Investigation of Bartonella species in mites collected from small rodents in Lithuania

Abstract

Bartonella spp. are Gram-negative facultative intracellular alphaproteobacteria belonging to the family Bartonellae. Many Bartonella species have been affecting human life for centuries and causing persistent bacteremia in humans and a wide variety of animals. Small rodents are reservoir hosts of this pathogen and their ectoparasites are considered potential vectors for various Bartonella species. However, the role of Laelapidae mites as vectors in Bartonella transmission among rodent hosts needs to be confirmed.The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of Bartonella infections in laelapid mites from small rodents in Lithuania. Altogether, 490 small rodents representing eight species of Apodemus flavicollis, A. agrarius, Myodes glareolus, Micromys minutus, M. musculus, Microtus oeconomus, M. arvalis and M. agrestis were trapped during 2015–2016. A total of 284 Laelapidae mites (55 pools and 38 individuals) were chosen for analyses of Bartonella spp.: (Laelaps agilis (n=219), Haemogamasus nidi (n=36), Eulaelaps stabularis (n=12), Myonyssus gigas (n=11) and Hyperlaelaps microti (n=6). Bartonella DNA in samples was detected using a real-time PCR. All positive samples were further analyzed by nested PCR amplification and sequence analysis of 16S – 23S rRNA ITS region. The overall prevalence of Bartonella spp. in mites was 12.3%. Sequence analysis of ITS region revealed the presence of B. taylorii in L. agilis, Hg. nidi and M. gigas mites, B. grahamii in L. agilis. This is the first investigation of Bartonella spp. in mites from small rodents in Baltic countries. To our knowledge, this is the first report of Bartonella spp. in L. agilis, Hg. nidi and M. gigas mites.