应用PCR技术检测恙螨体内恙虫病立克次体动态和经卵传递的研究

本文应用聚合酶链反应技术检测恙虫病立克次体实验感染的恙螨体内立克次体的动态变化，通过人工腹腔接种而感染的恙螨成虫，恙虫病立克次体至少能在其体内生存３６０天和经卵传递４代；通过未食幼虫叮咬病小鼠而感染的恙螨，经饱蚴、若蛹、若虫、成蛹和成虫阶段，恙虫病立克次体检测均呈阳性，至少能在成虫期体内生存２７０天和经卵传递１代。     

First isolation ofRickettsia helvetica fromIxodes ricinus ticks in France

Two rickettsial isolates recovered fromIxodes ricinus ticks in Puy-de-Dôme (Central France) were characterized by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, Western blot immunoassay, restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis, and sequencing of a portion of the citrate-synthase gene. By these methods, the isolates appeared to be identical to a member of the spotted fever group rickettsiae,Rickettsia helvetica. This first isolation ofRickettsia helvetica in France has epidemiologic importance; a serosurvey on Mediterranean spotted fever conducted previously in Puy-de-Dôme, where the infection is not endemic, demonstrated a high seroprevalence of nonspecific antibodies directed against spotted fever group rickettsiae lipopolysaccharides, and thus the possibility of infection due to a rickettsia different fromRickettsia conorii was suggested. The isolation ofRickettsia helvetica in anthropophilic ticks in the same area further supports this hypothesis.     

Murine Typhus in Canary Islands,Spain, 1999–2015

To document the epidemiology, clinical features, and outcomes of murine typhus patients in the Canary Islands (Spain), we analyzed data that were retrospectively collected for 16 years for 221 patients. Murine typhus in the Canary Islands is characterized by a high rate of complications (31.6%), mainly liver, lung, kidney or central nervous system involvement.     

Rickettsiae and rickettsioses in Portugal

The only rickettsiae recorded in Portugal till now were Rickettsia conorii and Coxiella burnetii. Boutonneuse fever is one of the most important transmissible diseases in Portugal. Though the annual number of cases is not exactly known, it is estimated to be not far from 20,000 in some years. Q fever is the other rickettsiosis widely disseminated throughout the country. The serological prevalence and the incidence of those rickettsioses in Portugal are presented in this communication. In recent research in southern Portugal, about 4,000 adult ticks of nine species were screened by the haemocyte test for rickettsiae and rickettsia-like organisms (RLO). In addition to R. conorii three microscopically different RLO were observed. Two of them, i.e. ovoid and bacillary-like, were positive in the immunofluorescence test with spotted fever (R. conorii) antiserum. The first occurred mainly in Rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks, the second one also in other tick species. The latter agent was cultivated in half-engorged R. sanguineus females and in Vero cells. The third organism was found in R. sanguineus, where it exhibited a massive infestation in haemocytes resembling that seen in experimentally infected ticks with C. burnetii, but not being this agent. The investigation of the isolates and their identification and characterization are being continued.Presented at the 4th International Symposium on Rickettsiae and Rickettsial Diseases, Pietany, C.S.F.R., 1–6 October, 1990.     

Improvement in early diagnosis of Japanese spotted fever by using a novel Rick PCR system

Rickettsia diseases, including Japanese spotted fever (JSF), are serious infections. Delayed diagnosis occasionally results in life‐threatening liver disorders and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). Because of the shortness of the latent period, serological diagnosis is not preferable for early diagnosis of JSF. Until now, a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)‐based diagnosis method has been used for early diagnosis, and the sensitivity reaches as high as 90% using skin biopsy samples as we previously reported. On the other hand, the sensitivity of the same PCR method using blood samples is limited at less than 50%. In the present study, using peripheral blood samples, we developed a novel diagnostic method for JSF using a Rick PCR system with original PCR primers, showing improved sensitivity compared with the conventional nested PCR. It may constitute a preferable diagnostic tool for early and sensitive diagnosis of Rickettsia infection.     

云南省泸西县啮齿动物携带立克次体调查

目的 调查云南省泸西县啮齿动物携带恙虫病东方体、无形体和埃立克体的状况,了解该类病原体在当地自然界中的保存状况和基因特征。方法 用鼠笼和鼠夹在云南省泸西县捕鼠,将捕获的动物种类鉴定后解剖取脾脏,活鼠取血。采用巢式PCR扩增脾脏的恙虫病东方体groEL基因,无形体和埃立克体的16S rRNA基因特异片段;测定PCR扩增阳性产物的DNA序列,对获得序列进行序列比对和系统进化分析。IFA法检测鼠血清中恙虫病东方体IgG抗体。结果 在泸西县共捕获啮齿动物10种225只。其中黄胸鼠36.89%(83/225)、大绒鼠35.11%(79/225)和中华姬鼠13.78%(31/225)为优势鼠种。获得鼠血清85份。鼠脾脏中检测到5株东方体groEL基因阳性标本,带毒鼠种为黄胸鼠2.41%(2/83)和大绒鼠3.80%(3/79)。同源性比较显示,这5株东方体的相似性在99.02%~100%之间,他们分别与GenBank中已知立克次体序列的相似性在98.75%~100%。系统发生树显示,5株OT与来自日本、泰国和中国安徽的菌株位于同一分支。3份16S rRNA阳性标本,其中1份埃立克体阳性,来源于大绒鼠;1份沃尔巴克氏体和1份巴尔通体阳性均来源于黄胸鼠。无形体均为阴性。埃立克体株序列比对显示与来自美国、中国和巴西的埃立克体基因同源性为98.0%~100%,并与分离自美国野外工作者皮肤的伊文氏埃立克体在同一分支。鼠血清恙虫病IgG抗体阳性7份,阳性率8.24%(7/85)。结论 该地区存在以黄胸鼠和大绒鼠为主要宿主的恙虫病自然疫源地。埃立克体、巴尔通体和沃尔巴克氏体在啮齿动物中也存在感染,需注意防控。     

恙螨体内恙虫病立克次体经精胞传递的实验研究

本文报道地里纤恙螨雄虫人工接种恙虫病立克次体后与雌虫配对培养和传代，应用幼虫叮咬小鼠分离立克次体和PCR结合核酸杂交（核酸杂交检测PCR产物）检测子代体内立克次体的结果。幼虫叮咬小鼠分离立克农作检查第3子代幼虫体内立克次体阳性。PCR结合核酸杂交检测佛山市的病人恙虫病立克次休（未定株）接种雄虫和健康雌虫配对的第1、2、3子代成虫体内立克次体DNA阳性。Karp株接种雄虫的第1子代幼虫体内立克次体的幼虫叮咬小鼠法和PCR结合核酸杂交均呈阳性。     

用PCR检测现场单个小盾纤恙螨体内恙虫病立克次体的研究

恙虫病立克次体表面蛋白５６ＫＤａ基因编码区构建的群特异引物，采用嵌合式聚合酶链反应检测现场捕获的单个小盾纤恙螨幼虫体内Ｒ．ｔ的ＤＮＡ。共检测江苏省恙虫病疫区小盾纤恙螨幼虫６１只，结果２只幼虫提取的ＤＮＡ经扩增后见４８１￣５０７ｂｐ的ＤＮＡ扩增带，表明这２只幼虫携带有Ｒ．ｔ，其该种螨Ｒ．ｔ携带率为３．２７％，证明该法可用于单个恙螨幼虫体的Ｒ．ｔ的检测，对恙虫病疫区媒介恙螨的流行病学调查具有实用价值。