Seasonal distribution of Rickettsia spp. in ticks in northeast Algeria (original) (raw)
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Zoonotic Rickettsia Species in Small Ruminant Ticks From Tunisia
Frontiers in Veterinary Science
Tick-borne rickettsioses present a significant public health threat among emerging tick-borne diseases. In Tunisia, little is known about tick-borne Rickettsia pathogens. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the presence of Rickettsia species in small ruminant ticks from Tunisia. Adult ticks (n = 694) were collected from goats and sheep in northern Tunisia. Obtained ticks were identified as Rhipicephalus turanicus (n = 434) and Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato (n = 260). Selected ticks (n = 666) were screened for the presence of Rickettsia spp. by PCR targeting a partial sequence of the ompB gene followed by sequence analysis. Rickettsial DNA was detected in 122 (18.3%) tested tick samples. The infection rates in Rh. turanicus and Rh. sanguineus s.l. ticks were 23.4 and 9.5%, respectively. The overall prevalence of rickettsial DNA was markedly higher in ticks collected from goats (23.2%) compared to those infesting sheep (7.9%). The detection of rickettsial DNA was...
Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases, 2012
We collected ticks from camels in 4 regions of southern Algeria (El Oued, Bechar, Ghardia, and Adrar) from February to October in 2008 and in April of 2011. A total of 307 ticks representing multiple species (including Hyalomma dromedarii, H. marginatum rufipes, H. impeltatum, and H. impressum), was tested for the presence of spotted fever group rickettsia DNA using gltA real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR). The presence of Rickettsia aeschlimannii was confirmed with a new qPCR using species-specific primers and Taqman probes based on the sca2 genes. The R. aeschlimannii sequence was further confirmed by detecting the gltA and outer membrane protein (ompA) genes in H. m. rufipes, H. impeltatum, and H. dromedarii ticks. These findings represent the first report of the detection of R. aeschlimannii in ticks collected from camels from southern Algeria.
First Molecular Detection of R. conorii, R. aeschlimannii, and R. massiliae in Ticks from Algeria
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 2006
Ticks collected in Northern Algeria between May 2001 and November 2003 were tested by PCR for the presence of Rickettsia spp. DNA using primer amplifying gltA and OmpA genes. Three different spotted fever group rickettsias were amplified from these ticks: R. Conorii subsp. P. conorii strain Malish in Rhipicephalus sanguineus, R. aeschlimannii in Hyalomma marginatum, and R. massiliae in Rhipicephalus turanicus. Our results confirm the presence of R. conorii in ticks in Algeria and provide the first detection of R. aeschlimannii and R. massiliae in Algeria.
Rickettsia africae in Hyalomma dromedarii ticks from sub-Saharan Algeria
Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases, 2012
Spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsioses are caused by obligate, intracellular Gram-negative bacteria of the genus Rickettsia. In recent years, several species and subspecies of rickettsias have been identified as emerging pathogens throughout the world, including sub-Saharan Africa. We report here the detection of Rickettsia africae, the agent responsible for African tick-bite fever, by amplification of fragments of gltA and ompA genes and multi-spacer typing from Hyalomma dromedarii ticks collected from the camel Camelus dromedarius in the Adrar and Béchar region (sub-Saharan Algeria). To date, R. africae has been associated mainly with Amblyomma spp. The role of H. dromedarii in the epidemiology of R. africae requires further investigation.
Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 2013
Ticks (n ؍ 663) and fleas (n ؍ 470) collected from domestic animals from southeastern Tunisia were screened for Rickettsia infection using reverse line blot assay. Evidence of spotted fever group Rickettsia was obtained. We detected Rickettsia felis in fleas, Rickettsia massiliae Bar 29 and the Rickettsia conorii Israeli spotted fever strain in ticks, and Rickettsia conorii subsp. conorii and Rickettsia spp. in both arthropods. The sensitivity of the adopted technique allowed the identification of a new association between fleas and R. conorii subsp. conorii species. The presence of these vector-borne Rickettsia infections should be considered when diagnosing this disease in humans in Tunisia.
Rickettsial agents in Egyptian ticks collected from domestic animals
Experimental and Applied Acarology, 2006
To assess the presence of rickettsial pathogens in ticks from Egypt, we collected ticks from domestic and peridomestic animals between June 2002 and July 2003. DNA extracts from 1019 ticks were tested, using PCR and sequencing, for Anaplasma spp., Bartonella spp., Coxiella burnetii, Ehrlichia spp., and Rickettsia spp. Ticks included: 29 Argas persicus, 10 Hyalomma anatolicum anatolicum, 55 Hyalomma anatolicum excavatum, 174 Hyalomma dromedarii, 2 Hyalomma impeltatum, 3 Hyalomma marginatum rufipes, 55 unidentified nymphal Hyalomma, 625 Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) annulatus, 49 Rhipicephalus sanguineus, and 17 Rhipicephalus turanicus. Ticks were collected predominantly (>80%) from buffalo, cattle, and camels, with smaller numbers from chicken and rabbit sheds, sheep, foxes, a domestic dog, a hedgehog, and a black rat. We detected Anaplasma marginale, Coxiella burnetii, Rickettsia aeschlimannii, and four novel genotypes similar to: ''Anaplasma platys,'' Ehrlichia canis, Ehrlichia spp. reported from Asian ticks, and a Rickettsiales endosymbiont of Ixodes ricinus.
Detection of a novel Rickettsia sp. in soft ticks (Acari: Argasidae) in Algeria
Microbes and Infection, 2015
Argasid ticks are vectors of viral and bacterial agents that can infect humans and animals. In Africa, relapsing fever borreliae are neglected arthropod-borne pathogens that cause mild to deadly septicemia and miscarriage. It would be incredibly beneficial to be able to simultaneous detect and identify other pathogens transmitted by Argasid ticks. From 2012 to 2014, we conducted field surveys in distinct areas of Algeria. We investigated the occurrence of soft ticks in rodent burrows and yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis) nests in 10 study sites and collected 154 soft ticks. Molecular identification revealed the occurrence of two different soft tick genera and five species, including Carios capensis in yellow-legged gull nests and O. occidentalis, O. rupestris, O. sonrai, O. erraticus in rodent burrows. Rickettsial DNA was detected in 41/154, corresponding to a global detection rate of 26.6%. Sequences of the citrate synthase (gltA) gene suggest that this agent is a novel spotted fever group Rickettsia. For the first time in Algeria, we characterize a novel Rickettsia species by molecular means in soft ticks.
Molecular Detection of Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiae Associated with Ixodid Ticks in Egypt
Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases, 2012
Tick-borne diseases comprise a complex epidemiological and ecological network that connects the vectors, pathogens, and a group of host species. The aim of this study was to identify bacteria from the genus Rickettsia associated with ixodid ticks infesting camels and cows in Egypt. Ticks were collected from 6 different localities: Qina, Giza, Qalet El Nakhl, New Valley, El Arish, and Minufia, from July to October 2008. Species were identified using PCR, followed by sequencing. The gltA and rOmpA genes were used for the initial detection of Rickettsia spp. Further characterization of positive samples utilized primers targeting rOmpB, sca4, and intergenic spacers (mppA-purC, dksA-xerC, and rpmE-tRNA fMet ). Cows were infested with Hyalomma anatolicum excavatum and Boophilus annulatus. Camels were infested with Hyalomma dromedarii, H. impeltatum, and H. marginatum marginatum. Approximately 57.1% of H. dromedarii ticks collected from Qalet El Nakhl were infected with Rickettsia africae, exhibiting 99.1-100% identity to reference strains. Within H. impeltatum, 26.7% and 73.3% of ticks from El Arish were infected with R. africae and R. aeschlimannii, with 98.3-100% and 97.9-100% identity, respectively. Furthermore, 33.3% of H. marginatum marginatum ticks in Qalet El Nakhl were infected with the same two species as H. impeltatum, demonstrating 99.1-100% and 99.3-100% identity, respectively. By comparing percent identities and phylogenetic relationships, R. africae is identified for the first time in Egypt, in addition to R. aeschlimannii, which exhibits 100% identity with the Stavropol strain in GenBank. In conclusion, the obtained data underscore the medical and veterinary importance of tick-borne rickettsioses, which necessitate further investigation by authorities in Egypt. Moreover, additional characterization of these rickettsial isolates should be performed to designate their strains, using a polyphasic strategy combining genotypic and phenotypic tests, to facilitate their deposition in the rickettsial collection of the WHO and/or ATCC.