Isolation of a<i>Rickettsia slovaca-</i>Like Agent from<i>Dermacentor variabilis</i>Ticks in Vero Cell Culture

Killmaster, Lindsay F.; Zemtsova, Galina E.; Montgomery, Merrill; Schumacher, Lauren; Burrows, Matt; Levin, Michael

doi:10.1089/vbz.2015.1860

Cited by 7 publications

(8 citation statements)

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“…R. slovaca, a member of human SFG rickettsiae, was first identified in D. marginatus in 1968 in Slovakia [31], and is now considered as the causative factor of tick-borne lymphadenopathy [32]. This human pathogen was reported for the first time in China in 2012 in D. silvarum ticks in Xinjiang province, which is the adjacent province to Qinghai [33].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Human Spotted Fever Group Rickettsia Infecting Yaks (Bos grunniens) in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau Area

Jian

Moumouni

et al. 2020

Pathogens

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The Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau Area (QTPA) is a plateau with the highest average altitude, located in Northwestern China. There is a risk for interspecies disease transmission, such as spotted fever rickettsioses. However, information on the molecular characteristics of the spotted fever group (SFG) Rickettsia spp. in the area is limited. This study performed screenings, and detected the DNA of human pathogen, SFG Rickettsia spp., with 11.3% (25/222) infection rates in yaks (Bos grunniens). BLASTn analysis revealed that the Rickettsia sequences obtained shared 94.3–100% identity with isolates of Rickettsia spp. from ticks in China. One Rickettsia sequence (MN536161) had 100% nucleotide identity to two R. raoultii isolates from Chinese Homo sapiens, and one isolate from Qinghai Dermacentor silvarum. Meanwhile, another Rickettsia sequence (MN536157) shared 99.1–99.5% identity to one isolate from Dermacentor spp. in China. Furthermore, the phylogenetic analysis of SFG Rickettsia spp. ompA gene revealed that these two sequences obtained from yaks in the present study grouped with the R. slovaca and R. raoultii clades with isolates identified from Dermacentor spp. and Homo sapiens. Our findings showed the first evidence of human pathogen DNA, SFG Rickettsia spp., from animals, in the QTPA.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Human Spotted Fever Group Rickettsia Infecting Yaks (Bos grunniens) in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau Area

Jian

Moumouni

et al. 2020

Pathogens

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“…To date, the DNA of R. raoultii was shown to be present in 14 tick species of the genera Dermacentor , Rhipicephalus , Haemaphysalis , Hyalomma , Ixodes and Amblyomma [18]. Rickettsia slovaca , a member of the spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsiae, was first isolated in 1968 from Dermacentor marginatus in Slovakia [28], and later on described as the causative agent of tick-borne lymphadenopathy [29]. This species has been detected subsequently in Georgia [24], Germany [25], Greece and Turkey [30, 31].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

First report of Rickettsia raoultii and R. slovaca in Melophagus ovinus, the sheep ked

et al. 2016

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Background Melophagus ovinus (Diptera: Hippoboscidae), a hematophagous ectoparasite, is mainly found in Europe, Northwestern Africa, and Asia. This wingless fly infests sheep, rabbits, and red foxes, and causes inflammation, wool loss and skin damage. Furthermore, this parasite has been shown to transmit diseases, and plays a role as a vector. Herein, we investigated the presence of various Rickettsia species in M. ovinus.MethodsIn this study, a total of 95 sheep keds were collected in Kuqa County and Alaer City southern region of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, northwestern China. First, collected sheep keds were identified on the species level using morphological keys and molecular methods based on a fragment of the 18S ribosomal DNA gene (18S rDNA). Thereafter, to assess the presence of rickettsial DNA in sheep keds, the DNA of individual samples was screened by PCR based on six Rickettsia-specific gene fragments originating from six genes: the 17-kilodalton antigen gene (17-kDa), 16S rRNA gene (rrs), surface cell antigen 4 gene (sca4), citrate synthase gene (gltA), and outer membrane protein A and B genes (ompA and ompB). The amplified products were confirmed by sequencing and BLAST analysis (https://blast.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Blast.cgi?PROGRAM=blastn&PAGE_TYPE=BlastSearch&LINK_LOC=blasthome).ResultsAccording to its morphology and results of molecular analysis, the species was identified as Melophagus ovinus, with 100% identity to M. ovinus from St. Kilda, Australia (FN666411). DNA of Rickettsia spp. were found in 12 M. ovinus samples (12.63%, 12/95). Rickettsia raoultii and R. slovaca were confirmed based on phylogenetic analysis, although the genetic markers of these two rickettsial agents amplified in this study showed molecular diversity.ConclusionsThis is the first report of R. raoultii and R. slovaca DNA in M. ovinus. Rickettsia slovaca was found for the first time around the Taklimakan Desert located in China. This finding extends the geographical range of spotted fever group rickettsiae. Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13071-016-1885-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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“…Animals were infected with R. rickettsii (isolates BSF-Di6 and AZ3), R. parkeri (isolate Longleaf), or R. slovaca -like agent ( D. variabilis isolate (Killmaster et al, 2016). Pathogens were introduced either via a tick-bite or through the needle-inoculation route – intraperitoneally.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It causes moderately severe illness, which shares features with both RMSF and rickettsial pox, including a maculopapular rash and the occurrence of inoculation eschars (Paddock et al, 2008). Rickettsia slovaca -like agent has recently been found in and isolated from D. variabilis ticks (Killmaster et al, 2016). Pathogenicity of this agent in humans has not been established, but it causes mostly subclinical infection in guinea pigs (Zemtsova et al, 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative value of blood and skin samples for diagnosis of spotted fever group rickettsial infection in model animals

Levin

Snellgrove

Zemtsova

2016

Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases

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The definitive diagnosis of spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsioses in humans is challenging due to the retrospective nature and cross reactivity of the serological methods and the absence of reliable and consistent samples for molecular diagnostics. Existing data indicate the transient character of bacteremia in experimentally infected animals. The ability of arthropod vectors to acquire rickettsial infection from the laboratory animals in the absence of systemic infection and known tropism of rickettsial agents to endothelial cells of peripheral blood vessels underline the importance of local infection and consequently the diagnostic potential of skin samples. In order to evaluate the diagnostic sensitivity of rickettsial DNA detection in blood and skin samples, we compared results of PCR testing in parallel samples collected from model laboratory animals infected with Rickettsia rickettsii, Rickettsia parkeri and Rickettsia slovaca-like agent at different time points after infection. Skin samples were collected from ears – away from the site of tick placement and without eschars. Overall, testing of skin samples resulted in a higher proportion of positive results than testing of blood samples. Presented data from model animals demonstrates that testing of skin samples from sites of rickettsial proliferation can provide definitive molecular diagnosis of up to 60–70% of tick-borne SFG rickettsial infections during the acute stage of illness. Detection of pathogen DNA in cutaneous samples is a valuable alternative to blood-PCR at least in model animals.

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Isolation of aRickettsia slovaca-Like Agent fromDermacentor variabilisTicks in Vero Cell Culture

Cited by 7 publications

References 8 publications

Human Spotted Fever Group Rickettsia Infecting Yaks (Bos grunniens) in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau Area

Human Spotted Fever Group Rickettsia Infecting Yaks (Bos grunniens) in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau Area

First report of Rickettsia raoultii and R. slovaca in Melophagus ovinus, the sheep ked

Comparative value of blood and skin samples for diagnosis of spotted fever group rickettsial infection in model animals

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