Diversity of Babesia in Ixodes ricinus ticks in Poland

Welc-Falęciak, Renata; Bajer, Anna; Paziewska-Harris, Anna; Baumann-Popczyk, Anna; Siński, E.

doi:10.2478/v10039-012-0023-9

Cited by 41 publications

(39 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…The B. microti Munich strain found in this study has been suggested not to be pathogenic to humans (Gray 2006, Siń ski et al 2006, although it may be transmitted by I. ricinus ticks (Welc-Falęciak et al 2012), which is the most important tick species in transmitting tick-borne pathogens to humans in Europe ( Jaenson et al 2012a). In the United Kingdom, however, B. microti Munich is transmitted by the nidiculous tick Ixodes trianguliceps, all life stages of which feed on rodents (Randolph 1995, Bown et al 2008.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 67%

First Report ofAnaplasma phagocytophilumandBabesia microtiin Rodents in Finland

Kallio

Begon

Birtles

et al. 2014

Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases

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Tick-borne diseases pose an increasingly important public health problem in Europe. Rodents are the reservoir host for many tick-transmitted pathogens, including Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Babesia microti, which can cause human granulocytic anaplasmosis and babesiosis, respectively. To estimate the presence of these pathogens in rodents in Finland, we examined blood samples from 151 bank voles (Myodes glareolus) and demonstrate, for the first time, that A. phagocytophilum and B. microti commonly infect bank voles (in 22% and 40% of animals, respectively) in Finland. Sequence analysis of a fragment of 18S rRNA showed that the B. microti strain isolated was identical to the Munich strain, which is considered to be nonzoonotic. The A. phagocytophilum strain (based on a fragment of the msp4 gene) was identical to one found earlier in rodents in the United Kingdom that is transmitted by the tick Ixodes trianguliceps, all the life stages of which feed on small mammals. The infection probability of B. microti in the bank voles was the greater the older the individual was, and males were more often infected than females. A. phagocytophilum infection probability first increased and then decreased with the age of individual without any difference between sexes. While these pathogens presumably pose a limited zoonotic risk to humans in Finland, they might have important interactions with other rodent pathogens and therefore affect infection dynamics of, for example, zoonotic pathogens.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 67%

First Report ofAnaplasma phagocytophilumandBabesia microtiin Rodents in Finland

Kallio

Begon

Birtles

et al. 2014

Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases

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“…In Poland, studies on the occurrence and diversity of Rickettsia, Anaplasma, Ehrlichia and ‘ Candidatus Neoehrlichia’ in I. ricinus have been few and the subject has been relatively neglected when compared with other TBPs [15,16]. The best recognized is the occurrence of A. phagocytophilum in I. ricinus ticks, but little is known about the existence of co-infections and the species/strain diversity of other Rickettsiaceae and Anaplasmataceae species.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rickettsiaceae and Anaplasmataceae infections in Ixodes ricinus ticks from urban and natural forested areas of Poland

et al. 2014

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BackgroundIxodes ricinus is a major vector for a range of microbial pathogens and the most prevalent and widely distributed tick species on the European continent, occurring in both natural and urban habitats. Nevertheless, little is known about the relative density of ticks in these two ecologically distinct habitats and the diversity of tick-borne pathogens that they carry.MethodsWe compared densities of questing I. ricinus nymphs and adults in urban and natural habitats in Central and Northeastern Poland, assessed the prevalence and rate of co-infection with A. phagocytophilum, Rickettsia, Ehrlichia and ‘Ca. Neoehrlichia spp.’ in ticks, and compared the diversity of tick-borne pathogens using molecular assays (PCR).ResultsOf the 1325 adults and nymphs, 6.2% were infected with at least one pathogen, with 4.4%, 1.7% and less than 0.5% being positive for the DNA of Rickettsia spp., A. phagocytophilum, Ehrlichia spp. and Ca. N. mikurensis, respectively. Although tick abundance was higher in natural habitats, the prevalence of the majority of pathogens was higher in urban forested areas.ConclusionWe conclude that: (i) zoonotic genetic variants of A. phagocytophilum are widely distributed in the Polish tick population, (ii) although the diversity of tick borne pathogens was higher in natural habitats, zoonotic species/strains were detected only in urban forests, (iii) and we provide the first description of Ca. N. mikurensis infections in ticks in Poland.

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“…An additional human case was reported in Germany (46). Through epidemiological surveys in Europe (47)(48)(49) and successful transmission experiments (50, 51), I. ricinus was recognized as a competent vector for B. venatorum. In this study, specific PCR and sequencing identified the presence of B. venatorum in I. persulcatus in Japan.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Babesia divergens Asia Lineage Is Maintained through Enzootic Cycles between Ixodes persulcatus and Sika Deer in Hokkaido, Japan

Zamoto-Niikura

Tsuji

Wang

et al. 2018

Appl Environ Microbiol

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Parasites of the Asia lineage, which are closely related to in Europe and sp. strain MO1 in the United States, were recently reported in sika deer () in eastern Japan. To identify the tick vector(s) for this parasite, we conducted a field survey in Hokkaido, Japan, where the infection rate in sika deer is the highest in the country. A specific PCR system which detects and discriminates between lineages within and between those lineages and showed that (11/822), but not sympatric (0/595) or sp. (0/163) ticks, carried Asia lineage. Genomic DNA was archived from salivary glands of partially engorged females and three isolates of Asia lineage were newly described. The 18S rRNA gene sequence of the isolates formed the Asia lineage cluster with those previously described in sika deer isolates. One salivary gland also contained parasites of U.S. lineage, which were subsequently isolated in a hamster (strain Etb5) was also detected in one tick. The 18S rRNA sequence of Etb5 was 99.7% identical to that of (AY046575) and was phylogenetically positioned in a taxon composed of isolates from Europe, China, and Russia. The geographical distribution of is consistent with that of in sika deer in Japan. These results suggest that is a principal vector for in Japan and Eurasia, where is predominantly distributed. The Asia lineage of parasites closely related to in Europe and sp. MO1 in the United States was recently reported in in eastern Japan. In this study, specific PCR for the Asia lineage identified 11 positives in 822 host-seeking ticks, a principal vector for many tick-borne disease agents. Gene sequences of three isolates obtained from DNA in salivary glands of female ticks were identical to each other and to those in We also demonstrate the coinfection of Asia lineage with U.S. lineage in a tick salivary gland and, furthermore, isolated the latter in a hamster. These results suggest that is the principal vector for as well as for , and both parasites may be occasionally cotransmitted by This report will be important for public health, since infection may occur through transfusion.

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Diversity of Babesia in Ixodes ricinus ticks in Poland

Cited by 41 publications

References 23 publications

First Report ofAnaplasma phagocytophilumandBabesia microtiin Rodents in Finland

First Report ofAnaplasma phagocytophilumandBabesia microtiin Rodents in Finland

Rickettsiaceae and Anaplasmataceae infections in Ixodes ricinus ticks from urban and natural forested areas of Poland

The Babesia divergens Asia Lineage Is Maintained through Enzootic Cycles between Ixodes persulcatus and Sika Deer in Hokkaido, Japan

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