Diversity of microorganisms in Hyalomma aegyptium collected from spur-thighed tortoise (Testudo graeca) in North Africa and Anatolia

Detalhes bibliográficos
Autor(a) principal: Norte, Ana Cláudia
Data de Publicação: 2022
Outros Autores: Harris, David James, Silveira, Diogo, Nunes, Carolina Saramago, Núncio, Maria Sofia, Martínez, Eva Graciá, Giménez, Andrés, de Sousa, Rita, Lopes de Carvalho, Isabel, Perera, Ana
Tipo de documento: Artigo
Idioma: eng
Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.18/8554
Resumo: Ticks carry a diverse community of microorganisms including non-pathogenic symbionts, commensals, and pathogens, such as viruses, bacteria, protozoans, and fungi. The assessment of tick-borne microorganisms (TBM) in tortoises and their ticks is essential to understand their eco-epidemiology, and to map and monitor potential pathogens to humans and other animals. The aim of this study was to characterize the diversity of microorganisms found in ticks collected from the spur-thighed tortoise (Testudo graeca) in North Africa and Anatolia. Ticks feeding on wild T. graeca were collected, and pathogens were screened by polymerase chain reaction using group-specific primers. In total, 131 adult Hyalomma aegyptium ticks were collected from 92 T. graeca in Morocco (n = 48), Tunisia (n = 2), Algeria (n = 70), and Turkey (n = 11). Bacteria and protozoa detected included Hemolivia mauritanica (22.9%), Midichloria mitochondrii (11.4%), relapsing-fever borreliae (8.4%), Ehrlichia spp. (7.6%), Rickettsia spp. (3.4%), Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. (0.9%), Francisella spp. (0.9%), and Wolbachia spp. (0.8%). The characterization of Rickettsia included R. sibirica mongolitimonae (Algeria), R. aeschlimannii (Turkey), and R.africae (Morocco). Hemolivia mauritanica and Ehrlichia spp. prevalence varied significantly with the sampling region/country. We did not detect significant associations in microorganism presence within ticks, nor between microorganism presence and tick mitochondrial DNA haplogroups. This is the first report of Francisella persica-like, relapsing fever borreliae, M. mitochondrii, and Wolbachia spp. in H. aegyptium ticks collected from wild hosts from the South and Eastern Mediterranean region, and of R. sibirica mongolitimonae and R. africae in H. aegyptium from Algeria and Morocco, respectively. Given that T. graeca is a common species in commercial and non-commercial pet trade, the evaluation of the role of this species and its ticks as hosts for TBM is particularly relevant for public health.
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spelling Diversity of microorganisms in Hyalomma aegyptium collected from spur-thighed tortoise (Testudo graeca) in North Africa and AnatoliaFrancisellaRickettsiaWolbachiaTick-borne PathogensTicksTortoisesInfecções Sistémicas e ZoonosesTicks carry a diverse community of microorganisms including non-pathogenic symbionts, commensals, and pathogens, such as viruses, bacteria, protozoans, and fungi. The assessment of tick-borne microorganisms (TBM) in tortoises and their ticks is essential to understand their eco-epidemiology, and to map and monitor potential pathogens to humans and other animals. The aim of this study was to characterize the diversity of microorganisms found in ticks collected from the spur-thighed tortoise (Testudo graeca) in North Africa and Anatolia. Ticks feeding on wild T. graeca were collected, and pathogens were screened by polymerase chain reaction using group-specific primers. In total, 131 adult Hyalomma aegyptium ticks were collected from 92 T. graeca in Morocco (n = 48), Tunisia (n = 2), Algeria (n = 70), and Turkey (n = 11). Bacteria and protozoa detected included Hemolivia mauritanica (22.9%), Midichloria mitochondrii (11.4%), relapsing-fever borreliae (8.4%), Ehrlichia spp. (7.6%), Rickettsia spp. (3.4%), Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. (0.9%), Francisella spp. (0.9%), and Wolbachia spp. (0.8%). The characterization of Rickettsia included R. sibirica mongolitimonae (Algeria), R. aeschlimannii (Turkey), and R.africae (Morocco). Hemolivia mauritanica and Ehrlichia spp. prevalence varied significantly with the sampling region/country. We did not detect significant associations in microorganism presence within ticks, nor between microorganism presence and tick mitochondrial DNA haplogroups. This is the first report of Francisella persica-like, relapsing fever borreliae, M. mitochondrii, and Wolbachia spp. in H. aegyptium ticks collected from wild hosts from the South and Eastern Mediterranean region, and of R. sibirica mongolitimonae and R. africae in H. aegyptium from Algeria and Morocco, respectively. Given that T. graeca is a common species in commercial and non-commercial pet trade, the evaluation of the role of this species and its ticks as hosts for TBM is particularly relevant for public health.This study received financial support from Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia by the strategic program of MARE (MARE - UID/MAR/04292/2020) and the transitory norm contract DL57/2016/CP1370/CT89 to ACN and by the FCT IF contract (IF/01257/2012) and project (IF01257/2012/CP0159/CT0005) to AP. The work of EG and AG was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science through projects CGL2015-64144 and PID2019-105682RA-I00/AEI/10.13039/5011 00011033 (the first with the support of the European Regional Development Fund, MINECO/FEDER).WileyRepositório Científico do Instituto Nacional de SaúdeNorte, Ana CláudiaHarris, David JamesSilveira, DiogoNunes, Carolina SaramagoNúncio, Maria SofiaMartínez, Eva GraciáGiménez, Andrésde Sousa, RitaLopes de Carvalho, IsabelPerera, Ana2023-03-16T15:49:56Z2022-072022-07-01T00:00:00Zinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/articleapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/10400.18/8554engTransbound Emerg Dis. 2022 Jul;69(4):1951-1962. doi: 10.1111/tbed.14188. Epub 2021 Jun 22.1865-167410.1111/tbed.14188info:eu-repo/semantics/embargoedAccessreponame:Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)instname:Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informaçãoinstacron:RCAAP2023-07-20T15:42:38Zoai:repositorio.insa.pt:10400.18/8554Portal AgregadorONGhttps://www.rcaap.pt/oai/openaireopendoar:71602024-03-19T18:43:11.754956Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) - Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informaçãofalse
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Diversity of microorganisms in Hyalomma aegyptium collected from spur-thighed tortoise (Testudo graeca) in North Africa and Anatolia
title Diversity of microorganisms in Hyalomma aegyptium collected from spur-thighed tortoise (Testudo graeca) in North Africa and Anatolia
spellingShingle Diversity of microorganisms in Hyalomma aegyptium collected from spur-thighed tortoise (Testudo graeca) in North Africa and Anatolia
Norte, Ana Cláudia
Francisella
Rickettsia
Wolbachia
Tick-borne Pathogens
Ticks
Tortoises
Infecções Sistémicas e Zoonoses
title_short Diversity of microorganisms in Hyalomma aegyptium collected from spur-thighed tortoise (Testudo graeca) in North Africa and Anatolia
title_full Diversity of microorganisms in Hyalomma aegyptium collected from spur-thighed tortoise (Testudo graeca) in North Africa and Anatolia
title_fullStr Diversity of microorganisms in Hyalomma aegyptium collected from spur-thighed tortoise (Testudo graeca) in North Africa and Anatolia
title_full_unstemmed Diversity of microorganisms in Hyalomma aegyptium collected from spur-thighed tortoise (Testudo graeca) in North Africa and Anatolia
title_sort Diversity of microorganisms in Hyalomma aegyptium collected from spur-thighed tortoise (Testudo graeca) in North Africa and Anatolia
author Norte, Ana Cláudia
author_facet Norte, Ana Cláudia
Harris, David James
Silveira, Diogo
Nunes, Carolina Saramago
Núncio, Maria Sofia
Martínez, Eva Graciá
Giménez, Andrés
de Sousa, Rita
Lopes de Carvalho, Isabel
Perera, Ana
author_role author
author2 Harris, David James
Silveira, Diogo
Nunes, Carolina Saramago
Núncio, Maria Sofia
Martínez, Eva Graciá
Giménez, Andrés
de Sousa, Rita
Lopes de Carvalho, Isabel
Perera, Ana
author2_role author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
dc.contributor.none.fl_str_mv Repositório Científico do Instituto Nacional de Saúde
dc.contributor.author.fl_str_mv Norte, Ana Cláudia
Harris, David James
Silveira, Diogo
Nunes, Carolina Saramago
Núncio, Maria Sofia
Martínez, Eva Graciá
Giménez, Andrés
de Sousa, Rita
Lopes de Carvalho, Isabel
Perera, Ana
dc.subject.por.fl_str_mv Francisella
Rickettsia
Wolbachia
Tick-borne Pathogens
Ticks
Tortoises
Infecções Sistémicas e Zoonoses
topic Francisella
Rickettsia
Wolbachia
Tick-borne Pathogens
Ticks
Tortoises
Infecções Sistémicas e Zoonoses
description Ticks carry a diverse community of microorganisms including non-pathogenic symbionts, commensals, and pathogens, such as viruses, bacteria, protozoans, and fungi. The assessment of tick-borne microorganisms (TBM) in tortoises and their ticks is essential to understand their eco-epidemiology, and to map and monitor potential pathogens to humans and other animals. The aim of this study was to characterize the diversity of microorganisms found in ticks collected from the spur-thighed tortoise (Testudo graeca) in North Africa and Anatolia. Ticks feeding on wild T. graeca were collected, and pathogens were screened by polymerase chain reaction using group-specific primers. In total, 131 adult Hyalomma aegyptium ticks were collected from 92 T. graeca in Morocco (n = 48), Tunisia (n = 2), Algeria (n = 70), and Turkey (n = 11). Bacteria and protozoa detected included Hemolivia mauritanica (22.9%), Midichloria mitochondrii (11.4%), relapsing-fever borreliae (8.4%), Ehrlichia spp. (7.6%), Rickettsia spp. (3.4%), Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. (0.9%), Francisella spp. (0.9%), and Wolbachia spp. (0.8%). The characterization of Rickettsia included R. sibirica mongolitimonae (Algeria), R. aeschlimannii (Turkey), and R.africae (Morocco). Hemolivia mauritanica and Ehrlichia spp. prevalence varied significantly with the sampling region/country. We did not detect significant associations in microorganism presence within ticks, nor between microorganism presence and tick mitochondrial DNA haplogroups. This is the first report of Francisella persica-like, relapsing fever borreliae, M. mitochondrii, and Wolbachia spp. in H. aegyptium ticks collected from wild hosts from the South and Eastern Mediterranean region, and of R. sibirica mongolitimonae and R. africae in H. aegyptium from Algeria and Morocco, respectively. Given that T. graeca is a common species in commercial and non-commercial pet trade, the evaluation of the role of this species and its ticks as hosts for TBM is particularly relevant for public health.
publishDate 2022
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2022-07
2022-07-01T00:00:00Z
2023-03-16T15:49:56Z
dc.type.status.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
dc.type.driver.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
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status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.uri.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/10400.18/8554
url http://hdl.handle.net/10400.18/8554
dc.language.iso.fl_str_mv eng
language eng
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv Transbound Emerg Dis. 2022 Jul;69(4):1951-1962. doi: 10.1111/tbed.14188. Epub 2021 Jun 22.
1865-1674
10.1111/tbed.14188
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