Infections and Coinfections of Questing Ixodes ricinus Ticks by Emerging Zoonotic Pathogens in Western Switzerland

Lommano, Elena; Bertaiola, Luce; Dupasquier, Christèle; Gern, Lise

doi:10.1128/aem.07961-11

Cited by 115 publications

(90 citation statements)

References 59 publications

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“…In particular, the authors showed positive interactions between Rickettsia spp. and B. lusitaniae that could have important public health consequences, since the simultaneous transmission of multiple pathogens was shown to alter host susceptibility and immune response, and increase the severity of clinical signs [25]. On the other hand, infections by rickettsial endosymbionts may preclude secondary infections with pathogenic rickettsiae [16,26,34,59].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Importance of Common Wall Lizards in the Transmission Dynamics of Tick-Borne Pathogens in the Northern Apennine Mountains, Italy

et al. 2017

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During the investigations on ticks and tick-borne pathogens (TBP) range expansion in the Northern Apennines, we captured 107 Podarcis muralis lizards. Sixtyeight animals were infested by immature Ixodes ricinus, Haemaphysalis sulcata and H. punctata. Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. was detected in 3.7% of I. ricinus larvae and 8.0% of nymphs. Together with the species-specific B. lusitaniae, we identified B. garinii, B. afzelii and B. valaisiana. Rickettsia spp. (18.1% larvae, 12.0% nymphs), namely R. monacensis, R. helvetica and R. hoogstraalii, were also found in I. ricinus. R. hoogstraalii was detected in H. sulcata nymphs as well, while the two H. punctata did not harbour any bacteria. One out of 16 lizard tail tissues was positive to R. helvetica. Our results support the hypothesis that lizards are involved in the epidemiological cycles of TBP. The heterogeneity of B. burgdorferi genospecies mirrors previous findings in questing ticks in the area, and their finding in attached I. ricinus larvae suggests that lizards may contribute to the maintenance of different genospecies. The rickettsiae are new findings in the study area, and R. helvetica infection in a tail tissue indicates a systemic infection. R. hoogstraalii is reported for the first time in I. ricinus ticks. Lizards seem to favour the bacterial exchange among different tick species, with possible public health consequences.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Importance of Common Wall Lizards in the Transmission Dynamics of Tick-Borne Pathogens in the Northern Apennine Mountains, Italy

et al. 2017

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“…The occurrence of co-infections (multiple infections with pathogens of different genera) or mixed infections (multiple infections with pathogens of the same genus), could be of medical significance because of increased severity of pathologic symptoms [1]. The prevalence of co-infections has been studied mostly within Ixodes ricinus complex [2,3,4,5], whereas potential tick vectors belonging to the other genera were much less studied.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prevalence of infections and co-infections with 6 pathogens in <i>Dermacentor reticulatus</i> ticks collected in eastern Poland

Zając

Wójcik-Fatla

Sawczyn

et al. 2017

Ann Agric Environ Med.

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Occurrence of co-infections with various pathogens in ixodid ticks creates a risk of increased severity of tick-borne diseases in humans and animals exposed to bite of the ticks carrying multiple pathogens. Accordingly, co-infections in ticks were subject of numerous analyses, but almost exclusively with regard to Ixodes ricinus complex whereas potential tick vectors belonging to other genera were much less studied. Taking into consideration the role of Dermacentor reticulatus in the transmission of various pathogens, we carried out for the first time the comprehensive statistical analysis of co-infections occurring in this tick species. An attempt was made to determine the significance of the associations between 6 different pathogens occurring in D. reticulatus (Tick-borne encephalitis virus = TBEV, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Rickettsia raoultii, Borrelia burgdorferi s. l., Babesia spp., Toxoplasma gondii), using 2 statistical methods: determination of Odds Ratios (ORs) and the Fisher's exact test. 634 questing Dermacentor reticulatus ticks (370 females and 264 males) were collected in 2011-2013 by flagging the lower vegetation in 3 localities in the area of Łęczyńsko-Włodawskie Lakeland, situated in the Lublin region of eastern Poland. The presence of individual pathogens was detected by PCR. Ticks were infected most often with Rickettsia raoultii (43.8%), less with TBEV (8.5%), and much less with Babesia spp., Toxoplasma gondii, Borrelia burgdorferi s.l., and Anaplasma phagocytophilum (2.5%, 2.1%, 1.6% and 1.1%, respectively). The locality-dependent variability proved to be significant for TBEV (c 2 =11.063; P=0.004) and Toxoplasma gondii (c 2 =11.298; P=0.0035), but not for other pathogens. Two hundred seventy (42.6%) of the examined ticks were infected only with a single pathogen, and 54 (8.5%) showed the presence of dual co-infections, each with 2 pathogens. The most common were dual infections with participation of Rickettsia raoultii (7.41%); next, those with participation of the TBEV (5.21%), Toxoplasma gondii (1.58%), Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. (1.26%), Anaplasma phagocytophilum (0.95%), and Babesia spp. (0.63%). On the total number of 15 possible associations, in 9 cases co-infections occurred whereas in 6 cases they were not detected. The most noteworthy were positive co-infections with the participation of TBEV, which proved to be weakly significant (0.05

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“…Neoehrlichia mikurensis" was validly described as a novel intracellular pathogen in 2004 by a Japanese group investigating infections caused by members of the Anaplasmataceae in rats on the small island of Mikura, 60 km east of Tokyo, Japan (4). Since then, several groups reported the discovery of highly similar DNA sequences in potential arthropod vectors such as Ixodes ovatus, Ixodes persulcatus, and Ixodes ricinus ticks in eastern Asia (5), the Netherlands (1, 6-8), Belgium (6), Germany (9), Denmark (10), the Czech Republic (11), Slovakia (12), Russia (13), Italy (3,14,15), and recently Switzerland (16). In addition, "Ca.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Close Geographic Association of Human Neoehrlichiosis and Tick Populations Carrying “Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis” in Eastern Switzerland

et al. 2013

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e Neoehrlichiosis caused by "Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis" is an emerging zoonotic disease. In total, six patients have been described in Europe, with the first case detected in 2007. In addition, seven patients from China were described in a report published in October 2012. In 2009, we diagnosed the first human case of "Ca. Neoehrlichia mikurensis" infection in the Zurich area (Switzerland). Here, we report two additional human cases from the same region, which were identified by broad-range 16S rRNA gene PCR. Both patients were immunocompromised and presented with similar clinical syndromes, including fever, malaise, and weight loss. A diagnostic multiplex real-time PCR was developed for specific detection of "Ca. Neoehrlichia mikurensis" infections. The assay is based on the signature sequence of a 280-bp fragment of the "Ca. Neoehrlichia mikurensis" 16S rRNA gene and incorporates a "Ca. Neoehrlichia mikurensis" species, a "Ca. Neoehrlichia" genus, and an Anaplasmataceae family probe for simultaneous screening. The analytical sensitivity was determined to be below five copies of the "Ca. Neoehrlichia mikurensis" 16S rRNA gene. Our results show that the assay is suitable for the direct detection of "Ca. Neoehrlichia mikurensis" DNA in clinical samples from, for example, blood and bone marrow. In addition, it allows for monitoring treatment response during antibiotic therapy. Using the same assay, DNA extracts from 1,916 ticks collected in four forests in close proximity to the patients' residences (<3 km) were screened. At all sampling sites, the minimal prevalence of "Ca. Neoehrlichia mikurensis" was between 3.5 to 8% in pools of either nymphs, males, or females, showing a strong geographic association between the three patients and the assumed vector.

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Infections and Coinfections of Questing Ixodes ricinus Ticks by Emerging Zoonotic Pathogens in Western Switzerland

Cited by 115 publications

References 59 publications

Importance of Common Wall Lizards in the Transmission Dynamics of Tick-Borne Pathogens in the Northern Apennine Mountains, Italy

Importance of Common Wall Lizards in the Transmission Dynamics of Tick-Borne Pathogens in the Northern Apennine Mountains, Italy

Prevalence of infections and co-infections with 6 pathogens in <i>Dermacentor reticulatus</i> ticks collected in eastern Poland

Close Geographic Association of Human Neoehrlichiosis and Tick Populations Carrying “Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis” in Eastern Switzerland

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