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Tick-associated Trypanosoma species (Apicomplexa: Kinetoplastida) from cattle ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) in Peninsular Malaysia

Kazim AR, Low VL, Houssaini J, Tappe D, Heo CC

Acta Trop, 2024 Sep 06.
PMID: 39245158 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2024.107383

A Trypanosoma screening was conducted on 130 pools comprising 1,241 ticks, collected from 674 selected farm ruminants in Peninsular Malaysia. Of these, nine pools were tested positive for Trypanosoma. Subsequent BLAST searches revealed that the 18S rRNA gene sequences were closely related to Trypanosoma rhipicephalis isolate Chaco CB, with percentage similarities ranging from 95.56% to 99.84%. Phylogenetic analysis showed that three of the nine sequences formed a clade with Trypanosoma rhipicephalis. The remaining six Trypanosoma sequences formed a distinct clade, separate from T. rhipicephalis and other Trypanosoma species, with genetic distances of 4.34% and 4.33-4.58%, respectively. This study marks the first report of tick-associated Trypanosoma in Malaysia and underscores significant research gaps regarding trypanosome interactions with tick hosts in the region.
Corrigendum to: Tick-associated Trypanosoma species (Apicomplexa: Kinetoplastida) from cattle ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) in Peninsular Malaysia [Acta Tropica, volume 259, article number 107383]

Kazim AR, Low VL, Houssaini J, Tappe D, Heo CC

Acta Trop, 2024 Nov 08.
PMID: 39521685 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2024.107438
Ticks and tick-borne pathogens in ruminant farms of Peninsular Malaysia: First molecular evidence of Borrelia theileri in Rhipicephalus microplus (Acari: Ixodidae)

Kazim AR, Low VL, Houssaini J, Tappe D, Heo CC

Vet Parasitol Reg Stud Reports, 2024 Nov;56:101145.
PMID: 39550195 DOI: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2024.101145

To shed light on the importance of tick-borne diseases, especially in farm animals that often contact with farm workers, this study aimed to identify ticks and tick-borne pathogens in ruminants in Malaysia. Accordingly, specimen collection was conducted across Peninsular Malaysia yielded a total of 1241 ticks collected from 674 farm ruminants. Among these, four tick species were identified, with Rhipicephalus microplus being the most prevalent, constituting 99.03 % of the total tick population. Analysis of 130 tick pools revealed three positives for Borrelia. BLAST analyses of the flaB and 16S rRNA genes revealed high similarities to Borrelia theileri, ranging from 98.78 to 100 % for flaB and 99.23-99.45 % for 16S rRNA. These results align with the phylogenetic trees, where sequences from both genes clustered together with B. theileri, further supporting this identification. No Rickettsia and Bartonella bacteria were detected. This study represents the first occurrence of B. theileri in R. microplus in Malaysia.
Fulltext Human Invasive Muscular Sarcocystosis Induces Th2 Cytokine Polarization and Biphasic Cytokine Changes, Based on an Investigation among Travelers Returning from Tioman Island, Malaysia

Tappe D, Slesak G, Pérez-Girón JV, Schäfer J, Langeheinecke A, Just-Nübling G, et al.

Clin Vaccine Immunol, 2015 Jun;22(6):674-7.
PMID: 25903356 DOI: 10.1128/CVI.00042-15

Sarcocystis nesbitti is a parasite responsible for a biphasic eosinophilic febrile myositis syndrome in two recent outbreaks in Malaysia. We demonstrate Th2 cytokine polarization in infected travelers, an overall cytokine production decrease in the early phase of the disease suggestive of initial immunosuppression, and elevated levels of proinflammatory and chemotactic cytokines in the later myositic phase.
A distinct Borrelia clade within the relapsing fever group from cat-infesting Haemaphysalis semermis Neumann 1901 (Acari: Ixodidae)

Kazim AR, Heo CC, Shahrizal S, Er YX, Houssaini J, Veit A, et al.

Vet Res Commun, 2024 Nov 15;49(1):6.
PMID: 39546073 DOI: 10.1007/s11259-024-10591-x

An undescribed relapsing fever group Borrelia species was detected in a male Haemaphysalis semermis tick infesting a rural cat in an indigenous population in Pahang National Park, Peninsular Malaysia. The 16 S rRNA gene sequence revealed close similarity of this variant to several undescribed Borrelia species and Borrelia theileri, with genetic distances ranging from 0.58 to 0.72%. Furthermore, the flaB, gyrB, and the concatenated 16 S rRNA + flaB + gyrB sequence analyses demonstrated that this variant is distinctly separated from multiple undescribed Borrelia species, Borrelia miyamotoi, and B. theileri, with genetic distances ranging from 3.41 to 7.00%. This study not only reports the first Borrelia found in H. semermis but also suggests that it forms a distinct clade within the relapsing fever group in Peninsular Malaysia.
Fulltext Acute muscular sarcocystosis: an international investigation among ill travelers returning from Tioman Island, Malaysia, 2011-2012

Esposito DH, Stich A, Epelboin L, Malvy D, Han PV, Bottieau E, et al.

Clin Infect Dis, 2014 Nov 15;59(10):1401-10.
PMID: 25091309 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciu622

BACKGROUND: Through 2 international traveler-focused surveillance networks (GeoSentinel and TropNet), we identified and investigated a large outbreak of acute muscular sarcocystosis (AMS), a rarely reported zoonosis caused by a protozoan parasite of the genus Sarcocystis, associated with travel to Tioman Island, Malaysia, during 2011-2012.
METHODS: Clinicians reporting patients with suspected AMS to GeoSentinel submitted demographic, clinical, itinerary, and exposure data. We defined a probable case as travel to Tioman Island after 1 March 2011, eosinophilia (>5%), clinical or laboratory-supported myositis, and negative trichinellosis serology. Case confirmation required histologic observation of sarcocysts or isolation of Sarcocystis species DNA from muscle biopsy.
RESULTS: Sixty-eight patients met the case definition (62 probable and 6 confirmed). All but 2 resided in Europe; all were tourists and traveled mostly during the summer months. The most frequent symptoms reported were myalgia (100%), fatigue (91%), fever (82%), headache (59%), and arthralgia (29%); onset clustered during 2 distinct periods: "early" during the second and "late" during the sixth week after departure from the island. Blood eosinophilia and elevated serum creatinine phosphokinase (CPK) levels were observed beginning during the fifth week after departure. Sarcocystis nesbitti DNA was recovered from 1 muscle biopsy.
CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians evaluating travelers returning ill from Malaysia with myalgia, with or without fever, should consider AMS, noting the apparent biphasic aspect of the disease, the later onset of elevated CPK and eosinophilia, and the possibility for relapses. The exact source of infection among travelers to Tioman Island remains unclear but needs to be determined to prevent future illnesses.