scholarly journals Role of reptiles and associated arthropods in the epidemiology of rickettsioses: A one health paradigm

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. e0009090 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jairo Alfonso Mendoza-Roldan ◽  
Ranju Ravindran Santhakumari Manoj ◽  
Maria Stefania Latrofa ◽  
Roberta Iatta ◽  
Giada Annoscia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ixodes Ricinus ◽  
Human Subjects ◽  
Spotted Fever ◽  
Spotted Fever Group ◽  
Sylvatic Cycle ◽  
Podarcis Muralis ◽  
Nature Preserve ◽  
Forestry Workers ◽  
Rickettsia Monacensis ◽  
Podarcis Siculus

We assessed the presence of Rickettsia spp., Coxiella burnetii and Anaplasma phagocytophilum in reptiles, their ectoparasites and in questing ticks collected in a nature preserve park in southern Italy, as well as in a peri-urban area in another region. We also investigated the exposure to these pathogens in forestry workers, farmers and livestock breeders living or working in the nature preserve park given the report of anecdotal cases of spotted fever rickettsioses. Rickettsia spp. were molecularly detected in Podarcis muralis and Podarcis siculus lizards (i.e., 3.1%), in Ixodes ricinus (up to 87.5%) and in Neotrombicula autumnalis (up to 8.3%) collected from them as well as in I. ricinus collected from the environment (up to 28.4%). Rickettsia monacensis was the most prevalent species followed by Rickettsia helvetica. An undescribed member of the family Anaplasmataceae was detected in 2.4% and 0.8% of the reptiles and ectoparasites, respectively. Sera from human subjects (n = 50) were serologically screened and antibodies to Rickettsia spp. (n = 4; 8%), C. burnetti (n = 8; 16%) and A. phagocytophilum (n = 11; 22%) were detected. Two ticks collected from two forestry workers were positive for spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsiae. Ixodes ricinus is involved in the transmission of SFG rickettsiae (R. monacensis and R. helvetica) in southern Europe and lizards could play a role in the sylvatic cycle of R. monacensis, as amplifying hosts. Meanwhile, N. autumnalis could be involved in the enzootic cycle of some SFG rickettsiae among these animals. People living or working in the southern Italian nature preserve park investigated are exposed to SFG rickettsiae, C. burnetii and A. phagocytophilum.

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.

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.

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

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

scholarly journals Development of a Multiplex Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) Method for Simultaneous Detection of Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiae and Malaria Parasites by Dipstick DNA Chromatography

Diagnostics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 897
Author(s):  
Lavel Chinyama Moonga ◽  
Kyoko Hayashida ◽  
Naoko Kawai ◽  
Ryo Nakao ◽  
Chihiro Sugimoto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Detection System ◽  
Spotted Fever ◽  
Simultaneous Detection ◽  
Febrile Illness ◽  
Isothermal Amplification ◽  
Lamp Method ◽  
Spotted Fever Group ◽  
Loop Mediated Isothermal Amplification ◽  
Rickettsia Monacensis ◽  
Sfg Rickettsia

Spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsiae causes febrile illness in humans worldwide. Since SFG rickettsiosis’s clinical presentation is nonspecific, it is frequently misdiagnosed as other febrile diseases, especially malaria, and complicates proper treatment. Aiming at rapid, simple, and simultaneous detection of SFG Rickettsia spp. and Plasmodium spp., we developed a novel multiple pathogen detection system by combining a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) method and dipstick DNA chromatography technology. Two primer sets detecting SFG Rickettsia spp. and Plasmodium spp. were mixed, and amplified products were visualized by hybridizing to dipstick DNA chromatography. The multiplex LAMP with dipstick DNA chromatography distinguished amplified Rickettsia and Plasmodium targeted genes simultaneously. The determined sensitivity using synthetic nucleotides was 1000 copies per reaction for mixed Rickettsia and Plasmodium genes. When genomic DNA from in vitro cultured organisms was used, the sensitivity was 100 and 10 genome equivalents per reaction for Rickettsia monacensis and Plasmodium falciparum, respectively. Although further improvement will be required for more sensitive detection, our developed simultaneous diagnosis technique will contribute to the differential diagnosis of undifferentiated febrile illness caused by either SFG Rickettsia spp. or Plasmodium spp. in resource-limited endemic areas. Importantly, this scheme is potentially versatile for the simultaneous detection of diverse infectious diseases.

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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