Occi James L, Price Dana C, Hall MacKenzie, Campbell Victoria, Stronsick Stephanie, Sullivan Cheryl F, Pesapane Risa, Gonzalez Julia, Toledo Alvaro, Fonseca Dina M
Center for Vector Biology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.
Center for Vector Biology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.
Ticks Tick Borne Dis. 2023 May;14(3):102157. doi: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102157. Epub 2023 Mar 12.
The soft ticks (Argasidae) are known vectors of human and animal pathogens around the globe and are relatively understudied. Our aim was to assess the presence of Rickettsia and Borrelia bacteria in Alectorobius kelleyi (Argasidae) parasitizing synanthropic bats in the highly urbanized northeastern United States. By collaborating with parasitologists, bat scientists and wildlife rehabilitators we were successful in obtaining A. kelleyi from five states. Since Argasid larvae will attach to their hosts for many days, most A. kelleyi examined (92%) were larvae collected from sick or injured big brown bats, Eptesicus fuscus, undergoing care at rehabilitation centers. In addition, we obtained adult A. kelleyi captured in residential living areas and trapped in attics. An in-depth analysis of a A. kelleyi found to be infected with a spotted fever group Rickettsia (SFGR) revealed a dual infection with a R. belli-like taxon (ancestral group) as well as an SFGR closely related to R. peacockii, likely the same previously found in A. kelleyi from Iowa and Kansas. We found that 36% of the A. kelleyi tested carried the SFGR. Furthermore, we detected a relapsing fever spirochete, likely Candidatus Borrelia johnsonii, in 25% of the A. kelleyi from Pennsylvania. While it is unclear if these bacteria constitute a health risk to either bats or humans, our study indicates that human exposure to ectoparasites infesting peridomestic wildlife should be considered in the epidemiology of tick-borne diseases.
软蜱（argasidae科）是全球已知的人类和动物病原体传播媒介，但相对而言研究较少。我们的目的是评估在美国东北部高度城市化地区寄生于与人类共生蝙蝠的凯利氏无扇蜱（argasidae科）中是否存在立克次氏体和疏螺旋体细菌。通过与寄生虫学家、蝙蝠科学家和野生动物康复专家合作，我们成功地从五个州获得了凯利氏无扇蜱。由于argasid科幼虫会附着在宿主身上许多天，大多数被检查的凯利氏无扇蜱（92%）是从在康复中心接受治疗的患病或受伤的大棕蝠（棕蝠属）身上采集的幼虫。此外，我们还获得了在居民区捕获并被困在阁楼中的成年凯利氏无扇蜱。对一只被发现感染斑点热群立克次氏体（SFGR）的凯利氏无扇蜱进行的深入分析显示，它同时感染了一种类似贝利氏立克次氏体的分类单元（祖先类群）以及一种与孔雀立克次氏体密切相关的SFGR，可能与之前在爱荷华州和堪萨斯州的凯利氏无扇蜱中发现的相同。我们发现，36%的被检测凯利氏无扇蜱携带SFGR。此外，我们在宾夕法尼亚州25%的凯利氏无扇蜱中检测到一种复发性发热螺旋体，可能是约翰逊疏螺旋体暂定种。虽然尚不清楚这些细菌是否对蝙蝠或人类构成健康风险，但我们的研究表明，在蜱传疾病的流行病学中应考虑人类接触寄生于家养野生动物的体外寄生虫的情况。
