Rickettsia spp. in small mammals and their parasitizing ectoparasites from Saxony, Germany

Obiegala, Anna; Oltersdorf, Carolin; Silaghi, Cornelia; Kiefer, Daniel; Kiefer, Michael; Woll, Dietlinde; Pfeffer, Martin

doi:10.1016/j.vprsr.2016.08.008

Cited by 21 publications

(46 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…As species distribution appears consistent, simultaneous function of ticks as vectors, main hosts and reservoir hosts for Rickettsia has to be taken into consideration to elucidate increased prevalences. In this regard, highly efficient transovarial transmission of up to 100% in I. ricinus under laboratory conditions chiefly contributes to the maintenance of the Rickettsia life-cycle [ 17 , 40 – 43 ]. Even if the efficacy of transovarial transmission in the field would be significantly lower, it ultimately contributes to an increase of Rickettsia infections in ticks.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…in ticks as well as on the abundance of potential vertebrate reservoir hosts, which are thought to be mainly constituted by small mammals [ 17 , 41 , 43 ]. It has been hypothesised that Rickettsia infections are persistent in ticks serving as vectors, but transient in mammals as suspected reservoir hosts [ 41 , 43 ], which possibly eliminate Rickettsia infections during winter. This may contribute to the observed seasonality in terms of significantly increased Rickettsia tick infection rates during July–October compared to April–June.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A 10-year surveillance of Rickettsiales (Rickettsia spp. and Anaplasma phagocytophilum) in the city of Hanover, Germany, reveals Rickettsia spp. as emerging pathogens in ticks

2017

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BackgroundRickettsiales (Rickettsia spp. and Anaplasma phagocytophilum) transmitted by ticks are considered (re-)emerging pathogens posing a risk to public health. Nevertheless, year-long monitoring studies on prevalences of these pathogens in questing ticks to contribute to public health risk assessment are rare.MethodsThe current study extends previous prevalence surveillances (2005 and 2010) by 2015 to a 10-year monitoring. Therefore, 2100 questing Ixodes ricinus were collected from April to October 2015 at ten different recreation sites in the city of Hanover, Germany, to determine potential changes in tick infection rates with Rickettsiales.ResultsOf the collected ticks, 288 were adult females, 285 adult males and 1527 nymphs. Overall, 3.8% (79/2100) of ticks were infected with A. phagocytophilum, 50.8% (1066/2100) with Rickettsia spp. and 2.2% (46/2100) with both pathogens. Statistical analyses revealed stagnating A. phagocytophilum infection rates over the 10-year monitoring period, whereas Rickettsia infections increased significantly (33.3% in 2005 and 26.2% in 2010 vs 50.8% in 2015). This increase was also characterized by prominent seasonality with higher prevalences from July to October.ConclusionsAs increased tick infection rates result in an increased risk for public health, the long-term data reported here provide significant implications for the understanding of progressing Rickettsiales distribution in ticks and essentially contribute to reliable public health risk assessments.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A 10-year surveillance of Rickettsiales (Rickettsia spp. and Anaplasma phagocytophilum) in the city of Hanover, Germany, reveals Rickettsia spp. as emerging pathogens in ticks

2017

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“…9). Although several studies detected R. helvetica in rodent blood and skin samples, and in various ectoparasites feeding on rodents, to date, it is not clear which role rodents play in its transmission cycle [68][69][70].…”

Section: Rodent Density Versus Vertically Transmitted Tick-borne Pathmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of rodent density on tick and tick-borne pathogen populations: consequences for infectious disease risk

et al. 2020

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Background: Rodents are considered to contribute strongly to the risk of tick-borne diseases by feeding Ixodes ricinus larvae and by acting as amplifying hosts for pathogens. Here, we tested to what extent these two processes depend on rodent density, and for which pathogen species rodents synergistically contribute to the local disease risk, i.e. the density of infected nymphs (DIN). Methods: In a natural woodland, we manipulated rodent densities in plots of 2500 m 2 by either supplementing a critical food source (acorns) or by removing rodents during two years. Untreated plots were used as controls. Collected nymphs and rodent ear biopsies were tested for the presence of seven tick-borne microorganisms. Linear models were used to capture associations between rodents, nymphs, and pathogens. Results: Investigation of data from all plots, irrespective of the treatment, revealed a strong positive association between rodent density and nymphal density, nymphal infection prevalence (NIP) with Borrelia afzelii and Neoehrlichia mikurensis, and hence DIN's of these pathogens in the following year. The NIP, but not the DIN, of the bird-associated Borrelia garinii, decreased with increasing rodent density. The NIPs of Borrelia miyamotoi and Rickettsia helvetica were independent of rodent density, and increasing rodent density moderately increased the DINs. In addition, NIPs of Babesia microti and Spiroplasma ixodetis decreased with increasing rodent density, which had a non-linear association with DINs of these microorganisms. Conclusions: A positive density dependence for all rodent-and tick-associated tick-borne pathogens was found, despite the observation that some of them decreased in prevalence. The effects on the DINs were variable among microorganisms, more than likely due to contrasts in their biology (including transmission modes, host specificity and transmission efficiency). The strongest associations were found in rodent-associated pathogens that most heavily rely on horizontal transmission. Our results draw attention to the importance of considering transmission mode of a pathogen while developing preventative measures to successfully reduce the burden of disease.

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“…We found rickettsial DNA in ticks removed mainly from M. glareolus, A. flavicollis, but also from several S. araneus. Although there are reports on the detection of R. helvetica in various wild smallto large-sized animal samples from Lithuania [24], the Netherlands and Germany [12,25,26] and also in Erithacus rubecula (European robins) and Prunella modularis (dunnocks) from Hungary [27], the significance of these animals in the transmission and maintenance cycle of Rickettsia is still debatable [28]. Although animal samples were not analyzed in this study, the Rickettsia spp.…”

Section: Rickettsia Screening and Rickettsia Speciesmentioning

confidence: 86%

Rickettsia spp. in rodent-attached ticks and first evidence of Spotted fever Group Rickettsia species Candidatus Rickettsia uralica in Europe.

Vikentjeva

Geller

Remm

et al. 2020

Preprint

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BACKGROUND Rickettsia spp. are human pathogens that cause a number of diseases and are transmitted by arthropods, including ixodid ticks. Estonia contributes a region, where the distribution area of two exophilic tick species of known medical importance, Ixodes persulcatus and I. ricinus, overlap. The presence of the nidicolous rodent-associated I. trianguliceps has recently been shown for Estonia. Although there is no Estonian data available on human disease caused by tick-borne Rickettsia spp., the presence of three Rickettsia species in non-nidicolous ticks, albiet at very dissimilar rates, was also previously reported. The aim of this studywas to screen, identify and characterize Rickettsia species in nidicolous and non-nidicolous ticks attached to rodents. RESULTS Nymphs and larvae of I. ricinus ( n = 1004), I . persulcatus ( n = 75) and I. trianguliceps ( n = 117) attached to rodents and shrews caught in different parts of Estonia were studied for the presence of Rickettsia spp. by nested PCR. Ticks were removed from 314 small animals of 5 species (bank voles Myodes glareolus , yellow necked mice Apodemus flavicollis , striped field mice A. agrarius, pine voles M. subterranius and common shrews S. araneus) . Rickettsial DNA was detected in 8,7% (103/1186) studied ticks. In addition to R. helvetica, previously found in questing ticks, this study reports the first identification of the recently described I. trianguliceps- associated Candidatus R. uralica in west of the Ural.

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Rickettsia spp. in small mammals and their parasitizing ectoparasites from Saxony, Germany

Cited by 21 publications

References 38 publications

A 10-year surveillance of Rickettsiales (Rickettsia spp. and Anaplasma phagocytophilum) in the city of Hanover, Germany, reveals Rickettsia spp. as emerging pathogens in ticks

A 10-year surveillance of Rickettsiales (Rickettsia spp. and Anaplasma phagocytophilum) in the city of Hanover, Germany, reveals Rickettsia spp. as emerging pathogens in ticks

Effect of rodent density on tick and tick-borne pathogen populations: consequences for infectious disease risk

Rickettsia spp. in rodent-attached ticks and first evidence of Spotted fever Group Rickettsia species Candidatus Rickettsia uralica in Europe.

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