Molecular investigation of tick-borne pathogens in ticks removed from tick-bitten humans in the southwestern region of the Republic of Korea

Bang, Mi Seon; Kim, Choon-Mee; Pyun, Sang-Hyun; Kim, Dong-Min; Yun, Na Ra

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0252992

Cited by 13 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…Moreover, Xu et al [39] investigated the infection prevalence of B. burgdorferi sensu lato, B. miyamotoi, and A. phagocytophilum in human-biting ticks collected over a 10-year period in three western states of the US [39]. However, studies on TBPs in the ROK have primarily been conducted on wild or domesticated animals, such as goats [23], deer [24], and cattle [25], and several sporadic cases have been reported in patients with tick bites or in individuals visiting local hospitals [26,27]. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a nationwide survey to test ticks removed from humans in the ROK.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In a study, 1467 ticks were collected from nine provinces of the ROK, and 35 H. longicornis ticks and 1 I. persulcatus tick were found to test positive for A. phagocytophilum [4]. Various TBPs were found in 33 ticks isolated from humans in the southwestern region of the ROK between 2014 and 2017 [26]. Among them, 9.1% tested positive for A. phagocytophilum (two I. nipponensis ticks and one A. testudinarium tick).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Recently, 16 ticks collected between 2014 and 2017 from residents of the southwestern region of the ROK tested positive for A. phagocytophilum (three ticks), Babesia gibsoni (one tick), B. microti (two ticks), and Rickettsia spp. (12 ticks) [26], with A. phagocytophilum infection detected in both ticks and patients [27]. However, no research has been conducted based on nationwide surveys.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Molecular Detection of Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Ehrlichia Species in Ticks Removed from Humans in the Republic of Korea

et al. 2022

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Human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA) and human monocytic ehrlichiosis (HME) are zoonotic tick-borne diseases transmitted via tick bites. To determine the state of human Anaplasma and Ehrlichia infections caused by tick bites in the Republic of Korea (ROK), we conducted a nationwide investigation of human cases of tick bites in 2020. A total of 180 ticks were obtained, comprising Haemaphysalis longicornis (70.0%), Amblyomma testudinarium (17.8%), Ixodes nipponensis (6.1%), H. flava (4.4%), and I. persulcatus (1.7%). In three cases (1.7%; 95% CI: 0.3–4.9), A. phagocytophilum was detected in Ixodes ticks using primers for Anaplasma-specific genes (16s rRNA, ankA, and msp4). Conversely, Ehrlichia sp. was only detected in H. longicornis, in two cases (1.1%; 95% CI: 0.1–4.0). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first record of Ehrlichia sp. in ticks parasitizing humans in the ROK. As concerns remain about the possibility of HGA and HME transmission, continuous monitoring and management of the pathogens and vectors are necessary.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Molecular Detection of Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Ehrlichia Species in Ticks Removed from Humans in the Republic of Korea

et al. 2022

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“…In recent years, it has been detected in Rhipicephalus microplus , Ha. turturis , and Ixodes persulcatus from multiple locations in China, Korea, Thailand, and India, indicating that it is a widely distributed Rickettsia circulating in Asia [ 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 ]. Notably, a gltA sequence (KU853023) from a patient in China was submitted to GenBank (unpublished), which shows 99.91% nucleotide identity to Ca.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Molecular Survey of Vector-Borne Pathogens in Ticks, Sheep Keds, and Domestic Animals from Ngawa, Southwest China

Tian

Zhao

et al. 2022

Pathogens

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Vector-borne pathogens are mainly transmitted by blood-feeding arthropods such as ticks, mosquitoes, fleas, lice, mites, etc. They pose a significant threat to animal and human health due to their worldwide distribution. Although much work has been performed on these pathogens, some neglected areas and undiscovered pathogens are still to be further researched. In this study, ticks (Haemaphysalis qinghaiensis), sheep keds (Melophagus ovinus), and blood samples from yaks and goats were collected in Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture located on the eastern edge of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, Southwest China. Several vector-borne bacterial pathogens were screened and studied. Anaplasma bovis strains representing novel genotypes were detected in ticks (8.83%, 37/419), yak blood samples (45.71%, 64/140), and goat blood samples (58.93%, 33/56). Two spotted fever group (SFG) Rickettsiae, Candidatus Rickettsia jingxinensis, and a novel Rickettsia species named Candidatus Rickettsia hongyuanensis were identified in ticks. Another Rickettsia species closely related to the Rickettsia endosymbiont of Polydesmus complanatus was also detected in ticks. Furthermore, a Coxiella species was detected in ticks (3.34%, 14/419), keds (1.89%, 2/106), and yak blood (0.71%, 1/140). Interestingly, another Coxiella species and a Coxiella-like bacterium were detected in a tick and a goat blood sample, respectively. These results indicate the remarkable diversity of vector-borne pathogens circulating in this area. Further investigations on their pathogenicity to humans and domestic animals are still needed.

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“…The predominant ticks on dogs were R. sanguineus , and several studies have detected A. phagocytophilum in R. sanguineus ( 89 – 91 ). In addition, H. longicornis in the Republic of Korea (South Korea) ( 92 ) and United States ( 74 ) were positive for A. phagocytophilum . There are also several Asian species of Haemaphysalis (e.g., H. megaspinosa, H. douglasii , and H. japonica ) have been PCR positive for A. phagocytophilum ( 72 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ticks and Tick-Borne Pathogens in Domestic Animals, Wild Pigs, and Off-Host Environmental Sampling in Guam, USA

et al. 2022

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Background: Guam, a United States of America (USA) island territory in the Pacific Ocean, is known to have large populations of ticks; however, it is unclear what the risk is to wildlife and humans living on the island. Dog (Canis familiaris), cat (Felis catus), and wild pig (Sus scrofa) sentinels were examined for ticks, and environmental sampling was conducted to determine the ticks present in Guam and the prevalence of tick-borne pathogens in hosts.Methods and Results: From March 2019-November 2020, ticks were collected from environmental sampling, dogs, cats, and wild pigs. Blood samples were also taken from a subset of animals. A total of 99 ticks were collected from 27 environmental samples and all were Rhipicephalus sanguineus, the brown dog tick. Most ticks were collected during the dry season with an overall sampling success rate of 63% (95% CI: 42.4–80.6). 6,614 dogs were examined, and 12.6% (95% CI: 11.8–13.4) were infested with at least one tick. One thousand one hundred twelve cats were examined, and six (0.54%; 95% CI: 0.20–1.1) were found with ticks. Sixty-four wild pigs were examined and 17.2% (95% CI: 9.5–27.8) had ticks. In total, 1,956 ticks were collected and 97.4% of ticks were R. sanguineus. A subset of R. sanguineus were determined to be the tropical lineage. The other tick species found were Rhipicephalus microplus (0.77%), Amblyomma breviscutatum (0.77 %), and a Haemaphysalis sp. (0.51%). Blood samples from 136 dogs, four cats, and 64 wild pigs were tested using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA sequencing methods. Five different tick-borne pathogens with the following prevalences were found in dogs: Anaplasma phagocytophilum 5.9% (95% CI: 2.6–11.3); Anaplasma platys 19.1% (95% CI: 12.9–26.7); Babesia canis vogeli 8.8% (95% CI: 4.6–14.9); Ehrlichia canis 12.5% (95% CI: 7.5–19.3); Hepatozoon canis 14.7% (95% CI: 9.2–28.8). E. canis was detected in one cat, and no tick-borne pathogens were detected in wild pigs. Overall, 43.4% (95% CI: 34.9–52.1) of dogs had at least one tick-borne pathogen. Serological testing for antibodies against Ehrlichia spp. and Anaplasma spp. showed prevalences of 14.7% (95% CI: 9.2–28.8) and 31.6% (95% CI: 23.9–40), respectively.Conclusion: Four different tick species were found in Guam to include a Haemaphysalis sp., which is a previously unreported genus for Guam. Dogs with ticks have a high prevalence of tick-borne pathogens which makes them useful sentinels.

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Molecular investigation of tick-borne pathogens in ticks removed from tick-bitten humans in the southwestern region of the Republic of Korea

Cited by 13 publications

References 36 publications

Molecular Detection of Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Ehrlichia Species in Ticks Removed from Humans in the Republic of Korea

Molecular Detection of Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Ehrlichia Species in Ticks Removed from Humans in the Republic of Korea

Molecular Survey of Vector-Borne Pathogens in Ticks, Sheep Keds, and Domestic Animals from Ngawa, Southwest China

Ticks and Tick-Borne Pathogens in Domestic Animals, Wild Pigs, and Off-Host Environmental Sampling in Guam, USA

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