<i>Babesia microti</i> in Rodents from Different Habitats of Lithuania
<i>Babesia microti</i> (Aconoidasida: Piroplasmida) (Franca, 1910) is an emerging tick-borne parasite with rodents serving as the considered reservoir host. However, the distribution of <i>B. microti</i> in Europe is insufficiently characterized. Based on the sample of 1180 r...
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MDPI AG
2021-06-01
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| Series: | Animals |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/11/6/1707 |
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| author | Dalytė Mardosaitė-Busaitienė Jana Radzijevskaja Linas Balčiauskas Algimantas Paulauskas |
| author_facet | Dalytė Mardosaitė-Busaitienė Jana Radzijevskaja Linas Balčiauskas Algimantas Paulauskas |
| author_sort | Dalytė Mardosaitė-Busaitienė |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <i>Babesia microti</i> (Aconoidasida: Piroplasmida) (Franca, 1910) is an emerging tick-borne parasite with rodents serving as the considered reservoir host. However, the distribution of <i>B. microti</i> in Europe is insufficiently characterized. Based on the sample of 1180 rodents from 19 study sites in Lithuania, the objectives of this study were: (1) to investigate the presence of <i>Babesia</i> parasites in eight species of rodents, (2) to determine the prevalence of <i>Babesia</i> parasites in rodents from different habitats, and (3) to characterize the detected <i>Babesia</i> strains using partial sequencing of the 18S rRNR gene. <i>Babesia</i> DNA was detected in 2.8% rodents. The highest prevalence of <i>Babesia</i> was found in <i>Microtus oeconomus</i> (14.5%) and <i>Microtus agrestis</i> (7.1%) followed by <i>Clethrionomys glareolus</i> (2.3%), <i>Apodemus flavicollis</i> (2.2%) and <i>Micromys minutus</i> (1.3%). In <i>M.</i><i>minutus</i>, <i>Babesia</i> was identified for the first time. The prevalence of <i>Babesia</i>-infected rodents was higher in the meadow (5.67%) than in the ecotone (1.69%) and forest (0.31%) habitats. The sequence analysis of the partial 18S rRNA gene reveals that <i>Babesia</i> isolates derived from rodents were 99–100% identical to human pathogenic <i>B. microti</i> ‘Jena/Germany’ strain. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T10:38:34Z |
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| id | doaj.art-ed93aad8f4724a08ab7bf46b74c0d849 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-2615 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T10:38:34Z |
| publishDate | 2021-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Animals |
| spelling | doaj.art-ed93aad8f4724a08ab7bf46b74c0d8492023-11-21T23:10:14ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152021-06-01116170710.3390/ani11061707<i>Babesia microti</i> in Rodents from Different Habitats of LithuaniaDalytė Mardosaitė-Busaitienė0Jana Radzijevskaja1Linas Balčiauskas2Algimantas Paulauskas3Faculty of Natural Sciences, Vytautas Magnus University, LT-44243 Kaunas, LithuaniaFaculty of Natural Sciences, Vytautas Magnus University, LT-44243 Kaunas, LithuaniaLaboratory of Mammalian Ecology, Nature Research Centre, LT-08412 Vilnius, LithuaniaFaculty of Natural Sciences, Vytautas Magnus University, LT-44243 Kaunas, Lithuania<i>Babesia microti</i> (Aconoidasida: Piroplasmida) (Franca, 1910) is an emerging tick-borne parasite with rodents serving as the considered reservoir host. However, the distribution of <i>B. microti</i> in Europe is insufficiently characterized. Based on the sample of 1180 rodents from 19 study sites in Lithuania, the objectives of this study were: (1) to investigate the presence of <i>Babesia</i> parasites in eight species of rodents, (2) to determine the prevalence of <i>Babesia</i> parasites in rodents from different habitats, and (3) to characterize the detected <i>Babesia</i> strains using partial sequencing of the 18S rRNR gene. <i>Babesia</i> DNA was detected in 2.8% rodents. The highest prevalence of <i>Babesia</i> was found in <i>Microtus oeconomus</i> (14.5%) and <i>Microtus agrestis</i> (7.1%) followed by <i>Clethrionomys glareolus</i> (2.3%), <i>Apodemus flavicollis</i> (2.2%) and <i>Micromys minutus</i> (1.3%). In <i>M.</i><i>minutus</i>, <i>Babesia</i> was identified for the first time. The prevalence of <i>Babesia</i>-infected rodents was higher in the meadow (5.67%) than in the ecotone (1.69%) and forest (0.31%) habitats. The sequence analysis of the partial 18S rRNA gene reveals that <i>Babesia</i> isolates derived from rodents were 99–100% identical to human pathogenic <i>B. microti</i> ‘Jena/Germany’ strain.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/11/6/170718S rRNA<i>Babesia</i>rodentsvolesmiceLithuania |
| spellingShingle | Dalytė Mardosaitė-Busaitienė Jana Radzijevskaja Linas Balčiauskas Algimantas Paulauskas <i>Babesia microti</i> in Rodents from Different Habitats of Lithuania Animals 18S rRNA <i>Babesia</i> rodents voles mice Lithuania |
| title | <i>Babesia microti</i> in Rodents from Different Habitats of Lithuania |
| title_full | <i>Babesia microti</i> in Rodents from Different Habitats of Lithuania |
| title_fullStr | <i>Babesia microti</i> in Rodents from Different Habitats of Lithuania |
| title_full_unstemmed | <i>Babesia microti</i> in Rodents from Different Habitats of Lithuania |
| title_short | <i>Babesia microti</i> in Rodents from Different Habitats of Lithuania |
| title_sort | i babesia microti i in rodents from different habitats of lithuania |
| topic | 18S rRNA <i>Babesia</i> rodents voles mice Lithuania |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/11/6/1707 |
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