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Arthropods and associated pathogens from native and introduced rodents in Northeastern Italy

Parasitology Research volume 117, pages 3237–3243 (2018)Cite this article

Abstract

Introduced Siberian chipmunks Eutamias sibiricus have been reported to be important reservoirs for human Lyme disease, as they may host high numbers of hard ticks carrying Borrelia spp. and other pathogens. In the present study, we assessed the prevalence of Borrelia spp. and other pathogenic bacteria in ectoparasite arthropod species infesting Siberian chipmunks and coexisting native small rodents. Small rodents were trapped with Sherman traps in Veneto (NE Italy), where the largest Italian populations of chipmunks occur. A total of 14 individual ticks were found on 223 rodents, with 6 more ticks obtained from stored dead chipmunks from the same study area. Ectoparasites were screened for pathogens by molecular analyses including species-specific PCR amplifications. Rickettsia monacensis, Borrelia lusitaniae, and Anaplasma platys were present in the parasites of both native rodents and introduced chipmunks. The present findings suggest a role for the invasive species E. sibiricus in the maintenance of the Ixodes ricinus life cycle, which may result in the modification of the transmission dynamics of tick-borne pathogens. Moreover, the presence of Rickettsia in urban populations of chipmunks may represent a serious risk for human health and should be investigated further.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the following (in alphabetical order): Alvise Camurri-Piloni, Jean-Louis Chapuis, Mauro Bon, Michele Cassol, Luca Lapini, Andrey Lissovsky, Mattia Menchetti, Ekaterina Obolenskaya, Giuseppe Tormen, and Arianna Spada who provided us with useful information to set our survey at best. We are deeply indebted with Prof. Danilo Russo (University of Naples Federico II), who provided us with the Sherman traps. Alberto Camporesi, Fabio Dartora, Andrea Vendramin, and Marta Villa helped us during our field work. Riccardo Castiglia (University of Roma “La Sapienza”) made available the genetic analyses facilities. EM was funded by the “Giuseppe Guelfi” Grant of the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei (Roma, Italy). Prof. Jean-Claude Beaucournu kindly helped us for flea identification. Dr. Vasco Sfondrini kindly revised the first version of our manuscript and improved the English grammar and syntax. Two anonymous reviewers and the editor of provided us with useful comments, which greatly improved our manuscript.

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Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita, Università degli Studi di Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100, Siena, Italy

    Emiliano Mori

  2. Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, Palazzo Corsini, Via della Lungara 10, 00165, Rome, Italy

    Emiliano Mori

  3. Centre d’expertise et de données sur la nature (UMS Patrimoine Naturel), AFB, MNHN, CNRS, CP41, 36 rue Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 75005, Paris, France

    Benoît Pisanu

  4. Centre d’Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (UMR 7204), MNHN, CNRS, UPMC, Sorbonne Universités, Paris, France

    Benoît Pisanu

  5. Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, della Vita e della Sostenibilità Ambientale, Università degli Studi di Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze, 11a, 43124, Parma, Italy

    Rudy Zozzoli

  6. Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie “Charles Darwin”, Università di Roma “La Sapienza”, Via Borelli 50, 00161, Rome, Italy

    Emanuela Solano

  7. Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologia “L. Spallanzani”, Università degli Studi di Pavia, Via A. Ferrata 9, 27100, Pavia, Italy

    Emanuela Olivieri

  8. Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Agroambientali, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 2, 20133, Milan, Italy

    Davide Sassera & Matteo Montagna

Authors
  1. Emiliano Mori
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  2. Benoît Pisanu
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  4. Emanuela Solano
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  5. Emanuela Olivieri
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  7. Matteo Montagna
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Emiliano Mori.

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All applicable international, national, and/or institutional guidelines for the care and use of animals were followed. Ethical approval was provided within the ISPRA permission (ISPRA, prot. 24128/T-A31).

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Mori, E., Pisanu, B., Zozzoli, R. et al. Arthropods and associated pathogens from native and introduced rodents in Northeastern Italy. Parasitol Res 117, 3237–3243 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-018-6022-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-018-6022-4

Keywords

  • Eutamias sibiricus
  • Invasive species
  • Lyme disease
  • Parasite-mediated competition
  • Tick-borne diseases