Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health, Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, 1866 Kameino, Fujisawa, Kanagawa, 252-0880, Japan.
Laboratory of Veterinary Food Hygiene, Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, 1866 Kameino, Fujisawa, Kanagawa, 252-0880, Japan.
Parasit Vectors. 2021 Jan 22;14(1):73. doi: 10.1186/s13071-021-04585-w.
Two species of deer ked (Lipoptena cervi and L. mazamae) have been identified as vectors of Bartonella bacteria in cervids in Europe and the USA. In an earlier study we showed that Japanese sika deer (Cervus nippon) harbor three Bartonella species, namely B. capreoli (lineage A) and two novel Bartonella species (lineages B and C); however, there is currently no information on the vector of Bartonella bacteria in sika deer. The aim of this study was to clarify potential vectors of Bartonella in Japanese sika deer.
Thirty-eight wingless deer keds (L. fortisetosa) and 36 ticks (Haemaphysalis and Ixodes species) were collected from sika deer. The prevalence of Bartonella in the arthropods was evaluated by real-time PCR targeting the 16S-23S internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and by culture of the organisms. The total number of Bartonella bacteria were quantified using real-time PCR. The distribution of Bartonella bacteria in deer ked organs was examined by immunofluorescence analysis. The relationship of Bartonella strains isolated from sika deer and arthropods were examined by a phylogenetic analysis based on concatenated sequences of the gltA, rpoB, ftsZ, and ribC genes, followed by a BLAST search for gltA and rpoB.
Bartonella prevalence in deer keds was 87.9% by real-time PCR and 51.5% in culture and that in the ticks was 8.3% by real-time PCR and 2.8% in culture. The mean number of Bartonella bacteria per ked was calculated to be 9.2 × 10 cells. Bartonella aggregates were localized in the midgut of the keds. The phylogenetic analysis and BLAST search showed that both the host deer and the keds harbored two Bartonella species (lineages B and C), while B. capreoli (lineage A) was not detected in the keds. Two novel Bartonella species (lineages D and E) were isolated from one ked.
Lipoptena fortisetosa likely serves as a vector of at least two Bartonella species (lineages B and C), whereas ticks do not seem to play a significant role in the transmission of Bartonella between sika deer based on the lower detection rates of Bartonella in ticks compared to keds. Bartonella species in lineages D and E appear to be L. fortisetosa-specific strains.
两种鹿虱（Lipoptena cervi 和 L. mazamae）已被确定为欧洲和美国鹿科动物中巴尔通体细菌的传播媒介。在早期的研究中，我们表明日本梅花鹿（Cervus nippon）携带三种巴尔通体细菌，即 B. capreoli（A 谱系）和两种新型巴尔通体细菌（B 和 C 谱系）；然而，目前尚无关于日本梅花鹿中巴尔通体细菌传播媒介的信息。本研究旨在阐明日本梅花鹿中巴尔通体的潜在传播媒介。
从日本梅花鹿中采集了 38 只无翅鹿虱（L. fortisetosa）和 36 只蜱（Haemaphysalis 和 Ixodes 种）。通过针对 16S-23S 内部转录间隔区（ITS）的实时 PCR 和生物体培养评估节肢动物中巴尔通体的流行情况。使用实时 PCR 定量检测巴尔通体细菌的总数。通过免疫荧光分析检查鹿虱器官中巴尔通体细菌的分布。根据 gltA、rpoB、ftsZ 和 ribC 基因的串联序列进行系统发育分析，并对 gltA 和 rpoB 进行 BLAST 搜索，检查从日本梅花鹿和节肢动物中分离出的巴尔通体菌株之间的关系。
实时 PCR 检测鹿虱中巴尔通体的流行率为 87.9%，培养为 51.5%；实时 PCR 检测蜱中的流行率为 8.3%，培养为 2.8%。每只鹿虱的平均巴尔通体细菌数计算为 9.2×10 个细胞。巴尔通体聚集物定位于鹿虱的中肠中。系统发育分析和 BLAST 搜索表明，宿主鹿和鹿虱都携带两种巴尔通体细菌（B 和 C 谱系），而鹿虱中未检测到 B. capreoli（A 谱系）。从一只鹿虱中分离出两种新型巴尔通体细菌（谱系 D 和 E）。
Lipoptena fortisetosa 可能是至少两种巴尔通体细菌（B 和 C 谱系）的传播媒介，而与鹿虱相比，蜱在鹿科动物之间传播巴尔通体的作用似乎并不重要，因为蜱中巴尔通体的检测率较低。谱系 D 和 E 中的巴尔通体物种似乎是 L. fortisetosa 特异性菌株。
