Abstract
Ticks are considered the second vector of human and animal diseases after mosquitoes. Therefore, identification of ticks and associated pathogens is an important step in the management of these vectors. In recent years, Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) has been reported as a promising method for the identification of arthropods including ticks. The objective of this study was to improve the conditions for the preparation of tick samples for their identification by MALDI-TOF MS from field-collected ethanol-stored Malian samples and to evaluate the capacity of this technology to distinguish infected and uninfected ticks. A total of 1,333 ticks were collected from mammals in three distinct sites from Mali. Morphological identification allowed classification of ticks into 6 species including Amblyomma variegatum, Hyalomma truncatum, Hyalomma marginatum rufipes, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus, Rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi and Rhipicephalus sanguineus sl. Among those, 471 ticks were randomly selected for molecular and proteomic analyses. Tick legs submitted to MALDI-TOF MS revealed a concordant morpho/molecular identification of 99.6%. The inclusion in our MALDI-TOF MS arthropod database of MS reference spectra from ethanol-preserved tick leg specimens was required to obtain reliable identification. When tested by molecular tools, 76.6%, 37.6%, 20.8% and 1.1% of the specimens tested were positive for Rickettsia spp., Coxiella burnetii, Anaplasmataceae and Borrelia spp., respectively. These results support the fact that MALDI-TOF is a reliable tool for the identification of ticks conserved in alcohol and enhances knowledge about the diversity of tick species and pathogens transmitted by ticks circulating in Mali.
Highlights
Ticks are bloodsucking arthropods that parasitize most of the vertebrates in the world and occasionally bite humans [1]
The aim of the present study was to improve tick leg sample preparation conditions for their identification by MALDI-TOF MS from Malian ethanol-preserved specimens collected in the field
The detection of microorganisms was performed by molecular biology revealing the presence of the presence of Rickettsia spp., Coxiella burnetii, Borrelia spp. and Anaplasmataceae
Summary
Ticks are bloodsucking arthropods that parasitize most of the vertebrates in the world and occasionally bite humans [1]. About 900 tick species have been identified and classified worldwide [2]. In Africa, the number of tick species indexed is 223, including 180 hard and 43 soft ticks [2]. Ticks are considered the second most important vector of human disease after mosquitoes and can transmit bacterial [1], viral [3] and protozoan pathogens [4]. A significant number of these pathogens are of exceptional importance, as they are responsible for high morbidity and mortality in humans and animals [1]. Identification of tick species is an important step in epidemiological studies, in order to establish tick species distribution maps and to characterize tick fauna and seasonal trends [5,6]
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