A cross-sectional screening by next-generation sequencing reveals Rickettsia, Coxiella, Francisella, Borrelia, Babesia, Theileria and Hemolivia species in ticks from Anatolia

Brinkmann, Annika; Hekimoğlu, Olcay; Dinçer, Ender; Hagedorn, Peter; Nitsche, Andreas; Ergünay, Koray

doi:10.1186/s13071-018-3277-7

Cited by 28 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 60 publications

(67 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Other examples include maternally inherited bacterial symbionts that are essential for ticks’ growth and survival to adulthood: the vertebrate blood ingested by ticks is limited in B vitamins, and symbionts supply these missing nutrients to them [31–33]. A deeper investigation of the biodiversity of the internal microbes of ticks is now ongoing, as shown by the increasing number of metagenomics studies using high-throughput sequencing [23, 34–36].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Surface sterilization methods impact measures of internal microbial diversity in ticks

et al. 2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Ticks are obligate blood feeders transmitting major pathogens worldwide. Over the past few years, considerable research efforts have focused on the diversity, distribution and impact of gut and intracellular bacterial symbionts on tick development and tick-borne pathogen transmission. The study of this internal microbiome requires the use of a sterilization method to remove external (i.e. cuticular) microbes present on the tick’s surface and to avoid any further contamination. Several sterilization methods exist, including ethanol- or bleach-based treatments that are both effective in killing microbes but with different potential effects on DNA denaturation. Methods We examined how these different sterilization methods impact the measure of internal microbial diversity hosted by the Cayenne tick Amblyomma cajennense ( sensu stricto ). Bacterial barcoding investigations based on 16S rRNA gene sequences were conducted on two batches of 50 individuals each: Ticks of the first batch were sterilized with bleach diluted at 1% and the second batch with 70% ethanol. Tick external microbiome was also determined from cuticle smearing and water samples used for tick washing. Results Bacterial barcoding investigations showed major differences between ethanol- and bleach-treated specimens. Both methods led to the detection of major intracellular bacteria associated with A. cajennense ( s.s. ) but ethanol-treated ticks always harbored a higher bacterial diversity than bleach-treated ticks. Further examinations of tick gut and tick external microbiome revealed that ethanol-based surface sterilization method is inefficient to eliminate the DNA of external bacteria. Conclusions We herein provide evidence that studies investigating the internal microbiome of ticks should consider bleach as the gold standard to efficiently remove cuticular bacterial DNA. Indeed, this method does not impact the internal bacterial diversity hosted by ticks and is thus a better method than the ethanol-based one for studying the internal microbiome. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13071-019-3517-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Surface sterilization methods impact measures of internal microbial diversity in ticks

et al. 2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Our analysis showed a close relationship with R. hoogstraalii, a widely distributed bacterium that is still unknown for its pathogenicity in humans. This bacterium has been detected in both hard ticks (H. punctata, H. sulcate and H. parva) and soft ticks (Ornithodoros moubata, Carios capensis, C. sawaii and Argas persicus) present in domestic animals, bird nests, vegetation, and human dwellings [3,[45][46][47]. A similar situation occurs with R. asembonensis.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 76%

Molecular detection of Rickettsia in fleas from micromammals in Chile

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Rickettsial diseases are considered important in public health due to their dispersal capacity determined by the particular characteristics of their reservoirs and/or vectors. Among the latter, fleas play an important role, since the vast majority of species parasitize wild and invasive rodents, so their detection is relevant to be able to monitor potential emerging diseases. The aim of this study was to detect, characterize, and compare Rickettsia spp. from the fleas of micromammals in areas with different human population densities in Chile. Methods The presence of Rickettsia spp. was evaluated by standard polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing in 1315 fleas collected from 1512 micromammals in 29 locations, with different human population densities in Chile. A generalized linear model (GLM) was used to identify the variables that may explain Rickettsia prevalence in fleas. Results DNA of Rickettsia spp. was identified in 13.2% (174 of 1315) of fleas tested. Fifteen flea species were found to be Rickettsia-positive. The prevalence of Rickettsia spp. was higher in winter, semi-arid region and natural areas, and the infection levels in fleas varied between species of flea. The prevalence of Rickettsia among flea species ranged between 0–35.1%. Areas of lower human density showed the highest prevalence of Rickettsia. The phylogenetic tree showed two well-differentiated clades with Rickettsia bellii positioned as basal in one clade. The second clade was subdivided into two subclades of species related to Rickettsia of the spotted fever group. Conclusions To our knowledge, this is the first report of the occurrence and molecular characterization of Rickettsia spp. in 15 flea species of micromammals in Chile. In this study, fleas were detected carrying Rickettsia DNA with zoonotic potential, mainly in villages and natural areas of Chile. Considering that there are differences in the prevalence of Rickettsia in fleas associated with different factors, more investigations are needed to further understand the ecology of Rickettsia in fleas and their implications for human health.

show abstract

“…Our analysis showed a close relationship with R. hoogstrali, a widely distributed bacterium that is still unknown for its pathogenicity in humans. This bacterium has been detected in hard ticks (Haemaphysalis punctata, Haemaphysalis sulcate, and Haemaphysalis parva), and soft ticks (Ornithodoros moubata, Carios capensis, C. sawaii, and Argas persicus) present in domestic animals, bird nests, vegetation, and human dwellings [3,[45][46][47]. A similar situation occurs with R. asemboensis.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 78%

Molecular detection of Rickettsia in fleas from micromammals in Chile

Moreno

Carniglia²,

Schmeisser

et al. 2020

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

BackgroundRickettsial diseases are considered important in public health due to their dispersal capacity determined by the particular characteristics of their reservoirs and / or vectors. Among the latter, fleas play an important role, since the vast majority of species parasitize wild and invasive rodents, so their detection is relevant to be able to monitor potential emerging diseases. The aim of this study was to detect, characterize, and compare Rickettsia spp. from the fleas of micromammals in areas with different human population densities in Chile.MethodsThe presence of Rickettsia spp. was evaluated by standard polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing in 1,315 fleas collected from 1,512 micromammals in 29 locations, with different human population densities in Chile. A generalized linear models (GLM) was used to identify the variables that may explain Rickettsia prevalence in fleas.ResultsDNA of Rickettsia spp. was identified in 13.2% (174 of 1,315) of fleas tested. Fifteen flea species were found to be Rickettsia-positive. The prevalence of Rickettsia spp. was higher in winter, semi-arid region and natural areas, and the infections in fleas varied between species of fleas. The prevalence of Rickettsia among flea species ranged from 0%–35.1%. Areas of lower human density have the highest prevalence of Rickettsia. The phylogenetic tree shows two well-differentiated clades. Rickettsia belli is positioned as basal in a clade. Another clade is subdivided into two subclades, and are related to Rickettsia of typhus group.ConclusionsTo our knowledge, this is the first report of the occurrence and molecular characterization of Rickettsia spp. in 15 species of fleas of micromammals in Chile. In this study, fleas were detected carrying Rickettsia DNA with zoonotic potential, mainly in villages and natural areas of Chile. Considering that there are differences in the prevalence of Rickettsia in fleas associated with different factors, more investigations are needed to further understand the ecology of Rickettsia in fleas and their implications for human health.

show abstract

A cross-sectional screening by next-generation sequencing reveals Rickettsia, Coxiella, Francisella, Borrelia, Babesia, Theileria and Hemolivia species in ticks from Anatolia

Cited by 28 publications

References 60 publications

Surface sterilization methods impact measures of internal microbial diversity in ticks

Surface sterilization methods impact measures of internal microbial diversity in ticks

Molecular detection of Rickettsia in fleas from micromammals in Chile

Molecular detection of Rickettsia in fleas from micromammals in Chile

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About