scholarly journals TheBabesia divergensAsia Lineage Is Maintained through Enzootic Cycles betweenIxodes persulcatusand Sika Deer in Hokkaido, Japan

2018 ◽  
Vol 84 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aya Zamoto-Niikura ◽  
Masayoshi Tsuji ◽  
Wei Qiang ◽  
Shigeru Morikawa ◽  
Ken-Ichi Hanaki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
18S Rrna ◽  
Sika Deer ◽  
Cervus Nippon ◽  
The United States ◽  
Babesia Microti ◽  
Ixodes Persulcatus ◽  
Principal Vector ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Specific Pcr ◽  
Eastern Japan

ABSTRACTParasites of theBabesiadivergensAsia lineage, which are closely related toB. divergensin Europe andBabesiasp. strain MO1 in the United States, were recently reported in sika deer (Cervus nippon) in eastern Japan. To identify the tick vector(s) for this parasite, we conducted a field survey in Hokkaido, Japan, where the infection rate in sika deer is the highest in the country. A specific PCR system which detects and discriminates between lineages withinB. divergensand between those lineages andBabesia venatorumshowed thatIxodes persulcatus(11/822), but not sympatricIxodes ovatus(0/595) orHaemaphysalissp. (0/163) ticks, carriedB. divergensAsia lineage. Genomic DNA was archived from salivary glands of partially engorgedI. persulcatusfemales and three isolates ofB. divergensAsia lineage were newly described. The 18S rRNA gene sequence of the isolates formed the Asia lineage cluster with those previously described in sika deer isolates. One salivary gland also contained parasites ofBabesia microtiU.S. lineage, which were subsequently isolated in a hamsterin vivo.B. venatorum(strain Etb5) was also detected in oneI. persulcatustick. The 18S rRNA sequence of Etb5 was 99.7% identical to that ofB. venatorum(AY046575) and was phylogenetically positioned in a taxon composed ofB. venatorumisolates from Europe, China, and Russia. The geographical distribution ofI. persulcatusis consistent with that ofB. divergensin sika deer in Japan. These results suggest thatI. persulcatusis a principal vector forB. divergensin Japan and Eurasia, whereI. persulcatusis predominantly distributed.IMPORTANCETheBabesiadivergensAsia lineage of parasites closely related toB. divergensin Europe andBabesiasp. MO1 in the United States was recently reported inCervus nipponin eastern Japan. In this study, specific PCR for the Asia lineage identified 11 positives in 822 host-seekingIxodes persulcatusticks, a principal vector for many tick-borne disease agents. Gene sequences of three isolates obtained from DNA in salivary glands of female ticks were identical to each other and to those inC. nippon. We also demonstrate the coinfection ofB. divergensAsia lineage withBabesia microtiU.S. lineage in a tick salivary gland and, furthermore, isolated the latter in a hamster. These results suggest thatI. persulcatusis the principal vector forB. divergensas well as forB. microti, and both parasites may be occasionally cotransmitted byI. persulcatus. This report will be important for public health, since infection may occur through transfusion.

scholarly journals Ixodes persulcatus Ticks as Vectors for the Babesia microti U.S. Lineage in Japan

2016 ◽  
Vol 82 (22) ◽  
pp. 6624-6632 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aya Zamoto-Niikura ◽  
Shigeru Morikawa ◽  
Ken-Ichi Hanaki ◽  
Patricia J. Holman ◽  
Chiaki Ishihara
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
18S Rrna ◽  
The United States ◽  
Babesia Microti ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Ixodes Persulcatus ◽  
Principal Vector ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Human Babesiosis ◽  
The U.S

ABSTRACTThe U.S. lineage, one of the major clades in theBabesia microtigroup, is known as a causal agent of human babesiosis mostly in the northeastern and upper midwestern United States. This lineage, however, also is distributed throughout the temperate zone of Eurasia with several reported human cases, although convincing evidence of the identity of the specific vector(s) in this area is lacking. Here, the goal was to demonstrate the presence of infectious parasites directly in salivary glands ofIxodes persulcatus, from which U.S. lineage genetic sequences have been detected in Asia, and to molecularly characterize the isolates. Five PCR-positive specimens were individually inoculated into hamsters, resulting in infections in four; consequently, four strains were newly established. Molecular characterization, including 18S rRNA, β-tubulin, andCCT7gene sequences, as well as Western blot analysis and indirect fluorescent antibody assay, revealed that all four strains were identical to each other and to the U.S. lineage strains isolated from rodents captured in Japan. The 18S rRNA gene sequence from the isolates was identical to those fromI. persulcatusin Russia and China, but the genetic and antigenic profiles of the Japanese parasites differ from those in the United States and Europe. Together with previous epidemiological and transmission studies, we conclude thatI. persulcatusis likely the principal vector for theB. microtiU.S. lineage in Japan and presumably in northeastern Eurasia.IMPORTANCEThe major cause of human babesiosis, the tick-borne blood parasiteBabesia microti, U.S. lineage, is widely distributed in the temperate Northern Hemisphere. However, the specific tick vector(s) remains unidentified in Eurasia, where there are people with antibodies to theB. microtiU.S. lineage and cases of human babesiosis. In this study, the first isolation ofB. microtiU.S. lineage fromIxodes persulcatusticks, a principal vector for many tick-borne diseases, is described in Japan. Limited antigenic cross-reaction was found between the Japan and United States isolates. Thus, current serological tests based on U.S. isolates may underestimateB. microtioccurrence outside the United States. This study and previous studies indicate thatI. persulcatusis part of theB. microtiU.S. lineage life cycle in Japan and, presumably, northeastern Eurasia. This report will be important for public health, especially since infection may occur through transfusion, and also to researchers in the field of parasitology.

scholarly journals Detection of Two Zoonotic Babesia microti Lineages, the Hobetsu and U.S. Lineages, in Two Sympatric Tick Species, Ixodes ovatus and Ixodes persulcatus, Respectively, in Japan

2012 ◽  
Vol 78 (9) ◽  
pp. 3424-3430 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aya Zamoto-Niikura ◽  
Masayoshi Tsuji ◽  
Wei Qiang ◽  
Minoru Nakao ◽  
Haruyuki Hirata ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Field Investigation ◽  
18S Rrna Gene ◽  
Babesia Microti ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Ixodes Persulcatus ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Specific Pcr ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Surrounding Areas ◽  
Vector Capacity

ABSTRACTThe speciesBabesia microti, commonly found in rodents, demonstrates a high degree of genetic diversity. Three lineages, U.S., Kobe, and Hobetsu, are known to have zoonotic potential, but their tick vector(s) in Japan remains to be elucidated. We conducted a field investigation at Nemuro on Hokkaido Island and at Sumoto on Awaji Island, where up to two of the three lineages occur with similar frequencies in reservoirs. By flagging vegetation at these spots and surrounding areas, 4,010 ticks, comprising six species, were collected. A nested PCR that detects the 18S rRNA gene ofBabesiaspecies revealed thatIxodes ovatusandI. persulcatusalone were positive. Lineage-specific PCR for rRNA-positive samples demonstrated thatI. ovatusandI. persulcatuscarried, respectively, the Hobetsu and U.S. parasites. No Kobe-specific DNA was detected. InfectedI. ovatusticks were found at multiple sites, including Nemuro and Sumoto, with minimum infection rates (MIR) of ∼12.3%. However, allI. persulcatusticks collected within the same regions, a total of 535, were negative for the Hobetsu lineage, indicating thatI. ovatus, but notI. persulcatus, was the vector for the lineage. At Nemuro, U.S. lineage was detected in 2 of 139 adultI. persulcatusticks (MIR, 1.4%), for the first time, while 48 ofI. ovatusticks were negative for that lineage. Laboratory experiments confirmed the transmission of Hobetsu and U.S. parasites to hamsters viaI. ovatusandI. persulcatus, respectively. Differences in vector capacity shown by MIRs at Nemuro, where the two species were equally likely to acquire either lineage of parasite, may explain the difference in distribution of Hobetsu throughout Japan and U.S. taxa in Nemuro. These findings are of importance in the assessment of the regional risk for babesiosis in humans.

scholarly journals Expression, Purification, and Biological Characterization of Babesia microti Apical Membrane Antigen 1

2015 ◽  
Vol 83 (10) ◽  
pp. 3890-3901 ◽  
Author(s):  
Prasun Moitra ◽  
Hong Zheng ◽  
Vivek Anantharaman ◽  
Rajdeep Banerjee ◽  
Kazuyo Takeda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Apical Membrane ◽  
The United States ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Babesia Microti ◽  
Type I ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Apical Membrane Antigen 1 ◽  
Apical Membrane Antigen ◽  
Extracellular Region

The intraerythrocytic apicomplexanBabesia microti, the primary causative agent of human babesiosis, is a major public health concern in the United States and elsewhere. Apicomplexans utilize a multiprotein complex that includes a type I membrane protein called apical membrane antigen 1 (AMA1) to invade host cells. We have isolated the full-lengthB. microtiAMA1 (BmAMA1) gene and determined its nucleotide sequence, as well as the amino acid sequence of the AMA1 protein. This protein contains an N-terminal signal sequence, an extracellular region, a transmembrane region, and a short conserved cytoplasmic tail. It shows the same domain organization as the AMA1 orthologs from piroplasm, coccidian, and haemosporidian apicomplexans but differs from all other currently known piroplasmida, including otherBabesiaandTheileriaspecies, in lacking two conserved cysteines in highly variable domain III of the extracellular region. Minimal polymorphism was detected in BmAMA1 gene sequences of parasite isolates from six babesiosis patients from Nantucket. Immunofluorescence microscopy studies showed that BmAMA1 is localized on the cell surface and cytoplasm near the apical end of the parasite. Native BmAMA1 from parasite lysate and refolded recombinant BmAMA1 (rBmAMA1) expressed inEscherichia colireacted with a mouse anti-BmAMA1 antibody using Western blotting.In vitrobinding studies showed that both native BmAMA1 and rBmAMA1 bind to human red blood cells (RBCs). This binding is trypsin and chymotrypsin treatment sensitive but neuraminidase independent. Incubation ofB. microtiparasites in human RBCs with a mouse anti-BmAMA1 antibody inhibited parasite growth by 80% in a 24-h assay. Based on its antigenically conserved nature and potential role in RBC invasion, BmAMA1 should be evaluated as a vaccine candidate.

scholarly journals RECENT STUDIES OF TICK-BORNE INFECTIONS IN MONGOLIA

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 152-154
Author(s):  
D. Anu ◽  
H. Sung-Hee ◽  
L. Sang-Eun ◽  
L. Won-Ja ◽  
D. Abmed ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
16S Rrna ◽  
Dna Sequencing ◽  
Infection Rate ◽  
18S Rrna ◽  
Gene Sequencing ◽  
Babesia Microti ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Ixodes Persulcatus ◽  
Rickettsia Species ◽  
Glta Gene

We have aimed to detect both Rickettsiae species and Babesia microti in adult ticks of Dermacentor nutalli in Tuv province; and  looked for only Rickettsiae species in Ixodes persulcatus in Selenge  province. Using the PCR and DNA sequencing techniques, we  amplified and sequenced the 16S rRNA, gltA, rOmpA genes of  Rickettsia and 18S rRNA gene of B. microti and Rickettsia species  were identified. Infection rate for Rickettsiae spp. was 82.7 %  (115/139 samples) by 16S rRNA sequencing results and among  them the highest prevalence rate was that for R. raoultii strain –  71.4 % (80/111 samples) by gltA gene sequencing and 100 %  (81/81 samples) by rOmpA gene sequencing. Canditatus Rickettsia tarasevichiae strain was detected in 27.9 % (31/11  samples) by gltA gene sequencing. Infection rate for Rickettsiae spp. in D. nutalli ticks was 84.3 % (81/96 samples) and R. raoultii  strain comprised 96.2–98.7 % among them. Adult ticks of I.  persulcatus were infected with Rickettsiae spp. with 78 % and 93.75  % of them were R. raoultii strain. Seventeen out of 97 ticks (17.5  %) were found to be infected with B. microti. Nucleotide DNA  sequencing of partial 18S rRNA and gltA genes supported the PCR  results. We have identified that the same species of ticks commonly  distributed in Mongolia have been infected with R. sibirica, R. raoultii  and B. microti. It might be the strength of our study as B.  microti have not been detected in D. nuttalli ticks yet. We are  considering to detect the tick-borne infections in humans.

scholarly journals Multiplex Assay Detection of Immunoglobulin G Antibodies That Recognize Babesia microti Antigens

2012 ◽  
Vol 19 (9) ◽  
pp. 1539-1548 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey W. Priest ◽  
Delynn M. Moss ◽  
Kimberly Won ◽  
Charles W. Todd ◽  
Leslie Henderson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pacific Northwest ◽  
The United States ◽  
Babesia Microti ◽  
Upper Midwest ◽  
Screening Assay ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Human Sera ◽  
Specific Igg ◽  
Blood Screening ◽  
Multiplex Bead

ABSTRACTHuman babesiosis, a blood-borne infection caused by several species ofBabesia, includingB. microti, is an emerging disease that is endemic in the Northeast, upper Midwest, and Pacific Northwest regions of the United States. Risk factors for babesiosis include exposure to the infected tick vector and blood transfusions from infected donors. In this work, we cloned and expressed two of the immunodominant antigens fromB. microtiand used them in a multiplex bead format assay (MBA) to detect parasite-specific IgG responses in human sera. The MBA using recombinantB. microtisecreted antigen 1 (BmSA1) protein was more specific (100%) and slightly more sensitive (98.7%) than the assay using a truncated recombinant BMN1-17 construct (97.6% and 97.4%, respectively). Although some antibody reactivity was observed among sera from confirmed-malaria patients, only onePlasmodium falciparumsample was simultaneously positive for IgG antibodies to both antigens. Neither antigen reacted with sera from babesiosis patients who were infected withBabesiaspecies other thanB. microti. Both positive and negative MBA results were reproducible between assays and between instruments. Additional studies of these recombinant antigens and of the multiplex bead assay using blood samples from clinically defined babesiosis patients and from blood donors are needed to more clearly define their usefulness as a blood screening assay.

scholarly journals Babesia microti: from Mice to Ticks to an Increasing Number of Highly Susceptible Humans

2017 ◽  
Vol 55 (10) ◽  
pp. 2903-2912 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lars F. Westblade ◽  
Matthew S. Simon ◽  
Blaine A. Mathison ◽  
Laura A. Kirkman
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Human Disease ◽  
Clinical Management ◽  
Immune Status ◽  
Severe Disease ◽  
The United States ◽  
Babesia Microti ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Human Infections ◽  
Human Babesiosis

ABSTRACT Babesia microti , a zoonotic intraerythrocytic parasite, is the primary etiological agent of human babesiosis in the United States. Human infections range from subclinical illness to severe disease resulting in death, with symptoms being related to host immune status. Despite advances in our understanding and management of B. microti , the incidence of infection in the United States has increased. Therefore, research focused on eradicating disease and optimizing clinical management is essential. Here we review this remarkable organism, with emphasis on the clinical, diagnostic, and therapeutic aspects of human disease.

scholarly journals Evaluation of a Novel High-Definition PCR Multiplex Assay for Simultaneous Detection of Tick-Borne Pathogens in Human Clinical Specimens

2019 ◽  
Vol 58 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Salika M. Shakir ◽  
Christopher R. Mansfield ◽  
Elizabeth D. Hays ◽  
Marc Roger Couturier ◽  
David R. Hillyard
Keyword(s):  
Simultaneous Detection ◽  
The United States ◽  
Babesia Microti ◽  
High Definition ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Past ◽  
Percent Agreement ◽  
Appropriate Treatment ◽  
Pcr Multiplex ◽  
Severity Of The Disease

ABSTRACT The incidence of tick-borne infections in the United States has risen significantly in the past decade. Ticks can transmit a variety of pathogens, including bacteria, protozoa, and viruses, that can cause serious illnesses. Therefore, the use of rapid, sensitive, and specific multiplex tests is important to identify the pathogen(s) in the acute phase and determine appropriate treatment to minimize the severity of the disease. The purpose of this study was to evaluate ChromaCode’s research use only (RUO) nine-target high-definition PCR (HDPCR) tick-borne pathogen (TBP) panel using 379 retrospective, remnant whole-blood and synovial fluid specimens previously submitted to Associated Regional and University Pathologists (ARUP) Laboratories and tested by clinically validated real-time PCR assays for Ehrlichia spp., Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Babesia spp., or Lyme Borrelia spp. The performance characteristics evaluated included positive percent agreement (PPA) and negative percent agreement (NPA) with the ARUP laboratory-developed tests (LDTs). All tested targets had an initial PPA greater than 97.0%, except Ehrlichia ewingii, with a PPA of 88.9%. The NPAs for all targets were between 98.8% and 100%. The TBP panel detected three coinfections, with two of Babesia microti and A. phagocytophilum and one of B. microti and E. chaffeensis, which were confirmed by the LDTs. There were 16 samples with discordant results compared to the LDT results, five of which were resolved by repeat testing on the TBP panel and bidirectional sequencing. Following discrepant resolution, the final PPA and NPA for the TBP panel were 97.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 95.2% to 99.0%) and 99.6% (95% CI, 99.3% to 99.8%), respectively, with an overall agreement of 99.5% (95% CI, 99.2% to 99.7%) with the LDTs.

scholarly journals Performance Evaluation of a Prototype Architect Antibody Assay forBabesia microti

2018 ◽  
Vol 56 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin Cheng ◽  
Kelly E. Coller ◽  
Christopher C. Marohnic ◽  
Zachary A. Pfeiffer ◽  
James R. Fino ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Subjects ◽  
Fluorescent Antibody ◽  
Antibody Test ◽  
The United States ◽  
Babesia Microti ◽  
Antibody Testing ◽  
Specific Test ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Therapeutic Drugs ◽  
Prototype Test

ABSTRACTThe tick-borne protozoanBabesia microtiis responsible for more than 200 cases of transfusion-transmitted babesiosis (TTB) infection in the United States that have occurred over the last 30 years. Measures to mitigate the risk of TTB include nucleic acid testing (NAT) andB. microtiantibody testing. A fully automated prototypeB. microtiantibody test was developed on the Architect instrument. The specificity was determined to be 99.98% in volunteer blood donors (n= 28,740) from areas considered to have low endemicity forB. microti. The sensitivity of the prototype test was studied in experimentally infected macaques; a total of 128 samples were detected as positive whereas 125 were detected as positive with an indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) test; additionally, 83 (89.2%) of the PCR-positive samples were detected in contrast to 81 (87.1%) using an IFA test. All PCR-positive samples that tested negative in the prototype antibody test were preseroconversion period samples. Following seroconversion, periods of intermittent parasitemia occurred; 17 PCR-negative samples drawn in between PCR-positive bleed dates tested positive both by the prototype test (robust reactivity) and IFA test (marginal reactivity) prior to the administration of therapeutic drugs, indicating that the PCR test failed to detect samples from persistently infected macaques. The prototype assay detected 56 of 58 (96.6%) human subjects diagnosed with clinical babesiosis by both PCR and IFA testing. Overall, the prototype anti-Babesiaassay provides a highly sensitive and specific test for the diagnosis ofB. microtiinfection. While PCR is preferred for detection of window-period parasitemia, antibody tests detect infected subjects during periods of low-level parasitemia.

scholarly journals Characteristics of Escherichia coli Sequence Type 131 Isolates That Produce Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamases: Global Distribution of theH30-Rx Sublineage

2014 ◽  
Vol 58 (7) ◽  
pp. 3762-3767 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gisele Peirano ◽  
Akke K. van der Bij ◽  
Joshua L. Freeman ◽  
Laurent Poirel ◽  
Patrice Nordmann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
The United States ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Sequence Type ◽  
Global Distribution ◽  
Phylogenetic Groups ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Specific Pcr ◽  
Extended Spectrum

ABSTRACTWe designed a study to describe the characteristics of sequence type 131 (ST131) lineages, including theH30-Rx sublineage, among a global collection of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producingEscherichia coliisolates from 9 countries collected from 2000 to 2011. A total of 240 nonrepeat isolates from Canada, the United States, Brazil, the Netherlands, France, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), India, South Africa, and New Zealand were included. Established PCR, sequencing, and typing methods were used to define ST131 lineages,H30 andH30-Rx phylogenetic groups,gyrAandparCmutations, virotypes, and plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance determinants. The majority of the isolates produced CTX-M-15 withaac(6′)-lb-cr, belonged to phylogenetic group B2, and were positive for theH30 lineage with thegyrA1ABandparC1aABmutations. ST131 showed 15 distinct pulsotypes; 43% of the isolates belonged to four pulsotypes, with a global distribution. Seventy-five percent of the ST131 isolates belonged toH30-Rx; this sublineage was present in all the countries and was associated with multidrug resistance,blaCTX-M-15,aac(6′)-lb-cr, and virotypes A and C. TheH41 lineage was negative for the ST131pabBallele-specific PCR. The multidrug-resistantH30-Rx sublineage poses an important public health threat due to its global distribution, association with virotype C, and high prevalence among ST131 isolates that produce CTX-M-15.

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