Dataset Information

Identification of Amblyomma javanense and detection of tick-borne Ehrlichia spp. in confiscated Malayan Pangolins.

ABSTRACT: Due to habitat destruction and illegal hunting and trade, the number of pangolins has been sharply reduced. To protect pangolins from extinction, relevant departments are combined and active action have been taken. A total of 21 confiscated Malayan pangolins were rescued in 2019, but died continuously for unknown reasons. This study aimed to investigate the reasons for the death of these pangolin and rescue them. 19 of the 21 confiscated pangolins had ticks on their body integument. A total of 303 ticks were collected and identified as Amblyomma javanense (A. javanense) according to their morphology and the sequences of 16S rRNA and internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2). There were multi-organ damages in the dead pangolins, especially congestion and hemorrhage in lung, heart and kidney and inflammation of which were observed using HE staining. Pathogens' nucleic acid detection showed ticks were only positive for Ehrlichia spp, with 56.7% positive rate of collected ticks (127/224), which was further confirmed in tissues from dead pangolins. Our findings confirm that ehrlichiosis caused by Ehrlichia spp. from A. javanense might accelerate the confiscated pangolin's death. More attention should be payed to tick-elimination work and the diagnoses and treatment of tick-borne diseases in the follow-up rescue operation.

SUBMITTER: Zhai J

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7868807 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Identification of <i>Amblyomma javanense</i> and detection of tick-borne <i>Ehrlichia spp.</i> in confiscated Malayan Pangolins.

Zhai Junqiong J Wu Yajiang Y Chen Jinping J Zou Jiejian J Shan Fen F Li Wanping W Chen Wu W Zhou Niu N

International journal for parasitology. Parasites and wildlife 20210130

Due to habitat destruction and illegal hunting and trade, the number of pangolins has been sharply reduced. To protect pangolins from extinction, relevant departments are combined and active action have been taken. A total of 21 confiscated Malayan pangolins were rescued in 2019, but died continuously for unknown reasons. This study aimed to investigate the reasons for the death of these pangolin and rescue them. 19 of the 21 confiscated pangolins had ticks on their body integument. A total of 3 ...[more]

PMID: 33598400

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Project description:Background and aimThe Sunda pangolin (Manis javanica) is on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species (critically endangered) due to high levels of illegal trafficking for its products. Thailand is one of the habitats of this species, and it has become the main hub for its illegal trafficking. Rehabilitating these captive pangolins and reintroducing them back to the wild are challenging due to the limited knowledge on their diet, management, and diseases. Hemoparasites, including Babesia spp., can cause important protozoal infections in both domestic and wild animals, resulting in the failure of rehabilitation and conservation programs. However, Babesia spp. has not been reported in pangolins. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of Babesia spp. in the Sunda pangolin of Thailand.Materials and methodsA total of 128 confiscated Sunda pangolins from across different regions in Thailand were investigated. These pangolins had been admitted to a regional Wildlife Quarantine Center for rehabilitation before release in the forest. Routine physical examinations were conducted on the animals. We collected blood samples from each pangolin for hematological analysis and to detect Babesia spp. using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting the partial 18s rRNA gene.ResultsBabesia-specific PCR detected 53 animals (41.4%) that were positive for Babesia spp. Blood smears were obtained from the positive samples and investigated under a light microscope to observe for trophozoites of Babesia spp. Examination of 40 PCR-positive and -negative samples found no significant differences between the hematological parameters of Babesia-positive and Babesia-negative samples. Eight PCR-positive samples were randomly selected and their DNA was sequenced. Seven and one of sequences match uncharacterized Babesia spp. with 100% and 99.2% similarity, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that our samples form a unique monophyletic clade along with other Babesia spp. detected in the wild. This clade is clearly separated from other Babesia spp. from small carnivores, ruminants, and rats.ConclusionOur results provide evidence of infection of Sunda pangolins in Thailand by Babesia spp. These pangolins originated from different regions and had not lived together before blood collection. Thus, we suggest that the uncharacterized Babesia spp. found in this study constitute a new group of pangolin-specific Babesia spp. The prevalence of the uncharacterized Babesia spp. was not correlated to pangolin health. Further studies are required to characterize the genomes and phenotypes, including the morphology and pathogenicity of these protozoa. Such information will be helpful for the conservation and health management of the Sunda pangolin.

Project description:Ticks are major arthropod vectors of disease, transmitting tick-borne pathogens during blood meal episodes. Rickettsia spp. and Borrelia spp. are two tick-borne pathogens of zoonotic concern previously identified in DNA isolates from the tick genera Amblyomma and Bothriocroton associated with reptilian hosts in Australia. Some reports suggest that these reptile ticks bite and attach to humans via accidental parasitism and transmit disease, with the tick Bothriocroton hydrosauri known to transmit Rickettsia honei or Flinders Island Spotted Fever Rickettsia to humans. This descriptive study aims to identify the ticks collected from wild reptiles submitted to veterinary clinics and captured by snake rescuers from New South Wales (NSW), Australia, and detect the presence of tick-borne bacterial DNA using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) to detect Rickettsia spp. and Bartonella spp. and conventional nested-PCR to detect Borrelia spp. Morphological identification revealed ticks removed from one eastern blue-tongued lizard (Tiliqua scincoides scincoides) from North-Eastern NSW (Lismore), one eastern blue-tongued lizard from the Greater Sydney area (Canley Heights), one diamond python (Morelia spilota spilota) from the Greater Sydney area (Woronora Heights) and one red-bellied black snake (Pseudechis porphyriacus) from the Greater Sydney Area (Cronulla) in New South Wales were Amblyomma moreliae. No ticks were positive for Bartonella spp. and Borrelia spp. DNA using real-time PCR targeting ssrA gene and nested PCR targeting Borrelia-specific 16S rRNA gene, respectively. Real-time PCR targeting gltA, ompA, ompB and 17kDa gene of Rickettsia spp. revealed 14 out of 16 ticks were positive. The undescribed Rickettsia sp. DNA was identical to that previously recovered from reptile ticks in Australia and closely related to Rickettsia tamurae and Rickettsia monacensis, both of which are aetiologic pathogens of the Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis (SFGR). These results accentuate the ongoing need for increased study efforts to understand zoonotic potential of bacteria from reptile ticks and the tick-reptile-human relationship.

Project description:BACKGROUND:Species of Canidae in Russia can be infested with up to 24 different tick species; however, the frequency of different tick species infesting domestic dogs across Russia is not known. In addition, tick-borne disease risks for domestic dogs in Russia are not well quantified. The goal of this study was to conduct a nationwide survey of ticks collected from infested dogs admitted to veterinary clinics in Russian cities and to identify pathogens found in these ticks. METHODS:Ticks feeding on dogs admitted to 32 veterinary clinics in 27 major cities across Russia were preserved in ethanol and submitted to a central facility for examination. After identification, each tick was evaluated for infection with known tick-borne pathogens using PCR. RESULTS:There were 990 individual ticks collected from 636 dogs. All collected ticks belonged to the Ixodidae (hard ticks) and represented 11 species of four genera, Dermacentor, Ixodes, Rhipicephalus and Haemaphysalis. Four most common tick species were D. reticulatus, followed by I. persulcatus, I. ricinus and R. sanguineus. Ixodes persulcatus ticks were found to be infected with 10 different pathogens, and ticks of this species were more frequently infected than either D. reticulatus or I. ricinus. Ixodes persulcatus females were also more frequently co-infected with two or more pathogens than any other tick. Pathogenic species of five genera were detected in ticks: Anaplasma centrale, A. phagocytophilum and A. marginale; Babesia canis, B. microti, B. venatorum, B. divergens, B. crassa and B. vogeli; Borrelia miyamotoi, B. afzelii and B. garinii; Ehrlichia muris, E. canis and E. ruminantum; and Theileria cervi. Anaplasma marginale, E. canis, B. crassa, B. vogeli and T. cervi were detected in I. persulcatus, and Babesia canis in D. marginatum, for the first time in Russia. CONCLUSIONS:Multiple ticks from four genera and 11 species of the family Ixodidae were collected from domestic dogs across Russia. These ticks commonly carry pathogens and act as disease vectors. Ixodes persulcatus ticks present the greatest risk for transmission of multiple arthropod-borne pathogens.

Dataset Information

Identification of Amblyomma javanense and detection of tick-borne Ehrlichia spp. in confiscated Malayan Pangolins.

Publications

Identification of <i>Amblyomma javanense</i> and detection of tick-borne <i>Ehrlichia spp.</i> in confiscated Malayan Pangolins.

Similar Datasets

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