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Eco-epidemiology of rodent-associated trombiculid mites and infection with Orientia spp. in Southern Chile

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dc.contributor.authorSilva, María
dc.contributor.authorPérez, Caricia
dc.contributor.authorMartínez, Constanza
dc.contributor.authorPérez, Ruth
dc.contributor.authorVial Cox, María Cecilia
dc.contributor.authorStekolnikov, Alexandr
dc.contributor.authorAbarca, Katia
dc.contributor.authorThomas Weitzel
dc.contributor.authorWeitzel, Thomas
dc.contributor.authorAcosta, Gerardo
dc.date.accessioned2024-06-05T15:22:15Z
dc.date.available2024-06-05T15:22:15Z
dc.date.issued2023
dc.description.abstractBackground: Scrub typhus is a potentially severe infection caused by bacteria of the genus Orientia, endemic in Asia-Pacific and recently discovered in southern Chile. The presented study aimed to determine the prevalence and species richness of rodent-associated trombiculid mites and their infection with Orientia spp. in different areas of two regions in southern Chile. Methodology/principal findings: During summer 2020, trombiculid mites were collected from rodents captured in three areas in southern Chile known to be endemic for scrub typhus (Cochamó and Chiloé Island in the Los Lagos Region and Tortel in the Aysén Region). A total of 132 rodents belonging to five species were captured using Sherman-like traps; 89.4% were infested with trombiculids. Mite specimens were morphologically identified and subsequently tested by Orientia-specific qPCR. Six mite species were identified. Among chigger-infested rodents, 33.9% carried Orientia-positive mites; this rate was higher in Tortel (63.8%) than in Cochamó (45.0%) and Chiloé Island (2.0%). The analysis of individual mites (n = 901) revealed that 31.2% of Herpetacarus antarctica samples (n = 202) were positive for Orientia DNA; the prevalence was 7.0% in Paratrombicula neuquenensis (n = 213), 6.9% in Herpetacarus eloisae (n = 144), 3.6% in Argentinacarus expansus (n = 55), and 0% in Paratrombicula goffi (n = 110) and Quadraseta chiloensis (n = 177). The southernmost site (Tortel) showed the highest rates of trombiculid infestation, trombiculid load, and Orientia infection in the captured rodents. Conclusions/significance: Our study provides new insights into the trombiculid fauna and prevalence of Orientia in mites collected from wild rodents in southern Chile. Orientia DNA was detected in four of the six mite species. Rates of infestation, mite loads, and Orientia prevalences differed geographically and were highest in the Aysén Region. Our data improve our knowledge on possible vectors of scrub typhus and their distribution in Chile.
dc.description.versionPublicada
dc.identifier.citationSilva de la Fuente MC, Pérez C, Martínez-Valdebenito C, Pérez R, Vial C, Stekolnikov A, Abarca K, Weitzel T, Acosta-Jamett G. Eco-epidemiology of rodent-associated trombiculid mites and infection with Orientia spp. in Southern Chile. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2023 Jan 12;17(1):e0011051. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011051
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0011051
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/11447/9039
dc.language.isoen
dc.subjectChile / epidemiology
dc.subjectOrientia tsutsugamushi / genetics
dc.subjectRodentia
dc.subjectScrub Typhus / epidemiology
dc.subjectScrub Typhus / microbiology
dc.subjectTrombiculidae / microbiology
dc.subjectAnimals
dc.titleEco-epidemiology of rodent-associated trombiculid mites and infection with Orientia spp. in Southern Chile
dc.typeArticle
dcterms.accessRightsAcceso Abierto
dcterms.sourcePLoS neglected tropical diseases
dspace.entity.typePublication
relation.isAuthorOfPublication4cc9451a-447d-42c8-8e68-8669895ed0a0
relation.isAuthorOfPublicationc641ef0c-51cb-4d25-8e9f-c8139bc6a4ad
relation.isAuthorOfPublication.latestForDiscovery4cc9451a-447d-42c8-8e68-8669895ed0a0

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