Microbiota Dynamics: A Key Factor in Hirudotherapy-Related Infections?
Microbiology article published in Microorganisms (2025)
Abstract
The gastrointestinal microbiota of medicinal leeches is particularly interesting due to their blood-feeding habits, increasing medical use, and risk of pathogen transmission. Three groups of Hirudo verbana were used to study the leech microbiota: farmed leeches fasting for a long time, farmed leeches recently fed with bovine blood, and wild specimens fed with amphibian blood. The microbiota of the leeches' mouth, pharynx, crop, and intestine was analyzed. Metasequencing analyses were performed using amplification of the 16S rRNA V3-V4 region on a NovaSeq Illumina platform. The relative abundance of bacterial microbiota included environmental bacteria from the families Rhizobiaceae, Comamonadaceae, Sphingobacteriaceae, Phreatobacteraceae, Myxococcaceae, Chitinophagaceae, Rhodospirillaceae, and Bdellovibrionaceae, as well as symbiotic/probiotic bacteria such as Mucinivorans, Aeromonas, Vagococcus, Lactobacillales, and Morganella. Significant differences were found in the different regions of the digestive system among the three groups of leeches, and environmental bacteria were present in all groups to varying degrees. A negative correlation was found between the dominant environmental and the symbiotic/probiotic bacteria. In contrast, a positive correlation was found between environmental and symbiotic/probiotic bacteria, indicating their association with host factors. Microbiota diversity, abundance, and bacterial correlations may be influenced by factors such as the leech's fasting state, blood meal source, and environmental conditions. The identified opportunistic pathogens, such as Rickettsia, Anaplasma, and Treponema, identified for the first time in H. verbana, should be taken into consideration when using this leech in hirudotherapy. Our results show that extensive screening for opportunistic and pathogenic agents should be performed on leeches intended for medical use. Long-fasting leeches and leeches cultured in specialized farms are recommended for hirudotherapy.
Abstract sourced from PubMed (NCBI) for the cited record. See the original publication for the authoritative version.
Resumen
16S rRNA V3-V4 metagenomics across three Hirudo verbana groups (long-fasting farmed, recently-fed farmed, wild) identifies opportunistic pathogens including Pseudomonas, Sphingobacterium, and Stenotrophomonas, recommending long-fasting farm-raised leeches for clinical use.
Por qué esto importa para la hirudoterapia
Este estudio analizó la microbiota de la boca, la faringe, el buche y el intestino de tres grupos de Hirudo verbana (de cría con ayuno prolongado, de cría alimentadas recientemente con sangre bovina y silvestres alimentadas con sangre de anfibios) mediante metasecuenciación del ARNr 16S V3-V4, encontrando bacterias simbióticas/probióticas (Mucinivorans, Aeromonas, Vagococcus, Lactobacillales, Morganella), bacterias ambientales y patógenos oportunistas, entre los que se identificaron por primera vez en H. verbana Rickettsia, Anaplasma y Treponema. La microbiota varió según la región digestiva, el estado de ayuno, la fuente de sangre y el entorno. Para ASH, esto es directamente relevante para la seguridad de la hirudoterapia, ya que respalda la realización de un cribado exhaustivo de patógenos en las sanguijuelas medicinales y el uso preferente de sanguijuelas de cría con ayuno prolongado. La salvedad es que se trata de un estudio sobre la microbiota de la sanguijuela, no de un ensayo clínico en humanos, y que caracteriza el riesgo en lugar de documentar infecciones clínicas.
Citación
Microbiota Dynamics: A Key Factor in Hirudotherapy-Related Infections?
Karasartova D, Arslan-Akveran G, Sensoz S, Mumcuoglu KY, Taylan-Ozkan A · Microorganisms, 2025
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Añadido a la biblioteca ASH: May 26, 2026 · Última actualización del sitio: 18 de junio de 2026