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Animals
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Tick-Borne Diseases in Animals
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Tick-Borne Diseases in Animals

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Veterinary Clinical Studies".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2023) | Viewed by 14162

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Anna Omazic

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Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry, Environment and Feed Hygiene, National Veterinary Institute (SVA), Uppsala, Sweden
Interests: zoonoses; infectious diseases; ticks; tick-borne diseases; infectous diseases in reindeer; climate change; One Health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Maja Malmberg

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Guest Editor
Section of Virology, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
Interests: viral metagenomics; bioinformatics; virus discovery; molecular biology; infectious diseases; cattle; Uganda; tick-borne diseases
Prof. Dr. Juha Kantanen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Production Systems, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), 31600 Jokioinen, Finland
Interests: animal genetic resources; breed, conservation genetics; domestication; domestic animals; gene expression; genomics; population genetics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Climate change is becoming increasingly evident and problematic. Changes in weather conditions can lead to an expansion of geographical areas where new tick populations and new species could become established and introduce along with them new tick-borne pathogens. To reproduce, ticks need to feed on different hosts, thus making them efficient vectors of infectious agents between humans, pets, livestock, and wildlife.

The travel and trade of animals are also contributing to the global spread of ticks. Such movements can introduce new tick vectors and therefore new pathogens into previously free areas and communities.

Updated knowledge on tick-borne pathogens is fundamental to design risk maps and to give proper advice to the community by suggesting measures to minimize diseases. As veterinary medicine advances, signs and symptoms of disease that may have been missed before are now being detected. Several tick-borne diseases are known to be endemic in many countries all over the world, but to date, there is limited information about the prevalence of these infections in companion animals.

Original manuscripts that address any aspects of tick-borne diseases in animals are invited for this Special Issue. In particular, tick-borne diseases in companion animals, the potential burden of tick-borne infections on companion animals, and trends in the distribution and prevalence of tick-borne infections are welcome.

Dr. Anna Omazic
Dr. Maja Malmberg
Prof. Dr. Juha Kantanen
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • tick-borne diseases
  • tick-borne pathogens
  • tick control
  • climate-sensitive infections
  • canine diseases
  • feline diseases
  • companion animals

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 1120 KiB  
Article
Presence of Anaplasma spp. and Their Associated Antibodies in the Swedish Goat Population
by Sara Lysholm, Frida Ådén, Anna Aspán, Ann Högberg, Jonas Johansson Wensman and Anna Omazic
Animals 2023, 13(3), 333; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13030333 - 17 Jan 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2101
Abstract
Anaplasmosis is a tick-borne disease that has a severe impact on livestock production and welfare. The aim of this pilot study was to investigate the presence of Anaplasma spp. and associated antibodies in a subset of the Swedish goat population. In 2020, six [...] Read more.
Anaplasmosis is a tick-borne disease that has a severe impact on livestock production and welfare. The aim of this pilot study was to investigate the presence of Anaplasma spp. and associated antibodies in a subset of the Swedish goat population. In 2020, six goat herds located in different parts of Sweden were visited and whole blood and serum samples were collected. The whole blood samples (n = 40) were analysed for the presence of Anaplasma phagocytophilum, A. ovis and A. capra using quantitative and conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The serum samples (n = 59) were analysed for the presence of antibodies to Anaplasma spp. using a commercial competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the same analysis was carried out on additional serum samples previously collected in 2018, 2019 and 2020 (n = 166). One goat (2.5%) tested positive for the presence of A. phagocytophilum genetic material, while the seropositivity rate ranged from 20 to 71%, depending on the surveyed year and area. These results indicate widespread exposure to Anaplasma spp. in the Swedish goat population. To inform future risk assessments and control efforts, further research is warranted to determine the prevalence of anaplasmosis and its impact on goat farming in Sweden. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tick-Borne Diseases in Animals)
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14 pages, 1197 KiB  
Article
A Disease Outbreak in Beef Cattle Associated with Anaplasma and Mycoplasma Infections
by Karin Persson Waller, Kerstin Dahlgren, Giulio Grandi, Maya Louise Holding, Katarina Näslund, Anna Omazic, Hein Sprong, Karin Ullman and Mikael Leijon
Animals 2023, 13(2), 286; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13020286 - 13 Jan 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2447
Abstract
An outbreak of disease in a Swedish beef cattle herd initiated an in-depth study to investigate the presence of bacteria and viruses in the blood of clinically healthy (n = 10) and clinically diseased cattle (n = 20) using whole-genome shotgun [...] Read more.
An outbreak of disease in a Swedish beef cattle herd initiated an in-depth study to investigate the presence of bacteria and viruses in the blood of clinically healthy (n = 10) and clinically diseased cattle (n = 20) using whole-genome shotgun sequencing (WGSS). The occurrence of infectious agents was also investigated in ticks found attached to healthy cattle (n = 61) and wild deer (n = 23), and in spleen samples from wild deer (n = 30) and wild boars (n = 10). Moreover, blood samples from 84 clinically healthy young stock were analysed for antibodies against Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Babesia divergens. The WGSS revealed the presence of at least three distinct Mycoplasma variants that were most closely related to Mycoplasma wenyonii. Two of these were very similar to a divergent M. wenyonii variant previously only detected in Mexico. These variants tended to be more common in the diseased cattle than in the healthy cattle but were not detected in the ticks or wild animals. The DNA of A. phagocytophilum was detected in similar proportions in diseased (33%) and healthy (40%) cattle, while 70% of the deer, 8% of ticks collected from the cattle and 19% of the ticks collected from deer were positive. Almost all the isolates from the cattle, deer and ticks belonged to Ecotype 1. Based on sequencing of the groEL-gene, most isolates of A. phagocytophilum from cattle were similar and belonged to a different cluster than the isolates from wild deer. Antibodies against A. phagocytophilum were detected in all the analysed samples. In conclusion, uncommon variants of Mycoplasma were detected, probably associated with the disease outbreak in combination with immune suppression due to granulocytic anaplasmosis. Moreover, A. phagocytophilum was found to be circulating within this cattle population, while circulation between cattle and deer occurred infrequently. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tick-Borne Diseases in Animals)
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8 pages, 926 KiB  
Article
First Description of Acaricide Resistance in Populations of Rhipicephalus microplus Tick from the Lower Amazon, Brazil
by Ana Beatriz Barbosa de Sousa, Daniela Bianchi, Elisa Mota Santos, Salatiel Ribeiro Dias, Poliana Leão Peleja, Raidel Reis Santos, Nohora Mercado Caruso and Antonio Humberto Hamad Minervino
Animals 2022, 12(21), 2931; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12212931 - 26 Oct 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1764
Abstract
There is limited information on the resistance to acaricidal drugs of the cattle tick Rhipicephalus microplus in the Lower Amazon region. Thus, we aimed to determine the efficiency of three widely used acaricide products (Amitraz, Cypermethrin, and Deltamethrin) in the control of this [...] Read more.
There is limited information on the resistance to acaricidal drugs of the cattle tick Rhipicephalus microplus in the Lower Amazon region. Thus, we aimed to determine the efficiency of three widely used acaricide products (Amitraz, Cypermethrin, and Deltamethrin) in the control of this tick species. The adult immersion test was used on engorged female ticks sampled on farms in the Lower Amazon region, Brazil. For the test, homogeneous batches of 10 engorged females were placed in Petri dishes and immersed in the tested acaricidal drugs, using four replicates of each acaricide and three replicates as a negative control, immersed in distilled water. The acaricides were diluted as recommended by the manufacturers, and the ticks were submerged for five minutes. Mortality of engorged females, production of eggs, and percentage of larval hatching were evaluated. Tick mortality was 2.5%, 7.5%, and 0% for Amitraz, Cypermethrin, and Deltamethrin, respectively. The percentage of larval hatching was 53.7% for Amitraz, 88.7% for Cypermethrin, and 80.0% for Deltamethrin. As recommended by the FAO, for the acaricide to be considered effective, it must have a control rate ≥95%. Among the tested acaricides, Amitraz showed an efficacy of 90.5%, Cypermethrin 10.4%, and Deltamethrin 26.6%. Ticks from the lower Amazon showed marked resistance to Cypermethrin and Deltamethrin and mild resistance to Amitraz. This is the first report of acaricidal resistance in the region. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tick-Borne Diseases in Animals)
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10 pages, 683 KiB  
Article
Serological Analysis of IgG and IgM Antibodies against Anaplasma spp. in Various Animal Species of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau
by Jinchao Zhang, Hejia Ma, Jingkai Ai, Tongsheng Qi, Ming Kang, Jixu Li and Yali Sun
Animals 2022, 12(19), 2723; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12192723 - 10 Oct 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1817
Abstract
Anaplasma genus infects the blood cells of humans and animals by biting, causing zoonotic anaplasmosis. However, limited data are available on carrier animals for Anaplasma spp. antibodies in the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau Area. Therefore, a serological indirect ELISA diagnostic method based on the major [...] Read more.
Anaplasma genus infects the blood cells of humans and animals by biting, causing zoonotic anaplasmosis. However, limited data are available on carrier animals for Anaplasma spp. antibodies in the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau Area. Therefore, a serological indirect ELISA diagnostic method based on the major surface protein 5 (MSP5), derived from Anaplasma phagocytophilum, was developed in this study to analyze both IgG and IgM antibodies of Anaplasma spp. in a total of 3952 animals from the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau, including yaks (Bos grunniens), cows (Bos taurus), cattle (Bos taurus domesticus), Tibetan sheep (Ovis aries), horses (Equus ferus caballus), pigs (Sus domesticus), chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus), donkeys (Equus asinus), stray dogs (Canis sp.), and stray cats (Felis sp.). The results showed that recombinant MSP5 protein was expressed and was successfully used to establish the indirect ELISA methods. The overall positivity for Anaplasma IgG and IgM antibodies was 14.6% (578/3952) and 7.9% (312/3952), respectively, and a total of 123 animals (3.1%) were both IgG- and IgM-positive. Moreover, the most prevalent Anaplasma IgG positivity was exhibited by donkeys (82.5%), followed by stray dogs, Tibetan sheep, pigs, chickens, horses, yaks, cows, cattle, and stray cats. The analysis for IgM antibody positivity revealed that IgM positivity was the most prevalent in the stray dogs (30.1%), followed by horses, yaks, Tibetan sheep, cows, stray cats, and cattle. Moreover, the results revealed significant differences (p < 0.05) at different altitudes in Anaplasma-specific IgG in the yaks, Tibetan sheep, and horses, and in IgM in the yaks and Tibetan sheep. In conclusion, this study is the first to demonstrate that yaks, cows, cattle, Tibetan sheep, horses, donkeys, stray dogs, stray cats, pigs, and chickens living in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau are carrier animals for Anaplasma spp. IgG or IgM antibodies. The current findings provide valuable current data on the seroepidemiology of anaplasmosis in China and for plateau areas of the world. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tick-Borne Diseases in Animals)
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11 pages, 940 KiB  
Article
Molecular Detection and Genetic Characterization of Ehrlichia ruminantium Harbored by Amblyomma hebraeum Ticks of Domestic Ruminants in North West Province, South Africa
by Sifiso S. Mnisi, Malekoba B. N. Mphuthi, Tsepo Ramatla, Lehlohonolo S. Mofokeng, Oriel Thekisoe and Michelo Syakalima
Animals 2022, 12(19), 2511; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12192511 - 21 Sep 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2099
Abstract
Ehrlichia ruminantium (E. ruminantium) is the causative agent of heartwater disease and it is mainly transmitted to livestock by Amblyomma hebraeum (A. hebraeum) tick in South Africa. This study investigated the occurrence of E. ruminantium and its genetic diversity [...] Read more.
Ehrlichia ruminantium (E. ruminantium) is the causative agent of heartwater disease and it is mainly transmitted to livestock by Amblyomma hebraeum (A. hebraeum) tick in South Africa. This study investigated the occurrence of E. ruminantium and its genetic diversity in ticks within Ngaka Modiri Molema district of North West Province in South Africa. Genomic DNA was extracted from whole A. hebraeum ticks totaling 876 and resulted in a total of 292 pooled DNA samples. Firstly, conventional PCR was used to detect Ehrlichia spp. targeting the dsbA gene, followed by nested PCR targeting the Map1 gene performed on DNA pool samples that were positive from the first PCR. One hundred and six tick DNA pool samples were positive by dsbA gene PCR for the presence of Ehrlichia spp. with minimum infection rate (MIR) of 121, while 13/106 were positive by Map1 PCR with MIR of 15. Different E. ruminantium Map1 genotypes (NWUe1, NWUe2, NWUe3, NWUe5, and NWUe6) were detected from tick samples and were closely related to more than 13 gene sequences of E. ruminantium from the NCBI GenBank database. These findings suggest that there is a significant diversity of E. ruminantium infecting ticks in the study area. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tick-Borne Diseases in Animals)
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13 pages, 11206 KiB  
Article
Molecular Survey and Genetic Characterization of Anaplasma marginale in Ticks Collected from Livestock Hosts in Pakistan
by Zaibullah Khan, Shehla Shehla, Abdulaziz Alouffi, Muhammad Kashif Obaid, Alam Zeb Khan, Mashal M. Almutairi, Muhammad Numan, Ome Aiman, Shumaila Alam, Shafi Ullah, Sher Zaman Safi, Tetsuya Tanaka and Abid Ali
Animals 2022, 12(13), 1708; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12131708 - 1 Jul 2022
Cited by 28 | Viewed by 2931
Abstract
Ticks transmit pathogens to animals and humans more often than any other arthropod vector. The rural economy of Pakistan mainly depends on livestock farming, and tick infestations cause severe problems in this sector. The present study aimed to molecularly characterize the Anaplasma spp. [...] Read more.
Ticks transmit pathogens to animals and humans more often than any other arthropod vector. The rural economy of Pakistan mainly depends on livestock farming, and tick infestations cause severe problems in this sector. The present study aimed to molecularly characterize the Anaplasma spp. in hard ticks collected from six districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Ticks were collected from various livestock hosts, including cattle breeds (Holstein-Friesian, Jersey, Sahiwal, and Achai), Asian water buffaloes, sheep, and goats from March 2018 to February 2019. Collected ticks were morphologically identified and subjected to molecular screening of Anaplasma spp. by amplifying 16S rDNA sequences. Six hundred seventy-six ticks were collected from infested hosts (224/350, 64%). Among the nine morphologically identified tick species, the highest occurrence was noted for Rhipicephalus microplus (254, 37.6%), followed by Hyalomma anatolicum (136, 20.1%), Rhipicephalus haemaphysaloides (119, 17.6%), Rhipicephalus turanicus (116, 17.1%), Haemaphysalis montgomeryi (14, 2.1%), Hyalomma dromedarii (11, 1.6%), Haemaphysalis bispinosa (10, 1.5%), Hyalomma scupense (8, 1.2%), and Haemaphysalis kashmirensis (8, 1.2%). The occurrence of tick females was highest (260, 38.5%), followed by nymphs (246, 36.4%) and males (170, 25.1%). Overall, the highest occurrence of ticks was recorded in the Peshawar district (239, 35.3%), followed by Mardan (183, 27.1%), Charsadda (110, 16.3%), Swat (52, 7.7%), Shangla (48, 7.1%), and Chitral (44, 6.5%). Among these ticks, Anaplasma marginale was detected in R. microplus, R. turanicus, and R. haemaphysaloides. The 16S rDNA sequences showed high identity (98–100%) with A. marginale reported from Australia, China, Japan, Pakistan, Thailand, Uganda, and the USA. In phylogenetic analysis, the sequence of A. marginale clustered with the same species reported from Australia, China, Pakistan, Thailand, Uruguay, and the USA. Further molecular work regarding the diversity of tick species and associated pathogens is essential across the country. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tick-Borne Diseases in Animals)
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