Abstract
Ticks play an important role in disease transmission as vectors for human and animal pathogens, including the Gram-negative pathogen Bartonella. Here, we evaluated the presence of Bartonella in ixodid ticks and domestic animals from Palestine. We tested 633 partly engorged ticks and 139 blood samples from domestic animals (dogs, sheep and camels) for Bartonella using ITS-PCR. Bartonella DNA was detected in 3.9% of the tested ticks. None of the ticks collected from sheep and goats were positive for Bartonella. Seventeen R. sanguineus ticks (17/391; 4.3%) collected from dogs were infected with B. rochalimae (n = 10), B. chomelii (n = 6), and B. koehlerae (n = 1). Four H. dromedarri ticks (4/63; 6.3%) obtained from camels were infected with B. bovis (n = 2) and B. rochalimae (n = 2). Among canine blood samples (n = 110), we found one asymptomatic female dog to be infected with B. rochalimae (0.9%). The detection of zoonotic Bartonella species in this study should raise awareness of these vector-borne diseases among physicians, veterinarians and public health workers and highlight the importance of surveillance and preventive measures in the region.
Highlights
Tick-borne diseases comprise a group of globally distributed and rapidly spreading illnesses caused by a range of pathogens
Among the canine blood samples (n = 110; 22 female: 88 males), one female dog sample was positive for Bartonella, yielding a PCR-amplified Intergenic Transcribed Spacer (ITS) sequence that showed 99% sequence identity to the reference sequence of B. rochalimae (FN645466.1)
Seventeen R. sanguineus ticks were infected with B. rochalimae (n = 10), B. chomelii (n = 6), and B. koehlerae (n = 1)
Summary
Tick-borne diseases comprise a group of globally distributed and rapidly spreading illnesses caused by a range of pathogens. Molecular approaches make it possible to screen ticks for pathogens of veterinary and public health importance and perform detailed epidemiological studies (Sparagano et al, 1999). Bartonellosis is an infectious disease caused by bacteria from the genus Bartonella, which infect erythrocytes and endothelial cells in humans (Harms and Dehio, 2012). These pathogens are transmitted by biting arthropod vectors and infect a wide range of wild and domestic mammals, including rodents, cats, dogs, and cattle. Cats are infected through the bites of cat fleas, while humans are directly infected through scratches or bites from an infected cat (Billeter et al, 2008)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
