PDF(Pubmed)
Abstract：
Ticks are blood-sucking arthropods that can transmit pathogens to their host. As insular ecosystems can enhance tick-host interactions, this study aimed to understand tick diversity, pathogen presence, and their respective associations in the Azores and Madeira archipelagos. Unfed or partially engorged ticks (n = 120) were collected from 58 cats and dogs in the Azores (n = 41 specimens) and Madeira (n = 79 specimens) from November 2018 to March 2019. Vector identification was based on morphology and molecular criteria. For pathogen sequencing, 18S gene fragment for Babesia/Hepatozoon and gltA for Rickettsia were performed. Sequence data was explored using BLAST and BLAST and phylogenetic inference tools. In the Azores, Ixodes hexagonus, I. ventalloi, and Rhipicephalus sanguineus (n = 6; 14.6%, n = 6; 14.6%, and n = 29; 70.7% respectively) were found and in Madeira I. ricinus and R. sanguineus (n = 78, 98.7%; and n = 1, 1.3%; respectively) were identified. Tick COI markers confirmed species highlighting confirmation of R. sanguineus s.s. and genotype A of I. ventalloi. In the Azores Islands, the detected Rickettsia massiliae was linked to R. sanguineus (dogs and cats) and I. hexagonus (dogs), and in Madeira Island, R. monacensis (dogs) and Hepatozoon silvestris (cats) were found associated with I. ricinus. Further, I. ventalloi presence in the Azores expands west its known range, and Hepatozoon silvestris in Madeira may suggest that I. ricinus could have a role as a potential vector. Finally, as R. massiliae and R. monacensis presence underlines public health risks, surveillance by health authorities is crucial as pathogen-tick interactions may drive disease spread, therefore monitoring remains pivotal for disease prevention.
摘要：
蜱是吸血节肢动物，可以将病原体传播到宿主。由于岛屿生态系统可以增强蜱与宿主的相互作用，这项研究旨在了解蜱的多样性，病原体的存在，以及他们在亚速尔群岛和马德拉群岛的各自协会。从2018年11月至2019年3月，从亚速尔群岛（n=41个标本）和马德拉（n=79个标本）的58只猫和狗中收集了未进食或部分充血的蜱（n=120）。载体鉴定基于形态学和分子标准。对于病原体测序，进行了巴贝虫/肝虫的18S基因片段和立克次体的gltA。使用BLAST和BLAST和系统发育推断工具探索序列数据。在亚速尔群岛,六角形Ixodes,I.ventalloi,和血根虫(n=6；14.6%，n=6；14.6%，和n=29；分别为70.7％），并在马德拉I.ricinus和R.sanguineus（分别为n=78，98.7％；和n=1，1.3％）中发现。TickCOI标记确认了物种，突出了S.S.的确认。和文氏I.ventalloi的基因型A。在亚速尔群岛,检测到的massiliae立克次体与r.sanguineus（狗和猫）和I.hexagonus（狗）有关，在马德拉岛,发现R.monacensis（狗）和肝虫（猫）与蓖麻有关。Further,I.在亚速尔群岛中的ventalloi存在向西扩展其已知范围，和马德拉群岛的肝虫病毒可能表明，蓖麻病毒可能作为潜在的载体发挥作用。最后,由于R.massiliae和R.monacensis的存在强调了公共卫生风险，卫生当局的监测至关重要，因为病原体-蜱相互作用可能会推动疾病传播，因此，监测仍然是疾病预防的关键。
