Absence of Hemolivia mauritanica (Apicomplexa: Haemogregarinidae) in natural populations of Testudo graeca in Morocco

Laghzaoui, El-Mustapha; Sergiadou, Dimitra; Perera, Ana; Harris, David J.; Abbad, Abdelaziz; Mouden, El Hassan El

doi:10.1007/s00436-020-06869-z

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…The highest prevalence has been reported in Romania (84%; Široký et al., 2009) and Iran (100%; Javanbakht et al., 2015). Regarding North Africa and Anatolia, prevalence reported include 51.9% in Turkey (Akveran et al., 2020) and between 6.25‐30.4% in Algeria (Široký et al., 2009; Tiar et al., 2010), while there are no positive reports in Morocco or Tunisia (Harris et al., 2013; Laghzaoui et al., 2020; Široký et al., 2009). Our study also indicates a higher prevalence in Turkey than in Algeria.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diversity of microorganisms in Hyalomma aegyptium collected from spur‐thighed tortoise ( Testudo graeca ) in North Africa and Anatolia

Norte

Harris

Silveira

et al. 2021

Transbounding Emerging Dis

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Ticks carry a diverse community of microorganisms including non‐pathogenic symbionts, commensals, and pathogens, such as viruses, bacteria, protozoans, and fungi. The assessment of tick‐borne microorganisms (TBM) in tortoises and their ticks is essential to understand their eco‐epidemiology, and to map and monitor potential pathogens to humans and other animals. The aim of this study was to characterize the diversity of microorganisms found in ticks collected from the spur‐thighed tortoise (Testudo graeca) in North Africa and Anatolia. Ticks feeding on wild T. graeca were collected, and pathogens were screened by polymerase chain reaction using group‐specific primers. In total, 131 adult Hyalomma aegyptium ticks were collected from 92 T. graeca in Morocco (n = 48), Tunisia (n = 2), Algeria (n = 70), and Turkey (n = 11). Bacteria and protozoa detected included Hemolivia mauritanica (22.9%), Midichloria mitochondrii (11.4%), relapsing‐fever borreliae (8.4%), Ehrlichia spp. (7.6%), Rickettsia spp. (3.4%), Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. (0.9%), Francisella spp. (0.9%), and Wolbachia spp. (0.8%). The characterization of Rickettsia included R. sibirica mongolitimonae (Algeria), R. aeschlimannii (Turkey), and R.africae (Morocco). Hemolivia mauritanica and Ehrlichia spp. prevalence varied significantly with the sampling region/country. We did not detect significant associations in microorganism presence within ticks, nor between microorganism presence and tick mitochondrial DNA haplogroups. This is the first report of Francisella persica‐like, relapsing fever borreliae, M. mitochondrii, and Wolbachia spp. in H. aegyptium ticks collected from wild hosts from the South and Eastern Mediterranean region, and of R. sibirica mongolitimonae and R. africae in H. aegyptium from Algeria and Morocco, respectively. Given that T. graeca is a common species in commercial and non‐commercial pet trade, the evaluation of the role of this species and its ticks as hosts for TBM is particularly relevant for public health.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diversity of microorganisms in Hyalomma aegyptium collected from spur‐thighed tortoise ( Testudo graeca ) in North Africa and Anatolia

Norte

Harris

Silveira

et al. 2021

Transbounding Emerging Dis

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“…Each phylum plays a particular ecological role, either as a producer, decomposer, or consumer. For example, many species of Apicomplexa are parasitic to aquatic animals ( Bolland et al 2020 ; Laghzaoui et al 2020 ). Arthropoda includes animal species such as insects that consume a variety of materials, from living biomass (e.g., algae) to organic carbon sources (e.g., plant byproducts) ( Shayanmehr et al 2020 ; Sperfeld et al 2020 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental Factors Associated with the Eukaryotic Microbial Community and Microalgal Groups in the Mountain Marshes of South Korea

Kim

Yun

Lee

et al. 2021

Polish Journal of Microbiology

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The diversity indices of eukaryotic microalgal groups in the Jeonglyeongchi, Waegok, and Wangdeungjae marshes of Mount Jiri, Korea, were measured using Illumina MiSeq and culture-based analyses. Waegok marsh had the highest species richness, with a Chao1 value of 828.00, and the highest levels of species diversity, with Shannon and Simpson index values of 6.36 and 0.94, respectively, while Wangdeungjae marsh had the lowest values at 2.97 and 0.75, respectively. The predominant species in all communities were Phagocata sibirica (Jeonglyeongchi, 68.64%), Aedes albopictus (Waegok, 34.77%), Chaetonotus cf. (Waegok, 24.43%), Eimeria sp. (Wangdeungjae, 26.17%), and Eumonhystera cf. (Wangdeungjae, 22.27%). Relative abundances of the microalgal groups Bacillariophyta (diatoms) and Chlorophyta (green algae) in each marsh were respectively: Jeonglyeongchi 1.38% and 0.49%, Waegok 7.0% and 0.3%, and Wangdeungjae 10.41% and 4.72%. Illumina MiSeq analyses revealed 34 types of diatoms and 13 types of green algae. Only one diatom (Nitzschia dissipata) and five green algae (Neochloris sp., Chlamydomonas sp., Chlorococcum sp., Chlorella vulgaris, Scenedesmus sp.) were identified by a culture-based analysis. Thus, Illumina MiSeq analysis can be considered an efficient tool for analyzing microbial communities. Overall, our results described the environmental factors associated with geographically isolated mountain marshes and their respective microbial and microalgal communities.

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“…[17] and Borrelia turcica [18], Hepatozoon kisrae [19], Coxiella burnetii [20] and Hemolivia mauritanica [21]. The last one is the most widely distributed blood parasite of turtles, but its geographical distribution still remains cryptic [22].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Molecular Evidence of Hemolivia mauritanica, Ehrlichia spp. and the Endosymbiont Candidatus Midichloria Mitochondrii in Hyalomma aegyptium Infesting Testudo graeca Tortoises from Doha, Qatar

Barradas

Lima

Cardoso

et al. 2020

Animals

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Tick-borne agents constitute a growing concern for human and animal health worldwide. Hyalomma aegyptium is a hard tick with a three-host life cycle, whose main hosts for adults are Palearctic tortoises of genus Testudo. Nevertheless, immature ticks can feed on a variety of hosts, representing an important eco-epidemiological issue regarding H. aegyptium pathogens circulation. Hyalomma aegyptium ticks are vectors and/or reservoirs of various pathogenic agents, such as Ehrlichia, Anaplasma, Babesia and Hepatozoon/Hemolivia. Ehrlichia and Anaplasma are emergent tick-borne bacteria with a worldwide distribution and zoonotic potential, responsible for diseases that cause clinical manifestations that grade from acute febrile illness to a fulminant disease characterized by multi-organ system failure, depending on the species. Babesia and Hepatozoon/Hemolivia are tick-borne parasites with increasing importance in multiple species. Testudo graeca tortoises acquired in a large animal market in Doha, Qatar, were screened for a panel of tick-borne pathogens by conventional PCR followed by bidirectional sequencing. The most prevalent agent identified in ticks was Hemolivia mauritanica (28.6%), followed by Candidatus Midichloria mitochondrii (9.5%) and Ehrlichia spp. (4.7%). All samples were negative for Babesia spp. and Hepatozoon spp. Overall, 43% of the examined adult ticks were infected with at least one agent. Only 4.7% of the ticks appeared to be simultaneously infected with two agents, i.e., Ehrlichia spp. and H. mauritanica. This is the first detection of H. mauritanica, Ehrlichia spp. and Candidatus M. mitochondrii in H. aegyptium ticks collected from pet spur-thighed tortoises, in Qatar, a fact which adds to the geographical extension of these agents. The international trade of Testudo tortoises carrying ticks infected with pathogens of veterinary and medical importance deserves strict control, in order to reduce potential exotic diseases.

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Absence of Hemolivia mauritanica (Apicomplexa: Haemogregarinidae) in natural populations of Testudo graeca in Morocco

Cited by 3 publications

References 33 publications

Diversity of microorganisms in Hyalomma aegyptium collected from spur‐thighed tortoise ( Testudo graeca ) in North Africa and Anatolia

Diversity of microorganisms in Hyalomma aegyptium collected from spur‐thighed tortoise ( Testudo graeca ) in North Africa and Anatolia

Environmental Factors Associated with the Eukaryotic Microbial Community and Microalgal Groups in the Mountain Marshes of South Korea

Molecular Evidence of Hemolivia mauritanica, Ehrlichia spp. and the Endosymbiont Candidatus Midichloria Mitochondrii in Hyalomma aegyptium Infesting Testudo graeca Tortoises from Doha, Qatar

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