Wyk Clara-Lee van, Mtshali Khethiwe, Taioe Moeti O, Terera Stallone, Bakkes Deon, Ramatla Tsepo, Xuan Xuenan, Thekisoe Oriel
Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa.
Department of Biomedical Sciences, Tshwane University of Technology, Arcadia Campus, Pretoria 0001, South Africa.
Pathogens. 2022 Jul 30;11(8):862. doi: 10.3390/pathogens11080862.
This study aimed to identify ticks infesting dogs admitted to the Potchefstroom Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) and to detect tick-borne pathogens they are harbouring. A total of 592 ticks were collected from 61 stray dogs admitted to PAWS originating from several suburbs in and near Potchefstroom, South Africa. The dog ticks were identified as (39%) and (61%) by both morphological and DNA analyses. Of these ticks, consisted of 67.5% (156/231) and 32.5% (75/231) female and male ticks, respectively, whilst consisted of 48.5% (175/361) and 51.5% (186/361) female and male ticks, respectively. Microscopic examination of blood smears from engorged female ticks indicated overall occurrences of 0.5% (1/204) for spp. from , 1% (2/204) of spp. from , and 22% (45/204) of spp. from both and Using pooled samples molecular detection of tick-borne pathogens indicated overall occurrences of 1% (1/104) for in 9.6% (10/104) of spp. in and , 5.8% (6/104) of in and , and 13.5% (14/104) of spp. in both and . Additionally, PCR detected 6.5% (2/31) of spp. DNA from eggs. Our data indicate that urban stray dogs admitted at PAWS are infested by and ticks which are harbouring several pathogenic organisms known to cause tick-borne diseases.
本研究旨在鉴定入住波切夫斯特鲁姆动物福利协会（PAWS）的犬只身上寄生的蜱虫，并检测它们所携带的蜱传病原体。从入住PAWS的61只流浪狗身上共采集到592只蜱虫，这些流浪狗来自南非波切夫斯特鲁姆及其附近几个郊区。通过形态学和DNA分析，将犬蜱鉴定为 （39%）和 （61%）。在这些蜱虫中， 分别由67.5%（156/231）的雌性蜱虫和32.5%（75/231）的雄性蜱虫组成，而 分别由48.5%（175/361）的雌性蜱虫和51.5%（186/361）的雄性蜱虫组成。对饱血雌性蜱虫的血涂片进行显微镜检查表明，来自 的 属物种总体发生率为0.5%（1/204），来自 的 属物种为1%（2/204），来自 和 的 属物种为22%（45/204）。使用混合样本对蜱传病原体进行分子检测表明， 在 中的总体发生率为1%（1/104）， 在 和 中的发生率为9.6%（10/104）， 在 和 中的发生率为5.8%（6/104）， 在 和 中的发生率为13.5%（14/104）。此外，PCR检测到来自 卵的 属物种DNA的发生率为6.5%（2/31）。我们的数据表明，入住PAWS的城市流浪狗受到 和 蜱虫的侵扰，这些蜱虫携带几种已知会导致蜱传疾病的致病生物。
