A multinational team of researchers from Singapore and abroad has discovered two types of soft ticks on local bats after conducting a nine-year monitoring study. One of these ticks was found for the first time in Singapore.
Soft ticks, a type of parasitic insect, usually do not cause pain when they bite and feed on blood, often resulting in only mild symptoms. However, in some cases, their bites can lead to more severe health issues.
In recent years, the risk of disease transmission by ticks has become a growing concern.
From 2011 to 2020, a research team led by Duke-NUS Medical School conducted sampling and analysis of parasitic ticks from bats across 11 sites in Singapore. Institutions such as Hokkaido University in Japan and Duke University in the United States participated in this collaborative project.
Bats are nocturnal animals, so researchers typically begin their work around 6 p.m. and finish collecting samples around midnight.
Throughout the process, researchers must be fully equipped with protective gear, including N95 masks, to avoid potential exposure to harmful pathogens. Analyzing the samples back in the lab is a meticulous process, requiring the use of microscopes to identify the type of ticks.
Singapore is home to around 25 bat species, and the research team caught various types, including the long-tongued fruit bat (Eonycteris spelaea), the short-eared fruit bat (Cynopterus brachyotis), and the short-nosed fruit bat (Penthetor lucasi).
Over the nine years, the team analyzed soft ticks from over 2,180 bats. Their findings revealed two species of soft ticks, Ornithodoros batuensis and Argas pusillus. The former was identified for the first time in Singapore. There is limited knowledge about Ornithodoros batuensis, and further sampling across Singapore and Southeast Asia is necessary for a deeper understanding.
Experts Stress Urgency in Tick Research
Dr. Liu Hongwen, a researcher from the Emerging Infectious Diseases Program at Duke-NUS Medical School and one of the study's authors, emphasized in an interview with Lianhe Zaobao that soft ticks carry the potential to spread viruses and have been known to parasitize humans in some cases. As a result, global monitoring of ticks has been increasing in recent years.
Dr. Liu pointed out that Singapore's research into soft ticks is insufficient and recommended more resources be dedicated to understanding the biodiversity and distribution of these ticks, as well as their role in transmitting pathogens. This knowledge is crucial for assessing the potential public health threats posed by these parasites.
However, the good news is that soft ticks typically parasitize bats alone and are usually confined to their habitats. There is currently no evidence suggesting that these ticks pose a risk to humans by biting them.
In Singapore, the habitat of the long-tongued fruit bat is located far from human settlements, making the risk of encountering soft ticks extremely low.
Dr. Liu assured that as long as humans avoid disturbing bat habitats, there should be no concern about health risks.
Researchers Motivated by Passion for Discovery
Mackenzie Kwak, a researcher from Hokkaido University who participated in the study, shared his experience working on the project. He described bat habitats as dark, damp, and noisy, filled with the stench of bat droppings, presenting challenges for the researchers.
"However, if you are a 'disease hunter,' your enthusiasm pushes you to continue discovering new parasites and pathogens," Kwak said.
Kwak, who is also a co-chair of the IUCN’s Parasite Specialist Group, noted that although bats' ticks are generally less likely to bite humans compared to other types of ticks, in certain regions, these ticks have been known to transmit relapsing fever to people. This underscores a public health risk.
Relapsing fever is an acute vector-borne disease characterized by recurring high fever, body aches, and swelling of the liver and spleen. The fever alternates between periods of fever and remission, giving the disease its name.
Kwak emphasized the importance of preserving natural habitats to reduce public health risks. If bat habitats are lost, bats may move into human spaces like homes and parks, increasing the chances of contact with humans and, subsequently, the risk of disease transmission.
Source: Lianhe Zaobao
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