Vector borne and zoonotic diseases最新文献

{"title":"Cardiovascular Involvement and Its Association with Disease Severity and Recovery in SARS-CoV-2 Associated Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children.","authors":"Uğur Saraç, Mehmet Burhan Oflaz, Mustafa Genceli, Özge Metin Akcan, Ayşe Sümeyra Engin, Ayşe Büşra Paydaş, Abdullah Akkuş, Fatih Şap, Tamer Baysal","doi":"10.1177/15303667261457403","DOIUrl":"10.1177/15303667261457403","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a severe clinical entity emerging after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection, often characterized by cardiovascular involvement. This study aimed to evaluate the frequency and spectrum of cardiovascular involvement in children with MIS-C and to assess its association with clinical severity, biomarker profiles, and recovery outcomes.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study included 54 children diagnosed with MIS-C between June 2020 and December 2023. Clinical features, laboratory parameters, electrocardiographic and echocardiographic findings, treatments, and outcomes were analyzed. Clinical severity was classified as mild, moderate, or severe. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses were used to evaluate recovery trajectories and identify independent predictors.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Cardiovascular involvement was detected in 37% of patients. The most common findings were mitral regurgitation (50%), left ventricular dysfunction (20.4%), and pericardial effusion (18.5%). Patients with cardiovascular involvement were older and more likely to present with dyspnea, chest pain, tachycardia, tachypnea, and hypotension (all <i>p</i> < 0.01). They exhibited significantly higher C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), urea, and creatinine levels, and lower lymphocyte counts (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Moderate-to-severe cases showed markedly higher rates of left ventricular dysfunction (44%), mitral regurgitation (100%), pericardial effusion (36%), arrhythmias (16%), hypotension (44%), and inotropic requirement (44%) compared with mild cases (all <i>p</i> < 0.01). Recovery was significantly delayed in patients with cardiovascular involvement (median 12.5 vs. 8.0 days; <i>p</i> = 0.008) and in moderate-to-severe cases (14.0 vs. 7.5 days; <i>p</i> < 0.01). In Cox regression analysis, independent predictors of delayed recovery included cardiovascular involvement (HR: 0.48), CRP > 200 mg/L (HR: 0.52), lymphocyte count < 1000/µL (HR: 0.41), BNP > 10,000 ng/L (HR: 0.35), and IL-6 > 100 pg/mL (HR: 0.44).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Cardiovascular involvement in MIS-C is a strong marker of severe disease, heightened systemic inflammation, and prolonged recovery. Echocardiographic abnormalities, combined with elevations in CRP, IL-6, and BNP provide valuable prognostic information.</p>","PeriodicalId":23683,"journal":{"name":"Vector borne and zoonotic diseases","volume":" ","pages":"645-652"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148228531","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Impact of Climate Change on the Climatic Suitability of <i>Rhipicephalus microplus</i> in Mainland China.","authors":"Xiaohui Zhao, Ying Liu, Ming Yan, Ruilong Wang, Jianhua Xiao, Jiaying Guo","doi":"10.1177/15303667261463014","DOIUrl":"10.1177/15303667261463014","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong><i>Rhipicephalus microplus</i>, a one-host tick species, serves as a principal vector of tick-borne diseases in agricultural ecosystems worldwide by harboring and transmitting various pathogens through blood-feeding. In China, the climatically suitable range of <i>R. microplus</i> has been gradually expanding. However, the climatic suitability of <i>R. microplus</i> under future climate change scenarios remains unclear.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study evaluates both current and projected climatic suitability of <i>R. microplus</i> by integrating climatic variables, thereby providing insight into shifts in climatic suitability under present and future climate conditions. The MaxEnt model was applied using 78 occurrence records of <i>R. microplus</i> collected from 1970 to 2023, along with 19 environmental variables obtained from WorldClim. By identifying the most influential environmental factors affecting the climatic suitability of <i>R. microplus</i>, we predicted future changes under three Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP126, SSP245, SSP585) for three future periods (2021-2040, 2041-2060, and 2061-2080).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>This study indicates that the current climatically suitable areas for <i>R. microplus</i> are mainly located in southern China, covering approximately 1,051,406 km², which accounts for about 10.91% of China's total land area. The minimum temperature of the coldest month (Bio06, 69.6%) and precipitation of the warmest quarter (Bio18, 20.1%) were identified as the most influential climatic variables. Under future climate scenarios, the suitable habitat for <i>R. microplus</i> is projected to expand and shift northward. By 2061-2080 under the SSP585, the suitable area could reach up to 2,994,700 km², representing a 2.85-fold increase relative to its current extent.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study projects a significant northward expansion of climatic suitability for <i>R. microplus</i> in mainland China under future climate scenarios, driven primarily by rising minimum winter temperatures. These findings highlight an urgent need for proactive, climate-integrated surveillance and adaptive control strategies to mitigate the growing threat of this tick vector and its associated diseases in newly vulnerable regions.</p>","PeriodicalId":23683,"journal":{"name":"Vector borne and zoonotic diseases","volume":" ","pages":"620-628"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148302886","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Green-Synthesized Copper Oxide Nanoparticles as an Adjuvant to Quinine in Experimental Cerebral Malaria: Mechanistic and Safety Evaluation in Mice.","authors":"Abdulsalam Alkhudhayri, Abdullah D Alanazi","doi":"10.1177/15303667261469042","DOIUrl":"10.1177/15303667261469042","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Cerebral malaria remains one of the most severe complications of <i>Plasmodium</i> infection and is associated with excessive oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and high mortality. This study investigated the therapeutic and mechanistic effects of green-synthesized copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO-NPs), administered alone or in combination with quinine (QN), in mice infected with <i>Plasmodium berghei</i> ANKA strain.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Eighty-six BALB/c mice were randomly assigned to infected and noninfected groups. Treatments were administered orally once daily beginning 3 h postinfection for 7 consecutive days. Malaria-infected mice received QN (5 or 10 mg/kg), CuO-NPs (5 or 10 mg/kg), or combinations of CuO-NPs with low-dose QN (5 mg/kg). Survival was monitored for 28 days. Parasitemia suppression, oxidative stress biomarkers, antioxidant gene expression, and inflammatory mediators were evaluated in brain tissue homogenates. For toxicity evaluation, healthy mice received treatments for 14 days. Statistical analyses were performed using one-way analysis of variance followed by Tukey's <i>post hoc</i> test.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Green-synthesized CuO-NPs exhibited spherical morphology with an average diameter of approximately 40 nm. Combined administration of CuO-NPs with QN significantly improved survival and reduced parasitemia suppression, ranging from 93.8% to the absence of microscopically detectable parasitemia relative to infected untreated controls (<i>p</i> < 0.001). The combinations also significantly reduced malondialdehyde and nitric oxide levels while upregulating Glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and superoxide dismutase expression. In addition, combination therapy modestly downregulated nuclear factor-kappa B p65, toll-like receptor 4, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha Messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expression. Biochemical toxicity analyses revealed no significant alterations in hepatic or renal function markers following 14 days of administration.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The combination of green-synthesized CuO-NPs with low-dose QN may improve antimalarial efficacy through modulation of oxidative stress and inflammatory responses in an early-intervention murine model of cerebral malaria without inducing significant short-term biochemical toxicity. However, additional mechanistic, pharmacokinetic, histopathological, and long-term safety studies are required before clinical translation can be considered.</p>","PeriodicalId":23683,"journal":{"name":"Vector borne and zoonotic diseases","volume":" ","pages":"608-619"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148473110","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparative Evaluation of Enrichment and Selective Culture Strategies for Detecting <i>Salmonella</i> from Cockroaches.","authors":"Lipika Das, Ilya B Slizovskiy, Jose E Pietri","doi":"10.1177/15303667261469043","DOIUrl":"10.1177/15303667261469043","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><i>Background:</i> Cockroaches, including the German cockroach (<i>Blattella germanica</i>) can harbor and disseminate enteric human pathogens, such as <i>Salmonella</i> spp. Detecting <i>Salmonella</i> in field-collected cockroach samples is important for source attribution and monitoring public health risk, but is complicated by the low abundance of the pathogen relative to the rich and complex cockroach microbiota. Studies using different culture methods to detect <i>Salmonella</i> in cockroaches have reported disparate results, emphasizing the need for sensitive, accurate strategies to recover and identify <i>Salmonella</i> from infected cockroaches.<i>Materials and Methods:</i> Here, we evaluated the efficacy of several <i>Salmonella</i> enrichment and selective detection strategies-Rappaport-Vassiliadis (RV) broth enrichment, Tetrathionate (TT) broth enrichment, and a sequential TT followed by RV enrichment, combined with selective plating on Brilliant Green (BG) or Xylose Lysine Tergitol 4 (XLT-4) agar. Efficacy was assessed on German cockroach samples collected 1-7 days after experimental infection with a laboratory reference strain of <i>Salmonella.</i> The relative abundance of <i>Salmonella</i> in each enrichment broth was determined by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, and colony morphologies on selective plates were visually compared.<i>Results:</i> Overall, RV broth, TT broth, and sequential TT-RV broth strategies were equally effective at enriching <i>Salmonella</i> from infected cockroach samples. However, selective plating on XLT-4 was more effective at differentiating <i>Salmonella</i> from commensal <i>Pseudomonas</i> and <i>Serratia</i> spp. that were also enriched in RV and TT broth and produced similar colony phenotypes to <i>Salmonella</i> on BG agar.<i>Conclusions:</i> These results enhance methodological capacity for <i>Salmonella</i> surveillance in cockroaches and highlight the importance of considering the potential for cockroach commensals to produce false positives, interfering with accurate pathogen detection.</p>","PeriodicalId":23683,"journal":{"name":"Vector borne and zoonotic diseases","volume":" ","pages":"600-607"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13431893/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148473116","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Comprehensive Review of Diagnostic Techniques for <i>Francisella tularensis</i>: Challenges and Strategies.","authors":"Fatemeh Navab Moghadam, Safoura Moradkasani, Saber Esmaeili","doi":"10.1177/15303667261459958","DOIUrl":"10.1177/15303667261459958","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Tularemia, caused by <i>Francisella tularensis</i>, is a zoonotic disease with various sources, transmission routes, and geographically different clinical signs. Diagnosis is challenging due to nonspecific symptoms, highlighting the importance of laboratory testing for accurate detection, effective outbreak management, and targeted treatment. Recent improvements have enhanced the accuracy of sensitive and specific immunological and molecular methods. Techniques such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, immunochromatography, microagglutination tests, indirect immunofluorescence assays, and PCR continue to be key detection tools. Molecular typing methods such as whole-genome sequencing, single-nucleotide polymorphism analysis, multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight enable precise genetic characterization of <i>F. tularensis</i> strains. These methods improve understanding of phylogeny, strain diversity, and transmission routes, while supporting outbreak investigations. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of current laboratory methods for diagnosing and typing tularemia as well as their application in clinical and research settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":23683,"journal":{"name":"Vector borne and zoonotic diseases","volume":" ","pages":"585-593"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148228527","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Molecular Characterization of Mosquito Species and Confirmation of First Record of <i>Aedes aegypti</i> in Buraydah City, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.","authors":"Habeeb Mansour Al-Solami, Hayat S Al-Rashidi, Fekri M Shaher, Mohammed A Alkuriji, Kashif Munawar, Malak F Almutairi, Abdullah G Alghamdi, Hanan S ALyahya, Ammar Al-Farga, Mohamed R Fouad, Jazem A Mahyoub","doi":"10.1177/15303667261469036","DOIUrl":"10.1177/15303667261469036","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Mosquitoes are a source of concern because they transmit many infectious diseases, including Zika virus, chikungunya, and malaria. Accurate and rapid identification of mosquitoes is essential for disease surveillance and control. Genetic diversity in mosquito species, resulting from adaptation to different environments, leads to many differences in morphological characteristics. Traditional identification methods relying on morphology can be time-consuming and unreliable. The study aimed to identify medically and veterinary significant adult mosquito species throughout 2021 in Buraydah City, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). We collected adult mosquitoes using Black Hole light traps in the city. The mosquitoes were morphologically identified using traditional identification keys and characterized by using the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase c subunit I (COI) barcode regions. Although the genetic sequences we discovered do not necessarily represent new records, they do represent species with a long history of evolutionary independence, at least among adult mosquito species in KSA, especially in Buraydah city. Both morphological and molecular data identified five mosquito species: <i>Culex pipiens</i> (Linnaeus, 1758), <i>Cx. sitiens</i> (Wiedemann, 1828), <i>Aedes aegypti</i> (Linnaeus, 1762), <i>Ae. caspius</i> (Pallas, 1771), and <i>Anopheles dthali</i> (Patton, 1905). These species correspond to those from Kenya, India, KSA, and Iran with genetic variation. <i>Aedes aegypti</i> was confirmed for the first time in Buraydah city. DNA barcoding is a useful tool that can overcome inefficiencies and difficulties and complement traditional taxonomy.</p>","PeriodicalId":23683,"journal":{"name":"Vector borne and zoonotic diseases","volume":" ","pages":"629-638"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148473122","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Single-Cell Transcriptomic Profiling and Machine Learning Reveal Stage-Specific Gene Dynamics in Brucellosis.","authors":"Siyuan Yang, Jiayi Liu, Xi Wang, Linghang Wang","doi":"10.1177/15303667261486623","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15303667261486623","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Accurate prediction of the progression of brucellosis is critical for optimizing therapeutic interventions, yet reliable biomarkers for this transition remain elusive.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from acute (AC), subacute (SA), and chronic (CH) brucellosis patients identified nine immune subsets. Machine learning models trained on cell-type-specific gene signatures predicted brucellosis progression.</p><p><strong>Result: </strong>Among the evaluated models, the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator showed the best classification performance, achieving an accuracy of 0.98 (95% CI, 0.98-0.99) and an AUC of 0.99 (95% CI, 0.99-1.00) for CD8+ T cells, and an accuracy of 0.96 (95% CI, 0.94-0.97) and an AUC of 0.97 (95% CI, 0.99-1.00) for NK cells. A conserved triphasic transcriptional trajectory (upregulation: healthy to AC; downregulation: AC to SA; partial recovery: SA to CH) in adaptive/innate immune cells implicated interferon signaling. Fourteen core genes (<i>IFI44L</i>, <i>ISG15</i>, and <i>MX1</i>) formed tightly connected networks (interaction score > 0.7), linking chronic infection to immune dysregulation.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>We establish the first scRNA-seq-guided predictive framework for brucellosis chronicity, highlighting CD8⁺ T/NK cell signatures and interferon-driven reprogramming as therapeutic targets.</p>","PeriodicalId":23683,"journal":{"name":"Vector borne and zoonotic diseases","volume":" ","pages":"15303667261486623"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149013000","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Screening for Orthoflavivirus RNA in Bats from Urban and Rural Landscapes of Guayas Province, Ecuador.","authors":"Solón Alberto Orlando, Johanna Parrales, Cindy Nacipucha, Naomi Mora-Jaramillo, Fabrizio Arcos-Alcívar, Ivonne España, Miguel Ángel García-Bereguiain, Evelyn Barona, Odalys Chagerbén, Mirna Oviedo","doi":"10.1177/15303667261486646","DOIUrl":"10.1177/15303667261486646","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Orthoflaviviruses are arthropod-borne viruses of major importance for human and animal health. In Ecuador, surveillance has focused on human cases and mosquito vectors, and evidence from wildlife remains scarce. This study screened bats from Guayas Province for orthoflavivirus RNA and examined whether positivity was associated with host taxon, landscape, or sex.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>A cross-sectional study was conducted using liver tissue from bats captured during 19 nocturnal mist-netting sessions at 10 localities in Guayas Province between October 2020 and May 2024. Total RNA was extracted and analyzed by a generic nested RT-PCR assay targeting a conserved region of the NS5 gene, with β-actin amplification as an internal control. A total of 128 samples yielded valid results. Prevalence was reported with Wilson 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and associations were assessed by bivariate tests and multivariable logistic regression.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Twenty-five of 128 bats (19.5%; 95% CI: 13.6-27.2) were positive in the generic NS5 assay. In bivariate analysis, positivity was higher in urban than rural bats (40.0% vs. 13.3%; odds ratio [OR] 4.36, 95% CI: 1.71-11.10; <i>p</i> = 0.0029). However, all 30 urban bats were <i>Molossus molossus</i>, and after adjustment for host taxon the landscape association disappeared (adjusted OR: 0.99, 95% CI: 0.31-3.14), whereas <i>M. molossus</i> remained strongly associated with positivity (adjusted OR: 15.61, 95% CI: 3.79-64.21; <i>p</i> < 0.001). Within <i>M. molossus</i>, positivity was identical in rural and urban settings (40.0% vs. 40.0%; <i>p</i> = 1.000). Sequencing could not be completed because of low template yield.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>These findings provide presumptive evidence of flavivirus-like RNA in bats from coastal Ecuador, concentrated in one synanthropic insectivorous species rather than distributed along an urban-rural gradient. Because the products could not be sequenced, no specific orthoflavivirus can be identified. Wildlife merits inclusion in integrated arbovirus surveillance under a One Health framework.</p>","PeriodicalId":23683,"journal":{"name":"Vector borne and zoonotic diseases","volume":" ","pages":"15303667261486646"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148978142","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Geographical Distribution of Tick Species and Tick-Borne Pathogens in Italy (2000-2022): A Systematic Review.","authors":"Giulia Maioli, Luciano Toma, Giorgio Galletti, Stefania Calò, Michela Bertola, Giulia Bernabe, Valerio Carta, Francesca Casale, Roberto Celva, Lavinia Ciuca, Cristiano Corona, Graziana Da Rold, Irene Del Lesto, Silvia Fabi, Alessandra Favole, Alessio Ferrari, Elena Ghiorzi, Francesco Gradoni, Jeanne Lai, Maria Lucia Mandola, Maria Paola Maurelli, Martina Munari, Chiara Nogarol, Federica Obber, Michele Paccagnella, Ilaria Pastori, Federico Romiti, Sofia Sgubin, Carlotta Tessarolo, Marco Di Luca, Cristiano Salata","doi":"10.1177/15303667261486266","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15303667261486266","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Italy hosts a wide diversity of tick species and tick-borne pathogens (TBPs), with documented expansions in their distribution driven by environmental, ecological, and climatic changes. Although numerous studies have investigated their presence, available data remain fragmented and heterogeneous, limiting a comprehensive national overview.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>This systematic review searched for studies published between January 2000 and December 2022 reporting the presence, prevalence, or geographical distribution of ticks and/or TBPs in Italy. A two-level screening process was conducted by 24 reviewers working in pairs, with conflicts resolved by a third reviewer. Eligible studies included primary field investigations on wild or domestic animals, humans, or the environment, with morphological or molecular identification of tick species and laboratory-confirmed detection of TBPs. Data were extracted into a structured database, analyzed using R software, and synthesized descriptively with spatial mapping of tick and pathogen distribution.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of 12,017 records identified, 356 studies met the inclusion criteria, reporting 43 tick species, with <i>Ixodes ricinus, Rhipicephalus sanguineus</i> s.l., <i>Hyalomma marginatum</i>, and <i>Dermacentor marginatus</i> being the most widely distributed. The most frequently reported pathogens were <i>Anaplasma phagocytophilum</i>, <i>Rickettsia</i> spp., and <i>Borrelia burgdorferi</i> s.l. Substantial heterogeneity in study design and geographic coverage limited quantitative comparisons, although the dataset covered 78.5% of Italian provinces. This review provides a comprehensive overview of ticks and TBPs in Italy and identifies priority areas for future surveillance and research within a One Health framework.</p>","PeriodicalId":23683,"journal":{"name":"Vector borne and zoonotic diseases","volume":" ","pages":"15303667261486266"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148971510","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Multi-Marker Mitochondrial DNA Analysis Reveals Broad Vertebrate Host Use by <i>Mansonia</i> Mosquitoes in Baringo County, Kenya.","authors":"Caroline Getugi, Edwin O Ogola, Inga Slothouwer, Sandra Junglen, David P Tchouassi","doi":"10.1177/15303667261486635","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15303667261486635","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Mosquitoes of the genus <i>Mansonia</i> are widely distributed in wetland ecosystems of sub-Saharan Africa and feed on humans and domestic animals, creating opportunities for zoonotic pathogen transmission. We characterized vertebrate host use by <i>Mansonia africana</i> and <i>M. uniformis</i> in Baringo County, Kenya, evaluated three mitochondrial markers for blood-meal identification, and screened blood-fed and unfed mosquitoes for detectable arboviral RNA.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Mosquito sampling was conducted at Logumgum, Sandai, and Ntepes in 2019 and 2020 using CO₂-baited CDC light traps. <i>Mansonia</i> mosquitoes were recovered from all three sites in 2019 but only from Ntepes in 2020. Blood-fed specimens were analyzed using cytochrome b (cytb), cytochrome oxidase I (<i>cox-1</i>), and vertebrate 16S rRNA in 2019 (vert 16S rRNA), whereas cytb alone was applied in 2020. Blood-fed and unfed mosquitoes were screened for arboviral RNA using pan-RT-PCR assays.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of 802 blood-fed mosquitoes analyzed in 2019, host-identification success was highest with cytb (87.9%), followed by <i>cox-1</i> (20.3%) and vert 16S rRNA (5.5%). The additional loci increased overall host resolution by approximately 12% beyond cytb alone. In the 2019 cytb-based dataset, human DNA was detected in 61.8% of identified blood meals when mixed human-animal feeds were included. Separately, 63 of 69 identified blood meals (91.3%) from Ntepes in 2020 were goat-derived. <i>Ma. africana</i> and <i>Ma. uniformis</i> exhibited overlapping host-use profiles. No arboviral RNA was detected.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong><i>Ma. africana</i> and <i>Ma. uniformis</i> in Baringo County fed on humans, livestock, rodents, and other vertebrates and showed broadly overlapping host-use profiles. Cytb provided the highest blood-meal identification success, while <i>cox-1</i> and vert 16S rRNA resolved additional meals, supporting the complementary value of a multilocus approach. Feeding across the human-livestock interface identifies potential exposure pathways supporting the continued inclusion of both species in integrated entomological and One Health surveillance.</p>","PeriodicalId":23683,"journal":{"name":"Vector borne and zoonotic diseases","volume":" ","pages":"15303667261486635"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148956718","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}