TY - JOUR
T1 - Distribution and infection frequency of 'Candidatus Rickettsia amblyommii' in Maryland populations of the lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum) and culture in an Anopheles gambiae mosquito cell line
AU - Zhang, Xing
AU - Ren, Xiaoxia
AU - Norris, Douglas E.
AU - Rasgon, Jason L.
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was funded by NIH/NIAID grants R21AI067386 and R03AI079297 to DEN and R21AI070178 to JLR. XZ was partially supported by the Ralph and Sylvia Barr fellowship.
PY - 2012/2
Y1 - 2012/2
N2 - Amblyomma americanum (the lone star tick) is a broadly distributed tick that transmits multiple pathogens of humans and domestic animals. 'Candidatus Rickettsia amblyommii' is a spotted-fever group rickettsial species that is potentially associated with human disease. In 2008 and 2009, we assayed over 500 unfed adult ticks from 19 Maryland populations for the presence of 'Candidatus R. amblyommii'. Infection frequencies ranged from 33% to 100%, with an average infection rate of 60% in 2008 and 69% in 2009. Infection frequencies did not differ statistically between sexes. To develop a system in which to study 'Candidatus R. amblyommii' in the laboratory, we used a cell line developed from Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes (Sua5B) to isolate and culture 'Candidatus R. amblyommii' from field-collected A. americanum ticks from 2 localities in Maryland. After infection, Sua5B cells were infected for more than 40 passages. Infection was confirmed by Rickettsia-specific PCR, gene sequencing, and Rickettsia-specific fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). These data show that 'Candidatus R. amblyommii' is widespread in Maryland A. americanum populations and that Sua5B cells are a useful tool for culturing Rickettsia infections from wild ticks.
AB - Amblyomma americanum (the lone star tick) is a broadly distributed tick that transmits multiple pathogens of humans and domestic animals. 'Candidatus Rickettsia amblyommii' is a spotted-fever group rickettsial species that is potentially associated with human disease. In 2008 and 2009, we assayed over 500 unfed adult ticks from 19 Maryland populations for the presence of 'Candidatus R. amblyommii'. Infection frequencies ranged from 33% to 100%, with an average infection rate of 60% in 2008 and 69% in 2009. Infection frequencies did not differ statistically between sexes. To develop a system in which to study 'Candidatus R. amblyommii' in the laboratory, we used a cell line developed from Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes (Sua5B) to isolate and culture 'Candidatus R. amblyommii' from field-collected A. americanum ticks from 2 localities in Maryland. After infection, Sua5B cells were infected for more than 40 passages. Infection was confirmed by Rickettsia-specific PCR, gene sequencing, and Rickettsia-specific fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). These data show that 'Candidatus R. amblyommii' is widespread in Maryland A. americanum populations and that Sua5B cells are a useful tool for culturing Rickettsia infections from wild ticks.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84856569931&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84856569931&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2011.09.010
DO - 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2011.09.010
M3 - Article
C2 - 22309857
AN - SCOPUS:84856569931
VL - 3
SP - 38
EP - 42
JO - Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases
JF - Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases
SN - 1877-959X
IS - 1
ER -