Ticks are unlikely to play a role in leprosy transmission in the Comoros (East Africa) as they do not harbour M. leprae DNA

IntroductionLeprosy, one of the oldest known human diseases, continues to pose a global challenge for disease control due to an incomplete understanding of its transmission pathways. Ticks have been proposed as a potential contributor in leprosy transmission due to their importance as vectors for ot...

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Published in:Frontiers in medicine 2023-10, Vol.10, p.1238914-1238914
Main Authors: Krausser, Lena, Chauvaux, Elien, Van Dyck-Lippens, Magalie, Yssouf, Amina, Assoumani, Younoussa, Tortosa, Pablo, de Jong, Bouke Catherine, Braet, Sofie Marijke
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
leprosy
Medicine
Mycobacterium leprae
reservoir
ticks
transmission
vector
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Summary:IntroductionLeprosy, one of the oldest known human diseases, continues to pose a global challenge for disease control due to an incomplete understanding of its transmission pathways. Ticks have been proposed as a potential contributor in leprosy transmission due to their importance as vectors for other infectious diseases. MethodsIn 2010, a sampling of ticks residing on cattle was conducted on the islands Grande Comore, Anjouan, and Mohéli which constitute the Union of the Comoros where leprosy remains endemic. To investigate the potential role of ticks as a vector in transmission of leprosy disease, molecular analyses were conducted. ResultsOut of the 526 ticks analysed, none were found to harbour Mycobacterium leprae DNA, as determined by a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay targeting a family of dispersed repeats (RLEP) specific to M. leprae. DiscussionTherefore, our results suggest that in the Union of the Comoros, ticks are an unlikely vector for M. leprae.
ISSN:2296-858X
2296-858X
DOI:10.3389/fmed.2023.1238914