Prevalence Of Bartonella Research Articles

Tick-borne pathogens in the European polecat, Mustela putorius and in attached Ixodes hexagonus ticks from Germany

The European polecat, Mustela putorius, occurs almost throughout Europe. However, there is a lack of data on the ectoparasite fauna and the potential role in the circulation of tick-borne pathogens (TBP) of this mustelid species. The aim of this study was to investigate whether M. putorius contributes to the maintenance of TBP in Germany. DNA samples extracted from spleen tissue of 117 M. putorius, which had been collected mainly in North-western Germany from 2012 to 2015, were tested by real-time and conventional PCRs for Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Babesia spp., Bartonella spp., Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis (CNM) and Hepatozoon spp. In addition, 200 randomly selected engorged Ixodes hexagonus ticks (100 females and 100 nymphs) collected from 39 of the 88 M. putorius were tested for these TBPs, except for Hepatozoon spp., and additionally for Borrelia spp. and Rickettsia spp. Three of six pathogens were detected in the spleen tissue of the 117 M. putorius: A. phagocytophilum (n = 5; 4.3%), Babesia cf. odocoilei (n = 1; 0.9%) and CNM (n = 1; 0.9%), including one case of co-infection (A. phagocytophilum and CNM). Ixodes hexagonus ticks tested positive only for Bartonella spp. (26/200 ticks; 13.0%) which were detected exclusively in adult female ticks. Sequencing revealed the presence of Bartonella taylorii and uncultured Bartonella spp. The results suggest that M. putorius neither seems to serve as the main reservoir nor plays an important role in maintaining TBPs in Germany but may rather contribute to the dilution of these pathogens. However, M. putorius contributes to the maintenance of tick populations, especially of I. hexagonus. The high prevalence of Bartonella spp. in I. hexagonus ticks may suggest a certain importance of this tick species in the maintenance of these bacteria in nature.

Pathogens in fleas collected from cats and dogs: distribution and prevalence in the UK

BackgroundFleas (Siphonaptera) are the most clinically important ectoparasites of dogs and cats worldwide. Rising levels of pet ownership, climate change and globalisation are increasing the importance of a detailed understanding of the endemicity and prevalence of flea-borne pathogens. This requires continued surveillance to detect change. This study reports a large-scale survey of pathogens in fleas collected from client-owned cats and dogs in the UK.MethodsRecruited veterinary practices were asked to follow a standardised flea inspection protocol on a randomised selection of cats and dogs brought into the practice in April and June 2018. A total of 326 practices participated and 812 cats and 662 dogs were examined. Fleas were collected, identified to species and pooled flea samples from each host were analysed for the presence of pathogens using PCR and sequence analysis.ResultsOverall, 28.1% of cats and 14.4% of dogs were flea infested. More than 90% of the fleas on both cats and dogs were cat fleas, Ctenocephalides felis felis. Fleas of the same species from each infested host were pooled. DNA was amplified from 470 of the pooled flea samples using conventional PCR, 66 of which (14% ± 95% CI 3.14%) were positive for at least one pathogen. Fifty-three (11.3% ± 95% CI 2.85%) of the pooled flea DNA samples were positive for Bartonella spp., 35 were from cats and 4 from dogs, the remainder had no host record. Seventeen of the Bartonella spp. samples were found to be Bartonella henselae, 27 were Bartonella clarridgeiae (of two different strains), 4 samples were Bartonella alsatica and one was Bartonella grahamii; 4 samples could not be identified. Fourteen (3% ± 95% CI 1.53%) of the flea DNA samples were found to be positive for Dipylidium caninum, 10 of the D. caninum-infected samples were collected from cats and one from a dog, the other 3 positive flea samples had no host species record. Only 3 flea samples were positive for Mycoplasma haemofelis or Mycoplasma haemocanis; 2 were collected from cats and one had no host species record. Three fleas were positive for both D. caninum and Bartonella spp. One flea was positive for both Bartonella spp. and M. haemofelis or M. haemocanis.ConclusionsThis study highlights the need for ongoing flea control, particularly given the relatively high prevalence of Bartonella spp., which is of concern for both animal welfare and human health. The study demonstrates the ongoing need to educate pet owners about the effects of both flea infestation and also the pathogen risks these fleas present.

Bartonellae of Synanthropic Four-Striped Mice (Rhabdomys pumilio) from the Western Cape Province, South Africa.

Bartonella is a species-rich bacterial genus that infects a wide variety of wild and domestic animals, including rodents. Despite high levels of murid rodent diversity in Africa, associated Bartonella prevalence and diversity remains understudied, particularly within the southern African subregion. To address this, we sampled endemic four-striped mice, Rhabdomys pumilio, from three rural and two urban localities in the Western Cape Province, South Africa. PCR screening and multilocus sequence analysis inclusive of five genome regions (gltA, nuoG, ribC, rpoB, and ITS), were respectively used to evaluate Bartonella status and diversity in these synanthropic rodent populations. An overall infection rate of 15% was recovered, ranging from 0% for an urban locality to 36.4% for a rural locality, consistent with the higher flea abundance recorded at the latter sites. Nucleotide sequencing and phylogenetic analyses confirmed the presence of three distinct Bartonella lineages (I-III), with lineages II and III grouping with bartonellae previously detected in R. pumilio from nature reserves in the Free State Province of South Africa, and lineage I being novel and sister to Bartonella strains identified previously in Micaelamys namaquensis. Our results indicate significant landscape effects on infection rates, highlight differential PCR assay performance, and identify three host-associated Bartonella lineages in Rhabdomys from South Africa.

Testing for Bartonella ssp. DNA in cerebrospinal fluid of dogs with inflammatory central nervous system disease.

BackgroundNeurobartonellosis occurs in people. The role these organisms might play in inflammatory brain disease of dogs is unclear.Hypothesis/ObjectivesThat Bartonella spp. DNA would be amplified more commonly from the CSF of dogs with inflammatory disease compared to those with noninflammatory disease. To report the prevalence of Bartonella spp. in dogs with and without inflammatory CNS disease with a commercially available PCR assay.AnimalsCerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from 172 dogs from either Washington State University or Colorado State University.MethodsRetrospective study. A search was performed of all medical records from dogs with CSF samples submitted to CSU's Center for Companion Animal Studies or Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory from CSU or WSU for Toxoplasma or Neospora PCR assay. Increased CSF nucleated cell counts and an adequate volume of CSF must have been present to evaluate Bartonella spp. by PCR assay.ResultsInflammatory CNS disease was confirmed in 65 dogs, none of which were positive for Bartonella spp. DNA. Of the other 107 dogs, one was positive for B. henselae DNA. The CSF from this dog contained red blood cells.Conclusions and Clinical ImportanceFailure to amplify Bartonella spp. DNA from the CSF of the dogs with inflammatory disease suggests the organism was not involved in the etiology of the disease, the organism was in the CNS tissues but not in the CSF, or the organism was present but in quantities undetectable by this PCR assay. The combination of PCR and culture is the most sensitive way to detect Bartonella spp. and the use of that technique should be considered in future studies.

Identification of Leptospira and Bartonella among rodents collected across a habitat disturbance gradient along the Inter-Oceanic Highway in the southern Amazon Basin of Peru.

BackgroundThe southern Amazon Basin in the Madre de Dios region of Peru has undergone rapid deforestation and habitat disruption, leading to an unknown zoonotic risk to the growing communities in the area.Methodology/Principal findingsWe surveyed the prevalence of rodent-borne Leptospira and Bartonella, as well as potential environmental sources of human exposure to Leptospira, in 4 communities along the Inter-Oceanic Highway in Madre de Dios. During the rainy and dry seasons of 2014–2015, we captured a total of 97 rodents representing 8 genera in areas that had experienced different degrees of habitat disturbance. Primarily by using 16S metagenomic sequencing, we found that most of the rodents (78%) tested positive for Bartonella, whereas 24% were positive for Leptospira; however, the patterns differed across seasons and the extent of habitat disruption. A high prevalence of Bartonella was identified in animals captured across both trapping seasons (72%–83%) and the relative abundance was correlated with increasing level of land disturbance. Leptospira-positive animals were more than twice as prevalent during the rainy season (37%) as during the dry season (14%). A seasonal fluctuation across the rainy, dry, and mid seasons was also apparent in environmental samples tested for Leptospira (range, 55%–89% of samples testing positive), and there was a high prevalence of this bacteria across all sites that were sampled in the communities.Conclusions/SignificanceThese data indicate the need for increased awareness of rodent-borne disease and the potential for environmental spread along the communities in areas undergoing significant land-use change.

Genetic diversity, infection prevalence, and possible transmission routes of Bartonella spp. in vampire bats.

Bartonella spp. are globally distributed bacteria that cause endocarditis in humans and domestic animals. Recent work has suggested bats as zoonotic reservoirs of some human Bartonella infections; however, the ecological and spatiotemporal patterns of infection in bats remain largely unknown. Here we studied the genetic diversity, prevalence of infection across seasons and years, individual risk factors, and possible transmission routes of Bartonella in populations of common vampire bats (Desmodus rotundus) in Peru and Belize, for which high infection prevalence has previously been reported. Phylogenetic analysis of the gltA gene for a subset of PCR-positive blood samples revealed sequences that were related to Bartonella described from vampire bats from Mexico, other Neotropical bat species, and streblid bat flies. Sequences associated with vampire bats clustered significantly by country but commonly spanned Central and South America, implying limited spatial structure. Stable and nonzero Bartonella prevalence between years supported endemic transmission in all sites. The odds of Bartonella infection for individual bats was unrelated to the intensity of bat flies ectoparasitism, but nearly all infected bats were infested, which precluded conclusive assessment of support for vector-borne transmission. While metagenomic sequencing found no strong evidence of Bartonella DNA in pooled bat saliva and fecal samples, we detected PCR positivity in individual saliva and feces, suggesting the potential for bacterial transmission through both direct contact (i.e., biting) and environmental (i.e., fecal) exposures. Further investigating the relative contributions of direct contact, environmental, and vector-borne transmission for bat Bartonella is an important next step to predict infection dynamics within bats and the risks of human and livestock exposures.

Bartonella infections in three species of Microtus: prevalence and genetic diversity, vertical transmission and the effect of concurrent Babesia microti infection on its success

BackgroundBartonella spp. cause persistent bacterial infections in mammals. Although these bacteria are transmitted by blood-feeding arthropods, there is also evidence for vertical transmission in their mammalian hosts. We aimed to determine: (i) the prevalence and diversity of Bartonella spp. in a Microtus spp. community; (ii) whether vertical transmission occurs from infected female voles to their offspring; (iii) the effect of concurrent Babesia microti infection on the success of vertical transmission of Bartonella; and (iv) the impact of congenital infection on pup survival.ResultsWe sampled 124 Microtus arvalis, 76 Microtus oeconomus and 17 Microtus agrestis. In total, 115 embryos were isolated from 21 pregnant females. In the following year 11 pregnant females were kept until they had given birth and weaned their pups (n = 62). Blood smears and PCR targeting the Bartonella-specific rpoB gene fragment (333bp) were used for the detection of Bartonella. Bartonella DNA was detected in 66.8% (145/217) of the wild-caught voles. Bartonella infection was detected in 81.8% (36/44) of pregnant female voles. Bartonella-positive individuals were identified among the embryos (47.1%; 40/85) and in 54.8% (34/62) of pups. Congenitally acquired Bartonella infections and co-infection with B. microti had no impact on the survival of pups over a 3-week period post partum. Among 113 Bartonella sequences, four species were detected: Bartonella taylorii, Bartonella grahamii, Bartonella doshiae and a Bartonella rochalimae-like genotype. Bartonella taylorii clade B was the dominant species in wild-caught voles (49%), pregnant females (47%), their embryos (85%), dams (75%) and pups (95%).ConclusionsHigh prevalence of Bartonella spp. infection maintained in Microtus spp. community is followed by a high rate of vertical transmission of several rodent species of Bartonella in three species of naturally infected voles, M. arvalis, M. oeconomus and M. agrestis. Congenitally acquired Bartonella infection does not affect the survival of pups. Co-infection with B. microti does not affect the effectiveness of the vertical transmission of Bartonella in voles. Bartonella taylorii clade B was found to be the dominant species in wild-caught voles, including pregnant females and dams, and in their offspring, and was also found to be the most successful in vertical transmission.

Molecular assessment of Bartonella in Gerbillus nanus from Saudi Arabia reveals high levels of prevalence, diversity and co-infection

Bartonellae bacteria are associated with several re-emerging human diseases. These vector-borne pathogens have a global distribution, yet data on Bartonella prevalence and diversity in the Arabian Peninsula are limited. In this study we assessed the Bartonella infection status of the Baluchistan gerbil (Gerbillus nanus), a species associated with pastoral communities throughout the Middle East region, using a multi-gene PCR screening approach. The results demonstrated that 94 (68.1%) of the 138 gerbils trapped on a monthly basis, over a period of one year, were PCR-positive. Sequencing of the gltA gene region confirmed the presence of four discrete Bartonella lineages (I–IV) and high levels of co-infection (33.0%). Each of the four lineages, varied in overall abundance (7.5%–47.9%) and had discernible seasonal peaks. Bartonella status was significantly correlated with ectoparasite presence, but not with sex, nor with season. Statistical analyses further revealed that co-infected individuals had a significantly higher relative body condition. Multi-locus sequence analysis (MLSA) performed with a concatenated dataset of three genetic loci (gltA, nuoG, and rpoB), 1452 nucleotides (nt) in length confirmed that lineage IV, which occurred in 24 PCR-positive animals (25.5%), is most closely related to zoonotic B. elizabethae. The remaining three lineages (I-III) formed a monophyletic clade which, on the basis of gltA was shown to contain bartonellae from diverse Gerbillinae species from the Middle East, suggestive of a gerbil-associated species complex in this region. Lineage I was identical to a Candidatus B. sanaae strain identified previously in Bushy-tailed jirds (Sekeetamys calurus) from Egypt, wherease MLSA indicate that lineages II and III are novel. The high levels of infection and co-infection, together with the presence of multiple Bartonella lineages indicate that Gerbillus nanus is likely a natural reservoir of Bartonella in the Arabian Peninsula.

BARTONELLOSIS (CAT-SCRATCH DISEASE) IN CHILDREN

Bartonelloses are a group of human diseases caused by gram-negative, aerobic, facultative intracellular bacteria, which only grow in the presence of blood or erythrocyte cleavage products. The diseases are characterized with multiple forms of clinical manifestations due to by systemic damage to internal organs. The clinical case presented by the authors demonstrates the difficulties of the bartonellosis diagnosis in children. The purpose of the demonstration is making aware of the problem of bartonellosis not only specialists in infectious diseases, but also pediatricians. It should be kept in mind that any atypical manifestation of the disease is the reason to rule out infectious pathology. In view of high prevalence of Bartonella among both domestic and wild animals, general immunodeficiency of the population, an increase in the number of HIV-infected patients, an unfavourable environmental and migration situation, the problem of Bartonellosis acquires great social importance for the population of Russia.

Infections with Bartonella spp. in free-ranging cervids and deer keds (Lipoptena cervi) in Norway.

Bartonella bacteria are arthropod-borne and can cause long-term bacteremia in humans and animals. The predominant arthropod vectors and the mode of transmission for many novel Bartonella species remain elusive or essentially unstudied. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of Bartonella spp. in Norwegian cervids and deer keds (Lipoptena cervi) and to characterise the bacteria by sequencing of the partial gltA gene and 16 S-23 S rRNA intergenic spacer region (ITS) in order to evaluate a possible transmission route. A total of 260 spleen samples and 118 deer keds were collected from cervids by hunters in the Southern part of Norway. Bartonella DNA was detected in 10.5% of spleen samples of roe deer (n = 67), in 35.1% red deer (n = 37), in 35.9% moose (n = 156), and in 85% pools of adult wingless deer ked (n = 59). Two Bartonella lineages were identified based on phylogenetic analysis of the gltA gene and ITS region sequences.

Eco-epidemiology of Novel Bartonella Genotypes from Parasitic Flies of Insectivorous Bats.

Bats are important zoonotic reservoirs for many pathogens worldwide. Although their highly specialized ectoparasites, bat flies (Diptera: Hippoboscoidea), can transmit Bartonella bacteria including human pathogens, their eco-epidemiology is unexplored. Here, we analyzed the prevalence and diversity of Bartonella strains sampled from 10 bat fly species from 14 European bat species. We found high prevalence of Bartonella spp. in most bat fly species with wide geographical distribution. Bat species explained most of the variance in Bartonella distribution with the highest prevalence of infected flies recorded in species living in dense groups exclusively in caves. Bat gender but not bat fly gender was also an important factor with the more mobile male bats giving more opportunity for the ectoparasites to access several host individuals. We detected high diversity of Bartonella strains (18 sequences, 7 genotypes, in 9 bat fly species) comparable with tropical assemblages of bat-bat fly association. Most genotypes are novel (15 out of 18 recorded strains have a similarity of 92-99%, with three sequences having 100% similarity to Bartonella spp. sequences deposited in GenBank) with currently unknown pathogenicity; however, 4 of these sequences are similar (up to 92% sequence similarity) to Bartonella spp. with known zoonotic potential. The high prevalence and diversity of Bartonella spp. suggests a long shared evolution of these bacteria with bat flies and bats providing excellent study targets for the eco-epidemiology of host-vector-pathogen cycles.

Isolation and phylogenetic analysis of Bartonella species from Rusa deer (Rusa timorensis) in Thailand.

The aim of the present study is to investigate the prevalence of Bartonella infection in deer in Thailand and to characterize the isolates by biochemical, morphological and genetic analysis. A total of 247 blood samples were collected from Rusa deer (Rusa timorensis) in a livestock breeding facility in Thailand. Bartonella bacteria were isolated in 3.6% of the blood samples. Three out of 110 (2.7%) males and 6 of 137 (4.4%) females were positive for Bartonella. A higher prevalence of Bartonella was observed in young deer under 4 years of age compared to adults over 4 years of age, but no Bartonella was isolated from deer over 8 years of age. Phylogenetic analysis of concatenated sequences of seven loci of Bartonella indicated that all the isolates from Rusa deer in Thailand were identical and formed a distinct cluster from other known Bartonella species.

Diversity of Borrelia spirochetes and other zoonotic agents in ticks from Kyiv, Ukraine

Lyme borreliosis (LB) is caused by tick-borne spirochetes of the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex. LB is the most prevalent vector-borne illness in Ukraine, but current data on the prevalence of LB pathogens in their tick vector, Ixodes ricinus, are lacking. I. ricinus ticks may also carry Borrelia miyamotoi, an emerging relapsing fever group spirochete that has been implicated in human illness. Despite its zoonotic potential, the prevalence of B. miyamotoi in ticks has not been examined in Ukraine. Similarly, data on the prevalence of other important tick-borne pathogens, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Babesia spp., Bartonella spp., Francisella tularensis, and Rickettsia spp., in ixodid ticks are scarce or even absent. Thus, the overall objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence of these tick-borne pathogens in questing I. ricinus and Dermacentor reticulatus ticks collected in recreational parks of Kyiv, the most densely populated city of Ukraine. A total of 182 adult I. ricinus, 98 nymphal I. ricinus, and 98 adult D. reticulatus ticks were molecularly analyzed for the presence of these pathogens. As a result, the study shows a greater diversity of Borrelia genospecies in questing I. ricinus ticks than previously reported. The most prevalent genospecies in adult I. ricinus ticks were B. afzelii (7.7%), followed by B. burgdorferi sensu stricto (s.s.) (2.2%) and B. garinii (0.5%). In contrast, B. burgdorferi s.s. was most dominant in unfed I. ricinus nymphs (67.3%). Moreover, B. afzelii was detected in 11.2% of nymphs, but only 1.0% of nymphal ticks were positive for B. garinii and B. valaisiana. Importantly, this study provides the first record of B. miyamotoi detected in I. ricinus ticks from Ukraine (1.1%). Furthermore, the report is also the first to document other vector-borne pathogens, Bartonella henselae, Rickettsia conorii, and Rickettsia mendelii, in ixodid ticks from Ukraine. In summary, this work offers the latest data on the diversity and prevalence of the important zoonotic tick-borne agents in questing ticks from Kyiv, Ukraine. The data will help to better gauge the risk associated with vector-borne infections to which residents and guests of Ukraine’s capital may be exposed.

Prevalence of Bartonella spp. by culture, PCR and serology, in veterinary personnel from Spain

BackgroundThe genus Bartonella includes fastidious, facultative intracellular bacteria mainly transmitted by arthropods and distributed among mammalian reservoirs. Bartonella spp. implicated as etiological agents of zoonoses are increasing. Apart from the classical Bartonella henselae, B. bacilliformis or B. quintana, other species (B. elizabethae, B. rochalimae, B. vinsonii arupensis and B. v. berkhoffii, B. tamiae or B. koehlerae, among others) have also been associated with human and/or animal diseases. Laboratory techniques for diagnosis (culture, PCR assays and serology) usually show lack of sensitivity. Since 2005, a method based on a liquid enrichment Bartonella alphaproteobacteria growth medium (BAPGM) followed by PCRs for the amplification of Bartonella spp. has been developed. We aimed to assess culture, molecular and serological prevalence of Bartonella infections in companion animal veterinary personnel from Spain.MethodsEach of 89 participants completed a questionnaire. Immunofluorescence assays (IFA) using B. vinsonii berkhoffii (genotypes I, II and III), B. henselae, B. quintana and B. koehlerae as antigens were performed. A cut-off of 1:64 was selected as a seroreactivity titer. Blood samples were inoculated into BAPGM and subcultured onto blood agar plates. Bartonella spp. was detected using conventional and quantitative real-time PCR assays and DNA sequencing.ResultsAmong antigens corresponding to six Bartonella spp. or genotypes, the lowest seroreactivity was found against B. quintana (11.2%) and the highest, against B. v. berkhoffii genotype III (56%). A total of 27% of 89 individuals were not seroreactive to any test antigen. Bartonella spp. IFA seroreactivity was not associated with any clinical sign or symptom. DNA from Bartonella spp., including B. henselae (n = 2), B. v. berkhoffii genotypes I (n = 1) and III (n = 2), and B. quintana (n = 2) was detected in 7/89 veterinary personnel. PCR and DNA sequencing findings were not associated with clinical signs or symptoms. No co-infections were observed. One of the two B. henselae PCR-positive individuals was IFA seronegative to all tested antigens whereas the other one was not B. henselae seroreactive. The remaining PCR-positive individuals were seroreactive to multiple Bartonella spp. antigens.ConclusionsHigh serological and molecular prevalences of exposure to, or infection with, Bartonella spp. were found in companion animal veterinary personnel from Spain. More studies using BAPGM enrichment blood culture and PCR are needed to clarify the finding of Bartonella PCR-positive individuals lacking clinical symptoms.

MOLECULAR SURVEILLANCE FOR BARTONELLA, BORRELIA, AND RICKETTSIA SPECIES IN TICKS FROM DESERT BIGHORN SHEEP ( OVIS CANADENSIS) AND MULE DEER ( ODOCOILEUS HEMIONUS) IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, USA.

: Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) were collected from 44 desert bighorn sheep ( Ovis canadensis) and 10 mule deer ( Odocoileus hemionus) in southern California, US during health inspections in 2015-16. Specimens were identified and screened by PCR analysis to determine the presence and prevalence of Bartonella, Borrelia, and Rickettsia species in ticks associated with these wild ruminants. None of the 60 Dermacentor hunteri and 15 Dermacentor albipictus ticks tested yielded positive PCR results. Additional tick specimens should be collected and tested to determine the prevalence of these confirmed or suspected tickborne pathogens within ruminant populations.

Diversity and prevalence of Bartonella species in small mammals from Slovakia, Central Europe.

Wild-living rodents are important hosts for zoonotic pathogens. Bartonella infections are widespread in rodents; however, in Slovakia, knowledge on the prevalence of these bacteria in small mammals is limited. We investigated the prevalence and diversity of Bartonella species in the spleens of 640 rodents of six species (Apodemus flavicollis, Apodemus sylvaticus, Myodes glareolus, Microtus arvalis, Microtus subterraneus, and Micromys minutus) and in the European mole (Talpa europaea) from three different habitat types in south-western and central Slovakia. Overall, the prevalence of Bartonella spp. in rodents was 64.8%; a rate of 73.8% was found in natural habitat (deciduous forest), 56.0% in suburban forest park and 64.9% in rural habitat. Bartonella spp. were detected in 63.0% of A. flavicollis, 69% of My. glareolus and 61.1% of M. arvalis and in T. europaea. However, Bartonella were not found in the other examined rodents. Molecular analyses of the 16S-23S rRNA intergenic spacer region revealed the presence of four different Bartonella spp. clusters. We identified B. taylorii, B. rochalimae, B. elizabethae, B. grahamii and Bartonella sp. wbs11 in A. flavicollis and My. glareolus. Bartonella genotypes ascribed to B. taylorii and B. rochalimae were found in M. arvalis. B. taylorii was identified in T. europaea. Questing Ixodes ricinus ticks that were collected at the study sites were not infected with Bartonella. This study improves our understanding of the ecoepidemiology of Bartonella spp. in Europe and underlines the necessity for further research on Bartonella-host-vector associations and their consequences on animal and human health in Slovakia.

Bartonella, bats and bugs: A review.

Ecological, immunological, and epidemiological factors enable bats to transmit an increasingly recognized spectrum of zoonotic agents, and bartonellae are among those emerging pathogens identified in bats and their arthropod ectoparasites. Current data reveal a multifaceted disease ecology where diverse host species distributed around the world interact with a number of Bartonella spp. and several potential vectors. This review summarizes the methods and findings of studies conducted since 2005 to illustrate that Bartonella bacteremia varies by bat species, location, and other potential variables, such as diet with a very high prevalence in hematophagous bats. Among bat families, Bartonella prevalence ranged from 7.3% among Nycteridae to 54.4% in Miniopteridae. Further research can build on these current data to better determine risk factors associated with Bartonella infection in bat populations and the role of their ectoparasites in transmission.

Description ofCandidatusBartonella fadhilae n. sp. andCandidatusBartonella sanaae n. sp. (Bartonellaceae) fromDipodillus dasyurusandSekeetamys calurus(Gerbillinae)from the Sinai Massif (Egypt)

Bartonella spp. are parasites of mammalian erythrocytes and endothelial cells, transmitted by blood-feeding arthropod ectoparasites. Different species of rodents may constitute the main hosts of Bartonella, including several zoonotic species of Bartonella. The aim of this study was to identify and compare Bartonella species and genotypes isolated from rodent hosts from the South Sinai, Egypt. Prevalence of Bartonella infection was assessed in rodents (837 Acomys dimidiatus, 73 Acomys russatus, 111 Dipodillus dasyurus, and 65 Sekeetamys calurus) trapped in 2000, 2004, 2008, and 2012 in four dry montane wadis around St. Katherine town in the Sinai Mountains. Total DNA was extracted from blood samples, and PCR amplification and sequencing of the Bartonella-specific 860-bp gene fragment of rpoB and the 810-bp gene fragment of gltA were used for molecular and phylogenetic analyses. The overall prevalence of Bartonella in rodents was 7.2%. Prevalence differed between host species, being 30.6%, 10.8%, 9.6%, and 3.6% in D. dasyurus, S. calurus, A. russatus, and A. dimidiatus, respectively. The phylogenetic analyses of six samples of Bartonella (five from D. dasyurus and one from S. calurus) based on a fragment of the rpoB gene, revealed the existence of two distinct genetic groups (with 95–96% reciprocal sequence identity), clustering with several unidentified isolates obtained earlier from the same rodent species, and distant from species that have already been described (90–92% of sequence identity to the closest match from the GenBank reference database). Thus, molecular and phylogenetic analyses led to the description of two species: Candidatus Bartonella fadhilae n. sp. and Candidatus Bartonella sanaae n. sp. The identification of their vectors and the medical significance of these species need further investigation.

Effect of Bartonella spp. on the Freezing Tolerance in Female Ixodes scapularis

The aim of the current study was to determine the effect of Bartonella spp. on the freezing tolerance of engorged and non-engorged female Ixodes scapularis (Say). Bartonella is a genus of pathogenic vector-transmitted gram-negative bacteria, implicated in zoonotic disease transmission. I. scapularis ticks collected throughout Nova Scotia, Canada underwent freezing tolerance testing. DNA extraction, PCR and gel electrophoresis were then conducted to determine the presence and prevalence of Bartonella spp. in the experimental population. The experimental results demonstrated that the changes in the freezing tolerance as a result of the presence of Bartonella spp. were not statistically significant. The infection rate observed in the experimental population was 58.61%; this was significantly higher comparable to the infection rate found in earlier research. It was concluded that Bartonella spp. had no altering physiological effect on Ixodes scapularis.

Drivers of Bartonella infection in micromammals and their fleas in a Mediterranean peri-urban area

People living at the human/wildlife interface are at risk of becoming infected with Bartonella for which micromammals act as reservoir. We aimed to determine the factors related to the prevalence of Bartonella and its haplotype diversity in micromammals and in their fleas in a Mediterranean peri-urban environment. We analyzed 511 micromammals, chiefly 407 wood mice (Apodemus sylvaticus), captured into Barcelona metropolitan area (Spain) in spring and autumn from 2011 to 2013 in two natural and two adjacent residential areas, their fleas (grouped in 218 monospecific pools) and 29 fetuses from six Bartonella-positive female wood mice. Amplification of a fragment of ITS was carried out by real time PCR. Prevalence was 49% (57% in the dominant species, the wood mouse), and 12 haplotypes were detected. In general, prevalence was higher in those hosts more heavily infested by fleas, coincident with higher rates of capture, in autumn than in spring, and in adults than in juveniles. Prevalence did not differ between natural and residential areas except for one prevalent haplotype, which was more frequent in natural areas. Prevalence in flea pools (58%) was only explained by Bartonella occurrence in the pool host. In 56.4% of the flea pools with identified Bartonella haplotypes, we found the same haplotype in the host and in its flea pool. Prevalence in wood mouse fetuses was 69%, with at least one infected fetus in all litters, and two litters with all the fetuses infected. indicating that vertical transmission might be important in Bartonella epidemiology in the wood mouse. There is a hazard of Bartonella infection for people living in residential areas and those visiting peri-urban natural areas in Barcelona.