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Heterogeneity of Orientia tsutsugamushi genotypes in field-collected trombiculid mites from wild-caught small mammals in Thailand.
PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2018 07; 12(7):e0006632.PN

Abstract

Trombiculid mites are the vectors of scrub typhus, with infected larval mites (chiggers) transmitting the causative agent, Orientia tsutsugamushi, during feeding. Co-existence of multiple O. tsutsugamushi strains within infected mites has previously been reported in naturally infected, laboratory-reared mite lines using molecular methods to characterize the 56-kDa type-specific antigen (TSA) gene. In the current study, more advanced next-generation sequencing technology was used to reveal the heterogeneity of O. tsutsugamushi genotypes in field-collected trombiculid mites from rodents and small mammals in scrub typhus-endemic areas of Thailand. Twenty-eight trombiculid mites collected from 10 small mammals were positive for O. tsutsugamushi, corresponding to a prevalence rate of 0.7% within the mite population. Twenty-four of the infected mites were Leptotrombidium spp., indicating that this genus is the main vector for O. tsutsugamushi transmission in Thailand. In addition, O. tsutsugamushi was detected in the mite genera Ascoschoengastia, Blankaartia, Gahrliepia, and Lorillatum. Of the 10 infested small animal hosts, six had 2-10 infected mites feeding at the time of collection. Deep sequencing was used to characterize mixed infections (two to three O. tsutsugamushi genotypes within an individual mite), and 5 of the 28 infected mites (17.9%) contained mixed infections. Additionally, 56-kDa TSA gene sequence analysis revealed identical bacterial genotypes among co-feeding mites with single or mixed infections. These results suggest that co-feeding transmission may occur during the feeding process, and could explain the occurrence of mixed infections in individual mites, as well as the recovery of multiple infected mites from the same host. This study also revealed highly diverse within-host O. tsutsugamushi genotypes. The occurrence of multiple O. tsutsugamushi genotypes within individual mites has important implications, and could provide a mechanism for pathogen evolution/diversification in the mite vector.

Links

Authors+Show Affiliations

Department of Entomology, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences-United States Army Medical Directorate, Bangkok, Thailand.

Department of Entomology, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences-United States Army Medical Directorate, Bangkok, Thailand.

Promsathaporn S

Department of Entomology, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences-United States Army Medical Directorate, Bangkok, Thailand.

Department of Entomology, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences-United States Army Medical Directorate, Bangkok, Thailand.

Department of Entomology, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences-United States Army Medical Directorate, Bangkok, Thailand.

Viral and Rickettsial Diseases Department, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States of America.

Department of Entomology, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences-United States Army Medical Directorate, Bangkok, Thailand.

MeSH

AnimalsDisease VectorsGenetic VariationGenotypeHumansMammalsOrientia tsutsugamushiPhylogenyRodentiaScrub TyphusThailandTrombiculidae

Pub Type(s)

Journal Article

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Language

eng

PubMed ID

30011267

Citation

Takhampunya, Ratree, et al. "Heterogeneity of Orientia Tsutsugamushi Genotypes in Field-collected Trombiculid Mites From Wild-caught Small Mammals in Thailand." PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, vol. 12, no. 7, 2018, pp. e0006632.

Takhampunya R, Korkusol A, Promsathaporn S, et al. Heterogeneity of Orientia tsutsugamushi genotypes in field-collected trombiculid mites from wild-caught small mammals in Thailand. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2018;12(7):e0006632.

Takhampunya, R., Korkusol, A., Promsathaporn, S., Tippayachai, B., Leepitakrat, S., Richards, A. L., & Davidson, S. A. (2018). Heterogeneity of Orientia tsutsugamushi genotypes in field-collected trombiculid mites from wild-caught small mammals in Thailand. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 12(7), e0006632. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0006632

Takhampunya R, et al. Heterogeneity of Orientia Tsutsugamushi Genotypes in Field-collected Trombiculid Mites From Wild-caught Small Mammals in Thailand. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2018;12(7):e0006632. PubMed PMID: 30011267.

* Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case

TY - JOUR T1 - Heterogeneity of Orientia tsutsugamushi genotypes in field-collected trombiculid mites from wild-caught small mammals in Thailand. AU - Takhampunya,Ratree, AU - Korkusol,Achareeya, AU - Promsathaporn,Sommai, AU - Tippayachai,Bousaraporn, AU - Leepitakrat,Surachai, AU - Richards,Allen L, AU - Davidson,Silas A, Y1 - 2018/07/16/ PY - 2018/03/16/received PY - 2018/06/22/accepted PY - 2018/07/26/revised PY - 2018/7/17/pubmed PY - 2018/12/12/medline PY - 2018/7/17/entrez SP - e0006632 EP - e0006632 JF - PLoS neglected tropical diseases JO - PLoS Negl Trop Dis VL - 12 IS - 7 N2 - Trombiculid mites are the vectors of scrub typhus, with infected larval mites (chiggers) transmitting the causative agent, Orientia tsutsugamushi, during feeding. Co-existence of multiple O. tsutsugamushi strains within infected mites has previously been reported in naturally infected, laboratory-reared mite lines using molecular methods to characterize the 56-kDa type-specific antigen (TSA) gene. In the current study, more advanced next-generation sequencing technology was used to reveal the heterogeneity of O. tsutsugamushi genotypes in field-collected trombiculid mites from rodents and small mammals in scrub typhus-endemic areas of Thailand. Twenty-eight trombiculid mites collected from 10 small mammals were positive for O. tsutsugamushi, corresponding to a prevalence rate of 0.7% within the mite population. Twenty-four of the infected mites were Leptotrombidium spp., indicating that this genus is the main vector for O. tsutsugamushi transmission in Thailand. In addition, O. tsutsugamushi was detected in the mite genera Ascoschoengastia, Blankaartia, Gahrliepia, and Lorillatum. Of the 10 infested small animal hosts, six had 2-10 infected mites feeding at the time of collection. Deep sequencing was used to characterize mixed infections (two to three O. tsutsugamushi genotypes within an individual mite), and 5 of the 28 infected mites (17.9%) contained mixed infections. Additionally, 56-kDa TSA gene sequence analysis revealed identical bacterial genotypes among co-feeding mites with single or mixed infections. These results suggest that co-feeding transmission may occur during the feeding process, and could explain the occurrence of mixed infections in individual mites, as well as the recovery of multiple infected mites from the same host. This study also revealed highly diverse within-host O. tsutsugamushi genotypes. The occurrence of multiple O. tsutsugamushi genotypes within individual mites has important implications, and could provide a mechanism for pathogen evolution/diversification in the mite vector. SN - 1935-2735 UR - https://www.unboundmedicine.com/medline/citation/30011267/Heterogeneity_of_Orientia_tsutsugamushi_genotypes_in_field_collected_trombiculid_mites_from_wild_caught_small_mammals_in_Thailand_ DB - PRIME DP - Unbound Medicine ER -