title: Dynamics, co-infections and characteristics of zoonotic tick-borne pathogens in Hokkaido small mammals, Japan.
abstract: Many of the emerging infectious diseases originate in wildlife and many of them are caused by vector-borne pathogens. In Japan, zoonotic tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) are frequently detected in both ticks and wildlife. Here, we studied the infection rates of potentially zoonotic species, including Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, Neoehrlichia and Babesia spp., in Hokkaido's most abundant small mammals as they relate to variable extrinsic factors that might affect the infection rates of these pathogens. A total of 412 small mammals including 64 Apodemus argenteus, 219 Apodemus speciosus, 78 Myodes rufocanus, 41 Myodes rutilus, 6 Myodes rex and 4 Sorex unguiculatus were collected from Furano and Shari sites in Hokkaido, Japan, in 2010 and 2011 and were examined by multiplex PCR for TBPs. A reverse line blot hybridization (RLB) was then developed for the specific detection of 13 potentially zoonotic TBPs. A total of 4 TBPs were detected: Anaplasma sp. AP-sd, Ehrlichia muris, Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis and Babesia microti. The infection rates were 4.4% (18/412), 1.2% (5/412), 13.1% (54/412) and 17.2% (71/412), respectively. The infection rates of each of the detected TBPs were significantly correlated with host small mammal species. A total of 22 (two triple and 20 double) co-infection cases were detected (5.3%). The most frequent co-infection cases occurred between Candidatus N. mikurensis and B. microti 68.2% (15/22). Further studies are required to examine human exposure to these zoonotic TBPs in Hokkaido.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Wildlife Biology and Medicine, Department of Environmental Veterinary Sciences, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.
authors.forename: Mohamed Abdallah Mohamed
authors.initials: MAM
authors.lastname: Moustafa
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Wildlife Biology and Medicine, Department of Environmental Veterinary Sciences, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.
authors.forename: Kyle
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Parasitology, Department of Disease Control, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.
authors.forename: Ryo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nakao
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Wildlife Biology and Medicine, Department of Environmental Veterinary Sciences, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.
authors.forename: Michito
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shimozuru
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Wildlife Biology and Medicine, Department of Environmental Veterinary Sciences, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.
authors.forename: Mariko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sashika
authors.affiliation: Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all'Adige, Trento, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rosà
authors.affiliation: Unit of Risk Analysis and Management, Hokkaido University Research Center for Zoonosis Control, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan.
authors.forename: May June
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Thu
authors.affiliation: Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all'Adige, Trento, Italy.
authors.forename: Annapaola
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rizzoli
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Wildlife Biology and Medicine, Department of Environmental Veterinary Sciences, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan. Electronic address: tsubota@vetmed.hokudai.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Toshio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsubota
mesh_terms: D000709:Anaplasma / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000710:Anaplasmataceae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000711:Anaplasmataceae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000382:microbiology; D003411:Arvicolinae / Q000382:microbiology; D001403:Babesia / Q000302:isolation & purification; D041001:Babesia microti / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001404:Babesiosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D060085:Coinfection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D004536:Ehrlichia / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016873:Ehrlichiosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D018884:Ixodes / Q000382:microbiology*; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D051189:Murinae / Q000382:microbiology; D017282:Tick-Borne Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D015047:Zoonoses
keywords: Co-infection; Epidemiology; Reverse line blot; Tick-borne zoonosis