Molecular evidence of zoonotic Babesia species, other than B. microti, in ixodid ticks collected from small mammals in the Republic of Korea.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Kim TY
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8604135 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:ObjectivesIn this study, we demonstrated that TBEV-infected ticks have been distributed in the ROK, combined with our previous results. These results suggest that TBEV may exist in the ROK, and H. longicornis, H. flava, and I. nipponensis may be potential vectors of TBEV. In addition, these results emphasize the need for further epidemiological research of TBEV.MethodsWe examined for the presence of RNA of TBEV by reverse transcriptase-nested polymerase chain reaction (RT-nested PCR) using ixodid ticks captured in 25 localities of 10 provinces. Ticks were collected by the flagging and dragging method or using sentinel BG traps at forests, grass thickets, and grassland. A total of 13,053 ticks belonging to two genera and four species were collected and pooled (1292 pools), according to collection site, species of tick, and developmental stage.ResultsAmong 1292 pools, the envelope (E) protein gene of TBEV was detected using RT-nested PCR in 10 pools (3 pools of the 1,331 adult ticks and 7 pools of the 11,169 nymph ticks) collected from Gangwon-do province, Jeonrabuk-do province, and Jeju Island. The minimum infection rates for TBEV of Haemaphysalis longicornis, Haemaphysalis flava, and Ixodes nipponensis were 0.06%, 0.17%, and 2.38%, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis based on the partial E protein gene was performed to identify relationships between the TBEV strains. This showed that 10 Korean strains clustered with the Western subtype.ConclusionIn this study, we investigated the prevalence of tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) in ixodid ticks from various regions of the Republic of Korea (ROK) during 2011-2012 to identify whether TBEV is circulating and to determine the endemic regions of TBEV.
| S-EPMC3747658 | biostudies-literature
Project description:We evaluated human risk for infection with Babesia microti at a site in eastern Switzerland where several B. microti-infected nymphal Ixodes ricinus ticks had been found. DNA from pooled nymphal ticks amplified by polymerase chain reaction was highly homologous to published B. microti sequences. More ticks carried babesial infection in the lower portion of the rectangular 0.7-ha grid than in the upper (11% vs. 0.8%). In addition, we measured seroprevalence of immunoglobulin (Ig) G antibodies against B. microti antigen in nearby residents. Serum from 1.5% of the 396 human residents of the region reacted to B. microti antigen (>1:64), as determined by indirect immunofluorescence assay (IgG). These observations constitute the first report demonstrating B. microti in a human-biting vector, associated with evidence of human exposure to this agent in a European site.
| S-EPMC3369589 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The development of genetic manipulation techniques has been reported in many protozoan parasites over the past few years. However, these techniques have not been established for Babesia microti. Here, we report the first successful transient transfection of B. microti. The plasmids containing the firefly luciferase reporter gene were transfected into B. microti by an AMAXA 4D Nucleofection system. Twenty-four-hour synchronization, the 5'-actin promoter, program FA100, and 50 ?g of plasmid DNA constituted the best conditions for the transient transfection of B. microti. This finding is the first step towards a stable transfection method for B. microti, which may contribute to a better understanding of the biology of the parasite.
| S-EPMC7169379 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundBabesiosis is an emerging tick-borne zoonotic infectious disease. Babesia microti is responsible for most cases of human babesiosis globally. It is important to investigate the prevalence of B. microti in the mammalian host population of a specific region in order to elucidate mechanisms of pathogen transmission and to define geographic areas where humans face the greatest risk of exposure. The aim of this study is to understand the prevalence and genotypes of B. microti in the small mammals that are found in Beijing, China.MethodsWe trapped small mammals from all of the 16 urban, suburban, and outer suburban districts of Beijing during the years 2014, 2017 and 2018. Genomic DNA was extracted from the heart tissues individually and the Babesia 18S rRNA gene was detected by PCR. The genotypes of B. microti were identified based on sequence alignments and phylogenetic analysis. The morphology of the parasites was observed under light microscopy. The risk factors were analyzed statistically based on both univariate analyses and multivariate logistic regression.ResultsA total of 1391 small mammals were collected. Positive infection of B. microti was detected in 12.1% (168/1391) of small mammals from 15 out of the 16 districts. Both Kobe-type and U.S.-type B. microti, accounting for 9.5% and 2.7%, respectively, were identified. Classic diverse morphologic forms of B. microti were observed. Specific types of ecological habitats including shrub areas, broad-leaved forest, and cropland were revealed to be risk factors associated with B. microti infection.ConclusionsThis study demonstrated the wide prevalence of B. microti infection in eight species of small mammals in Beijing, with Kobe-type more prevalent than U.S.-type. This study provides fundamental information for the development of informed prevention and control measures by public health authorities; the data gathered indicates a need for further monitoring of both clinical diseases in individuals presenting with babesiosis-like symptoms, as well as the infection status of ticks in high risk areas.
| S-EPMC7661193 | biostudies-literature
Project description:In order to investigate the possible role of Ixodes ricinus as a vector of zoonotic Babesia microti infection in Europe, a European rodent isolate (HK) and a zoonotic American isolate (GI) were studied in transmission experiments. PCR detected B. microti in the blood and spleens of infected gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) and also in laboratory-induced infections of I. ricinus ticks. B. microti DNA was detected by PCR in all pooled samples of nymphs and the majority of adults that had fed as larvae and nymphs, respectively, on gerbils with acute infection of the European isolate, confirming that I. ricinus could serve as a vector in Europe. The American isolate, GI, proved to be equally infective for larval and nymphal I. ricinus as the HK strain, despite a very different appearance in gerbil erythrocytes. Nymphs infected with the HK and GI strains readily infected gerbils. In contrast to the finding in acute infections, ticks that fed on gerbils with chronic infections of HK and GI did not become infected. It was also found that the HK strain was not transmitted transovarially. The finding that a B. microti strain (GI) from a distant geographical region (United States) can infect and be transmitted by I. ricinus suggests that other European B. microti strains, in addition to the HK strain used here, are probably infective for I. ricinus, supporting the view that infection of humans with European B. microti may be a regular occurrence.
| S-EPMC140393 | biostudies-literature
Project description:This study, conducted in a nature reserve in southern Portugal, investigated the frequency and diversity of tick-borne piroplasms in six species of adult ixodid ticks removed from 71 fallow deer (Dama dama) and 12 red deer (Cervus elaphus), collected over the period 2012-2019. The majority of 520 ticks were Ixodes ricinus (78.5%), followed by Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato, Hyalomma lusitanicum, Haemaphysalis punctata, Dermacentor marginatus, and Ixodes hexagonus. The R. sanguineus ticks collected from the deer were clearly exophilic, in contrast to the endophilic species usually associated with dogs. Four tick-borne piroplasms, including Theileria spp., and the zoonotic species, Babesia divergens and Babesia microti, were detected. B. divergens 18S rDNA, identical to that of the bovine reference strain U16370 and to certain strains from red deer, was detected in I. ricinus ticks removed from fallow deer. The sporadic detection of infections in ticks removed from the same individual hosts suggests that the piroplasms were present in the ticks rather than the hosts. Theileria sp. OT3 was found in I. ricinus and, along with T. capreoli, was also detected in some of the other tick species. The natural vector and pathogenic significance of this piroplasm are unknown.
| S-EPMC8876925 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Migratory birds disperse ticks and associated tick-borne pathogens along their migratory routes. Four selected pathogens of medical importance (Coxiella burnetii, Rickettsia spp., Francisella tularensis, and Toxoplasma gondii) were targeted for detection in 804 ticks (365 pools) collected from migratory birds at Hong and Heuksan Islands in the Republic of Korea (ROK) from 2010 to 2011 and 2016. Toxoplasma gondii and Rickettsia spp., were detected in 1/365 (0.27%) and 34/365 (9.32%) pools of ticks, respectively. T. gondii and five rickettsial species were recorded in ticks collected from migratory birds for the first time in ROK. The five rickettsial species (R. monacensis, Candidatus Rickettsia longicornii, R. japonica, R. raoultii, and R. tamurae) were identified using sequence and phylogenetic analysis using ompA and gltA gene fragments. Rickettsia spp. are important pathogens that cause rickettsiosis in humans, with cases recorded in the ROK. These results provide important evidence for the potential role of migratory birds in the introduction and dispersal of T. gondii and Rickettsia spp. along their migratory routes and raise awareness of potential transmission of zoonotic tick-borne pathogens associated with migratory birds in the ROK.
| S-EPMC9314388 | biostudies-literature
Project description:To determine characteristics of natural transmission of Babesia sp. EU1 and B. divergens by adult Ixodes ricinus ticks, we examined tick salivary gland contents. We found that I. ricinus is a competent vector for EU1 and that their sporozoites directly invade erythrocytes. We conclude that EU1 is naturally transmitted by I. ricinus.
| S-EPMC2657642 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The U.S. lineage, one of the major clades in the Babesia microti group, is known as a causal agent of human babesiosis mostly in the northeastern and upper midwestern United States. This lineage, however, also is distributed throughout the temperate zone of Eurasia with several reported human cases, although convincing evidence of the identity of the specific vector(s) in this area is lacking. Here, the goal was to demonstrate the presence of infectious parasites directly in salivary glands of Ixodes persulcatus, from which U.S. lineage genetic sequences have been detected in Asia, and to molecularly characterize the isolates. Five PCR-positive specimens were individually inoculated into hamsters, resulting in infections in four; consequently, four strains were newly established. Molecular characterization, including 18S rRNA, ?-tubulin, and CCT7 gene sequences, as well as Western blot analysis and indirect fluorescent antibody assay, revealed that all four strains were identical to each other and to the U.S. lineage strains isolated from rodents captured in Japan. The 18S rRNA gene sequence from the isolates was identical to those from I. persulcatus in Russia and China, but the genetic and antigenic profiles of the Japanese parasites differ from those in the United States and Europe. Together with previous epidemiological and transmission studies, we conclude that I. persulcatus is likely the principal vector for the B. microti U.S. lineage in Japan and presumably in northeastern Eurasia. IMPORTANCE:The major cause of human babesiosis, the tick-borne blood parasite Babesia microti, U.S. lineage, is widely distributed in the temperate Northern Hemisphere. However, the specific tick vector(s) remains unidentified in Eurasia, where there are people with antibodies to the B. microti U.S. lineage and cases of human babesiosis. In this study, the first isolation of B. microti U.S. lineage from Ixodes persulcatus ticks, a principal vector for many tick-borne diseases, is described in Japan. Limited antigenic cross-reaction was found between the Japan and United States isolates. Thus, current serological tests based on U.S. isolates may underestimate B. microti occurrence outside the United States. This study and previous studies indicate that I. persulcatus is part of the B. microti U.S. lineage life cycle in Japan and, presumably, northeastern Eurasia. This report will be important for public health, especially since infection may occur through transfusion, and also to researchers in the field of parasitology.
| S-EPMC5086556 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Ticks are important vectors of various pathogens that result in clinical illnesses in humans and domestic and wild animals. Information regarding tick infestations and pathogens transmitted by ticks is important for the identification and prevention of disease. This study was a large-scale investigation of ticks collected from dogs and their associated environments in the Republic of Korea (ROK). It included detecting six prevalent tick-borne pathogens (Anaplasma spp., A. platys, Borrelia spp., Babesia gibsoni, Ehrlichia canis, and E. chaffeensis). A total of 2293 ticks (1110 pools) were collected. Haemaphysalis longicornis (98.60%) was the most frequently collected tick species, followed by Ixodes nipponensis (0.96%) and H. flava (0.44%). Anaplasma spp. (24/1110 tick pools; 2.16%) and Borrelia spp. (4/1110 tick pools; 0.36%) were detected. The phylogenetic analyses using 16S rRNA genes revealed that the Anaplasma spp. detected in this study were closely associated with A. phagocytophilum reported in humans and rodents in the ROK. Borrelia spp. showed phylogenetic relationships with B. theileri and B. miyamotoi in ticks and humans in Mali and Russia. These results demonstrate the importance of tick-borne disease surveillance and control in dogs in the ROK.
| S-EPMC8157029 | biostudies-literature