Norwegian Veterinary Institute, PO Box 750, Sentrum, 0106, Oslo, Norway.
Parasit Vectors. 2012 Aug 4;5:156. doi: 10.1186/1756-3305-5-156.
Ixodes ricinus ticks transmit Babesia species to vertebrate hosts. Using molecular tools we were able to detect the presence of this piroplasmid in its vector. The aims of this study were to investigate the prevalence and identity of Babesia species in questing ticks collected in various areas of Norway.
DNA from questing l. ricinus ticks were examined with a realtime PCR for the presence of Babesia. Positive samples of tick DNA were identified to species using PCR, and sequence analysis.
From a total of 1908 questing l. ricinus ticks, 17 (0.9%) indicated the presence of Babesia spp. after realtime-PCR screening. Ixodes ricinus harbouring Babesia spp. was detected in 9 out of 22 localities. Further molecular analyses of DNA from these positive ticks indicate the presence of Babesia venatorum, B. divergens, B. capreoli and a currently undescribed Babesia in Norwegian ticks. The most prevalent was B. venatorum found in 71% of the positive ticks.
A total of 17 out of 1908 (0.9%) ticks were positive for Babesia. Our data confirm that there are several Babesia species in ticks in Norway. Babesia venatorum was the most prevalent. This species has a zoonotic potential and may cause human babesiosis following a tick bite.
硬蜱属蜱可将巴贝斯虫属传播给脊椎动物宿主。本研究采用分子工具检测到了其媒介中的这种血液巴贝斯虫。本研究旨在调查在挪威不同地区采集的游离硬蜱中巴贝斯虫属的流行率和种类。
使用实时 PCR 检测游离硬蜱 tick DNA 中是否存在巴贝斯虫。采用 PCR 和序列分析对 tick DNA 阳性样本进行物种鉴定。
在总共 1908 只游离硬蜱中，17 只（0.9%）经实时 PCR 筛查后显示存在巴贝斯虫属。在 22 个地点中的 9 个地点检测到了携带巴贝斯虫属的硬蜱。对这些阳性 tick 中来自 DNA 的进一步分子分析表明，在挪威 tick 中存在巴贝斯虫属的贝氏虫、分歧巴贝斯虫、羊巴贝斯虫和一种目前尚未描述的巴贝斯虫。最常见的是 B. venatorum，在 71%的阳性 tick 中发现。
在 1908 只 tick 中，有 17 只（0.9%） tick 对巴贝斯虫呈阳性。我们的数据证实，在挪威的 tick 中有几种巴贝斯虫属。B. venatorum 是最常见的。该种具有人畜共患潜力，可通过蜱叮咬引起人类巴贝斯虫病。
