Laboratory for Zoonoses and Environmental Microbiology, National Institute for Public Health and Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
Parasit Vectors. 2011 Apr 18;4:61. doi: 10.1186/1756-3305-4-61.
Awareness for flea- and tick-borne infections has grown in recent years and the range of microorganisms associated with these ectoparasites is rising. Bartonella henselae, the causative agent of Cat Scratch Disease, and other Bartonella species have been reported in fleas and ticks. The role of Ixodes ricinus ticks in the natural cycle of Bartonella spp. and the transmission of these bacteria to humans is unclear. Rickettsia spp. have also been reported from as well ticks as also from fleas. However, to date no flea-borne Rickettsia spp. were reported from the Netherlands. Here, the presence of Bartonellaceae and Rickettsiae in ectoparasites was investigated using molecular detection and identification on part of the gltA- and 16S rRNA-genes.
The zoonotic Bartonella clarridgeiae and Rickettsia felis were detected for the first time in Dutch cat fleas. B. henselae was found in cat fleas and B. schoenbuchensis in ticks and keds feeding on deer. Two Bartonella species, previously identified in rodents, were found in wild mice and their fleas. However, none of these microorganisms were found in 1719 questing Ixodes ricinus ticks. Notably, the gltA gene amplified from DNA lysates of approximately 10% of the questing nymph and adult ticks was similar to that of an uncultured Bartonella-related species found in other hard tick species. The gltA gene of this Bartonella-related species was also detected in questing larvae for which a 16S rRNA gene PCR also tested positive for "Candidatus Midichloria mitochondrii". The gltA-gene of the Bartonella-related species found in I. ricinus may therefore be from this endosymbiont.
We conclude that the risk of acquiring Cat Scratch Disease or a related bartonellosis from questing ticks in the Netherlands is negligible. On the other hand fleas and deer keds are probable vectors for associated Bartonella species between animals and might also transmit Bartonella spp. to humans.
近年来，人们对跳蚤和蜱传播感染的认识不断提高，与这些外寄生虫相关的微生物种类也在增加。引起猫抓病的病原体巴尔通体亨氏亚种和其他巴尔通体种已在跳蚤和蜱中被报道。在巴尔通体属的自然循环中和这些细菌传播给人类的过程中，硬蜱伊基科斯汀纳克斯蜱的作用尚不清楚。立克次体种也已从蜱和跳蚤中被报道。然而，迄今为止，荷兰尚未报告过跳蚤传播的立克次体种。在这里，使用分子检测和鉴定部分 gltA-和 16S rRNA-基因，研究了外寄生虫中巴尔通体科和立克次体的存在情况。
首次在荷兰猫跳蚤中检测到了人畜共患的巴尔通体克拉里吉亚种和猫立克次体。在猫跳蚤中发现了亨氏巴尔通体，在以鹿为食的蜱和虻中发现了舒氏巴尔通体。在野生鼠及其跳蚤中发现了两种以前在啮齿动物中鉴定的巴尔通体种。然而，在 1719 只采集的硬蜱伊基科斯汀纳克斯蜱中均未发现这些微生物。值得注意的是，从大约 10%采集的若虫和成虫硬蜱的 DNA 裂解物中扩增的 gltA 基因与在其他硬蜱种中发现的未培养的巴尔通体相关种的基因相似。该巴尔通体相关种的 gltA 基因也在采集的幼虫中被检测到，16S rRNA 基因 PCR 也对“候选中线粒体微生物”呈阳性。因此，在硬蜱伊基科斯汀纳克斯蜱中发现的与巴尔通体相关的种的 gltA 基因可能来自这种内共生体。
我们得出结论，在荷兰，从采集的硬蜱中感染猫抓病或相关巴尔通体病的风险可以忽略不计。另一方面，跳蚤和鹿虻可能是动物之间相关巴尔通体种的载体，也可能将巴尔通体属传播给人类。
