Publications

mosaic pattern of borrelia infection in a continuous population of the tick ixodes ricinus (acari: ixodidae).	an array of 12 20 x 20 m quadrats in a mixed forest near poteply, central bohemia, czech republic, was investigated for the abundance and spatial distribution of host-questing ixodes ricinus nymphs and their infection with borreliae. tick densities were estimated by flagging and their borrelia infection status was determined by direct immunofluorescence. while the tick population appeared to be continuous and homogeneous based on quadrat counts, their infection with borreliae evinced a mosaic pa ...	1999	10399308
invasion and intracellular development of the human granulocytic ehrlichiosis agent in tick cell culture.	human granulocytotropic ehrlichias are tick-borne bacterial pathogens that cause an acute, life-threatening illness, human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (hge). ehrlichias within neutrophil granulocytes that invade tick bite sites are likely ingested by the vector, to be transmitted to another mammalian host during the tick's next blood meal. thus, the cycle of replication and development in the vector is prerequisite to mammalian infection, and yet these events have not been described. we report tic ...	1999	10405394
low risk of lyme borreliosis in a protected area on the tyrrhenian coast, in central italy.	a comprehensive lyme borreliosis risk assessment process was applied in s. rossore estate, on the tyrrhenian coast, near pisa, italy. host-seeking ixodes ricinus nymphs peaked in may in oak-dominated deciduous wood (median, q1-q3, number of nymphs/50 m dragging = 4.5, 2.5-8), whereas host-seeking larvae peaked in august in the same habitat type (6.0, 4-17/50 m dragging). prevalence of i. ricinus infestation was 88.9% in wild rodents (n = 11), 64.3% in fallow deer (n = 28) and 0.0% in wild boars ...	1999	10414379
salivary gland extract from ixodes ricinus ticks inhibits production of interferon-gamma by the upregulation of interleukin-10.	tick saliva has been shown to modulate host immunity by a so far unknown mechanism. we have demonstrated an inverted effect of salivary gland extract (sge), derived from partially fed ixodes ricinus females, on the production of two cytokines, interferon (ifn)-gamma and interleukin (il)-10, in vitro. while sge markedly suppressed the elaboration of ifn-gamma by mouse splenocytes stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (lps), the production of il-10 was increased in comparison with sge-untreated cultu ...	1999	10417669
[a case of kimura disease treated with interferon and general corticoid therapy].	a case of kimura's disease that occurred in a 5-year-old caucasian boy after a tick bite is reported. when the child was 16 years old, symptoms developed. they included voluminous bilateral neck and head lymph nodes associated with hypereosinophilia (1,640/mm3), and increased ige levels (18,866 ku/l). clinical and immunological effects of treatment by interferon-alpha and steroids are presented.	1999	10422145
common ancestry of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato strains from north america and europe.	ten atypical european borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (borrelia spp. ) strains were genetically characterized, and the diversity was compared to that encountered among related borrelia spp. from north america. phylogenetic analyses of a limited region of the genome and of the whole genome extend existing knowledge about borrelial diversity reported earlier in europe and the united states. our results accord with the evidence that north american and european strains may have a common ancestry.	1999	10449492
host-odour recognition in two tick species is coded in a blend of vertebrate volatiles.	the questing behaviour of ixodid ticks serves for identification and localisation of approaching hosts and is evoked by carbon dioxide, vibrations, visual and odour stimuli. in an olfactometer, we examined the specificity of the questing response of larvae of boophilus microplus, a one-host tick which develops mainly on cattle, and ixodes ricinus, a three-host tick with a broader host spectrum. while all mammalian odours tested were equally stimulatory for i. ricinus, b. microplus was clearly mo ...	1999	10450611
incidence of borrelia garinii and borrelia afzelii in ixodes ricinus ticks in an urban environment, prague, czech republic, between 1995 and 1998.	the presence of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and its individual genospecies was determined using a single-step polymerase chain reaction in a total of 779 ixodes ricinus ticks collected from an urban park in prague, czech republic. the incidence of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato was 9.2% in 1995, 3.4% in 1996, 4.5% in 1997 and 2.8% in 1998. the borrelia garinii to borrelia afzelii ratio was 1.4:1 and it did not differ significantly throughout the study period. borrelia burgdorferi sensu stri ...	1999	10482032
molecular evidence of coinfection of ticks with borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and the human granulocytic ehrlichiosis agent in switzerland.	adult ixodes ricinus ticks were collected in switzerland and tested for the presence of coinfection with borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and the human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (hge) agent by real-time pcr. of 100 ticks, 49% were positive for b. burgdorferi and 2% were positive for the hge agent. the two hge agent-positive ticks were also found to be positive for b. burgdorferi.	1999	10488215
conformational nature of the borrelia burgdorferi b31 outer surface protein c protective epitope.	active immunization with escherichia coli-expressed recombinant outer surface protein c (ospc) of borrelia burgdorferi has been demonstrated to confer protection against a tick-transmitted infection on laboratory animals. a previous study in this laboratory showed that ospc antibody raised against a denatured immunogen isolated from b. burgdorferi cells failed to provide protective immunity. therefore, to determine whether the protective epitope of the recombinant antigen was sensitive to denatu ...	1999	10496930
[farm animals as disease vectors of parasitic epizoonoses and zoophilic dermatophytes and their importance in dermatology].	different pest arthropods and dermatophytes occurring primarily in farm animals may be transmissible to man and produce human dermatoses. the movement and cutaneous penetration habits of external parasites often cause crusted papules, severe itching and dermatitis or may damage their hosts by blood-sucking or by sensitizing them to their saliva. furthermore different dermatophytes should be considered a possible cause of human skin lesions. farm animals (cattle, pig, poultry, and rabbit) can tra ...	1999	10501677
diurnal activity of ixodes ricinus in denmark: aspects of physiological age and genotypic variation.	four different alleles in the nymphal ixodes ricinus were found for the malate dehydrogenase enzyme (mdh). the allele frequency of the mdh genotypes in nymphal i. ricinus was observed to change during the day. some genotypes were present in the morning, but not in the afternoon and evening. the physiological age of the nymphs was also determined. no significant correlation could be found between physiological age and genotypes. based on the results it must be anticipated that the comparability o ...	1999	10509142
association of rickettsia helvetica with chronic perimyocarditis in sudden cardiac death.	rickettsia helvetica is the only non-imported rickettsia found in scandinavia. it was first detected in ixodes ricinus ticks, but has never been linked to human disease. we studied two young swedish men who died of sudden cardiac failure during exercise, and who showed signs of perimyocarditis similar to those described in rickettsial disease.	1999	10513711
molecular typing of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato: taxonomic, epidemiological, and clinical implications.	borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, the spirochete that causes human lyme borreliosis (lb), is a genetically and phenotypically divergent species. in the past several years, various molecular approaches have been developed and used to determine the phenotypic and genetic heterogeneity within the lb-related spirochetes and their potential association with distinct clinical syndromes. these methods include serotyping, multilocus enzyme electrophoresis, dna-dna reassociation analysis, rrna gene restri ...	1999	10515907
[ehrlichiosis is common among animals but can also occur in humans].	granulocytic ehrlichiosis is attracting increasing attention as a disease of both humans and animals. pasture fever in cattle is a form long known in sweden, and a similar disease was observed in swedish dogs and horses in the late 1980s. the first cases of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (hge) reported from the usa in 1994 proved to have been caused by a species of erhlichia identical or very similar to the species found in swedish dogs and horses. presence of the hge agent has now been demonst ...	1999	10522093
[three swedish cases of african tick-bite fever. can our native rickettsia species cause disease in humans?].	the article consists in a report of three cases of african tick-bite fever in swedish tourists returning from brief visits to south africa. the clinical course included eschar, regional lymphadenopathy, fever and, in two cases, maculopapular rash. two cases were characterised by significant increases in anti-rickettsia conorii igg and igm antibody titres. however, the aetiological agent was assumed to be rickettsia africae, based on reports by others and the widespread serological cross-reactivi ...	1999	10522094
prevalence of borrelia burgdorferi and granulocytic and monocytic ehrlichiae in ixodes ricinus ticks from southern germany.	a total of 287 adult ixodes ricinus ticks, collected in two regions of southern germany (frankonia and baden-württemberg) where borrelia burgdorferi infections are known to be endemic, were examined for the presence of 16s ribosomal dna specific for the ehrlichia phagocytophila genogroup, e. chaffeensis, e. canis, and b. burgdorferi by nested pcr. totals of 2.2% (6 of 275) and 21.8% (65 of 275) of the ticks were positive for the e. phagocytophila genogroup and b. burgdorferi, respectively. two t ...	1999	10523532
serodiagnosis of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis by a recombinant hge-44-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.	current antibody testing for human granulocytic ehrlichiosis relies predominantly on indirect fluorescent-antibody assays and immunoblot analysis. shortcomings of these techniques include high cost and variability of test results associated with the use of different strains of antigens derived from either horses or cultured hl-60 cells. we used recombinant protein hge-44, expressed and purified as a maltose-binding protein (mbp) fusion peptide, as an antigen in a polyvalent enzyme-linked immunos ...	1999	10523549
genetic diversity of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato isolates obtained from ixodes ricinus ticks collected in slovakia.	in europe, borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato is diverse, including b. burgdorferi s.s., b. garinii, b. afzelii, b. valaisiana and b. lusitaniae. in this study, we focused on the distribution of the different b. burgdorferi species among ixodes ricinus adult ticks collected in an endemic area within slovakia. we compared results of prevalence of b. burgdorferi infection in ticks obtained by immunofluorescence (if) and by isolation. isolates were characterized by restriction fragment length polymorp ...	1999	10543358
determination of members of a borrelia afzelii-related group isolated from ixodes nipponensis in korea as borrelia valaisiana.	the 16s rrna sequences of the korean borrelia strains 5mt and 9mt, isolated from ixodes nipponensis, showed identities of 99.0-99.1% to that of b. afzelii. the strains were tentatively classified as belonging to the b. afzelii-related group. in this study, korean isolates, including these strains, were characterized further and compared with recently described new species. these strains generated a rflp pattern that has not been found previously in rflp analysis of the 5s-23s rrna intergenic spa ...	1999	10555320
quantitative evaluation of ehrlichial burden in horses after experimental transmission of human granulocytic ehrlichia agent by intravenous inoculation with infected leukocytes and by infected ticks.	this paper describes the kinetics of the human granulocytic ehrlichiosis agent in the blood of horses experimentally infected by intravenous inoculation with infected leukocytes and by infected ticks as evaluated by using a real-time quantitative pcr assay. the data obtained indicated differences in the period of incubation, duration of rickettsemia, and initial and maximal ehrlichial loads between the two routes of infection.	1999	10565928
scored antibody reactivity determined by immunoblotting shows an association between clinical manifestations and presence of borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, b. garinii, b. afzelii, and b. valaisiana in humans.	an immunoglobulin g immunoblot was developed with antigenic extracts of borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, b. garinii, b. afzelii, and b. valaisiana genospecies and was reacted with sera from patients with neuroborreliosis, acrodermatitis, and lyme arthritis. a detailed analysis of the reactivities of the protein bands was performed, and a two-step scoring procedure was selected to determine the preferential reactivity of sera to one particular genospecies. the discriminative potential of 5 pro ...	1999	10565936
borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in ixodes ricinus ticks and rodents in a recreational park in south-western ireland.	ixodes ricinus ticks infected with borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato were numerous on the edges of paths and roads in a recreational park in south-western ireland. the abundance of ticks at different sites was related to the presence of deer, but a negative relationship was shown between tick abundance and tick infection rates. this is thought to be due to the deposition of large numbers of uninfected ticks by deer, which are apparently not good reservoir hosts of b. burgdorferi s.l. blood meal an ...	1999	10581711
comparative bacteriostatic and bactericidal activities of cefodizime against borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato.	the mic and msc (minimum spirocheticidal concentration) and killing rate for borrelia burgdorferi, the etiological agent of lyme disease, were assessed for cefodizime in comparison with ceftriaxone, minocycline, azithromycin, roxithromycin, and ciprofloxacin. the range of cefodizime mics was greater than those of azithromycin and roxithromycin but comparable to those of ceftriaxone and minocycline. the mscs were 1 to 2 dilutions higher than the mics of all of the tested compounds. the killing cu ...	1999	10582905
impact of microclimate on immature tick-rodent host interactions (acari: ixodidae): implications for parasite transmission.	rodents play a significant role in enzootic cycles of tick-borne pathogens, notably, in the northern hemisphere, tick-borne encephalitis virus and lyme borreliosis spirochaetes. the relative numbers of nymphal and larval ticks feeding on rodents are crucial variables in determining the probability of rodent infection and the degree of amplification of infection prevalence in the tick population. manipulation of the microclimate within quasinatural experimental arenas revealed that under increasi ...	1999	10593075
[diagnosis and therapy of lyme neuroborreliosis].	lyme-borreliosis which in europe is transmitted by ixodes ricinus presents in three stages with 1st a localised infection (erythema chronicum migrans), 2nd a disseminated infection (e.g., meningoradiculitis), and 3rd a persistent chronic infection (e.g., encephalomyelitis, cerebral vasculitis), whereby not all stages invariably become clinically apparent. the diagnosis is based on the typical clinical presentation, the lumbar puncture (lymphocytic pleocytosis), and serological test from the bloo ...	1999	10596280
ixodes ticks: serum species sensitivity of anticomplement activity.	ixodid ticks feed for extended periods of up to 2 weeks or more. to complete engorgement, they must overcome their host's innate immune mechanisms of which the complement system is a major component. using in vitro assays, salivary gland extracts of the ixodid ticks, ixodes ricinus, i. hexagonus, and i. uriae, were shown to inhibit activity of the alternative pathway of complement. the ability of the different ixodes species to inhibit complement activity varied with the animal species used as a ...	1999	10600446
inhibition of borrelia burgdorferi migration from the midgut to the salivary glands following feeding by ticks on ospc-immunized mice.	borrelia burgdorferi-infected ticks were fed on either ospc-immunized mice or normal, nonimmunized mice. after 72 h, the ticks were detached, followed by dissection and subsequent culturing in barbour-stoenner-kelley ii medium of the salivary glands from each tick to determine the presence of borreliae. forty percent (10 of 25) of salivary glands from ticks that had fed on nonimmunized mice were culture positive, while only 7.4% (2 of 27) of salivary glands from ticks that had fed on ospc-immuni ...	2000	10603419
prevalence of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in ixodes ricinus ticks (acari, ixodidae) in different polish woodlands.	in 1996-1998, a total of 2285 ixodes ricinus ticks (1063 nymphs, 637 males, 585 females) were collected from vegetation from 25 different localities in the 8 polish provinces throughout the country. ticks inhabited all 25 collection sites. the average number of ticks per collection site was 91.4 +/- 13.7. all 2285 ticks were examined for borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) presence, of which 1333 specimens from 3 provinces were tested by routine indirect immunofluorescence assay (ifa) using p ...	1999	10607993
temporal changes in outer surface proteins a and c of the lyme disease-associated spirochete, borrelia burgdorferi, during the chain of infection in ticks and mice.	the lyme disease-associated spirochete, borrelia burgdorferi, is maintained in enzootic cycles involving ixodes ticks and small mammals. previous studies demonstrated that b. burgdorferi expresses outer surface protein a (ospa) but not ospc when residing in the midgut of unfed ticks. however, after ticks feed on blood, some spirochetes stop making ospa and express ospc. our current work examined the timing and frequency of ospa and ospc expression by b. burgdorferi in infected ixodes scapularis ...	2000	10618120
human granulocytic ehrlichiosis agent infection in a pony vaccinated with a borrelia burgdorferi recombinant ospa vaccine and challenged by exposure to naturally infected ticks.	a pony was vaccinated with recombinant ospa vaccine (rospa) and then exposed 3 months later to borrelia burgdorferi-infected ticks (ixodes scapularis) collected in westchester county, n.y. at 2 weeks after tick exposure, the pony developed a high fever (105 degrees f). buffy coat smears showed that 20% of neutrophils contained ehrlichial inclusion bodies (morulae). flunixin meglumine (1 g daily) was given for 2 days, and the body temperature returned to normal. pcr for ehrlichial dna was perform ...	2000	10618280
survival strategy of tick-borne encephalitis virus: cellular basis and environmental determinants.	although tbe virus can be transmitted in the laboratory by a wide variety of ixodid tick species to a wide variety of vertebrate host species, nevertheless in nature endemic cycles of tbe virus depend principally on just two tick species, ixodes ricinus in the western and i. persulcatus in the eastern palaearctic. a complete transmission cycle, from tick to tick via vertebrates, occurs most efficiently between co-feeding ticks in the absence of a systemic viraemia. this non-systemic route depend ...	1999	10652718
annual and seasonal variation of tick-borne encephalitis virus (tbev) prevalence in ticks in selected hot spot areas in germany using a nrt-pcr: results from 1997 and 1998.	the prevalence of tick-borne encephalitis virus (tbev) in ixodes ricinus tick populations in endemic areas of germany with the highest tbe risk is unknown. annual and seasonal differences in tbev prevalence have also not been studied. against this background, in may 1997 we started a systematic virus surveillance programme in ticks collected in locations known to have a high incidence of autochthonous tbe cases. these were 5 locations in baden-württemberg (black forest) and 8 locations in bavari ...	1999	10652722
lyme borreliosis in slovenia.	basic epidemiological findings on lyme borreliosis in slovenia are presented. data on vertebrate reservoir hosts are relatively modest. the presence of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato was demonstrated in about 20% of deer and 15-41% of examined small mammals. the presence of b. burgdorferi sensu lato was found by polymerase chain reaction in one half of 34 examined small mammals. ixodes ricinus ticks have been found infected in all geographical regions of slovenia examined till now. the highest ...	1999	10652723
impact of climatic change on the northern latitude limit and population density of the disease-transmitting european tick ixodes ricinus.	we examined whether a reported northward expansion of the geographic distribution limit of the disease-transmitting tick ixodes ricinus and an increased tick density between the early 1980s and mid-1990s in sweden was related to climatic changes. the annual number of days with minimum temperatures above vital bioclimatic thresholds for the tick's life-cycle dynamics were related to tick density in both the early 1980s and the mid-1990s in 20 districts in central and northern sweden. the winters ...	2000	10656851
[single-step polymerase chain reaction in the detection of borrelia burgdorferi and the genome species in the ixodes ricinus tick].	the objective of the work to introduce screening pcr into the diagnosis of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in the vector selection of the most suitable primer, derived from chromosomal dna and detection of different genome species. the sensitivity of primers, described in the literature (ld, 16s, wk, 5s-23s) was tested by different amounts of dna strains of borrelias. the most sensitive primer--ld was used for detection of borrelias in the vector. ticks were collected in municipal parks from 199 ...	1999	10658345
species identification of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato from tick and human isolates in styria (austria) by pcr-rflp analysis.	seventy-one isolates of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (b.b.s.l.) derived from ixodes ricinus ticks (50 strains) and patients (21 strains) were characterised by pcr-rlfp analysis. in four cases the human isolates were obtained from the cerebrospinal fluid (csf) of patients with clinical symptoms of neuroborreliosis and in 17 cases from skin biopsies of patients with dermatological manifestation of lyme borreliosis. ixodes ricinus isolates originated from 14 localities in three regions (mur vall ...	1999	10666817
epidemiological aspects of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis in southern germany.	human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (hge) is a newly emerging acute febrile illness which is likely transmitted by ticks of the ixodes ricinus/i. persulcatus complex. first seroepidemiological surveys on the prevalence of hge antibodies, detection of dna of granulocytotropic ehrlichiae in i. ricinus and one case of hge from slovenia confirmed by serology and pcr (polymerase chain reaction) suggest that hge might exist all over europe. the purpose of the present study was a) to determine the prevalen ...	1999	10666819
immunity reduces reservoir host competence of peromyscus leucopus for ehrlichia phagocytophila.	infection with ehrlichia phagocytophila in white-footed mice is transient and followed by a strong immune response. we investigated whether the presence of acquired immunity against e. phagocytophila precludes white-footed mice from further maintenance of this agent in nature. mice were infected with e. phagocytophila via tick bite and challenged either 12 or 16 weeks later by ixodes scapularis nymphs infected with the same agent. xenodiagnostic larvae fed upon each mouse simultaneously with cha ...	2000	10678968
conservation and heterogeneity of vlse among human and tick isolates of borrelia burgdorferi.	the vls (variable major protein [vmp]-like sequence) locus of borrelia burgdorferi encodes an antigenic variation system that closely resembles the vmp system of relapsing fever borreliae. to determine whether vls sequences are present consistently in low-passage, infectious isolates of b. burgdorferi, 22 blood and erythema migrans biopsy isolates from lyme disease patients in westchester county, new york, were examined by southern blot and pcr analysis. each of the strains contained a single pl ...	2000	10678995
prevalence of lyme disease borrelia spp. in ticks from migratory birds on the japanese mainland.	borrelia sp. prevalence in ticks on migratory birds was surveyed in central japan. in autumn, a total of 1,733 birds representing 40 species were examined for ticks. a total of 361 ticks were obtained from 173 birds of 15 species, and these ticks were immature haemaphysalis flava (94.4%), haemaphysalis longicornis, ixodes columnae, ixodes persulcatus, ixodes turdus, and an unidentified ixodes species. of these, 27 juveniles of h. flava on turdus pallidus, turdus cardis, or emberiza spodocephala, ...	2000	10698761
pcr detection of granulocytic ehrlichiae in ixodes ricinus ticks and wild small mammals in western switzerland.	the presence of granulocytic ehrlichiae was demonstrated by pcr in ixodes ricinus ticks and wild small mammals in switzerland in two areas of endemicity for bovine ehrlichiosis. six ticks (three females and three nymphs) (1.4%) of 417 i. ricinus ticks collected by flagging vegetation contained ehrlichial dna. a total of 201 small mammals from five species, wood mouse (apodemus sylvaticus), yellow-necked mouse (apodemus flavicollis), earth vole (pitymys subterraneus), bank vole (clethrionomys gla ...	2000	10698987
experimental inoculation with human granulocytic ehrlichia agent derived from high- and low-passage cell culture in horses.	we report the successful infection throughout intravenous inoculation with low and high passage of in vitro-grown human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (hge) agent in horses. differences in disease severity but not in incubation time, hematological changes, pcr detection, ehrlichial load, seroconversion time, and titer range were noted between horses infected with a low and a high passage of in vitro-grown hge agent.	2000	10699041
molecular phylogenetic analysis of ixodid ticks based on the ribosomal dna spacer, internal transcribed spacer 2, sequences.	an internal transcribed spacer (its2) sequence between the 5.8s and 28s rrna genes was used to estimate the phyletic relationships among ixodes spp. tick vectors of lyme disease-causing borrelia spirochetes. analysis indicates that borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato species associated with lyme disease are found mainly in ticks of the ixodes ricinus species complex. other closely related tick species are not known to transmit the borrelia-that cause lyme disease in humans, but they appear to have a ...	2000	10701561
[the biodiversity dynamics of the causative agents of diseases transmitted by ticks in the genus ixodes: an analysis of multiyear data].	fauna of pathogen's met in the organism of the primary tick-borne disease vectors--ixodes persulcatus schulze and ixodes ricinus (l.) was observed. prevalence of borrelia mono- and poly-infection in the i. persulcatus ticks within a season of the vector activity was analyzed and increase of the number of the dual infected specimens during the season was demonstrated. the first determination of ehrlichia infected i. ricinus and i. persulcatus collected in the baltic region of russia was stated. t ...	1999	10703200
identification of borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, borrelia garinii and borrelia afzelii in ixodes ricinus ticks from southern bohemia using monoclonal antibodies.	the prevalence of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) in 761 ixodes ricinus ticks collected in different localities of southern bohemia was investigated. the minimum infection rate of nymphs, males and females as determined by dark-field microscopy was 4.8% in 1997. the total b. burgdorferi prevalence determined in ticks in 1998 was 11.04%. a significant local variability of the prevalence of b. burgdorferi was not found. nine isolates were identified at a genospecies level by immunoblotting ...	2000	10705611
gamma interferon dominates the murine cytokine response to the agent of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis and helps to control the degree of early rickettsemia.	the cytokine response to the agent of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (hge) was assessed in a murine infection model and the role of gamma interferon (ifn-gamma), a cytokine that is crucial for host defenses against intracellular pathogens, was investigated by using ifn-gamma-deficient mice. the agent of hge (aohge) is an obligate intracellular bacterium that survives within neutrophils: morulae (vacuoles containing hge organisms) are evident in polymorphonuclear leukocytes of experimentally inf ...	2000	10722570
acquisition of coinfection and simultaneous transmission of borrelia burgdorferi and ehrlichia phagocytophila by ixodes scapularis ticks.	the agents of lyme disease (borrelia burgdorferi) and human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (ehrlichia phagocytophila) are both transmitted by the tick ixodes scapularis. in nature, ticks are often infected with both agents simultaneously. we studied whether previous infection with either borrelia or ehrlichia in ticks would affect acquisition and transmission of a second pathogen. ehrlichia-infected i. scapularis nymphs were fed upon borrelia-infected mice, and borrelia-infected i. scapularis nymphs ...	2000	10722618
molecular individuality: polymorphism of salivary gland proteins in three species of ixodid tick.	pooled tissue samples are frequently used in biochemical studies involving parasites in order to ensure that there is sufficient material for experimentation. a pooled sample is considered to represent the overall phenotypic characteristics of the investigated population. however, this will not be the case if there is a significant degree of molecular polymorphism among individuals in the sampled population. here we demonstrate marked differences in the protein profile of salivary glands among i ...	1999	10737731
models of temporal variation in questing activity in individuals of ixodes ricinus (acari: ixodidae).	intensive observations of the questing activity of ixodes ricinus ticks in the field were made to provide data on the range of durations of periods of continuous questing activity, and of the variation in questing activity between individuals. continuous periods of questing were observed to extend to a maximum of 28 hours. substantial variation in questing activity between individuals was observed. models fitted to the distribution of durations of bouts of questing activity provide insights into ...	1999	10737732
comparison of the nucleotide sequences of 16s rrna, 444 ep-ank, and groesl heat shock operon genes in naturally occurring ehrlichia equi and human granulocytic ehrlichiosis agent isolates from northern california.	we examined 11 naturally occurring isolates of ehrlichia equi in horses and two human granulocytic ehrlichiosis agent isolates in california for sequence diversity in three genes. ehrlichia equi isolates were from sierra (n = 6), mendocino (n = 3), sonoma (n = 1), and marin (n = 1) counties, and human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (hge) agent isolates were obtained from humboldt county. pcr with specific primers for 16s rrna, 444 ep-ank and groesl heat shock operon genes successfully produced amplic ...	2000	10747108
coexistence of ehrlichiae of the phagocytophila group with borrelia burgdorferi in ixodes ricinus from southern germany.	human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (hge) is an emerging infectious disease recognized in the western hemisphere. hge is well known to occur in north america, but records from outside the united states are sparse. the great majority of data from europe are restricted to seroprevalence studies and molecular biological detection of granulocytic ehrlichiae (ge) in ticks and mammals, but include defined cases from slovenia. they argue for the existence of this disease in many parts of europe. in the pre ...	1999	10776845
direct molecular typing of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato species in synovial samples from patients with lyme arthritis.	since lyme arthritis was first described in the united states, it has now been reported in many countries of europe. however, very few strains of the causative bacterium, borrelia burgdorferi, have been isolated from synovial samples. for this reason, different molecular direct typing methods were developed recently to assess which species could be involved in lyme arthritis in europe. we developed a simple oligonucleotide typing method with pcr fragments from the flagellin gene of b. burgdorfer ...	2000	10790118
[ticks ixodes ricinus (linnaeus, 1758) from selected municipal forests of the city poznań and their infection with the spirochetes borrelia burgdorferi senso lato].	the results of research (1997-1998) on the occurrence of the spirochetes borrelia burgdorferi s.l. in ticks ixodes ricinus (l.) in selected municipal forests of the city of poznań (localities--districts of poznań: 1 debiec, 2 marcelin, 3 golecin and wola, 4 krzyzowniki and smochowice, 5 kiekrz and strzeszynek, 6 morasko, 7 piatkowo, 8 umultowo, 9 naramowice and rózany młyn, 10 malta and antoninek) are presented. a total of 1432 ticks were collected from 10 localities (748 larvae, 590 nymphs, 47 ...	1999	10800567
field evidence that roe deer (capreolus capreolus) are a natural host for ehrlichia phagocytophila.	samples of blood, spleen and legs from 112 culled roe deer (capreolus capreolus) were collected from nine sites widespread in the united kingdom. the prevalence of infection with ehrlichia phagocytophila was determined by serology and polymerase chain reaction. means of 58% of 102 plasma or serum samples were seroreactive by ifa, 38% of 84 blood samples and 29% of 82 spleen samples were positive by pcr. ticks on legs of 71 roe deer were ixodes ricinus larvae, nymphs and adults and 83% of legs we ...	2000	10813158
tick-borne encephalitis.	tick-borne encephalitis (tbe) is a zoonotic arbovirus infection endemic to russia and eastern and central europe. despite being a common and serious life-threatening disease for which a mass vaccination program was implemented in austria, there is only limited reference to this disease in the english-language literature. tbe is transmitted to humans usually by the bite of a tick (either ixodes persulcatus or ixodes ricinus); occasionally, cases occur following consumption of infected unpasteuriz ...	1999	10825054
comparison of the protein profiles of salivary gland extracts derived from three species of unfed and partially fed ixodid ticks analysed by sds-page.	salivary gland extracts (sge) from unfed and 5 days fed adult female ixodes ricinus (linnaeus, 1758); haemaphysalis inermis (birula, 1895) and dermacentor reticulatus (fabricius, 1794) ticks were prepared. the protein content after feeding increased by 10.6, 8.7 and 6.8 times, respectively. extracts were equilibrated to the same protein content and submitted to sds-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis followed by computer analysis of the scanned gels. relative differences in protein profiles of ex ...	2000	10833019
genetic diversity of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in ticks from mainland portugal.	to date borrelia lusitaniae is the only genospecies of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato isolated from ixodes ricinus ticks collected in portugal and tunisia. this suggests that the genospecies diversity of b. burgdorferi sensu lato decreases toward the southwestern margin of its old world subtropical range. in order to further explore the genetic diversity of b. burgdorferi sensu lato from this region, 55 i. ricinus and 27 hyalomma marginatum questing adults, collected during the spring of 1998 f ...	2000	10834965
limited role of rodents as reservoirs of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in ireland.	despite the presence of borrelia burgdorferi s.l.-infected ixodes ricinus ticks in a west of ireland location, very few small rodents from the same habitats were infected. most of the infected ticks contained b. garinii or b. valaisiana, which implicates birds as the important reservoir hosts in this location.	2000	10845257
occurrence of borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, borrelia garinii and borrelia afzelii in the ixodes ricinus ticks from eastern slovakia.	a total of 2816 unfed adults nymphs of ixodes ricinus ticks were collected from vegetation in kosice (eastern slovakia) from 1994 to 1997. prevalence of borrelia burgdorferi s. l. in i. ricinus ticks, detected by dark field microscopy, varied and depended upon the year and the habitat of the collected ticks. the lowest prevalence was observed in 1994 (4.8%). during 1995 it increased to 17.2% and during the next two years decreased to 15.5% and 14.2%. the rate of infection varied from 2.1 to 23.3 ...	2000	10845258
the relapsing fever spirochete borrelia hermsii contains multiple, antigen-encoding circular plasmids that are homologous to the cp32 plasmids of lyme disease spirochetes.	borrelia hermsii, an agent of tick-borne relapsing fever, was found to contain multiple circular plasmids approximately 30 kb in size. sequencing of a dna library constructed from circular plasmid fragments enabled assembly of a composite dna sequence that is homologous to the cp32 plasmid family of the lyme disease spirochete, b. burgdorferi. analysis of another relapsing fever bacterium, b. parkeri, indicated that it contains linear homologs of the b. hermsii and b. burgdorferi cp32 plasmids. ...	2000	10858201
tick species parasitizing people in an area endemic for tick-borne diseases in north-western italy.	in 1995 and 1996, 318 ticks were recovered from 240 people in liguria (province of savona, italy). most of the ticks (284; 89.3%) were sheep ticks, ixodes ricinus. rhipicephalus sanguineus (31; 9.8%) and dermacentor marginatus (3; 0.9%) were also recorded. all three life stages of i. ricinus were found on humans while only nymphs and adults of r. sanguineus and adults of d. marginatus were collected. human tickbites were most frequent in the municipalities of the province where roe deer density ...	1999	10870560
a 5' nuclease pcr (taqman) high-throughput assay for detection of the meca gene in staphylococci.	in an effort to find a rapid, efficient, and reliable method of screening large numbers of bacterial isolates for specific antimicrobial resistance genes, we compared conventional pcr results to the results generated using the taqman 5' nuclease pcr kit in conjunction with an abi prism 7700 sequence detector for detecting the meca gene in various species of staphylococci. dna was extracted using two techniques. the first used a high-salt extraction method suitable for conventional pcr but result ...	2000	10878035
simultaneous detection and genotyping of "norwalk-like viruses" by oligonucleotide array in a reverse line blot hybridization format.	"norwalk-like viruses" (nlvs) are the most common cause of outbreaks of nonbacterial gastroenteritis worldwide. to date, the method most widely used for typing of nlv strains is sequencing and subsequent phylogenetic analysis of reverse transcription (rt)-pcr products, which has revealed the existence of stable distinct lineages (genotypes). this typing method is rather costly, not routinely used in clinical laboratories, and not very suitable for the analysis of large numbers of samples. theref ...	2000	10878050
antibodies against specific proteins of and immobilizing activity against three strains of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato can be found in symptomatic but not in infected asymptomatic dogs.	in an area where lyme disease is endemic in the netherlands all dogs had positive titers by whole-cell enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and appeared to be naturally infected by borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato. to compare the antibody responses of symptomatic dogs and asymptomatic controls, we performed western blots and in vitro immobilization assays to study antibody-dependent bactericidal activity. strains from three different genospecies were employed as the antigen source: b. burgdorferi st ...	2000	10878052
pcr amplification and phylogenetic analysis of groesl operon sequences from ehrlichia ewingii and ehrlichia muris.	broad-range pcr primers were used to amplify part of the groesl operon of the canine pathogen ehrlichia ewingii, recently recognized as a human pathogen, and the murine pathogen ehrlichia muris. phylogenetic analysis supported the relationships among ehrlichia species previously determined by comparison of 16s rrna gene sequences. these sequences provide additional pcr targets for species for which few gene sequences have been determined.	2000	10878077
rapid differentiation of borrelia garinii from borrelia afzelii and borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto by lightcycler fluorescence melting curve analysis of a pcr product of the reca gene.	to differentiate the borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato genospecies, lightcycler real-time pcr was used for the fluorescence (sybr green i) melting curve analysis of borrelial reca gene pcr products. the specific melting temperature analyzed is a function of the gc/at ratio, length, and nucleotide sequence of the amplified product. a total of 32 dna samples were tested. of them three were isolated from b. burgdorferi reference strains and 16 were isolated from b. burgdorferi strains cultured from i ...	2000	10878080
bartonella infection in animals: carriership, reservoir potential, pathogenicity, and zoonotic potential for human infection.	recent observations have begun to support a role for bartonella spp. as animal as well as human pathogens. bartonella spp. are vector-transmitted, blood-borne, intracellular, gram-negative bacteria that can induce prolonged infection in the host. persistent infections in domestic and wild animals result in a substantial reservoir of bartonella organisms in nature that can serve as a source for inadvertent human infection. the prevalence of bacteremia can range from 50 to 95% in selected rodent, ...	2000	10885985
babesiosis.	babesiosis is an emerging, tick-transmitted, zoonotic disease caused by hematotropic parasites of the genus babesia. babesial parasites (and those of the closely related genus theileria) are some of the most ubiquitous and widespread blood parasites in the world, second only to the trypanosomes, and consequently have considerable worldwide economic, medical, and veterinary impact. the parasites are intraerythrocytic and are commonly called piroplasms due to the pear-shaped forms found within inf ...	2000	10885987
cytokines (il-4 and ifn-gamma) and antibodies (ige and igg2a) produced in mice infected with borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto via nymphs of ixodes ricinus ticks or syringe inoculations.	mice were tolerant to tick bites during three infestations with nymphs of ixodes ricinus infected with borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto. to determine whether tick bites influence the immune response against b. burgdorferi, we examined the production of cytokines il-4 and ifn-gamma by lymph node cells of balb/c mice and il-4 deficient balb/c mice after tick inoculation versus syringe inoculation of b. burgdorferi. we also measured igg2a anti-borrelial antibodies and total ige in these mice. res ...	2000	10894476
evidence of rickettsia helvetica infection in humans, eastern france.	a 37-year-old man living in eastern france seroconverted to rickettsia helvetica in august 1997, 4 weeks after the onset of an unexplained febrile illness. results of a serosurvey of forest workers from the area where the patient lived showed a 9.2% seroprevalence against r. helvetica. this organism may pose a threat for populations exposed to ixodes ricinus ticks.	2000	10905974
[late sequelae of early summer meningoencephalitis].	the incidence of tick-borne encephalitis varies widely in different geographic regions due to local difference in the rate of infected vectors (ixodes ricinus) transmitting tick-borne encephalitis virus. in the cantonal hospital winterthur a large number of cases are hospitalised due to endemic areas with infected ticks nearby. from 1976 until 1996 132 patients with tick-borne encephalitis were hospitalised (an average of 7 patients per year), compared with 535 cases (41 per year) in the whole o ...	2000	10909716
sequence analysis of the ank gene of granulocytic ehrlichiae.	the ank gene of the agent of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (hge) codes for a protein with a predicted molecular size of 131.2 kda that is recognized by serum from both dogs and humans infected with granulocytic ehrlichiae. as part of an effort to assess the phylogenetic relatedness of granulocytic ehrlichiae from different geographic regions and in different host species, the ank gene was pcr amplified and sequenced from a variety of sources. these included 10 blood specimens from patients wit ...	2000	10921951
influence of saturation deficit and temperature on ixodes ricinus tick questing activity in a lyme borreliosis-endemic area (switzerland).	questing ixodes ricinus ticks were sampled monthly in a periurban mixed forest at neuchâtel, switzerland, in 1996, 1997, and 1998. a total of 5,530 i. ricinus nymphs and 1,385 adults were collected. the emergence of questing tick populations in spring varied among years in relation to the air temperature. the monthly variation in questing nymph density was negatively correlated with the saturation deficit; there was a strong decrease in tick numbers in late spring and summer as soon as the satur ...	2000	10935905
peculiarities of behaviour of taiga (ixodes persulcatus) and sheep (ixodes ricinus) ticks (acarina: ixodidae) determined by different methods.	a comparison of the behavioural peculiarities of ixodes persulcatus schulze, 1930 (north-western population, russia) and ixodes ricinus (l., 1758) from western russia and denmark was determined by using two methods. method 1 involved a sojourn of ticks on vertical plastic sticks and showed that the questing behaviour of i. ricinus nymphs was dependent on temperature and relative humidity (rh). a significantly greater number of nymphs quested at 22 degrees c and 100% rh than at 18 degrees c. when ...	2000	10945740
swiss army survey in switzerland to determine the prevalence of francisella tularensis, members of the ehrlichia phagocytophila genogroup, borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, and tick-borne encephalitis virus in ticks.	a total of 6071 ixodes ricinus ticks were collected on swiss army training grounds in five regions of switzerland. the aim of the survey was to assess the prevalence of ticks infected with the human pathogens francisella tularensis, members of the ehrlichia phagocytophila genogroup, borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, and the european tick-borne encephalitis virus. taqman pcr (pe biosystems, usa) and taqman rt-pcr (pe biosystems) analyses were performed on dna and rna extracted from pools of ten ti ...	2000	10947217
the wild hidden face of lyme borreliosis in europe.	lyme borreliosis is a zoonosis affecting humans in the northern hemisphere. the pathogen, borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (sl), persists in endemic areas through a maintenance cycle involving ticks and wild animals. the description of different genospecies associated with lyme borreliosis in europe has generated the question concerning the maintenance of these pathogens in nature: how do closely related bacterial species like b. burgdorferi sl circulate between one main tick species, ixodes rici ...	2000	10962275
potential foci of lyme borreliosis in towns.	in 1997 the presence of ticks ixodes ricinus infected with the agent of lyme borreliosis was detected on the vegetation of kosice urban agglomeration. the density of ticks on the vegetation of pericentral area islands of forest stands and neglected gardens was 2.4 times lower than that observed in a peripheral park forest. only sporadical findings of ticks were reported from the industrial central part of town with remnants of uncultivated vegetation. central parks and housing estates were actua ...	2000	10965444
ticks and tick-borne disease systems in space and from space.	analyses within geographical information systems (giss) indicate that small- and large-scale ranges of hard tick species (ixodidae) are determined more by climate and vegetation than by host-related factors. spatial distributions of ticks may therefore be analysed by statistical methods that seek correlations between known tick presence/absence and ground- or remotely-sensed (rs) environmental factors. in this way, local habitats of amblyomma variegatum in the caribbean and ixodes ricinus in eur ...	2000	10997208
characterization of a new spotted fever group rickettsia detected in ixodes ricinus (acari: ixodidae) collected in slovakia.	two previously undescribed rickettsiae were detected in ixodes ricinus ricketts by polymerase chain reaction. ixodes ricinus slovakia (irs) 3 and irs4 were identified in ticks collected in northeastern and southwestern slovakia, respectively. sequences of the 16s rrna citrate synthase (glta) and outer membrane protein rompa (ompa) encoding genes of both strains were nearly identical but were distinct from those of all other known rickettsiae. phylogenetic relationships inferred from the comparis ...	2000	11004782
[human granulocytic ehrlichiosis. new tick bite disease lies in wait also in german forests].	hge is an uncommon zoonosis, transmitted to humans by ticks (ixodes ricinus). heavily exposed persons, such as foresters and forestry workers, are most at risk of infection. hge usually runs an asymptomatic and self-limiting course. symptoms include acute pyrexial illness, frequently accompanied by muscle pain, headache, nausea and vomiting. treatment is with doxycycline/tetracycline or rifampicin. in a study in hesse of 128 heavily exposed subjects, 19.5% had serum antibodies (ifa test) against ...	2000	11006704
the ixodid tick species attaching to domestic dogs and cats in great britain and ireland.	the species of ixodid ticks, attached to dogs and cats presented to veterinary practices in great britain and ireland were identified. most host animals carried only one tick species with ixodes ricinus linné (acari: ixodidae) being the most common, identified on 52% of animals, ixodes hexagonus leach (acari: ixodidae) the second most common (on 39%) and ixodes canisuga johnston (acari: ixodidae) the third most common (on 11%). a significantly higher proportion of dogs than cats carried i. ricin ...	2000	11016442
a second allele of eppa in borrelia burgdorferi strain b31 is located on the previously undetected circular plasmid cp9-2.	although sequence analysis of borrelia burgdorferi isolate b31 was recently declared "complete," we found that cultures of this strain can contain a novel 9-kb circular plasmid, cp9-2. the newly described plasmid contains both sequence similarities with and differences from the previously identified b31 plasmid cp9-1 (formerly cp9). cp9-1 and cp9-2 each encode a unique allele of eppa, a putative membrane protein synthesized by b. burgdorferi during mammalian infection.	2000	11029452
[skin manifestations of lyme borreliosis in patients at the 1st dermato-venereologic clinic of comenius university medical school in bratislava 1996-1998].	60-70% of lyme borreliosis is formed by early manifestations, in particular erythema migrans (em). all vegetative forms of the tick ixodes ricinus (e.g. full grown tick, nymphae and larvae) transmit the causal organism, the spirochete borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto and borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (b. garinii, b. afzelii). the objective of the work was to evaluate clinical and epidemiological parameters and to contribute by testing and investigating in greater detail criteria to the early ...	2000	11040493
temporal risk assessment for lyme borreliosis in denmark.	the prevalence of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in ixodes ricinus nymphs in denmark was found to be approximately 5%. the mean abundance of infected nymphs varied from 0.3 to 4.4 per 100 m2 according to site. the seasonal occurrence of infected nymphs in a beech forest coincided with seasonal distribution of neuroborreliosis cases. in order to establish a working hypothesis, it was assumed that the availability of habitats and human habitat preferences is one of the factors leading to low numb ...	2000	11055661
spatial risk assessment for lyme borreliosis in denmark.	a study of nymphal and adult ixodes ricinus density was performed in well-defined spruce and beech forest habitats with different levels of roe deer abundance and soil water capacity. in 35 habitats, a total of 489 larvae, 1,611 nymphs and 193 adult i. ricinus ticks were collected. tick density was found to be influenced by roe deer abundance and soil water capacity. based on this evaluation, a model predicting increasing number of ticks with increasing roe deer abundance and soil water capacity ...	2000	11055662
pcr bias in ecological analysis: a case study for quantitative taq nuclease assays in analyses of microbial communities.	succession of ecotypes, physiologically diverse strains with negligible rrna sequence divergence, may explain the dominance of small, red-pigmented (phycoerythrin-rich) cyanobacteria in the autotrophic picoplankton of deep lakes (c. postius and a. ernst, arch. microbiol. 172:69-75, 1999). in order to test this hypothesis, it is necessary to determine the abundance of specific ecotypes or genotypes in a mixed background of phylogenetically similar organisms. in this study, we examined the perform ...	2000	11055948
molecular and pathogenic characterization of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato isolates from spain.	fifteen borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato isolates from questing ticks and skin biopsy specimens from erythema migrans patients in three different areas of spain were characterized. four different genospecies were found (nine borrelia garinii, including the two human isolates, three b. burgdorferi sensu stricto, two b. valaisiana, and one b. lusitaniae), showing a diverse spectrum of b. burgdorferi sensu lato species. b. garinii isolates were highly variable in terms of pulsed-field gel electropho ...	2000	11060064
granulocytic ehrlichiae in ixodes persulcatus ticks from an area in china where lyme disease is endemic.	a total of 372 adult ixodes persulcatus ticks were collected from vegetation in a forest area of heilongjiang province in northeastern china, where lyme disease is known to be endemic. the ticks were examined for the presence of granulocytic ehrlichiae by heminested pcr with primers derived from the 16s rrna gene. of 310 ticks obtained from the dahe forestry farm, two pools (each containing 5 ticks) were found positive, with a minimum infection rate of 0.6%. ehrlichial dna was also detected in o ...	2000	11060091
distribution and ecology of ticks (acari: ixodidae) infesting livestock in tunisia: an overview of eighth years field collections.	ticks (ixodidae) play a significant role as vectors of pathogens of domestic animals in tunisia. the major losses caused by ticks are related to transmission of protozoan parasites. these include agents of tropical theileriosis and babesiosis in ruminants. since 1991, we conducted research studies on tick population of livestock in tunisia. this overview reports a synthesis on tick distribution, their biology and their role as vectors of pathogens in domestic animals, particularly cattle. during ...	1999	11071534
general review of tick species present in portugal.	at present, 24 species are known to occur in portugal: argas vespertilionis, ornithodoros maritimus and ornithodoros erraticus in argasidae; ixodes acuminatus, ixodes bivari, ixodes canisuga, ixodes frontalis, ixodes hexagonus, ixodes ricinus, ixodes simplex simplex, ixodes ventalloi, ixodes vespertilionis, dermacentor marginatus, dermacentor pictus', haemaphysalis hispanica, haemaphysalis inermis, haemaphysalis punctata, rhipicephalus bursa, rhipicephalus pusillus, rhipicephalus sanguineus, rhi ...	1999	11071535
tick species infesting ruminants in italy: ecological and bio-climatic factors affecting the different regional distribution.	the distribution of tick species able to infest ruminants in italy is briefly reviewed on the basis of published records and new data obtained in several surveys carried out mainly in northern italy. the most frequent and abundant tick species found on ruminants throughout italy are ixodes ricinus and dermacentor marginatus, the first gradually replacing its association with sheep by the association with wild ruminants. rhipicephalus bursa was mainly found on cattle while r. turanicus, which is ...	1999	11071542
acarological studies in two protected areas of central italy.	in the present note are reported the results of preliminary studies on tick distribution in two wildlife areas of abruzzo (national park of abruzzo, a mountainous area, approximately 40,000 ha, in central apennines, interesting abruzzo, latium and molise regions) and latium (capocotta-castel porziano presidential reserve, on the tyrrhenian coast, 30 km from rome). sampling of ticks from domestic and wild mammals as well as from vegetation, was performed in three different areas of the national p ...	1999	11071544
babesia divergens in france: descriptive and analytical epidemiology.	babesia divergens cause of bovine babesiosis transmitted by ixodes ricinus, is widely spread especially in west, central and south-west parts of france. it occurs with two annual peaks, in spring and autumn. the study was carried out during a period of two years (1991-1993) in four farms in the sarthe area, in order to know the distribution and the ecology of i. ricinus, and to show the presence of b. divergens. cattle are parasitised as early as march essentially by adult ticks, according to a ...	1999	11071546
interleukin-10 modulates proinflammatory cytokines in the human monocytic cell line thp-1 stimulated with borrelia burgdorferi lipoproteins.	we determined previously that lipoproteins of borrelia burgdorferi stimulate inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-10 [il-10]) in monocytes. il-10 could have an effect on innate and acquired immune responses to b. burgdorferi and influence the magnitude of the infectious inoculum and disease outcome. to understand the mechanism(s) of il-10 action during early infection, when innate immunity expressed chiefly by skin macrophages is key, we investigated the effect of exogenous ...	2000	11083779
identification of 11 ph-regulated genes in borrelia burgdorferi localizing to linear plasmids.	when borrelia burgdorferi is transmitted from the tick vector to the mammalian host, the bacterium experiences alterations in its environment, such as changes in temperature and ph. previously, we observed numerous alterations in the membrane protein profile when b. burgdorferi b31 was grown at ph 7.0 compared to ph 8.0. here we identify 11 genes localizing to linear plasmids that are up-regulated at ph 7.0 relative to ph 8.0 in vitro. seven genes (bba03, bba24, bba64, bba66, bbe31, bbj41/bbi39 ...	2000	11083781
early induction of gamma interferon and interleukin-10 production in draining lymph nodes from mice infected with borrelia burgdorferi.	lymph node (ln) cells from c3h/hej mice (lyme disease susceptible) infected for 1 week with borrelia burgdorferi strain jd1 produced higher levels of gamma interferon (ifn-gamma) when stimulated in vitro with b. burgdorferi spirochetes than equivalent cells from b. burgdorferi-infected c57bl/6j mice (disease resistant). the interleukin-10 (il-10) levels were comparable in the two strains, whereas the il-4 levels were below detection limits. b. burgdorferi-stimulated ln cells from c57bl/6j mice p ...	2000	11083848
seasonal synchrony: the key to tick-borne encephalitis foci identified by satellite data.	a previous analysis of tick infestation patterns on rodents in slovakia suggested that the key to the focal distribution of western-type tick-borne encephalitis virus (tbev) in europe is the geographically variable degree of synchrony in the seasonal activity of larval and nymphal ixodes ricinus ticks. this prediction is here tested by examining records, from 7 different countries, of the seasonal variation in the abundance of larvae and nymphs feeding on rodents or questing on the vegetation. l ...	2000	11085221
relative incompetence of european rabbits for lyme disease spirochaetes.	to determine whether rabbits may serve as reservoir hosts for lyme disease spirochaetes in europe, we compared their competence as hosts for borrelia afzelii, one of the most prevalent european spirochaetal variants, with that of the mongolian jird. to infect rabbits or jirds, at least 3 nymphal or adult ixodes ricinus ticks infected with spirochaetes fed to repletion on each animal. whereas jirds readily acquired tick-borne lyme disease spirochaetes and subsequently infected vector ticks, rabbi ...	2000	11085249
detection of three genospecies of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in ixodes ricinus ticks collected in different regions of poland.	ixodes ricinus ticks, collected in 1996-1998 in different polish woodlands, were examined to assess the frequency of the occurrence of lyme borreliosis-associated genospecies. a total of 568 samples of individual adults and 162 samples of individual (n =48) and pooled (of 2 to 7) samples of nymphs were analysed by the polymerase chain reaction (pcr) for borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato. spirochetes were detected in 130 adult ticks (22.9%) and in a minimum of 32 (5.3%) nymphs. further identificati ...	2000	11100831