Detection of zoonotic agents and a new Rickettsia strain in ticks from donkeys from South Africa: Implications for travel medicine.
Travel Med Infect Dis
; 26: 43-50, 2018.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-30312734
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
In rural South Africa, people are in close contact with tick-infested donkeys. This study aimed to investigate the presence of spotted fever group Rickettsia, Anaplasma, Ehrlichia and Coxiella species in these arthropods.METHOD:
376 ticks (7 species) from donkeys from Limpopo Province (South Africa) were pooled and analyzed using PCR assays for the bacterium detection.RESULTS:
Rickettsia africae was amplified in 6 Amblyomma hebraeum, 1 Rhipicephalus appendiculatus and 5 Rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi pools. Rickettsia aeschlimannii was found in 1 Hyalomma rufipes, 1 Rh. appendiculatus and 2 Rh. e. evertsi pools. Three Rhipicephalus simus specimens were infected with a new Rickettsia strain that showed low identity with any validated Rickettsia species. Ehrlichia canis was detected in 2 Rh. e. evertsi pools and in one of them Anaplasma bovis was amplified. An Am. hebraeum pool showed infection with Anaplasma ovis and another with Coxiella burnetii.CONCLUSION:
South African donkeys are involved in the epidemiology of tick-borne pathogens and other associated agents such as C. burnetii with Health importance. A potential new Rickettsia species, with unknown pathogenic potential, has been detected in the anthropophilic Rh. simus.Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Rickettsia
/
Ticks
/
Equidae
Type of study:
Diagnostic_studies
Limits:
Animals
Country/Region as subject:
Africa
Language:
En
Journal:
Travel Med Infect Dis
Journal subject:
DOENCAS TRANSMISSIVEIS
Year:
2018
Document type:
Article