title: Detection of Babesia venatorum, Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis in Ixodes persulcatus ticks from Mongolia.
abstract: Information about the prevalence and geographical distribution of tick-borne pathogens Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis, and Babesia spp. is still rare in Mongolia. We tested 275 Ixodes persulcatus ticks for A. phagocytophilum, Cand. N. mikurensis and Babesia spp. and 125 Dermacentor nuttalli ticks especially for Babesia spp. using different PCR methods. Ticks were collected from three provinces (Selenge, Arkhangai, Khentii) in Mongolia. DNA of A. phagocytophilum, Cand. N. mikurensis and Babesia spp. were found with a prevalence of 6.2%, 1.5% and 3.3% in each case in I. persulcatus ticks. This is the first time Cand. N. mikurensis was found in ticks from Mongolia. Sequence analysis of Babesia spp.-positive amplicons showed exclusively B. venatorum, which had also not been mentioned in Mongolia before. On the contrary, all D. nuttalli ticks tested negatively for Babesia spp. This study demonstrates that all three zoonotic pathogens are present in I. persulcatus ticks in Mongolia, and justify the need for further investigations of a more detailed genetic characterization of these pathogens.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Animal Hygiene and Veterinary Public Health, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Carolin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Karnath
authors.affiliation: Institute of Animal Hygiene and Veterinary Public Health, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Obiegala
authors.affiliation: Institute of Animal Hygiene and Veterinary Public Health, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Speck
authors.affiliation: Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Essbauer
authors.affiliation: Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Henri
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Derschum
authors.affiliation: Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Holger
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Scholz
authors.affiliation: Comparative Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kiefer
authors.affiliation: National Center for Zoonotic Diseases, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
authors.forename: Damdindorj
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tserennorov
authors.affiliation: National Center for Zoonotic Diseases, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
authors.forename: Otgonbataar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Dashdavaa
authors.affiliation: National Center for Zoonotic Diseases, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
authors.forename: Nyamdorj
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tsogbadrakh
authors.affiliation: National Center for Zoonotic Diseases, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
authors.forename: Battsetseg
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jigjav
authors.affiliation: Institute of Animal Hygiene and Veterinary Public Health, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany. Electronic address: pfeffer@vetmed.uni-leipzig.de.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pfeffer
mesh_terms: D041081:Anaplasma phagocytophilum / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000710:Anaplasmataceae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D000711:Anaplasmataceae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D000818:Animals; D001403:Babesia / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001404:Babesiosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D003870:Dermacentor / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018884:Ixodes / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology; D008297:Male; D008986:Mongolia / Q000453:epidemiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
keywords: Anaplasma phagocytophilum; Babesia venatorum; Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis; Dermacentor nuttalli; Ixodes persulcatus; Mongolia; Tick-borne pathogens