Short communicationSurvey on blood-sucking lice (Phthiraptera: Anoplura) of ruminants and pigs with molecular detection of Anaplasma and Rickettsia spp
Introduction
The blood-sucking lice (Phthiraptera: Anoplura) are permanent, host-specific ectoparasites of mammals. Their veterinary significance may be twofold. First, they can be responsible for economical losses by inducing pathophysiological changes in their hosts, i.e. weight loss, hide damage and mild to severe anaemia – the latter especially in cattle (Nelson et al., 1970, Gibney et al., 1985, Otter et al., 2003). Secondly, as vectors, they can transmit louse-borne pathogens (viruses, bacteria, fungi and protozoa) to susceptible hosts. In this respect, their biological vector role usually means persistent development of disease agents in their gut cells, with or without consequent passing in their faeces. In either case, they do not inoculate the pathogen during a next blood-sucking, but it is rubbed into the host's skin inadvertently (Durden and Lloyd, 2009). Alternatively, if lice are short-term mechanical vectors, it becomes possible that within hours of their former feeding they inoculate disease agents attached to their mouthparts (Shope, 1940, Crystal, 1958). A prerequisite for both types of transmission is that lice transfer between hosts, which is an integral aspect of their behaviour (Durden and Lloyd, 2009).
Reports on pediculosis of domestic animals are scarce, and prevalence data from several parts of Europe are lacking or outdated. Correspondingly, in veterinary medicine the epidemiological significance and vector potential of anopluran lice also appears to be underestimated or insufficiently evaluated. In part, this may be due to the regular and widespread use of broad spectrum endectocides that are given to kill parasites other than lice. However, it must be kept in mind that in areas with lower standards of livestock management lice and their vector role should not be neglected or discounted: on the contrary, they may represent emerging problems (Otter et al., 2003, Bisdorff et al., 2006). Therefore this study was undertaken to elucidate the occurrence of sucking lice of ruminants and pigs in Hungary, and to contribute to the general knowledge on the potential vector role of relevant species.
Section snippets
Sample collection
Adults and nymphs of blood-sucking lice have been removed from domestic animals kept indoors during the winter time. Sampling was performed from cattle on four farms, from goats on three farms, and from pigs in one farm, during March of 2009 in central and north-eastern Hungary. A total of 173 cattle, 50 goats and 350 pigs were included in the study. All animals were immobilized and their whole body surface scrutinized for the presence of lice. During sampling the predilection sites for
Results and discussion
Altogether 1182 sucking lice were collected (Table 1). All species occurring on relevant hosts in the temperate zone were found (Durden and Lloyd, 2009). However, this is the first report of Solenopotes capillatus from Hungary (Piotrowski, 1970). Comparing the anopluran species of cattle, S. capillatus was the rarest (Table 1), with highly overdispersed intensities of infestation (three cows with only one specimen, and one with 37). Linognathus vituli individuals were significantly more
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank the invaluable help of Dr. Gábor Pintér and Dr. Gábor Zajzon in sample collection. Molecular biology work was partially performed using the logistics of the Center for Clinical Studies at the Vetsuisse Faculty of the University of Zurich. Regina Hofmann-Lehmann is the recipient of a professorship from the Swiss National Science Foundation (PP00P3-119136). Sándor Hornok is supported by the Bolyai János scholarship of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.
References (30)
- et al.
First serological and molecular evidence on the endemicity of Anaplasma ovis and A. marginale in Hungary
Vet. Microbiol.
(2007) Feeding mechanism of Haematopinus suis, on the transilluminated mouse ear
Exp. Parasitol.
(1967)- et al.
Haematopinus eurysternus: blood of cattle infested with the short-nosed cattle louse
Exp. Parasitol.
(1970) - et al.
Density and distribution of cattle lice (Phthiraptera: Haematopinidae, Linognathidae, Trichodectidae) on six steers
Vet. Parasitol.
(1997) - et al.
Prevalence and regional distribution of scab, lice and blowfly strike in Great Britain
Vet. Rec.
(2006) - et al.
Molecular investigations of Rickettsia helvetica infection in dogs, foxes, humans, and Ixodes ticks
Appl. Environ. Microbiol.
(2009) - et al.
Detection of Ehrlichia platys in dogs in Australia
Aust. Vet. J.
(2001) - et al.
Prevalence of sucking and chewing lice on cattle entering feedlots in southern Alberta
Can. Vet. J.
(2001) The mechanism of transmission of Haemobartonella muris (Mayer) of rats by the spined rat louse, Polyplax spinulosa (Burmeister)
J. Parasitol.
(1958)- et al.
Prevalence, risk factors and economic importance of infestations with Sarcoptes scabiei and Haematopinus suis in sows of pig breeding farms in Hesse, Germany
Med. Vet. Entomol.
(2004)
Genetic diversity of Anaplasma species major surface proteins and implications for anaplasmosis serodiagnosis and vaccine development
Anim. Health Res. Rev.
Lice (Phthiraptera)
Effects of various infestation levels of cattle lice (Mallophaga: Trichodectidae and Anoplura: Haematopinidae) on feed efficiency and weight gains of beef heifers
J. Econ. Entomol.
A century of rickettsiology: emerging, reemerging rickettsioses, clinical, epidemiologic, and molecular diagnostic aspects and emerging veterinary rickettsioses: an overview
Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci.
Concurrent infections with vector-borne pathogens associated with fatal hemolytic anemia in a cattle herd in Switzerland
J. Clin. Microbiol.
Cited by (43)
Molecular detection of microorganisms in lice collected from farm animals in Northeastern Algeria
2021, Comparative Immunology, Microbiology and Infectious DiseasesThe Coevolution Effect as a Driver of Spillover
2019, Trends in ParasitologyCitation Excerpt :There is evidence of high species specificity in NHP sucking lice [40–42], and genetic evidence of host-switching between primate species [40,42]; however, not much work has been done on the characterization of pathogens in lice from wildlife. Pathogens such as species of Anaplasma and Rickettsia have been detected in sucking lice from domestic animals and livestock [26,43]; therefore, we hypothesize that the lice of wild animals will harbor blood-borne pathogens, especially given the vector potential of human sucking lice. We recommend pathogen screening of sucking lice as a first step in the approach to test the coevolution effect hypothesis in NHPs.
Aggression and hormones are associated with heterogeneity in parasitism and parasite dynamics in the brown mouse lemur
2017, Animal BehaviourCitation Excerpt :In our study, animals with aggressive behavioural scores were significantly more infested by ectoparasites and had higher infestation by lice, in particular. In addition to ectoparasitism, lice have been found to be important vectors of pathogens (Raoult & Roux, 1999) and are vectors of pathogens Anaplasma spp. and Rickettsia spp. (Hornok et al., 2010), which may cause fatal infections. These findings suggest that aggression may place vertebrate health at risk, which may decrease fitness.
Lice induced immuno-oxidative wreckage of goats
2017, Veterinary ParasitologyCitation Excerpt :Lice act as the second most potent vector in transmission of human diseases, next to mosquito. Molecular evidences suggest that sucking lice of ruminants and pigs are involved in the transmission of Anaplasma ovis and Rickettsia spp. (Hornok et al., 2010). The saliva of hematophagous ectoparasites contains several compounds which can modulate host defense responses and helps them to evade host immunity; facilitating prolonged attachment, successful blood feeding and their perpetuation (Kazimirova and Stibraniova, 2013).