First report of Bartonella sp. isolated from Hippobosca equina L. (Hippoboscidae: Hippobosca) in Lublin Province, south-eastern Poland.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Hippobosca equina (Diptera Hippoboscidae), is a widespread blood-feeding ectoparasite associated with the forest ecosystem. The insect is characterized by a wide host range and low host specificity, which increases the risk of feeding on animals that constitute a reservoir of transmissible pathogens, including Bartonella spp. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Hippobosca equina adults were collected from humans and companion animals within a continental mesotrophic oak-pine mixed forest in eastern Poland. DNA was isolated by the ammonia method, and isolates obtained from single individuals were tested by PCR method for the presence of 5 vector-borne pathogens. In case of the positive results, the amplicons were sequenced and examined by a BLAST search. RESULTS: The PCR analysis of DNA isolates obtained from 100 H. equina specimens revealed the presence of the RNA polymerase beta-subunit gene (rpoB) of the genus Bartonella, in 1% of the studied insects, i.e. one H. equina female. The rpoB gene haplotype of Bartonella sp. reported in this study, was identical to a Bartonella sp. sequence obtained from deer keds in Lithuania, and very closely related to strains with zoonotic potential. None of the H. equina specimens studied was positive for the presence of B. burgdorferi s.l., Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Babesia spp., and Coxiella burnetii. CONCLUSIONS: The study indicates the need to screen the occurrence of Bartonella spp., both in potential vectors and reservoirs of this pathogen in various habitats.