Sarcocystis rileyi emerging in Hungary: is rice breast disease underreported in the region?

Reports of Sarcocystis rileyi-like protozoa (‘rice breast disease’) from anseriform birds had been rare in Europe until the last two decades, when S. rileyi was identified in northern Europe and the UK. However, despite the economic losses resulting from S. rileyi infection, no recent accounts are available on its presence (which can be suspected) in most parts of central, western, southern and eastern Europe. Between 2014 and 2019, twelve mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) were observed to have rice breast disease in Hungary, and the last one of these 12 cases allowed molecular identification of S. rileyi, as reported here. In addition, S. rileyi was molecularly identified in the faeces of one red fox (Vulpes vulpes). The hunting season for mallards in Hungary lasts from mid-August to January, which in Europe coincides with the wintering migration of anseriform birds towards the south. Based on this, as well as bird ringing data, it is reasonable to suppose that the first S. rileyi-infected mallards arrived in Hungary from the north. on the other hand, red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), which are final hosts of S. rileyi, are ubiquitous in Hungary, and our molecular finding confirms an already established autochthonous life cycle of S. rileyi in the region. Taken together, this is the first evidence for the occurrence of S. rileyi in Hungary and its region

Size dependent differences in litter consumption of isopods: preliminary results

A series of experiments were applied to test how leaf orientation within microcosms affect consumption rates (Experiment 1), and to discover intra-specific differences in leaf litter consumption (Experiment 2) of the common isopod species Porcellio scaber and Porcellionides pruinosus. A standardised microcosm setup was developed for feeding experiments to maintain standard conditions. A constant amount of freshly fallen black poplar litter was provided to three distinct size class (small, medium, large) of woodlice. We measured litter consumption after a fortnight. We maintained appr. constant isopod biomass for all treatments, and equal densities within each size class. We hypothesized that different size classes differ in their litter consumption, therefore such differences should occur even within populations of the species. We also hypothesized a marked difference in consumption rates for different leaf orientation within microcosms. Our results showed size-specific consumption patterns for Porcellio scaber: small adults showed the highest consumption rates (i.e. litter mass loss / isopod biomass) in high density microcosms, while medium-sized adults of lower densities ate the most litter in containers. Leaf orientation posed no significant effect on litter consumption.Peer reviewe

Anaplasmataceae closely related to Ehrlichia chaffeensis and Neorickettsia helminthoeca from birds in Central Europe, Hungary

Increasing amount of data attest that (in the context of vector-borne infections) birds are not only important as hosts of blood-sucking arthropod vectors, but also as reservoirs of vector-borne pathogens. From 2015 to 2019 cadavers of 100 birds (from 45 species, nine orders) were collected in Hungary, and their organs were screened for DNA from a broad range of vector-borne bacteria with PCR and sequencing. Molecular analyses revealed the presence of Anaplasmataceae, and sequencing identified bacteria closely related to Neorickettsia helminthoeca and Ehrlichia chaffeensis in a Eurasian teal (Anas crecca)and a song thrush (Turdus philomelos), respectively. All samples were PCR negative for rickettsiae, borreliae, Francisella and Coxiella spp., as well as for piroplasms. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a Neorickettsia and an Ehrlichia sp., which belong to the phylogenetic groups of N. helminthoeca and E. chaffeensis, respectively, from Europe. The potential presence of these two vector-borne bacteria needs to be taken into account during future studies on the eco-epidemiology of Anaplasmataceae in Europe

Borrelia miyamotoi: egy újabb, humán patogén, kullancs által terjesztett, visszatérő lázat okozó baktérium | Borrelia miyamotoi: a recently identified human pathogenic tick-borne relapsing fever spirochete

Absztrakt: A Borrelia miyamotoi-t 1995-ben fedezték fel. Ez egy, emberben visszatérő lázat (relapsing fever, febris recurrens) okozó baktérium, amelyet az Ixodes ricinus fajcsoportba tartozó kullancsok terjesztenek. Ez a kórokozó genetikailag, járványtanilag és az általa okozott kórkép tekintetében is különbözik a szintén kullancsok által terjesztett Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (Lyme spirochaeta) baktériumoktól. Eddig világszerte több mint 50 heveny lázas megbetegedésben szenvedő páciensből mutatták már ki, ezenfelül három tumoros betegben meningoencephalitist okozott ez a kórokozó. A különböző élőhelyeken található kullancsok és gazdáik fertőzöttségének mértéke, eloszlása és a fertőzés mechanizmusa nem tisztázott még. A B. miyamotoi elsősorban lázat okoz, ami miatt más, kullancsok által terjesztett fertőzésekkel is összetéveszthető. Az utóbbi évek intenzív vizsgálatai alapján nemcsak egyre több földrajzi régióból mutatják ki ezt a baktériumot kullancsokból, de folyamatosan növekszik a publikált humán esetszám is, ezért növekvő jelentőségű (emerging) kórokozóként tartják számon. Irodalmi áttekintésünkben összegezzük az eddigi ismereteinket a Borrelia miyamotoi-val kapcsolatban. Orv Hetil. 2017; 158(29): 1124–1130. | Abstract: Borrelia miyamotoi is a recently described relapsing fever spirochete transmitted by ticks of the Ixodes ricinus complex. This pathogen is different from Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (the Lyme borreliosis spirochetes) in its epidemiology, ecology and also genetics. Over 50 patients have been described worldwide with Borrelia miyamotoi disease, and three immunocompromised patients were reported with neurological symptoms. Our knowledge about Borrelia miyamotoi infection in ticks and its distribution in different habitats and also the mechanism of the infection is limited. The most common symptom is fever; thus it can be easily confused with other tick-borne diseases. Due to the intensive research in recent years, Borrelia miyamotoi infection in ticks and hosts has been reported from different regions and also the number of patients is increasing, thus this bacterium is considered as an emerging pathogen. In this literature review we would like to summarize the available knowledge about this spirochete. Orv Hetil. 2017, 158(29): 1124–1130

A new Rickettsia honei-related genotype, two novel soft tick haplotypes and first records of three mite species associated with bats in Pakistan

Bats are well adapted to inhabit human settlements and are suitable reservoirs of a high number of vector-borne pathogens with veterinary-medical importance. Owing to these eco-epidemiological traits, the importance of studying bat ectoparasites is increasingly recognized. However, relevant molecular-phylogenetic data are missing from several countries of southern Asia, including Pakistan. In this study 11 ectoparasites, collected from bats in northern Pakistan, were analyzed morphologically and/or molecularly, phylogenetically from a taxonomic point of view. In addition, soft ticks were screened for pathogen DNA. Three mesostigmatid mite species were identified: Steatonyssus occidentalis evansi Micherdzinski, 1980 and Ancystropus taprobaniusTurk, 1950 from Rousettus leschenaultii (Desmarest 1820) and two specimens of Spinturnix americanus (Banks 1902) from Pipistrellus cf. javanicus (Gray 1838). Six soft tick (Carios vespertilionis Latreille, 1802) larvae were also removed from Scotophilus kuhlii Leach, 1821. Morphometric comparison revealed minor differences in comparison with C. vespertilionis larvae from Europe (i.e., narrower scutum and longer 4th posterolateral setae, while scutal length and shape index were not significantly different in this context). When molecularly analyzed, C. vespertilionis larvae from Pakistan showed the highest, 94.1% cox1 sequence identity with a sample from Kenya, while in their 16S rRNA gene these had the highest, 96.2-96.4% identity with samples from Europe and central Asia (northwestern China). These findings were confirmed in phylogenetic analyses. A further soft tick larva, collected from R. leschenaultii and therefore provisionally called Argas sp. "rousetti", yielded sequences with only 86.2% and 91% similarities in its cox1 and 16S rRNA genes, respectively, to the genetically closest species, A. boueti. Both Argas species belonged to the phylogenetic group of the subgenus Chiropterargas. Molecular screening of two C. vespertilionis larvae for a broad range of tick-borne pathogens yielded negative results. However, the larva of Argas sp. "rousetti" showed the presence of a spotted fever group (SFG) Rickettsia sp., which (based on four genetic markers) was closely related to two Rickettsia species reported from southeastern Asia (i.e., R. honei and Rickettsia sp. IG-1), but differed more significantly from other rickettsiae. In conclusion, the three mite species identified here are new records for their host species and for Pakistan. The present findings support that despite the observed genetic differences, C. vespertilionis in southern Asia (Pakistan) and Europe belong to the same species and share common ancestry with C. vespertilionis in east Africa (Kenya). The soft tick species, Argas sp. "rousetti" is most likely a not yet described species within the subgenus Chiropterargas Hoogstraal, 1955, because it was clearly separated from A. boueti Roubaud & Colas-Belcour, 1933 and A. confusus Hoogstraal, 1955 in the phylogenetic analysis (also taking into account that other known species of the subgenus are unlikely to occur in Pakistan). The novel Rickettsia-genotype from Argas sp. "rousetti", represents the first molecular identification of a Rickettsia sp. phylogenetically close to R. honei, and the first Rickettsia sp. from any bat-associated soft tick species in southern Asia

Analysis of a novel RNA virus in a wild northern white-breasted hedgehog (Erinaceus roumanicus)

Tombusviruses are generally considered plant viruses. A novel tombus-/carmotetravirus-like RNA virus was identified in a faecal sample and blood and muscle tissues from a wild northern white-breasted hedgehog (Erinaceus roumanicus). The complete genome of the virus, called H14-hedgehog/2015/HUN (GenBank accession number MN044446), is 4,118 nucleotides in length with a readthrough stop codon of type/group 1 in ORF1 and lacks a poly(A) tract at the 3' end. The predicted ORF1-RT (RdRp) and the capsid proteins had low (31-33%) amino acid sequence identity to unclassified tombus-/noda-like viruses (Hubei tombus-like virus 12 and Beihai noda-like virus 10), respectively, discovered recently in invertebrate animals. An in vivo experimental plant inoculation study showed that an in vitro-transcribed H14-hedgehog/2015/HUN viral RNA did not replicate in Nicotiana benthamiana, Chenopodium quinoa, or Chenopodium murale, the most susceptible hosts for plant-origin tombusviruses

Eco-epidemiology of Borrelia miyamotoi and Lyme borreliosis spirochetes in a popular hunting and recreational forest area in Hungary

BACKGROUND: Borrelia miyamotoi, the newly discovered human pathogenic relapsing fever spirochete, and Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato are maintained in natural rodent populations. The aim of this study was to investigate the natural cycle of B. miyamotoi and B. burgdorferi s.l. in a forest habitat with intensive hunting, forestry work and recreational activity in Southern Hungary. METHODS: We collected rodents with modified Sherman-traps during 2010–2013 and questing ticks with flagging in 2012. Small mammals were euthanized, tissue samples were collected and all ectoparasites were removed and stored. Samples were screened for pathogens with multiplex quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) targeting a part of flagellin gene, then analysed with conventional PCRs and sequencing. RESULTS: 177 spleen and 348 skin samples of six rodent species were individually analysed. Prevalence in rodent tissue samples was 0.2 % (skin) and 0.5 % (spleen) for B. miyamotoi and 6.6 % (skin) and 2.2 % (spleen) for B. burgdorferi s.l. Relapsing fever spirochetes were detected in Apodemus flavicollis males, B. burgdorferi s.l. in Apodemus spp. and Myodes glareolus samples. Borrelia miyamotoi was detected in one questing Ixodes ricinus nymph and B. burgdorferi s.l in nymphs and adults. In the ticks removed from rodents DNA amplification of both pathogens was successful from I. ricinus larvae (B. miyamotoi 5.6 %, B. burgdorferi s.l. 11.1 %) and one out of five nymphs while from Ixodes acuminatus larvae, and nymph only B. burgdorferi s.l. DNA was amplified. Sequencing revealed B. lusitaniae in a questing I. ricinus nymph and altogether 17 B. afzelii were identified in other samples. Two Dermacentor marginatus engorged larva pools originating from uninfected hosts were also infected with B. afzelii. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report of B. miyamotoi occurrence in a natural population of A. flavicollis as well as in Hungary. We provide new data about circulation of B. burgdorferi s.l. in rodent and tick communities including the role of I. acuminatus ticks in the endophilic pathogen cycle. Our results highlight the possible risk of infection with relapsing fever and Lyme borreliosis spirochetes in forest habitats especially in the high-risk groups of hunters, forestry workers and hikers

Hypospleniás és aspleniás állapotok jelzésére szolgáló komplex laboratóriumi és morphologiai vizsgálatok eredményeinek összehasonlító elemzése egerekben a postsplenectomiás sepsis időbeni felismerése céljából = Comparative study on the results of complex laboratory and morphological examinations in hyposplenic and asplenic status in order to diagnose postsplenectomy sepsis in due time

150 Balb/c inbred egéren és 24 beagle kutyán végzett műtétek és komplex -immunologiai, haematologiai, haemostaseologiai, haemorheologiai, immunhistologiai- utánkövetéses vizsgálatok során elemeztük a lép autotransplantatio hatékonyságát. A lép autotransplantatumok filtrációs funkció megőrző szerepét jelző értékű vizsgálatokkal - vörösvérsejt deformabilitás és aggregatio- sikerült alátámasztani. Kombinált vakcináció hatásának vizsgálatában a leukocyta antisedimentatiós ráta változás elemzése hatékony volt. Kiemelten fontos volt az autotransplantált lépdarabokban a phagocyta sejtek utánpótlásáért felelős őssejtek regenerációban betöltött szerepének vizsgálata, mely során a granulocyta-macrophag progenitor őssejtek jelenlétét és expanzióját mutattuk ki. Megállapítottuk, hogy lép autotransplantatio után a postoperativ időszakban a haemopoeticus őssejt termelés nő a splenectomizált és az áloperált csoporthoz képest. Az egerekben végzett immunologiai vizsgálatok igazolták, hogy a lép autotransplantatio normalizálja a T- és B-lymphocyták számát és eloszlását, javítja az IgM termelést és a granulocyták phagocytáló képességét. Eredményeink rávilágítanak arra, hogy a visszaültetett lépdarabok súlyarányuknál nagyobb részben képesek a funkciókiesést pótolni. Ez táplálja azt a reményünket, hogy a splenectomia helyett alkalmazott autotransplantatio fokozhatja a fertőzések elleni védekezőképességet, csökkentheti a krónikus fertőzések és a rettegett OPSI kialakulásának veszélyét. | 150 Balb/c inbred mice and 24 beagle dogs were subjected to operations and to complex ?immunological, hematological, hemostaseological, hemorheological, immunhistological- follow-up investigations for analyzing the efficacy of spleen autotransplantation. The restoration of autotransplanted spleen-chips? filtration function was proved with indicator tests, such as red blood cell deformability and aggregation. Investigating a combined vaccination?s effect the analysis of leukocyte antisedimentation rate?s changes was be useful. The role of stem cells, responsible for the phagocyte reinforcement, in the autotransplanted spleen-chips? regeneration process was of high priority. The presence and expansion of granulocyte-macrophage progenitors stem cells were oberved. In the autotransplanted spleen-chips we could reveal the presence of primitive, early-phase, pluripotent stem cells capable for differentiation into various cell-lines. Immunological tests in mice showed that spleen autotransplantation helps to normalize the count and distrubution of B and T lymphocytes, improves the IgM production and the granulocytes? phagocyte function. Our results reflect to that the autotransplated spleen-chips can restore the functions even in a higher degree comparing to their own weight. This could feed our hope that autotransplantation used instead of splenectomy may increase the defensive ability against infections, reduce the risk of chronic infections and the frightening OPSI