New host record and redescription of Amblyomma cordiferum nymphs and larvae infesting Malaysian house rats (Rattus rattus diardii) in Peninsular Malaysia, with molecular evidence of Rickettsia, Borrelia, and Bartonella

Kazim AR 1 , Nasir DM 2 , Tan TK 3 , Yin VW 4 , Noh AAM 2 , Heo CC 5 Show all authors , Low VL 6

Affiliations 

  • 1 Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh Campus, Jalan Hospital, Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia
  • 2 Crop Protection & Biosolution Department, FGV R&D Sdn Bhd, Tun Razak Agricultural Research Centre, 27000 Jerantut, Pahang, Malaysia
  • 3 Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • 4 Higher Institution of Centre of Excellence (HICoE), Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Education Centre (TIDREC), Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • 5 Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh Campus, Jalan Hospital, Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia. Electronic address: chin@uitm.edu.my
  • 6 Higher Institution of Centre of Excellence (HICoE), Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Education Centre (TIDREC), Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Electronic address: vanlun_low@um.edu.my
Acta Trop, 2024 Dec 10;261:107496.
PMID: 39667694 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2024.107496

Abstract

Nymphal and larval Amblyomma cordiferum ticks, a relatively rare species, were collected from the Malaysian house rat (Rattus rattus diardii) in Peninsular Malaysia. Redescription and molecular analysis of nymphs and larvae, based on the 12S rRNA, 16S rRNA, and COI genes, revealed divergence from A. cordiferum in Taiwan, suggesting that the Taiwanese tick specimens may represent a different taxon. Molecular analysis of the pathogens in these specimens revealed three sequences of Rickettsia closely related or identical to Rickettsia raoultii (99.71-100%), two sequences of relapsing fever Borrelia identical to Borrelia theileri, and four sequences of Bartonella identical to Bartonella phoceensis. This study also identifies a new host record for A. cordiferum in R. r. diardii and reports the first detection of Rickettsia, Borrelia, and Bartonella in this tick species.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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