Ticks and Tick-Borne Pathogens and Putative Symbionts of Black Bears (Ursus americanus floridanus) from Georgia and Florida

Yabsley, Michael J.; Nims, Todd N.; Savage, Mason Y.; Durden, Lance A.

doi:10.1645/ge-2111.1

Cited by 72 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…In many parts of the eastern United States, R. montanensis is the predominant rickettsial species detected in D. variabilis ticks (80). Approximately 10% to 17% of questing and attached specimens of D. variabilis collected from Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee contain this SFG rickettsia (78,122). R. montanensis has also been reported occasionally in A. americanum ticks (78).…”

Section: North and Central Americamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…"Candidatus Rickettsia cooleyi" is commonly encountered in populations of Ixodes scapularis ticks across the United States (78,104,122). In some areas, it is detected in 90% to 100% of I. scapularis ticks (104,145,146), suggesting that this species is an endosymbiont.…”

Section: North and Central Americamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…strain Is-1 (GenBank accession number DQ34462) and Rickettsia sp. strain TR-39 (accession number DQ480762) (122).…”

Section: North and Central Americaunclassified

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Update on Tick-Borne Rickettsioses around the World: a Geographic Approach

et al. 2013

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SUMMARY Tick-borne rickettsioses are caused by obligate intracellular bacteria belonging to the spotted fever group of the genus Rickettsia . These zoonoses are among the oldest known vector-borne diseases. However, in the past 25 years, the scope and importance of the recognized tick-associated rickettsial pathogens have increased dramatically, making this complex of diseases an ideal paradigm for the understanding of emerging and reemerging infections. Several species of tick-borne rickettsiae that were considered nonpathogenic for decades are now associated with human infections, and novel Rickettsia species of undetermined pathogenicity continue to be detected in or isolated from ticks around the world. This remarkable expansion of information has been driven largely by the use of molecular techniques that have facilitated the identification of novel and previously recognized rickettsiae in ticks. New approaches, such as swabbing of eschars to obtain material to be tested by PCR, have emerged in recent years and have played a role in describing emerging tick-borne rickettsioses. Here, we present the current knowledge on tick-borne rickettsiae and rickettsioses using a geographic approach toward the epidemiology of these diseases.

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Section: North and Central Americamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: North and Central Americamentioning

confidence: 99%

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Update on Tick-Borne Rickettsioses around the World: a Geographic Approach

et al. 2013

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“…Each of these tick species have unique host preferences that, taken together, encompasses a range of host animals (Oliver, 1989). Black bears have been reported to harbor many of the same tick species as humans, and not surprisingly, pathogenic bacteria have been detected in ticks parasitizing bears (King, 1960; Rogers and Rogers, 1976; Binninger et al, 1980; Schroeder, 1987; Kazmierczak et al, 1988; Yabsley et al, 2009; Nims and Durden, 2011). …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Detection of human bacterial pathogens in ticks collected from Louisiana black bears (Ursus americanus luteolus)

Leydet

Liang

2013

Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases

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There are 4 major human-biting tick species in the northeastern United States, which include: Amblyomma americanum, Amblyomma maculatum, Dermacentor variabilis, and Ixodes scapularis. The black bear is a large mammal that has been shown to be parasitized by all the aforementioned ticks. We investigated the bacterial infections in ticks collected from Louisiana black bears (Ursus americanus subspecies luteolus). Eighty-six ticks were collected from 17 black bears in Louisiana from June 2010 to March 2011. All 4 common human-biting tick species were represented. Each tick was subjected to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting select bacterial pathogens and symbionts. Bacterial DNA was detected in 62% of ticks (n=53). Rickettsia parkeri, the causative agent of an emerging spotted fever group rickettsiosis, was identified in 66% of A. maculatum, 28% of D. variabilis, and 11% of I. scapularis. The Lyme disease bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi, was detected in 2 I. scapularis, while one Am. americanum was positive for Borrelia bissettii, a putative human pathogen. The rickettsial endosymbionts Candidatus Rickettsia andeanae, rickettsial endosymbiont of I. scapularis, and Rickettsia amblyommii were detected in their common tick hosts at 21%, 39%, and 60%, respectively. All ticks were PCR-negative for Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Ehrlichia spp., and Babesia microti. This is the first reported detection of R. parkeri in vector ticks in Louisiana; we also report the novel association of R. parkeri with I. scapularis. Detection of both R. parkeri and Bo. burgdorferi in their respective vectors in Louisiana demands further investigation to determine potential for human exposure to these pathogens.

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“…Rickettsia-infected ticks were shown to be prevalent among imported pet reptiles, and to have the potential to successfully infect host animals (Takano et al, 2010). This species was introduced to the M a n u s c r i p t 8 US , Yabsley et al 2009), and could have been introduced from there to the Middle East, again, by importation of tick-infested animals. This demonstrates the potential hazard to local fauna (and flora), of introducing non-native pathogens by accidental vector importation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%