TY - CHAP
T1 - Rickettsial agents in Slovakian ticks (Acarina, Ixodidae) and their ability to grow in Vero and L929 cell lines
AU - Boldiš, V.
AU - Kocianová, E.
AU - Štrus, J.
AU - Tušek-Žnidarič, M.
AU - Sparagano, Olivier A.E.
AU - Štefanidesová, K.
AU - Špitalská, E.
PY - 2008/12/15
Y1 - 2008/12/15
N2 - A total of 80 adult ticks (55 Haemaphysalis inermis, 12 Dermacentor reticulatus, 11 D. marginatus, 2 Ixodes ricinus) were collected from vegetation in three areas of Slovakia (forest and pasture habitat) in central Europe. Forty-six (46 ticks) (57.5%) of all species tested were positive by the hemocyte test, PCR assays based on the gltA and ompA genes showed a Rickettsiaceae infection in 77.5% of the ticks, whereas only one H. inermis tick was positive for Anaplasmataceae on a 16S rRNA-based PCR. Isolation of rickettsiae was attempted on all collected ticks by means of the shell vial technique, 52 isolates of which were inoculated into Vero cells and 28 into L929 cells. Rickettsiae were detected in 50% (40/80) of the cell lines using the Gimenez staining method, whereas 33.8% (27/80) of the cell lines were PCR-positive for Rickettsia species. The presence of rickettsiae was shown by PCR to be around 30.8% (16/52) in Vero and 39.3% (11/28) in L929 cell lines. Sequencing results showed that detected infections were Rickettsia sp., R. raoultii, and Anaplasma phagocytophilum in ticks, and R. slovaca in cell lines. This is the first report of R. raoultii in Slovakia. Observations by electron microscopy of the R. slovaca isolate from Vero cell lines showed a microcapsular layer, typical Gram-negative cell wall, and a cytoplasmic membrane.
AB - A total of 80 adult ticks (55 Haemaphysalis inermis, 12 Dermacentor reticulatus, 11 D. marginatus, 2 Ixodes ricinus) were collected from vegetation in three areas of Slovakia (forest and pasture habitat) in central Europe. Forty-six (46 ticks) (57.5%) of all species tested were positive by the hemocyte test, PCR assays based on the gltA and ompA genes showed a Rickettsiaceae infection in 77.5% of the ticks, whereas only one H. inermis tick was positive for Anaplasmataceae on a 16S rRNA-based PCR. Isolation of rickettsiae was attempted on all collected ticks by means of the shell vial technique, 52 isolates of which were inoculated into Vero cells and 28 into L929 cells. Rickettsiae were detected in 50% (40/80) of the cell lines using the Gimenez staining method, whereas 33.8% (27/80) of the cell lines were PCR-positive for Rickettsia species. The presence of rickettsiae was shown by PCR to be around 30.8% (16/52) in Vero and 39.3% (11/28) in L929 cell lines. Sequencing results showed that detected infections were Rickettsia sp., R. raoultii, and Anaplasma phagocytophilum in ticks, and R. slovaca in cell lines. This is the first report of R. raoultii in Slovakia. Observations by electron microscopy of the R. slovaca isolate from Vero cell lines showed a microcapsular layer, typical Gram-negative cell wall, and a cytoplasmic membrane.
KW - Anaplasma phagocytophilum
KW - L929
KW - R. raoultii
KW - Rickettsia slovaca
KW - Ticks
KW - Vero
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=54249139300&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1196/annals.1428.090
DO - 10.1196/annals.1428.090
M3 - Chapter
C2 - 19120229
AN - SCOPUS:54249139300
SN - 9781573317146
VL - 1149
T3 - Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
SP - 281
EP - 285
BT - Animal Biodiversity and Emerging Diseases Prediction and Prevention
PB - Wiley
ER -