Abstract
BackgroundBirds are important hosts and dispersers of parasitic arthropods and vector-borne zoonotic pathogens. Particularly migratory species may carry these parasites over long distances in short time periods. Migratory hotspots present ideal conditions to get a snapshot of parasite and pathogen diversity of birds migrating between continents. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence and diversity of Rickettsia spp. in ticks collected from birds at a migratory hot-spot in the Danube Delta, Romania, eastern Europe.MethodsDNA was extracted from ticks that were collected from migratory birds in the Danube Delta during migratory seasons in 2011–2012. Two 360 bp fragments of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene and a 381 bp fragment Gene gltA were PCR amplified and analyzed by sequence analysis (performed at Macrogen Europe, Amsterdam, The Netherlands). Nucleotide sequences were compared to reference sequences available in the GenBank database, using Basic Local Alignment Search Tool.ResultsFour hundred ticks of four different species were found on 11 bird species. The prevalence of Rickettsia spp. infection was 14 % (56/400, CI: 11.7–29.1), with significantly more nymphs hosting rickettsial infection compared to larvae (48 vs 7; P < 0.001). Significantly more ticks in nymphal stage were hosting Rickettsia spp. infection in spring, than in autumn. Four different genospecies were found: R. monacensis (29 ticks), R. helvetica (13), R. massiliae (3) and R. slovaca (2). The seasonal distribution of different Rickettsia spp. was heterogeneous; with most of the R. monacensis-infected ticks were found in spring, while more R. helvetica were found in autumn than spring. R. massiliae was found only in autumn and R. slovaca was found only in spring.ConclusionThis study has shown that birds migrating through eastern Europe may carry ticks infected with a high diversity of rickettsial pathogens, with four Rickettsia spp. recorded. Migratory direction was important for pathogen burden, with seasonal differences in the occurrence of individual Rickettsia species. Here we report the first individual records of different Rickettsia spp. in H. concinna (R. monacensis), I. arboricola (R. helvetica, R. massiliae) and I. redikorzevi (R. helvetica) and also the first geographical record of occurrence of R. massiliae in Romania, representing the easternmost observation on the continent.
Highlights
Birds are important hosts and dispersers of parasitic arthropods and vector-borne zoonotic pathogens
All ticks were tested for the presence of SFG rickettsiae
Overall 14 % (56/400, confidence intervals (CIs): 11.7–29.1) of ticks were infected by Rickettsia spp., with significantly more nymphs hosting rickettsial infection compared to larvae (47 vs 8; P < 0.001)
Summary
Birds are important hosts and dispersers of parasitic arthropods and vector-borne zoonotic pathogens. Migratory birds can act as long distance carriers of vectors and pathogens of zoonotic potential [1] and may facilitate their transmission to humans, wildlife and domestic animals through their mobility, potentially exerting a high influence on the geographic distribution of pathogens and vectors [2]. Wild birds are hosts for various ectoparasites including ticks, which are competent vectors for a number of pathogens causing diseases in humans and animals [3]. In Europe, migratory birds are commonly hosting a number of tick species, with species of the genera Ixodes, Hyalomma, Rhipicephalus and Haemaphysalis most frequently collected [6,7,8]. In Romania, wild birds were found to be parasitized by several tick species, i.e. Ixodes ricinus, I. arboricola, I. redikorzevi, Haemaphysalis concinna, Hyalomma marginatum and Rhipicephalus sanguineus [9, 10]
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