Abstract

Bartonella are vector-borne gram-negative facultative intracellular bacteria that can infect a wide spectrum of mammals, and are recognized as emerging human pathogens. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and molecular characteristics of Bartonella infections in small mammals within the Qinghai Menyuan section of Qilian Mountain National Park, China. Small mammals were captured, and the liver, spleen and kidney were collected for Bartonella detection and identification using a combination of real-time PCR targeting the transfer-mRNA (ssrA) gene and followed by sequencing of the citrate synthase (gltA) gene. A total of 52 rodents were captured, and 36 rodents were positive for Bartonella, with a positivity rate of 69.23% (36/52). Bartonella was detected in Cricetulus longicaudatus, Microtus oeconomus, Mus musculus, and Ochotona cansus. The positivity rate was significantly different in the different habitats. Two Bartonella species were observed, including Bartonella grahamii and Bartonella heixiaziensis, and B. grahamii was the dominant epidemic strain in this area. Phylogenetic analysis showed that B. grahamii mainly clustered into two clusters, which were closely related to the Apodemus isolates from China and Japan and the local plateau pika isolates, respectively. In addition, genetic polymorphism analysis showed that B. grahamii had high genetic diversity, and its haplotype had certain regional differences and host specificity. Overall, high prevalence of Bartonella in small mammals in the Qinghai Menyuan section of Qilian Mountain National Park. B. grahamii is the dominant strain with high genetic diversity and potential pathogenicity to humans, and corresponding control measures should be considered.

Details

Title
Genetic diversity of Bartonella species in small mammals in the Qinghai Menyuan section of Qilian Mountain National Park, China
Author
Rao, Huaxiang 1 ; Liu, Yiping 2 ; Cui, Jia 2 ; Niu, Jingrong 2 ; Li, Dongmei 3 ; Yu, Juan 2 

 Changzhi Medical College, Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Changzhi, China (GRID:grid.254020.1) (ISNI:0000 0004 1798 4253); Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Population Health, Shanxi Higher Education Institutions of Science and Technology Innovation Plan Platform, Changzhi, China (GRID:grid.254020.1); Changzhi Medical College, Key Laboratory of Environmental Pathogenic Mechanisms and Prevention of Chronic Diseases, Changzhi, China (GRID:grid.254020.1) (ISNI:0000 0004 1798 4253) 
 Changzhi Medical College, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Changzhi, China (GRID:grid.254020.1) (ISNI:0000 0004 1798 4253) 
 Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, Department of Vector Biology and Control, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China (GRID:grid.198530.6) (ISNI:0000 0000 8803 2373) 
Pages
25285
Publication year
2024
Publication date
2024
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
e-ISSN
20452322
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
3120698978
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2024. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.