| Kyoo-Tae Kim | 4 Articles |
Ticks are important vectors of numerous zoonotic pathogens, yet integrated molecular surveillance of wildlife hosts and their parasitizing ticks remains limited in Korea. In this study, we investigated the occurrence of major tick-borne bacterial pathogens in wildlife and their associated ticks. Blood samples were collected from Korean water deer (Hydropotes inermis), raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides), and wild boars (Sus scrofa), and a total of 246 ticks were obtained from these 34 animals. Molecular analyses identified multiple bacterial pathogens, including Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Ehrlichia canis, Bartonella schoenbuchensis, Rickettsia raoultii, Rickettsia monacensis, and Candidatus Rickettsia longicornii. Notably, E. canis was detected for the first time in blood samples from raccoon dogs and wild boars in Korea, and B. schoenbuchensis was identified in ticks for the first time in the country. In addition, R. monacensis exhibited a remarkably high minimum infection rate in Ixodes nipponensis, and all positive ticks were collected from raccoon dogs. Strikingly, Ca. R. longicornii was detected at a very high prevalence (94.1%) in wildlife blood samples, suggesting extensive circulation among wildlife hosts in the study area. These findings indicate that wildlife and their parasitic ticks may serve as important reservoirs of diverse tick-borne bacteria in Korea and highlight the importance of continuous molecular surveillance within a One Health framework.
Enterocytozoon bieneusi is an important microsporidian protozoa that causes intestinal disorders in humans. We collected 191 fecal samples from roadkill deer carcasses, among which 13 (6.8%) showed positive reaction for E. bieneusi by polymerase chain reaction assay. Phylogenetic analysis revealed 6 distinct genotypes, 1 of which was novel. All genotypes belonged to Group 1, which has low host specificity, indicating possible transmission through sylvatic cycle. E. bieneusi infection was predominant in female deer (p<0.05).
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Toxoplasmosis is a major public health concern, with raw or undercooked meat being the primary source of human infection. Knowledge regarding the molecular epidemiology of Toxoplasma gondii in cattle destined for human consumption in Korea is lacking. The present study aimed to genetically characterize the infectious strains of T. gondii. Overall, 455 cattle blood samples from 84 farms in the Gyeongnam-do (Province) were randomly collected in 2017. Nested PCR analysis revealed that only 3 (0.7%) samples were infected with T. gondii. The B1 gene sequence of T. gondii was observed to be similar (97.3–99.6%) to that of other T. gondii isolates. This is the first study to perform the molecular detection of T. gondii in cattle in Korea. Although the prevalence of infection was low, our findings suggest that cattle present a potential public health issue. It may be crucial to recognize the importance of T. gondii infection in cattle meat.
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Blastocystis is a genus of unicellular heterokont parasites belonging to a group of organisms known as Stramenopiles, which includes algae, diatoms, and water molds. Blastocystis includes several species that habitat in the gastrointestinal tracts of organisms as diverse as humans, farm animals, birds, rodents, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and cockroaches. It is important to public health and distributed globally, but its prevalence in dogs in Korea has not been reported to date. Here, we collected 787 canine fecal samples and assessed Blastocystis infection by age, sex, region, season, and diarrhea symptoms. We determined Blastocystis subtypes using phylogenetic analyses based on 18S rRNA gene sequences. We identified, 10 Blastocystis positive samples (1.3%). A higher proportion of infected dogs was asymptomatic; however, infection rates did not significantly differ according to region, age, sex, and season. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the Blastocystis sp. identified belonged to 4 subtypes (STs), ST1, ST5, ST10, and ST14, thus revealed the genetic diversity of Blastocystis sp. in dogs Korean. This is first report on the presence of Blastocystis sp. in dogs Korean. This study revealed a lower infection rate than expected and differed from previous studies in STs. Further studies are warranted to observe the national infection status of Blastocystis in dogs and the genetic characteristics of this genus.
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