Detection of Bartonella species from ticks, mites and small mammals in Korea.
- Author:
Chul Min KIM
1
;
Ji Young KIM
;
Ying Hua YI
;
Mi Jin LEE
;
Mae rim CHO
;
Devendra H SHAH
;
Terry A KLEIN
;
Heung Chul KIM
;
Jin Won SONG
;
Sung Tae CHONG
;
Monica L O'GUINN
;
John S LEE
;
In Yong LEE
;
Jin Ho PARK
;
Joon Seok CHAE
Author Information
1. Bio-Safety Research Institute and College of Veterinary Medicine, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju 561-756, Korea. jschae@chonbuk.ac.kr
- Publication Type:Original Article ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
- Keywords:
Bartonella;
Korea;
mites;
PCR;
rodents;
ticks
- MeSH:
Animals;
Bartonella/classification/*isolation&purification;
DNA, Bacterial/isolation&purification;
Disease Vectors;
GroEL Protein/genetics;
Mammals/*microbiology;
Mites/*microbiology;
Polymerase Chain Reaction;
RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics;
RNA, Ribosomal, 23S/genetics;
Ticks/*microbiology
- From:Journal of Veterinary Science
2005;6(4):327-334
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
We investigated the prevalence of Bartonella infections in ticks, mites and small mammals (rodents, insectivores and weasels) collected during 2001 through 2004, from various military installations and training sites in Korea, using PCR and sequence analysis of 16S rRNA, 23S rRNA and groEL heat shock protein genes. The prevalence of Bartonella spp. was 5.2% (n = 1, 305 sample pools) in ticks, 19.1% (n = 21) in mesostigmatid mites and 13.7% (n = 424 individuals) in small mammals. The prevalence within the family Ixodidae was, 4.4% (n = 1, 173) in Haemaphysalis longicornis (scrub tick), 2.7% (n = 74) in H. flava, 5.0% (n = 20) in Ixodes nipponensis, 11.1% (n = 9) in I. turdus, 33.3% (n = 3) in I. persulcatus and 42.3% (n = 26) in Ixodes spp. ticks. In rodents, the prevalence rate was, 6.7% (n = 373) in Apodemus agrarius (striped field mouse) and 11.1% (n = 9) in Eothenomys regulus (Korean red-backed vole) and in an insectivore, Crocidura lasiura, 12.1% (n = 33). Neither of the two weasels were positive for Bartonella spp. Phylogenetic analysis based on amino acid sequence of a portion of the groEL gene amplified from one A. agrarius spleen was identical to B. elizabethae species. We demonstrated the presence of Bartonella DNA in H. longicornis, H. flava and I. nipponensis ticks, indicating that these ticks should be added to the growing list of potential tick vectors and warrants further detailed investigations to disclose their possible roles in Bartonella infection cycles.
