The southernmost foci of Dermacentor reticulatus in Italy and associated Babesia canis infection in dogs

Abstract

BackgroundTwo clustered clinical cases of canine babesiosis were diagnosed by veterinary practitioners in two areas of northeastern Italy close to natural parks. This study aimed to determine the seroprevalence of babesial infection in dogs, the etiological agents that cause canine babesiosis and the potential tick vector for the involved Babesia spp.MethodsThe study area was represented by two parks in northeastern Italy: Groane Regional Park (Site A) and the Ticino Valley Lombard Park (Site B). From March to May 2015 ticks were collected from the vegetation in three transects in each site. In the same period, blood samples were collected from 80 dogs randomly chosen from veterinary clinics and kennel located in the two areas. Morphological identification of the ticks was performed and six specimens were molecularly characterised by the amplification and sequencing of partial mitochondrial 12S rRNA, 16S rRNA and cox1 genes. For phylogenetic analyses, sequences herein obtained for all genes and those available from GenBank for other Dermacentor spp. were included. Dog serum samples were analysed with a commercial indirect fluorescent antibody test to detect the presence of IgG antibodies against Babesia canis. Ticks and blood samples were tested by PCR amplification using primers targeting 18S rRNA gene of Babesia spp.ResultsTicks collected (n = 34) were morphologically identified as adults of D. reticulatus. Twenty-eight ticks were found in all transects from Site A and the remaining six were collected in Site B. Blast analysis of mitochondrial sequences confirmed the morphological identification of processed tick specimens by revealing a highest nucleotide similarity (99–100 %) with those of D. reticulatus available in the GenBank database. The phylogenetic trees were concordant in clustering D. reticulatus in a monophyletic clade. Seven dogs (8.8 %) had antibodies against B. canis, most of which (n = 6) came from Site A. Analysis of nucleotide sequences obtained from one tick and from one dog identified B. canis displayed a 100 % similarity to those available in GenBank.ConclusionsThis study morphologically and molecularly confirms the presence of D. reticulatus in Italy and links it, for the first time, with the occurrence of B. canis infection in dogs in this country.

Diversity, ecology, and seasonality of hard ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) in eastern Croatia

“…The first activity peak was recorded in April and the second in November when the highest activity peak was recorded. A similar activity peak of D. reticulatus was recorded in central Europe (Hornok 2009 (Široký et al 2011, Földvári et al 2016, Olivieri et al 2016, Beck et al 2009). In Croatia, D. reticulatus was recognized as having an important role in the transmission of B. canis among different domestic or wild animals .…”

“…A similar activity peak of D. reticulatus was recorded in central Europe (Hornok ). Monitoring of the distribution of D. reticulatus is particulary important from a medical and veterinary point of view because this tick species is a vector of several important pathogens including Anaplasma marginale , Babesia canis , B. caballi, Theileria equi , Rickettsia raoultii, tick‐borne encephalitis virus, and Omsk haemorrhagic fever virus (Široký et al , Földvári et al , Olivieri et al , Beck et al ). In Croatia, D. reticulatus was recognized as having an important role in the transmission of B. canis among different domestic or wild animals (Beck et al ).…”

Francisella tularensis prevalence and load in Dermacentor reticulatus ticks in an endemic area in Central Europe

“…The growing geographic range of D. reticulatus and its potential for the transmission of diseases such as tularaemia or canine babesiosis in Europe are of concern (Siroký et al, 2011;Olivieri et al, 2016;Rubel et al, 2016).…”

Distribution of the tick Dermacentor reticulatus in the United Kingdom

“…), is endemic in Europe and has a distribution that stretches from Portugal in the west to Ukraine and Turkey in the east. The southernmost limits of its range occur in northern Portugal and Spain, northern Italy, Bulgaria and Turkey, and the northernmost in Wales and Latvia (European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, ; Földvári et al ., ; Olivieri et al ., ; Rubel et al ., ). It has a patchy distribution throughout its range, showing a general localization in moist habitats such as alluvial forests, swamps, lake shores and riverbanks, although it is also known to inhabit drier areas including woodland edge, heathland, grassland, sand dunes and even suburban forest (Tharme, ; Földvári et al ., ; Rubel et al ., ).…”