Rhipicephalus Sanguineus Sensu Lato Research Articles

Rickettsia communities and their relationship with tick species within and around the national park of Iguaçu, Brazil.

We report Rickettsia species from 2,334 ticks collected from environment (1,939 ticks) and animals (395 ticks) in the largest inland fragment of the Atlantic rainforest of southern Brazil and its fragments. Additionally, the DNA infection rates of Amblyomma ovale tick populations in the Neotropics with Rickettsia bellii and Rickettsia parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest were calculated using data from scientific publications, and their correlation was evaluated. From 11 tick species Rickettsia DNA was detected in seven (Amblyomma brasiliense, Amblyomma coelebs, Amblyomma incisum, Amblyomma longirostre, A. ovale, Haemaphysalis juxtakochi, Ixodes fuscipes) and was not detected in four species (Amblyomma dubitatum, Ixodes loricatus, Rhipicephalus microplus and Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato). DNA of five Rickettsia species was detected (R. bellii, Rickettsia amblyommatis, Rickettsia rhipicephali, Rickettsia felis and Rickettsia sp. Aragaoi). To determine the prevalence of Rickettsia DNA positivity according to vector species, ticks were processed individually or in pools of 2-10 individuals (samples). The most prevalent Rickettsia species was R. bellii, found in 112 samples, followed by R. amblyommatis, R. rhipicephali, R. felis and Rickettsia sp. Aragaoi, found in 16, five, two and one sample, respectively. Rickettsia bellii DNA was found in five tick species with the highest infection rate in A. ovale and A. brasiliense. Absence of R. parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest in A. ovale ticks was an unexpected result. Furthermore, a negative correlation was identified between the infection rates (DNA) of R. bellii and/or R. parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest within A. ovale tick populations in the Neotropics. Putting together current knowledge, it can be proposed that, within natural settings, the diversity of rickettsiae and ticks creates a buffering effect on the overgrowth of rickettsiae and episodes of bacteremia in the hosts.

Morphological and molecular identification of the brown dog tick in Mexico.

Ticks of the Rhipicephalus sanguineus complex are known as the brown dog ticks. This complex groups at least 12 species of ticks that are distributed worldwide. On the American continents, R. sanguineus sensu stricto (s.s.), is distributed in temperate areas, while Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato (s.l.), also called "tropical lineage" is distributed in tropical regions. Previous analyses of brown dog ticks from Mexico have identified the so-called tropical lineage and the country generally has a climate more favorable for these ticks (> 20o C in average). In addition, some pathogens thought to be transmitted by this lineage (such as Ehrlichia canis, and Rickettsia rickettsii) are prevalent in Mexico. Herein we aim to contribute to the study of brown dog ticks by providing morphological identification and molecular analysis of mt 12S rDNA and 16S rDNA sequences from ticks collected from 12 states in Mexico. Our results indicate that the tropical lineage of R. sanguineus s.l., recently redescribed as R. linnaei is widely distributed in Mexico.

Molecular investigation of Coxiella burnetii and Francisella tularensis infection in ticks in northern, western, and northwestern Iran.

Tularemia and Q fever are endemic diseases in Iran; however, little information is available on the prevalence of the causative agents, Coxiella burnetii and Francisella tularensis, in Iranian ticks. This study investigated C. burnetii and F. tularensis among hard ticks in this country. We collected ticks from livestock and other mammals in Guilan, Mazandaran, Golestan (northern Iran), Kurdistan (western Iran), and West Azerbaijan (northwestern Iran) provinces. Genomic DNA from collected ticks was extracted and screened for C. burnetii and F. tularensis using Real-time PCR. A total of 4,197 ticks (belonging to 12 different species) were collected, and Ixodes ricinus (46.4%), Rhipicephalus turanicus (25%), and Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato (19.1%) were the most collected species. Of 708 pooled tick samples, 11.3% and 7.20% were positive for C. burnetii and F. tularensis, respectively. The genus of Rhipicephalus had the highest (18.3%) C. burnetii infection among the collected tick pools (P<0.001). Furthermore, the most positive pools for F. tularensis belonged to Haemaphysalis spp. (44.4%). Kurdistan had the most significant percentage of C. burnetii-infected ticks (92.5%), and there was a meaningful relationship between the provinces and the infection (P< 0.001). The ticks from Golestan exhibited the highest F. tularensis infection rate (10. 9%), and the infection showed no significant relationship with the provinces (P = 0.19). Ticks collected from grasslands had a higher Coxiella burnetii infection rate than those collected from animals (39.4% vs. 7.9%; p<0.01). However, ticks collected from animal surfaces had a slightly higher rate of Francisella tularensis infection than those collected from grasslands (7.6% vs. 3.9%; p = 0.24). Here, we demonstrated the presence of both pathogens in the north (Guilan, Mazandaran, and Golestan provinces), the west (Kurdistan province), and the northwest (West Azerbaijan province) of Iran. The public health system should pay particular attention to tick bites in veterinary medicine and humans.

Diversity of Rickettsia spp. in ticks from wild mammals of Morocco and Mauritania

Ticks are known as vectors and reservoirs of rickettsiae and, wildlife vertebrate hosts as suitable dispersers of ticks contributing to the life cycle of rickettsial agents in nature. In the herein study, the presence of rickettsiae was investigated in ticks from wild mammals (Gerbillus and Jaculus, Vulpes rueppellii, Canis anthus, Felis lybica and Felis margarita) in Mauritania and Morocco. Morphological and molecular analysis of ticks allowed their identification as Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato and Hyalomma impeltatum. A total of 126 partially engorged adult ticks, collected from 40 animals, were screened for the presence of rickettsial DNA by conventional PCR targeting the ompB gene, followed by ompA and gltA targets and bidirectional sequencing. As a result of the sequence analyses, that at least three different species of pathogenic spotted fever group rickettsiae were detected. Rickettsia parkeri-like was detected in a R. sanguineus s.l. (n=1) collected from an African wildcat from Morocco. Rickettsia aeschlimannii was detected in a H. impeltatum (n=1) collected from a gerbil rodent. Rickettsia massiliae was detected in R. sanguineus s.l. ticks (n=5) collected from two Ruppells' foxes. The herein study demonstrates that pathogenic Rickettsia species are circulating in Morocco and Mauritania wildlife.

Genetic diversity of vector-borne pathogens in ixodid ticks infesting dogs from Pakistan with notes on Ehrlichia canis, Rickettsia raoultii and Dirofilaria immitis detection

BackgroundVector-/tick-borne pathogens (V/TBPs) pose a potential threat to human and animal health globally. Information regarding canine V/TBPs is scarce and no specific study has been conducted so far to explore the microbial diversity within ticks infesting dogs from Pakistan. Herein, this knowledge gap is addressed by assessing the genetic diversity and prevalence pattern of V/TBPs in ixodid ticks with special implications for public and canine health.MethodsA total of 1150 hard ticks were collected from 300 dogs across central Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan. After morpho-molecular identification, 120 tick samples were screened for the presence of V/TBPs by amplifying 16S rRNA/gltA (Rickettsia/Ehrlichia and Wolbachia sp.), 18S rRNA (Theileria sp.) and cox1 (Dirofilaria sp.) genes through PCR followed by sequencing and phylogenetic study.ResultsIn toto, 50 ixodid ticks (50/120, 41.7%) were found positive for V/TBPs DNA. The detected V/TBPs were categorized into five genera and eight species, viz. Ehrlichia (E. canis and Ehrlichia sp.), Rickettsia (R. massiliae, R. raoultii and Rickettsia sp.), Theileria (T. annulata), Dirofilaria (D. immitis) and Wolbachia (Wolbachia sp.). The pathogen prevalence patterns showed that R. massiliae was the most prevalent zoonotic V/TBP (19.5%), followed by E. canis (10.8%), Rickettsia sp. (7.5%), R. raoultii (6.7%), T. annulata (5.8%), D. immitis (5.8%), Wolbachia sp. (4.2%) and Ehrlichia sp. (3.3%), respectively. Among the screened tick species, most Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato samples were found positive for V/TBP DNA (20/20,100%) followed by Rh. turanicus sensu stricto (13/20, 65%), Hyalomma dromedarii (8/20, 40%), Rh. haemaphysaloides (6/20, 30%), Hy. excavatum (2/20, 10%) and Rh. microplus (1/20, 5%). Co-occurrence of V/TBP was also detected in tick specimens (single V/TBP infection: 32 ticks; double and triple: 13 and 5 tick samples). The detected pathogens shared a phylogenetic relationship with similar isolates published in NCBI GenBank from Old and New World countries.ConclusionIxodid ticks infesting dogs harbor a diverse array of V/TBPs including zoonotic agents from Pakistan. Furthermore, the presence of D. immitis in ticks that infest dogs raises the possibility that this parasite has either attained its dead-end host (i.e. the tick) while feeding on dogs or has expanded its range of intermediate/paratenic hosts. Further research work is needed to investigate the epidemiology and confirm the vector competence of screened tick species for these pathogens from Pakistan.Graphical

Comparison of Climate Change Scenarios of Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato (Latreille 1806) from México and the Boarders with Central America and the United States.

In America, the presence of Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu stricto and Rhipicephalus linnaei has been confirmed. Both species are found in sympatry in the southern United States, northern Mexico, southern Brazil, and Argentina. The objective of this work is to evaluate the projection of the potential distribution of the ecological niche of Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato in two climate change scenarios in Mexico and the border with Central America and the United States. Initially, a database of personal collections of the authors, GBIF, Institute of Epidemiological Diagnosis and Reference, and scientific articles was built. The ENMs were projected for the current period and two future scenarios: RCP and SSP used for the kuenm R package, the ecological niche of R. sanguineus s.l. It is distributed throughout the Mexico and Texas (United States), along with the border areas between Central America, Mexico, and the United States. Finally, it is observed that the ecological niche of R. sanguineus s.l. in the current period coincides in three degrees with the routes of human migration. Based on this information, and mainly on the flow of migrants from Central America to the United States, the risk of a greater gene flow in this area increases, so the risk relating to this border is a latent point that must be analyzed.

Ticks and tick-borne rickettsiae from dogs in El Salvador, with report of the human pathogen Rickettsia parkeri

Twelve tick species have been reported in El Salvador; however, information regarding ticks infesting domestic dogs is lacking, and pathogenic tick-borne Rickettsia species have never been reported in El Salvador. This work evaluated ticks infesting 230 dogs from ten municipalities in El Salvador from July 2019 to August 2020. A total of 1,264 ticks were collected and identified into five species: Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato (s.l.), Rhipicephalus microplus, Amblyomma mixtum, Amblyomma ovale, and Amblyoma cf. parvum. The tick R. sanguineus s.l. was the most frequent species in all localities (81.3% of sampled dogs), followed by Amblyomma mixtum (13.0%), Amblyomma ovale (10.9%) and Amblyomma cf. parvum (10.4%). The overall mean intensity of tick infestation was 5.5 ticks/dog. The highest specific mean intensity value was for R. sanguineus s.l. (4.8 ticks/dog), varying from 1.6 to 2.7 ticks/dog for the three Amblyomma species. From a random sample of 288 tick specimens tested molecularly for the presence of rickettsial agents, three spotted fever group Rickettsia were detected: Rickettsia amblyommatis in 90% (36/40) A. mixtum, 46% (11/24) A. cf. parvum, 4% (7/186) R. sanguineus s.l., and 17% Amblyomma spp.; Rickettsia parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest in 4% (1/25) A. ovale; and an unnamed rickettsia agent, designated as ‘Rickettsia sp. ES-A.cf.parvum’, in 4% (1/24) A. cf. parvum. Our finding of R. parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest in A. ovale is highly relevant because this agent has been associated to spotted fever illness in other Latin American countries, where A. ovale is implicated as its main vector. These findings suggest that spotted fever cases caused by R. parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest could be occurring in El Salvador.

Detection of Rickettsia spp. in Animals and Ticks in Midwestern Brazil, Where Human Cases of Rickettsiosis Were Reported.

Brazilian spotted fever (BSF) is the most important tick-borne diseases affecting humans in Brazil. Cases of BSF have recently been reported in the Goiás state, midwestern Brazil. All cases have been confirmed by reference laboratories by seroconversion to Rickettsia rickettsii antigens. Because serological cross-reactions among different rickettsial species that belong to the spotted fever group (SFG) are common, the agent responsible for BSF cases in Goiás remains unknown. From March 2020 to April 2022, ticks and plasma were collected from dogs, horses and capybaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris), and from the vegetation in an area where BSF cases have been reported and two areas under epidemiological surveillance in Goiás. Horses were infested by Amblyomma sculptum, Dermacentor nitens and Rhipicephalus microplus; dogs by Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato (s.l.), Amblyomma ovale and A. sculptum, and capybaras by A. sculptum and Amblyomma dubitatum. Adults of A. sculptum, A. dubitatum, Amblyomma rotundatum and immature stages of A. sculptum and A. dubitatum, and Amblyomma spp. were collected from the vegetation. DNA of Rickettsia that did not belong to the SFG was detected in A. dubitatum, which was identified by DNA sequencing as Rickettsia bellii. Seroreactivity to SFG and Rickettsia bellii antigens was detected in 25.4% (42/165) of dogs, 22.7% (10/44) of horses and 41.2% (7/17) of capybaras, with higher titers for R. bellii in dogs and capybaras. The seropositivity of animals to SFG Rickettsia spp. antigens demonstrates the circulation of SFG rickettsiae in the region. Further research is needed to fully determine the agent responsible for rickettsiosis cases in this area.

Diversity and Phylogeny of Cattle Ixodid Ticks and Associated Spotted Fever Group Rickettsia spp. in Tunisia.

Tick-borne rickettsioses are mainly caused by obligate intracellular bacteria belonging to the spotted fever group (SFG) of the Rickettsia genus. So far, the causative agents of SFG rickettsioses have not been detected in cattle ticks from Tunisia. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the diversity and phylogeny of ticks associated with cattle from northern Tunisia and their associated Rickettsia species. Adult ticks (n = 338) were collected from cattle in northern Tunisia. The obtained ticks were identified as Hyalomma excavatum (n = 129), Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato (n = 111), Hyalomma marginatum (n = 84), Hyalomma scupense (n = 12) and Hyalomma rufipes (n = 2). After DNA extraction from the ticks, 83 PCR products based on the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene were sequenced and a total of four genotypes for Rh. sanguineus s.l., two for Hy. marginatum and Hy. excavatum and only one for Hy. scupense and Hy. rufipes were recorded, with the occurrence of one, two and three novel genotypes, respectively, for Hy. marginatum, Hy. excavatum and Rh. sanguineus s.l. mitochondrial 16S rRNA partial sequences. The tick DNA was tested for the presence of Rickettsia spp. by using PCR measurements and sequencing targeting three different genes (ompB, ompA and gltA). Of the 338 analyzed ticks, 90 (26.6%), including 38 (34.2%) Rh. sanguineus s.l., 26 (20.1%) Hy. excavatum, 25 (29.8%) Hy. marginatum and one (50%) Hy. rufipes tick, were positive for Rickettsia spp. Based on 104 partial sequences of the three analyzed genes, the BLAST analysis and phylogenetic study showed the infection of Hy. excavatum, Hy. marginatum and Rh. sanguineus s.l. tick specimens with R. massiliae, R. aeschlimannii and R. sibirica subsp. mongolitimonae and one Hy. rufipes tick specimen with R. aeschlimannii. In addition, coinfection with R. massiliae and R. aeschlimannii was reported in one Hy. marginatum and one Rh. sanguineus s.l. tick specimen, while a coinfection with R. massiliae and R. sibirica subsp. mongolitimonae was recorded in one Rh. sanguineus s.l. tick specimen. In conclusion, our study reports, for the first time in Tunisia, the infection of cattle ticks belonging to Hyalomma and Rhipicephalus genera with zoonotic Rickettsia species belonging to the SFG group.

Ticks (Parasitiformes: Ixodida: Ixodidae) parasites of wild Baird’s tapirs (Mammalia: Perissodactyla) in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

ABSTRACT Tapirs are common hosts of ticks and an individual can be infested by up to seven different tick species. We explored the parasitic tick fauna associated with wild Baird’s tapirs (Tapirus bairdii) from the Yucatan Peninsula. A total of 326 ticks of 10 species of the Family Ixodidae were collected from 15 tapirs. We found a range of one to six tick species per host, but most of the tapirs were parasitized by two or three tick species. We tested the relationship between body condition, sex, and age classes of the tapirs versus the number of tick species on each host. The most common tick species was Amblyomma mixtum found on 93% of the hosts. Amblyomma pecarium, Amblyomma tenellum, Ixodes affinis and Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato were recorded for the first-time parasitizing Baird’s tapirs. We did not find a relationship between body condition, sex, and age classes of tapirs versus the number of parasitizing tick species. Our finding demonstrates that the richness of ticks parasitizing tapirs does not depend on the biological characteristics and health status of the host, but could be determined by other factors such as habitat use and the rate of contact with domestic animals.

MALDI-TOF MS as a tick identification tool in a tertiary hospital in Spain

In Spain, as in other countries, the spectrum of tick-borne diseases and their number have increased in recent years. The tick identification, at species level, can be challenging outside research centers although this information is very usufull for decisions making. The performance of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) in tick identification of specimens collected from patients have been seldomly reported. The aim of the present study was to desing a protein-extraction protocol and build a tick-legs reference spectra. This protocol was then validated using specimens from both patients and non-patient sources. Nine species of ticks that usually bites humans in Spain were included: Dermacentor marginatus, Dermacentor reticulatus, Haemaphysalis punctata, Hyalomma lusitanicum, Hyalomma marginatum, Ixodes ricinus, Rhipicephalus bursa, Rhipicephalus pusillus and Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato. Other less-frequent biting species were also included: Haemaphysalis inermis, Haemaphysalis concinna, Hyalomma scupense, Ixodes frontalis, Ixodes hexagonus, and Argas sp. specimens were identified by PCR and sequencing of a fragment of the 16S rRNA gene of ticks. In the tests performed with non-patient collected specimens, a 100% correlation was observed between molecular methods and MS, while in the tests performed with ticks collected from patients a 92.59% correlation was observed. Misidentification was observed only in two of I. ricinus nymphs (identified as Ctenocephalides felis). Therefore, mass- spectrometry can be confidently used as a tick identification tool in a hospital setting for the rapid identification of tick vectors.

Tick-borne pathogens in ticks from urban and suburban areas of north-western Spain: Importance of Ixodes frontalis harbouring zoonotic pathogens.

To identify the questing tick populations in urban and suburban areas from the city of Lugo (NW Spain), ticks were collected monthly by flagging. The presence of Borrelia spp., Rickettsia spp. and Anaplasma phagocytophilum also was determined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequence analysis. Overall, 342 questing ticks were collected; the tick abundance was higher in suburban (95.9%) than in urban areas (4.1%). Ixodes frontalis was the most abundant (86.5%); 88.5% were larvae, 11.1% nymphs and 0.3% adults. All development stages of I. ricinus (7.3%) and adults of Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato (5.8%) and Dermacentor reticulatus (0.3%) were found. Rickettsia spp. (31.9%) was more prevalent than Borrelia spp. (2.7%); no ticks were positive to A. phagocytophilum. Six Rickettsia species were identified (R. slovaca, R. monacensis, R. massiliae, R. raoultii, R. sibirica subsp. mongolitimonae and R. aeschielmanii); Candidatus Rickettsia rioja and two novel Rickettsia species also were detected. In addition, Borrelia turdi (1.8%) and B. valaisiana (0.9%) were identified in Ixodes ticks. This is the first report of R. slovaca in R. sanguineus s.l. and of R. monacensis, R. raoultii, R. slovaca, R. sibirica subsp. mongolitimonae and Ca. R. rioja in I. frontalis. Since most of the pathogens detected are zoonotic, their presence in these areas may have implications for public health.

Dog hair volatiles attract Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato (Acari: Ixodidae) females.

Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato (s.l.) (Latreille) feeds on domestic dogs worldwide. This tick species uses dog volatiles during host-seeking behavior. In this study, we identified volatile compounds from dog hairs involved in the host location of R. sanguineus s.l. The R. sanguineus s.l. females, but not males, were attracted to hair samples and Super Q extracts from Schnauzer dogs in Y-tube olfactometer bioassays. A total of 54 compounds from dog hair extracts were identified by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry, including hydrocarbons, aldehydes, alcohols, ketones, and carboxylic acids. Screening the identified compounds by the single sensillum recording technique showed that isovaleric acid, hexanal, heptanal, and sucaltone (6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one) significantly stimulated the olfactory receptor neurons of the basiconic, chaeticum, and trichodeum sensilla of female ticks. When synthetic compounds were evaluated alone, or in binary, tertiary, or quaternary mixtures, female ticks were only attracted to isovaleric acid and 1 tertiary mixture (hexanal, heptanal, and isovaleric acid). We conclude that isovaleric acid functions as an attractant for R. sanguineus s.l. These findings contribute to the understanding of the chemical ecology of ticks during host location.

Atlas of ticks (Acari: Argasidae, Ixodidae) in Germany: 1st data update

The first data update of the atlas of ticks in Germany published in 2021 is presented here. This atlas provides maps based on georeferenced tick locations of 21 species endemic in Germany as well as three tick species that are regularly imported to Germany. The data update includes the following numbers of newly georeferenced tick locations: 17 Argas reflexus, 79 Carios vespertilionis, 2 Dermacentor marginatus, 43 Dermacentor reticulatus, 4 Haemaphysalis concinna, 3 Haemaphysalis punctata, 3 Hyalomma rufipes, 3 Ixodes apronophorus, 9 Ixodes arboricola, 1 Ixodes ariadnae, 30 Ixodes canisuga, 3 Ixodes frontalis, 80 Ixodes hexagonus, 3 Ixodes lividus, 497 Ixodes ricinus/inopinatus, 1 Ixodes rugicollis, 17 Ixodes trianguliceps, 14 Ixodes vespertilionis, and 45 Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato. Old and new tick findings were mapped, such as the northernmost occurrence of D. marginatus in Germany observed in 2021, but also the historical records from the first descriptions of I. apronophorus and I. arboricola, which were georeferenced here for the first time. The digital dataset of tick locations available for Germany is supplemented by 854 new tick locations. These records increase the number of tick species mapped in the federal states Bavaria, Brandenburg and Mecklenburg Western Pomerania by five each, those in Berlin and Schleswig-Holstein by four each, those in Hamburg by three, those in Baden-Wuerttemberg, Bremen, Lower Saxony, Northrhine-Westphalia, Rhineland Palatinate and Thuringia by two each, and those in Hesse, Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt by one each. Thus, the first data update of the tick atlas in Germany and the underlying digital dataset significantly improve our knowledge of the distribution of these tick species and helps to investigate the effects of climate change and habitat changes on them.

Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato (Ixodida: Ixodidae) attached to the ear canal and tympanic membrane of two children from Panama

In May 2022 and August 2022, two children, ten and 8-years old, respectively, were attended for foreign body sensation, pain, and discomfort in their ears. During the evaluation of the first case, a tick attached to his tympanic membrane was observed, whilst three ticks were evidenced in the ear canal and membrane tympanic of case 2. Ticks were identified as Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato. Both patients came from urban places in the Chiriqui province, and ticks were found in their dogs. Moreover, additional clinical considerations of these cases and the relative importance of R. sanguineus s.l. are addressed.

The “southeastern Europe” lineage of the brown dog tick Rhipicephalus sanguineus (sensu lato) identified as Rhipicephalus rutilus Koch, 1844: Comparison with holotype and generation of mitogenome reference from Israel

The brown dog tick Rhipicephalus sanguineus (sensu lato) in the southeastern Mediterranean region and the Middle East is difficult to identify due to the presence of multiple mitochondrial DNA haplogroup lineages. The purpose of this study was to clarify the identity of the “southeastern Europe” lineage of this tick species complex. Our research shows that female ticks of the “southeastern Europe” lineage correspond to the morphology of R. rutilus Koch, 1844 as found in type-material at the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin in Germany. We characterised the complete mitogenomes of R. rutilus, R. turanicus Pomerantsev, 1940 and Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Latreille, 1806) in order to improve our understanding of the phylogenetic relationships among species within the R. sanguineus (sensu lato) complex. The material associated with the morphology of R. rutilus was previously labelled as the “southeastern Europe” lineage and found in Israel and Egypt, including Lower Egypt and the Nile Delta, where the original type-material was collected. Based on the morphology, genetic identity, and geographical distribution of the species, we conclude that the name R. rutilus is correctly linked to the “southeastern Europe” lineage of R. sanguineus (sensu lato).

Molecular detection of Cercopithifilaria, Cruorifilaria and Dipetalonema-like filarial nematodes in ticks of French Guiana.

Filarial nematodes of the Dipetalonema lineage are widespread parasites and include some species that are transmitted by ticks. In this study, we conducted a large molecular survey of ticks in French Guiana, South America, to understand the overall diversity of tick-borne filarioids in this remote region largely covered by dense tropical forests. Out of 682 ticks belonging to 22 species and 6 genera, 21 ticks (3.1%) of the species Amblyomma cajennense, A. oblongoguttatum, A. romitii, Ixodes luciae and Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato were positive for infection by filarioids. Molecular typing and phylogenetic analysis identified all these filarioids as members of the Dipetalonema lineage. While the filarioid of R. sanguineus sensu lato is a previously described species, the canine worm Cercopithifilaria bainae Almeida & Vicente, 1984, all other filarioids detected in this study are related but distinct to already known species in the genera Cercopithifilaria, Cruorifilaria and Dipetalonema. Their vertebrate host range may include a wide variety of mammals present in French Guiana, but dogs, capybaras, and opossums are the best candidate hosts for some of these filarioids. Although the detection of members of the Dipetalonema lineage in ticks of significant medical or veterinary interest is of concern, the risk of contracting a tick-borne filarial infection is still largely unknown. The pathogenicity of these filarioids, their epidemiology, developmental cycles, and mechanisms of transmission by South American tick species now require further study.

Distribution, prevalence and diversity of ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) infesting one-humped camels from Southwest Punjab, Pakistan

In tropical countries like Pakistan, ticks are the most prevalent vectors for transmitting diseases to wild and domestic animals leading to their morbidity and mortality. In the present study, a total of 593 ticks infesting one-humped camels (n=244) were collected during April till June 2021 from two tehsils of Layyah district located in Punjab (Pakistan) in order to investigate their diversity, prevalence and distribution. Data analysis revealed that camels located in Tehsil Choubara were significantly more tick infested than camels from Tehsil Layyah (P=0.02). It was observed that the older camels were more prone to tick infestation that younger ones. Hyalomma and Rhipicephalus were the two tick genera identified during the present study and tick specimens of Hyalomma genus were the most prevalent (n=590, 99.5%). In particular, Hyalomma dromedarii was the most prevalent tick species (n=559, 94.3%), followed by Hyalomma anatolicum (n=24, 4%), Hyalomma marginatum (n=7, 1.2%) and Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato (n=3, 0.5%). The overall abundance of male ticks was higher than the female ticks with a ratio of 1:2.1. Neck was the most preferred site for the tick infestation followed by ventral, sternum, under tail, head, udder and back of analyzed camels. To our knowledge, this is the first report regarding tick diversity on camels from Layyah district and based on our finding, we recommend large-scale tick control strategies to be implemented in this district to uplift the livestock sector.

Rickettsia africae and Rickettsia massiliae in ixodid ticks infesting small ruminants in agro-pastoral settlements in Plateau State, Nigeria

Arthropods, especially ixodid ticks, have been incriminated in the epidemiology of Spotted Fever Group rickettsioses globally leading to an increasing spectrum of emerging and re-emerging zoonoses with attendant consequences on trade and tourism. The objective of this study was to determine the role of ixodid ticks infesting small ruminants in Plateau State, Nigeria, in the epidemiology of Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiae (SFGR) in the study area. DNA from 130 out of 323 ixodid ticks collected from 179 goats and 121 sheep owned by agro-pastoralists in Plateau State were screened for the evidence of SFGR by molecular methods. Six tick species from four genera were identified: Amblyomma, Hyalomma, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) and Rhipicephalus. Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato (s.l.) was the predominant (54.5%) species among collected ticks. Tick infestation was significantly associated with the species of small ruminants, the sex of the animals and the sampling locations except for Jos South. Conventional PCR targeting the 381bp of the citrate synthase (gltA) and 820bp of the outer membrane protein B (ompB) genes detected DNA of SFGR in nine and eight samples, respectively. Sequence analysis revealed that five sequences obtained from Amblyomma variegatum were 99-100% identical to Rickettsia africae and three sequences from Rh. sanguineus (s.l.) were 100% identical to Rickettsia massiliae reported from Spain. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the detection of R. africae DNA in Am. variegatum collected from small ruminants in Plateau State. Ixodid ticks infesting small ruminants in Plateau state harbor DNA of SFGR with potential veterinary and public health implications.

Avaliação de infecção por Borrelia sp. em mamíferos domésticos, selvagens e carrapatos do Parque Nacional do Catimbau, Pernambuco

ABSTRACT: Spirochetes in the genus Borrelia (Spirochaetes) are the etiological agents of two zoonotic diseases that have rodents as reservoirs: the Lyme disease, transmitted by ixodid ticks (Ixodidae), and tick-borne relapsing fever, which is transmitted mostly by argasid ticks (Argasidae). The information on the epidemiology of pathogens that affect animals is scarce, especially in places that have been barely studied, such as the Caatinga biome. Thus, in the present study, we aimed to detect DNA of Borrelia in the blood of wild and domestic mammals, as well as in ticks collected in the Catimbau National Park, State of Pernambuco, Northeast Brazil. Blood was collected from 77 captured wild animals belonging to Didelphidae (45), Echimyidae (21), Cricetidae (7), Caviidae (2), and Dasypodidae (2) families. Additionally, blood samples from 120 sheep, 119 goats, 70 dogs, and 47 cattle were obtained. A total of 286 ticks were collected in the environment and identified as Ornithodoros cf. tabajara (188) and Ornithodoros rietcorreai (98); in addition, larvae of Ornithodoros spp. were collected on Thrichomys laurentius (4 specimens) and Monodelphis domestica (1); larvae of O. rietcorreai on Didelphis albiventris (2) and T. laurentius (1); Amblyomma parvum on T. laurentius (4); Rhipicephalus sanguineus (sensu lato) on dogs (121) and Rhipicephalus microplus on cattle (47). All blood samples, 120 free-living ticks, 46 O. rietcorreai and 74 O. cf. tabajara, and 12 R. sanguineus s.l. were submitted to DNA extraction to perform a polymerase chain reaction (nested PCR), aiming at amplifying a fragment of the flaB gene present in all species of Borrelia. Only one free-living specimen of O. cf. tabajara (1.3%) was positive. Negative detections in mammals may be related to the absence of infection or the low concentration of the spirochetes in the hosts. The low prevalence of Borrelia found in ticks can be explained by the low infection rates that these spirochetes depict in their vectors. New studies focusing on the detection of antibodies, as well as on the sequencing and isolating Borrelia spp. should be encouraged for a better understanding of the epidemiology of these bacterial agents in the region.