Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis in Ixodes ricinus ticks in the Czech Republic

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F62157124%3A16270%2F19%3A43878224" target="_blank" >RIV/62157124:16270/19:43878224 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

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DOI - Digital Object Identifier

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Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis in Ixodes ricinus ticks in the Czech Republic

Original language description

Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis (CNM) is a tick-borne emerging intracellular bacterium recently found in ticks from over 20 Eurasian countries. Small rodents serve as a reservoirs. Despite this bacterium is acknowledged as a human pathogen since 2010, only little is known about its life cycle, transmission, structure or target cells. In this study, distribution and prevalence of CNM in Ixodes ricinus using PCR was investigated in the Czech Republic. In addition, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to identify and visualize CNM in ticks. To identify the possible hotspots of ?neoehrlichiosis?, over 13 600 ticks were collected by ?agging in surroundings of major Czech cities. Ticks were subsequently classifed by stage and sex and pooled into groups of 5 individuals. In total, DNA was isolated from 2 666 groups. CNM detection was done by conventional PCR. Ca. Neoehrlichia mikurensis was detected in I. ricinus in 150 of 169 localities examined. Furthermore, several sites were identifed as hotspots for neoehrlichiosis, mainly in areas with high tourism activity. The ultrastructure of CNM in the vector host was examined on the ultrathin sections of infected tissues of I. ricinus using TEM. Ticks ?agged in the locality of high CNM prevalence were allowed to feed in the artifcial in vitro feeding system. After dissection, individual organs were prepared for TEM analysis. Since this pathogen has not yet been cultivated and the surface structures remain unknown, the screening was somewhat hindered by unavailability of labeled probes. However, structures resembling the CNM bacteria in mammalian tissues were found. In summary, we detected Ca. Neoehrlichia mikurensis in the close proximity of the majority of sizable Czech cities and described putative Ca. Neoehrlichia mikurensis individual bacteria within the salivary glands of the European tick I. ricinus.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

O - Miscellaneous

CEP classification

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OECD FORD branch

40301 - Veterinary science

Project

<a href="/en/project/NV16-33934A" target="_blank" >NV16-33934A: Hidden threat of natural foci of understudied tick-borne infections. Case of the genera Rickettsia, Anaplasma, Babesia</a><br>

Continuities

P - Projekt vyzkumu a vyvoje financovany z verejnych zdroju (s odkazem do CEP)<br>S - Specificky vyzkum na vysokych skolach

Publication year

2019

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů