Ticks infesting humans in Italy and associated pathogens

Particle and Fibre Toxicology

Gioia Capelli¹  Maria Teresa Manfredi³  Sergio Aurelio Zanzani³  Fabrizio Montarsi¹  Silvia Ravagnan¹  Stefania Cazzin¹  Antonio Cascio⁴  Maria Stefania Latrofa⁵  Alessio Giannelli⁵  Filipe Dantas-Torres²  Domenico Otranto⁵ 

[1] Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, 35020 Legnaro, Padova, Italy;Department of Immunology, Centro de Pesquisas Aggeu Magalhães (Fiocruz-PE), 50670-420 Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil;Department of Veterinary Science and Public Health, University of Milan, 20133 Milan, Italy;Department of Human Pathology, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy;Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, 70010 Valenzano, Bari, Italy

关键词: Distribution;    Italy;    Tick-borne diseases;    Humans;    Pathogens;    Ticks;   

Others  :  1183553
DOI  :  10.1186/1756-3305-7-328

 received in 2014-05-12, accepted in 2014-06-29,  发布年份 2014

【 摘 要 】

Background

Ticks may transmit a large variety of pathogens, which cause illnesses in animals and humans, commonly referred to as to tick-borne diseases (TBDs). The incidence of human TBDs in Italy is underestimated because of poor surveillance and the scant amount of studies available.

Methods

Samples (n = 561) were collected from humans in four main geographical areas of Italy (i.e., northwestern, northeastern, southern Italy, and Sicily), which represent a variety of environments. After being morphologically identified, ticks were molecularly tested with selected protocols for the presence of pathogens of the genera Rickettsia, Babesia, Theileria, Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis, Borrelia and Anaplasma.

Results

Ticks belonged to 16 species of the genera Argas, Dermacentor, Haemaphysalis, Hyalomma, Ixodes and Rhipicephalus, with Ixodes ricinus (59.5%) being the species most frequently retrieved, followed by Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato (21.4%). Nymphs were the life stage most frequently retrieved (41%), followed by adult females (34.6%). The overall positivity to any pathogen detected was 18%. Detected microorganisms were Rickettsia spp. (17.0%), Anaplasma phagocytophilum (0.8%), Borrelia afzelii (0.5%), Borrelia valaisiana (0.3%), C. N. mikurensis (0.5%) and Babesia venatorum (0.6%).

Conclusions

Results indicate that people living in the Italian peninsula are at risk of being bitten by different tick species, which may transmit a plethora of TBD causing pathogens and that co-infections may also occur.

【 授权许可】

   
2014 Otranto et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

【 图 表 】

Figure 1.

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