Experimental syphilis and serological examination for treponematosis in hares

Horváth, István; Kemenes, F; Molnár, L.; Széky, A; Rácz, I

doi:10.1128/iai.27.1.231-234.1980

Cited by 16 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…Lack of information about the sex and age of sampled hares was a limitation of our study. In Hungary, 28% hares were found to be rapid plasma reagin positive [10]. When 71 out of 202 samples were randomly selected by Horvath et al [10] and tested using the Kolmer’s complement fixation reaction with Reiter protein, positivity reached 66%, which is similar to the seroprevalence estimates reported in this study.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 84%

“…In Hungary, 28% hares were found to be rapid plasma reagin positive [10]. When 71 out of 202 samples were randomly selected by Horvath et al [10] and tested using the Kolmer’s complement fixation reaction with Reiter protein, positivity reached 66%, which is similar to the seroprevalence estimates reported in this study. In Italy, a significantly higher seroprevalence was found in areas with high population densities of hares, which corroborates with our findings [13].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 84%

“…Although most animals infected with TPeL show no signs of disease [9] some develop orofacial and anogenital proliferative crusty skin lesions at mucocutaneous junctions. The presence of TPeL serum antibodies in samples taken from trapped hares has been confirmed in seven European countries with apparent seroprevalence estimates ranging from 1 to 64% [7, 8, 10–13]. The aim of this study was to quantify the seroprevalence of TPeL in European brown hare populations in the Czech Republic and to test for an association between treponematosis prevalence and the altitude of the areas in which hares were sampled.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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First report of hare treponematosis seroprevalence of European brown hares (Lepus europaeus) in the Czech Republic: seroprevalence negatively correlates with altitude of sampling areas

et al. 2019

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Background The aim of this study was to quantify the seroprevalence of hare treponematosis in European brown hare (Lepus europaeus) populations in the Czech Republic and to test for an association between treponematosis prevalence and the altitude of the areas in which hares were sampled. We tested 289 serum samples of brown hares collected between 2015 and 2017. The sampling areas included 12 districts (73 villages) distributed throughout the Czech Republic. Serum samples were tested for the presence of antibodies against the causative agent of hare treponematosis (Treponema paraluisleporidarum ecovar Lepus, TPeL) using two serological tests for human syphilis that cross-react with TPeL: the Treponema pallidum hemagglutination assay (TPHA) and the fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption (FTA-ABS) test. To account for the imperfect diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of each test, apparent prevalence estimates of TPeL were converted to true prevalence estimates using the Rogan Gladen estimator. The correlation between TPeL true seroprevalence and altitude of sampling areas was analyzed using Pearson’s correlation coefficient at three levels of spatial resolution: (1) four groups, each composed of two merged districts, with ≥20 samples collected, differing in their altitude median (206, 348, 495, and 522 m above sea level); (2) separately tested eight districts, where ≥20 samples were collected per district; and (3) 27 groups composed of villages of the same altitude level distributed across the whole dataset. Results One hundred and seven of the 289 samples were seropositive to both tests, the FTA-ABS test was positive for an additional 47 samples. Seropositive samples were found in all 12 districts. True seroprevalence of TPeL in the sampled hares was 52% (95% confidence interval 46 to 58%). A statistically significant negative correlation between TPeL seroprevalence and altitude was identified at the district level (Pearson’s r = − 0.722, p = 0.043). Conclusions Between 2015 and 2017 hare treponematosis was present at a relatively high prevalence in brown hares in all 12 districts in the Czech Republic where sampling was carried out. The seroprevalence of TPeL in brown hares was negatively correlated with the altitude of the areas in which hares were sampled.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 84%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 84%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

First report of hare treponematosis seroprevalence of European brown hares (Lepus europaeus) in the Czech Republic: seroprevalence negatively correlates with altitude of sampling areas

et al. 2019

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“…In addition, T . paraluisleporidarum ecovar Lepus [ 6 ] causes venereal spirochetosis in hares [ 7 – 10 ]. The human disease pinta is caused by a morphologically identical organism called T .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Retrospective Study on Genetic Heterogeneity within Treponema Strains: Subpopulations Are Genetically Distinct in a Limited Number of Positions

et al. 2015

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BackgroundPathogenic uncultivable treponemes comprise human and animal pathogens including agents of syphilis, yaws, bejel, pinta, and venereal spirochetosis in rabbits and hares. A set of 10 treponemal genome sequences including those of 4 Treponema pallidum ssp. pallidum (TPA) strains (Nichols, DAL-1, Mexico A, SS14), 4 T. p. ssp. pertenue (TPE) strains (CDC-2, Gauthier, Samoa D, Fribourg-Blanc), 1 T. p. ssp. endemicum (TEN) strain (Bosnia A) and one strain (Cuniculi A) of Treponema paraluisleporidarum ecovar Cuniculus (TPLC) were examined with respect to the presence of nucleotide intrastrain heterogeneous sites.Methodology/Principal FindingsThe number of identified intrastrain heterogeneous sites in individual genomes ranged between 0 and 7. Altogether, 23 intrastrain heterogeneous sites (in 17 genes) were found in 5 out of 10 investigated treponemal genomes including TPA strains Nichols (n = 5), DAL-1 (n = 4), and SS14 (n = 7), TPE strain Samoa D (n = 1), and TEN strain Bosnia A (n = 5). Although only one heterogeneous site was identified among 4 tested TPE strains, 16 such sites were identified among 4 TPA strains. Heterogeneous sites were mostly strain-specific and were identified in four tpr genes (tprC, GI, I, K), in genes involved in bacterial motility and chemotaxis (fliI, cheC-fliY), in genes involved in cell structure (murC), translation (prfA), general and DNA metabolism (putative SAM dependent methyltransferase, topA), and in seven hypothetical genes.Conclusions/SignificanceHeterogeneous sites likely represent both the selection of adaptive changes during infection of the host as well as an ongoing diversifying evolutionary process.

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“…Treponemes have been demonstrated in about 20% of trapped male hares with purulent skin lesions by India ink background relief staining (10). Serological evidence for treponemal infections was found in 27% of 202 trapped hares, which were selected from a total of 15,000 trapped hares on the basis of lesions on external genital organs or testicular atrophy, or both (9). Treponemes, however, were not demonstrated by dark-field microscopic examination of extracts of atrophic testes.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%