Molecular characterization of Anaplasma and Ehrlichia in ixodid ticks and reservoir hosts from Palestine: a pilot survey

Abstract

Tick‐borne anaplasmosis and ehrlichiosis are clinically important emerging zoonoses usually overlooked by veterinarians and physicians alike. This study aimed at detecting and genetically characterizing Ehrlichia and Anaplasma species in ixodid ticks and their animal hosts from the West Bank, Palestine. A total of 723 ixodid ticks belonging to three genera ( Rhipicephalus, Hyalomma, Haemaphysalis ) were collected from dogs, sheep, goats and camels. In addition, 189 blood samples were collected from dogs, sheep, camels, horses and a goat from the West Bank, Palestine. All tick and blood samples were investigated for the presence of Anaplasma and Ehrlichia targeting a 345 bp fragment of the 16S rRNA gene followed by sequence analysis. The infection rate of Anaplasma spp. in ticks was 6.5% (47/723). Anaplasma platys was identified in 28% (13/47) of them. Whereas, based on a partial sequence (851 bp) of msp4 gene, 38% (18/47) were identified as A. ovis . The species of the remaining 16 positive samples (16/47, 34%) could not be identified. Simultaneously, the infection rate of Ehrlichia spp. in the ticks was 0.6% (4/723). Three of which were E. canis and one was Ehrlichia spp. The infection rate of A. platys in dogs’ blood samples was 10% (13/135), while it was 1.5% (2/135) for E. canis . The infection rate of Anaplasma in sheep blood samples was 40% (19/47), out of which 26% (5/19) were caused by A. ovis as revealed by msp4 ‐ PCR . Implementation of purely‐spatial analysis by sa TS can for all cases of Anaplasma revealed two statistically significant clusters in two districts; Tubas town and Majdal‐Bani‐Fadil village on the western hills of the Jordan Valley. Most cases of Anaplasma (83%) were from rural areas where life cycle components (vector, host and reservoir) abundantly interact. This study is the first in Palestine to reveal the presence of Anaplasma and Ehrlichia in ticks, dogs and sheep providing crucial platform for future epidemiological surveys and control strategies in the country and region.

Molecular Survey of Vector-Borne Pathogens of Dogs and Cats in Two Regions of Saudi Arabia

“…In the Middle East, little information is available about the prevalence of canine and feline VBDs; however, results of previous studies in Qatar, Iraq, and Iran showed that stray dogs and cats often act as reservoirs of zoonotic pathogens with the prevalence of 18.8%, 38.1%, 54.6% in dogs [ 7 , 8 , 22 ] and 20.6%, 39.1% in cats [ 7 , 8 ] from Qatar, Iraq, and Iran. The prevalence of the A. platys infection in the dogs (57.1%) from the Asir Province is much higher in the present study than in the previous reports from the Middle East, e.g., 1.6% in Qatar [ 7 ], 3.33% in Iraq [ 8 , 23 ], 3.67% in Iran [ 22 ], 0.5% in Turkey [ 24 ], and 9.63% in Palestine [ 25 ]. Camels have also been found to be infected with A. platys in Saudi Arabia, making it the most prevalent tick-borne pathogen in the region [ 26 ] and suggesting that other mammalian hosts might play role in the epizootology of this parasite.…”

Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases of Livestock in the Middle East and North Africa: A Review

“…The diseases are transmitted by ixodid ticks [ 250 ]. Ehrlichiosis is reported from Egypt, Palestine and Sudan ( Table 2 ) [ 213 , 214 , 215 ].…”

Molecular detection of tick-borne pathogens in infected dogs associated with Rhipicephalus sanguineus tick infestation in Thailand

“…Awareness of the occurrence and distribution of TBPs in dogs, as well as in their vectors, is critical for effective control. Nowadays, molecular techniques to confirm blood parasite infection by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) are widely used because they have high sensitivity and specificity [4,5,[17][18][19][20][21]. There are several reports on epidemiological surveys of TBPs in Thailand using PCR technique that has revealed an increased incidence in recent years [4,5,17].…”