{"title":"Absence of Coxiella burnetii in kangaroo ticks (Amblyomma triguttatum) from a high seroprevalence population of eastern grey kangaroos","authors":"Anita Tolpinrud , Ornella Romeo , Anne-Lise Chaber","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102406","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Q fever, caused by <em>Coxiella burnetii</em>, is an important zoonotic and public health concern worldwide. Kangaroos are thought to be a likely wildlife reservoir for <em>C. burnetii</em> in Australia and the kangaroo tick (<em>Amblyomma triguttatum</em>) has often been considered a vector. In this descriptive study of ticks collected from a population of eastern grey kangaroos (<em>Macropus giganteus</em>) with a high serological (84 %) and molecular (65 %) prevalence of <em>C. burnetii</em> in northern New South Wales, a total of 72 <em>A. triguttatum</em> ticks were tested by PCRs targeting the IS<em>1111, htpAB</em>, and <em>com1</em> genes of the <em>Coxiella</em> genome. Despite the remarkably high prevalence of coxiellosis in the host population, none of the ticks were positive for <em>Coxiella.</em> This finding suggests that the kangaroo tick may not play a significant role in the transmission dynamics of <em>C. burnetii</em> in this particular host population.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"15 6","pages":"Article 102406"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1000,"publicationDate":"2024-10-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877959X24000992","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"INFECTIOUS DISEASES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Q fever, caused by Coxiella burnetii, is an important zoonotic and public health concern worldwide. Kangaroos are thought to be a likely wildlife reservoir for C. burnetii in Australia and the kangaroo tick (Amblyomma triguttatum) has often been considered a vector. In this descriptive study of ticks collected from a population of eastern grey kangaroos (Macropus giganteus) with a high serological (84 %) and molecular (65 %) prevalence of C. burnetii in northern New South Wales, a total of 72 A. triguttatum ticks were tested by PCRs targeting the IS1111, htpAB, and com1 genes of the Coxiella genome. Despite the remarkably high prevalence of coxiellosis in the host population, none of the ticks were positive for Coxiella. This finding suggests that the kangaroo tick may not play a significant role in the transmission dynamics of C. burnetii in this particular host population.
期刊介绍:
Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases is an international, peer-reviewed scientific journal. It publishes original research papers, short communications, state-of-the-art mini-reviews, letters to the editor, clinical-case studies, announcements of pertinent international meetings, and editorials.
The journal covers a broad spectrum and brings together various disciplines, for example, zoology, microbiology, molecular biology, genetics, mathematical modelling, veterinary and human medicine. Multidisciplinary approaches and the use of conventional and novel methods/methodologies (in the field and in the laboratory) are crucial for deeper understanding of the natural processes and human behaviour/activities that result in human or animal diseases and in economic effects of ticks and tick-borne pathogens. Such understanding is essential for management of tick populations and tick-borne diseases in an effective and environmentally acceptable manner.