Rickettsiaspp. and Coinfections With Other Pathogenic Microorganisms in Hard Ticks From Northern Germany

Abstract

Rickettsia species are the causative agent of different forms of spotted fever and thus, monitored in a number of prevalence studies. The current study examined the status of ticks from the city of Hanover, Northern Germany, regarding the presence of Rickettsia spp. and coinfections with Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (sl) and Anaplasma phagocytophilum. In total, 1,089 questing Ixodes ricinus L. ticks were analyzed using quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction. A duplex quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction for simultaneous detection of Rickettsia spp. and Ixodes spp.-DNA as positive control for successful DNA-isolation was established. Rickettsia spp. were detected in 363 (33.3%) of the 1,089 investigated ticks. Quantification of Rickettsia showed that larvae contained up to 50,000 bacteria, nymphs up to 85 million and adults up to 200 million per tick. Species differentiation was possible in 178 out of 363 Rickettsia positive samples and resulted in a predominant occurrence of R. helvetica (98.9%, 176/178), whereas R. monacensis was rarely found (1.1%, 2/178). Besides detection of Rickettsia, positive ticks were compared with results from previous studies to examine coinfections with B. burgdorferi sl and A. phagocytophilum. The resulting coinfection rates were 9.1% (99/1,089) for B. burgdorferi sl and 2.8% (11/391) for A. phagocytophilum. Triple-infection with Rickettsia spp., B. burgdorferi sl, and A. phagocytophilum occurred in 5 (1.3%) out of 391 ticks. The current study is the first presenting quantitative data concerning the load of Ixodes ticks with Rickettsia individuals.

Borrelia burgdorferi and Anaplasma phagocytophilum in ticks and their equine hosts: A prospective clinical and diagnostic study of 47 horses following removal of a feeding tick

“…This low incidence of A. phagocytophilum DNA is in line with earlier studies in other North-European countries (Lommano et al 2012, Schicht et al 2012 suggesting that the result is not primarily an artefact of poor test sensitivity. Moreover, the low incidence in the removed, partly engorged ticks suggests that horses do not present an important reservoir.…”

The enzootic life-cycle of Borrelia burgdorferi (sensu lato) and tick-borne rickettsiae: an epidemiological study on wild-living small mammals and their ticks from Saxony, Germany

“…and Rickettsia spp. in I. ricinus ticks in Germany differ and can reach levels of 34 and 61%, respectively [25–31]. In Germany, the investigations of Rickettsia spp.…”

Hamburger Klimabericht – Wissen über Klima, Klimawandel und Auswirkungen in Hamburg und Norddeutschland

“…Daten zur Prävalenz von Borrelien, Anaplasmen und Rickettsien in Zecken aus dem nordwestlichen Teil Deutschlands waren bisher nur für das Stadtgebiet Hannover verfügbar (Schicht et al 2012(Schicht et al , 2011Tappe et al 2014;Tappe und Strube 2013 (Christova et al 2003). Als weitere zeckenübertragene Pathogene wurden Anaplasmen bei 3,6 % und Rickettsien bei 52,5 % der Zecken nachgewiesen (May und Strube 2014).…”