Mitochondrial sequences of Rhipicephalus and Coxiella endosymbiont reveal evidence of lineages co-cladogenesis

ABSTRACT Rhipicephalus ticks are competent vectors of several pathogens, such as Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiae (SFGR) and many Babesia species. Within this genus, different R. sanguineus s.l. lineages show an unequal vector competence and resistance regarding some pathogenic strains. Current literature supports that tick endosymbionts may play an essential role in the transmission ability of a vector. Indeed, the microbial community of Rhipicephalus seems to be dominated by Coxiella-like endosymbionts (CLE). Still, their co-evolutionary associations with the complicated phylogeny of Rhipicephalus lineages and their transmissible pathogens remain unclear. We performed a phylogenetic congruence analysis to address whether divergent R. sanguineus s.l. lineages had a different symbiont composition. For that, we applied a PCR based approach to screen part of the microbial community present in 279 Rhipicephalus ticks from the Iberian Peninsula and Africa. Our analyses detected several qPCR-positive signals for both SFGR and Babesia species, of which we suggest R. sanguineus-tropical lineage as a natural vector of Babesia vogeli and R. sanguineus-temperate lineage of SFGR. The acquisition of 190 CLE sequences allowed to evaluate co-phylogenetic associations between the tick and the symbiont. With this data, we observed a strong but incomplete co-cladogenesis between CLE strains and their Rhipicephalus tick lineages hosts.

Download Full-text

Occurrence of Babesia Species and Co-Infection with Hepatozoon canis in Symptomatic Dogs and in Their Ticks in Eastern Romania

Pathogens ◽

10.3390/pathogens10101339 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (10) ◽

pp. 1339

Author(s):

Lavinia Ciuca ◽

Gabriela Martinescu ◽

Liviu Dan Miron ◽

Constantin Roman ◽

Dumitru Acatrinei ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Vector Competence ◽

Rhipicephalus Sanguineus ◽

Dermacentor Reticulatus ◽

Babesia Microti ◽

Hepatozoon Canis ◽

Babesia Species ◽

Lack Of Information ◽

Babesia Vogeli ◽

Babesia Rossi ◽

Group 3

Although the distribution of Babesia spp. and Hepatozoon canis is well known in Romania, there is still a marked lack of information in many places of the country. This study aimed to investigate the occurrence of these haemoparasites in symptomatic dogs and in their ticks in Iasi, eastern Romania. Ninety owned dogs were subjected to clinical examination at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Iasi and all detectable ticks (58 ticks from 15 dogs) were collected. Additionally, 124 ticks collected from the coat of other dogs (no. = 23) were included. Three Babesia species were found in dogs: Babesia canis (94.4%), Babesia vogeli (3.3%), and Babesia rossi (2.2%). All the dogs resulted negative for H. canis. The ticks were identified as follows: Ixodes ricinus (64%), Dermacentor reticulatus (33%), and Rhipicephalus sanguineus group (3%). B. canis (Minimum Infection Rate; MIR = 81%), B. vogeli (MIR = 3%), and Babesia microti-like piroplasm (MIR = 1%) were found in ticks. Moreover, 15 ticks were positive for H. canis, 6 were co-infected with B. canis, and 1 with B. microti-like piroplasm. This is the first molecular identification of B. rossi in two symptomatic dogs from Romania, although further studies are needed to investigate the vector competence of other ticks from Europe.

Download Full-text

Two Cases of Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis Contracted in Southern Parts of Africa

Kansenshogaku zasshi ◽

10.11150/kansenshogakuzasshi1970.72.1311 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 72 (12) ◽

pp. 1311-1316 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Mikio KIMURA ◽

Tatsuya FUJII ◽

Aikichi IWAMOTO

Keyword(s):

Spotted Fever ◽

Spotted Fever Group

Download Full-text

Surveillance of Ticks and Tick-Borne Pathogens in Suburban Natural Habitats of Central Maryland

Journal of Medical Entomology ◽

10.1093/jme/tjaa291 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Matthew T Milholland ◽

Lars Eisen ◽

Robyn M Nadolny ◽

Andrias Hojgaard ◽

Erika T Machtinger ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lyme Disease ◽

Borrelia Burgdorferi ◽

Spotted Fever ◽

Babesia Microti ◽

Borrelia Burgdorferi Sensu Lato ◽

Spotted Fever Group ◽

Borrelia Miyamotoi ◽

Natural Habitats ◽

Questing Ticks ◽

Tick Vectors

Abstract Lyme and other tick-borne diseases are increasing in the eastern United States and there is a lack of research on integrated strategies to control tick vectors. Here we present results of a study on tick-borne pathogens detected from tick vectors and rodent reservoirs from an ongoing 5-yr tick suppression study in the Lyme disease-endemic state of Maryland, where human-biting tick species, including Ixodes scapularis Say (Acari: Ixodidae) (the primary vector of Lyme disease spirochetes), are abundant. During the 2017 tick season, we collected 207 questing ticks and 602 ticks recovered from 327 mice (Peromyscus spp. (Rodentia: Cricetidae)), together with blood and ear tissue from the mice, at seven suburban parks in Howard County. Ticks were selectively tested for the presence of the causative agents of Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato [s.l.]), anaplasmosis (Anaplasma phagocytophilum), babesiosis (Babesia microti), ehrlichiosis (Ehrlichia ewingii, Ehrlichia chaffeensis, and ‘Panola Mountain’ Ehrlichia) and spotted fever group rickettsiosis (Rickettsia spp.). Peromyscus ear tissue and blood samples were tested for Bo. burgdorferi sensu stricto (s.s), A. phagocytophilum, Ba. microti, and Borrelia miyamotoi. We found 13.6% (15/110) of questing I. scapularis nymphs to be Bo. burgdorferi s.l. positive and 1.8% (2/110) were A. phagocytophilum positive among all sites. Borrelia burgdorferi s.s. was found in 71.1% (54/76) of I. scapularis nymphs removed from mice and 58.8% (194/330) of captured mice. Results from study on tick abundance and pathogen infection status in questing ticks, rodent reservoirs, and ticks feeding on Peromyscus spp. will aid efficacy evaluation of the integrated tick management measures being implemented.

Download Full-text

Isolation of spotted fever group rickettsiae from Ixodes persulcatus ticks in the central part of Hokkaido, Japan

Medical Entomology and Zoology ◽

10.7601/mez.51.55_1 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 51 (1) ◽

pp. 55-58 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Hiromi FUJITA ◽

Nobuhiro TAKADA ◽

Emiko ISOGAI ◽

Yuriko WATANABE ◽

Takuya ITO

Keyword(s):

Spotted Fever ◽

Ixodes Persulcatus ◽

Spotted Fever Group ◽

Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiae

Download Full-text

Quantitative Analyses of Variations in the Injury of Endothelial Cells Elicited by 11 Isolates of Rickettsia rickettsii

Clinical and Diagnostic Laboratory Immunology ◽

10.1128/cdli.8.4.788-796.2001 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 8 (4) ◽

pp. 788-796 ◽

Cited By ~ 41

Author(s):

Marina E. Eremeeva ◽

Gregory A. Dasch ◽

David J. Silverman

Keyword(s):

North Carolina ◽

Endothelial Cells ◽

Reduced Glutathione ◽

Spotted Fever ◽

Ixodid Ticks ◽

Spotted Fever Group ◽

Cellular Injury ◽

Rickettsia Rickettsii ◽

Cytopathic Effects ◽

Group I

ABSTRACT Eleven isolates of spotted fever group rickettsiae from the blood of patients or ixodid ticks from North and South America were characterized. All isolates were identified as Rickettsia rickettsii using restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of a 532-bp rOmpA gene fragment obtained by PCR. The ability of the R. rickettsii isolates to elicit cytopathic effects and parameters of oxidative injury were examined in cultured human EA.hy 926 endothelial cells. Cytopathic effects were determined by direct observation of infected cultures, by measuring the release of cytoplasmic lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and by determination of intracellular pools of peroxide and reduced glutathione. Four biotypes of R. rickettsii were defined. Group I included two highly cytopathic isolates from Montana, Bitterroot and Sheila Smith, and three isolates from Maryland, North Carolina, and Brazil. These isolates rapidly damaged cells, released large amounts of cytoplasmic LDH, caused accumulation of intracellular peroxide, and depleted intracellular pools of reduced glutathione. Group II contained three isolates, two from Montana, Hlp#2 and Lost Horse Canyon, and an isolate from Colombia, which were similar to group I but caused either lower responses in LDH release or smaller changes in intracellular peroxide levels. The group III isolates, Sawtooth from Montana and 84JG from North Carolina, caused lower cellular injury by all measures. Group IV isolate Price T from Montana was the least cytopathic and caused minimal alterations of all parameters measured. Understanding the molecular basis for the varied cellular injury caused by different isolates of R. rickettsii may contribute to improved treatment of Rocky Mountain spotted fever and to the rapid identification of those isolates which are more likely to cause fulminant disease.

Download Full-text

Seroepidemiologic Study of Human Infections with Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiae in North Carolina

Journal of Clinical Microbiology ◽

10.1128/jcm.01733-14 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 52 (11) ◽

pp. 3960-3966 ◽

Cited By ~ 25

Author(s):

M. F. Vaughn ◽

J. Delisle ◽

J. Johnson ◽

G. Daves ◽

C. Williams ◽

...

Keyword(s):

North Carolina ◽

Spotted Fever ◽

Spotted Fever Group ◽

Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiae ◽

Human Infections ◽

Seroepidemiologic Study

Download Full-text

Significant Growth by Rickettsia Species within Human Macrophage-Like Cells Is a Phenotype Correlated with the Ability to Cause Disease in Mammals

Pathogens ◽

10.3390/pathogens10020228 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 228

Author(s):

M. Nathan Kristof ◽

Paige E. Allen ◽

Lane D. Yutzy ◽

Brandon Thibodaux ◽

Christopher D. Paddock ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Endothelial Cells ◽

Spotted Fever ◽

Growth Characteristic ◽

Human Macrophage ◽

Rickettsia Conorii ◽

Spotted Fever Group ◽

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever ◽

Phagocytic Cells ◽

Pathogenic Potential ◽

Rickettsia Species

Rickettsia are significant sources of tick-borne diseases in humans worldwide. In North America, two species in the spotted fever group of Rickettsia have been conclusively associated with disease of humans: Rickettsia rickettsii, the causative agent of Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and Rickettsia parkeri, the cause of R. parkeri rickettsiosis. Previous work in our lab demonstrated non-endothelial parasitism by another pathogenic SFG Rickettsia species, Rickettsia conorii, within THP-1-derived macrophages, and we have hypothesized that this growth characteristic may be an underappreciated aspect of rickettsial pathogenesis in mammalian hosts. In this work, we demonstrated that multiple other recognized human pathogenic species of Rickettsia, including R. rickettsii, R. parkeri, Rickettsia africae, and Rickettsiaakari can grow within target endothelial cells as well as within PMA-differentiated THP-1 cells. In contrast, Rickettsia bellii, a Rickettsia species not associated with disease of humans, and R. rickettsii strain Iowa, an avirulent derivative of pathogenic R. rickettsii, could invade both cell types but proliferate only within endothelial cells. Further analysis revealed that similar to previous studies on R. conorii, other recognized pathogenic Rickettsia species could grow within the cytosol of THP-1-derived macrophages and avoided localization with two different markers of lysosomal compartments; LAMP-2 and cathepsin D. R. bellii, on the other hand, demonstrated significant co-localization with lysosomal compartments. Collectively, these findings suggest that the ability of pathogenic rickettsial species to establish a niche within macrophage-like cells could be an important factor in their ability to cause disease in mammals. These findings also suggest that analysis of growth within mammalian phagocytic cells may be useful to predict the pathogenic potential of newly isolated and identified Rickettsia species.

Download Full-text