Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases最新文献

{"title":"A longitudinal transcriptomic analysis of Rhipicephalus microplus midgut upon feeding","authors":"Stephen Lu ,&nbsp;Jéssica Waldman ,&nbsp;Luís Fernando Parizi ,&nbsp;Itabajara da Silva Vaz Junior ,&nbsp;Lucas Tirloni","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102304","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102304","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p><em>Rhipicephalus microplus</em>, a highly host-specific tick that primarily feeds on cattle, posing a significant threat to livestock production. The investigation of tick physiology is crucial for identifying potential targets in tick control. Of particular interest adult female ticks undergo a significant expansion of the midgut during feeding, leading to an over 100-fold increase in body weight. Beyond the functions of storing and digesting blood meals, the tick midgut plays a crucial role in acquiring and transmitting pathogens. However, our understanding of tick midgut physiology remains limited. In this study we conducted a comprehensive longitudinal transcriptome analysis of the midgut from adult female <em>R. microplus</em> ticks collected at various feeding stages, providing an overview of the transcriptional modulation in this organ as feeding progress. By employing a <em>de novo</em> assembly approach followed by coding-sequences (CDS) extraction, 60,599 potential CDS were identified. In preparation for functional annotation and differential expression analysis, transcripts that showed an average transcript per million (TPM) ≥ 3 in at least one of the biological conditions were extracted. This selection process resulted in a total of 10,994 CDS, which were categorized into 24 functional classes. Notably, our differential expression analysis revealed three main transcriptional profiles. In the first one, representing the slow-feeding stage, the most abundant functional classes were the “protein synthesis” and “secreted” groups, reflecting the highly active state of the tick midgut. The second profile partially accounts for the rapid-feeding stage, in which a high number of differentially expressed transcripts was observed. Lastly, the third transcriptional profile represents post-detached ticks. Notably the highest number of modulated transcripts was observed up to 48 h post-detachment (hpd), however no major differences was observed up to 168 hpd. Overall, the data presented here offers a temporal insight into tick midgut physiology, contributing to the identification of potential targets for the development of anti-tick control strategies.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"15 2","pages":"Article 102304"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2023-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877959X23001851/pdfft?md5=c4e800c095762945801f2814962e1b00&pid=1-s2.0-S1877959X23001851-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139063719","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":"Nanopore-based metagenomics reveal a new Rickettsia in Europe","authors":"Suppaluck Polsomboon Nelson ,&nbsp;Koray Ergunay ,&nbsp;Brian P. Bourke ,&nbsp;Drew D. Reinbold-Wasson ,&nbsp;Laura Caicedo-Quiroga ,&nbsp;Giorgi Kirkitadze ,&nbsp;Tamar Chunashvili ,&nbsp;Cynthia L. Tucker ,&nbsp;Yvonne-Marie Linton","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102305","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102305","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Accurate identification of tick-borne bacteria, including those associated with rickettsioses, pose significant challenges due to the polymicrobial and polyvectoral nature of the infections. We aimed to carry out a comparative evaluation of a non-targeted metagenomic approach by nanopore sequencing (NS) and commonly used PCR assays amplifying <em>Rickettsia</em> genes in field-collected ticks. The study included a total of 310 ticks, originating from Poland (44.2 %) and Bulgaria (55.8 %). Samples comprised 7 species, the majority of which were <em>Ixodes ricinus</em> (62.9 %), followed by <em>Dermacentor reticulatus</em> (21.2 %). Screening was carried out in 55 pools, using total nucleic acid extractions from individual ticks. NS and <em>ompA/gltA</em> PCRs identified <em>Rickettsia</em> species in 47.3 % and 54.5 % of the pools, respectively. The most frequently detected species were <em>Rickettsia asiatica</em> (27.2 %) and <em>Rickettsia raoultii</em> (21.8 %), followed by <em>Rickettsia monacensis</em> (3.6 %), <em>Rickettsia helvetica</em> (1.8 %), <em>Rickettsia massiliae</em> (1.8 %) and <em>Rickettsia tillamookensis</em> (1.8 %). Phylogeny construction on <em>mutS, uvrD, argS</em> and <em>virB4</em> sequences and a follow-up deep sequencing further supported <em>R. asiatica</em> identification, documented in Europe for the first time. NS further enabled detection of <em>Anaplasma phagocytophilum</em> (9.1 %), <em>Coxiella burnetii</em> (5.4 %) and <em>Neoehrlichia mikurensis</em> (1.8 %), as well as various endosymbionts of <em>Rickettsia</em> and <em>Coxiella.</em> Co-detection of multiple rickettsial and non-rickettsial bacteria were observed in 16.4 % of the pools with chromosome and plasmid-based contigs. In conclusion, non-targeted metagenomic sequencing was documented as a robust strategy capable of providing a broader view of the tick-borne bacterial pathogen spectrum.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"15 2","pages":"Article 102305"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2023-12-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877959X23001863/pdfft?md5=91014d52416d8fecac67df231971c12d&pid=1-s2.0-S1877959X23001863-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139049638","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":"Tick-borne encephalitis as a trigger for anti-N-Methyl-d-aspartate receptor encephalitis","authors":"Thomas Agerbo Gaist ,&nbsp;Anna Christine Nilsson ,&nbsp;Mette Scheller Nissen ,&nbsp;Matias Adonis Jul Ryding ,&nbsp;Stig Lønberg Nielsen ,&nbsp;Morten Blaabjerg","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102292","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102292","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Tick Borne Encephalitis (TBE) is endemic to an increasing number of countries and is a common cause of meningoencephalitis in Europe and Asia making any potential complications of the disease increasingly relevant to clinicians.</p><p>We present, what is to our knowledge, the second reported case of <em>N</em>-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis following Tick Borne Encephalitis (TBE) in a 47-year-old Lithuanian man. The case provides further evidence of TBE being a possible trigger of NMDAR encephalitis and highlights the importance of being aware of symptoms of autoimmune encephalitis in patients with infectious encephalitis.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"15 2","pages":"Article 102292"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2023-12-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877959X23001735/pdfft?md5=f6ff5f5f8da275287ad3da33f1627291&pid=1-s2.0-S1877959X23001735-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138821920","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":"Cytoarchitecture of ex vivo midgut cultures of unfed Ixodes scapularis infected with a tick-borne flavivirus","authors":"Missiani Ochwoto ,&nbsp;Danielle K. Offerdahl ,&nbsp;Jacqueline M. Leung ,&nbsp;Cindi L. Schwartz ,&nbsp;Dan Long ,&nbsp;Rebecca Rosenke ,&nbsp;Philip E. Stewart ,&nbsp;Greg A. Saturday ,&nbsp;Marshall E. Bloom","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102301","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102301","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>A bite from an infected tick is the primary means of transmission for tick-borne flaviviruses (TBFV). Ticks ingest the virus while feeding on infected blood. The traditional view is that the virus first replicates in and transits the tick midgut prior to dissemination to other organs, including salivary glands. Thus, understanding TBFV infection in the tick midgut is a key first step in identifying potential countermeasures against infection. <em>Ex vivo</em> midgut cultures prepared from unfed adult female <em>Ixodes scapularis</em> ticks were viable and remained morphologically intact for more than 8 days. The midgut consisted of two clearly defined cell layers separated by a basement membrane: an exterior network of smooth muscle cells and an internal epithelium composed of digestive generative cells. The smooth muscle cells were arranged in a stellate circumferential pattern spaced at regular intervals along the long axis of midgut diverticula. When the cultures were infected with the TBFV Langat virus (LGTV), virus production increased by two logs with a peak at 96 hours post-infection. Infected cells were readily identified by immunofluorescence staining for the viral envelope protein, nonstructural protein 3 (NS3) and dsRNA. Microscopy of the stained cultures suggested that generative cells were the primary target for virus infection in the midgut. Infected cells exhibited an expansion of membranes derived from the endoplasmic reticulum; a finding consistent with TBFV infected cell cultures. Electron microscopy of infected cultures revealed virus particles in the basolateral region between epithelial cells. These results demonstrated LGTV replication in midgut generative cells of artificially infected, <em>ex vivo</em> cultures of unfed adult female <em>I. scapularis</em> ticks.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"15 2","pages":"Article 102301"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2023-12-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877959X23001826/pdfft?md5=43c699007ed98818b4ab60886c5e416a&pid=1-s2.0-S1877959X23001826-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138886333","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 Borrelia sp. in Ornithodoros cavernicolous (Acari: Argasidae) in midwestern Brazil","authors":"Mayara Garcia Polli ,&nbsp;Maria Marlene Martins ,&nbsp;Vinicius da Silva Rodrigues ,&nbsp;Lais Miguel Rezende ,&nbsp;Adriane Suzin ,&nbsp;Rodrigo da Costa Maia ,&nbsp;Ana Carolina Prado Souza ,&nbsp;Sebastián Muñoz-Leal ,&nbsp;Matias Pablo Juan Szabó ,&nbsp;Jonny Yokosawa","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102303","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102303","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Ticks are obligate hematophagous parasites that can transmit to vertebrate hosts several pathogens, including viruses, bacteria, protozoa and helminths. Among these agents, some <em>Borrelia</em> species some Borrelia species cause disease in humans and other vertebrate hosts; therefore, they have medical and veterinary health importance. To gather additional information on <em>Borrelia</em> species in Brazil, the current study aimed to detect the presence of these species in <em>Ornithodoros cavernicolous</em> ticks collected in September 2019 from cement pipes that are used by bats as shelter in a farm located in the midwestern region of Brazil. DNA samples obtained from 18 specimens of <em>O. cavernicolous</em> were subjected of two polymerase chain reactions, targeting a segment of the <em>Borrelia fla</em> B gene. Of the samples tested, only one (6 %, 1/18) showed amplification. The nucleotide sequence of the amplified DNA showed more than 97 % (293/300) identity with a sequence of a <em>Borrelia</em> sp. detected in blood collected from a bat from Macaregua Cave, Colombia, and more than 97 % (292/300) detected in lungs from vampire bats from northeastern Brazil. The deduced amino acid sequences were identical to each other. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that these sequences formed a group of <em>Borrelia</em> species (putatively associated with bats) that is closely related to sequences of <em>Borrelia</em> species of the Lyme borreliosis group. Further investigations should be carried out in order to determine whether the sequence of the <em>Borrelia</em> sp. we found belongs to a new taxon. It will also be of great importance to determine which vertebrate hosts, besides bats, <em>O. cavernicolous</em> ticks can parasitize in order to investigate whether the <em>Borrelia</em> sp. we found may be transmitted and cause disease to the other vertebrate hosts.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"15 2","pages":"Article 102303"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2023-12-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877959X2300184X/pdfft?md5=8a70682020c858d86934f62edc398793&pid=1-s2.0-S1877959X2300184X-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138739051","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":"Paretic complications of tick-borne encephalitis and Lyme neuroborreliosis in the Czech Republic: Characteristics and clinical outcome","authors":"Dita Smíšková ,&nbsp;Dušan Pícha ,&nbsp;Martin Slížek ,&nbsp;Olga Džupová","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102302","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102302","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) and Lyme neuroborreliosis (LNB), the most common tick-borne diseases of the central nervous system in Central Europe, are frequently associated with pareses. The aim of this study was to characterise paretic complications in patients with TBE and LNB, including their severity, persistence and impact on the patients' quality of life. Our retrospective observational study included patients with aseptic CNS infection due to TBE virus or <em>Borrelia burgdorferi</em> sensu lato. Paretic complications were evaluated in the acute phase and the patients were followed up until complete regression or long-term stabilisation of any neurological deficit. The severity of the neurological deficit was graded according to the modified Rankin Scale (mRS).</p><p>A total of 823 patients (582 with TBE, 241 with LNB) was included. Paretic complications were diagnosed in 63 TBE patients (10.8 %) and in 147 LNB patients (61.0 %). In TBE, the most common neurological deficit was brachial plexus paresis in 21 patients (33 %) and bulbar symptoms in 18 patients (29 %). In LNB patients, facial nerve palsy was the most frequent neurological deficit (117patients; 79.6 %), followed by lower limb paresis in 23 patients (15.6 %). Forty-nine TBE patients and 134 LNB paretic patients completed follow-up. Paresis resolved within 3 weeks in 16 TBE patients (33 %) and 53 LNB patients (39.5 %), but the proportion of patients with paresis persisting for more than 12 months was significantly higher in TBE (34.7 vs. 3.7 %, <em>p</em> &lt; 0.001). The mean mRS was significantly higher in TBE paretic patients compared to LNB (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.001).</p><p>Paretic complications are significantly more common in LNB than in TBE but pareses associated with TBE last longer than in LNB and considerably reduce the quality of life of patients. Prevention remains the only way to influence the long-term motor deficits of TBE.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"15 2","pages":"Article 102302"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2023-12-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877959X23001838/pdfft?md5=f5ddf75156b2fb95a282d5eb4c416d13&pid=1-s2.0-S1877959X23001838-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138657001","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":"New tick records with notes on rickettsial infection from the wildlife of the state of Espírito Santo, southeastern Brazil","authors":"Igor da Cunha Lima Acosta ,&nbsp;Isaias Roveri Garcia ,&nbsp;Hermes Ribeiro Luz ,&nbsp;Maria Carolina de Azevedo Serpa ,&nbsp;Thiago Fernandes Martins ,&nbsp;Ralph Eric Thijl Vanstreels ,&nbsp;Marcelo B. Labruna","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102294","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102294","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This work aimed to report ticks infesting the wildlife among 15 municipalities of the state of Espírito Santo between 2016 and 2021, within the Atlantic Forest biome of southeastern Brazil. A total of 576 tick specimens (187 males, 56 females, 149 nymphs, and 184 larvae) was collected from 41 species of wild vertebrates (two reptiles, nine mammals, and 30 birds). Ticks were identified by morphological or molecular methods into 18 species, being 12, four, one and one of the genera <em>Amblyomma, Ixodes, Rhipicephalus</em> and <em>Ornithodoros</em>, respectively<em>. Amblyomma rotundatum</em> was the only species collected from reptiles. Ticks collected from mammals were identified as <em>Amblyomma brasiliense, Amblyomma calcaratum, Amblyomma dubitatum, Amblyomma longirostre, Amblyomma nodosum, Amblyomma pacae, Amblyomma sculptum, Amblyomma varium</em> and <em>Rhipicephalus microplus. Amblyomma sculptum</em> was the species found on the widest variety of hosts, collected from four mammal orders and five bird orders. Passeriformes birds were infested by <em>Amblyomma fuscum, A. longirostre</em> (also found on non- passerine birds)<em>, A. nodosum, Amblyomma parkeri, Amblyomma romarioi, A. varium</em> and <em>Ixodes loricatus.</em> An adult female of <em>Ixodes rio</em> was collected from a Piciformes bird. Seabirds of the order Procellariiformes were infested by <em>Ixodes percavatus</em> sensu lato and <em>Ixodes uriae.</em> The argasid <em>Ornithodoros capensis</em> was collected from an offshore metallic platform that was used by Suliformes seabirds. Rickettsial agents of the spotted fever group, <em>Rickettsia amblyommatis</em> and <em>Rickettsia</em> sp. strain Pampulha, were detected in the ticks <em>A. longirostre</em> [from the Paraguayan hairy dwarf porcupine (<em>Coendou spinosu</em>s)] and <em>A. dubitatum</em> [from the capybara (<em>Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris</em>)], respectively<em>.</em> The following nine tick species are reported for the first time in Espírito Santo state: <em>A. calcaratum, A. fuscum, A. pacae, A. parkeri, A. romarioi, I. loricatus, I. rio, I. uriae</em>, and <em>O. capensis</em>. Although it is also the first report of <em>I. uriae</em> in Brazil, we do not consider it established in the country. Multiple new tick-host associations are reported in the present study.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"15 2","pages":"Article 102294"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2023-12-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877959X23001759/pdfft?md5=cd60532914a26f895a18be7b569d7616&pid=1-s2.0-S1877959X23001759-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138577771","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 screening for tick-borne pathogens in Chinese Milu deer (Elaphurus davidianus)","authors":"Ya-Qian Chen ,&nbsp;Qing-Xun Zhang ,&nbsp;Zhi-Bin Cheng ,&nbsp;Yun-Fang Shan ,&nbsp;Tian-Chun Pu ,&nbsp;Tian Liu ,&nbsp;Qing-Yun Guo ,&nbsp;Pan Zhang ,&nbsp;Xing-Long Song ,&nbsp;Cong-Shan Yang ,&nbsp;Zhen-Yu Zhong ,&nbsp;Jia-De Bai","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102293","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102293","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Ticks are primary vectors for many tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) and pose a serious threat to veterinary and public health. Information on the presence of TBPs in Chinese Milu deer (<em>Elaphurus davidianus</em>) is limited. In this study, a total of 102 Chinese Milu deer blood samples were examined for <em>Anaplasma</em> spp., <em>Theileria</em> spp., <em>Babesia</em> spp., <em>Rickettsia</em> spp., and <em>Borrelia</em> spp., and three TBPs were identified: <em>Anaplasma phagocytophilum</em> (48; 47.1 %), <em>Candidatus</em> Anaplasma boleense (47; 46.1%), and <em>Theileria capreoli</em> (8; 7.8 %). Genetic and phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA and 18S rRNA confirmed their identity with corresponding TBPs. To our knowledge, this is the first report on <em>Candidatus</em> A. boleense and <em>T. capreoli</em> detection in Chinese Milu deer. A high prevalence of <em>A. phagocytophilum</em> with veterinary and medical significance was identified in endangered Chinese Milu deer, which could act as potential zoonotic reservoirs. The identification of the TBPs in Chinese Milu deer provides useful information for the prevention and control of tick-borne diseases.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"15 2","pages":"Article 102293"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2023-12-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877959X23001747/pdfft?md5=21a70800d74ecf46bd3265a3fe2ff1cd&pid=1-s2.0-S1877959X23001747-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138567336","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":"Human spotted fever group Rickettsia seroprevalence and associated epidemiologic factors among diverse, marginalized populations in South Carolina","authors":"Lídia Gual-Gonzalez ,&nbsp;Stella C.W. Self ,&nbsp;Madeleine Meyer ,&nbsp;Omar Cantillo-Barraza ,&nbsp;Myriam E. Torres ,&nbsp;Melissa S. Nolan","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102288","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102288","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Illness caused by spotted fever group <em>Rickettsia</em> (SFGR) is increasing nationally, with affluent, white residents most likely to be diagnosed. The common under-representativeness of marginalized populations in research studies and these vulnerable populations’ health inequities make veritable epidemiologic risk factor profiling challenging, which inhibits equitable public health intervention. The current study leveraged 749 banked sera and associated surveys from a cross-sectional minority-represented COVID-19 study to perform an SFGR seroprevalence investigation. SFGR titers (1:64, 1:128, 1:256, 1:512, and 1:1024) were measured using commercially available indirect fluorescent antibody slides—SFGR positive cases were defined as titers ≥1:128. Multivariable logistic regression and Getis-Ord-Gi* hotspot analyses were used to identify seropositivity-associated factors and determine seropositive clusters. Among a mostly minority and lower socioeconomic population, a 3.4 % SFGR seropositivity was noted at the ≥1:128 titer level. Male gender (Odds Ratio (OR): 3.20; adjusted Odds Ratio (aOR)s: 3.73), age (aOR: 1.05), any frequency of tick bite (OR: 2.29), and spending time working outdoors (OR: 5.05) were associated with SFGR IgG seropositivity. Moreover, the geospatial analysis showed clusters of seropositivity in areas where previous case reports occurred, suggesting potential endemic foci.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"15 2","pages":"Article 102288"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2023-12-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877959X23001693/pdfft?md5=603c77d01eee355e61be9b40e1809c27&pid=1-s2.0-S1877959X23001693-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138558030","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":"Investigation of tick-borne bacterial microorganisms in Haemaphysalis ticks from Hebei, Shandong, and Qinghai provinces, China","authors":"Bing Zhang ,&nbsp;Xiao Wang ,&nbsp;Rewuzi Aguli·Nurland ,&nbsp;Miao Lu ,&nbsp;Yaqun Guan ,&nbsp;Mengyun Liu ,&nbsp;Fan Gao ,&nbsp;Kun Li","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102290","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102290","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Tick-borne microorganisms in many tick species and many areas of China are still not thoroughly investigated. In this study, 224 ticks including two species (<em>Haemaphysalis longicornis</em> and <em>Haemaphysalis qinghaiensis</em>) were collected from four cities in Hebei, Shandong, and Qinghai provinces, China. Ticks were screened for the presence of tick-borne bacterial microorganisms including <em>Rickettsia</em>, Anaplasmataceae (<em>Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, Neoehrlichia</em>, etc.), <em>Coxiella, Borrelia</em>, and <em>Bartonella</em>. Two <em>Anaplasma</em> species (<em>Anaplasma ovis</em> and <em>Anaplasma capra</em>) were detected in <em>H. longicornis</em> from Xingtai City of Hebei Province, with a positive rate of 3 % and 8 %, respectively. A <em>Coxiella</em> species was detected in <em>H. longicornis</em> ticks from all three locations in Hebei and Shandong provinces, with the positive rate ranging from 30 to 75 %. All the 16S and <em>rpoB</em> sequences were very similar (99.77–100 % identity) to <em>Coxiella</em> endosymbiont of <em>Haemaphysalis</em> ticks. An <em>Ehrlichia</em> species was detected in <em>H. qinghaiensis</em> (6/66, 9 %) from Xining City, Qinghai Province. The 16S and <em>groEL</em> sequences had 100 % and 97.40–97.85 % nucleotide identities to “<em>Candidatus</em> Ehrlichia pampeana” strains, respectively, suggesting that it may be a variant of “<em>Candidatus</em> Ehrlichia pampeana”. All the ticks were negative for <em>Rickettsia, Borrelia</em>, and <em>Bartonella</em>. Because all the ticks were removed from goats or humans and were partially or fully engorged, it is possible that the microorganisms were from the blood meal but not vectored by the ticks. Our results may provide some information on the diversity and distribution of tick-borne pathogens in China.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"15 2","pages":"Article 102290"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2023-12-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877959X23001711/pdfft?md5=7b6ed9a06027c4ddfbfb3128b8cc6230&pid=1-s2.0-S1877959X23001711-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138558029","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}