Detection and identification of bacterial agents in Ixodes persulcatus Schulze ticks from the north western region of Russia.
Ixodes persulcatus Schultze ticks are traditionally associated with transmission of Lyme disease, babesiosis, and tick-borne encephalitis. Here we compared the prevalence of infection with Borrelia burgdorferi, and rickettsial and ehrlichial agents in I. persulcatus ticks collected in different locations of the North Western administrative region of Russia. Altogether, 27.7% of ticks were infected with at least one organism, while the DNA of two or more bacteria was found in 11.8% of ticks tested. The highest average prevalence of Anaplasmataceae (20.8%) was detected in ticks from Arkhangel'sk province, while the prevalence in ticks from Novgorod province and St. Petersburg, respectively, was 7.3% and 12.2%. Only Ehrlichia muris DNA was identified by DNA sequencing. In comparison, the prevalence of B. burdorferi DNA was 16.6%, 5.8%, and 24.5% in the respective locations. The 382-bp amplicon of gltA from Candidatus Rickettsia tarasevichiae was detected in 2.75% and 1.6%, respectively, of ticks from Arkhangel'sk and Novgorod provinces, extending further west and north the area where this rickettsia is known to be present. DNA of the rickettsia-like endosymbiont Montezuma was primarily associated with female ticks, 8-28% of which were infected. Since I. persulcatus is so commonly infected with multiple agents that may cause human diseases, exposure to these ticks poses significant risk to human health in this region.
Eremeeva
Marina E
ME
Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Division of Viral and Rickettsial Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA. MEremeeva@cdc.gov
Oliveira
Alice
A
Moriarity
John
J
Robinson
Jennilee B
JB
Tokarevich
Nikolay K
NK
Antyukova
Ludmila P
LP
Pyanyh
Valentina A
VA
Emeljanova
Olga N
ON
Ignatjeva
Valentina N
VN
Buzinov
Roman
R
Pyankova
Valentina
V
Dasch
Gregory A
GA
D000710:Anaplasmataceae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000818:Animals; D001179:Arthropod Vectors / Q000382:microbiology*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D052160:Benzothiazoles; D001898:Borrelia / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003959:Diamines; D004536:Ehrlichia / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D018884:Ixodes / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000032:analysis; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence; D011804:Quinolines; D012281:Rickettsia / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012426:Russia
D052160:Benzothiazoles; D003959:Diamines; D009930:Organic Chemicals; D011804:Quinolines; C098022:SYBR Green I