Michael E von Fricken1, Sukhbaatar Lkhagvatseren2, Bazartseren Boldbaatar3, Pagbajab Nymadawa4, Thomas A Weppelmann5, Bekh-Ochir Baigalmaa6, Benjamin D Anderson7, Megan E Reller8, Paul M Lantos9, Gregory C Gray10. 1. Department of Global and Community Health, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA; Division of Infectious Diseases, Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA. Electronic address: mvonfric@gmu.edu. 2. Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Electronic address: lkhagvad@ymail.com. 3. Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Electronic address: boldoomglvet@yahoo.com. 4. Mongolian Academy of Medical Sciences, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Electronic address: nymadawa@gmail.com. 5. Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA. Electronic address: twepp002@fiu.edu. 6. National Center for Zoonotic Diseases, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Electronic address: bgal_h@yahoo.com. 7. Division of Infectious Diseases, Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Division of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA. Electronic address: Benjamin.anderson2@duke.edu. 8. Division of Infectious Diseases, Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Division of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA. Electronic address: megan.reller@duke.edu. 9. Divisions of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and General Internal Medicine, and Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA. Electronic address: paul.lantos@duke.edu. 10. Division of Infectious Diseases, Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Division of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA. Electronic address: Gregory.gray@duke.edu.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: To better understand the epidemiology of tick-borne disease in Mongolia, a comprehensive seroprevalence study was conducted investigating exposure to Anaplasma spp. and spotted fever group (SFG) Rickettsia spp. in nomadic herders and their livestock across three provinces from 2014 to 2015. METHODS: Blood was collected from 397 herders and 2370 livestock, including sheep, goats, cattle, horses and camels. Antibodies against Anaplasma spp. and SFG Rickettsia were determined by indirect immunofluorescence using commercially available slides coated with Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Rickettsia rickettsii antigens. Logistic regression was used to determine if the odds of previous exposure differed by gender, location, and species, with or without adjustment for age. To examine the association between seroprevalence and environmental variables we used ArcGIS to circumscribe the five major clusters where human and animal data were collected. RESULTS: Anaplasma spp. exposure was detected in 37.3% (136/365) of humans and 47.3% (1120/2370) of livestock; SFG Rickettsia exposure was detected in 19.5% (73/374) humans and 20.4% (478/2342) livestock. Compared to the southern province (aimag) of Dornogovi, located in the Gobi Desert, humans were significantly more likely to be exposed to Anaplasma spp. and SFG Rickettsia in the northern provinces of Tov (OR=7.3, 95% CI: 3.5, 15.1; OR=3.3, 95% CI: 1.7, 7.5), and Selenge (OR=6.9, 95% CI: 3.4, 14.0; OR=2.2, 95% CI: 1.1, 4.8). CONCLUSION: The high seroprevalence of Anaplasma spp. and SFG Rickettsia in humans and livestock suggests that exposure to tick-borne pathogens may be common in herders and livestock in Mongolia, particularly in the more northern regions of the country. Until more is known about these pathogens in Mongolia, physicians and veterinarians in the countryside should consider testing for Anaplasma and SFG Rickettsia infections and treating clinically compatible cases, while public health authorities should expand surveillance efforts for these emerging infections.
BACKGROUND: To better understand the epidemiology of tick-borne disease in Mongolia, a comprehensive seroprevalence study was conducted investigating exposure to Anaplasmaspp. and spotted fever group (SFG) Rickettsia spp. in nomadic herders and their livestock across three provinces from 2014 to 2015. METHODS: Blood was collected from 397 herders and 2370 livestock, including sheep, goats, cattle, horses and camels. Antibodies against Anaplasmaspp. and SFG Rickettsia were determined by indirect immunofluorescence using commercially available slides coated with Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Rickettsia rickettsii antigens. Logistic regression was used to determine if the odds of previous exposure differed by gender, location, and species, with or without adjustment for age. To examine the association between seroprevalence and environmental variables we used ArcGIS to circumscribe the five major clusters where human and animal data were collected. RESULTS:Anaplasmaspp. exposure was detected in 37.3% (136/365) of humans and 47.3% (1120/2370) of livestock; SFG Rickettsia exposure was detected in 19.5% (73/374) humans and 20.4% (478/2342) livestock. Compared to the southern province (aimag) of Dornogovi, located in the Gobi Desert, humans were significantly more likely to be exposed to Anaplasmaspp. and SFG Rickettsia in the northern provinces of Tov (OR=7.3, 95% CI: 3.5, 15.1; OR=3.3, 95% CI: 1.7, 7.5), and Selenge (OR=6.9, 95% CI: 3.4, 14.0; OR=2.2, 95% CI: 1.1, 4.8). CONCLUSION: The high seroprevalence of Anaplasmaspp. and SFG Rickettsia in humans and livestock suggests that exposure to tick-borne pathogens may be common in herders and livestock in Mongolia, particularly in the more northern regions of the country. Until more is known about these pathogens in Mongolia, physicians and veterinarians in the countryside should consider testing for Anaplasma and SFG Rickettsia infections and treating clinically compatible cases, while public health authorities should expand surveillance efforts for these emerging infections.
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Authors: Sukhbaatar Lkhagvatseren; Kathryn M Hogan; Bazartseren Boldbaatar; Michael E von Fricken; Benjamin D Anderson; Laura A Pulscher; Luke Caddell; Pagbajabyn Nymadawa; Gregory C Gray Journal: Zoonoses Public Health Date: 2019-04-10 Impact factor: 2.702
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