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Experimental & applied acarology2016; 69(2); 179-189; doi: 10.1007/s10493-016-0027-4

Molecular evidence for bacterial pathogens in Ixodes ricinus ticks infesting Shetland ponies.

Abstract: Ixodes ricinus has the potential to transmit zoonotic pathogens to humans and domestic animals. The feeding I. ricinus (n = 1737) collected from 49 Shetland ponies and questing ones from vegetation (n = 371) were tested for the presence and differentiation of the bacterial species. DNA of I. ricinus ticks was examined with PCR and sequencing analysis to identify species of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (Bbsl), Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Rickettsia spp. Altogether, 24.3 % I. ricinus of the infested horses and 12.4 % ticks from vegetation carried at least one pathogen species. Horse-feeding ticks (19.2 %) were significantly more frequently infected with Borrelia spp. than questing ticks (4.8 %). Among Bbsl species, in I. ricinus infesting ponies, B. garinii, B. afzelii, B. burgdorferi sensu stricto, B. valaisiana and B. lusitanie and one species, B. miyamotoi related to relapsing fever group, were detected. The 73 flaB gene sequences of Borrelia obtained from feeding I. ricinus have been deposited in GenBank. Among Rickettsia species, two were identified: R. helvetica which was dominant and R. monacensis. Infections with more than one pathogenic species, involving mostly Bbsl and R. helvetica were detected in 6.3 % of infected ticks collected from horses. Shetland ponies may play an important role in the epidemiological cycle of Bbsl and probably could contribute to the natural cycle of A. phagocytophilum and R. helvetica as host for infected ticks. The awareness about these infectious agents in ticks from ponies might be an important criterion for the risk assessment of human diseases, especially as these animals are maintained for recreational purposes.
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Publication Date: 2016-02-26 PubMed ID: 26920921PubMed Central: PMC4844639DOI: 10.1007/s10493-016-0027-4Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This study investigates the presence of disease-causing bacteria in ticks that feed on Shetland ponies. The researchers found that these ticks carried at least one type of bacteria, suggesting that Shetland ponies could be involved in the spread of these bacteria.

Research Methodology

  • The researchers studied Ixodes ricinus ticks, collecting 1737 that were feeding on horses and 371 that were questing from vegetation.
  • The tick DNA was analyzed using PCR (polymerase chain reaction) and sequencing methods to detect and differentiate between bacterial species.

Findings

  • Approximately a quarter (24.3%) of the ticks collected from horses, and 12.4% from vegetation, carried at least one bacterial pathogen.
  • The ticks feeding on horses were more likely to be infected with Borrelia species (19.2%) than those collected from vegetation (4.8%).
  • Several Borrelia species were identified in the ticks infecting ponies, including B. garinii, B. afzelii, B. burgdorferi sensu stricto, B. valaisiana, B. lusitanie, and one species, B. miyamotoi related to the relapsing fever group.
  • The majority of the ticks were found to have Rickettsia species, with the dominant one being R. helvetica and the other R. monacensis.
  • Some ticks (6.3%) had more than one type of pathogenic infection, typically involving Bbsl and R. helvetica.

Implications

  • According to these findings, Shetland ponies may play an important role in the epidemiological cycle of these bacterial species.
  • The ponies could also contribute to the natural cycle of A. phagocytophilum and R. helvetica as hosts for infected ticks.
  • The health risks posed by these infectious agents in ticks from ponies need to be considered, especially given that these animals are commonly kept for recreational purposes.

Cite This Article

APA
Skotarczak B, Wodecka B, Rymaszewska A, Adamska M. (2016). Molecular evidence for bacterial pathogens in Ixodes ricinus ticks infesting Shetland ponies. Exp Appl Acarol, 69(2), 179-189. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-016-0027-4

Publication

Experimental & applied acarology
ISSN: 1572-9702
NlmUniqueID: 8507436
Country: Netherlands
Language: English
Volume: 69
Issue: 2
Pages: 179-189

Researcher Affiliations

Skotarczak, Bogumiła
  • Department of Genetics, University of Szczecin, Felczaka 3c, 71-412, Szczecin, Poland. boskot@univ.szczecin.pl.
Wodecka, Beata
  • Department of Genetics, University of Szczecin, Felczaka 3c, 71-412, Szczecin, Poland.
Rymaszewska, Anna
  • Department of Genetics, University of Szczecin, Felczaka 3c, 71-412, Szczecin, Poland.
Adamska, Małgorzata
  • Department of Genetics, University of Szczecin, Felczaka 3c, 71-412, Szczecin, Poland.

MeSH Terms

  • Anaplasma phagocytophilum / genetics
  • Animals
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • Borrelia burgdorferi Group / classification
  • Borrelia burgdorferi Group / genetics
  • Feeding Behavior
  • Female
  • Horses / parasitology
  • Ixodes / growth & development
  • Ixodes / microbiology
  • Ixodes / physiology
  • Larva / growth & development
  • Larva / microbiology
  • Larva / physiology
  • Male
  • Nymph / growth & development
  • Nymph / microbiology
  • Nymph / physiology
  • Poland
  • Rickettsia / genetics

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Citations

This article has been cited 7 times.
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