Abstract
In this study, we investigated the presence of tick-borne pathogens in ticks removed from tick-bitten humans in the southwestern provinces of the Republic of Korea (ROK). We identified 33 ticks from three tick species, namely Amblyomma testudinarium (60.6%), Haemaphysalis longicornis (27.3%), and Ixodes nipponensis (12.1%) in order of occurrence via morphology and 16S rDNA-targeting polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Tick-borne pathogens were detected in 16 ticks using pathogen-specific PCR. From the results, 12 ticks (36.4%) tested positive for spotted fever group (SFG) Rickettsia: Rickettsia monacensis (1/12), R. tamurae (8/12), and Candidatus Rickettsia jingxinensis (3/12). Three ticks (9.1%) were positive for Anaplasma phagocytophilum. In addition, three ticks (9.1%) tested positive for Babesia gibsoni (1/3) and B. microti (2/3). In conclusion, we identified three tick species; the most common species was A. testudinarium, followed by H. longicornis and I. nipponensis. SFG Rickettsia, A. phagocytophilum, and Babesia spp. were the most frequently detected pathogens in ticks removed from tick-bitten humans. To our knowledge, this is the first report of R. tamurae and Ca. R. jingxinensis detection in Korea. The present results will contribute to the understanding of tick-borne infections in animals and humans in the ROK.
Highlights
Ticks are major vectors of pathogens, such as bacteria, viruses, and protozoans
Previous studies that investigated the prevalence of infectious agents in ticks collected by dragging and flagging grass vegetation in the Republic of Korea (ROK) showed that A. phagocytophilum was detected in 1.9% of H. longicornis ticks [16] and 0.1% of I. persulcatus ticks, while Rickettsia spp. was detected in 1.7% of H. longicornis ticks [17]
One study reported that a pool of H. longicornis, H. flava, and I. nipponensis ticks collected by dragging vegetation in the ROK were positive for Rickettsia spp. 17 kDa protein gene (17 kDa) antigen (60/311, 19.3%) and outer membrane protein A gene (ompA) (53/311, 17.04%) [18]
Summary
Ticks are major vectors of pathogens, such as bacteria, viruses, and protozoans These arthropods and protozoans can transmit a variety of diseases in humans and animals [1]. Tick-borne diseases are caused by viral or bacterial pathogens transmitted through tick bites. Several tickborne diseases, such as Lyme disease (caused by Borrelia spp.), spotted fever group rickettsioses (caused by Rickettsia spp.), anaplasmosis (caused by Anaplasma phagocytophilum), bartonellosis (caused by Bartonella spp.), Q fever (caused by Coxiella burnetii), and babesiosis (caused by Babesia spp.) have been reported in the Republic of Korea (ROK) [2]. Few studies have investigated the prevalence of tick-borne pathogens in ticks removed from tick-bitten humans in the ROK. The present study aimed to investigate the presence of tick-borne pathogens in ticks removed from humans in the southwest provinces of the ROK.
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