Vector-borne pathogens in small rodents from Curonian Spit in Lithuania

Abstract

Small rodents are important reservoir hosts for a large number of vector-borne pathogens. The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of Rickettsia, Bartonella, and Babesia pathogens in different species of small rodents in Lithuania. A total of 245 small rodents belonged to the six species Apodemus flavicollis (n=168), Micromys minutus (n=42), Myodes glareolus (n=24), Microtus oeconomus (n=7), M. agrestis (n=2), and M. arvalis (n=2) were captured with live-traps in seven locations in the Curonian Spit during 2013–2014. DNR was extracted from rodent spleen. Different genome regions of Rickettsia, Bartonella, and Babesia pathogens were amplified with subsequent sequencing of fragments obtained during PCR amplification. The overall prevalence of Rickettsia pathogens in rodents was 34.5 %, Bartonella - 23.7%, and Babesia - 6%. Sequence analysis of DNA from positive samples indicated the presence of Rickettsia helvetica in A. flavicollis, M. minutus, and M. glareolus; Bartonella grahamii, B. taylorii and Bartonella genotype belonging to the B. rochalimae group in A. flavicollis, M. minutus, M. glareolus, M. arvalis, and M. oeconomus. Babesia microti was detected in all of six examined rodent species. The present study is the first report of R. helvetica and B.microti in different species of small rodents in Lithuania.