Silaghi Cornelia, Pfeffer Martin, Kiefer Daniel, Kiefer Matthias, Obiegala Anna
Comparative Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany.
National Center of Vector Entomology, Institute of Parasitology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Microb Ecol. 2016 Nov;72(4):965-974. doi: 10.1007/s00248-016-0787-8. Epub 2016 May 24.
Bartonellae cause zoonotic diseases and are transmitted by arthropods. Rodents are reservoirs for most Bartonella spp. As the knowledge about Bartonella in rodents and their parasitizing ectoparasites is scarce in Germany, this study's objectives were to investigate Bartonella spp. in small mammals and in their ectoparasites. A total of 79 small mammals (seven species) were captured and their ectoparasites collected at seven sites around Leipzig, Saxony, Germany, in 2010 and 2011. Altogether, 79 spleen samples, 135 fleas (five species) and 365 ticks (three species) were investigated for Bartonella spp. by PCR targeting the ITS 16S-23S rRNA region. In total, 52 (65.8 %) small mammals, 73 (54.1 %) fleas and 51 (16.3 %) ticks were positive for Bartonella spp. Most small mammals were positive for uncultured Bartonella sp. (n = 29) followed by Bartonella grahamii (n = 12), Bartonella taylorii (n = 8) and Bartonella sp. N40 (n = 3). Likewise, most fleas were positive for uncultured Bartonella sp. (n = 45) followed by B. grahamii (n = 14), B. taylorii (n = 8), B. sp. N40 (n = 5) and Bartonella elizabethae (n = 2). Most ticks were positive for B. sp. (n = 19) followed by B. grahamii (n = 10), Bartonella chomelii (n = 3), B. taylorii (n = 2) and B. sp. N40 (n = 1). This study's results suggest that rodents and fleas may be reservoirs and vectors, respectively. Zoonotic B. grahamii and B. elizabethae were found in rodents and their fleas. Therefore, humans may contract Bartonella infection by contact to wild rodents. Ticks seem of minor importance in transmitting Bartonella spp. found in fleas and rodents. However, ticks might be vectors of B. chomelii.
巴尔通体可引发人畜共患病，通过节肢动物传播。啮齿动物是多数巴尔通体物种的宿主。由于德国关于啮齿动物及其寄生体表寄生虫中巴尔通体的知识匮乏，本研究的目的是调查小型哺乳动物及其体表寄生虫中的巴尔通体物种。2010年和2011年，在德国萨克森州莱比锡周围的7个地点捕获了总共79只小型哺乳动物（7个物种），并收集了它们的体表寄生虫。总共对79份脾脏样本、135只跳蚤（5个物种）和365只蜱虫（3个物种）进行了针对ITS 16S - 23S rRNA区域的PCR检测，以调查巴尔通体物种。总共有52只（65.8%）小型哺乳动物、73只（54.1%）跳蚤和51只（16.3%）蜱虫的巴尔通体检测呈阳性。多数小型哺乳动物对未培养的巴尔通体物种呈阳性（n = 29），其次是格雷厄姆巴尔通体（n = 12）、泰勒巴尔通体（n = 8）和巴尔通体N40物种（n = 3）。同样，多数跳蚤对未培养的巴尔通体物种呈阳性（n = 45），其次是格雷厄姆巴尔通体（n = 14）、泰勒巴尔通体（n = 8）、巴尔通体N40物种（n = 5）和伊丽莎白巴尔通体（n = 2）。多数蜱虫对巴尔通体物种呈阳性（n = 19），其次是格雷厄姆巴尔通体（n = 10）、肖梅尔巴尔通体（n = 3）、泰勒巴尔通体（n = 2）和巴尔通体N40物种（n = 1）。本研究结果表明，啮齿动物和跳蚤可能分别是宿主和传播媒介。在啮齿动物及其跳蚤中发现了人畜共患的格雷厄姆巴尔通体和伊丽莎白巴尔通体。因此，人类可能通过接触野生啮齿动物而感染巴尔通体。蜱虫在传播跳蚤和啮齿动物中发现的巴尔通体物种方面似乎不太重要。然而，蜱虫可能是肖梅尔巴尔通体的传播媒介。
