Seroreactivity to Coxiella burnetii in an Agricultural Population and Prevalence of Coxiella burnetii Infection in Ticks of a Non-Endemic Region for Q Fever in South Korea

Yoo, Jeong-Rae; Kim, Mi-Sun; Heo, Sang Taek; Oh, Hyunjoo; Oh, Jung-Hwan; Ko, Seo-Young; Kang, Jeongho; Lee, Sung-Kgun; Jeong, Wooseong; Seong, Gil-Myeong; Lee, Hyunjung; Kang, Chul-Hoo; Lee, Keunhwa; Song, Sungwook

doi:10.3390/pathogens10101337

Cited by 3 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 40 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Ixodes ricinus infesting birds were suggested to be the vectors of C. burnetii 37 , 38 . In the ROK, C. burnetii and F. tularensis were detected more frequently in H. longicornis and H. flava ticks collected from the environmental habitats and domestic or wild animals 39 – 41 . However, the two pathogens were not detected in ticks infesting wild birds in this study, and the presence of these two pathogens in ticks feeding on birds in China and other southeast Asian countries located along their migration routes 21 has not been recorded.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Toxoplasma gondii and Rickettsia spp. in ticks collected from migratory birds in the Republic of Korea

Truong

Yoo

Min

et al. 2022

Sci Rep

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Migratory birds disperse ticks and associated tick-borne pathogens along their migratory routes. Four selected pathogens of medical importance (Coxiella burnetii, Rickettsia spp., Francisella tularensis, and Toxoplasma gondii) were targeted for detection in 804 ticks (365 pools) collected from migratory birds at Hong and Heuksan Islands in the Republic of Korea (ROK) from 2010 to 2011 and 2016. Toxoplasma gondii and Rickettsia spp., were detected in 1/365 (0.27%) and 34/365 (9.32%) pools of ticks, respectively. T. gondii and five rickettsial species were recorded in ticks collected from migratory birds for the first time in ROK. The five rickettsial species (R. monacensis, Candidatus Rickettsia longicornii, R. japonica, R. raoultii, and R. tamurae) were identified using sequence and phylogenetic analysis using ompA and gltA gene fragments. Rickettsia spp. are important pathogens that cause rickettsiosis in humans, with cases recorded in the ROK. These results provide important evidence for the potential role of migratory birds in the introduction and dispersal of T. gondii and Rickettsia spp. along their migratory routes and raise awareness of potential transmission of zoonotic tick-borne pathogens associated with migratory birds in the ROK.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Toxoplasma gondii and Rickettsia spp. in ticks collected from migratory birds in the Republic of Korea

Truong

Yoo

Min

et al. 2022

Sci Rep

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…burnetii is a tick-borne pathogen, there are only a few reports of C . burnetii in ticks in the ROK [ 108 , 109 ]. Recent studies have reported co-infections of C .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Molecular surveillance of zoonotic pathogens from wild rodents in the Republic of Korea

Choi,

Hwang,

Kim

et al. 2024

PLoS Negl Trop Dis

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Rodents are recognized as major reservoirs of numerous zoonotic pathogens and are involved in the transmission and maintenance of infectious diseases. Furthermore, despite their importance, diseases transmitted by rodents have been neglected. To date, there have been limited epidemiological studies on rodents, and information regarding their involvement in infectious diseases in the Republic of Korea (ROK) is still scarce. Methodology/Principal findings We investigated rodent-borne pathogens using nested PCR/RT-PCR from 156 rodents including 151 Apodemus agrarius and 5 Rattus norvegicus from 27 regions in eight provinces across the ROK between March 2019 and November 2020. Spleen, kidney, and blood samples were used to detect Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Bartonella spp., Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato group, Coxiella burnetii, Leptospira interrogans, and severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV). Of the 156 rodents, 73 (46.8%) were infected with Bartonella spp., 25 (16.0%) with C. burnetii, 24 (15.4%) with L. interrogans, 21 (13.5%) with A. phagocytophilum, 9 (5.8%) with SFTSV, and 5 (3.2%) with Borrelia afzelii. Co-infections with two and three pathogens were detected in 33 (21.1%) and 11 rodents (7.1%), respectively. A. phagocytophilum was detected in all regions, showing a widespread occurrence in the ROK. The infection rates of Bartonella spp. were 83.3% for B. grahamii and 16.7% for B. taylorii. Conclusions/Significance To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of C. burnetii and SFTSV infections in rodents in the ROK. This study also provides the first description of various rodent-borne pathogens through an extensive epidemiological survey in the ROK. These results suggest that rodents harbor various pathogens that pose a potential threat to public health in the ROK. Our findings provide useful information on the occurrence and distribution of zoonotic pathogens disseminated among rodents and emphasize the urgent need for rapid diagnosis, prevention, and control strategies for these zoonotic diseases.

show abstract

“…In addition, high seroprevalence of IgM or IgG (Phase I and II antibodies) to C. burnetii (35.7%) was recently reported in the rural population of Jeju Island. 11 In addition, SFTS and Q fever coinfection by tick bite was reported in South Korea in 2021. 12 …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although Q fever cases are rarely reported in this region, SFTSV and C. burnetii infection rates (IRs) in ticks on Jeju Island were analyzed in the present study based on a case of SFTS and Q fever coinfection in South Korea and the high seroprevalence of C. burnetii in agricultural population of this region. 11 12 …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Coinfection of Severe Fever With Thrombocytopenia Syndrome Virus and Coxiella burnetii in Developmental Stage of Hard Ticks in Subtropical Region of Korea

et al. 2023

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) is transmitted through tick bites. Ticks are potential vectors for the bacterium Coxiella burnetii that causes Query fever. Here, we analyzed SFTSV and C. burnetii co-infection rates in ticks in rural areas of Jeju Island, South Korea. Methods Free ticks were collected from the natural environment of the island between 2016 and 2019, and SFTSV RNA was extracted. Additionally, ribosomal RNA gene sequencing was used to identify Coxiella species. Results Haemaphysalis longicornis was the most common tick species followed by H. flava . Tick number gradually increased from April, peaked in August, and was lowest in March. Of all the collected ticks, 82.6% (2,851/3,458) were nymphs, 17.9% (639/3,458) adults, and 0.1% (4/3,458) larvae. SFTSV-infected ticks comprised 12.6% of all ticks; their numbers were the lowest in November–December, increased from January, and were mostly identified in the adult stage during June–August. C. burnetii infections were detected in 4.4% of the SFTSV-infected H. longicornis ticks. C. burnetii co-infection was mainly observed in the nymph stage of H. longicornis , with the highest infection rate in January, followed by December and November. Conclusion Our findings suggest that Jeju Island has a high SFTSV and potential C. burnetii infection in ticks. This study provides important insights regarding SFTS and Q fever risk to humans in South Korea.

show abstract

Seroreactivity to Coxiella burnetii in an Agricultural Population and Prevalence of Coxiella burnetii Infection in Ticks of a Non-Endemic Region for Q Fever in South Korea

Cited by 3 publications

References 40 publications

Toxoplasma gondii and Rickettsia spp. in ticks collected from migratory birds in the Republic of Korea

Toxoplasma gondii and Rickettsia spp. in ticks collected from migratory birds in the Republic of Korea

Molecular surveillance of zoonotic pathogens from wild rodents in the Republic of Korea

Coinfection of Severe Fever With Thrombocytopenia Syndrome Virus and Coxiella burnetii in Developmental Stage of Hard Ticks in Subtropical Region of Korea

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About