Current research in parasitology & vector-borne diseases最新文献

{"title":"Seasonal dynamics, resting behaviour and insecticide susceptibility of Anopheles mosquitoes across two differentially malaria-endemic regions in Ethiopia","authors":"Delelegn Woyessa ,&nbsp;Delenasaw Yewhalaw","doi":"10.1016/j.crpvbd.2024.100224","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.crpvbd.2024.100224","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Information on bionomics of <em>Anopheles</em> species composition, seasonal dynamics and insecticide susceptibility status is important to understand malaria transmission in any particular eco-epidemiological setting and for the design of effective vector control strategies. Here, adult mosquitoes were collected using CDC light traps (CDC LTs) and human landing catches (HLC) for 17 months between June 2018 and September 2020 from Lare District of Ethiopia. Larvae and pupae of anopheline mosquitoes were collected from breeding sites of Lare District and Jimma and reared to adulthood. Bioassays were conducted on non-blood-fed, 3–5-day-old emerged adult female mosquitoes using WHO insecticide-impregnated papers. <em>Plasmodium</em> spp. infection in <em>Anopheles pharoensis</em> and <em>An. coustani</em> were identified using TaqMan qPCR. Of 11,048 <em>Anopheles</em> mosquitoes collected, <em>An. coustani</em> was the most common (46.20%, <em>n</em> = 5103), followed by <em>An. pharoensis</em> (27.89%, <em>n</em> = 3082), <em>An. gambiae</em> (<em>s.l.</em>) (16.04%, <em>n</em> = 1772) and <em>An. funestus</em> (9.88%, <em>n</em> = 1091). Most of the mosquitoes (73.17%, <em>n</em> = 8084) were collected using CDC LTs and 26.83% (<em>n</em> = 2964) were captured using HLC. The mean density of <em>An. gambiae</em>, <em>An. pharoensis</em> and <em>An. coustani</em> was generally higher in June-November as compared to other months during the study period. However, the mean density of <em>An. funestus</em> was relatively higher through November-January following the peak malaria period in Lare. <em>Anopheles pharoensis</em>, <em>An. gambiae</em> (<em>s.l</em>.) and <em>An. coustani</em> complex were susceptible to pirimiphos-methyl, propoxur and bendiocarb. However, <em>An. pharoensis</em> and <em>An. gambiae</em> (<em>s.l.</em>) were resistant to DDT, deltamethrin, permethrin and malathion, whilst members of the <em>An. coustani</em> complex were resistant to DDT and deltamethrin. No <em>Plasmodium</em> spp. infection was detected from samples of <em>Anopheles coustani</em> and <em>An. pharoensis</em>. There was temporal variation in mean density of <em>Anopheles</em> mosquitoes and higher mean mosquito density was recorded during June-November (except for <em>An. funestus</em>). The higher outdoor mean mosquito density coupled with multiple insecticide resistance of malaria vector populations and occurrence of <em>An. funestus</em> in the dry season call for regular monitoring and intervention considering the behavioural dynamics of <em>Anopheles</em> species across seasons.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":94311,"journal":{"name":"Current research in parasitology & vector-borne diseases","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 100224"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142660400","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Filarial disease in the Brazilian Amazon and emerging opportunities for treatment and control","authors":"Cleudecir Siqueira Portela ,&nbsp;Cláudia Patrícia Mendes de Araújo ,&nbsp;Patrícia Moura Sousa ,&nbsp;Carla Letícia Gomes Simão ,&nbsp;João Carlos Silva de Oliveira ,&nbsp;James Lee Crainey","doi":"10.1016/j.crpvbd.2023.100168","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.crpvbd.2023.100168","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Following the successful eradication of <em>Wuchereria bancrofti</em>, there are now just three species of conventional microfilaremic human filarial parasites endemic to the Brazilian Amazon region: <em>Mansonella ozzardi</em>, <em>Mansonella perstans</em> and <em>Onchocerca volvulus.</em> The zoonotic filarial parasite <em>Dirofilaria immitis</em> is also found in the Amazon region as are several sylvatic filarial parasites, some of which have been recorded causing zoonoses and some of which have never been recorded outside the region. <em>Onchocerca volvulus</em> is only found in the Amazonia onchocerciasis focus in the Brazilian state of Roraima where it affects the people of the Yanomami tribe living around the densely forested Venezuela border region. <em>Mansonella ozzardi</em> is by far the most common filarial parasite in Brazil and has a broad but patchy distribution throughout the western Amazon region. Recorded in the Brazilian states of Acre, Roraima, Matto Grosso, and within almost every municipality of Amazonas state, it is believed that pollution of the urban stream and river systems prevents the development of the simuliid vectors of <em>M. ozzardi</em> and explains the parasiteʼs reduced distribution within urban areas and an absence of recent reports from the state capital Manaus. Decades of WHO-led periodic ivermectin treatment of Yanomami tribeʼs people have resulted in the partial suppression of <em>O. volvulus</em> transmission in this focus and has also probably affected the transmission of <em>M. ozzardi</em> in the region. <em>Mansonella perstans</em>, <em>O. volvulus</em> and very probably <em>M. ozzardi</em> infections can all be treated and most likely cured with a 4–6-week treatment course of doxycycline. The Brazilian Ministry of Health does not, however, presently recommend any treatment for mansonellosis infections and thus parasitic infections outside the Amazonia focus are typically left untreated. While the long treatment courses required for doxycycline-based mansonellosis therapies preclude their use in control programmes, new fast-acting filarial drug treatments are likely to soon become available for the treatment of both onchocerciasis and mansonellosis in the Amazon region. Filarial disease management in the Brazilian Amazon is thus likely to become dramatically more viable at a time when the public health importance of these diseases is increasingly being recognized.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":94311,"journal":{"name":"Current research in parasitology & vector-borne diseases","volume":"5 ","pages":"Article 100168"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667114X23000560/pdfft?md5=01131ef8399d2fad5247e4829f450f96&pid=1-s2.0-S2667114X23000560-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139194688","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Spatial and temporal variation of five different pathogens and symbionts in Ixodes ricinus nymphs in the Netherlands","authors":"Nienke Hartemink ,&nbsp;Gerrit Gort ,&nbsp;Aleksandra I. Krawczyk ,&nbsp;Manoj Fonville ,&nbsp;Arnold J.H. van Vliet ,&nbsp;Willem Takken ,&nbsp;Hein Sprong","doi":"10.1016/j.crpvbd.2024.100209","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.crpvbd.2024.100209","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The incidence of diseases caused by pathogens transmitted by the tick <em>Ixodes ricinus</em> vary over time and space through incompletely understood mechanisms. An important determinant of the disease risk is the density of infected ticks, which is the infection prevalence times the density of questing ticks. We therefore investigated the spatial and temporal variation of four pathogens and one of the most abundant symbionts in <em>Ixodes ricinus</em> in questing nymphs over four years of monthly collections in 12 locations in the Netherlands. The infection prevalence of all microbes showed markedly different patterns with significant spatial variation for <em>Borrelia burgdorferi</em> (<em>s.l.</em>), <em>Neoehrlichia mikurensis</em>, <em>Rickettsia helvetica</em>, and <em>Midichloria mitochondrii</em>, significant seasonal variation of <em>B. burgdorferi</em> (<em>s.l.</em>), <em>N. mikurensis</em>, and <em>M. mitochondrii</em> and a significant interannual variation of <em>R. helvetica</em>. Despite its ubiquitous presence, no spatio-temporal variation was observed for the infection prevalence of <em>B. miyamotoi</em>. The variation in infection prevalence was generally smaller than the variation in the density of nymphs, which fluctuated substantially both seasonally and between locations. This means that the variation in the densities of infected nymphs for all pathogens was mostly the result of the variation in densities of nymphs. We also investigated whether there were positive or negative associations between the symbionts, and more specifically whether ticks infected with vertically transmitted symbionts like <em>M. mitochondrii</em> and <em>R. helvetica</em>, have a higher prevalence of horizontally transmitted symbionts, such as <em>B. burgdorferi</em> (<em>s.l.</em>) and <em>N. mikurensis</em>. We indeed found a clear positive association between <em>M. mitochondrii</em> and <em>B. burgdorferi</em> (<em>s.l.</em>). The positive association between <em>R. helvetica</em> and <em>B. burgdorferi</em> (<em>s.l.</em>) was less clear and was only shown in two locations. Additionally, we found a clear positive association between <em>B. burgdorferi</em> (<em>s.l.</em>) and <em>N. mikurensis</em>, which are both transmitted by rodents. Our longitudinal study indicated strong between-location variation, some seasonal patterns and hardly any differences between years for most symbionts. Positive associations between symbionts were observed, suggesting that infection with a (vertically transmitted) symbiont may influence the probability of infection with other symbionts, or that there is a common underlying mechanism (e.g. feeding on rodents).</p></div>","PeriodicalId":94311,"journal":{"name":"Current research in parasitology & vector-borne diseases","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 100209"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667114X24000402/pdfft?md5=475ce81c057fa00593d2b70de9bd4575&pid=1-s2.0-S2667114X24000402-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142157873","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Diversity of questing ticks and prevalence of tick-associated pathogens in Khao Kheow-Khao Chomphu Wildlife Sanctuary, Chon Buri, Thailand","authors":"Wittawat Wechtaisong ,&nbsp;Chalida Sri-in ,&nbsp;Kritsada Thongmeesee ,&nbsp;Elizabeth Riana ,&nbsp;Thuong Thi Huyen Bui ,&nbsp;Lyric C. Bartholomay ,&nbsp;Sonthaya Tiawsirisup","doi":"10.1016/j.crpvbd.2024.100220","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.crpvbd.2024.100220","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ixodid ticks are important vectors for tick-borne diseases distributed worldwide, including Thailand. Recreation areas within wildlife habitats are considered high-risk zones for tick exposure and tick-borne disease in humans. The study aimed to determine seasonal variations in tick diversity and pathogen prevalence in Khao Kheow-Khao Chomphu Wildlife Sanctuary, Chon Buri, Thailand. From November 2021 to March 2023, a total of 1331 immature ticks were collected by dragging. The proportion of collected larvae was highest in February 2022, while the number of collected nymphs peaked in December 2021. Seven tick species were molecularly identified: <em>Haemaphysalis lagrangei</em>, <em>H. wellingtoni</em>, <em>H. shimoga</em>, <em>H. obesa</em>, <em>Dermacentor auratus</em>, <em>Rhipicephalus microplu</em>s, and <em>Amblyomma integrum</em>. Of 80 tick pools, <em>Anaplasma</em>, piroplasms (<em>Babesia</em> and <em>Theileria</em>), <em>Bartonella</em>, and <em>Rickettsia</em> were detected in 10% (8/80), 3.75% (3/80), 1.25% (1/80), and 3.75% (3/80) of tick pools, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis grouped the newly generated sequences in the clades of <em>Anaplasma bovis</em>, <em>Babesia gibsoni</em>, <em>Theileria cervi</em>, <em>Bartonella henselae</em>, and <em>Rickettsia montanensis</em>. A seasonal pattern of pathogen appearance was detected during November to February, the cool season in Thailand. Based on our results indicating the highest peak of immature ticks and prevalence of pathogens, visitors should take precautions to avoid tick exposure during this season.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":94311,"journal":{"name":"Current research in parasitology & vector-borne diseases","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 100220"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142540134","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Next-generation sequencing metabarcoding assays reveal diverse bacterial vector-borne pathogens of Mongolian dogs","authors":"Cassandra Davitt ,&nbsp;Lucas G. Huggins ,&nbsp;Martin Pfeffer ,&nbsp;Lkhagvasuren Batchimeg ,&nbsp;Malcolm Jones ,&nbsp;Banzragch Battur ,&nbsp;Anke K. Wiethoelter ,&nbsp;Rebecca Traub","doi":"10.1016/j.crpvbd.2024.100173","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crpvbd.2024.100173","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Bacterial vector-borne pathogens (BVBPs) negatively impact canine health worldwide, with several also being zoonotic, posing an additional disease risk to humans. To date, BVBPs have been reported in humans and various sylvatic and domestic animal hosts across multiple Mongolian aimags (provinces); however, there has been no published data on these pathogens within Mongolia’s canine populations. Collection of such data is important given Mongolia’s size, diverse number of climatic regions, and large population of dogs, most of which closely share their environment with humans and livestock. Therefore, a bacteria-targeting next-generation sequencing metabarcoding (mNGS) assay was used to test the feasibility of mNGS as a proof-of-concept study to ascertain the detection of BVBP in 100 Mongolian dogs. The majority of dogs (<em>n</em> = 74) were infected with at least one of six BVBPs identified; including three species of haemoplasmas (also known as haemotropic mycoplasmas, <em>n</em> = 71), <em>Bartonella rochalimae</em> (<em>n</em> = 3), <em>Ehrlichia</em> spp. (<em>n</em> = 2) and <em>Anaplasma platys</em> (<em>n</em> = 1). Univariable analysis found sex, housing, and role of the dog to be associated with BVBP infection. Male dogs had 4.33 (95% CI: 1.61–11.62, <em>P</em> = 0.003) times the odds of infection with BVBPs compared to females. The majority of dogs included in this study were kept outdoors and had regular direct contact with both livestock and humans, indicating that dogs may contribute to the transmission and dissemination of BVBPs in Mongolia and could act as epidemiological sentinels. This study underscores the importance of pathogen surveillance studies in under-researched regions, reinforces the efficacy of mNGS as an explorative diagnostic tool, and emphasises the need for further larger-scale seroprevalence studies of Mongolian dogs.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":94311,"journal":{"name":"Current research in parasitology & vector-borne diseases","volume":"5 ","pages":"Article 100173"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667114X24000049/pdfft?md5=4f9e8add780865edee11d8ecc663a0c9&pid=1-s2.0-S2667114X24000049-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140162618","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Current and potential future impacts of food- and water-borne parasites in a changing world: A Norwegian perspective","authors":"Lucy J. Robertson,&nbsp;Ian D. Woolsey,&nbsp;Alejandro Jiménez-Meléndez","doi":"10.1016/j.crpvbd.2024.100181","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.crpvbd.2024.100181","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In 2021, the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment published a multi-criteria risk ranking of 20 potentially food-borne pathogens in Norway. The pathogens ranked included five parasite taxa (3 species, one genus, one family): <em>Toxoplasma gondii</em>, <em>Echinococcus multilocularis</em>, <em>Giardia duodenalis</em>, <em>Cryptosporidium</em> spp., and Anisakidae. Two of these, <em>T. gondii</em> and <em>E. multilocularis</em>, scored very highly (1st and 3rd place, respectively), <em>Cryptosporidium</em> was about midway (9th place), and <em>G. duodenalis</em> and Anisakidae ranked relatively low (15th and 20th place, respectively). Parasites were found, on average, more likely to present an increasing food-borne disease burden in the future than the other pathogens. Here, we review the current impact of these five potentially food-borne parasites in Norway, and factors of potential importance in increasing their future food-borne disease burden. Climate change may affect the contamination of water and fresh produce with transmission stages of the first four parasites, potentially leading to increased infection risk. Alterations in host distribution (potentially due to climate change, but also other factors) may affect the occurrence and distribution of <em>Toxoplasma</em>, <em>Echinococcus</em>, and Anisakidae, and these, coupled with changes in food consumption patterns, could also affect infection likelihood. Transmission of food-borne pathogens is complex, and the relative importance of different pathogens is affected by many factors and will not remain static. Further investigation in, for example, ten-years’ time, could provide a different picture of the relative importance of different pathogens. Nevertheless, there is clearly the potential for parasites to exert a greater risk to public health in Norway than currently occurs.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":94311,"journal":{"name":"Current research in parasitology & vector-borne diseases","volume":"5 ","pages":"Article 100181"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667114X24000128/pdfft?md5=66225f76ed705d281a89d60bd273df38&pid=1-s2.0-S2667114X24000128-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141142892","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Quantifying the neglected: Initial estimation of the global burden and economic impact of human toxocariasis","authors":"Alistair Antonopoulos ,&nbsp;Alessio Giannelli ,&nbsp;Eric R. Morgan ,&nbsp;Johannes Charlier","doi":"10.1016/j.crpvbd.2024.100180","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.crpvbd.2024.100180","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Toxocariasis is a parasitic zoonotic infection caused by <em>Toxocara</em> spp., ascarid nematodes of companion animals (dogs and cats) affecting people in both high-income and low/middle-income countries. Toxocariasis can manifest as several distinct syndromes. The most frequent, often termed common toxocariasis, is a self-limiting and mild febrile illness. Ocular and visceral <em>larva migrans</em> are severe disease manifestations affecting the eye and other internal organs, respectively, but their reported occurrence is rare. The vast majority of symptomatic cases are thought due to common toxocariasis, which has also been associated with cognitive impairment in children. Few studies to date have sought to quantity the health burden of toxocariasis in humans. In this study we provide a preliminary estimation using the Disability-Adjusted Life Year (DALY) approach. We estimate a total of 23,084 DALYs are lost annually in 28 selected countries due to common toxocariasis. Extrapolating based on a global average seroprevalence rate of 19%, we estimate 91,714 DALYs per year are lost across all countries due to toxocariasis, of which 40,912 are attributable to less severe forms, i.e. common toxocariasis, and 50,731 to cognitive impairment in children. Clinically diagnosed and reported ocular and visceral <em>larva migrans</em> represent a small proportion of estimated total health burden. We also found a positive correlation at national level between prevalence in cats or dogs and seroprevalence in humans, but no correlation between estimated soil contamination and seroprevalence in humans. Finally, we estimate the potential economic impact of toxocariasis in selected countries at 2.5 billion USD per annum, from costs of medical treatment and lost income. These preliminary estimates should serve as a call to action for further research and evidence-based measures to tackle toxocariasis.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":94311,"journal":{"name":"Current research in parasitology & vector-borne diseases","volume":"5 ","pages":"Article 100180"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667114X24000116/pdfft?md5=a1390c717ef9fc1a7d0c94deee206f1a&pid=1-s2.0-S2667114X24000116-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141144298","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Isolation and molecular characterization of a novel relapsing fever group Borrelia from the white-eared opossum Didelphis albiventris in Brazil","authors":"Barbara C. Weck ,&nbsp;Adriana Santodomingo ,&nbsp;Maria Carolina A. Serpa ,&nbsp;Glauber M.B. de Oliveira ,&nbsp;Felipe R. Jorge ,&nbsp;Sebastián Muñoz-Leal ,&nbsp;Marcelo B. Labruna","doi":"10.1016/j.crpvbd.2024.100193","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crpvbd.2024.100193","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study aimed to detect, isolate and to characterize by molecular methods a relapsing fever group (RFG) <em>Borrelia</em> in white-eared opossums (<em>Didelphis albiventris</em>) from Brazil. During 2015–2018, when opossums (<em>Didelphis</em> spp.) were captured in six municipalities of the state of São Paulo, Brazil, molecular analyses revealed the presence of a novel RFG <em>Borrelia</em> sp. in the blood of seven opossums (<em>Didelphis albiventris</em>), out of 142 sampled opossums (4.9% infection rate). All seven infected opossums were from a single location (Ribeirão Preto municipality). In a subsequent field study in Ribeirão Preto during 2021, two new opossums (<em>D. albiventris</em>) were captured, of which one contained borrelial DNA in its blood. Macerated tissues from this infected opossum were inoculated into laboratory animals (rodents and rabbits) and two big-eared opossums (<em>Didelphis aurita</em>), which had blood samples examined daily <em>via</em> dark-field microscopy. No spirochetes were visualized in the blood of the laboratory animals. Contrastingly, spirochetes were visualized in the blood of the two <em>D. aurita</em> opossums between 12 and 25 days after inoculation. Blood samples from these opossums were used for a multi-locus sequencing typing (MLST) based on six borrelial loci. Phylogenies inferred from MLST genes positioned the sequenced <em>Borrelia</em> genotype into the RFG borreliae clade basally to borreliae of the Asian-African group, forming a monophyletic group with another Brazilian isolate, “<em>Candidatus</em> B. caatinga”. Based on this concatenated phylogenetic analysis, which supports that the new borrelial isolate corresponds to a putative new species, we propose the name “<em>Candidatus</em> Borrelia mimona”.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":94311,"journal":{"name":"Current research in parasitology & vector-borne diseases","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 100193"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667114X24000244/pdfft?md5=b218167ad0e03c2159cff56905ccfaf4&pid=1-s2.0-S2667114X24000244-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141484056","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Update on tick-borne pathogens detection methods within ticks","authors":"Eva Krupa ,&nbsp;Alexis Dziedziech ,&nbsp;Richard Paul ,&nbsp;Sarah Bonnet","doi":"10.1016/j.crpvbd.2024.100199","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crpvbd.2024.100199","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Ticks are known vectors of various pathogens, including bacteria, parasites and viruses, that impact both animal and human health. Improving knowledge of the distribution of tick-borne pathogens, combined with their early detection in ticks, are essential steps to fight against tick-borne diseases and mitigate their impacts. Here we give an overview of what are the common methods of pathogen detection in tick samples, including recent developments concerning how to handle tick samples, get access to tick-borne pathogens by chemical or physical disruption of the ticks, and methods used for the RNA/DNA extraction steps. Furthermore, we discuss promising tools that are developed for other sample types such as serum or blood to detect tick-borne pathogens, and those that could be used in the future for tick samples.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":94311,"journal":{"name":"Current research in parasitology & vector-borne diseases","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 100199"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667114X2400030X/pdfft?md5=0b2b1651e75911e6bce530b862b0d49d&pid=1-s2.0-S2667114X2400030X-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141594179","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A crucial nexus: Phylogenetic versus ecological support of the life-cycle of Ixodes ricinus (Ixodoidea: Ixodidae) and Borrelia spp. amplification","authors":"Agustin Estrada-Peña ,&nbsp;Hein Sprong ,&nbsp;Sara R. Wijburg","doi":"10.1016/j.crpvbd.2024.100198","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.crpvbd.2024.100198","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The tick <em>Ixodes ricinus</em> parasitizes a wide range of vertebrates. These hosts vary in the relative contribution to the feeding of the different tick life stages, and their interplay is pivotal in the transmission dynamics of tick-borne pathogens. We aimed to know if there is a phylogenetic signal in the feeding and propagation hosts of <em>I. ricinus</em>, independently of other traits, as well as in the amplification of <em>Borrelia burgdorferi</em> (<em>s.l.</em>) in feeding larvae. We used a compilation of 1127 published field surveys in Europe, providing data for 96,586 hosts, resulting in 265,124 larvae, 72,080 nymphs and 37,726 adults. The load of immature ticks on hosts showed a significant phylogenetic signal towards the genera <em>Psammodromus</em>, <em>Podarcis,</em> and <em>Lacerta</em> (nymphs only). We hypothesize that such signal is the background hallmark of the primitive hosts associations of <em>I. ricinus</em>, probably in the glaciation refugia. A secondary phylogenetic signal for tick immatures appeared for some genera of Rodentia and Eulipotyphla. Results suggest the notion that the tick gained these hosts after spread from glaciation refugia. Analyses support a phylogenetic signal in the tick adults, firmly linked to Cetartiodactyla, but not to Carnivora or Aves. This study provides the first demonstration of host preferences in the generalist tick <em>I. ricinus</em>. We further demonstrate that combinations of vertebrates contribute in different proportions supporting the tick life-cycle in biogeographical regions of the Western Palaearctic as each region has unique combinations of dominant hosts. Analysis of the amplification of <em>B. burgdorferi</em> (<em>s.l.</em>) demonstrated that each genospecies is better amplified by competent reservoirs with which a strong phylogenetic signal exists. These vertebrates are the same along the spatial range: environmental traits do not change the reservoirs along the large territory studied. The transmission of <em>B. burgdorferi</em> (<em>s.l.</em>) is amplified by a few species of vertebrates, that share biogeographical regions with the tick vector in variable proportions.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":94311,"journal":{"name":"Current research in parasitology & vector-borne diseases","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 100198"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667114X24000293/pdfft?md5=c06e143cc575b9f61b1cd5e0e681df9a&pid=1-s2.0-S2667114X24000293-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141629858","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}