Molecular detection of Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Rickettsia monacensis in trombiculid mite pools collected from wild rodents in Korea: Implications for potential mite-borne transmission

IF 2.6 4区医学 Q3 INFECTIOUS DISEASES

Infection Genetics and Evolution Pub Date : 2025-06-20 DOI:10.1016/j.meegid.2025.105789

Dong-Jae Yu , Dong-Min Kim , Choon-Mee Kim , Hyeon Je Song , Jeong-Chi Lee

{"title":"Molecular detection of Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Rickettsia monacensis in trombiculid mite pools collected from wild rodents in Korea: Implications for potential mite-borne transmission","authors":"Dong-Jae Yu , Dong-Min Kim , Choon-Mee Kim , Hyeon Je Song , Jeong-Chi Lee","doi":"10.1016/j.meegid.2025.105789","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Mite-borne diseases have been extensively studied; however, limited research has focused on the detection of <em>Rickettsia</em> species other than <em>Orientia tsutsugamushi</em> in Korean mites.</div><div>Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays were performed using mites collected from rodents.</div><div>Nested PCR (N-PCR) targeting the <em>56 kDa</em> gene of <em>O. tsutsugamushi</em> showed a 0.29 % positivity rate (11/3855) and a 0.1 % minimum infection rate (MIR). The <em>sca1</em> gene-targeted N-PCR for <em>Rickettsia</em> showed a 1.27 % positivity rate (49/3855) and a 0.005 % MIR, revealing the presence of <em>Rickettsia monacensis.</em> For <em>Anaplasma phagocytophilum</em> detection, N-PCR targeting <em>ankA</em> gene showed a 4.31 % positivity rate (166/3855) and a 0.16 % MIR, while N-PCR targeting the <em>16S rRNA</em> gene showed a 0.78 % positivity rate (30/3855) and a 0.03 % MIR. Our findings confirm the presence of <em>A. phagocytophilum</em>, <em>R. monacensis</em>, and <em>O. tsutsugamushi</em> DNA in trombiculid mites collected from wild rodents in Korea. Although these pathogens are recognized as human disease agents, the detection of DNA alone does not provide evidence of vector competence. Consequently, further experimental studies are warranted to clarify the potential role of trombiculid mites in the transmission cycles of <em>A. phagocytophilum</em> and <em>R. monacensis</em>.</div></div><div><h3>Keypoints</h3><div><em>Anaplasma phagocytophilum</em> and <em>Rickettsia monacensis</em> were detected in trombiculid mites collected from wild rodents captured in Korea, suggesting the need for further research on the role of parasitic mites in the human transmission of <em>A. phagocytophilum</em> and <em>R. monacensis</em>.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54986,"journal":{"name":"Infection Genetics and Evolution","volume":"133 ","pages":"Article 105789"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6000,"publicationDate":"2025-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Infection Genetics and Evolution","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1567134825000784","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"INFECTIOUS DISEASES","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

Mite-borne diseases have been extensively studied; however, limited research has focused on the detection of Rickettsia species other than Orientia tsutsugamushi in Korean mites.

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays were performed using mites collected from rodents.

Nested PCR (N-PCR) targeting the 56 kDa gene of O. tsutsugamushi showed a 0.29 % positivity rate (11/3855) and a 0.1 % minimum infection rate (MIR). The sca1 gene-targeted N-PCR for Rickettsia showed a 1.27 % positivity rate (49/3855) and a 0.005 % MIR, revealing the presence of Rickettsia monacensis. For Anaplasma phagocytophilum detection, N-PCR targeting ankA gene showed a 4.31 % positivity rate (166/3855) and a 0.16 % MIR, while N-PCR targeting the 16S rRNA gene showed a 0.78 % positivity rate (30/3855) and a 0.03 % MIR. Our findings confirm the presence of A. phagocytophilum, R. monacensis, and O. tsutsugamushi DNA in trombiculid mites collected from wild rodents in Korea. Although these pathogens are recognized as human disease agents, the detection of DNA alone does not provide evidence of vector competence. Consequently, further experimental studies are warranted to clarify the potential role of trombiculid mites in the transmission cycles of A. phagocytophilum and R. monacensis.

Keypoints

Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Rickettsia monacensis were detected in trombiculid mites collected from wild rodents captured in Korea, suggesting the need for further research on the role of parasitic mites in the human transmission of A. phagocytophilum and R. monacensis.

查看原文本刊更多论文

韩国野生啮齿动物恙螨池中嗜吞噬细胞无原体和单胞立克次体的分子检测：潜在螨媒传播的意义。

螨媒疾病已得到广泛研究；然而，除恙虫病东方体外，韩国螨中立克次体的检测研究有限。采用聚合酶链式反应（PCR）检测鼠螨。针对恙虫病体56 kDa基因的巢式PCR （N-PCR）阳性率为0.29 %(11/3855)，最小感染率为0.1 % （MIR）。立克次体鳞片1基因靶向N-PCR检测阳性率为1.27 % (49/3855)，MIR阳性率为0.005 %，提示存在monacensis立克次体。在吞噬细胞无原体检测中，针对ankA基因的N-PCR阳性率为4.31 % (116 /3855)，MIR阳性率为0.16 %；针对16S rRNA基因的N-PCR阳性率为0.78 % (30/3855)，MIR阳性率为0.03 %。我们的研究结果证实了在韩国采集的野生啮齿动物恙螨中存在嗜吞噬单胞螨、单胞单胞螨和恙虫病单胞螨的DNA。虽然这些病原体被认为是人类疾病病原体，但仅检测DNA并不能提供媒介能力的证据。因此，需要进一步的实验研究来阐明恙螨在嗜吞噬单胞螨和单胞单胞螨传播周期中的潜在作用。重点：在国内捕获的野生啮齿动物恙螨中检出嗜吞噬细胞无原体和monacert立克次体，提示寄生螨在嗜吞噬细胞无原体和monacr人传中的作用有待进一步研究。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

Infection Genetics and Evolution 医学-传染病学

CiteScore

8.40

自引率

0.00%

发文量

215

审稿时长

82 days

期刊介绍： (aka Journal of Molecular Epidemiology and Evolutionary Genetics of Infectious Diseases -- MEEGID) Infectious diseases constitute one of the main challenges to medical science in the coming century. The impressive development of molecular megatechnologies and of bioinformatics have greatly increased our knowledge of the evolution, transmission and pathogenicity of infectious diseases. Research has shown that host susceptibility to many infectious diseases has a genetic basis. Furthermore, much is now known on the molecular epidemiology, evolution and virulence of pathogenic agents, as well as their resistance to drugs, vaccines, and antibiotics. Equally, research on the genetics of disease vectors has greatly improved our understanding of their systematics, has increased our capacity to identify target populations for control or intervention, and has provided detailed information on the mechanisms of insecticide resistance. However, the genetics and evolutionary biology of hosts, pathogens and vectors have tended to develop as three separate fields of research. This artificial compartmentalisation is of concern due to our growing appreciation of the strong co-evolutionary interactions among hosts, pathogens and vectors. Infection, Genetics and Evolution and its companion congress [MEEGID](http://www.meegidconference.com/) (for Molecular Epidemiology and Evolutionary Genetics of Infectious Diseases) are the main forum acting for the cross-fertilization between evolutionary science and biomedical research on infectious diseases. Infection, Genetics and Evolution is the only journal that welcomes articles dealing with the genetics and evolutionary biology of hosts, pathogens and vectors, and coevolution processes among them in relation to infection and disease manifestation. All infectious models enter the scope of the journal, including pathogens of humans, animals and plants, either parasites, fungi, bacteria, viruses or prions. The journal welcomes articles dealing with genetics, population genetics, genomics, postgenomics, gene expression, evolutionary biology, population dynamics, mathematical modeling and bioinformatics. We also provide many author benefits, such as free PDFs, a liberal copyright policy, special discounts on Elsevier publications and much more. Please click here for more information on our author services .