed to clarify their role in the ecology and epidemiology of this pathogen, which could inform future public health strategies.
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INTRODUCTION: Rickettsiae comprise a family of obligate intracellular short gram-negative coco-bacilli and are transmitted by insects, mites, fleas, louse, and tick vectors. Scrub typhus, north-Asian tick typhus, rickettsia pox, and boutonniere fevers are common in India and Asia. In the early phase of illness during the initial five days, all these are indistinguishable among themselves; also, they mimic any other self-limiting viral fever. Patients usually present with fever, headache, myalgia, malaise, nausea, vomiting, and anorexia. Rarely do patients present with rash, or give a history of exposure to animals or tick bite. Thus, rickettsial diseases are missed in the early phase, when they are easily treatable, due to lack of suspicion. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To study clinical features, investigations, outcomes, and factors affecting the outcome of rickettsial fever. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was an observational study conducted from December 2012 to November 2014 in a tertiary care hospital. The study population consisted of patients above the age of 13 years with a history of any one or more of the following: fever, headache, jaundice, altered sensorium, renal dysfunction, tick bite, a farmer by occupation, exposure to cattle or sheep or dog, multiorgan failure; with serological evidence of rickettsial infection by Weil-Felix test (ox-19/ox-2/ox-k ≥ 1:320) or rickettsial antibody IgM ≥ 1.1) or PCR positive. A sample size of 40 was considered for the final analysis of this study. Statistical analysis was done using inferential statistical tests such as the chi-square test and odds ratio (OR). RESULT: The most common presenting symptom was fever (100%) seen in almost every patient followed by body aches (72.5%), joint pain (62.5%), and jaundice (62.5%). General examination showed icterus (37.5%), hypotension (30%), edema (22.5%), lymphadenopathy (22.5%), and pallor (15%). On the day of admission, 17 patients were found to have the Weil-Felix test positive with an OR of 0.538462 (CI = 0.151-1.917), while the Weil-Felix test done in the second week was positive in 37 patients with an OR of 5.4 (CI = 0.439-63.11). Rickettsial antibodies were positive only in three patients on the day of admission with an OR of 0.381 (CI = 0.0317-4.58), while in the second week, rickettsial antibodies were positive in 27 patients with an OR of 16.25. The rickettsial PCR test was positive in 13 patients with an OR of 1.48 (CI = 0.3857-5.722). The mortality rate was significantly high in patients presenting with breathlessness and respiratory complications like pneumonia, pulmonary edema, and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Similarly, patients presented with hypotension and required Ionotropic support had a high mortality rate. CONCLUSION: While the clinical presentation of rickettsia infection is similar, the causative species and epidemiology can vary depending on the region. It is important to recognize both the typical symptoms and the epidemiology of a given region to correctly diagnose and treat these infections promptly, as they can be associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Through this study, we attempt to bring awareness about this disease which would help clinicians to suspect and start treatment at the earliest before complications set in.
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Objective: The abundance of tick populations in South Africa represents a probable risk for both animal and human health. Rickettsia spp. and Borrelia spp. are well-known agents of emerging human tick-borne infectious diseases worldwide. Nevertheless, the epidemiology of their infections has been underreported in South Africa. Therefore, this study aimed to profile zoonotic Rickettsia and Borrelia species from ticks infesting domesticated animals in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Materials and Methods: Morphological and molecular identification techniques were conducted on 1,200 tick samples collected from domestic animals before screening for the target bacterial pathogens. The molecular identification of the tick samples was based on the amplification of the 12S rRNA mitochondrial Deoxyribonucleic acid. At the same time, those of Rickettsia and Borrelia species were carried out by amplifying fragments of gltA and ompB genes for Rickettsia and flaB gene for Borrelia spp. Thereafter, the positive amplicons for Rickettsia ompB were sequenced and further analyzed. Borrelia PCRs were negative; therefore, sequencing could not be performed. Results: Eight species of ticks belonging to three genera; Rhipicephalus, Amblyomma, and Haemaphysalis, were identified. A total of 27% (320/1,200) samples were confirmed positive for Rickettsia, of which 23% (74/320) were positive for ompB genes. Phylogenetic analysis of ompB revealed a high homology to rickettsial reference strains from GenBank, with no positive result for Borrelia. The generated sequences showed homology with R. africae-KX227790 (100%), R. parkeri-KY113111 (99.8%), R. peacockii (99.3%), and R. slovaca-JX683122 (99.1%) representative sequences in GenBank. Conclusion: The findings from this study revealed that ticks harbored Rickettsia species with possible zoonotic potential.
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Similar to other states in the southeastern United States, human cases of tick-borne diseases in Alabama have risen steadily over the last 2 decades. Nevertheless, limited data have been published on ticks or tick-borne pathogen (TBP) distributions since the 1990s. To better understand the risk of tick and TBP exposure in eastern central Alabama, ticks were sampled repeatedly across 8 sites associated with recreational use during May and June of 2015 to characterize tick density and diversity. Although habitats were similar across sites, tick density varied among locations. Seven species were collected, but 97.7% of 1,310 samples were the lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum (L.), the primary vector of ehrlichial agents and the tick species most commonly linked to alpha-gal syndrome and southern tick-associated rash illness. To investigate pathogen prevalence among sites, we tested A. americanum by a multiplex qPCR assay for 5 bacterial species, including 3 Ehrlichia spp. and 2 Rickettsia spp. None of the specimens tested positive for Panola Mountain Ehrlichia or Rickettsia parkeri. However, causative agents of human ehrlichiosis, Ehrlichia chaffeensis and Ehrlichia ewingii, occurred at half of the locations with, respectively, 0.27% and 0.45% of A. americanum infected on average. In contrast, Rickettsia amblyommatis, a tick endosymbiont suspected to be nonpathogenic, was found in 54.5% of the 1119 A. americanum tested. Despite low infection rates of Ehrlichia spp. in A. americanum, high encounter rates with this species in recreational deciduous woodlands suggest a moderate risk of tick bite and a low-to-moderate risk of TBP exposure in late spring.
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Background: Fleas and ticks serve as vectors of multiple pathogens in the genera Rickettsia and Bartonellathat cause diseases in humans and other animals. Although human rickettsiosis and bartonellosis have been reported in all countries in Central America, limited research has been conducted to investigate the natural cycles of flea- and tick-borne rickettsiosis and bartonellosis, especially in Guatemala. Methods: We evaluated dog parasites as sentinels for zoonotic disease risk in rural Guatemala by sampling ticks and fleas from dogs, which were then identified and individually screened for Rickettsia and Bartonella. Results: A total of 77 households were surveyed and 80.52% of them had dogs. Overall, 133 dogs were examined for fleas and ticks, of which 68.42% had fleas and 35.34% had ticks. A total of 433 fleas and 181 ticks were collected from the infested dogs, with an additional 33 ticks collected from house walls. Three flea species were identified: Ctenocephalides felis (70%), Echidnophaga gallinacea(11.8%), and Pulex sp. (17.8%). Among the collected ticks, 97% were Rhipicephalus sanguineus with the rest being Amyblyomma cajennense, A. auricularium, and A. ovale. Rickettsia felis were detected in six C. felis, in one Pulex sp., and in two R. sanguineus, while Candidatus R. senegalensis was detected in one C. felis. Bartonella was detected only in fleas, including three Pulexsp. infected with B. vinsonii subsp. Berkhoffii, B. henselae, and Bartonella sp., respectively, and 11 C. felis infected with B. henselae. Conclusions: This study reports Candidatus R. senegalensis and B. vinsonii subsp. Berkhoffiiin Guatemala for the first time, and indicates the potential risk of human and dog exposure to Rickettsia and Bartonella species. These results show that dogs provide critical information relevant to managing human potential exposure to flea- and tick-borne pathogens in rural Guatemala.
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Limited information is available regarding the presence of tick-borne pathogens and their distribution within Ixodes species in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This study aimed to identify Rickettsia spp., Babesia spp., Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) in Ixodes ticks collected from domestic and wild animals and vegetation in different regions across Bosnia and Herzegovina. A total of 7438 adult ticks, including 4526 Ixodes ricinus, Ixodes canisuga, and Ixodes hexagonus, were collected. Real-time PCR screening of 450 pooled I. ricinus samples revealed a 22.1% infection rate with at least one pathogen. Rickettsia spp. (6.3%) were found in ticks from dogs, cats, and goats, Babesia spp. (3.1%) in ticks from dogs and cattle, A. phagocytophilum (8.8%) in ticks from dogs, goats, and cattle, and B. burgdorferi s.l. (3.4%) in ticks from dogs and cats. Mixed infections with B. burgdorferi s.l. and A. phagocytophilum, as well as B. burgdorferi s.l. and Rickettsia spp., were found in two pools of I. ricinus from dogs and cats, respectively. Additionally, co-infection with Rickettsia spp. and A. phagocytophilum was confirmed in three tick pools from dogs and goats. Each tick from these pooled samples was individually retested to confirm the presence of pathogens. In the examined pooled samples of I. canisuga (1) and I. hexagonus (6), none of the tested pathogens were detected. Our findings represent the first detection of Rickettsia spp., Babesia spp., A. phagocytophilum, and B. burgdorferi s.l. in I. ricinus collected from domestic animals and vegetation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Considering the established infection rates, the detection of tick-borne pathogens in adult ticks collected from domestic animals and vegetation enriches the current knowledge of the presence of tick-borne pathogens at the local, regional, national, and broader levels.
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Wild boars (Sus scrofa L.) are considered among the most harmful invasive species worldwide, causing irreversible ecosystem damage, acting as zoonotic spreaders and reservoirs, threatening human and animal health, and having an important economic impact. Accordingly, the present study has assessed the rickettsial exposure, tick infestation of wild boars, and rickettsial DNA presence in ticks from infested animals from the Cerrado biome in midwestern Brazil. Anti-Rickettsia spp. antibodies were detected in serum samples of wild boars by immunofluorescence assay. Overall, 106/285 (37.2%) wild boar serum samples from 13 to 18 (72.2%) municipalities showed seroreactivity to at least one of the four Rickettsia spp. antigens tested, the largest number of wild boars serologically tested to Rickettsia spp. in this type of study. Among the 106 seroreactive animals, 34 showed possible homologous reactions between R. parkeri, R. amblyommatis, and R. bellii, with endpoint titers between 128 and 512. A sample of 45 ticks collected from four culled wild boars was identified as Amblyomma sculptum, and all tested negative for rickettsial DNA presence. In conclusion, this study has provided a reliable sampling seroprevalence and indicated high exposure of wild boars to rickettsial agents, with a potential interaction with Rickettsia spp. from the spotted fever group within the Cerrado biome from midwestern Brazil.
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Methionine aminopeptidase (MetAp) enzymes catalyze the post-translational removal of the initiator methionine residue in newly synthesized proteins, a process that is often essential in the maturation of proteins. Consequently, these enzymes serve as important targets for drug development. Rickettsia prowazekii (Rp) is an obligate coccobacillus and the causative agent of the louse-borne epidemic typhus and despite adequate treatment causes a latent infection. This research aimed to identify potential anti-rickettsial agents by screening 400 compounds from the MMV Pandemic Response Box against RpMetAp1. Overall, 19 compounds were identified that possessed IC50 values from 10 µM to 340 nM. The most potent inhibitor was MMV 1580488 (17), which was observed to have an IC50 of 340 nM. The selected hits serve as chemical leads that can be used for the development of potent inhibitors of the RpMetAp1 enzyme.
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Introduction: Tick-borne pathogens, such as Borreliella spp., Rickettsia spp., and Anaplasma spp., are frequently detected in Germany. They circulate between animals and tick vectors and can cause mild to severe diseases in humans. Knowledge about distribution and prevalence of these pathogens over time is important for risk assessment of human and animal health. Methods: Ixodes ricinus nymphs were collected at different locations in 2009/2010 and 2019 in Germany and analyzed for tick-borne pathogens by real-time PCR and sequencing. Results: Borreliella spp. were detected with a prevalence of 11.96% in 2009/2010 and 13.10% in 2019 with B. afzelii and B. garinii as dominant species. Borrelia miyamotoi was detected in seven ticks and in coinfection with B. afzelii or B. garinii. Rickettsia spp. showed a prevalence of 8.82% in 2009/2010 and 1.68% in 2019 with the exclusive detection of R. helvetica. The prevalence of Anaplasma spp. was 1.00% in 2009/2010 and 7.01% in 2019. A. phagocytophilum was detected in seven tick samples. None of the nymphs were positive for C. burnetii. Discussion: Here, observed changes in prevalence were not significant after a decade but require longitudinal observations including parameters like host species and density, climatic factors to improve our understanding of tick-borne diseases.
Subject(s)
Ixodes , Tick-Borne Diseases , Animals , Germany/epidemiology , Ixodes/microbiology , Prevalence , Tick-Borne Diseases/epidemiology , Tick-Borne Diseases/microbiology , Nymph/microbiology , Borrelia/isolation & purification , Borrelia/genetics , Humans , Rickettsia/genetics , Rickettsia/isolation & purification , Anaplasma/genetics , Anaplasma/isolation & purification , Real-Time Polymerase Chain ReactionABSTRACT
The first autochthonous case of rickettsiosis is reported here. The case occurred in the Costanera Sur Ecological Reserve, a protected area of the City of Buenos Aires, in August 2022, where 4 species of ticks were found, namely Amblyomma aureolatum, Ixodes auritulus sensu lato, Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu stricto and Amblyomma triste. The epidemiological, ecological, clinical and laboratory aspects that allowed timely diagnosis and appropriate treatment are also described.
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Introduction: Rickettsial and Rickettsial-like diseases, resulting from obligate intracellular Gram-negative bacteria, pose a growing public health threat in China. To assess the current prevalence of these diseases on Hainan Island, a study was conducted on 9 bacterial pathogens found in patients with undifferentiated febrile illness (UFI) treated in Haikou between 2018 and 2021 using a TaqMan Polymerase Chain Reaction (TaqMan PCR) array. Methods: Blood samples (n=503) were collected from patients with UFI between 2018 and 2021. The samples were screened for Rickettsia spp., Orientia tsutsugamushi (O. tsutsugamushi), Anaplasma. phagocytophilum (A. phagocytophilum), Ehrlichia chaffeensis, Coxiella burnetii, Chlamydia psittaci, Brucella spp., Burkholderia pseudomallei, and Borrelia burgdorferi using a TaqMan PCR array. Positive samples (Ct<35) underwent confirmation through nested PCR, sequencing, and phylogenetic analysis. Results: O. tsutsugamushi and A. phagocytophilum were detected in the patients at positive rates of 14.51% (73/503) and 5.57% (28/503), respectively. Co-infection of O. tsutsugamushi and A. phagocytophilum was identified in scrub typhus (ST) positive populations from Hainan (10.96%, 8/73), Guangxi (61.54%, 8/13), and Yunnan (5.36%, 3/56) provincial-level administrative divisions (PLADs) of China. Conclusion: An increased prevalence rate of ST and a decreased prevalence of rickettsioses were observed in patients with UFI in Hainan compared to a decade ago. The co-infection of O. tsutsugamushi and A. phagocytophilum poses a current public health threat in China.
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Zoonotic infections can result in life-threatening complications that can manifest with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH)/cytokine storm syndrome (CSS). Bacteria constitute the largest group of zoonotic infection-related HLH cases. The growing list of zoonotic bacterial infections associated with HLH/CSS include Brucella spp., Rickettsia spp., Ehrlichia, Coxiella burnetii, Mycobacterium spp., and Bartonella spp. Patients most commonly present with fever, cytopenias, hepatosplenomegaly, myalgias, and less frequently with rash, jaundice, and lymphadenopathy.
Subject(s)
Cytokine Release Syndrome , Humans , Cytokine Release Syndrome/immunology , Cytokine Release Syndrome/microbiology , Cytokine Release Syndrome/etiology , Animals , Bacterial Zoonoses/microbiology , Lymphohistiocytosis, Hemophagocytic/microbiology , Lymphohistiocytosis, Hemophagocytic/immunology , Zoonoses/microbiologyABSTRACT
The continual emergence of tick-borne rickettsioses has garnered widespread global attention. Candidatus Rickettsia barbariae (Candidatus R. barbariae), which emerged in Italy in 2008, has been detected in humans from northwestern China. However, the lack of Candidatus R. barbariae genome and isolated strains limits the understanding of its biological characteristics and genomic features. Here, we isolated the Rickettsia for the first time from eggs of Rhipicephalus turanicus in northwestern China, and assembled its whole genome after next-generation sequencing, so we modified the proposed name to Rickettsia barbariae (R. barbariae) to conform to the International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes. Phylogenetic analysis based on the whole genome revealed that it was most closely related to the pathogenic Rickettsia parkeri and Rickettsia africae. All virulence factors, present in the pathogenic spotted fever group rickettsiae, were identified in the R. barbariae isolate. These findings highlight the pathogenic potential of R. barbariae and the necessity for enhanced surveillance of the emerging Rickettsia in the human population.
Subject(s)
Genome, Bacterial , Phylogeny , Rickettsia , Rickettsia/genetics , Rickettsia/isolation & purification , Rickettsia/classification , Animals , China , Rhipicephalus/microbiology , Humans , Rickettsia Infections/microbiology , Virulence Factors/genetics , Genomics , High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing , Whole Genome Sequencing , Ovum/microbiologyABSTRACT
Tick-borne diseases (TBDs) are a considerable public health problem worldwide. The occurrence of Anaplasma spp., Borrelia burgdorferi s.l., Coxiella burnetii, Rickettsia spp., and tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEv) was investigated via PCR and sequencing in 683 ticks collected from 105 roe deer, 61 wild boars, 49 fallow deer, and 2 chamois, in the Liguria region, northwest Italy, between 2019 and 2022. The ticks were morphologically identified. Four different tick species were found: Ixodes ricinus (66.8% of the collected ticks), Dermacentor marginatus (15.8%), Rhipicephalus sanguineus s.s. (15.7%), and Haemaphysalis punctata (0.9%). Six ticks (0.9%) were only identified as Rhipicephalus spp. Of the 222 pools analyzed, 27.9% were positive. Most pools (n = 58, 26.1% of pools analyzed) were positive for Rickettsia spp., and several species were found: Rickettsia slovaca was the dominant species (15.3%), followed by R. monacensis (8.1%), while R. helvetica (1.8%), R. massiliae (0.5%), and R. raoultii (0.5%) were found only sporadically. Anaplasma phagocytophilum was identified in three pools and B. burgdorferi s.l. in one pool. All samples were negative for C. burnetii and TBEv. Significant associations were found between I. ricinus and roe deer, D. marginatus and wild boar, and between R. monacensis and I. ricinus. The prevalence of Rickettsia spp. differed significantly between tick and host species. This updated picture of tick species and TBPs in wild ungulates in Liguria, where the population of these animals is increasing, shows a widespread presence of potentially zoonotic Rickettsia spp. Continuous monitoring and public information on preventive measures are needed.
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The Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (Xinjiang) borders eight countries and has a complex geographic environment. There are almost 45.696 million herded sheep in Xinjiang, which occupies 13.80% of China's sheep farming industry. However, there is a scarcity of reports investigating the role of sheep or ticks in Xinjiang in transmitting tick-borne diseases (TBDs). A total of 894 ticks (298 tick pools) were collected from sheep in southern Xinjiang. Out of the 298 tick pools investigated in this study, Rhipicephalus turanicus (Rh. turanicus) and Hyalomma anatolicum (H. anatolicum) were identified through morphological and molecular sequencing. In the southern part of Xinjiang, 142 (47.65%), 86 (28.86%), and 60 (20.13%) tick pools were positive for Rickettsia spp., Theileria spp., and Anaplasma spp., respectively. Interestingly, the infection rate of Rickettsia spp. (73%, 35.10%, and 28.56-41.64%) was higher in Rh. turanicus pools than in H. anatolicum pools (4%, 4.44%, and 0.10-8.79%) in this study. Fifty-one tick pools were found to harbor two pathogens, while nineteen tick pools were detected to have the three pathogens. Our findings indicate the presence of Rickettsia spp., Theileria spp., and Anaplasma spp. potentially transmitted by H. anatolicum and Rh. turanicus in sheep in southern Xinjiang, China.
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Tick-borne rickettsioses (TBRs) are distributed worldwide and are recognized as important emerging vector-borne zoonotic diseases in Europe. The aim of this study was to identify tick-associated Rickettsia among ticks removed from humans, and to track how tick populations and their associated pathogens have changed over the years. For this purpose, we conducted a tick surveillance study in northwestern Spain between 2018 and 2022. Ticks were morphologically identified and analyzed for the presence of rickettsial pathogens through the amplification of the citrate synthase (gltA) and the outer membrane protein A (ompA) genes. PCR products were sequenced and subjected to phylogenetic analyses. We collected 7397 ticks, with Ixodes ricinus being the species most frequently isolated. Based on the PCR results, Rickettsia DNA was detected in 1177 (15.91%) ticks, and 10 members of Rickettsia were identified: R. aeschlimannii, R. conorii subsp. conorii, R. conorii subsp. raoultii, R. massiliae, R. monacensis, R. sibirica subsp. mongolitimonae, R. slovaca, R. helvetica, Candidatus R. barbariae, and Candidatus R. rioja. Some of these Rickettsia have gone previously undetected in the study region. There is clear geographic and seasonal expansion not only of tick populations, but also of the associated Rickettsia. The comparison of our data with those obtained years ago provides a clear idea of how the spatiotemporal distributions of ticks and their associated Rickettsiae have changed over the years.
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BACKGROUND: European wildcats (Felis silvestris) are widely distributed in Europe and a strictly protected species in Germany. Lately, anthropogenic protective efforts lead to increasing numbers of wildcats in southwestern Germany. Moreover, in recent years the numbers of domestic cats are increasing. Thus, the contact between domestic and wildcats may lead to the spread of zoonotic pathogens in both animal species. As data on vector-borne pathogens (VBPs) in wildcats from Germany are limited to date, the objective of this study was to investigate the presence and current distribution of VBPs in wildcats from southwestern Germany. METHODS: Skin and spleen samples from 117 European wildcats, originating from a regional carcass-monitoring program in southwestern Germany, were examined by real-time and conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the presence of Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Neoehrlichia mikurensis, Rickettsia spp., Bartonella spp., and Piroplasmida. RESULTS: In total, 6.8% (n = 8) of the wildcats were Rickettsia-positive, specified as R. helvetica. Three wildcats were positive for A. phagocytophilum (2.6%), one for Bartonella spp., namely B. taylorii (0.8%), and 84 for Cytauxzoon spp. (71.8%). Out of these 84 samples, 23 were further sequenced revealing very high identity levels (99.84-100%) to C. europaeus, which is considered to be pathogenic for domestic cats. All wildcats were negative for the presence of N. mikurensis DNA. CONCLUSIONS: European wildcats in southwestern Germany are hosting several VBPs. With the exception of Cytauxzoon spp., low prevalence rates of most examined pathogens suggest that wildcats are primarily incidental hosts for sylvatic pathogens associated with rodents, in contrast to domestic cats. However, the high prevalence of the cat-associated pathogen C. europaeus suggests that wildcats in southwestern Germany may serve as reservoirs for this pathogen.
Subject(s)
Animals, Wild , Felis , Animals , Germany/epidemiology , Animals, Wild/parasitology , Animals, Wild/microbiology , Felis/parasitology , Felis/microbiology , Protozoan Infections, Animal/epidemiology , Protozoan Infections, Animal/parasitology , Cats , Piroplasmida/genetics , Piroplasmida/isolation & purification , Vector Borne Diseases/epidemiology , Vector Borne Diseases/transmission , Vector Borne Diseases/parasitology , Bartonella/isolation & purification , Bartonella/genetics , Bartonella/classification , Rickettsia/isolation & purification , Rickettsia/genetics , Rickettsia/classificationABSTRACT
This study investigates the prevalence of Rickettsia spp. in Ixodes ricinus tick populations in different forest habitat types (broadleaf forest, mixed broadleaf and coniferous forest, and coniferous forest) in south-western Poland. During the survey periods from April to June 2018 and 2019 a total of 494 I. ricinus ticks, including 374 nymphs, 60 females and 60 males, were tested for Rickettsia infections by nested PCR targeting the gltA gene. The overall infection rate was 42.3%; however, we observed statistically significant year-to-year variation. Infection rates varied between tick developmental stages and were significantly influenced by forest habitat type. As assessed by a generalized linear mixed model (GLMM), the highest infection rates were observed in mixed broadleaf and coniferous forests, while coniferous forests had a significant negative effect on infection prevalence. DNA sequencing of selected samples confirmed the predominance of Rickettsia helvetica (91.2%) and less frequent Rickettsia monacensis (8.8%). This study suggests that the forest habitat types can influence Rickettsia spp. infection in tick populations; however, a comprehensive understanding of all factors influencing the level of infection requires future study.
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Background: Soft ticks (Family: Argasidae) are vectors of relapsing fever Borrelia in the United States and are potential vectors of African swine fever virus, a pathogen that could have a devastating effect on the U.S. swine industry if introduced to the U.S. mainland. Much of the tick-borne disease research in the U.S. focuses on hard ticks, and less is known about the ecology of soft ticks. Some soft tick species found in the southern U.S. have a wide host range and may feed on cattle, swine, native and exotic ungulates, small mammals, reptiles, and humans. Because the feeding habit of most soft tick species involves taking short, repeated blood meals that may include multiple host species, pathogen transmission among hosts is a concern both for human and animal health. Materials and Methods: Sampling was carried out at four locations in south Texas using dry ice traps placed in or near animal burrows and other sheltering cracks and crevasses that may provide refuge for soft ticks. Collected ticks were identified and subsequently screened for Rickettsia and Borrelia species and for host bloodmeal detection using conventional polymerase chain reaction and Sanger sequencing for pathogen and host species identification. Results: In total, 256 ticks of two Ornithodorinae species were screened. Borrelia species were identified in three samples. Bloodmeal detections were made in 22 tick specimens, representing eight vertebrate host species. Conclusions: Results demonstrate that the soft tick species detected herein feed on a range of wildlife hosts in south Texas and are associated with agents of human disease.