Mansfield Karen L, González Estela, McKay Stuart, Apaa Ternenge, Kent Alexander J, Cropper Paul, Berry Naomi, Hernández-Triana Luis M, Johnson Nicholas
Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), Woodham Lane, Addlestone, KT15 3NB, UK.
Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), Woodham Lane, Addlestone, KT15 3NB, UK.
Ticks Tick Borne Dis. 2024 Nov;15(6):102401. doi: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102401. Epub 2024 Oct 8.
Red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) are found throughout the United Kingdom (UK), and can reach high population densities in urban areas. They are often infested with ticks which may carry tick-borne pathogens, leading to a risk of transmission to domestic animals and humans. This study investigated the prevalence of tick-borne pathogens in ticks sourced from red fox carcasses across Great Britain between 2018 and 2022. Tick species were identified using morphological keys and molecular barcoding, followed by specific pathogen testing using PCR. In total, 227 ticks were collected from 93 foxes. Pooling (n = 2) was undertaken for unengorged nymphs from the same tick species and fox host, with 203 homogenates tested in total (24 pools and 179 individual ticks). Ixodes hexagonus was the most abundant tick species sampled (73 %), of which 59 % were nymphs and 41 % were females. Less common were Ixodes ricinus (12 %) and Ixodes canisuga (15 %), the majority of which were females (73 % and 91 %, respectively). One Ixodes sp. larva was identified. Babesia DNA was identified in seven individual ticks and once in pooled ticks (n = 2); seven detections were in I. hexagonus and one in I. canisuga, with an overall detection rate of 7 % (95 % CI: 6 - 8 %). Sequence analysis confirmed that all Babesia detections in I. hexagonus were Babesia vulpes, with detection of Babesia Badger Type A in I. canisuga. Screening for Anaplasma phagocytophilum DNA through amplification of the msp2 gene yielded an overall detection rate of 4 % (detected in I. hexagonus only). Louping ill virus was not detected by qRT-PCR in any tick RNA tested. The majority of pathogen detections were in ticks from red foxes in rural areas of the UK, although a small number of Babesia detections were in ticks collected from semi-rural or urban red foxes. Additionally, B. vulpes was detected in GB red fox tissues, suggesting a potential role as a reservoir host. This study confirms the detection of tick-borne pathogens in ticks infesting UK red foxes and highlights the involvement of GB tick species in animal or human disease transmission.
赤狐（赤狐）在英国各地都有发现，并且在城市地区能够达到较高的种群密度。它们常常受到蜱虫的侵扰，而蜱虫可能携带蜱传病原体，从而导致病原体传播给家畜和人类的风险。本研究调查了2018年至2022年间从英国各地赤狐尸体上采集的蜱虫中蜱传病原体的流行情况。通过形态学鉴定和分子条形码技术识别蜱虫种类，随后使用聚合酶链反应（PCR）进行特定病原体检测。总共从93只狐狸身上采集了227只蜱虫。对于来自同一蜱虫种类和狐狸宿主的未饱血若虫进行合并（每组n = 2），总共检测了203份匀浆（24个合并样本和179只单个蜱虫）。六角硬蜱是采样中数量最多的蜱虫种类（73%），其中59%为若虫，41%为雌虫。蓖麻硬蜱（12%）和犬硬蜱（15%）相对较少，其中大多数为雌虫（分别为73%和91%）。鉴定出一只硬蜱属幼虫。在7只单个蜱虫和一次合并蜱虫样本（n = 2）中检测到巴贝斯虫DNA；7次检测出现在六角硬蜱中，1次出现在犬硬蜱中，总体检出率为7%（95%置信区间：6 - 8%）。序列分析证实，六角硬蜱中所有巴贝斯虫检测结果均为狐巴贝斯虫，犬硬蜱中检测到獾A型巴贝斯虫。通过扩增msp2基因对嗜吞噬细胞无形体DNA进行筛查，总体检出率为4%（仅在六角硬蜱中检测到）。在任何检测的蜱虫RNA中，通过实时定量逆转录聚合酶链反应（qRT-PCR）均未检测到跳跃病病毒。大多数病原体检测结果来自英国农村地区赤狐身上的蜱虫，不过在从半农村或城市赤狐身上采集的蜱虫中也有少量巴贝斯虫检测结果。此外，在英国赤狐组织中检测到狐巴贝斯虫，表明其可能作为储存宿主发挥作用。本研究证实了在侵扰英国赤狐的蜱虫中检测到蜱传病原体，并强调了英国蜱虫种类在动物或人类疾病传播中的作用。
