Bacterial and Protozoan Agents Found in Hyalomma aegyptium (L., 1758) (Ixodida: Ixodidae) Collected from Testudo graeca L., 1758 (Reptilia: Testudines) in Corum Province of Turkey       
Yazarlar (7)
Gönül Arslan Akveran
Hitit Üniversitesi, Türkiye
Djursun Karasartova
Hitit Üniversitesi, Türkiye
Prof. Dr. Adem KESKİN Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa Üniversitesi, Türkiye
Arzu Comba
Hitit Üniversitesi, Türkiye
Bekir Çelebi
Kosta Y Mumcuoglu
Hikmet Ayşegül Taylan Özkan
Hitit Üniversitesi, Türkiye
Makale Türü Özgün Makale
Makale Alt Türü SSCI, AHCI, SCI, SCI-Exp dergilerinde yayınlanan tam makale
Dergi Adı TICKS AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES
Dergi ISSN 1877-959X Wos Dergi Scopus Dergi
Dergi Tarandığı Indeksler SCI-Expanded
Dergi Grubu Q1
Makale Dili İngilizce
Basım Tarihi 09-2020
Cilt No 11
Sayı 5
Sayfalar 101458 / 101464
DOI Numarası 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2020.101458
Özet
Hyalomma aegyptium (L., 1758) (Ixodida: Ixodidae) is a hard tick and the main host for adults are Palearctic tortoises of the genus Testudo, while larvae and nymphs are less host-specific and nymphs also attach to humans. In the present study, a total of 261 H. aegyptium ticks were removed from 26 Testudo graeca L., 1758 in Corum Province of Turkey. The most prevalent pathogens identified molecularly in the ticks were Hemolivia mauritanica (51.9 %), followed by Rickettsia aeschlimannii (32.6 %), Ehrlichia spp. (30.2 %), and Bartonella bovis (0.8 %). All samples were negative for Coxiella burnetii, Francisella tularensis, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Babesia spp., Hepatozoon spp. and Theileria spp. Overall, 97.4 % of the examined adult ticks and 26.3 % of nymphs were infected with at least one pathogen, while 40.9 % of all ticks were infected with only one pathogen, 27.4 % with two pathogens, and 9.9 % with three pathogens, concomitantly. Overall, 80.8 % of the examined blood smears of tortoises were H. mauritanica-positive, and the mean intensity of parasitemia was 4.8 % (1–21). As a conclusion, since the examined tortoises were sampled in gardens and vineyards close to human habitation, and as a relatively large percentage of them were infested with ticks carrying pathogenic agents affecting also humans, the importance of tortoises, their ticks and pathogens in terms of the public health should be farther examined.
Anahtar Kelimeler
Bartonella bovis | Ehrlichia spp. | Hemolivia mauritanica | Hyalomma aegyptium | Rickettsia aeschlimannii | Testudo graeca | Turkey