Molecular surveillance for vector-borne bacteria in rodents and tree shrews of Peninsular Malaysia oil palm plantations
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2-1-2023
Abstract
Many human clinical cases attributed to vector-borne pathogens are underreported in Malaysia, especially in rural localities where healthcare infrastructures are lacking. Here, 217 small mammals, consisting of rodents and tree shrews, were trapped in oil palm plantations in the Peninsular Malaysia states of Johor and Perak. Species identification was performed using morphological and DNA barcoding analyses, and 203 small mammals were included in the detection of selected vector-borne bacteria. The DNA extracted from the spleens was examined for Orientia tsutsugamushi, Borrelia spp., Bartonella spp. and Rickettsia spp. using established PCR assays. The small mammals collected in this study included Rattus tanezumi R3 mitotype (n = 113), Rattus argentiventer (n = 24), Rattus tiomanicus (n = 22), Rattus exulans (n = 17), Rattus tanezumi sensu stricto (n = 1) and Tupaia glis (n = 40). Orientia tsutsugamushi, Borrelia spp. and Bartonella phoceensis were detected in the small mammals with the respective detection rates of 12.3%, 5.9% and 4.9%. Rickettsia spp., however, was not detected. This study encountered the presence of both Lyme disease and relapsing fever-related borreliae in small mammals collected from the oil palm plantation study sites. All three microorganisms (Orientia tsutsugamushi, Borrelia spp. and Bartonella phoceensis) were detected in the R. tanezumi R3 mitotype, suggesting that the species is a competent host for multiple microorganisms. Further investigations are warranted to elucidate the relationships between the ectoparasites, the small mammals and the respective pathogens.
Keywords
Bartonella phoceensis, Borrelia spp, Infectious disease, Orientia tsutsugamushi, Rattus spp, Rickettsia spp
Divisions
advanced,tidrec
Funders
Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia with grant number (Grant No: MO002-2019),Institutional Links grant - Newton-Ungku Omar Fund partnership (Grant No: 332192305),UK Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS),Energy and Industrial Strategy and Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology (MIGHT),Universiti Malaya research grant (Grant No: RU005-2020),The British Council in India
Publication Title
Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease
Volume
8
Issue
2
Publisher
MDPI
Publisher Location
ST ALBAN-ANLAGE 66, CH-4052 BASEL, SWITZERLAND