Rickettsiae in red fox (Vulpes vulpes), marbled polecat (Vormela peregusna) and their ticks in northwestern China

Parasites & Vectors

Wenbo Tan¹  Ligu Mi¹  Shanshan Zhao¹  Yuanzhi Wang¹  Suwen Wang¹  Wumei Yuan¹  Gang Liu²  Sándor Hornok³  Wurelihazi Hazihan⁴  Xinli Gu⁴  Zhiqiang Liu⁵  Yanyan Zhang⁶ 

[1] Department of Basic Medicine, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, 832003, Shihezi, Xinjiang, Uygur Autonomous Region, China;Department of Basic Medicine, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, 832003, Shihezi, Xinjiang, Uygur Autonomous Region, China;Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Animal & Science, Shihezi University, Shihezi, Xinjiang, Uygur Autonomous Region, China;Department of Parasitology and Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary;Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Animal & Science, Shihezi University, Shihezi, Xinjiang, Uygur Autonomous Region, China;Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Xinjiang Academy of Animal Science, Urumqi, Xinjiang, Uygur Autonomous Region, China;State Key Laboratory of Sheep Genetic Improvement and Healthy Production, Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural and Reclamation Science, Shihezi, Xinjiang, Uygur Autonomous Region, China;

关键词: Rickettsia;    Red fox;    Marbled polecat;    Ticks;    Northwestern China;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s13071-021-04718-1

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundPreviously, twelve Rickettsia species were identified in ticks, fleas, sheep keds (Melophagus ovinus), bats (Pipistrellus pipistrellus) and a tick-bitten patient in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR) in northwestern China. Here we aimed to molecularly detect rickettsial agents in red fox (Vulpes vulpes), marbled polecat (Vormela peregusna) and their ticks.MethodsDuring 2018–2019, 12 red foxes, one marbled polecat and their ticks were sampled in two counties and a city of the XUAR. The heart, liver, spleen, lung and kidney of these 13 carnivores were dissected, followed by DNA extraction. Hard ticks were identified both morphologically and molecularly. All samples were examined for the presence of rickettsiae by amplifying four genetic markers (17-kDa, gltA, ompA, sca1).ResultsA total of 26 adult ticks and 28 nymphs (38 Ixodes canisuga, nine Ixodes kaiseri, six Haemaphysalis erinacei and one Dermacentor marginatus) were collected from red foxes, and four Ha. erinacei ticks were removed from the marbled polecat. Analysis of cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene sequences indicated that 2–32 nucleotides differed between I. canisuga, I. kaiseri and Ha. erinacei from northwestern China and Europe. Rickettsia raoultii was detected in three red foxes, Candidatus Rickettsia barbariae in a red fox, Rickettsia sibirica in a red fox and a marbled polecat, and R. raoultii in two tick species (I. canisuga and D. marginatus).ConclusionsTo the best of our knowledge, I. canisuga and I. kaiseri have not been previously reported from red foxes in China. The DNA of R. sibirica and R. raoultii was detected for the first time in the organs of red foxes, and R. sibirica in the organs of a marbled polecat. This is also the first molecular evidence for the presence of R. raoultii in I. canisuga. Our findings expand the range of tick-borne pathogens in wildlife species and associated ticks in China.Graphical Abstract

【 授权许可】

CC BY