First report of three novel Bartonella species isolated in rodents and shrews from nine provinces of Thailand.

Background and Aim: Bartonella spp. are Gram-negative zoonotic bacteria that are transmitted to humans by several types of animal hosts, including rodents. Several studies have been conducted on the prevalence of Bartonella infections in rodents. However, the risk of rodent-associated Bartonella spp. infection in humans remains unclear. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence and genetic heterogeneity of Bartonella spp. in rodents and shrews from nine provinces of Thailand using culture and molecular techniques. Materials and Methods: A total of 860 blood samples from rodents and shrews across nine provinces of Thailand were collected from January 2013 to June 2016. Bartonella spp. were isolated from all samples using conventional culture techniques and polymerase chain reaction. Phylogenetic tree analysis was used to align the Bartonella sequences obtained from this study. Results: The prevalence of Bartonella spp. in rodents and shrews was 11.5% (99/860, 95% confidence interval: 9.38-13.64%). The following nine species of Bartonella were detected: Bartonella tribocorum, Bartonella rattimassiliensis, Bartonella queenslandensis, Bartonella elizabethae, Bartonella chanthaburi spp. nov., Bartonella satun spp. nov., Bartonella coopersplainsensis, Bartonella ranong spp. nov., and Bartonella henselae. The prevalence of Bartonella-positive animals differed significantly among provinces. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, the three novel Bartonella spp. isolated from rodents and shrews across Thailand were detected for the first time in this study. Further studies on the epidemiology of Bartonella infection in rodents and its interaction with human health should be conducted in accordance with the Thai government's "One Health" approach to humans, animals, and the environment.

Isolation and phylogenetic analysis of Bartonella species from Rusa deer (Rusa timorensis) in Thailand.

The aim of the present study is to investigate the prevalence of Bartonella infection in deer in Thailand and to characterize the isolates by biochemical, morphological and genetic analysis. A total of 247 blood samples were collected from Rusa deer (Rusa timorensis) in a livestock breeding facility in Thailand. Bartonella bacteria were isolated in 3.6% of the blood samples. Three out of 110 (2.7%) males and 6 of 137 (4.4%) females were positive for Bartonella. A higher prevalence of Bartonella was observed in young deer under 4 years of age compared to adults over 4 years of age, but no Bartonella was isolated from deer over 8 years of age. Phylogenetic analysis of concatenated sequences of seven loci of Bartonella indicated that all the isolates from Rusa deer in Thailand were identical and formed a distinct cluster from other known Bartonella species.

Prevalence of zoonotic Bartonella species among rodents and shrews in Thailand.

We investigated the prevalence of Bartonella species in 10 rodent and one shrew species in Thailand. From February 2008 to May 2010, a total of 375 small animals were captured in 9 provinces in Thailand. Bartonella strains were isolated from 57 rodents (54 from Rattus species and 3 from Bandicota indica) and one shrew (Suncus murinus) in 7 of the 9 provinces, and identified to the species level. Sequence analysis of the citrate synthase and RNA polymerase ß subunit genes identified the 58 isolates from each Bartonella-positive animal as B. tribocorum in 27 (46.6%) animals, B. rattimassiliensis in 17 (29.3%) animals, B. elizabethae in 10 (17.2%) animals and B. queenslandensis in 4 (6.9%) animals. R. norvegicus, R. rattus, and Suncus murinus carried B. elizabethae, which causes endocarditis in humans. The prevalence of Bartonella bacteremic animals by province was 42.9% of the animals collected in Phang Nga, 26.8% in Chiang Rai, 20.4% in Sa Kaeo, 16.7% in Nakhon Si Thammarat, 12.0% in Surat Thani, 9.1% in Mae Hong Son and Loei Provinces. These results indicate that Bartonella organisms are widely distributed in small mammals in Thailand and some animal species may serve as important reservoirs of zoonotic Bartonella species in the country.

Strengthening public health laboratory capacity in Thailand for International Health Regulations (IHR) (2005).

INTRODUCTION: Thailand conducted a national laboratory assessment of core capacities related to the International Health Regulations (IHR) (2005), and thereby established a baseline to measure future progress. The assessment was limited to public laboratories found within the Thai Bureau of Quality and Safety of Food, National Institute of Health and regional medical science centres. METHODS: The World Health Organization (WHO) laboratory assessment tool was adapted to Thailand through a participatory approach. This adapted version employed a specific scoring matrix and comprised 16 modules with a quantitative output. Two teams jointly performed the on-site assessments in December 2010 over a two-week period, in 17 public health laboratories in Thailand. The assessment focused on the capacity to identify and accurately detect pathogens mentioned in Annex 2 of the IHR (2005) in a timely manner, as well as other public health priority pathogens for Thailand. RESULTS: Performance of quality management, budget and finance, data management and communications was considered strong (>90%); premises quality, specimen collection, biosafety, public health functions, supplies management and equipment availability were judged as very good (>70% but ≤90%); while microbiological capacity, staffing, training and supervision, and information technology needed improvement (>60% but ≤70%). CONCLUSIONS: This assessment is a major step in Thailand towards development of an optimized and standardized national laboratory network for the detection and reporting of infectious disease that would be compliant with IHR (2005). The participatory strategy employed to adapt an international tool to the Thai context can also serve as a model for use by other countries in the Region. The participatory approach probably ensured better quality and ownership of the results, while providing critical information to help decision-makers determine where best to invest finite resources.

"Candidatus Bartonella thailandensis": a new genotype of Bartonella identified from rodents.

Bartonella species, intracellular parasite of erythrocytes and endothelial cells, are zoonotic pathogens of wild and domestic animals including rodents. Many species of rodents are commensally infected with a few Bartonella species in Asia. However, there are only few reports on detection of Bartonella in Thailand. Our objective was to detect the presence of Bartonella species in rodents from Thailand. Among 247 rodents captured in five provinces from Thailand we identified Bartonella species using molecular methods targeting three genes i.e. citrate synthase (gltA), beta-subunit of the RNA polymerase (rpoB) and cell division protein gene (ftsZ) and the 16S-23S rRNA intergenic spacer (ITS). Overall, we found 21 rodents being infected with a Bartonella species including seven B. coopersplainsensis, four B. phoceensis, six B. queenslandensis, one B. rochalimae, one Bartonella sp. RN24BJ and two genotypes of a new Bartonella that we propose to give the provisional status "Candidatus Bartonella thailandensis". To the best of our knowledge, these Bartonella species have been detected for the first time in Thailand.

An application of duplex PCR for detection of Leptospira spp. and Orientia tsutsugamushi from wild rodents.

Duplex PCR is useful for detecting two different agents from the same specimen. Kidney specimens are the most suitable for detection of Leptospira spp. For Orientia tsutsugamushi, blood clots, spleen, and liver specimens are considered the most suitable. For this study, kidney tissues were the only specimens obtainable for the PCR. Blood clots, spleen, and liver specimens were not available. However, by using the PCR for scrub typhus, O. tsutsugamushi was detected in the kidney of one rodent. This result shows that kidney specimens can be used to detect O. tsutsugamushi using PCR. Further studies will be necessary in order to be able to compare the detection ratio of O. tsutsugamushi using kidney specimens and blood clots, spleen, and liver specimens.