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

Abstract

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.

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

“…M. mitochondrii was found to be widespread in our study area, with positive specimens from Morocco, Algeria, and Turkey. This endosymbiont is common in the microbial communities of several tick species (Cafiso et al., 2016; Selmi et al., 2019), and was only recently reported for the first time in H. aegyptium collected from two T. graeca from a marketplace in Qatar (Barradas et al., 2020a). Although the nature of this symbiotic relationship is still not fully understood (Cafiso et al., 2016), this symbiont is able to invade the mitochondrial intermembrane space, and it has been detected in different tick organs (Stavru et al., 2020).…”

Novel Theileria sp. as an Etiology of Cutaneous Theileriosis among the Vulnerable Arabian Oryx

“…The MENA region has suitable climates as well as favorable conditions for the expansion of ticks and associated TBDs [ 37 , 38 ] due to widespread livestock ranching, the import of animals from other geographical territories, the wildlife population’s abundance supporting ticks’ lifecycles, and climate change conditions [ 39 ]. However, studies on TBDs within the State of Qatar are still scarce, with only reports of Hyalomma dromedarii [ 40 ], Hyalomma impeltatum [ 40 ], and more recently Hyalomma aegyptium vectors [ 41 ].…”

Emerging and Re-Emerging Diseases: Novel Challenges in Today’s World or More of the Same?

“…Lastly, the final work reports the molecular detection and characterization of tick-borne agents on Hyalomma aegyptium ticks from tortoises of a black market in Doha, Qatar. This study includes the detection of Hemolivia mauritanica , Ehrlichia spp., and Candidatus Midichloria Mitochondrii and highlights the dangers of the international trade of tortoises carrying ticks infected with pathogens of veterinary and medical importance [ 18 ].…”