Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases最新文献

{"title":"Genome sequence of Ehrlichia muris from Ixodes ricinus collected in Italy on a migratory bird provides epidemiological and evolutionary insights","authors":"Carlo Croci ,&nbsp;Luca Erriquez ,&nbsp;Beatrice Bisaglia ,&nbsp;Greta Bellinzona ,&nbsp;Emanuela Olivieri ,&nbsp;Davide Sassera ,&nbsp;Michele Castelli","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102409","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102409","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ticks are prominent vectors of several zoonotic diseases. Tick-borne pathogens include the members of the genus <em>Ehrlichia</em>, which are obligate intracellular bacteria infecting immune and hematopoietic cells. <em>Ehrlichia muris</em> predominantly affects rodents, but was also reported to be a human pathogen. The known geographical distribution of this bacterium ranges from Asia, to the USA and eastern Europe. In the present work, we report the finding of <em>E. muris</em> in an <em>Ixodes ricinus</em> tick collected from a migratory bird (<em>Turdus iliacus</em>) in Italy, southern Europe. We sequenced the total DNA from this tick sample, and, thanks to a dedicated bioinformatic pipeline, selectively assembled the genome of the bacterium, which represents the first one for <em>E. muris</em> from Europe. Phylogenetic and comparative genomic analyses were then performed. Accounting for tick species distribution, bird migratory routes, and molecular phylogeny of the bacterium, it is likely that this bird transported the tick to Italy from an endemic area of <em>E. muris</em>, such as eastern Europe.</div><div>In addition, comparative genomic analyses highlighted that <em>E. muris</em> and other <em>Ehrlichia</em> spp. display copy number variations in two families of membrane proteins, likely due to recent gene duplication, deletion and recombination events. These differences are probably a source of variability for surface antigens to evade host immunity, with a potential role in host adaptation and specificity. The present results underline the impact of migratory birds on the spread of tick-borne pathogens towards non-endemic areas, highlighting the need for further epidemiological surveillance at bird ringing stations in Italy, and advocating further investigations on possible local transmission of <em>E. muris</em> in competent mammalian hosts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"15 6","pages":"Article 102409"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142570158","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Natural Panola Mountain Ehrlichia infections in cattle in a longitudinal study of Angus beef calves","authors":"Cierra Briggs ,&nbsp;Drew Casey ,&nbsp;Anna Grace Deakins ,&nbsp;Jeremy G. Powell ,&nbsp;Kelly Loftin ,&nbsp;Emily G. McDermott","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102408","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102408","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Panola Mountain <em>Ehrlichia</em> (PME) is an emerging zoonotic pathogen, transmitted by <em>Amblyomma americanum</em> ticks in the southeastern United States. It is closely related to <em>Ehrlichia ruminantium</em>, the causative agent of heartwater disease. Heartwater disease is an often-fatal illness of ruminant livestock present in Africa and the Caribbean. The taxonomic relationship between PME and <em>E. ruminantium</em> has raised concerns about the pathogenicity of PME in livestock. To determine whether cattle could be naturally infected with PME in an endemic area, we conducted a one-year longitudinal study of Angus-breed beef calves in Fayetteville, Arkansas. One hundred seventy-seven calves born between September and October 2022 were sampled for blood and ticks in February, May, and September 2023. Blood and ticks from each animal were tested for bacteria in the family, <em>Anaplasmataceae</em> using quantitative and conventional PCR, and positive samples were sequenced for species identification. Panola Mountain <em>Ehrlichia</em> was detected in 2.34 % of male <em>A. americanum</em> collected in February, and 1.27 % of female, 0.95 % of male, and 0.43 % of nymphal <em>A. americanum</em> collected in May. No PME-positive ticks were collected in September. Active PME infections were detected in two calves: one which tested positive in May 2023 and one which tested positive in September 2023. Neither animal exhibited any signs of disease, and the animal PME-positive in May tested negative in September. Cattle are susceptible to PME, but the pathogen does not appear to cause obvious disease. However, all animals in this study were under one year old, and older animals may be more susceptible. Cattle are at risk of tick-borne illness in the winter as well as spring, and off-season acaricide applications may improve disease management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"15 6","pages":"Article 102408"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142607034","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Clinical manifestations and outcomes of Tick-borne encephalitis: A systematic literature review","authors":"Kate Halsby ,&nbsp;Liesl Gildea ,&nbsp;Harish Madhava ,&nbsp;Frederick J. Angulo ,&nbsp;Andreas Pilz ,&nbsp;Wilhelm Erber ,&nbsp;Jennifer Moisi ,&nbsp;Katharina Schley ,&nbsp;Ann Colosia ,&nbsp;Johann Sellner","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102407","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102407","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is caused by a viral infection and can lead to acute and persistent damage to the central and peripheral nervous systems. Recently, the incidence of TBE in Europe has risen, and epidemiological patterns of disease have changed, emphasising the need for improved understanding of this vaccine-preventable disease. Although TBE is endemic in many countries, the disease spectrum of TBE is not well described. We sought to characterise the clinical manifestations and outcomes of TBE by estimating the proportions of TBE patients with each type of manifestation and the risk of adverse outcomes for children and adults separately. A systematic literature review was conducted on 2 August 2022 for articles published in any language since 1 January 2007. Additional relevant studies were found in reference lists of identified articles. The review was limited to countries where only the European subtype of TBEV circulates. Of the 1,632 unique titles and abstracts identified and reviewed, 21 were retained for data analysis. The 21 studies were split into a main analysis (15 studies reporting patients hospitalised with laboratory-confirmed TBE) and a secondary analysis (6 studies reporting hospitalised and non-hospitalised patients who sought medical treatment for laboratory-confirmed TBE). The main analysis included 5,012 adults and 640 children. The predominant clinical manifestation in adults was encephalitis (61 %), followed by meningitis (33 %), radiculitis (14 %), and myelitis (6 %) (the manifestations were evaluated independently, so they will not sum to 100 %). With outliers removed, similar proportions of adults had encephalitis (48 %) and meningitis (44 %). Among cases in children, meningitis (77 %) was the most common manifestation, whereas encephalitis (23 %) and myelitis (1.3 %) were less frequent. Among hospitalised patients with TBE, the proportion of intensive care unit (ICU) admissions and deaths were similar for adults (15.5 % and 0.9 %, respectively) and children (16.4 % and 0 %, respectively.) The percentage of patients with sequelae when examined &gt;12 months from acute TBE was 39.5 % for adults and 16.2 % for children. The evidence was challenging to aggregate due to study heterogeneity, variability in categorising clinical manifestations of central nervous system disease, variability of denominator populations, and differences in healthcare systems and diagnostic practices across countries. Our study disclosed distinct patterns of clinical manifestation among hospitalised adult and child patients with TBE and a high proportion of ICU admissions and long-term neurological sequelae across both age groups. These findings reinforce the continued need for preventive measures in the populations at risk. Moreover, variability of study admission criteria, including difficulty with clinical manifestation categorisation, calls for a more standardised approach to summarising TBE manifestations and outcomes acros","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"15 6","pages":"Article 102407"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142578220","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Microbial genetic variation impacts host eco-immunological strategies and microparasite fitness in Lyme borreliae-reptile system","authors":"Tristan A. Nowak ,&nbsp;Carly Fernandes ,&nbsp;Jill Malfetano ,&nbsp;Erica Lasek-Nesselquist ,&nbsp;Matthew Combs ,&nbsp;Klemen Strle ,&nbsp;Russell L. Burke ,&nbsp;Yi-Pin Lin","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102410","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102410","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Tolerance and resistance are two host eco-immunological strategies in response to microparasite invasion. In the strategy of “resistance”, host responses are induced to decrease microparasite replication while the “tolerance” strategy allows hosts coexistence with microparasites by minimizing responses to avoid immune-mediated damage. The causative agent of Lyme disease is a group of genotypically diverse bacterial species, <em>Borrelia burgdorferi</em> sensu lato (<em>Bb</em>), which is transmitted by <em>Ixodes</em> ticks and persists in different reservoir animals. In North America, eastern fence lizards (<em>Sceloporus undulatus</em>) can be fed on by <em>Ixodes</em> ticks but are incompetent to one genotype of <em>Bb</em> (i.e., ospC type A). However, field-collected lizards showed evidence of previous infection by <em>Bb</em> strains with undefined genotypes. Supporting this evidence, we introduced three genotypically different <em>Bb</em> strains individually to eastern fence lizards and found a <em>Bb</em> genotype-dependent manner of infectivity. We compared liver transcriptomics and observed elevated immune responses triggered by a lizard-incompetent <em>Bb</em> strain (strain B31). We showed two lizard-competent strains with one having no immunomodulation (strain B379) but the other developing upregulated immune responses (strain 297). These results suggest that genetic variation in microparasites both induces different host strategies for dealing with infection and determines microparasite fitness in the hosts. These findings demonstrate that <em>Bb</em> and eastern fence lizards can serve as a model to investigate the mechanisms underlying eco-immunological strategies of tolerance vs. resistance during host-microparasite interaction.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"15 6","pages":"Article 102410"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142631344","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Detection of Anaplasma bovis-like agent in the Southcentral United States","authors":"Rachel C Smith,&nbsp;Sarah Myers,&nbsp;Kellee D Sundstrom,&nbsp;Ragan Wilson,&nbsp;Ruth C Scimeca,&nbsp;Lindsay A Starkey,&nbsp;Susan E Little","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102411","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102411","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Anaplasma bovis</em> is primarily an infectious agent of ruminants, and has most commonly been reported in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. Although the primary cause of human anaplasmosis is <em>Anaplasma phagocytophilum</em>, humans may rarely be infected by other <em>Anaplasma</em> spp. Human disease attributed to <em>A. bovis</em> has been occasionally reported, including an <em>A. bovis</em>-like agent in the United States. DNA of an <em>A. bovis</em>-like agent has been amplified from humans and the tick <em>Dermacentor variabilis</em> in the central region of the U.S., but larger prevalence studies among potential vectors or reservoir hosts in the U.S. have not been reported. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of <em>A. bovis</em>-like agent among <em>D. variabilis</em> and cattle in the Southcentral U.S. Previously extracted DNA from adult <em>D. variabilis</em> collected from Oklahoma (<em>n</em> = 38) and Kansas (<em>n</em> = 93), and blood of cattle from Oklahoma (<em>n</em> = 140) were tested by conventional PCR. Overall prevalence of <em>A. bovis</em>-like DNA within ticks was determined to be 3.1% (4/131), and all positive ticks originated from Oklahoma. Overall prevalence in bovine blood was determined to be 0% (0/140). These findings confirm the presence of an <em>A. bovis</em>-like agent, a potentially zoonotic pathogen, among ticks in the Southcentral U.S.; this agent is likely underrecognized and has been detected in parts of the U.S. that lie outside of the established geographic range for <em>A. phagocytophilum</em>. Further investigation and surveillance are necessary to elucidate possible reservoirs of <em>A. bovis</em> in the U.S., further evaluate the burden of human infection, and fully characterize genetic differences between the <em>A. bovis</em>-like agent detected in the U.S. and <em>A. bovis</em> in other regions of the world.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"15 6","pages":"Article 102411"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142649469","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Absence of Coxiella burnetii in kangaroo ticks (Amblyomma triguttatum) from a high seroprevalence population of eastern grey kangaroos","authors":"Anita Tolpinrud ,&nbsp;Ornella Romeo ,&nbsp;Anne-Lise Chaber","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102406","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102406","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Q fever, caused by <em>Coxiella burnetii</em>, is an important zoonotic and public health concern worldwide. Kangaroos are thought to be a likely wildlife reservoir for <em>C. burnetii</em> in Australia and the kangaroo tick (<em>Amblyomma triguttatum</em>) has often been considered a vector. In this descriptive study of ticks collected from a population of eastern grey kangaroos (<em>Macropus giganteus</em>) with a high serological (84 %) and molecular (65 %) prevalence of <em>C. burnetii</em> in northern New South Wales, a total of 72 <em>A. triguttatum</em> ticks were tested by PCRs targeting the IS<em>1111, htpAB</em>, and <em>com1</em> genes of the <em>Coxiella</em> genome. Despite the remarkably high prevalence of coxiellosis in the host population, none of the ticks were positive for <em>Coxiella.</em> This finding suggests that the kangaroo tick may not play a significant role in the transmission dynamics of <em>C. burnetii</em> in this particular host population.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"15 6","pages":"Article 102406"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2024-10-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142511465","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Prevalence and diversity of spotted fever group Rickettsia species in ixodid ticks from domestic dogs in Chad, Africa","authors":"Stephanie Osip ,&nbsp;Morgan Friedman ,&nbsp;Ellen Haynes ,&nbsp;Sarah M. Coker ,&nbsp;John A. Bryan II ,&nbsp;Metinou Sidouin ,&nbsp;Philip Tchindebet Ouakou ,&nbsp;Bongo Nare Richard Ngandolo ,&nbsp;Christopher A. Cleveland ,&nbsp;Michael J. Yabsley","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102405","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102405","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Tick-borne pathogens in the genus <em>Rickettsia</em> are the causative agents of severe and potentially fatal spotted fever group (SFG) and typhus group diseases in dogs and humans. Climate, habitat, and land-use changes are impacting vector ranges, with expansions potentially resulting in novel pathogens being introduced into naïve locations. Despite the public health importance of SFG <em>Rickettsia</em>, there are relatively few data on the prevalence and diversity of rickettsial pathogens in sub-Saharan Africa. The aim of this study was to characterize the SFG <em>Rickettsia</em> prevalence and diversity in ixodid ticks (104 <em>Amblyomma</em> spp.<em>,</em> 160 <em>Rhipicephalus</em> spp<em>.,</em> and one <em>Hyalomma truncatum</em>) collected from domestic dogs in Chad, Africa. Ticks were screened for <em>Rickettsia</em> spp. using a nested PCR targeting the 17-kDa gene. Species identification was through bidirectional Sanger sequencing of the 17-kDa, <em>ompA, ompB</em>, and/or <em>gltA</em> gene targets. A total of 43.3 % (115/265) ticks were positive for <em>Rickettsia</em> spp. and six <em>Rickettsia</em> species were identified: <em>R. africae, R. massiliae, R. conorii, R. felis, R. monacensis</em> and <em>Candidatus</em> Rickettsia muridii. Seven additional samples were positive for <em>Rickettsia</em> of undetermined species. <em>Rickettsia africae</em>, an important zoonotic pathogen, was found in 81 % (79/97) of <em>A. variegatum</em> and 29 % (2/7) of an <em>A. marmoreum</em> complex species, a group that infests a wide range of birds and mammals, including humans. Finally, we detected a high diversity of <em>Rickettsia</em> spp., most of which were zoonotic, in <em>Rh. muhsamae</em>. Collectively these data indicate there is a risk of rickettsiosis in Chad and further studies on ticks and rickettsial pathogens in this region are warranted.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"15 6","pages":"Article 102405"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2024-10-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142478909","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A reverse vaccinology approach identified novel recombinant tick proteins with protective efficacy against Rhipicephalus microplus infestation","authors":"Luísa N. Domingues ,&nbsp;Kylie G. Bendele ,&nbsp;Deanna M. Bodine ,&nbsp;Lénaïg Halos ,&nbsp;Andre A. Cutolo ,&nbsp;Martin Liebstein ,&nbsp;Justin Widener ,&nbsp;Monica Figueiredo ,&nbsp;Yovany Moreno ,&nbsp;Christian Epe ,&nbsp;Alvimar Jose da Costa ,&nbsp;Lucas Vinícius Costa Gomes ,&nbsp;Felix D. Guerrero","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102403","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102403","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The cattle tick, <em>Rhipicephalus microplus</em>, causes significant economic losses to the cattle industry. Tick control is predominately achieved via pesticide applications. However, alternative control methods such as vaccines are needed due to the tick's capacity to quickly develop pesticide resistance and to combat tick-borne diseases. We used an <em>in silico</em> reverse vaccinology approach to evaluate and rank open reading frames (ORFs) from the tick's transcriptome for their potential use as anti-<em>R. microplus</em> vaccine antigens. We manually annotated the 200 highest ranked antigens and selected 10 transcript ORFs as vaccine antigen candidates for expression in <em>Pichia pastoris</em> or insect cells. Six of the ten candidate antigens could be successfully expressed and purified <em>in vitro</em> as recombinant proteins with &gt; 1 mg quantity. RT-PCR confirmed the expression of all six transcripts in tick RNA. However, only three of the six transcripts' corresponding ORFs could be confirmed as present in tick tissue protein extracts. Only four of the six vaccine candidate antigens were successfully expressed and purified in sufficient quantity (&gt; 10 mg) for immunogenicity and efficacy trials in cattle. These four were designated BI-TS002, BI-TS004, BI-TS008, and BI-TS009 and sufficient annotation existed that showed sequence similarity to serine‑rich adhesin for platelets, glycine-rich cell wall structural membrane protein, SWM-1 tick serine protease inhibitor, and venom-like dermonecrotic toxins from ticks and spiders, respectively. Cattle immunized with BI-TS004, BI-TS008 and BI-TS009 yielded a statistically significant difference in antibody response post-immunization. This difference was noted on Days 42, 56, 70, and 84 post-immunization for BI-TS008 and BI-TS009, but only on Day 56 for BI-TS004. BI-TS008 and BI-TS009, were formulated with adjuvant and cattle stall tests conducted over a 175 day period to evaluate efficacy against <em>R. microplus</em> infestations. Both an adjuvant only negative control group and a positive control group using the commercially available GAVAC anti-tick vaccine were used. Efficacy was determined by comparing number of engorged adult female ticks, total egg mass weight, and egg hatchability produced from the immunized group to corresponding data from the adjuvant only negative control group. Thus, effects on engorged adult tick number, reproductive capacity, and fertility were measured. Both initial (designated Phase 1 and calculated from tick collections of Days 60–94 days post-first immunization) and long-term (designated Phase 2 and calculated from tick collections of Days 152–175 post-first immunization) efficacies were determined. The overall Phase 1 trial efficacies of BI-TS008, BI-TS009, and GAVAC were 68.3 %, 48.5 %, and 70.7 %, respectively. The overall Phase 2 trial efficacies of BI-TS008, BI-TS009, and GAVAC were 64.4 %, -30.1 %, and 45.1 %, respectively.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"15 6","pages":"Article 102403"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2024-10-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142478908","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Parthenogenetic Haemaphysalis longicornis acetylcholinesterases are triggered by the repellent effect of cinnamaldehyde, a primary compound found in cinnamon oil","authors":"Ceyan kuang,&nbsp;Jie Cao,&nbsp;Yongzhi Zhou,&nbsp;Houshuang Zhang,&nbsp;Yanan Wang,&nbsp;Jinlin Zhou","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102404","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102404","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The control and prevention of ticks and tick-borne diseases rely on chemical insecticides and repellents. Plant-derived compounds potentially represent new and safer repellents. Cinnamaldehyde, a component of cinnamon oil, exhibits antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, acaricidal, and repellent activity against ticks. Here we studied the molecular mechanism of the repellent effect of cinnamaldehyde on <em>Haemaphysalis longicornis</em>. A 2 % cinnamaldehyde treatment resulted in &gt;90 % nymph repellency within 6 h. Nymphs were exposed to cinnamaldehyde for 30 min, and subsequent transcriptome and metabolome analyses revealed the involvement of <em>H. longicornis</em> Acetylcholinesterases (HL-AchEs) in the response process. HL-AchEs was transcribed in all tick developmental stages and tissues. Following cinnamaldehyde treatment, the transcript and specific activity of the enzyme of AchE were significantly altered. Following RNAi, electroantennography (EAG) tests demonstrated a significant decrease in response to various repellents as well as a significant decrease in repellency. Our findings have revealed that HL-AchEs mediates cinnamaldehyde-induced tick repellency, and the results provide insights into the mechanism of plant-derived tick repellents.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"15 6","pages":"Article 102404"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2024-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142433515","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Short Communication: Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Babesia spp. in ixodid ticks infesting red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in Great Britain","authors":"Karen L Mansfield ,&nbsp;Estela González ,&nbsp;Stuart McKay ,&nbsp;Ternenge Apaa ,&nbsp;Alexander J Kent ,&nbsp;Paul Cropper ,&nbsp;Naomi Berry ,&nbsp;Luis M Hernández-Triana ,&nbsp;Nicholas Johnson","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102401","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102401","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Red foxes (<em>Vulpes vulpes</em>) are found throughout the United Kingdom (UK), and can reach high population densities in urban areas. They are often infested with ticks which may carry tick-borne pathogens, leading to a risk of transmission to domestic animals and humans. This study investigated the prevalence of tick-borne pathogens in ticks sourced from red fox carcasses across Great Britain between 2018 and 2022. Tick species were identified using morphological keys and molecular barcoding, followed by specific pathogen testing using PCR. In total, 227 ticks were collected from 93 foxes. Pooling (<em>n</em> = 2) was undertaken for unengorged nymphs from the same tick species and fox host, with 203 homogenates tested in total (24 pools and 179 individual ticks). <em>Ixodes hexagonus</em> was the most abundant tick species sampled (73 %), of which 59 % were nymphs and 41 % were females. Less common were <em>Ixodes ricinus</em> (12 %) and <em>Ixodes canisuga</em> (15 %), the majority of which were females (73 % and 91 %, respectively). One <em>Ixodes</em> sp. larva was identified. <em>Babesia</em> DNA was identified in seven individual ticks and once in pooled ticks (<em>n</em> = 2); seven detections were in <em>I. hexagonus</em> and one in <em>I. canisuga</em>, with an overall detection rate of 7 % (95 % CI: 6 − 8 %). Sequence analysis confirmed that all <em>Babesia</em> detections in <em>I. hexagonus</em> were <em>Babesia vulpes</em>, with detection of <em>Babesia</em> Badger Type A in <em>I. canisuga</em>. Screening for <em>Anaplasma phagocytophilum</em> DNA through amplification of the <em>msp2</em> gene yielded an overall detection rate of 4 % (detected in <em>I. hexagonus</em> only). Louping ill virus was not detected by qRT-PCR in any tick RNA tested. The majority of pathogen detections were in ticks from red foxes in rural areas of the UK, although a small number of <em>Babesia</em> detections were in ticks collected from semi-rural or urban red foxes. Additionally, <em>B. vulpes</em> was detected in GB red fox tissues, suggesting a potential role as a reservoir host. This study confirms the detection of tick-borne pathogens in ticks infesting UK red foxes and highlights the involvement of GB tick species in animal or human disease transmission.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"15 6","pages":"Article 102401"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2024-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142394668","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}