Detection of Rickettsia helvetica in ticks collected from European hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus, Linnaeus, 1758)

作者：Speck Stephanie^*; Perseke Lea; Petney Trevor; Skuballa Jasmin; Pfaeffle Miriam; Taraschewski Horst; Bunnell Toni; Es**auer Sandra; Dobler Gerhard

来源：Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases, 2013, 4(3): 222-226.

DOI：10.1016/j.ttbdis.2012.11.003

• Rickettsia helvetica
• Erinaceus europaeus
• Ixodes ricinus
• Ixodes hexagonus

The role of wild mammals in the dissemination and maintenance of Rickettsia in nature is still under investigation. European hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) are often heavily infested by tick and flea species that are known to harbor and transmit different Rickettsia spp. We investigated ixodid ticks sampled from European hedgehogs for the presence of Rickettsia. A total of 471 Ixodes ricinus and 755 I. hexagonus were collected from 26 German and 7 British European hedgehogs. These were tested by a genus-specific real-time PCR assay targeting the citrate synthase gene (gltA). The rickettsia minimum infection rate was 11.7% with an increase detected with each parasitic tick stage. No significant difference in Rickettsia prevalence in the 2 Ixodes species was detected. Using sequencing of partial ompB, Rickettsia helvetica was the only species identified. More than half of the hedgehogs carried Rickettsia-positive ticks. In addition, tissue samples from 2/5 hedgehogs (where tissue DNA was available) were PCR-positive. These results show that European hedgehogs are exposed to R. helvetica via infected ticks and might be involved in the natural transmission cycle of this Rickettsia species.

• 出版日期2013