Tick-borne parasite found in Scottish sheep in UK first
20 November 2019
Image copyrightGETTY IMAGESImage captionThe tick-borne parasite causes a disease called babesiosis
An exotic and potentially deadly tick-borne parasite has been found in the UK for the first time.
A study conducted by the University of Glasgow found the parasite in sheep in the north east of Scotland.
This is the first time the organism, called Babesia venatorum, has ever been found in sheep anywhere in the world.
The parasite causes a disease called babesiosis which is recognised as an emerging infection in human health.
It has been extensively recorded in China and in Europe with two human infections confirmed in Italy in the last 20 years.
Babesiosis is treatable in most cases, although this depends on rapid and accurate diagnosis.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said infected people may get symptoms such as flu and jaundice but severe cases can lead to death.
Scientists believed the risk of people contracting this infection however is believed to be low.
‘A new risk’
Researchers targeted areas where tick-borne viruses had been previously detected and collected blood from sheep, cattle and deer.
Scientists believed the parasite could have travelled to the north east of Scotland via migrating birds from Scandinavian countries.
Ticks have a considerable importance for public health.
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Few data are present about ticks collected from humans.
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128 ticks from 92 patients were analysed.
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Almost 30% of the analysed tick pools were positive for Babesia spp.
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The zoonotic species Babesia venatorum was the most prevalent species observed.
Abstract
Ticks are able to transmit several pathogens to the host while feeding, and thus are considered the most important vectors of infectious agents together with mosquitos. The global incidence of tick-borne diseases (TBDs) is rising, due to increased interactions between pathogens, hosts and vectors, linked to global changes. Given that information about the prevalence of tick-borne pathogens in ticks removed from humans in Italy are scarce, the aim of the present study was to identify the species of ticks biting humans in Northwestern Italy and tick-borne pathogens they harbour. An overall number of 128 ticks from 92 patients were collected from April to October 2018, almost 98% of which belonging to the Ixodes ricinus species. Molecular analysis showed the presence of Babesia spp. in 29 out of 93 analysed tick pools, with a Minimum Infection Rate (MIR) of 31.18% (29/93; CI95% 22.67–41.19%), while 1 out of 93 pools tested positive for SFG Rickettsiae (MIR = 1.08%; CI95% 0.19–5.84%). No samples tested positive for A. phagocytophilum and Borrelia spp. Sequencing revealed the presence of Babesia venatorum (28 pools), Theileria buffeli/orientalis complex (1 pool) and Rickettsia monacensis.Among these, B. venatorum and R. monacensis are zoonotic pathogens able to cause from moderate to severe infections in humans. These data highlight the importance of passive surveillance to assess the epidemiology of TBDs that pose a threat to human health.
It transmits numerous pathogens of medical and veterinary importance including Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. causing Lyme borreliosis, tick-borne encephalitis virus, Anaplasma phagocytophilum causing human granulocytic ehrlichiosis, Francisella tularensis causing Tularaemia, Rickettsia helvetica and Rickettsia monacensis, Babesia divergens and Babesia microti responsible for Babesiosis,Louping ill virus and Tribec virus.
The fact that 30% of ticks had Babesia should cause all doctors to pause and consider.
Bartonella is the monotypic genus of the family Bartonellaceae among Alphaproteobacteria[1]. Bartonella species are fastidious Gram-negative, slightly curved rod bacteria characterized by a small cell size (0.5–0.6 × 1.0 μm) [2]. They are facultative intracellular bacteria with a unique intraerythrocyte lifestyle. Currently the Bartonella genus includes 35 validly published species and three subspecies [3], [4]. Bartonella species usually colonize the intestine of the arthropod vector or the bloodstream of the mammalian host [4], [5]. In addition, our understanding of the involvement of these microorganisms in human diseases continues to grow, as does the range of clinical manifestations [6], [7]. At least 13 Bartonella species are responsible for human diseases, including B. bacilliformis, B. quintana and B. henselae, which cause Carrión disease, trench fever and cat-scratch disease respectively. Bartonella species are also associated with chronic bacteraemia and/or endocarditis, bacillary angiomatosis, peliosis hepatis, prolonged fever of unknown origin, retinitis, uveitis and myocarditis in humans[6]. Other mammalian species that may host Bartonella species include dogs, coyotes, foxes, cattle, deer, elk, bats and many rodent species [8], [9], [10].
Here we present the description of Bartonella massiliensis strain OS09T (= CSURB624T = DSM 23169), a new species of the genus Bartonella isolated from a soft tick, Ornithodoros sonrai, including its complete annotated genome.
Today I posted an article of a U.S. patient who had an enlarged spleen, skin lesions, and anemia. Blood testing did not reveal bartonellosis, but the spleen was eventually removed and tissue tests revealed the presence of Bartonella bacilliformis. This is a species of Bartonella that is primarily transmitted by sand flies in South America. The patient, it turns out, had visited South America three years earlier. https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/11/26/bartonellosis-a-hidden-cause-of-splenomegaly/
Worldwide travel opens the door to insects and pathogens you may not find at home. It’s important to keep track of symptoms & connect them to any travel, making sure to tell your doctor.
The following article shows the various sandflies which look a bit like mosquitoes. Please note they are found in the Southern U.S. as well.
Phlebotomine sand flies are of considerable public health importance because of their ability to transmit several viral, bacterial, and protozoal disease-causing organisms of humans and other animals.
Lutzomyia shannoni Dyar is a proven vector of vesicular stomatitis virus and a suspected vector of visceral leishmaniasis and sand fly fever in Florida. It is one of the more thoroughly studied species of phlebotomine sand flies in North America.
In the United States, it has been found through the southern states from Florida to Louisiana plus Arkansas, Tennessee, South and North Carolina. This species has been found as far north as Maryland and Delaware.
At least 60 species in the Old World genus Phlebotomus or New World genus Lutzomyia are vectors of several vertebrate pathogens, including a group of parasitic flagellate protozoa, Leishmania spp., which may cause cutaneous, visceral or muco-cutaneous Leishmaniasis; the bacterium, Bartonella bacilliformis causing Oroya fever; and several arboviruses causing sand fly fever and vesicular stomatitis (Lane 1993).
Though it is caused by one tiny tick bite, the symptoms and subsequent fallout of Lyme disease can be devastating for patients. It is one of the most insidious diseases out there, and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down. Roughly 300,000 new Lyme cases are discovered every year according to the CDC (American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), and it’s also worth keeping in mind that misdiagnosis rates for the condition are unusually high. Compounding the problem is the fact that chronic Lyme is not a fully legitimate condition in the eyes of most medical bodies, residing in a complicated grey area. A tick bite can also herald other health issues, including co-infections and tick paralysis. These complications can underpin Lyme and compound its effects. But what is tick paralysis? And is tick paralysis a symptom of Lyme disease?
Tick paralysis is transmitted by over 40 species of ticks. It is particularly dangerous for animals, and has caused the death of thousands of livestock over the decades. It is also a threat for domestic animals and can occur in any region where ticks make their home. Fortunately for us, cases are much rarer in humans. The disease usually occurs in children younger than ten, under very specific circumstances. An engorged, egg-laden female tick will produce a neurotoxin in its salivary glands. This neurotoxin is transmitted to the host during feeding, using the saliva of the tick as a conduit. Because such small amounts of saliva make the transition into the host’s bloodstream, research has shown that the most potent form of tick paralysis is transmitted approximately five to seven days after the initial attachment of tick to host.
What’s the connection between tick paralysis and Lyme disease? Read on to find out.
Despite the size of the tick and the tiny volume of saliva being exchanged, symptoms can sometimes be dramatic and concerning. Typical signs and symptoms include ataxia (a neurological sign that causes impaired movement and coordination) and paralysis, which usually starts in the feet or legs and moves upward. Tick paralysis does not include fever or flu-like symptoms, which are common in almost all other tick-borne diseases. The condition can become life-threatening, however, if the paralysis spreads to the torso, as it can hamper crucial organs and muscles, inducing cardiac issues and breathing difficulties. Diagnosis is fairly straightforward: if the individual lives in a tick-heavy area and has sudden-onset ataxia and paralysis in the legs, they should be thoroughly checked for ticks. No individual tests are necessary. So, what to do if you have tick paralysis? Fortunately, treatment is simple. Removing the offending tick will reduce symptoms almost immediately, and there are no residual effects. Patients just have to ensure they remove all parts of the tick from the bite.
This is a crucial difference between tick paralysis and Lyme disease and other co-infections. Tick paralysis can only exist in the presence of the tick, as it is chemically induced by the physical bite. Lyme disease is caused by invading bacteria that the tick actively transfers into the system. Once the bacteria (called Borrelia burgdorferi) invade the host’s system, the residual effects are what form the disease. The tick may be removed successfully when it is noticed, but Lyme disease can still very much be present, as long as it has had time to transfer. Not every tick will cause tick paralysis, and not every tick carries the Lyme-causative bacteria. Unfortunately, though, Lyme disease is much more prevalent than tick paralysis, and is nowhere near as easy to cure.
The first stage of Lyme is known as the acute stage, and it produces symptoms similar to the flu. These are not necessarily severe, meaning many patients underestimate them, or write them off as a mild bout of temporary sickness. The presence of a bullseye rash at the site of the bite is a sure-fire sign of Lyme, but the bite itself is not always noticed by the host. Over a couple of days or weeks, these initial symptoms will clear up, as the disease recedes and lies dormant for a time. Eventually, it will re-emerge as chronic Lyme, which causes a number of generalised, patient-specific symptoms that lend themselves to continued misdiagnosis. At this stage in the disorder, the immune system has kicked into overdrive and is causing symptoms of its own through sustained inflammation. These usually include muscle pains and aches, impaired movement, malaise and chronic fatigue. Bacteria-induced symptoms can include neurological issues and potential cardiac complications.
Aches and pains are a common symptom of chronic Lyme disease.
Treating chronic Lyme is an exceptionally difficult task and requires specialist knowledge from Lyme-literate doctors. Labs like BCA-clinicunderstand that chronic Lyme comes in many varied forms, and that treatment plans have to be tailored to each individual patient. It can be a long, hard road, particularly if additional co-infections are present. These must be addressed and treated simultaneously to ensure there are no residual effects. Fortunately, tick paralysis is not a symptom of Lyme per se, and one is not caused by the other. The two have very different mechanics, with tick paralysis kicking in very soon after a bite, and Lyme disease revealing itself over time. It is, however, vitally important for people to be aware of both of these potentially debilitating disorders, and limit their exposure to ticks when and where they can.
Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES
