White-Toothed Shrews (Genus <i>Crocidura</i>): Potential Reservoirs for Zoonotic <i>Leptospira</i> spp. and Arthropod-Borne Pathogens?
Three species of white-toothed shrews of the order Eulipotyphla are present in central Europe: the bicolored (<i>Crocidura leucodon</i>), greater (<i>Crocidura russula</i>) and lesser (<i>Crocidura suaveolens</i>) white-toothed shrews. Their precise distribution i...
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MDPI AG
2023-05-01
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| Series: | Pathogens |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/12/6/781 |
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| author | Viola Haring Jens Jacob Bernd Walther Martin Trost Michael Stubbe Katja Mertens-Scholz Falk Melzer Nelly Scuda Michaela Gentil Wolfdieter Sixl Tanja Schäfer Michal Stanko Ronny Wolf Martin Pfeffer Rainer G. Ulrich Anna Obiegala |
| author_facet | Viola Haring Jens Jacob Bernd Walther Martin Trost Michael Stubbe Katja Mertens-Scholz Falk Melzer Nelly Scuda Michaela Gentil Wolfdieter Sixl Tanja Schäfer Michal Stanko Ronny Wolf Martin Pfeffer Rainer G. Ulrich Anna Obiegala |
| author_sort | Viola Haring |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Three species of white-toothed shrews of the order Eulipotyphla are present in central Europe: the bicolored (<i>Crocidura leucodon</i>), greater (<i>Crocidura russula</i>) and lesser (<i>Crocidura suaveolens</i>) white-toothed shrews. Their precise distribution in Germany is ill-defined and little is known about them as reservoirs for zoonotic pathogens (<i>Leptospira</i> spp., <i>Coxiella burnetii</i>, <i>Brucella</i> spp., <i>Anaplasma phagocytophilum</i>, <i>Babesia</i> spp., <i>Neoehrlichia mikurensis</i> and <i>Bartonella</i> spp.). We investigated 372 <i>Crocidura</i> spp. from Germany (n = 341), Austria (n = 18), Luxembourg (n = 2) and Slovakia (n = 11). West European hedgehogs (<i>Erinaceus europaeus</i>) were added to compare the presence of pathogens in co-occurring insectivores. <i>Crocidura russula</i> were distributed mainly in western and <i>C. suaveolens</i> mainly in north-eastern Germany. <i>Crocidura leucodon</i> occurred in overlapping ranges with the other shrews. <i>Leptospira</i> spp. DNA was detected in 28/227 <i>C. russula</i> and 2/78 <i>C. leucodon</i> samples. Further characterization revealed that <i>Leptospira kirschneri</i> had a sequence type (ST) 100. <i>Neoehrlichia mikurensis</i> DNA was detected in spleen tissue from 2/213 <i>C. russula</i> samples. Hedgehogs carried DNA from <i>L. kirschneri</i> (ST 100), <i>L. interrogans</i> (ST 24), <i>A. phagocytophilum</i> and two <i>Bartonella</i> species. This study improves the knowledge of the current distribution of <i>Crocidura</i> shrews and identifies <i>C. russula</i> as carrier of <i>Leptospira kirschneri</i>. However, shrews seem to play little-to-no role in the circulation of the arthropod-borne pathogens investigated. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T02:04:22Z |
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| id | doaj.art-853253f7f8b64f22bfa71c58ea5bb454 |
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| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T02:04:22Z |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
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| series | Pathogens |
| spelling | doaj.art-853253f7f8b64f22bfa71c58ea5bb4542023-11-18T11:59:50ZengMDPI AGPathogens2076-08172023-05-0112678110.3390/pathogens12060781White-Toothed Shrews (Genus <i>Crocidura</i>): Potential Reservoirs for Zoonotic <i>Leptospira</i> spp. and Arthropod-Borne Pathogens?Viola Haring0Jens Jacob1Bernd Walther2Martin Trost3Michael Stubbe4Katja Mertens-Scholz5Falk Melzer6Nelly Scuda7Michaela Gentil8Wolfdieter Sixl9Tanja Schäfer10Michal Stanko11Ronny Wolf12Martin Pfeffer13Rainer G. Ulrich14Anna Obiegala15Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Südufer 10, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, GermanyInstitute for Epidemiology and Pathogen Diagnostics, Rodent Research, Julius Kühn-Institute, Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Toppheideweg 88, 48161 Münster, GermanyInstitute for Epidemiology and Pathogen Diagnostics, Rodent Research, Julius Kühn-Institute, Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Toppheideweg 88, 48161 Münster, GermanyDezernat Artenschutz, Staatliche Vogelschutzwarte und CITES, Landesamt für Umweltschutz Sachsen-Anhalt, Reideburger Straße 47, 06116 Halle (Saale), GermanyZentralmagazin Naturwissenschaftlicher Sammlungen, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Domplatz 4, 06108 Halle (Saale), GermanyInstitute of Bacterial Infections and Zoonoses, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Naumburger Str. 96a, 07743 Jena, GermanyInstitute of Bacterial Infections and Zoonoses, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Naumburger Str. 96a, 07743 Jena, GermanyBavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Eggenreuther Weg 43, 91058 Erlangen, GermanyLaboklin GmbH & Co.KG, Steubenstrasse 4, 97688 Bad Kissingen, GermanyInstitute of Hygiene, University of Graz, 8010 Graz, AustriaWildtierhilfe Schäfer e.V., Waldstraße 275, 63071 Offenbach, GermanyInstitute of Parasitology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Hlinkova 3, 04001 Košice, SlovakiaInstitute of Biology, Molecular Evolution and Systematics of Animals, University of Leipzig, Talstraße 33, 04103 Leipzig, GermanyInstitute of Animal Hygiene and Veterinary Public Health, University of Leipzig, An den Tierkliniken 41-43, 04103 Leipzig, GermanyInstitute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Südufer 10, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, GermanyInstitute of Animal Hygiene and Veterinary Public Health, University of Leipzig, An den Tierkliniken 41-43, 04103 Leipzig, GermanyThree species of white-toothed shrews of the order Eulipotyphla are present in central Europe: the bicolored (<i>Crocidura leucodon</i>), greater (<i>Crocidura russula</i>) and lesser (<i>Crocidura suaveolens</i>) white-toothed shrews. Their precise distribution in Germany is ill-defined and little is known about them as reservoirs for zoonotic pathogens (<i>Leptospira</i> spp., <i>Coxiella burnetii</i>, <i>Brucella</i> spp., <i>Anaplasma phagocytophilum</i>, <i>Babesia</i> spp., <i>Neoehrlichia mikurensis</i> and <i>Bartonella</i> spp.). We investigated 372 <i>Crocidura</i> spp. from Germany (n = 341), Austria (n = 18), Luxembourg (n = 2) and Slovakia (n = 11). West European hedgehogs (<i>Erinaceus europaeus</i>) were added to compare the presence of pathogens in co-occurring insectivores. <i>Crocidura russula</i> were distributed mainly in western and <i>C. suaveolens</i> mainly in north-eastern Germany. <i>Crocidura leucodon</i> occurred in overlapping ranges with the other shrews. <i>Leptospira</i> spp. DNA was detected in 28/227 <i>C. russula</i> and 2/78 <i>C. leucodon</i> samples. Further characterization revealed that <i>Leptospira kirschneri</i> had a sequence type (ST) 100. <i>Neoehrlichia mikurensis</i> DNA was detected in spleen tissue from 2/213 <i>C. russula</i> samples. Hedgehogs carried DNA from <i>L. kirschneri</i> (ST 100), <i>L. interrogans</i> (ST 24), <i>A. phagocytophilum</i> and two <i>Bartonella</i> species. This study improves the knowledge of the current distribution of <i>Crocidura</i> shrews and identifies <i>C. russula</i> as carrier of <i>Leptospira kirschneri</i>. However, shrews seem to play little-to-no role in the circulation of the arthropod-borne pathogens investigated.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/12/6/781shrewreservoir<i>Leptospira</i> spp.<i>Anaplasma phagocytophilum</i><i>Neoehrlichia mikurensis</i><i>Babesia</i> spp. |
| spellingShingle | Viola Haring Jens Jacob Bernd Walther Martin Trost Michael Stubbe Katja Mertens-Scholz Falk Melzer Nelly Scuda Michaela Gentil Wolfdieter Sixl Tanja Schäfer Michal Stanko Ronny Wolf Martin Pfeffer Rainer G. Ulrich Anna Obiegala White-Toothed Shrews (Genus <i>Crocidura</i>): Potential Reservoirs for Zoonotic <i>Leptospira</i> spp. and Arthropod-Borne Pathogens? Pathogens shrew reservoir <i>Leptospira</i> spp. <i>Anaplasma phagocytophilum</i> <i>Neoehrlichia mikurensis</i> <i>Babesia</i> spp. |
| title | White-Toothed Shrews (Genus <i>Crocidura</i>): Potential Reservoirs for Zoonotic <i>Leptospira</i> spp. and Arthropod-Borne Pathogens? |
| title_full | White-Toothed Shrews (Genus <i>Crocidura</i>): Potential Reservoirs for Zoonotic <i>Leptospira</i> spp. and Arthropod-Borne Pathogens? |
| title_fullStr | White-Toothed Shrews (Genus <i>Crocidura</i>): Potential Reservoirs for Zoonotic <i>Leptospira</i> spp. and Arthropod-Borne Pathogens? |
| title_full_unstemmed | White-Toothed Shrews (Genus <i>Crocidura</i>): Potential Reservoirs for Zoonotic <i>Leptospira</i> spp. and Arthropod-Borne Pathogens? |
| title_short | White-Toothed Shrews (Genus <i>Crocidura</i>): Potential Reservoirs for Zoonotic <i>Leptospira</i> spp. and Arthropod-Borne Pathogens? |
| title_sort | white toothed shrews genus i crocidura i potential reservoirs for zoonotic i leptospira i spp and arthropod borne pathogens |
| topic | shrew reservoir <i>Leptospira</i> spp. <i>Anaplasma phagocytophilum</i> <i>Neoehrlichia mikurensis</i> <i>Babesia</i> spp. |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/12/6/781 |
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