Bezerra-Santos Marcos Antônio, Sgroi Giovanni, Mendoza-Roldan Jairo Alfonso, Khedri Javad, Camarda Antonio, Iatta Roberta, Sazmand Alireza, Otranto Domenico
Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Valenzano, 70010, Bari, Italy.
Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.
Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl. 2021 Apr 24;15:95-104. doi: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2021.04.009. eCollection 2021 Aug.
Hedgehogs are synanthropic mammals, reservoirs of several vector-borne pathogens and hosts of ectoparasites. Arthropod-borne pathogens (i.e., spp. spp. and Anaplasmataceae) were molecularly investigated in ectoparasites collected on hedgehogs ( = 213) from Iran (161 , 5 ) and Italy (47 ). In Iran, most animals examined ( = 153; 92.2%) were infested by ticks (, ), and 7 (4.2%) by fleas (, ). Of the hedgehogs infested by arthropods in Italy (i.e., 44.7%), 18 (38.3%) were infested by fleas (), 7 (14.9%) by ticks (, , sensu lato), and 6 (12.8%) by mites (, , spp.). Phoretic behavior of on was detected in two flea specimens from Italy. At the molecular analysis spp. was detected in 93.3% of the fleas of Italy. In Iran, spp. was detected in 8.0% out of 212 ticks, and in 85.7% of the fleas examined. The 16S rRNA gene for / spp. was amplified in 4.2% of the 212 ticks. All sequences of spp. from fleas presented 100% nucleotide identity with , whereas spp. from presented 99.84%-100% nucleotide identity with , except for one sequence, identical to . The sequences of the 16S rRNA gene revealed 99.57%-100% nucleotide identity with spp., except for one, identical to spp. A new phoretic association between mites and fleas has been herein reported, which could be an important route for the spreading of this mite through hedgehog populations. Additionally, spotted fever group rickettsiae were herein detected in ticks and fleas, and / spp. in ticks, suggesting that hedgehogs play a role as reservoirs for these vector-borne pathogens.
刺猬是伴人哺乳动物，是多种媒介传播病原体的宿主和体外寄生虫的寄主。对从伊朗（161只，5个地区）和意大利（47只）收集的刺猬（n = 213只）身上的体外寄生虫进行了分子研究，以检测节肢动物传播的病原体（即立克次体属、埃立克体属和无形体科）。在伊朗，大多数被检查的动物（n = 153只；92.2%）被蜱虫（钝缘蜱属、璃眼蜱属）寄生，7只（4.2%）被跳蚤（栉首蚤属）寄生。在意大利，被节肢动物寄生的刺猬（即44.7%）中，18只（38.3%）被跳蚤（栉首蚤属）寄生，7只（14.9%）被蜱虫（钝缘蜱属、璃眼蜱属、广义的革蜱属）寄生，6只（12.8%）被螨虫（赫刺螨属、鼠耳螨属、厉螨属）寄生。在来自意大利的两个跳蚤标本中检测到了赫刺螨在栉首蚤上的携带行为。在分子分析中，在意大利93.3% 的跳蚤中检测到了立克次体属。在伊朗212只钝缘蜱中，8.0%检测到了立克次体属，在检查的栉首蚤中85.7%检测到了该属。在212只钝缘蜱中，4.2%扩增出了埃立克体属/无形体属的16S rRNA基因。来自跳蚤立克次体属的所有序列与立氏立克次体呈现100%的核苷酸同一性，而来自钝缘蜱的立克次体属与西伯利亚立克次体呈现99.84%-100%的核苷酸同一性，只有一个序列与西伯利亚立克次体相同。16S rRNA基因序列与埃立克体属呈现99.57%-100% 的核苷酸同一性，只有一个与犬埃立克体相同。本文报道了赫刺螨与栉首蚤之间一种新的携带关系，这可能是这种螨虫在刺猬种群中传播的重要途径。此外，本文在蜱虫和跳蚤中检测到了斑点热群立克次体，在蜱虫中检测到了埃立克体属/无形体属，这表明刺猬作为这些媒介传播病原体的宿主发挥了作用。
