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Article

Ticks and Rickettsiae Associated with Wild Animals Sold in Bush Meat Markets in Cameroon

by
Archile Paguem
1,2,
Kingsley Manchang
2,3,
Pierre Kamtsap
1,
Alfons Renz
1,
Sabine Schaper
4,
Gerhard Dobler
4,5,
Deon K. Bakkes
6 and
Lidia Chitimia-Dobler
4,*
1
Department of Comparative Zoology, Institute of Evolution and Ecology, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
2
Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Buea, Buea P.O. Box 63, Cameroon
3
Bangangte Multipurpose Research Station, Bangangte P.O. Box 222, Cameroon
4
Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Neuherbergstrasse 11, 80937 Munich, Germany
5
Department of Parasitology, Institute of Zoology, University of Hohenheim, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany
6
Gertrud Theiler Tick Museum, Onderstepoort Veterinary Research, Agricultural Research Council, Pretoria 0110, South Africa
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Pathogens 2023, 12(2), 348; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens12020348
Submission received: 30 November 2022 / Revised: 16 February 2023 / Accepted: 17 February 2023 / Published: 19 February 2023
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Zoonotic Disease Threats and Interventions)
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Abstract

Ticks are obligate blood-sucking parasites of wild animals and transmit many zoonotic microorganisms that can spread to domesticated animals and then to humans. In Cameroon, little is known about tick diversity among wildlife, especially for animals which are hunted for human consumption. Therefore, this survey was undertaken to investigate tick and Rickettsia species diversity parasitizing the wild animals sold in bush meat markets in Cameroon. In total, 686 ticks were collected and identified to the species level based on morphology, and some were genetically analyzed using the 16S rRNA gene. Eighteen tick species belonging to five genera were identified: Amblyomma spp. (Amblyomma compressum, Amblyomma flavomaculatum, and Amblyomma variegatum), Haemaphysalis spp. (Haemaphysalis camicasi, Haemaphysalis houyi, Haemaphysalis leachi, and Haemaphysalis parmata), Hyalomma spp. (Hyalomma nitidum, Hyalomma rufipes, and Hyalomma truncatum), Ixodes spp. (Ixodes rasus and Ixodes moreli), and Rhipicephalus spp. (Rhipicephalus guilhoni, Rhipicephalus moucheti, Rhipicephalus muhsamae, Rhipicephalus microplus, Rhipicephalus camicasi, and Rhipicephalus linnaei). In terms of Rickettsia important for public health, two Rickettsia spp., namely Rickettsia aeschlimannii and Rickettsia africae, were detected in Hyalomma spp. and Amblyomma spp., respectively. Distinct tick–pathogen patterns were present for divergent sequences of R. africae associated with exclusively A. variegatum vectors (type strain) versus vectors comprising A. compressum, A. flavomaculatum, and A. variegatum. This suggests possible effects of vector species population dynamics on pathogen population circulation dynamics. Furthermore, Candidatus Rickettsia africaustralis was detected for the first time in Cameroon in I. rasus. This study highlights the high diversity of ticks among wildlife sold in bush meat markets in Cameroon.
Keywords: ticks; tick-borne pathogens; bush meat; Cameroon ticks; tick-borne pathogens; bush meat; Cameroon

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MDPI and ACS Style

Paguem, A.; Manchang, K.; Kamtsap, P.; Renz, A.; Schaper, S.; Dobler, G.; Bakkes, D.K.; Chitimia-Dobler, L. Ticks and Rickettsiae Associated with Wild Animals Sold in Bush Meat Markets in Cameroon. Pathogens 2023, 12, 348. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens12020348

AMA Style

Paguem A, Manchang K, Kamtsap P, Renz A, Schaper S, Dobler G, Bakkes DK, Chitimia-Dobler L. Ticks and Rickettsiae Associated with Wild Animals Sold in Bush Meat Markets in Cameroon. Pathogens. 2023; 12(2):348. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens12020348

Chicago/Turabian Style

Paguem, Archile, Kingsley Manchang, Pierre Kamtsap, Alfons Renz, Sabine Schaper, Gerhard Dobler, Deon K. Bakkes, and Lidia Chitimia-Dobler. 2023. "Ticks and Rickettsiae Associated with Wild Animals Sold in Bush Meat Markets in Cameroon" Pathogens 12, no. 2: 348. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens12020348

APA Style

Paguem, A., Manchang, K., Kamtsap, P., Renz, A., Schaper, S., Dobler, G., Bakkes, D. K., & Chitimia-Dobler, L. (2023). Ticks and Rickettsiae Associated with Wild Animals Sold in Bush Meat Markets in Cameroon. Pathogens, 12(2), 348. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens12020348

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