Mapping ticks and tick-borne pathogens in China

Zhao, Guoping; Wang, Yi‐Xin; Fan, Zheng-Wei; Ji, Yang; Liu, Ming-jin; Zhang, Wenhui; Li, Xin-Lou; Zhou, Shi-Xia; Li, Hao; Liang, Song; Liu, Wei; Yang, Yang; Fang, Li‐Qun

doi:10.1038/s41467-021-21375-1

Cited by 111 publications

(106 citation statements)

References 57 publications

(45 reference statements)

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“…However, the enlargement of cities and exposure of wild hosts to humans and livestock animals have destroyed the balance between them, resulting in the risk of infection increased annually, especially farmers living in wooded and hilly areas [ 37 ] and tourists. Furthermore, H. longicornis is found to harbor the highest variety of tick-borne agents [ 38 ]. At least 30 human pathogens were linked with H. longicornis , including six species of virus: Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus, Jingmen tick virus, Bocavirus, Nairobi sheep disease virus, Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus, Tick-borne encephalitis virus [ 39 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Virome analysis of ticks in a forest region of Liaoning, China: characterization of a novel hepe-like virus sequence

Zhang

Yang

et al. 2021

Virol J

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Background Ticks (class Arachnida, subclass Acari) are vectors of transmitting a broad range of pathogenic microorganisms, protozoa, and viruses affecting humans and animals. Liaoning Province is rich in forests where different animals and, abundant Haemaphysalis longicornis ticks exist. Methods Using viral metagenomics, we analyzed the virome in 300 Haemaphysalis longicornis ticks collected from June to August 2015 in the forested region of Liaoning Province, China. Results From the 300 ticks, 1,218,388 high-quality reads were generated, of which 5643 (0.463%) reads showed significant sequence identity to known viruses. Sequence and phylogenetic analysis revealed that viral sequences showing a close relationship with Dabieshan tick virus, Aleutian mink disease virus, adeno-associated virus, Gokushovirus, avian gyrovirus 2 were present in the virome of these ticks. However, the significance of these viruses to human and animal health requires further investigation. Notably, an hepe-like virus, named tick-borne hepe-like virus sequence, was obtained and was highly prevalent in these ticks with a rate of 50%. Nevertheless, one constraint of our study was the limited geographical distribution of the sampled ticks. Conclusion Our study offers an overview of the virome in ticks from a forest region of Liaoning Province and provides further awareness of the viral diversity of ticks.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Virome analysis of ticks in a forest region of Liaoning, China: characterization of a novel hepe-like virus sequence

Zhang

Yang

et al. 2021

Virol J

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“…In addition, many of the epidemiological characteristics of the disease, such as infection of other hosts, changes of foci, and genotypic differences, remain unclear. In recent years, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) technology has been widely used to detect host F. tularensis infection [ 11 , 12 ]. However, molecular technology is extremely expensive and requires advanced laboratory facilities and technical expertise, limiting its application in resource-poor endemic diseases [ 13 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Detection and Genotyping of Francisella tularensis in Animal Hosts and Vectors from Six Different Natural Landscape Areas, Gansu Province, China

Fang

Wang

et al. 2021

Computational and Mathematical Methods in Medicine

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Objective. Tularemia, also known as hare fever, is caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis (F. tularensis) transmitted through diseased wild animals, blood sucking insects, or contaminated water or food, which is distributed worldwide. The purpose of this study was to investigate F. tularensis infection in animal hosts and vectors from six different natural landscape areas in Gansu Province and to identify the genotypes of the detected F. tularensis. Methods. Rodents were captured by snap traps, and ticks were collected by dragging a cloth over the vegetation or from domestic animals. After species identification, DNA was isolated from the captured animals and detected by nested PCR assays targeting the F. tularensis fopA gene. The positive samples were further amplified to discriminate the species, and another two short-sequence tandem repeat regions (SSTR) were amplified to identify their genotypes. All positive fragments were sequenced and analyzed by ClustalX (5.0) and DNAClub software. Results. A total of 407 rodents of 12 species were captured, among which six rodent species were positive for F. tularensis, with an overall prevalence of 3.93%. The geographical difference in infection rate was statistically significant. At the SSTR9 locus, there were 7 genotypes among positive rodent samples. A total of 1864 ticks were tested for evidence of tularemia by nested PCR assays, 69 of which were positive, with an average positive rate of 3.70% for F. tularensis in ticks. The positive rates were significantly different among different regions. Seven genotypes were identified at the SSTR9 locus, one of which seemed dominant in positive tick samples. All positive samples had the same genotype at the SSTR16 locus. Conclusion. There is natural infection of F. tularensis among animal vectors and hosts in Gansu Province, with diverse genotypes.

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“…Haemaphysalis longicornis is a dominant tick species in China ( Jia et al, 2020 ) that is prevalent in multifarious climatic environments in the northern and southern regions of China. It is an important pathogen vector and has one of the largest pathogen loads in China ( Zhao et al, 2021 ); it can harbor pathogens such as Anaplasma spp., Rickettsia spp., and severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus ( Luo et al, 2015 ; Jiang et al, 2018 ; Qin et al, 2018 ). Moreover, multiple human infections of tick-borne pathogens have been reported to be due to bites by H. longicornis ( Kondo et al, 2017 ; Li et al, 2018 , 2020 ), so this tick has become a focus of public health.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Analysis of Microorganism Diversity in Haemaphysalis longicornis From Shaanxi, China, Based on Metagenomic Sequencing

et al. 2021

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Ticks are dangerous ectoparasites of humans and animals, as they are important disease vectors and serve as hosts for various microorganisms (including a variety of pathogenic microorganisms). Diverse microbial populations coexist within the tick body. Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) has been suggested to be useful for rapidly and accurately obtaining microorganism abundance and diversity data. In this study, we performed mNGS to analyze the microbial diversity of Haemaphysalis longicornis from Baoji, Shaanxi, China, with the Illumina HiSeq platform. We identified 189 microbial genera (and 284 species) from ticks in the region; the identified taxa included Anaplasma spp., Rickettsia spp., Ehrlichia spp., and other important tick-borne pathogens at the genus level as well as symbiotic microorganisms such as Wolbachia spp., and Candidatus Entotheonella. The results of this study provide insights into possible tick-borne diseases and reveal new tick-borne pathogens in this region. Additionally, valuable information for the biological control of ticks is provided. In conclusion, this study provides reference data for guiding the development of prevention and control strategies targeting ticks and tick-borne diseases in the region, which can improve the effectiveness of tick and tick-borne disease control.

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Mapping ticks and tick-borne pathogens in China

Cited by 111 publications

References 57 publications

Virome analysis of ticks in a forest region of Liaoning, China: characterization of a novel hepe-like virus sequence

Virome analysis of ticks in a forest region of Liaoning, China: characterization of a novel hepe-like virus sequence

Detection and Genotyping of Francisella tularensis in Animal Hosts and Vectors from Six Different Natural Landscape Areas, Gansu Province, China

Analysis of Microorganism Diversity in Haemaphysalis longicornis From Shaanxi, China, Based on Metagenomic Sequencing

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