Short Communication: Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Babesia spp. in ixodid ticks infesting red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in Great Britain
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 preva...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2024-11-01
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| Series: | Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877959X24000943 |
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| author | Karen L Mansfield Estela González Stuart McKay Ternenge Apaa Alexander J Kent Paul Cropper Naomi Berry Luis M Hernández-Triana Nicholas Johnson |
| author_facet | Karen L Mansfield Estela González Stuart McKay Ternenge Apaa Alexander J Kent Paul Cropper Naomi Berry Luis M Hernández-Triana Nicholas Johnson |
| author_sort | Karen L Mansfield |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | 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. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-08a1df2430a84b79803258d5bb0a1dda |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1877-9603 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-11-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases |
| spelling | doaj-art-08a1df2430a84b79803258d5bb0a1dda2024-12-14T06:30:31ZengElsevierTicks and Tick-Borne Diseases1877-96032024-11-01156102401Short Communication: Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Babesia spp. in ixodid ticks infesting red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in Great BritainKaren L Mansfield0Estela González1Stuart McKay2Ternenge Apaa3Alexander J Kent4Paul Cropper5Naomi Berry6Luis M Hernández-Triana7Nicholas Johnson8Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), Woodham Lane, Addlestone, KT15 3NB, UK; Corresponding author.Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), Woodham Lane, Addlestone, KT15 3NB, UKAnimal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), Woodham Lane, Addlestone, KT15 3NB, UKAnimal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), Woodham Lane, Addlestone, KT15 3NB, UKAnimal and Plant Health Agency, York Biotech Campus, Sand Hutton, York, YO41 1LZ, UKAnimal and Plant Health Agency, York Biotech Campus, Sand Hutton, York, YO41 1LZ, UKAnimal and Plant Health Agency, York Biotech Campus, Sand Hutton, York, YO41 1LZ, UKAnimal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), Woodham Lane, Addlestone, KT15 3NB, UKAnimal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), Woodham Lane, Addlestone, KT15 3NB, UK; Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, GU2 7XH, UKRed 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.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877959X24000943Anaplasma phagocytophilumBabesiaFoxIxodesTicks |
| spellingShingle | Karen L Mansfield Estela González Stuart McKay Ternenge Apaa Alexander J Kent Paul Cropper Naomi Berry Luis M Hernández-Triana Nicholas Johnson Short Communication: Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Babesia spp. in ixodid ticks infesting red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in Great Britain Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases Anaplasma phagocytophilum Babesia Fox Ixodes Ticks |
| title | Short Communication: Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Babesia spp. in ixodid ticks infesting red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in Great Britain |
| title_full | Short Communication: Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Babesia spp. in ixodid ticks infesting red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in Great Britain |
| title_fullStr | Short Communication: Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Babesia spp. in ixodid ticks infesting red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in Great Britain |
| title_full_unstemmed | Short Communication: Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Babesia spp. in ixodid ticks infesting red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in Great Britain |
| title_short | Short Communication: Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Babesia spp. in ixodid ticks infesting red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in Great Britain |
| title_sort | short communication anaplasma phagocytophilum and babesia spp in ixodid ticks infesting red foxes vulpes vulpes in great britain |
| topic | Anaplasma phagocytophilum Babesia Fox Ixodes Ticks |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877959X24000943 |
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