Zoonotic Babesia microti infection in wild rodents in Erzurum province, northeastern Turkey

Guven E., Akyuz M., Kirman R., Balkaya İ., Avcioglu H.

ZOONOSES AND PUBLIC HEALTH, cilt.69, sa.7, ss.875-883, 2022 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 69 Sayı: 7
  • Basım Tarihi: 2022
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1111/zph.12983
  • Dergi Adı: ZOONOSES AND PUBLIC HEALTH
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, Agricultural & Environmental Science Database, BIOSIS, CAB Abstracts, EMBASE, Food Science & Technology Abstracts, MEDLINE, Veterinary Science Database
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.875-883
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: Babesia microti, Ixodes laguri, rodent, Turkey, SMALL MAMMALS, IXODES-RICINUS, MOLECULAR-IDENTIFICATION, COMMUNITY STRUCTURE, BORNE DISEASES, TICKS, ACARI, PREVALENCE, PHYLOGENY, GLAREOLUS
  • Atatürk Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Wild rodents are natural reservoir hosts of various pathogens, including Babesia microti. This study investigated the presence of B. microti in rodents from Erzurum province in Turkey. A total of 498 rodents and 21 rodent-fed ticks were analysed using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique to test for the presence of B. microti. Babesia spp. were detected in three (0.6%) of the 498 rodent spleen samples. The Babesia-positive rodent species were identified as Microtus socialis by means of molecular analysis. The rodent-fed ticks comprised 15 Ixodes laguri and 6 Rhipicephalus sanguineus, none of which tested positive for Babesia spp. A sequence analysis of the 18S PCR amplicons confirmed the three Babesia-positive samples to be B. microti. The Erzurum isolates were 100% identical to the zoonotic Jena strain. The results of this study indicate the existence of zoonotic B. microti strains that may constitute a potential public health risk in Erzurum province. Future studies should determine the tick vector and other reservoir rodent species of B. microti in Erzurum.