BackgroundIn recent years, the scope and importance of emergent vector-borne diseases has increased dramatically. In Algeria, only limited information is currently available concerning the presence and prevalence of these zoonotic diseases. For this reason, we conducted a survey of hematophagous ectoparasites of domestic mammals and/or spleens of wild animals in El Tarf and Souk Ahras, Algeria.MethodsUsing real-time PCR, standard PCR and sequencing, the presence of Bartonella spp., Rickettsia spp., Borrelia spp. and Coxiella burnetii was evaluated in 268/1626 ticks, 136 fleas, 11 Nycteribiidae flies and 16 spleens of domestic and/or wild animals from the El Tarf and Souk Ahras areas.ResultsFor the first time in Algeria, Bartonella tamiae was detected in 12/19 (63.2 %) Ixodes vespertilionis ticks, 8/11 (72.7 %) Nycteribiidae spp. flies and in 6/10 (60 %) bat spleens (Chiroptera spp.). DNA from Coxiella burnetii, the agent of Q fever, was also identified in 3/19 (15.8 %) I. vespertilionis from bats. Rickettsia slovaca, the agent of tick-borne lymphadenopathy, was detected in 1/1 (100 %) Haemaphysalis punctata and 2/3 (66.7 %) Dermacentor marginatus ticks collected from two boars (Sus scrofa algira) respectively. Ri. massiliae, an agent of spotted fever, was detected in 38/94 (40.4 %) Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato collected from cattle, sheep, dogs, boars and jackals. DNA of Ri. aeschlimannii was detected in 6/20 (30 %) Hyalomma anatolicum excavatum and 6/20 (30 %) Hy. scupense from cattle. Finally, Ri. felis, an emerging rickettsial pathogen, was detected in 80/110 (72.7 %) Archaeopsylla erinacei and 2/2 (100 %) Ctenocephalides felis of hedgehogs (Atelerix algirus).ConclusionIn this study, we expanded knowledge about the repertoire of ticks and flea-borne bacteria present in ectoparasites and/or tissues of domestic and wild animals in Algeria.

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Three series of investigations on natural infections with Fasciola hepatica were carried out in north-eastern Algeria): (1) on different samples from cattle and sheep slaughtered at Constantine and Jijel from 1994 to 1996, (2) from 31 cattle- and sheep-breeding farms from 1999 to 2001, using serology on blood samples, and (3) on overwintering Galba truncatula from four populations, in 2002 and 2003. Significantly higher prevalences of fasciolosis were found in the cattle and sheep from Jijel (27.0% in slaughtered cattle and 27.3% in cattle from farms, compared to 9.1% and 6.3%, respectively, in cattle from Constantine). No significant differences in the prevalences were recorded between 1994 and 1996 and 1999 and 2001 for each species of ruminant, whatever the department considered. The infection rates for overwintering snails were also higher in the two populations from Jijel compared with those from the department of Constantine (a mean of 4.6-5.9% instead of 2.6-3.1%)). These results may be explained by the climatic conditions in the department of Jijel (an annual rainfall of 750-900 mm instead of 350 mm at Constantine), and the mode of anthelminthic treatment (the periods of treatment would be inappropriate in the case of Jijel).

The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of mycotic mastitis in different mammary gland statuses. The study was conducted on 304 dairy cows from ten farms in two north-eastern regions in Algeria; Guelma and Souk Ahras with 922 and 199 samples, respectively, forming thus a total number of 1,121 milk samples. A total of 321 milk samples were collected from clinical mastitis, 544 milk samples from subclinical mastitis and 256 milk samples from healthy mammary glands. Mycological analyses revealed that 10.17% of the treated samples were positive recording 114 species of fungi including 88 yeasts and 26 moulds. The most frequent species was Candida kefyr followed by C. albicans, C. guilliermondii, C. famata, C. tropicalis, C. colliculosa, C. krusei, C. rugosa, C. glabrata, C. parapsilosis, C. inconspicua, Trichosporon sp., Rhodotorula glutinis and Saccharomyces fragilis. Mould species have also been isolated from samples of both healthy milk and clinical mastitis milk. Aspergillus amstelodami (from glaucus group), A. fumigatus and Geotrichum candidum were identified, while the other species including Penicillium sp. and Cladosporium sp. were not identified.

A molecular survey was undertaken to determine the presence of protozoal and bacterial organisms in 120 ticks and 87 blood samples collected from mammals in northeastern Algeria. Eight tick species were morphologically identified including 70 Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) annulatus,23 Rhipicephalus bursa, five Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato, 11 Hyalomma impeltatum, five Hyalomma scupense, two Hyalommma marginatum, one Hyalomma anatolicum and three Ixodes ricinus. Quantitative PCR screening of the ticks showed that Theileria annulata, "Candidatus Ehrlichia urmitei", Theileria buffeli and Anaplasma platys were detected in Rh. annulatus. Rickettsia massiliae and Anaplasma ovis were detected in Rh. sanguineus s.l. and Rh. bursa. Rickettsia aeschlimannii was detected in Hy. marginatum, Hy. scupense and Hy. impeltatum. Finally, "Candidatus Rickettsia barbariae" was detected in Rh. bursa. In the screening blood samples, Theileria equi, T.annulata, T. buffeli, Babesia bovis, Anaplasma marginale, A. ovis and Borrelia spp. were detected in cattle. Theileria ovis, T. annulata, and A. ovis were detected in sheep. In addition, A. ovis and T. equi were detected in goats and equidea respectively. In this study, T. equi and "Candidatus Rickettsia barbariae" were identified for the first time in Algeria as well as potential new species of Ehrlichia and Anaplasma. Although molecular detection does not indicate vector/reservoir competence when investigating ticks removed from animals, this study expands the knowledge of the microorganisms detected in ticks in northeast of Algeria.

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