Tick-borne pathogens of potential zoonotic importance in the southern African Region

The aim of this communication is to provide preliminary information on the tick-borne pathogens of potential zoonotic importance present in southern Africa, mainly focusing on their geographical distribution and host range, and to identify research gaps. The following tick-borne zoonoses have been reported to occur in southern Africa based mainly on case reports: Crimean–Congo haemorrhagic fever caused by Crimean–Congo haemorrhagic fever virus; ehrlichiosis caused by Ehrlichia ruminantium, Ehrlichia canis and Anaplasma phagocytophilum; babesiosis caused by Babesia microti; relapsing fever caused by Borrelia duttonii and rickettsioses caused by Rickettsia africae, Rickettsia aeschlimannii and Rickettsia conorii. The epidemiological factors influencing their occurrence are briefly reviewed.

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Comparative analysis of the L, M, and S RNA segments of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus isolates from southern Africa

Journal of Medical Virology ◽

10.1002/jmv.24079 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 87 (5) ◽

pp. 717-724 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Dominique Goedhals ◽

Phillip A. Bester ◽

Janusz T. Paweska ◽

Robert Swanepoel ◽

Felicity J. Burt

Keyword(s):

Comparative Analysis ◽

Southern Africa ◽

Fever Virus ◽

Haemorrhagic Fever ◽

Crimean Congo Haemorrhagic Fever ◽

Virus Isolates

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Ticks and Tick-Borne Pathogens Associated with Dromedary Camels (Camelus dromedarius) in Northern Kenya

Microorganisms ◽

10.3390/microorganisms9071414 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (7) ◽

pp. 1414

Author(s):

Dennis Getange ◽

Joel L. Bargul ◽

Esther Kanduma ◽

Marisol Collins ◽

Boku Bodha ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Q Fever ◽

Epidemiological Data ◽

Dromedary Camels ◽

Ehrlichia Ruminantium ◽

Northern Kenya ◽

Pastoralist Communities ◽

Rickettsia Africae ◽

Pcr Products ◽

Melting Analysis ◽

Rickettsia Aeschlimannii

Ticks and tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) are major constraints to camel health and production, yet epidemiological data on their diversity and impact on dromedary camels remain limited. We surveyed the diversity of ticks and TBPs associated with camels and co-grazing sheep at 12 sites in Marsabit County, northern Kenya. We screened blood and ticks (858 pools) from 296 camels and 77 sheep for bacterial and protozoan TBPs by high-resolution melting analysis and sequencing of PCR products. Hyalomma (75.7%), Amblyomma (17.6%) and Rhipicephalus (6.7%) spp. ticks were morphologically identified and confirmed by molecular analyses. We detected TBP DNA in 80.1% of blood samples from 296 healthy camels. “Candidatus Anaplasma camelii”, “Candidatus Ehrlichia regneryi” and Coxiella burnetii were detected in both camels and associated ticks, and Ehrlichia chaffeensis, Rickettsia africae, Rickettsia aeschlimannii and Coxiella endosymbionts were detected in camel ticks. We also detected Ehrlichia ruminantium, which is responsible for heartwater disease in ruminants, in Amblyomma ticks infesting camels and sheep and in sheep blood, indicating its endemicity in Marsabit. Our findings also suggest that camels and/or the ticks infesting them are disease reservoirs of zoonotic Q fever (C. burnetii), ehrlichiosis (E. chaffeensis) and rickettsiosis (R. africae), which pose public health threats to pastoralist communities.

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Adult Hyalomma marginatum tick positive for Rickettsia aeschlimannii in Austria, October 2018

Eurosurveillance ◽

10.2807/1560-7917.es.2018.23.48.1800595 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 23 (48) ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Georg Gerhard Duscher ◽

Adnan Hodžić ◽

Peter Hufnagl ◽

Walpurga Wille-Piazzai ◽

Anna-Magarita Schötta ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Tick Species ◽

Migratory Birds ◽

Fever Virus ◽

Northern Europe ◽

Haemorrhagic Fever ◽

Potential Threat ◽

Hyalomma Marginatum ◽

Crimean Congo Haemorrhagic Fever ◽

Rickettsia Aeschlimannii

We report on a non-indigenous adult Hyalomma marginatum tick in Austria carrying the human pathogenic Rickettsia aeschlimannii; presumably introduced as a nymph via migratory birds and completed the moulting within the same year. It was negative for Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus, but the finding of R. aeschlimannii represents a potential threat for humans due to its zoonotic character. Awareness of invasive tick species and carried pathogens should be improved in central and northern Europe.

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Ticks and tick-borne pathogens associated with dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius) in northern Kenya

10.20944/preprints202106.0170.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Dennis Getange ◽

Joel L. Bargul ◽

Esther Kanduma ◽

Marisol Collins ◽

Boku Bodha ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Q Fever ◽

Epidemiological Data ◽

Dromedary Camels ◽

Ehrlichia Ruminantium ◽

Northern Kenya ◽

Pastoralist Communities ◽

Rickettsia Africae ◽

Pcr Products ◽

Melting Analysis ◽

Rickettsia Aeschlimannii

Ticks and tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) are major constraints to camel health and production, yet epidemiological data on their diversity and impact on dromedary camels are limited. We sur-veyed the diversity of ticks and TBPs associated with camels and co-grazing sheep at 12 sites in Marsabit County, northern Kenya. We screened blood and ticks (858 pools) collected from 296 camels and 77 sheep for bacterial and protozoan TBPs by high-resolution melting analysis and sequencing of PCR products. Hyalomma (75.7%), Amblyomma (17.6%) and Rhipicephalus (6.7%) spp. ticks were morphologically identified and confirmed by molecular analyses. We detected TBP DNA in 80.1% of blood samples from 296 healthy camels. “Candidatus Anaplasma camelii”, “Candidatus Ehrlichia regneryi” and Coxiella burnetii were detected in both camels and associ-ated ticks, and Ehrlichia chaffeensis, Rickettsia africae, Rickettsia aeschlimannii and Coxiella endo-symbionts were detected in camel ticks. We also detected Ehrlichia ruminantium, responsible for heartwater disease in ruminants, in Amblyomma ticks infesting camels and sheep and in sheep blood, indicating its endemicity in Marsabit. Our findings also suggest that camels and/or the ticks infesting them are reservoirs of zoonotic Q fever (C. burnetii), ehrlichiosis (E. chaffeensis), and rickettsiosis (R. africae), which pose a public health threat to pastoralist communities.

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Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever - the emerging vector-borne disease

Annales UMCS Medicina Veterinaria ◽

10.2478/v10082-008-0012-z ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 63 (4) ◽

pp. 1-7

Author(s):

Krzysztof Kostro ◽

Dorota Luft-Deptuła ◽

Zdzisław Gliński

Keyword(s):

Haemorrhagic Fever ◽

Vector Borne Disease ◽

Crimean Congo Haemorrhagic Fever ◽

Vector Borne

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A case of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever in a chronic haemodialysis patient

10.26226/morressier.56d5ba29d462b80296c964a6 ◽

2016 ◽

Author(s):

Sener Barut

Keyword(s):

Haemodialysis Patient ◽

Chronic Haemodialysis ◽

Haemorrhagic Fever ◽

Crimean Congo Haemorrhagic Fever

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Knowledge, attitude and perceptions about Crimean Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) among occupationally high-risk healthcare professionals of Pakistan

BMC Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1186/s12879-020-05714-z ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Ali Ahmed ◽

Muhammad Saqlain ◽

Maria Tanveer ◽

Azhar Hussain Tahir ◽

Fakhar Ud-Din ◽

...

Keyword(s):

At Risk ◽

Health Care Professionals ◽

Work Experience ◽

Tertiary Care ◽

Nosocomial Transmission ◽

Haemorrhagic Fever ◽

Sources Of Information ◽

Validated Questionnaire ◽

Low Middle Income Countries ◽

Crimean Congo Haemorrhagic Fever

Abstract Background Crimean Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF), a tropically neglected infectious disease caused by Nairovirus, is endemic in low middle-income countries like Pakistan. Emergency health care professionals (HCPs) are at risk of contracting nosocomial transmission of CCHF. We, therefore, aim to analyze the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions (KAP) of at-risk physicians, nurses, and pharmacists in Pakistan and the factors associated with good KAP. Method A validated questionnaire (Cronbach’s alpha 0.71) was used to collect data from HCPs in two CCHF endemic metropolitan cities of Pakistan by employing a cross-sectional study design. For data analysis percentages, chi-square test and Spearman correlation were applied by using SPSS version 22. Results Of the 478 participants, 56% (n = 268) were physicians, 37.4% (n = 179) were nurses, and 6.5% (n = 31) were pharmacists. The proportion of HCPs with good knowledge, attitude, and perception scores was 54.3%, 81, and 69%, respectively. Being a physician, having more work experience, having a higher age, working in tertiary care settings, were key factors for higher knowledge (p < 0.001). The correlation coefficient showed significant positive correlation between attitude- perception (r = 0.560, p < 0.001). Conclusion We have observed average knowledge of HCPs. Therefore, we recommend time to time education campaigns and workshops in highly endemic CCHF regions to be launched by health ministries and HCPs, in particular nurses, encouraged to follow authentic academic sources of information to prevent nosocomial transmission.

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