Hokkaido University · Medicine
Professor Yongjin Qiu's research lab specializes in the molecular epidemiology and zoonotic potential of vector-borne pathogens, with a focus on spirochetes (Borrelia spp.), bartonellae, and Coxiella burnetii in wildlife, domestic animals, and their arthropod vectors across Africa and Asia. The lab employs molecular techniques such as PCR, real-time PCR, and 16S rRNA gene sequencing to detect, characterize, and understand the ecology and transmission dynamics of these emerging infectious agents in natural and agricultural ecosystems. A key research direction involves identifying reservoir hosts and vectors, particularly in understudied regions like Zambia and Southeast Asia, to assess public health risks and inform disease control strategies.
Figures are computed from collected data and may differ slightly.
Ticks are one of the most important blood-sucking vectors for infectious microorganisms in humans and animals. When feeding they inject saliva, containing microbes, into the host to facilitate the uptake of blood. An understanding of the microbial populations within their salivary glands would provide a valuable insight when evaluating the vectorial capacity of ticks. Three tick species (Ixodes ovatus, I. persulcatus and Haemaphysalis flava) were collected in Shizuoka Prefecture of Japan between
A febrile illness caused by a Borrelia species that was treatable with erythromycin was identified in Zambia. This is the first study to report on relapsing fever Borrelia in Zambia and suggesting the likely natural reservoir hosts of the isolated Borrelia species. Interestingly, the isolated Borrelia species was more closely related to New World relapsing fever borreliae, despite being detected in the Afrotropic ecozone.
Members of the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (Bbsl) complex are etiological agents of Lyme disease (LD), and Borrelia miyamotoi is one of the relapsing fever Borrelia (RFB). Despite the serological evidence of LD in Malaysia, there has been no report from Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo. Thus, this study aimed to detect and characterize Borrelia in rodents and Ixodes ticks from primary forests and an oil palm (OP) plantation in Sarawak. Borrelia yangtzensis (a member of the Bbsl complex) was detecte
Bat-associated bartonellae, including <i>Bartonella mayotimonensis</i> and <i>Candidatus</i> Bartonella rousetti, were recently identified as emerging and potential zoonotic agents, respectively. However, there is no report of bat-associated bartonellae in Zambia. Thus, we aimed to isolate and characterize <i>Bartonella</i> spp. from bats and bat flies captured in Zambia by culturing and PCR. Overall, <i>Bartonella</i> spp. were isolated from six out of 36 bats (16.7%), while <i>Bartonella</i> D
Members of the genus <i>Borrelia</i> are arthropod-borne spirochetes that are human and animal pathogens. Vertebrate hosts, including wild animals, are pivotal to the circulation and maintenance of <i>Borrelia</i> spirochetes. However, information on <i>Borrelia</i> spirochetes in vertebrate hosts in Zambia is limited. Thus, we aimed to investigate the presence of <i>Borrelia</i> spirochetes in wild animals and cattle in Zambia. A total of 140 wild animals of four species and 488 cattle DNA samp
Q fever is a widespread zoonosis caused by Coxiella burnetii, an obligate intracellular gram-negative bacterium. The investigation of C. burnetii infection in Zambian livestock was carried out using molecular detection techniques. A total of 489 cattle and 53 goat blood samples were collected from Chama, Chongwe, Monze, and Petauke districts in Zambia. Molecular screening by polymerase chain reaction was performed using C. burnetii-species-specific primers. In total, 38 cattle and 4 goat samples
Tick-borne diseases (TBDs), including emerging and re-emerging zoonoses, are of public health importance worldwide; however, TBDs tend to be overlooked, especially in countries with fewer resources, such as Zambia and Angola. Here, we investigated <i>Rickettsia</i>, <i>Anaplasmataceae</i>, and Apicomplexan pathogens in 59 and 96 adult ticks collected from dogs and cattle, respectively, in Shangombo, a town at the Zambia-Angola border. We detected <i>Richkettsia africae</i> and <i>Rickettsia aesc
Ticks transmit a wide range of viral, bacterial, and protozoal pathogens, which are often zoonotic. Several novel tick-borne viral pathogens have been reported during the past few years. The aim of this study was to investigate a diversity of tick viral populations, which may contain as-yet unidentified viruses, using a combination of high throughput pyrosequencing and Batch Learning Self-Organizing Map (BLSOM) program, which enables phylogenetic estimation based on the similarity of oligonucleo
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