Detection of Two Zoonotic Babesia microti Lineages, the Hobetsu and U.S. Lineages, in Two Sympatric Tick Species, Ixodes ovatus and Ixodes persulcatus, Respectively, in Japan

Zamoto-Niikura, Aya; Tsuji, Masayoshi; Wang, Qiang; Nakao, Minoru; Hirata, Haruyuki; Ishihara, Chiaki

doi:10.1128/aem.00142-12

Cited by 27 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…Unfed, host-seeking ticks were collected by flagging vegetation on the sides of forest paths, which were easily accessible by car and on foot. In Japan, B. microti U.S. lineage has been detected in I. persulcatus collected only in the eastern part of Hokkaido (6,33); thus, 3 areas, including 7 sites, were selected for this study (Fig. 1).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…DNA extractions were performed as described previously (33). Briefly, individual ticks were homogenized in TNE buffer (10 mM Tris-HCl, 100 mM NaCl, 0.1 mM EDTA, pH 8.0) containing 0.1% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and digested with proteinase K. DNAs were purified by phenol extraction followed by ethanol precipitation, and the DNA pellet was resuspended in 100 l of Tris-EDTA (TE) buffer.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although experimental transmission of B. microti U.S. lineage to hamsters or gerbils has been shown (33,36), there is still a lack of biological evidence demonstrating the live pathogen in field-derived specimens. In this study, we provide direct evidence that I. persulcatus ticks carry the infectious B. microti U.S. lineage in their salivary glands.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…In the Eurasian region where I. scapularis is absent, PCR surveillance and DNA sequence analyses of field-collected ticks have revealed that Ixodes persulcatus (31)(32)(33) and Ixodes ricinus (1,34,35) in Asia and Europe, respectively, carry the B. microti U.S. lineage. Although experimental transmission of B. microti U.S. lineage to hamsters or gerbils has been shown (33,36), there is still a lack of biological evidence demonstrating the live pathogen in field-derived specimens.…”

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Ixodes persulcatus Ticks as Vectors for the Babesia microti U.S. Lineage in Japan

Zamoto-Niikura

Morikawa

Hanaki

et al. 2016

Appl Environ Microbiol

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The U.S. lineage, one of the major clades in the Babesia microti group, is known as a causal agent of human babesiosis mostly in the northeastern and upper midwestern United States. This lineage, however, also is distributed throughout the temperate zone of Eurasia with several reported human cases, although convincing evidence of the identity of the specific vector(s) in this area is lacking. Here, the goal was to demonstrate the presence of infectious parasites directly in salivary glands of Ixodes persulcatus, from which U.S. lineage genetic sequences have been detected in Asia, and to molecularly characterize the isolates. Five PCRpositive specimens were individually inoculated into hamsters, resulting in infections in four; consequently, four strains were newly established. Molecular characterization, including 18S rRNA, ␤-tubulin, and CCT7 gene sequences, as well as Western blot analysis and indirect fluorescent antibody assay, revealed that all four strains were identical to each other and to the U.S. lineage strains isolated from rodents captured in Japan. The 18S rRNA gene sequence from the isolates was identical to those from I. persulcatus in Russia and China, but the genetic and antigenic profiles of the Japanese parasites differ from those in the United States and Europe. Together with previous epidemiological and transmission studies, we conclude that I. persulcatus is likely the principal vector for the B. microti U.S. lineage in Japan and presumably in northeastern Eurasia. IMPORTANCEThe major cause of human babesiosis, the tick-borne blood parasite Babesia microti, U.S. lineage, is widely distributed in the temperate Northern Hemisphere. However, the specific tick vector(s) remains unidentified in Eurasia, where there are people with antibodies to the B. microti U.S. lineage and cases of human babesiosis. In this study, the first isolation of B. microti U.S. lineage from Ixodes persulcatus ticks, a principal vector for many tick-borne diseases, is described in Japan. Limited antigenic cross-reaction was found between the Japan and United States isolates. Thus, current serological tests based on U.S. isolates may underestimate B. microti occurrence outside the United States. This study and previous studies indicate that I. persulcatus is part of the B. microti U.S. lineage life cycle in Japan and, presumably, northeastern Eurasia. This report will be important for public health, especially since infection may occur through transfusion, and also to researchers in the field of parasitology.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

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Ixodes persulcatus Ticks as Vectors for the Babesia microti U.S. Lineage in Japan

Zamoto-Niikura

Morikawa

Hanaki

et al. 2016

Appl Environ Microbiol

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“…In Japan, pathogens that cause diseases, such as anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, babesiosis, Lyme disease, tick-borne encephalitis, and Japanese spotted fever have been isolated from ticks (2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11). Moreover, severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome, which is caused by a novel bunyavirus that was first isolated in China, has recently been found to be prevalent in Japan (12).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Field and Laboratory Evaluations of the Efficacy of DEET Repellent against <i>Ixodes</i> Ticks

Ogawa¹,

Komagata²,

Hayashi³

et al. 2016

Jpn J Infect Dis

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SUMMARY:The objective of this study was to clarify the efficacy of a currently available N,N-diethylm-toluamide (DEET) repellent against tick species in Japan. We performed 2 different field trials:`h uman trap,'' and``flag-dragging.'' In total, 482 ticks were collected from white flannel cloths in the field studies. The collected tick species were Ixodes persulcatus and I. ovatus, which accounted for 5.3z and 94.7z of the ticks in the human trap test and 31.4z and 68.6z in the flag-dragging test, respectively. The repellency levels of DEET-treated flannel cloths in the human trap and flag-dragging tests were 84.0z and 99.7z, respectively. The escape times for I. persulcatus and I. ovatus female adults from DEET-treated flannel cloths were determined. The median escape times for I. persulcatus and I. ovatus on DEET-treated flannel cloths were 48 s (95z confidence interval [CI]: 30-96) and 10 s (95z CI: 5-24), respectively. In contrast, many ticks remained on the untreated flannel cloths for 10 min after mounting. These results indicate that DEET repellents appear to prevent tick bites and that the use of DEET repellents against ticks is an effective personal protection measure.

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High prevalence of Babesia microti ‘Munich’ type in small mammals from an Ixodes persulcatus/Ixodes trianguliceps sympatric area in the Omsk region, Russia

et al. 2016

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Babesia microti is a genetically diverse group of protozoan parasites whose life cycle is associated with both small mammals and Ixodes spp. ticks. In this study, the prevalence of different B. microti genetic groups in ticks and small rodents in an area with Ixodes persulcatus and Ixodes trianguliceps occurring in sympatry was examined. A total of 541 small mammals were captured during eight sampling periods between 2013 and 2015 at a site in the Omsk region of Russia and tested for the presence of B. microti using nested PCR with subsequent sequencing of positive samples. B. microti DNA was found in 31.6 % of examined samples, and prevalence rates ranged from 5.3 to 61.6 % in different sampling periods. The sequenced B. microti samples belonged to two genetic groups: enzootic B. microti 'Munich' type and zoonotic B. microti 'US' type. B. microti 'Munich' type was more common across all sampling periods, with greater than 80 % prevalence in infected animals. Despite the high B. microti 'Munich'-type prevalence in voles, B. microti was not found in any of 394 adult I. persulcatus ticks collected by flagging or in the 84 I. persulcatus or 20 I. trianguliceps ticks taken from voles and molted under laboratory conditions. It was demonstrated that B. microti 'Munich'-type DNA can be detected in the blood of naturally infected voles for at least 20 weeks after capture. Thus, the high prevalence of B. microti 'Munich' type in small mammals may be explained by the prolonged persistence of B. microti in the blood of wild voles.

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Detection of Two Zoonotic Babesia microti Lineages, the Hobetsu and U.S. Lineages, in Two Sympatric Tick Species, Ixodes ovatus and Ixodes persulcatus, Respectively, in Japan

Cited by 27 publications

References 33 publications

Ixodes persulcatus Ticks as Vectors for the Babesia microti U.S. Lineage in Japan

Ixodes persulcatus Ticks as Vectors for the Babesia microti U.S. Lineage in Japan

Field and Laboratory Evaluations of the Efficacy of DEET Repellent against <i>Ixodes</i> Ticks

High prevalence of Babesia microti ‘Munich’ type in small mammals from an Ixodes persulcatus/Ixodes trianguliceps sympatric area in the Omsk region, Russia

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