Role of Hippoboscidae Flies as Potential Vectors of Bartonella spp. Infecting Wild and Domestic Ruminants

Abstract

The putative role of biting flies in Bartonella transmission among ruminants was investigated. Amplification of the Bartonella citrate synthase gene from 83 Hippoboscidae was detected in 94% of 48 adult Lipoptena cervi flies, 71% of 17 adult Hippobosca equina flies, 100% of 20 adult Melophagus ovinus flies, and 100% of 10 M. ovinus pupae. Our findings suggest that Hippoboscidae play a role in the transmission of Bartonella among ruminants. The vertical transmission of Bartonella in M. ovinus and the presence of Bartonella DNA in all samples suggest a symbiotic association between Bartonella and M. ovinus.Bartonella spp. are intracellular small gram-negative bacteria transmitted by blood-sucking arthropods and considered to be emerging pathogens in humans and animals (1,8,9,22). In recent years, these organisms have been identified in a wide range of wild and domestic mammals (4, 6, 7, 11), some of which have been associated with zoonoses. Recently, four new Bartonella species have been isolated from ruminants: B. schoenbuchensis and B. capreoli were recovered from wild roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) (3, 10), whereas B. bovis (3) and B. chomelii (20) were recovered from domestic cattle. There are no pathological outcomes associated with Bartonella infection in ruminants (5, 7).Arthropod vectors involved in the transmission of Bartonella spp. among ruminants are still unknown. As blood-sucking ectoparasites of ruminants, flies of the family Hippoboscidae are good candidates for the transmission of Bartonella. Among Hippoboscidae, Lipoptena, Hippobosca, and Melophagus are the three main genera which parasitize mammals (14, 18). The deer ked (Lipoptena cervi), the predominant Lipoptena species in Europe, parasitizes cervids (15), whereas the louse fly (Hippobosca equina) parasitizes cows and horses and the sheep ked (Melophagus ovinus) is a permanent ectoparasite of sheep (Ovis aries) (18).The aim of this study was to determine if Hippoboscidae could be putative vectors of Bartonella spp. in ruminants. We investigated whether Bartonella DNA could be detected in adult and pupal stages of Hippoboscidae collected from ruminants (domestic cattle and roe deer) known to be naturally infected with Bartonella spp. We extended the study to Hippoboscidae collected from sheep and horses for which no evidence of Bartonella infection had ever been demonstrated.Collection and identification of Hippoboscidae. Eighty-three Hippoboscidae flies of different species, stages, and genders were collected and taxonomically identified under a binocular lens (18). Samples were obtained from the hosts or from our parasitology collection (Table 1). Each sample was stored in absolute ethanol.DNA extraction and PCR. Each fly and pupa were washed three times in sterile water baths and once in a 70% ethanol bath and then dried. DNA was then extracted after the flies were crushed with a bead beater as previously described (16).A 380-bp fragment of the citrate synthase (gltA) gene of the genus Bartonella was amplified in fly DNA extracts by PCR, us...

Wild ruminants in the area of the North-Western Poland as potential reservoir hosts of Bartonella schoenbuchensis and B. bovis

“…Other bloodsucking arthropods infesting wild ruminants may be such vectors. B. schoenbuchensis and B. chomelii were isolated from flies from the superfamily Hippoboscidae infesting wild ruminants, such as deer fly (Lipoptena cervi), horse tick (Hippobosca equina) and sheep ked (Melophagus ovinus) (Dehio et al 2004, Halos et al 2004.…”

BartonellaInfection in Rodents and Their Flea Ectoparasites: An Overview

“…To accomplish such role, the arthropod needs to allow the transmission of the bacteria from one generation to another through vertical mechanisms, such as transstadial, transovarial, co-feeding, or even sexual mechanisms (Parola and Raoult 2001). The vertical transmission of Bartonella among arthropods has been explored in various studies (Halos et al 2004, Cotte et al 2008, Morick et al 2011, Morick et al 2013c. The detection of Bartonella DNA in the reproductive tissues of Cediopsylla inaequalis, Oropsylla hirsuta, Aetheca wagneri, and Orchopeas leucopus (Brinkerhoff et al 2010), and Ctenophthalmus congener truncus and Neopsylla sasai (Kabeya et al 2011) fleas, highlighted the potential transovarial transmission of Bartonella in fleas.…”

Detection of multiple Bartonella species in digestive and reproductive tissues of fleas collected from sympatric mammals

“…If vertical transmission of Bartonella within flea lineages exists, rare host-switching events could lead to the accumulation and maintenance of atypical Bartonella species in fleas. In a study of blood-sucking flies, 100% of pupae tested positive for Bartonella DNA (Halos et al, 2004), but we are unaware of any such reports in fleas. Bartonellae may also be transmitted through arthropod feces; louse feces have been shown to support B. quintana and are implicated in inoculating humans with this pathogen (Raoult and Roux, 1999).…”