Individual Species Accounts

Guglielmone, Alberto A.; Robbins, Richard G.; Apanaskevich, Dmitry A.; Petney, Trevor N.; Estrada-Peña, Agustı́n; Horak, Ivan G.

doi:10.1007/978-94-007-7497-1_11

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 135 publications

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“…Despite the wide diversity of tick species worldwide [ 90 ], only Ixodes species have been considered in studies analyzing pathogen-related behavioral changes. How pathogens affect behavioral traits of other tick vectors of huge medical importance, e.g., those belonging to the genera Amblyomma , Dermacentor , and Rhipicephalus , is still overlooked.…”

Section: Concluding Remarks and Outstanding Challenges For A Reseamentioning

confidence: 99%

Pathogens Manipulating Tick Behavior—Through a Glass, Darkly

Benelli

2020

Pathogens

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Pathogens can manipulate the phenotypic traits of their hosts and vectors, maximizing their own fitness. Among the phenotypic traits that can be modified, manipulating vector behavior represents one of the most fascinating facets. How pathogens infection affects behavioral traits of key insect vectors has been extensively investigated. Major examples include Plasmodium, Leishmania and Trypanosoma spp. manipulating the behavior of mosquitoes, sand flies and kissing bugs, respectively. However, research on how pathogens can modify tick behavior is patchy. This review focuses on current knowledge about the behavioral changes triggered by Anaplasma, Borrelia, Babesia, Bartonella, Rickettsia and tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) infection in tick vectors, analyzing their potential adaptive significance. As a general trend, being infected by Borrelia and TBEV boosts tick mobility (both questing and walking activity). Borrelia and Anaplasma infection magnifies Ixodes desiccation resistance, triggering physiological changes (Borrelia: higher fat reserves; Anaplasma: synthesis of heat shock proteins). Anaplasma infection also improves cold resistance in infected ticks through synthesis of an antifreeze glycoprotein. Being infected by Anaplasma, Borrelia and Babesia leads to increased tick survival. Borrelia, Babesia and Bartonella infection facilitates blood engorgement. In the last section, current challenges for future studies are outlined.

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Section: Concluding Remarks and Outstanding Challenges For A Reseamentioning

confidence: 99%

Pathogens Manipulating Tick Behavior—Through a Glass, Darkly

Benelli

2020

Pathogens

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“…As a nidicolous tick species (Honzáková et al, 1980), I. laguri has been reported to be from the countries within the Palearctic ecozone (Durden, 2006). The main hosts of I. laguri are burrowing rodents, principally the Cricetidae, Sciuridae and Gliridae families, although other rodent families, hedgehogs and small carnivores have also been found to be sporadically infested (Guglielmone et al, 2014a, 2014b; Mihalca & D’Amico, 2017). Mihalca and D’Amico (2017) stated that despite being a nidicolous species, I. laguri ticks engage in variable seasonal activity according to the geographical region in which they are located.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although only a relatively low number of tick samples were collected, it can be assumed that all the life stages are active from May to October in the study area. Both temperature and humidity play important roles in the distribution of I. laguri (Honzáková et al, 1980; Mihalca & D’Amico, 2017), and the most favourable ecoregions for the tick have previously been identified as temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, temperate grasslands, savannas and shrublands (Guglielmone et al, 2014a, 2014b). In accordance with this, I. laguri ‐infested rodents were captured in the grasses/steppes of Yakutiye and Aşkale counties in this study.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Zoonotic Babesia microti infection in wild rodents in Erzurum province, northeastern Turkey

Güven

Akyüz

Kirman

et al. 2022

Zoonoses and Public Health

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Wild rodents are natural reservoir hosts of various pathogens, including Babesia microti. This study investigated the presence of B. microti in rodents from Erzurum province in Turkey. A total of 498 rodents and 21 rodent‐fed ticks were analysed using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique to test for the presence of B. microti. Babesia spp. were detected in three (0.6%) of the 498 rodent spleen samples. The Babesia‐positive rodent species were identified as Microtus socialis by means of molecular analysis. The rodent‐fed ticks comprised 15 Ixodes laguri and 6 Rhipicephalus sanguineus, none of which tested positive for Babesia spp. A sequence analysis of the 18S PCR amplicons confirmed the three Babesia‐positive samples to be B. microti. The Erzurum isolates were 100% identical to the zoonotic Jena strain. The results of this study indicate the existence of zoonotic B. microti strains that may constitute a potential public health risk in Erzurum province. Future studies should determine the tick vector and other reservoir rodent species of B. microti in Erzurum.

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A novel Rickettsia, Candidatus Rickettsia takensis, and the first record of Candidatus Rickettsia laoensis in Dermacentor from Northwestern Thailand

Chaloemthanetphong

Ahantarig

Apanaskevich

et al. 2023

Sci Rep

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Three hundred and forty-four tick samples were collected from vegetation at Taksin Maharat National Park, Tak province, northwestern Thailand. They were morphologically identified and molecularly confirmed by 16S rRNA and COI genes as Dermacentor laothaiensis (n = 105), D. steini (n = 139), and D. auratus (n = 100). These ticks were examined for the spotted fever group rickettsiae (SFGRs) using PCR and DNA sequencing of six genes; 17-kDa, gltA, 16S rRNA, ompA, ompB, and sca4. Of these ticks, 6.10% (21/344) gave positive results for the presence of SFGRs. Phylogenetic analyses of the SFGRs clearly indicated that a novel genotype assigned as Candidatus Rickettsia takensis was detected in D. laothaiensis (19/105) and at lesser frequency in D. steini (1/139). Furthermore, Candidatus Rickettsia laoensis was also found at a low frequency in D. auratus (1/100), the first record in Thailand. Although, the pathogenicities of these SFGRs remain unknown, our findings suggest potential risks of SFGRs being transmitted via ticks near the border between Thailand and Myanmar, a gateway of daily migrations of local people and visitors both legal and illegal.

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Individual Species Accounts

Cited by 4 publications

References 135 publications

Pathogens Manipulating Tick Behavior—Through a Glass, Darkly

Pathogens Manipulating Tick Behavior—Through a Glass, Darkly

Zoonotic Babesia microti infection in wild rodents in Erzurum province, northeastern Turkey

A novel Rickettsia, Candidatus Rickettsia takensis, and the first record of Candidatus Rickettsia laoensis in Dermacentor from Northwestern Thailand

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