Department of Pathobiology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada; Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.
National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, MB, Canada.
Ticks Tick Borne Dis. 2019 Jan;10(1):72-76. doi: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2018.08.018. Epub 2018 Sep 3.
The growing risk of transmission of tick-borne zoonotic pathogens to humans in Ontario, Canada, warrants investigations into regional tick distribution, tick burdens of local peridomestic animals, and prevalence of tick-borne pathogens. The objectives of this study were to investigate the geographic distribution and magnitude of tick infestations in opportunistically sampled mammalian wildlife and companion animals (i.e., dogs) in southern Ontario and to test these ticks for evidence of zoonotic tick-borne pathogens. Ticks collected from wildlife carcasses, live-trapped wildlife and companion animals (2015-2016), as well as wildlife diagnostic cases (2011-2013), were identified to species and life stage. Ixodes scapularis ticks were tested by real-time PCR for Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Babesia microti, Borrelia miyamotoi and Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto (s.s.). Amblyomma americanum ticks were tested for Ehrlichia chaffeensis. A total of 1687 ticks of six species were collected from 334 animals, including 224 raccoons (n = 1381 ticks) and 50 dogs (n = 67 ticks). The most common tick species collected from parasitized raccoons were Ixodes texanus (n = 666 ticks) and Dermacentor variabilis (n = 600 ticks), which were removed from 58.5% (median: 2 ticks; range: 1-36) and 49.1% (median: 2 ticks; range: 1-64) of raccoons, respectively. Of I. scapularis tested, 9.3% (4/43) were positive for Bo. burgdorferi s.s. and 2.3% (1/43) for A. phagocytophilum. These results reveal that numerous tick species parasitize common, peridomestic wildlife and that at least two zoonotic, tick-borne pathogens circulate in southern Ontario. Host-tick vector-pathogen dynamics should continue to be monitored in the face of global climate change, landscape alterations and expanding human populations.
在加拿大安大略省，蜱传动物源性病原体向人类传播的风险不断增加，因此有必要调查该地区的蜱类分布、当地家养动物的蜱类负担以及蜱传病原体的流行情况。本研究的目的是调查安大略省南部偶发性采样的哺乳动物野生动物和伴侣动物（即狗）的蜱类侵染的地理分布和严重程度，并检测这些蜱类是否存在动物源性蜱传病原体。从野生动物尸体、活捕野生动物和伴侣动物（2015-2016 年）以及野生动物诊断病例（2011-2013 年）中收集的蜱类，根据物种和生命阶段进行鉴定。用实时 PCR 法检测伊氏锥虫、微小巴贝斯虫、米氏巴贝斯虫和伯氏疏螺旋体（s.s.）的莱姆病螺旋体。美洲钝眼蜱检测埃立克体。从 334 只动物中收集了 6 种共 1687 只蜱，包括 224 只浣熊（n = 1381 只蜱）和 50 只狗（n = 67 只蜱）。从寄生浣熊身上采集到的最常见的蜱种是德克萨斯牛蜱（n = 666 只蜱）和可变壁虱（n = 600 只蜱），分别从 58.5%（中位数：2 只蜱；范围：1-36）和 49.1%（中位数：2 只蜱；范围：1-64）的浣熊身上采集。在检测的伊氏锥虫中，9.3%（4/43）对 Bo. burgdorferi s.s.呈阳性，2.3%（1/43）对 A. phagocytophilum 呈阳性。这些结果表明，许多蜱种寄生在常见的家养野生动物身上，至少有两种动物源性蜱传病原体在安大略省南部流行。在全球气候变化、景观改变和人口不断增加的情况下，应继续监测宿主-蜱-病原体动态。
