BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to quantify the seroprevalence of hare treponematosis in European brown hare (Lepus europaeus) populations in the Czech Republic and to test for an association between treponematosis prevalence and the altitude of the areas in which hares were sampled. We tested 289 serum samples of brown hares collected between 2015 and 2017. The sampling areas included 12 districts (73 villages) distributed throughout the Czech Republic. Serum samples were tested for the presence of antibodies against the causative agent of hare treponematosis (Treponema paraluisleporidarum ecovar Lepus, TPeL) using two serological tests for human syphilis that cross-react with TPeL: the Treponema pallidum hemagglutination assay (TPHA) and the fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption (FTA-ABS) test. To account for the imperfect diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of each test, apparent prevalence estimates of TPeL were converted to true prevalence estimates using the Rogan Gladen estimator. The correlation between TPeL true seroprevalence and altitude of sampling areas was analyzed using Pearson's correlation coefficient at three levels of spatial resolution: (1) four groups, each composed of two merged districts, with ≥20 samples collected, differing in their altitude median (206, 348, 495, and 522 m above sea level); (2) separately tested eight districts, where ≥20 samples were collected per district; and (3) 27 groups composed of villages of the same altitude level distributed across the whole dataset. RESULTS: One hundred and seven of the 289 samples were seropositive to both tests, the FTA-ABS test was positive for an additional 47 samples. Seropositive samples were found in all 12 districts. True seroprevalence of TPeL in the sampled hares was 52% (95% confidence interval 46 to 58%). A statistically significant negative correlation between TPeL seroprevalence and altitude was identified at the district level (Pearson's r = - 0.722, p = 0.043). CONCLUSIONS: Between 2015 and 2017 hare treponematosis was present at a relatively high prevalence in brown hares in all 12 districts in the Czech Republic where sampling was carried out. The seroprevalence of TPeL in brown hares was negatively correlated with the altitude of the areas in which hares were sampled.
- MeSH
- infekce bakteriemi rodu Treponema epidemiologie veterinární MeSH
- nadmořská výška MeSH
- séroepidemiologické studie MeSH
- zajíci * MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- Geografické názvy
- Česká republika MeSH
In our most recent study, we found that in Tanzania infection with Treponema pallidum (TP) subsp. pertenue (TPE) is present in four different monkey species. In order to gain information on the diversity and epidemiological spread of the infection in Tanzanian nonhuman primates (NHP), we identified two suitable candidate genes for multi-locus sequence typing (MLST). We demonstrate the functionality of the MLST system in invasively and non-invasively collected samples. While we were not able to demonstrate frequent interspecies transmission of TPE in Tanzanian monkeys, our results show a clustering of TPE strains according to geography and not host species, which is suggestive for rare transmission events between different NHP species. In addition to the geographic stability, we describe the relative temporal stability of the strains infecting NHPs and identified multi-strain infection. Differences between TPE strains of NHP and human origin are highlighted. Our results show that antibiotic resistance does not occur in Tanzanian TPE strains of NHP origin.
- MeSH
- Cercopithecus aethiops mikrobiologie MeSH
- Cercopithecus mikrobiologie MeSH
- druhová specificita MeSH
- feces mikrobiologie MeSH
- fylogeneze MeSH
- genetická variace MeSH
- genetické asociační studie MeSH
- Gorilla gorilla mikrobiologie MeSH
- hostitelská specificita * MeSH
- infekce bakteriemi rodu Treponema epidemiologie mikrobiologie přenos veterinární MeSH
- jednonukleotidový polymorfismus MeSH
- multilokusová sekvenční typizace MeSH
- nemoci lidoopů epidemiologie mikrobiologie přenos MeSH
- nemoci opic epidemiologie mikrobiologie přenos MeSH
- Papio anubis mikrobiologie MeSH
- Papio cynocephalus mikrobiologie MeSH
- Treponema klasifikace genetika izolace a purifikace MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
- Geografické názvy
- Kongo MeSH
- Tanzanie MeSH
Treponema pallidum is an uncultivable bacterium and the causative agent of syphilis (subsp. pallidum [TPA]), human yaws (subsp. pertenue [TPE]), and bejel (subsp. endemicum). Several species of nonhuman primates in Africa are infected by treponemes genetically undistinguishable from known human TPE strains. Besides Treponema pallidum, the equally uncultivable Treponema carateum causes pinta in humans. In lagomorphs, Treponema paraluisleporidarum ecovar Cuniculus and ecovar Lepus are the causative agents of rabbit and hare syphilis, respectively. All uncultivable pathogenic treponemes harbor a relatively small chromosome (1.1334-1.1405 Mbp) and show gene synteny with minimal genetic differences (>98% identity at the DNA level) between subspecies and species. While uncultivable pathogenic treponemes contain a highly conserved core genome, there are a number of highly variable and/or recombinant chromosomal loci. This is also reflected in the occurrence of intrastrain heterogeneity (genetic diversity within an infecting bacterial population). Molecular differences at several different chromosomal loci identified among TPA strains or isolates have been used for molecular typing and the epidemiological characterization of syphilis isolates. This review summarizes genome structure of uncultivable pathogenic treponemes including genetically variable regions.
- MeSH
- DNA bakterií genetika MeSH
- infekce bakteriemi rodu Treponema mikrobiologie veterinární MeSH
- králíci virologie MeSH
- Lagomorpha virologie MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- molekulární typizace MeSH
- Treponema genetika MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- králíci virologie MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
- přehledy MeSH
Cross infection of rabbits and hares with Treponema paraluiscuniculi from rabbits and the related microorganism from hares, which was provisionally named "Treponema paraluisleporis", revealed that T. paraluiscuniculi affects rabbits clinically, but only causes seroconversion in hares without causing clinical disease, while "T. paraluisleporis" induces disease in both rabbits and hares. The 16S rRNA gene of "T. paraluisleporis" was sequenced (GenBank acc. no. JX899416) and compared to the sequence of T. paraluiscuniculi strain Cuniculi A. A phylogenetic tree based on the sequence alignment of 2002 bp taken from several treponemal strains was constructed. Both "T. paraluisleporis" and T. paraluiscuniculi are clustered together indicating their common origin. The close phylogenetic relatedness of both representatives supports the conclusion that subspecies or ecovar status should be given to these strains rather than species status. A more appropriate species name might be Treponema paraluisleporidarum. The genitive refers to the nominative Leporidae (family of rabbits and hares). The naturally occurring strain in rabbits would than be T. paraluisleporidarum ecovar Cuniculus and the strain from hares T. paraluisleporidarum ecovar Lepus. Since the former seems to have fewer physiological hosts, ecovar Lepus may represent an evolutionary ancestor of ecovar Cuniculus. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V.
- MeSH
- DNA bakterií genetika MeSH
- fylogeneze MeSH
- infekce bakteriemi rodu Treponema mikrobiologie veterinární MeSH
- králíci * MeSH
- molekulární sekvence - údaje MeSH
- RNA ribozomální 16S genetika MeSH
- syfilis * veterinární MeSH
- Treponema fyziologie genetika klasifikace MeSH
- zajíci * MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- králíci * MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
