Climate Changes and Emergence of Vector-Borne Parasites and Bacterial Pathogens

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2023) | Viewed by 1044

Special Issue Editors

Department of Veterinary Science, University of Pisa, Viale delle Piagge 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy
Interests: mycology; mycotic diseases; vector-borne protozoa; zoonotic parasites; One Health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
1. Department of Veterinary Science, University of Pisa, Viale delle Piagge 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy
2. Interdepartmental Research Center “Nutraceuticals and Food for Health” (NUTRAFOOD), University of Pisa, 56121 Pisa, Italy
3. Centre for Climate Change Impact, University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy
Interests: zoonosis; bacterial infectious diseases; vector-borne diseases; antibiotic resistance; One Health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Environmental changes driven by anthropogenic activities and climate changes are profoundly modifying the epidemiology of vector-borne diseases. Climate changes affect weather patterns, with a major occurrence of extreme events which indirectly modify spatial patterns of human populations. Moreover, the global temperature rise creates environmental pressure, leading also to a re-distribution of arthropods acting as vectors of infective and parasitic agents.

A warm climate Increases the range of biological reservoir hosts, and facilitates both biological cycles of parasites and the spread of arthropod vectors, mostly ticks. In recent years, we have witnessed the emergence of pathogens in areas that were previously unsuitable.

This Special Issue is devoted to papers dealing with the etiology, epidemiology, clinical forms, pathological lesions, diagnosis, therapy, prophylaxis, and control of vector-borne diseases.

Prof. Dr. Francesca Mancianti
Dr. Simona Nardoni
Dr. Valentina Virginia Ebani
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • vector-borne pathogens
  • zoonoses
  • bacteria
  • parasites
  • ticks
  • hematophagous arthropods
  • domestic animals
  • wildlife

Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

16 pages, 3976 KiB  
Article
First Molecular-Based Confirmation of Dermacentor marginatus and Associated Rickettsia raoultii and Anaplasma marginale in the Hindu Kush Mountain Range
by Iftikhar Ahmad, Shafi Ullah, Abdulaziz Alouffi, Mashal M. Almutairi, Muhammad Numan, Tetsuya Tanaka, Shun-Chung Chang, Chien-Chin Chen and Abid Ali
Animals 2023, 13(23), 3686; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13233686 - 28 Nov 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 773
Abstract
Ticks of the genus Dermacentor Koch, 1844 (Acari: Ixodidae) are poorly known systematically due to their habitation in harsh topographic environments and high mountains. Dermacentor ticks are diversely distributed in the Palearctic, Nearctic, and Oriental regions. There is no available information on the [...] Read more.
Ticks of the genus Dermacentor Koch, 1844 (Acari: Ixodidae) are poorly known systematically due to their habitation in harsh topographic environments and high mountains. Dermacentor ticks are diversely distributed in the Palearctic, Nearctic, and Oriental regions. There is no available information on the occurrence of Dermacentor marginatus in Pakistan; thus, the current investigation aimed the first morphological and molecular confirmation of this species and associated Anaplasma marginale and Rickettsia raoultii. Ticks were collected from goats (Capra hircus) and morphologically identified. Genomic DNA was extracted from 18/26 (69.23%) tick specimens, including 11 males and 7 females (1 unfed and 6 fed females). Extracted DNA was subjected to PCR for the amplification of genetic markers like 16S rDNA and cox1 for ticks, 16S rDNA for Anaplasma spp., and gltA and ompB for Rickettsia spp. A total of 26 D. marginatus ticks composed of 19 males (73.07%) and 7 females (26.9%) [1 (3.84%) unfed and 6 (23.07%) fed females] were collected from goats. According to amplicons via BLAST analysis, the 16S rDNA sequence showed 97.28–98.85% identity and the cox1 sequence showed 95.82–98.03% identity with D. marginatus. Additionally, the 16S rDNA sequence for Anaplasma sp. was detected in D. marginatus that showed 100% identity with Anaplasma marginale. Rickettsial gltA and ompB sequences for Rickettsia sp. showed 100% identity with Rickettsia raoultii. In phylogenetic analysis, ticks’ 16S rDNA and cox1 sequences clustered with the same species. In phylogenetic analysis, A. marginale based on 16 rDNA clustered with A. marginale, while gltA and ompB sequences clustered with R. raoultii. This is the first study on the genetic characterization of D. marginatus and associated A. marginale and R. raoultii in Pakistan. The northern areas of Pakistan, which need to be explored in terms of ticks and associated pathogens due to their zoonotic threats, have been neglected due to the inaccessible climatic conditions. Full article
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