Browsing by Author "Fukushi, H."
Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
Results Per Page
Sort Options
Item Bacterial and protozoan pathogens/symbionts in ticks infecting wild grasscutters (Thryonomys swinderianus) in Ghana(Acta Tropica, 2020-02-05) Adenyo, C.; Ohya, K.; Qiu, Y.; Takashima, Y.; Takashima, H.; Matsumoto, T.; Thu, M.J.; Sato, K.; Kawabata, H.; Katayama, Y.; Omatsu, T.; Mizutani, T.; Fukushi, H.; Katakura, K.; Nonaka, N.; Inoue-Murayama, M.; Kayang, B.; Nakao, R.Ticks and tick-borne pathogens constitute a great threat to livestock production and are a potential health hazard to humans. Grasscutters (Thryonomys swinderianus) are widely hunted for meat in Ghana and many other West and Central African countries. However, tick-borne zoonotic risks posed by wild grasscutters have not been assessed. The objective of this study was to investigate bacterial and protozoan pathogens in ticks infecting wild grasscutters. A total of 81 ticks were collected from three hunted grasscutters purchased from Kantamanto, the central bushmeat market in Accra. Ticks were identified as Ixodes aulacodi and Rhipicephalus sp. based on morphological keys, which were further confirmed by sequencing mitochondrial 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) and cytochrome oxidase I (COI) genes of specimens. Protozoan infections were tested by PCR amplifying 18S rDNA of Babesia/Theileria/Hepatozoon, while bacterial infections were evaluated by PCRs or real-time PCRs targeting Anaplasmataceae, Borrelia, spotted fever group rickettsiae, chlamydiae and Candidatus Midichloria mitochondrii. The results of PCR screening showed that 35.5% (27 out of 76) of I. aulacodi were positive for parasite infections. Sequencing analysis of the amplified products gave one identical sequence showing similarity with Babesia spp. reported from Africa. The Ca. M. mitochondrii endosymbiont was present in 85.5% (65 out of 76) of I. aulacodi but not in the five Rhipicephalus ticks. Two Anaplasmataceae bacteria genetically related to Ehrlichia muris and Anaplasma phagocytophilum were also detected in two I. aulacodi. None of the ticks were positive for Borrelia spp., spotted fever group rickettsiae and chlamydiae. Since I. aulacodi on wild grasscutters are potential carriers of tick-borne pathogens, some of which could be of zoonotic potential, rigorous tick control and pathogen analyses should be instituted especially when wild caught grasscutters are being used as foundation stock for breeding.Item Comparative Analysis of Fecal Microbiota in Grasscutter (Thryonomys swinderianus) and Other Herbivorous Livestock in Ghana(microorganisms, 2020-02-15) Adenyo, C.; Kawasaki, K.; Ohya, K.; Omatsu, T.; Katayama, Y.; Takashima, Y.; Kinoshita, T.; Odoi, J.O.; Sawai, K.; Fukushi, H.; Ogawa, H.; Inoue-Murayama, M.; Mizutani, T.; Matsumoto, Y.; Kayang, B.The grasscutter (also known as the greater cane rat; Thryonomys swinderianus) is a large rodent native toWest Africa that is currently under domestication process for meat production. However, little is known about the physiology of this species. In the present study, aiming to provide information about gut microbiota of the grasscutter and better understand its physiology, we investigated the intestinal microbiota of grasscutters and compared it with that of other livestock (cattle, goat, rabbit, and sheep) using 16S rRNA metagenomics analysis. Similar to the other herbivorous animals, bacteria classified as Bacteroidales, Clostridiales, Ruminococcaceae, and Lachnospiraceae were abundant in the microbiome of grasscutters. However, Prevotella and Treponema bacteria, which have fiber fermentation ability, were especially abundant in grasscutters, where the relative abundance of these genera was higher than that in the other animals. The presence of these genera might confer grasscutters the ability to easily breakdown dietary fibers. Diets for grasscutters should be made from ingredients not consumed by humans to avoid competition for resources and the ability to digest fibers may allow the use of fiber-rich feed materials not used by humans. Our findings serve as reference and support future studies on changes in the gut microbiota of the grasscutter as domestication progresses in order to establish appropriate feeding methods and captivity conditions.