Comparison of an oligo-chip based assay with PCR method to measure the prevalence of tick-borne pathogenic bacteria in central Slovakia

Biologia ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Kocianová ◽  
Dušan Blaškovič ◽  
Katarína Smetanová ◽  
Katarína Schwarzová ◽  
Vojtech Boldiš ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Francisella Tularensis ◽  
Coxiella Burnetii ◽  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Spotted Fever ◽  
Close Correlation ◽  
Borrelia Burgdorferi Sensu Lato ◽  
Pcr Analysis ◽  
Spotted Fever Group ◽  
Specific Pcr ◽  
Wide Range

AbstractTicks are well-known vectors for a wide range of pathogenic microorganisms. We examined the presence of Rickettsia spp., Anaplasma spp., Borrelia spp., Coxiella burnetii and Francisella tularensis in Ixodes ricinus ticks collected in central Slovakia using oligo-chip based assay. Rickettsiae were detected in 5.6% of examined ticks. Borreliae and anaplasmae were identified in 2.1% and 2.8% ticks, respectively. All tested samples were negative for presence of Coxiella burnetii and Francisella tularensis. All these results were compared with those obtained by PCR analysis, and a close correlation between them was found. In addition, rickettsiae of spotted fever group (SFG), Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato were found in ticks using genera or species-specific PCR methods. They are circulating in 10 out of 18 studied localities.

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

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.

Detection of a Rickettsia sp. and an Ehrlichia chaffeensis-like organism in ticks parasitizing the endangered Florida Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum floridanus)

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (12) ◽  
pp. 2165-2171
Author(s):  
Erin L. Hewett Ragheb ◽  
Karl E. Miller ◽  
Katherine A. Sayler ◽  
Richard G. Robbins
Keyword(s):  
Causative Agent ◽  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Spotted Fever ◽  
The United States ◽  
Mediterranean Spotted Fever ◽  
Spotted Fever Group ◽  
Ehrlichia Chaffeensis ◽  
Grasshopper Sparrow ◽  
Ammodramus Savannarum ◽  
Human Monocytic Ehrlichiosis

Between 2013 and 2015, 163 resident endangered Florida Grasshopper Sparrows (Ammodramus savannarum floridanus) and four migratory Eastern Grasshopper Sparrows (A. savannarum pratensis) were examined for the presence of ticks in peninsular Florida. Thirteen Amblyomma maculatum and seven Haemaphysalis chordeilis ticks were removed from 13 Florida Grasshopper Sparrows. Two A. maculatum were discovered on two Eastern Grasshopper Sparrows. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing of resultant amplicons of some of the tick specimens were performed to determine if ticks were infected with pathogenic bacteria. Salivary gland and midgut contents of five of six (83%) of the H. chordeilis tested positive for a novel Rickettsia closely related to, but distinct from, Rickettsia aeschlimannii (causative agent of Mediterranean spotted fever-like illness), an infectious zoonotic bacterium that has not been previously reported in the United States. Four of 14 (29%) of the A. maculatum tested positive for an agent most closely related to an uncultured Ehrlichia previously isolated from Oriental house rats (Rattus tanezumi; 97.5% identity to GenBank KM817187), which is genetically similar to Ehrlichia chaffeensis (causative agent of human monocytic ehrlichiosis), another infectious zoonotic bacterium. Blood from 16 Florida Grasshopper Sparrows and one Eastern Grasshopper Sparrow tested negative for spotted fever group rickettsiae, Anaplasma spp. and Ehrlichia spp. We recommend that additional collections and screening of ticks and blood from Florida Grasshopper Sparrows be undertaken to determine the rates of infection with rickettsiae and ehrlichiae in these imperiled songbirds.

scholarly journals Minimal Duration of Tick Attachment Sufficient for Transmission of Infectious Rickettsia rickettsii (Rickettsiales: Rickettsiaceae) by Its Primary Vector Dermacentor variabilis (Acari: Ixodidae): Duration of Rickettsial Reactivation in the Vector Revisited

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael L Levin ◽  
Shelby L Ford ◽  
Kris Hartzer ◽  
Lnna Krapiunaya ◽  
Hannah Stanley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Salivary Glands ◽  
Guinea Pigs ◽  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Spotted Fever ◽  
Dermacentor Variabilis ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Spotted Fever Group ◽  
Susceptible Host ◽  
Rickettsia Rickettsii ◽  
Tick Attachment

Abstract It has been reported that starving ticks do not transmit spotted fever group Rickettsia immediately upon attachment because pathogenic bacteria exist in a dormant, uninfectious state and require time for ‘reactivation’ before transmission to a susceptible host. To clarify the length of reactivation period, we exposed guinea pigs to bites of Rickettsia rickettsii-infected Dermacentor variabilis (Say) and allowed ticks to remain attached for predetermined time periods from 0 to 48 h. Following removal of attached ticks, salivary glands were immediately tested by PCR, while guinea pigs were observed for 10–12 d post-exposure. Guinea pigs in a control group were subcutaneously inoculated with salivary glands from unfed D. variabilis from the same cohort. In a parallel experiment, skin at the location of tick bite was also excised at the time of tick removal to ascertain dissemination of pathogen from the inoculation site. Animals in every exposure group developed clinical and pathological signs of infection. The severity of rickettsial infection in animals increased with the length of tick attachment, but even attachments for less than 8 h resulted in clinically identifiable infection in some guinea pigs. Guinea pigs inoculated with salivary glands from unfed ticks also became severely ill. Results of our study indicate that R. rickettsii residing in salivary glands of unfed questing ticks does not necessarily require a period of reactivation to precede the salivary transmission and ticks can transmit infectious Rickettsia virtually as soon as they attach to the host.

Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and spotted fever group rickettsiae in small rodents and attached ticks in the Northern Apennines, Italy

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 862-867 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisa Martello ◽  
Alessandro Mannelli ◽  
Elena Grego ◽  
Leonardo Adrian Ceballos ◽  
Charlotte Ragagli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Borrelia Burgdorferi ◽  
Spotted Fever ◽  
Northern Apennines ◽  
Borrelia Burgdorferi Sensu Lato ◽  
Spotted Fever Group ◽  
Small Rodents ◽  
Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiae

scholarly journals Exposure and Risk Factors to Coxiella burnetii, Spotted Fever Group and Typhus Group Rickettsiae, and Bartonella henselae among Volunteer Blood Donors in Namibia

PLoS ONE ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. e108674 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruce H. Noden ◽  
Filippus I. Tshavuka ◽  
Berta E. van der Colf ◽  
Israel Chipare ◽  
Rob Wilkinson
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Coxiella Burnetii ◽  
Blood Donors ◽  
Bartonella Henselae ◽  
Spotted Fever ◽  
Spotted Fever Group

scholarly journals Genospecies Identification and Characterization of Lyme Disease Spirochetes of Genospecies Borrelia burgdorferi Sensu Lato Isolated from Rodents in Taiwan

1998 ◽  
Vol 36 (11) ◽  
pp. 3127-3132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chien-Ming Shih ◽  
Han-Ming Chang ◽  
Show-Li Chen ◽  
Li-Lian Chao
Keyword(s):  
Lyme Disease ◽  
Borrelia Burgdorferi ◽  
Pcr Primers ◽  
Sensu Stricto ◽  
Surface Proteins ◽  
Borrelia Burgdorferi Sensu Lato ◽  
Pcr Analysis ◽  
Protein Profiles ◽  
Specific Pcr ◽  
Plasmid Profiles

Lyme disease spirochetes of the genospecies Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato were identified and characterized for the first time in Taiwan. Seven isolates, designated TWKM1 to TWKM7, were purified from the ear tissues of three species of rodents captured from seven localities of Taiwan. The immunological characteristics of these Taiwan isolates were compared with those of other genospecies of Lyme disease spirochetes by analyzing the protein profiles and reactivities with B. burgdorferi-specific monoclonal antibodies (MAbs). The genospecies of these Taiwan isolates were also identified by the similarities in their plasmid profiles and differential reactivities with genospecies-specific PCR primers. Although two distinct protein profiles were observed among the seven Taiwan isolates, the MAb reactivities against the outer surface proteins of B. burgdorferi of all of these isolates were consistent with those of B. burgdorferi sensu lato. The similarities of the plasmid profiles also confirmed the identities of these Taiwan isolates. PCR analysis indicated that all of these Taiwan isolates were genetically related to the genospecies B. burgdorferi sensu stricto. These results demonstrate the first identification of Lyme disease spirochetes in Taiwan and also highlight the increasing demand for defining the reservoirs and vector ticks of B. burgdorferi. A serosurvey for Lyme disease infection in the human population of Taiwan may also be required.

Serosurvey for Cowdria ruminantium, Coxiella burnetii, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiae in Ostriches (Struthio camelus) from Zimbabwe

1996 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 448 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick J. Kelly ◽  
Norman Masanvi ◽  
Hilary F. Cadman ◽  
Suman M. Mahan ◽  
Lorenza Beati ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Coxiella Burnetii ◽  
Spotted Fever ◽  
Spotted Fever Group ◽  
Struthio Camelus ◽  
Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiae ◽  
Cowdria Ruminantium

scholarly journals Molecular investigation of tick-borne pathogens in ticks removed from tick-bitten humans in the southwestern region of the Republic of Korea

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. e0252992
Author(s):  
Mi Seon Bang ◽  
Choon-Mee Kim ◽  
Sang-Hyun Pyun ◽  
Dong-Min Kim ◽  
Na Ra Yun
Keyword(s):  
Tick Species ◽  
Spotted Fever ◽  
Common Species ◽  
Republic Of Korea ◽  
Spotted Fever Group ◽  
Haemaphysalis Longicornis ◽  
Babesia Gibsoni ◽  
Specific Pcr ◽  
Rickettsia Monacensis ◽  
The Republic

In this study, we investigated the presence of tick-borne pathogens in ticks removed from tick-bitten humans in the southwestern provinces of the Republic of Korea (ROK). We identified 33 ticks from three tick species, namely Amblyomma testudinarium (60.6%), Haemaphysalis longicornis (27.3%), and Ixodes nipponensis (12.1%) in order of occurrence via morphology and 16S rDNA-targeting polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Tick-borne pathogens were detected in 16 ticks using pathogen-specific PCR. From the results, 12 ticks (36.4%) tested positive for spotted fever group (SFG) Rickettsia: Rickettsia monacensis (1/12), R. tamurae (8/12), and Candidatus Rickettsia jingxinensis (3/12). Three ticks (9.1%) were positive for Anaplasma phagocytophilum. In addition, three ticks (9.1%) tested positive for Babesia gibsoni (1/3) and B. microti (2/3). In conclusion, we identified three tick species; the most common species was A. testudinarium, followed by H. longicornis and I. nipponensis. SFG Rickettsia, A. phagocytophilum, and Babesia spp. were the most frequently detected pathogens in ticks removed from tick-bitten humans. To our knowledge, this is the first report of R. tamurae and Ca. R. jingxinensis detection in Korea. The present results will contribute to the understanding of tick-borne infections in animals and humans in the ROK.

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