TY - JOUR
T1 - Biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) as putative vectors of zoonotic Onchocerca lupi (Nematoda: Onchocercidae) in northern Arizona and New Mexico, southwestern United States
AU - Roe, Chandler C.
AU - Holiday, Olivia
AU - Upshaw-Bia, Kelly
AU - Benally, Gaven
AU - Williamson, Charles H.D.
AU - Urbanz, Jennifer
AU - Verocai, Guilherme G.
AU - Ridenour, Chase L.
AU - Nottingham, Roxanne
AU - Ford, Morgan A.
AU - Lake, Derek P.
AU - Kennedy, Theodore A.
AU - Hepp, Crystal M.
AU - Sahl, Jason W.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2023 Roe, Holiday, Upshaw-Bia, Benally, Williamson, Urbanz, Verocai, Ridenour, Nottingham, Ford, Lake, Kennedy, Hepp and Sahl.
PY - 2023
Y1 - 2023
N2 - Onchocerca lupi (Rodonaja, 1967) is an understudied, vector-borne, filarioid nematode that causes ocular onchocercosis in dogs, cats, coyotes, wolves, and is also capable of infecting humans. Onchocercosis in dogs has been reported with increasing incidence worldwide. However, despite the growing number of reports describing canine O. lupi cases as well as zoonotic infections globally, the disease prevalence in endemic areas and vector species of this parasite remains largely unknown. Here, our study aimed to identify the occurrence of O. lupi infected dogs in northern Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah, United States and identify the vector of this nematode. A total of 532 skin samples from randomly selected companion animals with known geographic locations within the Navajo Reservation were collected and molecularly surveyed by PCR for the presence of O. lupi DNA (September 2019–June 2022) using previously published nematode primers (COI) and DNA sequencing. O. lupi DNA was detected in 50 (9.4%) sampled animals throughout the reservation. Using positive animal samples to target geographic locations, pointed hematophagous insect trapping was performed to identify potential O. lupi vectors. Out of 1,922 insects screened, 38 individual insects and 19 insect pools tested positive for the presence of O. lupi, all of which belong to the Diptera family. This increased surveillance of definitive host and biological vector/intermediate host is the first large scale prevalence study of O. lupi in companion animals in an endemic area of the United States, and identified an overall prevalence of 9.4% in companion animals as well as multiple likely biological vector and putative vector species in the southwestern United States. Furthermore, the identification of these putative vectors in close proximity to human populations coupled with multiple, local zoonotic cases highlight the One Health importance of O. lupi.
AB - Onchocerca lupi (Rodonaja, 1967) is an understudied, vector-borne, filarioid nematode that causes ocular onchocercosis in dogs, cats, coyotes, wolves, and is also capable of infecting humans. Onchocercosis in dogs has been reported with increasing incidence worldwide. However, despite the growing number of reports describing canine O. lupi cases as well as zoonotic infections globally, the disease prevalence in endemic areas and vector species of this parasite remains largely unknown. Here, our study aimed to identify the occurrence of O. lupi infected dogs in northern Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah, United States and identify the vector of this nematode. A total of 532 skin samples from randomly selected companion animals with known geographic locations within the Navajo Reservation were collected and molecularly surveyed by PCR for the presence of O. lupi DNA (September 2019–June 2022) using previously published nematode primers (COI) and DNA sequencing. O. lupi DNA was detected in 50 (9.4%) sampled animals throughout the reservation. Using positive animal samples to target geographic locations, pointed hematophagous insect trapping was performed to identify potential O. lupi vectors. Out of 1,922 insects screened, 38 individual insects and 19 insect pools tested positive for the presence of O. lupi, all of which belong to the Diptera family. This increased surveillance of definitive host and biological vector/intermediate host is the first large scale prevalence study of O. lupi in companion animals in an endemic area of the United States, and identified an overall prevalence of 9.4% in companion animals as well as multiple likely biological vector and putative vector species in the southwestern United States. Furthermore, the identification of these putative vectors in close proximity to human populations coupled with multiple, local zoonotic cases highlight the One Health importance of O. lupi.
KW - Ceratopogonidae
KW - Onchocerca lupi
KW - biting midges
KW - nematodes
KW - prevalence
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85161019717&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85161019717&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3389/fvets.2023.1167070
DO - 10.3389/fvets.2023.1167070
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85161019717
SN - 2297-1769
VL - 10
JO - Frontiers in Veterinary Science
JF - Frontiers in Veterinary Science
M1 - 1167070
ER -