Browsing by Author "Escudero, R."
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- Francisella species in ticks and animals, Iberian PeninsulaPublication . Lopes de Carvalho, I.; Toledo, A.; Carvalho, C.L.; Barandika, J.F.; Respicio-Kingry, L.B.; Garcia-Amil, C.; García-Pérez, A. L.; Olmeda, A. S.; Zé-Zé, L.; Petersen, J.M.; Anda, P.; Núncio, M.S.; Escudero, R.The presence of Francisella species in 2134 ticks, 93 lagomorphs and 280 small mammals from the Iberian Peninsula was studied. Overall, 19 ticks and 6 lagomorphs were positive for Francisella tularensis subsp. holarctica, suggesting, as described for other regions, that lagomorphs may have an important role in the maintenance of F. tularensis in nature. Of the 6 positive lagomorphs, 4 were identified as the European rabbit, Oryctogalus cuniculus. Additionally, 353 ticks and 3 small mammals were PCR positive for Francisella-like endosymbionts (FLEs) and one small mammal was also positive for Francisella hispaniensis-like DNA sequences. Among FLE positive specimens, a variety of sequence types were detected: ticks were associated with 5 lpnA sequence types, with only one type identified per tick, in contrast to 2 lpnA sequence types detected in a single wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus). To our knowledge, this is the first report of FLEs in free-living small mammals as well as the first detection of F. hispaniensis-like sequences in a natural setting.
- Francisella tularensis, PortugalPublication . Lopes de Carvalho, Isabel; Escudero, R.; Garcia-Amil, C.; Falcão, H.; Anda, P.; Núncio, M.S.
- A importância das aves como hospedeiros de carraças e no ciclo enzoótico da Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. em PortugalPublication . Norte, A.C.; Ramos, J.A.; Araújo, P.M.; Pascoal da Silva, L.; Tenreiro, P.Q.; Escudero, R.; Anda, P.; Gern, L.; Zé-Zé, L.; Núncio, M.S.; Lopes de Carvalho, I.As aves selvagens são frequentemente infestadas por carraças e são consideradas reservatório da Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. (sensu lato), um complexo de bactérias transmitidas por carraças, que causam a borreliose de Lyme. De 2010 a 2014 recolhemos 2820 carraças de 690 aves infestadas pertencentes a 40 espécies, e avaliámos a infecção por B. burgdorferi s.l. por nested PCR nestas carraças. Oito espécies de carraças foram identificadas, sendo, Ixodes frontalis (37%) e I. ricinus (34%) as espécies mais comuns. O Melro (Turdus merula) e o Pisco-de-peito-ruivo (Erithacus rubecula) foram as espécies mais infestadas, possivelmente devido aos seus hábitos de pesquisa de alimento a níveis mais baixos. Carraças do género Ixodes sp. infectadas com Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. foram recolhidas de Tentilhões (Fringilla coelebs), Chapins-reais (Parus major), Toutinegras-dosvalados (Sylvia melanocephala), Carriças (Troglodytes troglodytes), Tordos-ruivos (Turdus iliacus), Melros (T. merula) e Tordos-pintos (Turdus philomelos), com maior prevalência em carraças provenientes de T. philomelos (26%). Detectámos B. turdi (4,4%), B. valaisiana (3,7%), B. garinii (3,3%), B. miyamotoi (0,06%) e B. bissettii (0,06%) em Ixodes sp. recolhidas das aves. A caracterização genética das linhagens de B. turdi sugere divergência filogenética da linhagem originalmente detectada no Japão. Uma experiência de xenodiagnóstico provou a capacidade reservatório de T. merula para B. valaisiana e B. turdi. Estes resultados reforçam o papel das aves como agentes chave na manutenção de diferentes genoespécies do complexo B. burgdorferi s.l.
- Patterns of tick infestation and their Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. infection in wild birds in PortugalPublication . Norte, A.C.; Da Silva, L.P.; Tenreiro, P.J.Q.; Felgueiras, M.S.; Araújo, P.M.; Lopes, P.B.; Matos, C.; Rosa, A.; Ferreira, P.J.S.G.; Encarnação, P.; Rocha, A.; Escudero, R.; Anda, P.; Núncio, M. Sofia; Lopes de Carvalho, IsabelWild birds may act as reservoirs for zoonotic pathogens and may be mechanical carriers of pathogen infected vector ticks through long distances during migration. The aim of this study was to assess tick infestation patterns in birds in Portugal and the prevalence of tick infection by Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. using PCR techniques. Seven tick species were collected from birds including Haemaphysalis punctata, Hyalomma spp., Ixodes acuminatus, Ixodes arboricola, Ixodes frontalis, Ixodes ricinus and Ixodes ventalloi. We found that I. frontalis and Hyalomma spp. were the most common ticks infesting birds of several species and that they were widespread in Portugal. Turdus merula was the bird species that presented the highest diversity of infesting ticks and had one of the highest infestation intensities. B. burgdorferi s.l. was detected in 7.3% (37/505) of Ixodidae ticks derived from birds. The most common genospecies was Borrelia turdi (6.9%), detected in ticks collected from Parus major, T. merula and Turdus philomelos, but Borrelia valaisiana (0.2%) and one Borrelia sp. (0.2%) similar to Borrelia bissettii (96% of similarity of the flaB gene in Blastn) were also detected. This study contributed to a better knowledge of the Ixodidae tick fauna parasitizing birds in Western Europe and to the assessment of the prevalence of B. burgdorferi s.l. associated with birds and their ticks. © 2015 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.
- The importance of lizards and small mammals as reservoirs for Borrelia lusitaniae in PortugalPublication . Norte, A.C.; Alves da Silva, A.; Alves, J.; da Silva, L. P.; Núncio, M. S.; Escudero, R.; Anda, P.; Ramos, J. A.; Lopes de Carvalho, I.Borrelia lusitaniae is a pathogen frequent in the Mediterranean area. Apart from lizards, evidence for birds and small mammals as competent reservoirs for this genospecies has been occasional. We collected questing ticks, skin biopsies and Ixodes sp. ticks feeding on lizards, birds and small mammals in a B. burgdorferi s.l. (sensu lato) enzootic area to assess their importance in the maintenance of B. lusitaniae. Borrelia lusitaniae was the most prevalent genospecies in questing ticks and was commonly found in larvae feeding on Psammodromus algirus. One biopsy infected with B. lusitaniae was collected from the tail of one Podarcis hispanica, which suggests systemic infection. Ixodes ricinus larvae feeding on Apodemus sylvaticus were infected with B. lusitaniae but with a lower prevalence. Our results reinforce the importance of lizards as reservoirs for B. lusitaniae, suggesting that P. algirus, in particular, acts as main reservoir for B. lusitaniae in Portugal.