Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases最新文献

{"title":"Tick salivary protein Cystatin: structure, anti-inflammation and molecular mechanism","authors":"Xin Gao,&nbsp;Yuan Tian,&nbsp;Zi-ling Liu,&nbsp;Dan Li,&nbsp;Jia-jun Liu,&nbsp;Guang-xu Yu,&nbsp;De-yong Duan,&nbsp;Tao Peng,&nbsp;Tian-yin Cheng,&nbsp;Lei Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102289","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102289","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Ticks are blood-sucking ectoparasites that secrete immunomodulatory substances in saliva to hosts during engorging. Cystatins, a tick salivary protein and natural inhibitor of Cathepsins, are attracting growing interest globally because of the immunosuppressive activities and the feasibility as an antigen for developing anti-tick vaccines. This review outlines the classification and the structure of tick Cystatins, and focuses on the anti-inflammatory effects and molecular mechanisms. Tick Cystatins can be divided into four families based on structures and cystatin 1 and cystatin 2 are the most abundant. They are injected into hosts during blood feeding and effectively mitigate the host inflammatory response. Mechanically, tick Cystatins exert anti-inflammatory properties through the inhibition of TLR-NF-κb, JAK-STAT and p38 MAPK signaling pathways. Further investigations are crucial to confirm the reduction of inflammation in other cell types like neutrophils and mast cells, and fully elucidate the underlying mechanism (like the structural mechanism) to make Cystatin a potential candidate for the development of novel anti-inflammation agents.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"15 2","pages":"Article 102289"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2023-12-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877959X2300170X/pdfft?md5=2ee782c88cceacb30e3d760227e38db8&pid=1-s2.0-S1877959X2300170X-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138549500","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 Babesia species in questing Ixodes ricinus ticks in England and Wales","authors":"Sara Gandy ,&nbsp;Jolyon Medlock ,&nbsp;Benjamin Cull ,&nbsp;Rob Smith ,&nbsp;Zoë Gibney ,&nbsp;Sanam Sewgobind ,&nbsp;Insiyah Parekh ,&nbsp;Sophie Harding ,&nbsp;Nicholas Johnson ,&nbsp;Kayleigh Hansford","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102291","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102291","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Babesiosis, a disease in humans and animals is caused by piroplasms from the genus <em>Babesia</em> and is transmitted by ixodid ticks. Bovine babesiosis, commonly called redwater fever, is reported in cattle from many regions of the British Isles. The presence of <em>Babesia</em> in questing ticks in the United Kingdom (UK) and its potential impact on public and animal health has not been widely studied. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the presence of <em>Babesia</em> spp. in England and Wales using ticks collected over a six-year period. Questing <em>Ixodes ricinus</em> nymphs were collected at 20 recreational areas between 2014 and 2019 and screened for <em>Babesia</em>. Of 3912 nymphs tested, <em>Babesia</em> spp. were detected in 15, giving an overall prevalence of 0.38% [95%CI: 0.21–0.63%]. A number of <em>Babesia</em> species were identified including <em>B. venatorum</em> (<em>n</em> = 9), <em>B. divergens/capreoli</em> (<em>n</em> = 5) and <em>B. odocoilei</em>-like species (<em>n</em> = 1). Based on the low prevalence of <em>Babesia</em> detected in questing <em>I. ricinus</em> nymphs in the recreational areas studied, the likelihood of exposure to <em>Babesia</em>-infected ticks is lower compared to other pathogens more widely studied in the UK (e.g. <em>Borrelia burgdorferi</em> s.l.). However, localized areas of elevated risk may occur in pockets in England and Wales.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"15 1","pages":"Article 102291"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2023-12-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877959X23001723/pdfft?md5=0fe66e46622427b3ef6f057811dd83c5&pid=1-s2.0-S1877959X23001723-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138501552","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":"High-throughput screening of pathogens in Ixodes ricinus removed from hosts in Lombardy, northern Italy","authors":"Sophie Melis ,&nbsp;Gherard Batisti Biffignandi ,&nbsp;Emanuela Olivieri ,&nbsp;Clémence Galon ,&nbsp;Nadia Vicari ,&nbsp;Paola Prati ,&nbsp;Sara Moutailler ,&nbsp;Davide Sassera ,&nbsp;Michele Castelli","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102285","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102285","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Ticks are important vectors of many pathogens in Europe, where the most impactful species is <em>Ixodes ricinus</em>. Recently, the geographical distribution of this tick species has been expanding, resulting in an increased risk of human exposure to tick bites. With the present study, we aimed to screen 350 <em>I. ricinus</em> specimens collected from humans and wild animals (mainly ungulates), to have a broader understanding of the tick-borne pathogens circulating in the Lombardy region, in northern Italy. To do so, we took advantage of a high-throughput real-time microfluidic PCR approach to screen ticks in a cost-effective and time-saving manner. Molecular analysis of the dataset revealed the presence of four genera of bacteria and two genera of protozoa: in ungulates, 77 % of collected ticks carried <em>Anaplasma phagocytophilum</em>, while the most common pathogen species in ticks removed from humans were those belonging to <em>Borrelia burgdorferi</em> sensu lato group (7.6 %). We also detected other pathogenic microorganisms, such as <em>Rickettisa monacensis, Rickettsia helvetica, Neoehrlichia mikurensis, Babesia venatorum</em>, and <em>Hepatozoon martis</em>. Besides, we also reported the presence of the pathogenic agent <em>Borrelia miyamotoi</em> in the area (1.4 % overall). The most common dual co-infection detected in the same tick individual involved <em>A. phagocytophilum</em> and <em>Rickettsia</em> spp. Our study provided evidence of the circulation of different tick-borne pathogens in a densely populated region in Italy.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"15 1","pages":"Article 102285"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2023-11-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877959X23001668/pdfft?md5=b53a41ebcee780dd56fcd20c4cb7485e&pid=1-s2.0-S1877959X23001668-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138463946","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":"Molecular detection of Babesia vesperuginis in bats from Lithuania","authors":"Povilas Sakalauskas ,&nbsp;Evelina Kaminskienė ,&nbsp;Dovilė Bukauskaitė ,&nbsp;Vytautas Eigirdas ,&nbsp;Justina Snegiriovaitė ,&nbsp;Dalytė Mardosaitė-Busaitienė ,&nbsp;Algimantas Paulauskas","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102283","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102283","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p><em>Babesia vesperuginis</em> is an intraerythrocytic protozoan parasite that circulates among bats and ticks in many countries worldwide. However, the distribution of <em>B. vesperuginis</em> in the Baltic region has not been studied. A total of 86 dead bats from eight different species were collected and screened for <em>Babesia</em> spp. using real-time PCR. Overall, 52.3% (45/86) of the bats were found positive for <em>Babesia</em> spp. The prevalence of <em>Babesia</em> spp. in different organs varied, with the highest prevalence observed in heart tissues (37.0%) and the lowest in liver tissues (22.2%). However, the observed differences in prevalence among organs were not statistically significant. Blood samples from 125 bats of nine different species were also analyzed for <em>Babesia</em> spp. prevalence using real-time PCR and nested PCR. The results showed a prevalence of 35.2% and 22.4%, respectively. Moreover, 28.3% (17/60) of the examined blood samples were confirmed positive for <em>Babesia</em> spp. through blood smear analysis. The total of 32 partial sequences of the 18S rRNA gene derived in this study were 100% identical to <em>B. vesperuginis</em> sequences from GenBank. In eight species of bats, <em>Pipistrellus nathusii, Pipistrellus pipistrellus, Pipistrellus pygmaeus, Vespertilio murinus, Eptesicus nilssonii, Eptesicus serotinus, Myotis daubentonii</em> and <em>Nyctalus noctula, Babesia</em> parasites were identified. In <em>E. nilssonii, Babesia</em> spp. was identified for the first time.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"15 1","pages":"Article 102283"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2023-11-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877959X23001644/pdfft?md5=725ac442a54f4e4593358c87194c2123&pid=1-s2.0-S1877959X23001644-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138453988","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":"Evaluation of the association between climate warming and the spread and proliferation of Ixodes scapularis in northern states in the Eastern United States","authors":"Rebecca J. Eisen,&nbsp;Lars Eisen","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102286","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102286","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p><em>Ixodes scapularis</em> (the blacklegged tick) is widely distributed in forested areas across the eastern United States. The public health impact of <em>I. scapularis</em> is greatest in the north, where nymphal stage ticks commonly bite humans and serve as primary vectors for multiple human pathogens. There were dramatic increases in the tick's distribution and abundance over the last half-century in the northern part of the eastern US, and climate warming is commonly mentioned as a primary driver for these changes. In this review, we summarize the evidence for the observed spread and proliferation of <em>I. scapularis</em> being driven by climate warming. Although laboratory and small-scale field studies have provided insights into how temperature and humidity impact survival and reproduction of <em>I. scapularis</em>, using these associations to predict broad-scale distribution and abundance patterns is more challenging. Numerous efforts have been undertaken to model the distribution and abundance of <em>I. scapularis</em> at state, regional, and global scales based on climate and landscape variables, but outcomes have been ambiguous. Across the models, the functional relationships between seasonal or annual measures of heat, cold, precipitation, or humidity and tick presence or abundance were inconsistent. The contribution of climate relative to landscape variables was poorly defined. Over the last half-century, climate warming occurred in parallel with spread and population increase of the white-tailed deer, the most important reproductive host for <em>I. scapularis</em> adults, in the northern part of the eastern US. There is strong evidence for white-tailed deer playing a key role to facilitate spread and proliferation of <em>I. scapularis</em> in the US over the last century. However, due to a lack of spatially and temporally congruent data, climate, landscape, and host variables are rarely included in the same models, thus limiting the ability to evaluate their relative contributions or interactions in defining the geographic range and abundance patterns of ticks. We conclude that the role of climate change as a key driver for geographic expansion and population increase of <em>I. scapularis</em> in the northern part of the eastern US over the last half-century remains uncertain.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"15 1","pages":"Article 102286"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2023-11-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877959X2300167X/pdfft?md5=6b02b99b1dedd7b6d0a5e00e97110cee&pid=1-s2.0-S1877959X2300167X-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138452934","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":"First molecular detection of a novel Babesia species from Haemaphysalis hystricis in Taiwan","authors":"Pai-Shan Chiang,&nbsp;Yi-Wen Lai,&nbsp;Han-Hsuan Chung,&nbsp;Yung-Ting Chia,&nbsp;Chien-Cheng Wang,&nbsp;Hwa-Jen Teng,&nbsp;Shiu-Ling Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102284","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102284","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Newly recorded ticks and emerging tick-borne pathogens have recently been reported in subtropical and tropical East Asia. In this study, a total of 1,615 ticks (259 <em>Haemaphysalis hystricis</em>, 1334 <em>Rhipicephalus microplus</em>, 19 <em>H. flava</em>, and 3 <em>R. haemaphysaloides</em>) were collected by flagging from vegetation in Taiwan during 2019–2021. All 1,615 captured tick samples tested negative for SFTSV and <em>Borrelia</em>, but 12 of 356 tick samples tested positive for PCR amplification of a fragment of the 18S rRNA gene of <em>Babesia</em> spp., with an infection rate of 3.37 % (12/356) and a minimum infection rate of 0.74 % (12/1,615). Among the 12 detected <em>Babesia</em> spp., 11 were identified as <em>Babesia bigemina</em> in <em>R. microplus</em>, and the other one, detected in <em>H. hystricis</em>, was classified as an unnamed novel <em>Babesia</em> sp. Interestingly, the 18S rRNA sequence from the isolate detected in <em>H. hystricis</em> shared 98.79 % to 99.50 % identity with those of recent isolates from Japan, China and Nigeria. The exact origin of the <em>Babesia</em> species is not known, but the findings highlight the importance of international cooperation and the exchange of information on ticks and tick-borne pathogens. This represents a rare report of a <em>Babesia</em> sp. identified in <em>H. hystricis</em>, a tick species that has been proposed as a novel vector for some <em>Babesia</em> spp. This study supports <em>H. hystricis</em> as a possible vector of <em>Babesia</em> spp.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"15 1","pages":"Article 102284"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2023-11-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877959X23001656/pdfft?md5=be329c489f2313612e305fb2af2856bb&pid=1-s2.0-S1877959X23001656-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138452935","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":"Structural studies of chromosomally encoded outer surface lipoprotein BB0158 from Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto","authors":"Kalvis Brangulis,&nbsp;Inara Akopjana,&nbsp;Janis Bogans,&nbsp;Andris Kazaks,&nbsp;Kaspars Tars","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102287","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102287","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Lyme disease, or also known as Lyme borreliosis, is caused by the spirochetes belonging to the <em>Borrelia burgdorferi</em> sensu lato complex, which can enter the human body following the bite of an infected tick. Many membrane lipid-bound proteins, also known as lipoproteins, are located on the surface of <em>B. burgdorferi</em> sensu lato and play a crucial role in the spirochete to interact with its environment, whether in ticks or mammals. Since the spirochete needs to perform various tasks, such as resisting the host's immune system or spreading throughout the organism, it is not surprising that numerous surface proteins have been found to be essential for <em>B. burgdorferi</em> sensu lato complex bacteria in causing Lyme disease. In this study, we have determined (at 2.4 Å resolution) and characterized the 3D structure of BB0158, one of the few chromosomally encoded outer surface proteins from <em>B. burgdorferi</em> sensu stricto. BB0158 belongs to the paralogous gene family 44 (PFam44), consisting of four other members (BB0159, BBA04, BBE09 and BBK52). The characterization of BB0158, which appears to form a domain-swapped dimer, in conjunction with the characterization of the corresponding PFam44 members, certainly contribute to our understanding of <em>B. burgdorferi</em> sensu stricto proteins.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"15 1","pages":"Article 102287"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2023-11-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877959X23001681/pdfft?md5=8e4dbe1c28ba4d542f85d94324927315&pid=1-s2.0-S1877959X23001681-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138439742","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":"First record of Ixodes (Scaphixodes) caledonicus in the Carpathian Basin and first time molecular-phylogenetic analysis of this tick species with updated host records and geographical range","authors":"Sándor Hornok ,&nbsp;Jenő Kontschán ,&nbsp;Nóra Takács ,&nbsp;Péter L. Pap ,&nbsp;Attila D. Sándor","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102280","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102280","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Four <em>Ixodes</em> species represent the subgenus <em>Scaphixodes</em> Schulze, 1941 in Europe, but none of them were reported to be compared in a molecular-phylogenetic context. This study compensates for this lack of data. A tick larva, morphologically identified as <em>Ixodes</em> (<em>Scaphixodes</em>) <em>caledonicus</em> Nuttall, 1910, was collected from an Alpine swift (<em>Tachymarptis melba</em>) during its nesting period in Transylvania, Romania. Following DNA extraction, PCR analyses and sequencing in part with newly designed primers, three genetic markers of this specimen were amplified and compared to GenBank data, and two were analyzed phylogenetically. Based on sequence comparisons of its mitochondrial cytochrome <em>c</em> oxidase subunit I (<em>cox</em>1) and nuclear 28S rRNA genes <em>I. caledonicus</em> appeared to be closely related to members of the subgenus <em>Pholeoixodes</em>. However, the topology of the concatenated <em>cox</em>1 and 16S rRNA gene phylogenetic tree clearly showed its clustering with <em>Ixodes</em> (<em>Scaphixodes</em>) <em>philipi</em>. In conclusion, <em>I. caledonicus</em> is part of the tick fauna of Romania and is expected to occur also in other countries of the Carpathian Basin where rocky cliffs are available for nesting of swifts and other birds. This is the first species of the subgenus <em>Scaphixodes</em> in Europe, for which the traditional (morphology-based) taxonomic assignment is confirmed by molecular-phylogenetic analyses.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"15 1","pages":"Article 102280"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2023-11-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877959X23001619/pdfft?md5=16d822e2bc7f48cd561f65835bd5aa21&pid=1-s2.0-S1877959X23001619-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138328442","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":"Mapping the risk of exposure to Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus in the Iberian Peninsula using Eurasian wild boar (Sus scrofa) as a model","authors":"Sara Baz-Flores ,&nbsp;Cesar Herraiz ,&nbsp;Alfonso Peralbo-Moreno ,&nbsp;Marta Barral ,&nbsp;Mari Cruz Arnal ,&nbsp;Ana Balseiro ,&nbsp;David Cano-Terriza ,&nbsp;Sabrina Castro-Scholten ,&nbsp;Aitor Cevidanes ,&nbsp;Alazne Conde-Lizarralde ,&nbsp;Raúl Cuadrado-Matías ,&nbsp;Fernando Escribano ,&nbsp;Daniel Fernández de Luco ,&nbsp;Luis Eusebio Fidalgo ,&nbsp;Javier Hermoso-de Mendoza ,&nbsp;Paulino Fandos ,&nbsp;Félix Gómez-Guillamón ,&nbsp;José E. Granados ,&nbsp;Débora Jiménez-Martín ,&nbsp;Jorge R. López-Olvera ,&nbsp;Francisco Ruiz-Fons","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102281","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102281","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) virus (CCHFV) is a tick-borne zoonotic pathogen that can cause a lethal haemorrhagic disease in humans. Although the virus appears to be endemically established in the Iberian Peninsula, CCHF is an emerging disease in Spain. Clinical signs of CCHFV infection are mainly manifested in humans, but the virus replicates in several animal species. Understanding the determinants of CCHFV exposure risk from animal models is essential to predicting high-risk exposure hotspots for public health action. With this objective in mind, we designed a cross-sectional study of Eurasian wild boar (<em>Sus scrofa</em>) in Spain and Portugal. The study analysed 5,291 sera collected between 2006 and 2022 from 90 wild boar populations with a specific double-antigen ELISA to estimate CCHFV serum prevalence and identify the main determinants of exposure probability. To do so, we statistically modelled exposure risk with host- and environment-related predictors and spatially projected it at a 10 × 10 km square resolution at the scale of the Iberian Peninsula to map foci of infection risk. Fifty-seven (63.3 %) of the 90 populations had at least one seropositive animal, with seroprevalence ranging from 0.0 to 88.2 %. Anti-CCHFV antibodies were found in 1,026 of 5,291 wild boar (19.4 %; 95 % confidence interval: 18.3–20.5 %), with highest exposure rates in southwestern Iberia. The most relevant predictors of virus exposure risk were wild boar abundance, local rainfall regime, shrub cover, winter air temperature and soil temperature variation. The spatial projection of the best-fit model identified high-risk foci as occurring in most of western and southwestern Iberia and identified recently confirmed risk foci in eastern Spain. The results of the study demonstrate that serological surveys of CCHFV vector hosts are a powerful, robust and highly informative tool for public health authorities to take action to prevent human cases of CCHF in enzootic and emergency settings.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"15 1","pages":"Article 102281"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2023-11-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877959X23001620/pdfft?md5=27d1020a0565185a69f35d6fabd2d0cb&pid=1-s2.0-S1877959X23001620-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138300502","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":"Molecular and serological detection of Anaplasma spp. in small ruminants in an area of Cerrado Biome in northeastern Brazil","authors":"Ellainy Maria Conceição Silva ,&nbsp;Ingrid Carolinne Lopes Marques ,&nbsp;Victória Valente Califre de Mello ,&nbsp;Renan Bressianini do Amaral ,&nbsp;Luiz Ricardo Gonçalves ,&nbsp;Maria do Socorro Costa Oliveira Braga ,&nbsp;Larissa Sarmento dos Santos Ribeiro ,&nbsp;Rosangela Zacarias Machado ,&nbsp;Marcos Rogério André ,&nbsp;Alcina Vieira de Carvalho Neta","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102254","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102254","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Anaplasmosis, caused by bacteria of the genus <em>Anaplasma</em>, is an important tick-borne disease that causes economic losses to livestock farms in many countries. Even though <em>Anaplasma</em> spp. have been detected in goats and sheep worldwide, few studies investigate the occurrence and genetic identity of these agents in small ruminants from Brazil. Thus, this work aimed to detect and determine the genetic identity of <em>Anaplasma</em> spp. in small ruminants from the Baixo Parnaíba region, state of Maranhão, northeastern Brazil. For this purpose, blood samples were collected from 161 animals (91 goats; 70 sheep) from 4 municipalities in the Baixo Parnaíba region. Sheep and goat serum samples were subjected to recombinant membrane surface protein (MSP5)-based iELISA. Whole blood samples were subject to DNA extraction and molecular diagnosis using PCR assays for <em>Anaplasma</em> spp. targeting <em>msp1β, msp1α,</em> 16S rRNA and <em>msp4</em> genes. Positive samples were sequenced and then subjected to <em>Anaplasma marginale msp1α</em> genetic diversity analysis and phylogenetic inferences based on the 16S rRNA and <em>msp4</em> genes. The serological survey detected the presence of anti-<em>A. marginale</em> IgG antibodies in 18 animals (11.1%): 2.9% (2/70) sheep and 17.4% (16/91) goats. <em>Anaplasma marginale</em> DNA was detected in 2 goats (1.2%) using qPCR based on the <em>msp1β</em> gene. Two distinct <em>A. marginale msp1α</em> strains, namely α β and α β ΓγΓγΓγΓγ were found in the infected goats, each one found in a different animal, both belonging to the H genotype. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene showed the sequences positioned in three different clades and grouped with sequences from ‘<em>Candidatus</em> Anaplasma boleense’, <em>A. platys</em> and <em>A. marginale</em>. Phylogenetic inferences based on the <em>msp4</em> gene positioned the sequence variants in the <em>A. marginale</em> clade. The present work represents the first molecular detection of sequence variants phylogenetic associated to ‘<em>Candidatus</em> Anaplasma boleense’ and <em>A. platys</em> and α β and α β ΓγΓγΓγΓγ in goats from Brazil.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"15 1","pages":"Article 102254"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2023-11-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877959X23001358/pdfft?md5=6833c977bc38f0fc89b732e8f5172ec1&pid=1-s2.0-S1877959X23001358-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138292223","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}