Author(s): Moerbeck, Leonardo ; Parreira, Ricardo ; Szczotko, Magdalena ; Seixas, Gonçalo ; Velez, Rita ; Dmitryjuk, Małgorzata ; Santos, Ana Sofia ; Domingos, Ana ; Antunes, Sandra
Date: 2024
Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10362/172740
Origin: Repositório Institucional da UNL
Subject(s): Ixodes ricinus; Neoehrlichia mikurensis; One Health; surveillance; tick-borne pathogens; Microbiology; Microbiology (medical); Virology; SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
Funding Information: The authors would like to acknowledge the support given by the administrative and technical staff of Tapada Nacional de Mafra, Funda\u00E7\u00E3o Mata do Bussaco and Parque Ger\u00EAs-Peneda, and also Funda\u00E7\u00E3o para a Ci\u00EAncia e a Tecnologia for funds to GHTM-UID/04413/2020 and LA-REAL\u2013LA/P/0117/2020. Funding Information: L.M. is a recipient of a Ph.D. grant supported by Funda\u00E7\u00E3o para Ci\u00EAncia e Tecnologia (FCT), under reference 2022.14376.BD. Partially supported by FCT project PTDC/SAU-PAR/28947/2017. Publisher Copyright: © 2024 by the authors.
Over the years, tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) have garnered significant interest due to their medical, veterinary and economic importance. Additionally, TBPs have drawn attention to how these microorganisms interact with their own vectors, increasing the risk to human and animal infection of emerging and reemerging zoonoses. In this sense, ticks, which are obligate hematophagous ectoparasites, have a key role in maintaining and transmitting TBPs among humans and animals. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of neglected TBPs in mainland Portugal, namely Anaplasma spp., Babesia spp., Ehrlichia spp. and Neoehrlichia mikurensis. DNA fragments were detected in questing ticks collected from five different ecological areas under investigation. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study reports new worldwide findings, including B. bigemina infecting Ixodes frontalis, Ixodes ricinus and Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato. Additionally, it presents new findings in Portugal of N. mikurensis infecting I. ricinus and of presumably Wolbachia endosymbionts being detected in I. ricinus. Overall, there were 208 tick samples that were negative for all screened TBPs. The results herein obtained raise concerns about the circulation of neglected TBPs in mainland Portugal, especially in anthropophilic ticks, highlighting the importance of adopting a One Health perspective.
