Borrelia in Ethiopian ticks

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Entomology
• Parasitology
• Molecular Diagnostics

Background:

• Soft ticks (Ornithodoros spp.) and hard ticks are vectors of disease globally.
• Ethiopia's agricultural sector, particularly subsistence farming, is vulnerable to tick-borne diseases.
• Previous records indicate the presence of soft ticks in Ethiopia, necessitating further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the presence and diversity of soft and hard ticks in Jimma and Dire Dawa regions of Ethiopia.
• To detect Borrelia species (Borrelia anserina and Borrelia theileri) in collected tick samples.
• To assess the potential economic impact of tick-borne diseases on Ethiopian livestock and poultry.

Main Methods:

• Field surveys were conducted in Jimma and Dire Dawa to collect ticks from various hosts.
• Real-time PCR, conventional PCR, and sequencing were employed to identify tick species and detect Borrelia DNA.
• Tick pools were analyzed to determine the prevalence of Borrelia infections.

Main Results:

• Argas persicus, a soft tick, was found in overwhelming numbers, feeding on poultry and humans.
• Hard ticks were collected from livestock and companion animals.
• Borrelia anserina was detected in 7.5% of Argas persicus pools, and Borrelia theileri was found in 12.5% of hard tick pools.

Conclusions:

• Argas persicus and hard ticks are present in Ethiopia and harbor Borrelia species.
• These findings highlight a significant public health and economic threat to Ethiopian subsistence farmers.
• Further research and control strategies are crucial to mitigate the impact of these tick-borne pathogens.