title: Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis in ticks and rodents from urban and natural habitats of South-Western Slovakia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis (CNM) is an emerging tick-borne pathogen causing severe disease in immunocompromised patients. In Europe, Ixodes ricinus is the primary vector and rodents act as reservoir hosts. New data on the prevalence of CNM in ticks and rodents contribute to the knowledge on the distribution of endemic areas and circulation of the bacterium in natural foci.
  
  
  METHODS
  Questing ticks were collected and rodents were trapped in urban/suburban and natural habitats in South-Western Slovakia from 2011 to 2014. DNA from questing and rodent-attached ticks and rodent tissues were screened for CNM by real-time PCR. Rodent spleen samples positive for CNM were characterised at the groEL gene locus. Spatial and temporal differences in CNM prevalence in ticks and rodents and co-infections of ticks with CNM and Anaplasma phagocytophilum were analysed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The presence of CNM was confirmed in questing and rodent-attached I. ricinus ticks and in rodents. Total prevalence in both ticks and rodents was significantly higher in the natural habitat (2.3% and 10.1%, respectively) than in the urban/suburban habitat (1.0% and 3.3%, respectively). No seasonal pattern in CNM prevalence in ticks was observed, but prevalence in rodents was higher in autumn than in spring. CNM was detected in Apodemus flavicollis, Myodes glareolus, Microtus arvalis and Micromys minutus, with the highest prevalence in M. arvalis (30%). By screening CNM dissemination in rodent tissues, infection was detected in lungs of all specimens with positive spleens and in blood, kidney, liver and skin of part of those individuals. Infection with CNM was detected in 1.3% of rodent attached I. ricinus ticks. Sequences of a fragment of the groEL gene from CNM-positive rodents showed a high degree of identity with sequences of the gene amplified from ticks and infected human blood from Europe. Only 0.1% of CNM-positive questing ticks carried A. phagocytophilum. Ticks infected with CNM prevailed in the natural habitat (67.2%), whereas ticks infected with A. phagocytophilum prevailed in the urban/suburban habitat (75.0%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study confirmed the circulation of CNM between I. ricinus ticks and rodents in South-Western Slovakia, and indicates a potential risk of contracting human infections.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 84506, Bratislava, Slovakia. svitalkova@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Zuzana Hamšíková
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Svitálková
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biostatistics and Analyses, Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 3, 62500, Brno, Czech Republic. harustiakova@iba.muni.cz.
authors.forename: Danka
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Haruštiaková
authors.affiliation: Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 84506, Bratislava, Slovakia. lenka.mydlova@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Lenka
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mahríková
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Mlynská Dolina B-1, 84215, Bratislava, Slovakia. mojsova.michala@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Michala
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mojšová
authors.affiliation: Institute of Virology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 84505, Bratislava, Slovakia. lenka.berthova@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Lenka
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Berthová
authors.affiliation: Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 84506, Bratislava, Slovakia. slovak.mirko@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Mirko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Slovák
authors.affiliation: Institute of Virology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 84505, Bratislava, Slovakia. ela.kocianova@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kocianová
authors.affiliation: UMR BIPAR, Anses, 23 Avenue du Général de Gaulle, 94700, Maisons-Alfort, France. mvayssier@vet-alfort.fr.
authors.forename: Muriel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vayssier-Taussat
authors.affiliation: Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 84506, Bratislava, Slovakia. maria.kazimirova@savba.sk.
authors.forename: Mária
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kazimírová
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; D001096:Arachnid Vectors / Q000382:microbiology*; D060085:Coinfection; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000382:microbiology; D017753:Ecosystem; D016873:Ehrlichiosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018884:Ixodes / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D012306:Risk; D012377:Rodentia; D018154:Slovakia / Q000453:epidemiology; D013984:Tick Infestations / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology