Bacterial pathogens and endosymbionts in ticks.
Ticks collected from goats in northern Greece were tested for the presence of tick-borne bacteria. Among adult ticks, 37 (57.8%) were Rhipicephalus bursa, 11 (17.2%) Dermacentor marginatus, 10 (15.6%) Ixodes ricinus, 3 (4.7%) Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato and 2 (3.1%) Haemaphysalis parva; one (1.6%) Rhipicephalus spp. tick was nymph. Rickettsia monacensis, Rickettsia massilae, Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Anaplasma platys were detected in I. ricinus and Rh. bursa ticks. A variety of Coxiella-like endosymbionts were detected in all tick genera tested, forming distinct clades from Coxiella burnetii in the phylogenetic tree based on the 16S rRNA gene. An additional endosymbiont, Candidatus Midichloria mitochondrii, was detected in most of the I. ricinus ticks. Surveillance for human pathogens in ticks provides knowledge helpful for the public health, while further studies are needed to determine the role of endosymbionts in tick physiology, vector competence and probably in public health.
Department of Microbiology, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. Electronic address: annap@med.auth.gr.
Anna
A
Papa
Department of Microbiology, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.
Katerina
K
Tsioka
Department of Microbiology, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.
Anastasia
A
Kontana
Directorate of Public Health, Regional Unit of Kavala, Kavala, Greece.
Christos
C
Papadopoulos
Clinic of Farm Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.
Nektarios
N
Giadinis
D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005260:Female; D015511:Goat Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology; D006041:Goats; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D026863:Ixodidae / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D010802:Phylogeny; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D013559:Symbiosis
D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
Anaplasma; Endosymbionts; Greece; Rickettsia; Tick