Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
Epidemiology Research Unit (EPIUnit), Instituto de Saúde Pública da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.
Transbound Emerg Dis. 2020 Jan;67(1):461-465. doi: 10.1111/tbed.13375. Epub 2019 Oct 16.
The dissemination of vector arthropods harbouring zoonotic pathogens through the uncontrolled transboundary trade of exotic and pet animals poses an important threat to Public Health. In the present report, we describe the introduction of pathogenic Rickettsia africae and R. aeschlimanni in ticks removed from imported tortoises in Qatar. A total of 21 ticks were collected from pet spur-thighed tortoises (Testudo graeca) from Doha, May 2018, and studied for species identification and characterization of Rickettsia spp. Morphological and molecular analysis of ticks allowed their identification as Hyalomma aegyptium. Molecular analysis of partial ompA and gltA genes showed that Rickettsia sequences found on these ticks clustered with sequences classified as R. aeschilimanii and R. africae. Since pre-adult stages of H. aegyptium also feed on humans, this tick species may play a role in the transmission of R. aeschilimanii and R. africae. We alert for the introduction of non-native pets as vehicles for tick importation, known vectors for animal and human pathogenic agents. Importation of exotic species into non-autochthonous countries deserves strict control to enforce robust surveillance and mitigate potential exotic diseases epidemics.
携带动物源病原体的病媒节肢动物通过不受控制的外来和宠物动物跨界贸易传播，对公共卫生构成了重要威胁。在本报告中，我们描述了在从卡塔尔进口的龟身上采集的蜱中引入了致病性立克次体非洲种和立克次体埃塞俄比亚种。2018 年 5 月，从多哈的宠物靴脚陆龟（Testudo graeca）中采集了 21 只蜱，并对其进行了物种鉴定和立克次体 spp.的特征描述研究。蜱的形态和分子分析允许将其鉴定为埃及血蜱。对部分 ompA 和 gltA 基因的分子分析表明，在这些蜱中发现的立克次体序列与分类为立克次体埃塞俄比亚种和立克次体非洲种的序列聚类。由于埃及血蜱的若虫阶段也以人类为食，因此这种蜱可能在传播立克次体埃塞俄比亚种和立克次体非洲种方面发挥作用。我们提醒注意，非本地宠物作为蜱类输入的载体，是动物和人类病原体的已知媒介，可能会引入外来物种。应严格控制外来物种的进口，以加强有力的监测，并减轻潜在的外来疾病流行。
