Comparison of the Reservoir Competence of Medium-Sized Mammals and Peromyscus leucopus for Anaplasma phagocytophilum in Connecticut
Comparison of the Reservoir Competence of Medium-Sized Mammals and Peromyscus leucopus for Anaplasma phagocytophilum in Connecticut
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DOI：
10.1089/15303660260613693
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发表时间：
2002-09-01
影响因子：
2.1
通讯作者：
Fish, Durland
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Levin, Michael L.;Nicholson, William L.;Fish, Durland
在美国东北部，人粒细胞埃立克体病（HGE）的病原体-嗜吞噬细胞无形体通过蜱媒肩胛硬蜱传播。白足鼠Peromyscus leucopus是该病原体的宿主，但非Peromyscus宿主的宿主能力较弱。肩胛肌尚未研究。在这里，我们报告的数据证实水库能力的中型哺乳动物的A。嗜吞噬细胞菌浣熊、弗吉尼亚负鼠、灰松鼠和条纹臭鼬于1998年至1999年6月至8月在康涅狄格州的两个地点被捕获。将捕获的动物在实验室中放置在水上的金属丝网笼中数天，以使自然附着的蜱虫脱落。在每只动物被释放到捕获地点之前，从每只动物身上采集血液和血清样本。允许从每只动物中收集的充血蜱蜕皮。结果I.肩胛肌和成年人进行了A.通过聚合酶链反应检测嗜吞噬细胞菌DNA，动物的血液样品也是如此。A.在> 10%的测试浣熊的血液中检测到嗜吞噬细胞菌DNA。浣熊，负鼠，松鼠和臭鼬产生成年I。感染HGE因子的肩胛肌。以浣熊为食的若虫的成年蜱虫的感染率最高（23%），以臭鼬和负鼠为食的蜱虫的感染率最低（5-7%）。该药剂存在于若虫I中。肩胛的幼虫以浣熊和松鼠为食，但不以臭鼬或负鼠为食的扁虱为食。我们还测试了I.肩胛肌传递A.在从中型哺乳动物获得嗜吞噬细胞菌后，将其用于实验室饲养的白足小鼠。从浣熊和松鼠那里获得这种物质的蜱成功地将其传播给了老鼠。因此，浣熊和灰松鼠对HGE的病原体是敏感的，它们自然被感染，并且能够将感染传播给进食的蜱虫。
In the northeastern United States, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, the agent of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (HGE), is transmitted by the tick vector Ixodes scapularis. The white-footed mouse Peromyscus leucopus is a competent reservoir for this agent, but the reservoir competence of non-Peromyscus hosts of I. scapularis has not been studied. Here, we report data confirming reservoir competence of medium-sized mammals for A. phagocytophilum. Raccoons, Virginia opossums, gray squirrels, and striped skunks were live-trapped in June-August of 1998-1999 at two locations in Connecticut. Captured animals were kept for several days at the laboratory in wire-mesh cages over water to allow naturally attached ticks to drop off. Samples of blood and serum were taken from each animal prior to its release at the site of capture. Engorged ticks collected from each animal were allowed to molt. Resulting I. scapularis nymphs and adults were tested for the presence of A. phagocytophilum DNA by polymerase chain reaction, as were the blood samples from the animals. A. phagocytophilum DNA was detected in the blood of > 10% of the raccoons tested. Raccoons, opossums, squirrels, and skunks produced adult I. scapularis infected with the agent of HGE. Prevalence of infection was the highest in adult ticks fed as nymphs upon raccoons (23%) and the lowest in those fed upon skunks and opossums (5-7%). The agent was present in nymphal I. scapularis fed as larvae upon raccoons and squirrels, but not in ticks fed upon skunks or opossums. We also tested the ability of I. scapularis to transmit A. phagocytophilum to laboratory-reared white-footed mice after acquiring it from medium-sized mammals. Ticks that acquired the agent from raccoons and squirrels successfully transmitted it to mice. Thus, raccoons and gray squirrels are reservoir-competent for the agent of HGE-they become naturally infected, and are capable of transmitting the infection to feeding ticks.