Article

Tick-borne zoonotic bacteria in wild and domestic small mammals in northern Spain.

NEIKER, Instituto Vasco de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario, 48160 Derio (Bizkaia), Spain.
Applied and Environmental Microbiology (impact factor: 3.83). 11/2007; 73(19):6166-71. DOI:10.1128/AEM.00590-07 pp.6166-71
Source: PubMed

ABSTRACT The prevalence and diversity of tick-borne zoonotic bacteria (Borrelia spp., Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Coxiella burnetii, and spotted fever group rickettsiae) infecting 253 small mammals captured in the Basque Country (Spain) were assessed using PCR and reverse line blot hybridization. Trapping sites were selected around sheep farms (study 1, 2000 to 2002) and recreational parks (study 2, 2003 to 2005). The majority of the studied mammals (162) were wood mice (Apodemus sylvaticus), but six other different species were also analyzed: yellow-necked mice (Apodemus flavicollis), shrews (Crocidura russula and Sorex coronatus), bank voles (Clethrionomys glareolus), domestic mice (Mus domesticus), and moles (Talpa europaea). The results showed an infection rate ranging from 10.7% to 68.8%, depending on the small mammal species. One C. russula shrew and one A. sylvaticus mouse gave positive reactions for A. phagocytophilum, and C. burnetii was detected in two domestic mice and one A. sylvaticus mouse in a farm. The DNA of Borrelia spp. was detected in 67 animals (26.5%), most of them presenting positive hybridization with the probe for Borrelia sp. strain R57, the new Borrelia species previously detected in small mammals in our region. Furthermore, a second PCR and reverse line blot hybridization specific for B. burgdorferi sensu lato revealed the presence of Borrelia afzelii in 6.3% of C. glareolus voles and 14.3% of S. coronatus shrews. All small mammals were negative for spotted fever group rickettsiae. These results highlight the relevance of small mammals as reservoirs of some zoonotic bacteria.

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Keywords

Apodemus sylvaticus
 
bank voles
 
Basque Country
 
C. glareolus voles
 
domestic mice
 
fever group rickettsiae
 
Mus domesticus
 
positive hybridization
 
positive reactions
 
reverse line blot hybridization
 
S. coronatus shrews
 
sheep farms
 
small mammals
 
strain R57
 
studied mammals
 
Talpa europaea
 
tick-borne zoonotic bacteria
 
Trapping sites
 
yellow-necked mice
 
zoonotic bacteria