Experimental and Applied Acarology (2019) 79, 245-254

Valentina Chisu, Cipriano Foxi and Giovanna Masala (2019)
First molecular detection of Francisella-like endosymbionts in Hyalomma and Rhipicephalus tick species collected from vertebrate hosts from Sardinia island, Italy
Experimental and Applied Acarology 79 (2), 245-254
Abstract: Ticks are vectors of a wide variety of human and animal pathogens as well as non-pathogenic microorganisms acting as endosymbionts and whose role in ticks is still little known. Symbionts such as Francisella-like endosymbionts (FLEs) are members of Francisellaceae family with unknown pathogenicity, detected in both hard and soft ticks. A total of 236 ticks collected from several sites in Sardinia were screened for Francisella species by PCR using primers targeting a fragment of the 16S rRNA gene. DNA of Francisella was detected in 5.1% (12/236) of the ticks tested. Sequencing results revealed that seven Rhipicephalus sanguineus s.l., three Hyalomma marginatum, one Hy. lusitanicum, and one Rh. bursa ticks exhibited DNA with 99–100% similarity to Francisella-like endosymbionts isolated from different tick species all over the world. Further research is needed in order to better characterize FLE strains obtained in Sardinia and to better understand if their presence could be related to the infection with other zoonotic pathogens.
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Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Cipriano Foxi

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
general biology - morphology - evolution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Rhipicephalus sanguineus		Italy
	Hyalomma marginatum		Italy
	Hyalomma lusitanicum		Italy
	Rhipicephalus bursa		Italy