Blood samples were taken from 541 small mammal captured in 2013–2015 in Znamensky district of Omsk region from Ixodes persulcatus and Ixodes trianguliceps sympatric area and examined for the Babesia spp. presence by nested PCR with subsequent sequencing of positive samples. Babesia microti DNA was found in 31,1 % of positive samples; a proportion of infected mammals varied from 5,3 % to 61,6 % in different sampling periods. B. microti DNA was found in samples from three prevailing Myodes species as well as from a root vole (Microtus oeconomus), field voles (Microtus argestis) and Siberian chipmunks (Tamias sibiricus). It was shown that identified B. microti samples belong to two genetic groups: B. microti ‘US’-type and B. microti ‘Munich’-type; notably that > 90 % infected mammals contained DNA of nonpathogenic for human B. microti ‘Munich’-type. We suppose that I. trianguliceps tick is the most probable vector of B. microti ‘Munich’-type.
Babesia microti , Ixodes persulcatus , Ixodes trianguliceps, voles, genetic v ariants
1. Morozov AV, Kovalevskiy YV, Korenberg EI, Gorelova NB, Podlesnyi LA (2006). Preliminary results of Babesia microti DNA detection in small mammals inhabiting natural foci in Middle Ural [Predvaritelnyie rezultatyi vyiyavleniya DNK Babesia microti u melkih mlekopitayuschih prirodnogo ochaga na Srednem Urale]. Bjul. VSNC SO RAMN, 5, 136-138.
2. Nefedova VV, Korenberg EI, Kovalevskiy YV, Samokhvalov MV, Gorelova NB (2012). The role of Ixodes trianguliceps tick larvae in circulation of Babesia microti in the Middle Urals [Rol’ lichinok kleshha Ixodes trianguliceps v podderzhanii cirkuljacii Babesia microti na Srednem Urale]. Zool. zhurn, 91 (9), 1034-1042.
3. Rar VA, Epikhina TI, Livanova NN, Panov VV, Pukhovskaya NM, Vysochina NP, Ivanov LI (2010). Detection of Babesia spp. DNA in small mammals and ixodic ticks on the territory of North Ural, West Siberia and Far East of Russia [Vyjavlenie DNK babezij u melkih mlekopitajushhih i iksodovyh kleshhej v treh razlichnyh prirodnyh ochagah Severnogo Urala, Zapadnoj Sibiri i Dal’nego Vostoka]. Molekul. genetika, mikrobiologija i virusologija, 3, 26-30.
4. Rar VA, Epikhina TI, Tikunova NV, Bondarenko EI, Ivanov MK, Yakimenko VV, Malkova MG, Tantsev AK (2014). DNA detection of pathogens transmitted by Ixodid ticks in blood of small mammals inhabiting the forest biotopes in Middle Irtysh Area (Omsk Region, West Siberia) [Vyjavlenie DNK perenosimyh iksodovymi kleshhami patogenov v krovi melkih mlekopitajushhih iz lesnoj zony Srednego Priirtysh’ja (Omskaja oblast’, Zapadnaja Sibir’)]. Parazitologija, 1 (48), 37-53.
5. Fedulina OO, Rar VA, Suntsova OV, Kozlova IV (2013). Results of reconnaissange studies on detection of Babesiosis foci in the Irkutsk region [Rezul’taty rekognoscirovochnyh issledovanij po obnaruzheniju ochagov babezioza na territorii Irkutskoj oblasti]. Bjul. VSNC SO RAMN, 2 (2), 130-133.
6. Filippova NA (1977). Ixodid ticks of the subfamily Ixodinae. The Fauna of the USSR [Iksodovye kleshhi podsem. Ixodinae. Fauna SSSR], 4 (4), 396.
7. Beck R, Vojta L, Curković S, Mrljak V, Margaletić J, Habrun B (2011). Molecular survey of Babesia microti in wild rodents in central Croatia. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis., 11, 81-83.
8. Bown KJ, Lambin X, Telford GR, Ogden N, Telfer S, Woldehiwet Z, Birtles R (2008). Relative importance of Ixodes ricinus and Ixodes trianguliceps as vectors for Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Babesia microti in field vole (Microtus agrestis) populations. Appl. Environ. Microbiol, 74, 7118-7125.
9. Capligina V, Berzina I, Bormane A, Salmane I, Vilks K, Kazarina A, Bandere D, Baumanis V, Ranka R (2015). Prevalence and phylogenetic analysis of Babesia spp. in Ixodes ricinus and Ixodes persulcatus ticks in Latvia. Exp. Appl. Acarol.
10. Gray J, Zintl A, Hildebrandt A, Hunfeld K, Weiss L (2010). Zoonotic babesiosis: Overview of the disease and novel aspects of pathogen identity. Ticks Tick Borne Dis., 1, 3-10.
11. Kallio ER, Begon M, Birtles RJ, Bown KJ, Koskela E, Mappes T, Watts PC (2014). First report of Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Babesia microti in rodents in Finland. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis., 14, 389-933.
12. Katargina O, Geller J, Vasilenko V, Kuznetsova T, Järvekülg L, Vene S, Lundkvist Å, Golovljova I (2011). Detection and characterization of Babesia species in Ixodes ticks in Estonia. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis., 11, 923-928.
13. Nakajima R, Tsuji M, Oda K, Zamoto-Niikura A, Wei Q, Kawabuchi-Kurata T, Nishida A, Ishihara C (2009). Babesia microti-group parasites compared phylogenetically by complete sequencing of the CCTeta gene in 36 isolates. J. Vet. Med. Sci., 71, 55-68.
14. Welc-Falęciak R, Bajer A, Paziewska-Harris A, Baumann-Popczyk A, Siński E (2012). Diversity of Babesia in Ixodes ricinus ticks in Poland. Adv. Med. Sci., 57, 364-369.
15. Zamoto A, Tsuji M, Wei Q, Cho SH, Shin EH, Kim TS, Leonova GN, Hagiwara K, Asakawa M, Kariwa H, Takashima I, Ishihara C (2004). Epizootiologic survey for Babesia microti among small. J. Vet. Med. Sci., 66, 785-792.
