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Rickettsial pathogens in the tropical rat mite Ornithonyssus bacoti (Acari: Macronyssidae) from Egyptian rats (Rattus spp.)

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Abstract

We collected and tested 616 tropical rat mites (Ornithonyssus bacoti (Hirst)) from rats (Rattus norvegicus (Berkenhout) and R. rattus (Linnaeus)) throughout 14 governorates in Egypt and tested DNA extracts from pools of these mites for Bartonella spp., Coxiella burnetii, and Rickettsia spp. by PCR amplification and sequencing. Three different mite-associated bacterial agents, including one Bartonella and two Rickettsia spp., were detected in eight pools of mites. Further research could demonstrate the vector potential of mites and pathogenicity of these agents to humans or animals.

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Acknowledgements

We thank L.A. Durden for verifying the identification of some O. bacoti and accessioning the voucher specimens, and Maria Badra, Alaa Taher, Emad El Din Yehia, and Ahmed Fawzi for invaluable support provided in Egypt. We thank R. Priestly and H. Thompson for allowing us to use their unpublished real time assay for C. burnetii. This work was supported by GEIS, Work Unit Number No. 847705.82000.25GB.E0018. The opinions and assertions contained herein are the private views of the authors and are not to be construed as official or reflecting the views of the US Department of the Navy, US Department of Defense, or the United States Government.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. 4757 Habersham Ridge, Lilburn, GA, 30047, USA

    Will K. Reeves

  2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd. NE, MS G-13, Atlanta, GA, 30333, USA

    Amanda D. Loftis & Gregory A. Dasch

  3. Navy Disease Vector Ecology and Control Center, Box 43, Jacksonville, FL, 3212-0043, USA

    Daniel E. Szumlas

  4. Vector Biology Research Program, U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit No. 3, FPO, AE, 09835-0007, USA

    Magda M. Abbassy, Ibrahim M. Helmy & Hanafi A. Hanafi

Authors
  1. Will K. Reeves
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  2. Amanda D. Loftis
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  3. Daniel E. Szumlas
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  4. Magda M. Abbassy
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  5. Ibrahim M. Helmy
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  6. Hanafi A. Hanafi
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  7. Gregory A. Dasch
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Correspondence to Will K. Reeves.

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The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Reeves, W.K., Loftis, A.D., Szumlas, D.E. et al. Rickettsial pathogens in the tropical rat mite Ornithonyssus bacoti (Acari: Macronyssidae) from Egyptian rats (Rattus spp.). Exp Appl Acarol 41, 101–107 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-006-9040-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-006-9040-3

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