Assessment of the speed of transmission of Ehrlichia canis, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto by infected ticks through an in vitro experimental model
Abstract Background Canine vector-borne diseases (CVBDs) have significant clinical and public health implications. Methods This experimental study used a validated continuous-flow in vitro feeding system (CFIFS) to investigate the speed of transmission (SOT) of three tick-borne pathogens (TBPs): Ehr...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2025-05-01
|
| Series: | Parasites & Vectors |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-025-06798-9 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849731878370672640 |
|---|---|
| author | F. Beugnet M. Madder A. Joubert I. Bouzaidi Cheikhi M. Chajia J. F. Besselaar D. Y. Tan |
| author_facet | F. Beugnet M. Madder A. Joubert I. Bouzaidi Cheikhi M. Chajia J. F. Besselaar D. Y. Tan |
| author_sort | F. Beugnet |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Canine vector-borne diseases (CVBDs) have significant clinical and public health implications. Methods This experimental study used a validated continuous-flow in vitro feeding system (CFIFS) to investigate the speed of transmission (SOT) of three tick-borne pathogens (TBPs): Ehrlichia canis by laboratory-infected Rhipicephalus sanguineus (18.3% infection rate), Anaplasma phagocytophilum by laboratory-infected Ixodes ricinus (56%), and Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto (s.s.) by laboratory-infected I. ricinus (76%). Three experiments were conducted, one per pathogen/tick model. A total of 58–60 ticks were used per feeding system. Four to six replicates were obtained per experiment. All ticks were laboratory-reared. The tick infections were performed by feeding the nymphal stages on infected hosts. Results All ticks began to attach and feed 3 h after being introduced to the feeding system. At the maximum attachment, 89.7% of R. sanguineus were attached at 57 h, with 4–30% attachment at 51 h for I. ricinus infected with A. phagocytophilum, and 6.3–47.9% at 48 h for I. ricinus infected with B. burgdorferi s.s. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests were used to detect the presence of pathogens from blood samples collected every 3 h. Swab samples from the inner face of the feeding membrane were also collected and tested every 6 h during the B. burgdorferi s.s. study. In this experimental in vitro design, after the first tick attachments were observed, E. canis exhibited SOT of 3–6 h, A. phagocytophilum of 12–15 h, and B. burgdorferi of 42–45 h in blood but only 3–6 h on inner membrane swabs. Conclusions The findings of this in vitro study highlight the transmission time of some TBPs, confirming previous data obtained in vitro or in vivo, by using the same design for all tick/pathogen models. This is a way to estimate the possibility of using acaricidal drugs to block pathogen transmission based on the SOT and the speed of kill of these compounds. Graphical Abstract |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a75d334437734b93a34dd0a50012f5f7 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1756-3305 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Parasites & Vectors |
| spelling | doaj-art-a75d334437734b93a34dd0a50012f5f72025-08-20T03:08:24ZengBMCParasites & Vectors1756-33052025-05-0118111310.1186/s13071-025-06798-9Assessment of the speed of transmission of Ehrlichia canis, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto by infected ticks through an in vitro experimental modelF. Beugnet0M. Madder1A. Joubert2I. Bouzaidi Cheikhi3M. Chajia4J. F. Besselaar5D. Y. Tan6Boehringer Ingelheim Animal HealthClinvetClinomicsClinvetClinvetClindataBoehringer Ingelheim Animal HealthAbstract Background Canine vector-borne diseases (CVBDs) have significant clinical and public health implications. Methods This experimental study used a validated continuous-flow in vitro feeding system (CFIFS) to investigate the speed of transmission (SOT) of three tick-borne pathogens (TBPs): Ehrlichia canis by laboratory-infected Rhipicephalus sanguineus (18.3% infection rate), Anaplasma phagocytophilum by laboratory-infected Ixodes ricinus (56%), and Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto (s.s.) by laboratory-infected I. ricinus (76%). Three experiments were conducted, one per pathogen/tick model. A total of 58–60 ticks were used per feeding system. Four to six replicates were obtained per experiment. All ticks were laboratory-reared. The tick infections were performed by feeding the nymphal stages on infected hosts. Results All ticks began to attach and feed 3 h after being introduced to the feeding system. At the maximum attachment, 89.7% of R. sanguineus were attached at 57 h, with 4–30% attachment at 51 h for I. ricinus infected with A. phagocytophilum, and 6.3–47.9% at 48 h for I. ricinus infected with B. burgdorferi s.s. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests were used to detect the presence of pathogens from blood samples collected every 3 h. Swab samples from the inner face of the feeding membrane were also collected and tested every 6 h during the B. burgdorferi s.s. study. In this experimental in vitro design, after the first tick attachments were observed, E. canis exhibited SOT of 3–6 h, A. phagocytophilum of 12–15 h, and B. burgdorferi of 42–45 h in blood but only 3–6 h on inner membrane swabs. Conclusions The findings of this in vitro study highlight the transmission time of some TBPs, confirming previous data obtained in vitro or in vivo, by using the same design for all tick/pathogen models. This is a way to estimate the possibility of using acaricidal drugs to block pathogen transmission based on the SOT and the speed of kill of these compounds. Graphical Abstracthttps://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-025-06798-9Tick-borne pathogensSpeed of transmissionEhrlichia canisAnaplasma phagocytophilumBorrelia burgdorferi s.s.In vitro feeding system |
| spellingShingle | F. Beugnet M. Madder A. Joubert I. Bouzaidi Cheikhi M. Chajia J. F. Besselaar D. Y. Tan Assessment of the speed of transmission of Ehrlichia canis, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto by infected ticks through an in vitro experimental model Parasites & Vectors Tick-borne pathogens Speed of transmission Ehrlichia canis Anaplasma phagocytophilum Borrelia burgdorferi s.s. In vitro feeding system |
| title | Assessment of the speed of transmission of Ehrlichia canis, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto by infected ticks through an in vitro experimental model |
| title_full | Assessment of the speed of transmission of Ehrlichia canis, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto by infected ticks through an in vitro experimental model |
| title_fullStr | Assessment of the speed of transmission of Ehrlichia canis, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto by infected ticks through an in vitro experimental model |
| title_full_unstemmed | Assessment of the speed of transmission of Ehrlichia canis, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto by infected ticks through an in vitro experimental model |
| title_short | Assessment of the speed of transmission of Ehrlichia canis, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto by infected ticks through an in vitro experimental model |
| title_sort | assessment of the speed of transmission of ehrlichia canis anaplasma phagocytophilum and borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto by infected ticks through an in vitro experimental model |
| topic | Tick-borne pathogens Speed of transmission Ehrlichia canis Anaplasma phagocytophilum Borrelia burgdorferi s.s. In vitro feeding system |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-025-06798-9 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT fbeugnet assessmentofthespeedoftransmissionofehrlichiacanisanaplasmaphagocytophilumandborreliaburgdorferisensustrictobyinfectedticksthroughaninvitroexperimentalmodel AT mmadder assessmentofthespeedoftransmissionofehrlichiacanisanaplasmaphagocytophilumandborreliaburgdorferisensustrictobyinfectedticksthroughaninvitroexperimentalmodel AT ajoubert assessmentofthespeedoftransmissionofehrlichiacanisanaplasmaphagocytophilumandborreliaburgdorferisensustrictobyinfectedticksthroughaninvitroexperimentalmodel AT ibouzaidicheikhi assessmentofthespeedoftransmissionofehrlichiacanisanaplasmaphagocytophilumandborreliaburgdorferisensustrictobyinfectedticksthroughaninvitroexperimentalmodel AT mchajia assessmentofthespeedoftransmissionofehrlichiacanisanaplasmaphagocytophilumandborreliaburgdorferisensustrictobyinfectedticksthroughaninvitroexperimentalmodel AT jfbesselaar assessmentofthespeedoftransmissionofehrlichiacanisanaplasmaphagocytophilumandborreliaburgdorferisensustrictobyinfectedticksthroughaninvitroexperimentalmodel AT dytan assessmentofthespeedoftransmissionofehrlichiacanisanaplasmaphagocytophilumandborreliaburgdorferisensustrictobyinfectedticksthroughaninvitroexperimentalmodel |