Investigation of Coxiella burnetii and Ehrlichia canis by Molecular Methods in Ticks Removed from Patients Admitted to Hospital with Tick Bite Complaints

Abstract

Ticks have to suck blood from their hosts during their developmental stages, except for the egg period. They also transmit the pathogens to their host while feeding. A total of 100 ticks obtained from 42 female and 58 male patients admitted to a hospital were included in the study. After the morphological examination of the ticks, DNA extraction was performed. Conventional PCR for Coxiella burnetii and Nested-PCR for Ehrlichia canis were performed using species-specific primers. In the morphological examination, it was determined that all of the ticks belonged to the Ixodidae family and 95 (95%) were Rhipicephalus sanguineus and 5 (5%) were Ixodes ricinus species. C. burnetii was detected in 36 ticks and E. canis was found in 26 ticks out of 100 ticks included in the study. It was determined that 33 (91.67%) of the C. burnetii infected ticks were R. sanguineus and 3 (8.33%) were I. ricinus. It was also determined that 25 (96.15%) of the E. canis infected ticks were R. sanguineus and one (3.85%) was the I. ricinus. When the incidence of C. burnetii and E. canis was examined according to the place of residence of the patients, it was found that C. burnetii was seen at a higher rate in people living in rural areas and as a result of the statistical analysis, it was found that the difference was statistically significant. In conclusion, ticks pose a significant risk as vectors of C. burnetii and E. canis.

Keywords

• Tick Contact
• PCR,
• Ixodidae,
• zoonosis,

Kene Isırığı Şikâyetiyle Hastaneye Başvuran Hastalardan Çıkarılan Kenelerde Coxiella burnetii ve Ehrlichia canis’in Moleküler Yöntemlerle Araştırılması

Abstract

Keneler, yumurta dönemleri hariç diğer gelişme safhalarında konaklarından kan emmek zorundadırlar. Beslendikleri esnada vektörlük yaptıkları patojenleri de konağa bulaştırırlar. Bu çalışmada kene ısırığı şikâyetiyle hastaneye başvuran hastalardan elde edilen kenelerde Ehrlichia canis ve Coxiella burnetii yaygınlığının moleküler yöntemlerle araştırılması amaçlandı. Çalışmaya hastaneye başvuran 42 kadın ve 58 erkek hastadan elde edilen toplam 100 kene dâhil edildi. Keneler morfolojik olarak incelendikten sonra DNA ekstraksiyonları yapıldı. Türlere özgü primerler kullanılarak C. burnetii için Konvansiyonel PCR ve E. canis için Nested-PCR yöntemi uygulandı. Yapılan morfolojik incelemede kenelerin tamamının Ixodidae ailesinden olduğu ve 95’nin (%95) Rhipicephalus sanguineus, 5’inin (%5) ise Ixodes ricinus türü olduğu saptandı. Çalışmaya dâhil edilen 100 kenenin 36’sında C. burnetii, 26’sında E. canis saptandı. C. burnetii ile enfekte kenelerin 33’ünün (%91,67) R. sanguineus, 3’ünün (%8,33) I. ricinus türü olduğu belirlendi. E. canis ile enfekte kenelerin 25’ inin (%96,15) R. sanguineus, birinin (3,85) I. ricinus türü kene olduğu belirlendi. Hastaların ikamet ettiği yere göre C. burnetii ve E. canis’in görülme sıklığı incelendiğinde kırsal kesimde yaşayan insanlarda C. burnetii’nin daha yüksek oranda görüldüğü ve yapılan istatistiksel değerlendirmede anlamlı bir fark olduğu saptandı. Sonuç olarak keneler C. burnetii ve E. canis vektörlükleri için önemli risk oluşturmaktadırlar.

Keywords

• Kene Teması
• PCR,
• Ixodidae,
• Zoonoz

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