scholarly journals Ecological Factors Characterizing the Prevalence of Bacterial Tick-Borne Pathogens in Ixodes ricinus Ticks in Pastures and Woodlands

2010 ◽  
Vol 76 (13) ◽  
pp. 4413-4420 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lénaïg Halos ◽  
Séverine Bord ◽  
Violaine Cotté ◽  
Patrick Gasqui ◽  
David Abrial ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Forest Fragmentation ◽  
Ixodes Ricinus ◽  
Spotted Fever ◽  
Ecological Factors ◽  
Adult Tick ◽  
Reservoir Host ◽  
Host Community ◽  
Infection Prevalence ◽  
Spotted Fever Group ◽  
Reservoir Hosts

ABSTRACT Ecological changes are recognized as an important driver behind the emergence of infectious diseases. The prevalence of infection in ticks depends upon ecological factors that are rarely taken into account simultaneously. Our objective was to investigate the influences of forest fragmentation, vegetation, adult tick hosts, and habitat on the infection prevalence of three tick-borne bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Rickettsia sp. of the spotted fever group, in questing Ixodes ricinus ticks, taking into account tick characteristics. Samples of questing nymphs and adults were taken from 61 pastures and neighboring woodlands in central France. The ticks were tested by PCR of pools of nymphs and individual adults. The individual infection prevalence was modeled using multivariate regression. The highest infection prevalences were found in adult females collected in woodland sites for B. burgdorferi sensu lato and A. phagocytophilum (16.1% and 10.7%, respectively) and in pasture sites for Rickettsia sp. (8.7%). The infection prevalence in nymphs was lower than 6%. B. burgdorferi sensu lato was more prevalent in woodlands than in pastures. Forest fragmentation favored B. burgdorferi sensu lato and A. phagocytophilum prevalence in woodlands, and in pastures, the B. burgdorferi sensu lato prevalence was favored by shrubby vegetation. Both results are probably because large amounts of edges or shrubs increase the abundance of small vertebrates as reservoir hosts. The Rickettsia sp. prevalence was maximal on pasture with medium forest fragmentation. Female ticks were more infected by B. burgdorferi sensu lato than males and nymphs in woodland sites, which suggests an interaction between the ticks and the bacteria. This study confirms the complexity of the tick-borne pathogen ecology. The findings support the importance of small vertebrates as reservoir hosts and make a case for further studies in Europe on the link between the composition of the reservoir host community and the infection prevalence in ticks.

scholarly journals Characterization of a spotted fever group Rickettsia from Ixodes ricinus ticks in Sweden.

1997 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 243-247 ◽  
Author(s):  
K Nilsson ◽  
T G Jaenson ◽  
I Uhnoo ◽  
O Lindquist ◽  
B Pettersson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ixodes Ricinus ◽  
Spotted Fever ◽  
Spotted Fever Group ◽  
Ixodes Ricinus Ticks ◽  
Spotted Fever Group Rickettsia

scholarly journals Detection of tick-borne pathogens in questing Ixodes ricinus in the French Pyrenees and first identification of Rickettsia monacensis in France

Parasite ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 26 ◽  
pp. 20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toufic Akl ◽  
Gilles Bourgoin ◽  
Marie-Line Souq ◽  
Joël Appolinaire ◽  
Marie-Thérèse Poirel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ixodes Ricinus ◽  
Pathogen Detection ◽  
Spotted Fever ◽  
Spotted Fever Group ◽  
Rupicapra Pyrenaica ◽  
Rickettsia Monacensis ◽  
Animal Pathogens ◽  
Questing Ticks ◽  
Pyrenean Chamois ◽  
First Time

Ticks are important vectors of several human and animal pathogens. In this study, we estimated the prevalence of important tick-borne infections in questing ticks from an area in Southwestern France (Hautes-Pyrénées) inhabited by Pyrenean chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica pyrenaica) experiencing high tick burden. We examined adult and nymph ticks collected by the flag dragging method from 8 to 15 sites in the Pic de Bazès during the years 2009, 2011, 2013 and 2015. PCR assays were conducted on selected ticks for the detection of Borrelia burgdorferi s.l., Babesia spp., Rickettsia spp., spotted fever group (SFG) Rickettsia and Anaplasma phagocytophilum. Randomly selected positive samples were submitted for sequence analysis. A total of 1971 questing ticks were collected including 95 males, 101 females and 1775 nymphs. All collected ticks were identified as Ixodes ricinus. Among them, 696 ticks were selected for pathogen detection and overall prevalence was 8.4% for B. burgdorferi s.l.; 0.4% for Babesia spp.; 6.1% for A. phagocytophilum; 17.6% for Rickettsia spp.; and 8.1% for SFG Rickettsia. Among the sequenced pathogens, we detected in this population of ticks the presence of Babesia sp. EU1 and Rickettsia helvetica, as well as Rickettsia monacensis for the first time in France. The detection of these pathogens in the Pic de Bazès highlights the potential infection risks for visitors to this area and the Pyrenean chamois population.

Borrelia lusitaniae and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiae in Ixodes ricinus (Acari: Ixodidae) in Tuscany, Central Italy

2006 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 159-165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luigi Bertolotti ◽  
Laura Tomassone ◽  
Clara Tramuta ◽  
Elena Grego ◽  
Giuseppina Amore ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ixodes Ricinus ◽  
Spotted Fever ◽  
Central Italy ◽  
Spotted Fever Group ◽  
Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiae ◽  
Borrelia Lusitaniae

Natural Ehrlichia phagocytophila transmission coefficients from sheep ‘carriers’ to Ixodes ricinus ticks vary with the numbers of feeding ticks

Parasitology ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 124 (2) ◽  
pp. 127-136 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. H. OGDEN ◽  
A. N. J. CASEY ◽  
N. P. FRENCH ◽  
K. J. BOWN ◽  
J. D. W. ADAMS ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ixodes Ricinus ◽  
Tick Infestation ◽  
Infection Intensity ◽  
Adult Tick ◽  
Transmission Efficiency ◽  
Infection Prevalence ◽  
Direct Effects ◽  
Transmission Coefficients ◽  
Ehrlichia Phagocytophila ◽  
Ixodes Ricinus Ticks

In a longitudinal study in a UK upland site, 38% of adult sheep were detected as infected with the tick-borne bacterium Ehrlichia phagocytophila by PCR of blood samples. Infection prevalence declined significantly with sheep age but varied significantly and non-linearly with the number of adult Ixodes ricinus ticks feeding per sheep. These findings suggested that under conditions of natural repeated tick-borne challenge sheep remain partially susceptible to re-infections, but the likelihood of re-infection depended on the numbers of feeding ticks. Transmission efficiency from sheep to immature ticks also varied significantly and non-linearly with the number of adult ticks feeding per sheep: transmission efficiency was almost zero in sheep with low adult tick infestations rising to 30% at certain levels of adult tick infestation. Infection intensity in infected engorged immature ticks also varied with the number of adult ticks feeding per sheep, but neither prevalence nor intensity of infection in engorged ticks were related to sheep blood PCR result. These findings suggest that variation in the numbers of ticks feeding per sheep may influence E. phagocytophila transmission by direct effects on transmission at the tick–host interface.

Tick-borne rickettsial diseases

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emmanouil Angelakis ◽  
Didier Raoult
Keyword(s):  
Spotted Fever ◽  
Reservoir Host ◽  
Spotted Fever Group ◽  
Rickettsia Species ◽  
The Family ◽  
Risk Areas ◽  
Vertebrate Hosts ◽  
Group 2 ◽  
Rickettsial Diseases ◽  
Rickettsia Bellii

Bacteria of the genus Rickettsia belong to the family Rickettsiaceae in the order Rickettsiales and have for long been described simply as short, Gram-negative, strict intracellular rods that retain basic fuchsin when stained by the method of Gimenez (Raoult and Roux 1997). These bacteria are associated with ticks, lice, fleas or mites. To date the Rickettsia genus contains 24 recognized species classified into three groups based on their antigenic, morphological, and ecologic patterns: 1) the typhus group, 2) the spotted fever group and 3) Rickettsia bellii (Fournier and Raoult 2007). Most spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsiae are closely associated with ticks belonging to the family Ixodidae (also called “hard” ticks) (Parola et al. 2005). Ticks can act as vectors, reservoirs, and/or amplifiers of SFG rickettsiae and require optimal environmental conditions which determine the geographic distribution of the vectors and consequently the risk areas for rickettsioses. Many Rickettsia species are strictly associated with one genus of ticks and the transmittion to people is made through the tick bite, which generally implies that the Rickettsia can localize to their salivary glands. Therefore, since larvae, nymphs, and adults may all be infective for susceptible vertebrate hosts, the ticks must be regarded as the main reservoir host of rickettsiae. Humans are not considered as good reservoirs for Rickettsiae, as they are seldom infested with ticks for long periods and rickettsiaemia has normally short duration, especially with antibiotic intervention.

scholarly journals Rickettsia monacensis sp. nov., a Spotted Fever Group Rickettsia, from Ticks (Ixodes ricinus) Collected in a European City Park

2002 ◽  
Vol 68 (9) ◽  
pp. 4559-4566 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason A. Simser ◽  
Ann T. Palmer ◽  
Volker Fingerle ◽  
Bettina Wilske ◽  
Timothy J. Kurtti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Lines ◽  
Ixodes Ricinus ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Citrate Synthase ◽  
Spotted Fever ◽  
Spotted Fever Group ◽  
Mammalian Cell Lines ◽  
Isolation And Characterization ◽  
Rickettsia Monacensis ◽  
City Park

ABSTRACT We describe the isolation and characterization of Rickettsia monacensis sp. nov. (type strain, IrR/MunichT) from an Ixodes ricinus tick collected in a city park, the English Garden in Munich, Germany. Rickettsiae were propagated in vitro with Ixodes scapularis cell line ISE6. BLAST analysis of the 16S rRNA, the citrate synthase, and the partial 190-kDa rickettsial outer membrane protein A (rOmpA) gene sequences demonstrated that the isolate was a spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsia closely related to several yet-to-be-cultivated rickettsiae associated with I. ricinus. Phylogenetic analysis of partial rompA sequences demonstrated that the isolate was genotypically different from other validated species of SFG rickettsiae. R. monacensis also replicated in cell lines derived from the ticks I. ricinus (IRE11) and Dermacentor andersoni (DAE100) and in the mammalian cell lines L-929 and Vero, causing cell lysis. Transmission electron microscopy of infected ISE6 and Vero cells showed rickettsiae within the cytoplasm, pseudopodia, nuclei, and vacuoles. Hamsters inoculated with R. monacensis had immunoglobulin G antibody titers as high as 1:16,384, as determined by indirect immunofluorescence assay. Western blot analyses demonstrated that the hamster sera cross-reacted with peptides from other phylogenetically distinct rickettsiae, including rOmpA. R. monacensis induced actin tails in both tick and mammalian cells similar to those reported for R. rickettsii. R. monacensis joins a growing list of SFG rickettsiae that colonize ticks but whose infectivity and pathogenicity for vertebrates are unknown.

Spotted fever group rickettsiae identified in Dermacentor marginatus and Ixodes ricinus ticks in Algeria

2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 380-381 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tahar Kernif ◽  
Dalila Messaoudene ◽  
Soraya Ouahioune ◽  
Philippe Parola ◽  
Didier Raoult ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ixodes Ricinus ◽  
Spotted Fever ◽  
Spotted Fever Group ◽  
Dermacentor Marginatus ◽  
Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiae ◽  
Ixodes Ricinus Ticks
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