Publications

mating strategies and spermiogenesis in ixodid ticks.	mate-seeking and sperm-transfer in the ixodid hard ticks, which include important vectors of zoonotic pathogens, generally reflect their peculiarly prolonged pattern of feeding. the metastriate ticks, including dermacentor, amblyomma, and rhipicephalus, invariably attain sexual maturity and mate solely on their hosts. the more primitive prostriate ixodes ticks, however, may copulate both in the absence of hosts and while the female engorges. these expanded opportunities for insemination complica ...	2001	11112167
tick salivary gland extract inhibits killing of borrelia afzelii spirochetes by mouse macrophages.	salivary gland extract (sge) from ixodes ricinus ticks inhibited the killing of borrelia afzelii spirochetes by murine macrophages. sge also reduced the production of two major defense molecules of phagocytes, superoxide and nitric oxide. it is likely that the suppression of macrophage microbicidal mechanisms contributes to the inhibitory effect of tick saliva on the killing of b. afzelii spirochetes, thus facilitating the transmission of this important pathogen.	2001	11119556
immune response induced by airway sensitization after influenza a virus infection depends on timing of antigen exposure in mice.	to study which phase of viral infection promotes antigen sensitization via the airway and which type of antigen-presenting cells contributes to antigen sensitization, balb/c mice were sensitized by inhalation of ovalbumin (oa) during the acute phase or the recovery phase of influenza a virus infection, and then 3 weeks later animals were challenged with oa. the numbers of eosinophils and lymphocytes, the amounts of interleukin-4 (il-4) and il-5 in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, and the serum ...	2001	11119618
detection and identification of eight trichinella genotypes by reverse line blot hybridization.	a reverse line blot (rlb) assay was developed to identify different trichinella genotypes. the rlb assay accomplishes detection and specific identification of the different trichinella genotypes and relies on hybridization of the amplified 5s ribosomal dna intergenic spacer regions to specific, membrane-bound oligonucleotide probes. after one single amplification, we were able to detect and genetically identify six sibling species, i.e., t. spiralis, t. britovi, t. nativa, t. murrelli, t. nelson ...	2001	11158122
modulation of cytokine release in ex vivo-stimulated blood from borreliosis patients.	in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated blood from 71 late-stage borreliosis patients, the ex vivo cytokine release capacity of tumor necrosis factor alpha (tnf-alpha) and gamma interferon (ifn-gamma) was reduced to 28% +/- 5% and to 31% +/- 5% (p < or = 0.001), respectively, compared to that of 24 healthy controls. white blood cell counts were normal in both groups. to investigate direct interactions between the pathogen and the immune cells, blood from healthy controls was exposed in vitro to live or ...	2001	11159956
feeding of hard ticks in vitro: new perspectives for rearing and for the identification of systemic acaricides.	experiments on in vitro feeding of the hard ticks ixodes ricinus, boophilus microplus, amblyomma variegatum and amblyomma hebraeum are described. an in vitro test for systemic acaricides is presented. work started with a feeding chamber continuously supplied with new blood. it proved too susceptible to fungal contamination and not efficient enough. simple feeding units made of honey jars with an inner glass tube were far more practical. reinforced silicone membrances or baudruche membrances impr ...	1996	11178446
lyme disease.	lyme borreliosis, the most common vector-borne disease in the northern hemisphere, is caused by bacteria belonging to the borrelia burgdorferi complex. the disease is multisystemic, affecting mainly the skin, nervous system, heart and joints. in europe, the vector of the disease is the tick ixodes ricinus, whereas in the united states of america, two primary tick vectors exist, namely: i. scapularis in the north-eastern and mid-western regions and i. pacificus on the west coast. several species ...	2000	11189709
[skin manifestations of lyme borreliosis--occurrence, diagnosis, therapy].	eight genotypes of borrelia burgdorferi are known currently. in slovakia (carpathian euroregion) the most frequent genotypes are b. garini, b. afzelii, as well as b. valaisiana and b. lusitaniae. infestation of the vector ixodes ricinus is 3-30%. the most frequent early skin manifestation is erythema migrans (60-70%). borrelia burgdorferi is suggested to be the causative agent in sclerodermia circumscripta, lichen sclerosus et atrophicus, maybe also in urticaria chronica, granuloma anulare, eryt ...	2000	11218959
host seeking activity of ixodes ricinus ticks based on daily consecutive flagging samples.	the seasonality of i. ricinus was studied by three daily consecutive flaggings in four sites situated in an ecotone between a spruce forest and a peaty meadow, a spruce forest, a beech forest and a dense spruce forest. first day flagging samples represent the most commonly used method for description of tick seasonality. since two consecutive flaggings remove ticks in the vegetation, third day flagging samples represent the number of ticks ascending into the vegetation, which was interpreted as ...	2000	11227827
testosterone depresses innate and acquired resistance to ticks in natural rodent hosts: a force for aggregated distributions of parasites.	the effects of testosterone on acquired resistance to ticks, ixodes ricinus, in their natural rodent hosts (voles, clethrionomys glareolus, and wood-mice, apodemus sylvaticus) were investigated by manipulating testosterone levels and exposing the hosts to repeated tick infestations. testosterone reduced both innate and acquired resistance to tick feeding. during primary infestations, attachment rates were higher on rodents with high testosterone levels than on oil-implanted controls. successive ...	2001	11227902
age structure of a population of ixodes ricinus (acari: ixodidae) in relation to its seasonal questing.	three sites in south west scotland, each having one deciduous and one coniferous woodland with populations of roe deer, were sampled over three years for ixodes ricinus linnaeus ticks using cloth drags. nymphs and adult ticks were age graded by dissection of gut and malpighian tubules and staining for lipid with sudan red. temperature and relative humidity were recorded in developmental and questing microclimates. two annual cohorts of both nymphs and adults were found. for both instars one coho ...	2001	11228590
dogs as sentinels for human lyme borreliosis in the netherlands.	serum samples from hunters (n = 440), their hunting dogs (n = 448), and hunters without dog ownership (n = 53) were collected in the netherlands at hunting dog trials and were tested for antibodies against borrelia burgdorferi by a whole-cell enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. additionally, 75 healthy pet dogs were tested. the results of this study indicate that the seroprevalence among hunting dogs (18%) was of the same order as the seroprevalence among pet dogs (17%) and hunters (15%). the ser ...	2001	11230393
rapid typing of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato species in specimens from patients with different manifestations of lyme borreliosis.	to further investigate the pathogenic potential of different borrelia burgdorferi genospecies, specimens from 27 patients with different manifestations of lyme borreliosis were analyzed by pcr and reverse line blotting (rlb). in samples from lyme arthritis patients, b. burgdorferi sensu stricto was predominantly identified, while in patients with neuroborreliosis or acrodermatitis, borrelia garinii and borrelia afzelii, respectively, were exclusively detected. the results demonstrate that pcr-rl ...	2001	11230440
transmission of borrelia garinii ospa serotype 4 to balb/c mice by ixodes ricinus ticks collected in the field.	in europe, borrelia garinii ospa serotype 4 has been isolated from the cerebrospinal fluid of patients but, up to now, has never been identified among culture isolates from ixodes ricinus ticks. this information raises the question of whether ospa serotype 4 is transmitted by i. ricinus in nature. in the present study, i. ricinus nymphs collected in an area of endemicity in southern germany were allowed to feed on mice. cultivation of ear biopsy specimens showed that six of seven b. garinii-infe ...	2001	11230451
[analysis of the incidence of tularemia in the breclav district 1994-1999].	southern moravia is one of the areas where there are long-term natural foci of tularaemia. in 1994 in the breclav district an exacerbation of the disease was recorded in hares. during autumn hunts a positive reaction was recorded in 5.75% of examined hares. an elevated seropositivity persisted also in subsequent years and at the same time a higher human morbidity in the mentioned region. the objective of the investigation was to assess the causes and circumstances which led to the exacerbation o ...	2001	11233673
tick-bite-induced anaphylaxis in spain.	although there are very few reports of human anaphylaxis induced by tick bites, two such cases have recently been seen in salamanca, spain. to identify the tick species responsible, salivary-gland extracts from six species of hard tick and two of soft tick were prepared and used as allergens/antigens in skin-prick tests and serological analyses. for each case, the results of the skin tests were positive for several species of hard tick but negative for the soft ticks. elisa and western blots rev ...	2001	11235559
specificities and sensitivities of four monoclonal antibodies for typing of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato isolates.	borrelia burgdorferi, the agent of lyme borreliosis, is genetically more heterogeneous than previously thought. in europe five genospecies have been described from the original b. burgdorferi sensu lato (sl): b. burgdorferi sensu stricto (ss), b. garinii, b. afzelii, b. lusitaniae, and b. valaisiana. in the united states, b. burgdorferi ss as well as b. bissettii in california and b. andersonii on the east coast were differentiated. in asia, b. japonica has been identified along, with b. garinii ...	2001	11238225
th2 polarization of the immune response of balb/c mice to ixodes ricinus instars, importance of several antigens in activation of specific th2 subpopulations.	balb/c mice were infested with ixodes ricinus larvae, nymphs or adults. expression of il-4 and ifn-gamma mrna in axillary and brachial draining lymph node cells were measured by competitive quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction 9 days after the beginning of primary-infestation. il-4 mrna was always higher than that of ifn-gamma mrna for all tick instars. moreover, il-4 mrna expression progressively increased during nymphal primary-infestation with a high burst of expressio ...	2001	11240897
dna vaccines expressing a fusion product of outer surface proteins a and c from borrelia burgdorferi induce protective antibodies suitable for prophylaxis but not for resolution of lyme disease.	dna vaccines encoding the outer surface protein a (ospa) of borrelia burgdorferi have been shown to induce protective humoral responses capable of preventing but not curing infection in mice. subsequent studies showed that an established infection or disease could be resolved by passive transfer of antibodies to ospc. in the present study, dna vaccines encoding either the ospc antigen alone or fused to ospa and under the transcriptional control of the human elongation factor 1alpha promoter were ...	2001	11254567
borrelia burgdorferi proteins whose expression is similarly affected by culture temperature and ph.	previously, we had demonstrated the upregulation in the expression of several proteins, including the lipoproteins ospc and p35, of borrelia burgdorferi in the stationary growth phase. since the expression of ospc is also known to be affected by culture temperature and ph, we examined the effects of both variables on the expression of the remaining stationary-phase-upregulated proteins. our study revealed that the expression of each of the remaining stationary-phase-upregulated proteins, p35 inc ...	2001	11254645
evidence of involvement of the mannose receptor in adhesion of borrelia burgdorferi to monocyte/macrophages.	the mannose receptor (mr) plays an important role in the recognition of some pathogens in nonopsonic phagocytosis and in antigen presentation to t cells. we found that borrelia burgdorferi, the agent of lyme borreliosis, adheres to monocyte-derived macrophages and to rat mr-transfected cells but not to untransfected cells. antibodies to mr and sugars such as mannose, mannan, fucose, and some lectins significantly lowered the adhesion, confirming participation of the mr in the binding.	2001	11254646
ehrlichiosis in a moose calf in norway.	a case of granulocytic ehrlichiosis in a moose calf (alces alces) in norway is described. the animal was heavily infested with ticks (ixodes ricinus), and died from a klebsiella pneumoniae septicemia. examination of blood smears from the calf revealed cytoplasmic inclusions (morulae) typical of infection with ehrlichia phagocytophila in the granulocytes. ehrlichia sp. was detected by polymerase chain reaction (pcr) in blood from the calf, and in the ticks. sequence determination identified it as ...	2001	11272499
[molecular tools in the epidemiology of tick-borne bacterial diseases].	molecular tools have been used to detect rickettsiae in ticks. in ixodes ricinus ticks collected in france, we detected for the first time there an emerging pathogen, rickettsia helvetica, and an ehrlichia sp, closely related to the agent of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis. in guadeloupe (french west indies), we described the occurrence of african tick-bite fever due to rickettsia africae, which had been previously reported in sub-saharan africa only. in africa, we completed our knowledge about ...	2001	11282521
molecular evidence of bartonella spp. in questing adult ixodes pacificus ticks in california.	ticks are the vectors of many zoonotic diseases in the united states, including lyme disease, human monocytic and granulocytic ehrlichioses, and rocky mountain spotted fever. most known bartonella species are arthropod borne. therefore, it is important to determine if some bartonella species, which are emerging pathogens, could be carried or transmitted by ticks. in this study, adult ixodes pacificus ticks were collected by flagging vegetation in three sites in santa clara county, calif. pcr-res ...	2001	11283031
characterization of lyme borreliosis isolates from patients with erythema migrans and neuroborreliosis in southern sweden.	southern sweden is an area of lyme borreliosis (lb) endemicity, with an incidence of 69 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. the most frequent clinical manifestations are erythema migrans (77%) and neuroborreliosis (16%). there was no record of human borrelia strains being isolated from patients in this region before the prospective study reported here. borrelia spirochetes were isolated from skin and cerebrospinal fluid (csf) from lb patients living in the region. a total of 39 strains were character ...	2001	11283044
prevalence of tick-borne encephalitis virus in ixodes ricinus ticks in finland.	approximately 20 cases of tick-borne encephalitis (tbe) occur annually in finland. the known endemic areas are situated mainly in the archipelago and coastal regions of finland, with highest incidence in aland islands. ixodes ricinus panels collected in 1996-1997 from two endemic areas were screened for the presence of rna. two distinct rt-pcr methods were applied, and were shown to have an approximate detection limit of 10 focus forming doses (ffd)/100 microl. one out of 20 pools (a total of 13 ...	2001	11285564
c-terminal invariable domain of vlse is immunodominant but its antigenicity is scarcely conserved among strains of lyme disease spirochetes.	vlse, the variable surface antigen of borrelia burgdorferi, contains two invariable domains located at the amino and carboxyl terminal ends, respectively, and a central variable domain. in this study, both immunogenicity and antigenic conservation of the c-terminal invariable domain were assessed. mouse antiserum to a 51-mer synthetic peptide (ct) which reproduced the entire sequence of the c-terminal invariable domain of vlse from b. burgdorferi strain b31 was reacted on immunoblots with whole- ...	2001	11292744
risk factors in habitats of the tick ixodes ricinus influencing human exposure to ehrlichia phagocytophila bacteria.	ixodes ricinus l. (acari: ixodida) were sampled during 1996-99 in southern scotland, on vegetation using cloth drags, on humans by removal from clothing and on roe deer (capreolus capreolus l.) by searching legs of culled deer. developmental microclimate was recorded by automatic recorders and questing microclimate by portable instruments during tick collections. ticks and deer were examined for infection with ehrlichia phagocytophila bacteria (rickettsiales) using microscopy and polymerase chai ...	2001	11297100
[use of polymerase chain reaction (pcr) for detection of tick borrelia burgdorferi sensulato in screening studies].	within the last few years, the incidence of lyme disease has rapidly increased in europe, with the causative agent of the disease is borrelia burgdorferi--a spirochete. in poland, lyme borreliosis is being identified, mainly, based on the clinical symptoms, epidemiological anamnesis, and serological tests. on the other hand, it is evident from the foreign publications, that in many cases representing different phases of lyme disease, a reliable and totally accurate identification tool of borreli ...	2000	11339014
complement evasion by borrelia burgdorferi: serum-resistant strains promote c3b inactivation.	the most characteristic features of the lyme disease pathogens, the borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) group, are their ability to invade tissues and to circumvent the immune defenses of the host for extended periods of time, despite elevated levels of borrelia-specific antibodies in serum and other body fluids. our aim in the present study was to determine whether b. burgdorferi is able to interfere with complement (c) at the level of c3 by accelerating c3b inactivation and thus to inhibit ...	2001	11349031
gamma interferon is not required for arthritis resistance in the murine lyme disease model.	lyme arthritis is the most common complication following infection of human individuals with borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto. in mice, b. burgdorferi infection leads to arthritis of the tibiotarsal joints. arthritis severity in mice is under host genetic control, as balb/c mice developed mild arthritis but c3h/he mice developed severe disease following b. burgdorferi infection. to study the role of gamma interferon (ifn-gamma) in arthritogenesis, targeted mutant mice lacking the ifn-gamma rec ...	2001	11349038
distinct regulatory pathways control expression of borrelia burgdorferi infection-associated ospc and erp surface proteins.	deciphering the mechanisms by which borrelia burgdorferi controls the synthesis of proteins associated with mammalian infection will be an important step toward understanding the pathogenic properties of lyme disease-causing bacteria. we present results of studies indicating that b. burgdorferi senses a wide variety of environmental stimuli, including soluble chemicals, which enables it to independently control synthesis of the erp and ospc proteins. regulation of ospc and erp expression appears ...	2001	11349090
temporal distribution of the annual nymphal stock of ixodes ricinus ticks.	the human risk of contracting lyme disease or other tick borne diseases transmitted by the tick species ixodes ricinus is broadly linked to the tick nymph density. the study was performed in rambouillet forest (yvelines, france), a known focus of lyme borreliosis, from january 1997 to december 1999. we used a nymph sampling methodology which permitted us to obtain a monthly nymph density index (from 0 to 5). studying the seasonal nymph and larval activity patterns and estimating the larval devel ...	2000	11354621
distribution, abundance, and habitat preferences of ixodes ricinus (acari: ixodidae) in northern spain.	ixodes ricinus (l.) was collected by standard dragging in 2,082 different sites in 18 broad vegetation categories in northern spain to explore the influence of vegetation on its abundance. of these, 785 sites were surveyed in 1995, 636 in 1996, and 661 in 1997. the impact of habitat features on differences in tick numbers is addressed. the tick was present in low numbers in areas of old, heterogeneous coniferous forests. ticks appeared to prefer sites that had substantial secondary plant growth ...	2001	11372959
identification of ehrlichia spp. and borrelia burgdorferi in ixodes ticks in the baltic regions of russia.	the presence and distribution of ehrlichia spp. and borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato was demonstrated among ixodid ticks collected in the baltic regions of russia, where lyme borreliosis is endemic. a total of 3,426 ixodes ricinus and 1,267 ixodes persulcatus specimens were collected, and dark-field microscopy showed that 265 (11.5%) i. ricinus and 333 (26.3%) i. persulcatus ticks were positive. from these samples, 472 dark-field-positive and 159 dark-field-negative ticks were subjected to pcr an ...	2001	11376063
isolation and characterization of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato strains in an area of italy where lyme borreliosis is endemic.	between 1993 and 1998, we isolated borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato from 55 of the 119 patients with clinically diagnosed lyme borreliosis who were admitted to "san martino" hospital in belluno, veneto, an adriatic region in northeastern italy where lyme borreliosis is endemic. upon hospitalization, all patients presented erythema migrans. isolates were typed using ribosomal dna pcr-restriction fragment length polymorphism (rflp) analysis of the rrfa-rrlb intergenic spacer. of the 41 isolates typ ...	2001	11376066
visualization of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato by fluorescence in situ hybridization (fish) on whole-body sections of ixodes ricinus ticks and gerbil skin biopsies.	the objective of this study was to visualize borreliae directly in whole-body sections of ixodes ricinus by fluorescence in situ hybridization (fish). borrelia afzelii mono-infected or borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto (ss)/b. afzelii double-infected nymphs were fixed, embedded in cold polymerizing resin and sectioned. the same sample processing was applied to skin biopsies taken from a mongolian gerbil after an infectious tick-bite. fish was carried out using 16s-rrna-directed, fluorescence-la ...	2001	11390674
analysis of aggregation, a worked example: numbers of ticks on red grouse chicks.	the statistical aggregation of parasites among hosts is often described empirically by the negative binomial (poisson-gamma) distribution. alternatively, the poisson-lognormal model can be used. this has the advantage that it can be fitted as a generalized linear mixed model, thereby quantifying the sources of aggregation in terms of both fixed and random effects. we give a worked example, assigning aggregation in the distribution of sheep ticks ixodes ricinus on red grouse lagopus lagopus scoti ...	2001	11393830
sensitive detection of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato dna and differentiation of borrelia species by lightcycler pcr.	in order to differentiate species within the borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex, lightcyler pcr and melting-curve analysis of the amplicons of two genes with intraspecies variability, the p66 gene and the reca gene, were performed. it was demonstrated that nested lightcycler pcr amplification of p66 is more sensitive in the detection of borrelia dna than amplification of the reca gene. b. burgdorferi sensu stricto could be differentiated from borrelia garinii and borrelia afzelii by melting ...	2001	11427590
[diagnostic image(44). sheep tick (ixodes ricinus)].	a thoracic skin tag was removed in a woman aged 69 years. macroscopical and microscopical examination revealed a castor bean tick (ixodes ricinus).	2001	11455691
variation in the level of grain defect light flecks and spots on cattle hides.	the occurrence of hide damage light flecks and spots was determined on tanned hides from 28 herds during a period of 8 to 12 months. light flecks and spots are described as small areas of grain loss up to 3 mm in diameter that are seen on dyed crust cattle leather. damage was found on 75.8% of all hides. the neck and shoulders were the anatomical region with the highest prevalence of damage. sixty-eight per cent of all hides had light flecks and spots in this region. the forelimbs and dewlap wer ...	2001	11455905
the effect of eradication of lice on the occurrence of the grain defect light flecks and spots on cattle hides.	the influence of an eradication programme for lice on the prevalence of light flecks and spots on cattle hides was studied in 33 dairy cattle herds during a period of two and a half years. lice were eradicated from the main group of herds after 9 to 12 months and the quality of the hides before and after treatment was compared. hides from slaughtered animals were collected during the study period, tanned and examined with special emphasis on the occurrence of the grain damage light flecks and sp ...	2001	11455906
evidence of ehrlichiosis agents found in ticks (acari: ixodidae) collected from migratory birds.	two ehrlichia pathogens were found in immature ixodes ricinus (l.) ticks collected from migratory passerine birds in the curonian spit area of the baltic region of russia (kaliningrad enclave). during the spring and fall of 2000, 1,606 passerine birds (eight species) were collected; 6.8% of them (110/1,606) were infested by ticks, and 51.8% (57/110) of tick clusters contained various human pathogenic microorganisms. human monocytic ehrlichiosis (hme) and human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (hge) age ...	2001	11476325
granulocytic ehrlichiosis in a roe deer calf in norway.	a case of granulocytic ehrlichiosis is described in a roe deer (capreolus capreolus) calf from norway. the calf was heavily infested with ixodes ricinus and died from escherichia coli septicemia. granulocytic ehrlichia sp. was detected by polymerase chain reaction (pcr) from several organs and sequence determination identified a variant of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (hge) agent. this is the first report of a possible clinical granulocytic ehrlichia sp. infection in a roe deer.	2001	11504236
detection of haemoparasites in cattle by reverse line blot hybridisation with a note on the distribution of ticks in sicily.	a reverse line blot hybridisation (rlb) of 21 oligonucleotides with polymerase chain reaction (pcr) amplified regions of 16s rrna (ehrlichia/anaplasma group) or 18s rrna (babesia/theileria group) genes of haemoparasites detected theileria annulata, t. buffeli/orientalis, babesia bovis, b. bigemina, b. divergens, ehrlichia bovis, anaplasma marginale, a. centrale and unknown species within the rickettsia tribe.a very high prevalence of mixed infections was detected, which indicated that animals in ...	2001	11511414
high prevalence of borrelia lusitaniae in ixodes ricinus ticks in tunisia.	to investigate whether ticks of the genus ixodes are infected by borrelia burgdorferi complex, 490 unfed ixodes ricinus ticks were collected by flagging in three different areas of tunisia in 1998. dnas extracted from 81 adults, 60 nymphs and 38 larvae were analysed after genic amplification of the non-coding spacer between the two copies of the rrl-rrf genes of b. burgdorferi sl. the prevalence of b. burgdorferi sl. in adults, nymphs and larvae was found to be 34, 33.3 and 2.6%, respectively. a ...	2001	11523576
diversity of babesia infecting european sheep ticks (ixodes ricinus).	questing ixodes ricinus (acari: ixodidae) adult and nymphal ticks collected in various parts of slovenia were tested for the presence of babesial parasites with a pcr assay based on the nuclear small subunit rrna gene (nss-ribosomal dna [rdna]). thirteen of 135 ticks were found to contain babesial dna. sequence determination and analysis of amplified portions of nss-rdna revealed their identity with babesia microti and a high degree of homology with babesia odocoilei and babesia divergens. the r ...	2001	11526189
clinical and serological follow-up of patients with human granulocytic ehrlichiosis in slovenia.	an evaluation of the clinical outcome and the duration of the antibody response of patients with human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (hge) was undertaken in slovenia. adult patients with a febrile illness occurring within 6 weeks of a tick bite were classified as having probable or confirmed hge based on the outcome of serological or pcr testing. thirty patients (median age, 44 years) were enrolled, and clinical evaluations and serum collection were undertaken at initial presentation and at 14 days, ...	2001	11527800
genetics and regulation of chitobiose utilization in borrelia burgdorferi.	borrelia burgdorferi spends a significant proportion of its life cycle within an ixodid tick, which has a cuticle containing chitin, a polymer of n-acetylglucosamine (glcnac). the b. burgdorferi cela, celb, and celc genes encode products homologous to transporters for cellobiose and chitobiose (the dimer subunit of chitin) in other bacteria, which could be useful for bacterial nutrient acquisition during growth within ticks. we found that chitobiose efficiently substituted for glcnac during bact ...	2001	11544216
[the first isolation of borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto in russia].	18 borrelia isolates obtained from adult ticks of the ixodes ricinus species, collected from different plants in april 2000 in the khostinsk region of the krasnodar territory in the vicinity of the health resort of matsesta not far from sochi, were identified by means of pcr and the analysis of polymorphism of the restriction fragments of ribosomal rrf-rrl spacer amplicon. among them, in addition to borrelia species, found in russia earlier (b. garinii, b. afzelii, b. valaisiana and b. lusitania ...	2001	11569242
distinct combinations of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato genospecies found in individual questing ticks from europe.	the genetic diversity of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato was assessed in individual adult ixodes ricinus ticks from europe by direct pcr amplification of spirochetal dna followed by genospecies-specific hybridization. analysis of mixed infections in the ticks showed that b. garinii and b. valaisiana segregate from b. afzelii. this and previous findings suggest that host complement interacts with spirochetes in the tick, thereby playing an important role in the ecology of lyme borreliosis.	2001	11571205
aortic valve endocarditis in a dog due to bartonella clarridgeiae.	we report the first documented case of endocarditis associated with bartonella clarridgeiae in any species. b. clarridgeiae was identified as a possible etiological agent of human cat scratch disease. infective vegetative valvular aortic endocarditis was diagnosed in a 2.5-year-old male neutered boxer. historically, the dog had been diagnosed with a systolic murmur at 16 months of age and underwent balloon valvuloplasty for severe valvular aortic stenosis. six months later, the dog was brought t ...	2001	11574571
borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and ehrlichia spp. in ixodes ticks from southern norway.	we report the results of a study of the prevalence of ehrlichia and borrelia species in 341 questing ixodes ricinus ticks from two locations in southern norway. the prevalences of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and ehrlichia spp. were, respectively, 16 and 11.5% at site 1 and 17 and 6% at site 2. prevalence and species composition of borrelia and ehrlichia varied with location and date of collection. the dominant borrelia species at both sites was borrelia afzelii, followed by borrelia burgdorf ...	2001	11574588
tick-borne encephalitis virus in northern italy: molecular analysis, relationships with density and seasonal dynamics of ixodes ricinus.	ixodes ricinus ticks were collected from dragging vegetation and from shot roe deer in the province of trento and belluno in northern italy. ticks were pooled for analyses and from 1060 pools of ticks collected in the province of belluno and 12390 tick samples collected in trentino, four proved positive by immunofluorescence microscopy using a tick-borne encephalitis (tbe)-specific antiserum. the identity of the virus isolates was determined by rt-pcr cycle sequencing and they were all found to ...	2001	11583449
the world of smoke, mirrors and climate change.		0	11587944
anti-interleukin-8 activity of tick salivary gland extracts.	interleukin-8 (il-8) is one of many mammalian chemokines (chemotactic cytokines) that direct mammalian inflammatory and immune cells to sites of injury and infection. chemokines are produced locally and act on leucocytes through selective receptors. the principal role of il-8 is to control the movement and activity of neutrophils. to date, several tick species have been shown to modulate the production or activity of certain cytokines but none of these are chemokines. using an il-8 specific elis ...	2001	11589777
analysis of borrelia burgdorferi vlse gene expression and recombination in the tick vector.	expression and recombination of the antigenic variation vlse gene of the lyme disease spirochete borrelia burgdorferi were analyzed in the tick vector. to assess vlse expression, ixodes scapularis nymphs infected with the b. burgdorferi strain b31 were fed on mice for 48 or 96 h or to repletion and then crushed and acetone fixed either immediately thereafter (ticks collected at the two earlier time points) or 4 days after repletion. unfed nymphs also were examined. at all of the time points inve ...	2001	11598084
lyme disease borrelia spp. in ticks and rodents from northwestern china.	in may 1999, field surveys of lyme disease spirochetes were conducted around the tianshan mountains in xinjiang uygur autonomous region in northwestern people's republic of china. ixodes persulcatus ticks were obtained in a tianchi lake valley with primary forest, while the tick fauna was poor in the semidesert or at higher altitudes in this region. species identities were confirmed by molecular analysis in which an internal transcribed spacer sequence was used. of 55 adult ticks, 22 (40%) were ...	2001	11679340
recombinant flagellin a proteins from borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, b. afzelii, and b. garinii in serodiagnosis of lyme borreliosis.	genes for flagellin a (flaa) proteins from european borrelial strains of borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, b. afzelii, and b. garinii were cloned and sequenced. an identity of 92 to 93% was observed in the flaa sequences of the different species. polyhistidine-tagged recombinant flaa (rflaa) proteins were produced in escherichia coli and used as antigens in western blotting (wb) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (elisa). in immunoglobulin g (igg) wb, 71% (10 of 14) of the sera from neurobo ...	2001	11682523
use of quantitative pcr to measure density of borrelia burgdorferi in the midgut and salivary glands of feeding tick vectors.	quantitative real-time pcr was used to assay spirochetes in feeding ticks. spirochetes in tick midguts increased sixfold, from 998 per tick before attachment to 5,884 at 48 h of attachment. spirochetes in tick salivary glands increased >17-fold, from 1.2 per salivary gland pair before feeding to 20.8 at 72 h postattachment. the period of the most rapid increase in the number of spirochetes in the salivary glands occurred from 48 to 60 h postattachment; this time period coincides with the maximal ...	2001	11682544
high prevalence of granulocytic ehrlichiae and borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in ixodes ricinus ticks from bulgaria.	bulgarian ixodes ricinus ticks were examined for ehrlichia and borrelia coinfection: 34 and 32% of adult ticks and at least 2 and 10% of nymphs were positive for these infections, respectively. coinfections and dual or triple borrelia infections were frequent, although ehrlichia phagocytophila heterogeneity was minimal. multiple tick-borne bacteria coexist in i. ricinus ticks in southeastern europe.	2001	11682552
presence of granulocytic ehrlichia in ticks and serological evidence of human infection in la rioja, spain.	in order to estimate the risks of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (hge) in an endemic area for lyme disease in the north of spain (la rioja), we collected and investigated by pcr specific to the e. phagocytophila group dna, a total of 6870 ixodes ricinus ticks. we also used an indirect immunofluorescence (ifi) test to study the presence of antibodies to the hge agent in 147 human serum samples including patients with lyme disease (ld), forestry workers, and persons with history of previous tick ...	2001	11693514
antigenic profile of ixodes ricinus: effect of developmental stage, feeding time and the response of different host species.	antigens recognized by host species in response to ectoparasite infestation have been widely reported. although differences in the immune responses of different host species have been described, only a very few of these studies compare the range of antigens recognized by different host species in response to infestation. we used western blot analysis to investigate antigenic responses of different host species that were repeatedly infested with ixodes ricinus ticks. antigenic profiles of larval ...	2001	11696166
comparison of virulence of coxiella burnetii isolates from bovine milk and from ticks.	laboratory animals (mice and guinea pigs) were infected with the isolates of coxiella burnetii (derrick, 1939) obtained from bovine milk (m18 and m35) and the ticks ixodes ricinus (linnaeus, 1758) and dermacentor marginatus (sulzer, 1776) (kl3 and kl6, respectively), and with the reference strain nine mile. neither mortality nor lethality occurred with the mice. antibody response in mice infected with isolates from milk was lower (1:16-512) than that from ticks (1:32-4096). onset of seropositivi ...	2001	11699660
further characterization of complement regulator-acquiring surface proteins of borrelia burgdorferi.	the three genospecies borrelia burgdorferi, borrelia garinii, and borrelia afzelii, all causative agents of lyme disease, differ in their susceptibilities to human complement-mediated lysis. we recently reported that serum resistance of borrelias correlates largely with their ability to bind the human complement regulators fhl-1/reconectin and factor h. to date, two complement regulator-acquiring-proteins (crasp-1 and crasp-2) have been identified in serum-resistant b. afzelii isolates (p. kraic ...	2001	11705962
human babesiosis in japan: epizootiologic survey of rodent reservoir and isolation of new type of babesia microti-like parasite.	we have carried out epizootiologic surveys at various sites in japan to investigate wild animals that serve as reservoirs for the agents of human babesiosis in the country. small mammals comprising six species, apodemus speciosus, apodemus argenteus, clethrionomys rufocanus, eothenomys smithii, crocidura dsinezumi, and sorex unguiculatus, were trapped at various places, including hokkaido, chiba, shiga, hyogo, shimane, and tokushima prefectures. animals harboring babesia microti-like parasites w ...	2001	11724838
characterization of tick-borne encephalitis virus from latvia: evidence for co-circulation of three distinct subtypes.	viruses of the tick-borne encephalitis (tbe) antigenic complex within the family flaviviridae cause a variety of diseases, including uncomplicated febrile illness, meningoencephalitis, and hemorrhagic fever. different domesticated animals or wildlife species often act as reservoir hosts and ixodid ticks serve as vectors. although tbe is a serious problem in latvia, the knowledge concerning tbe virus (tbev) strains circulating in the country is most limited. only two strains (latvia-1-96 isolated ...	2001	11745938
isolation and amplification by polymerase chain reaction dna of babesia microti and babesia divergens in ticks in poland.	babesia microti and b. divergens, the etiological agents of human babesiosis, are transmitted by the bite of ixodes ricinus. the purpose of this study was differentiation of those two species in ticks collected in urban woods in the city szczecin (north-western poland). the prevalence of the dna of babesia were investigated by pcr amplification with primers to the fragment from a gene encoding the nuclear small-subunit ribosomal rna (ss-rdna). we examined a total of 533 specimens of ixodes ricin ...	2001	11748876
preliminary studies on the relationship between ixodes ricinus activity and tick-borne infection among occupationally-exposed inhabitants of eastern poland.	relative density (activity) of the tick ixodes ricinus was determined in five districts of the lublin region (eastern poland) by vegetation flagging. tick activity values were compared to the determined by elisa tests seroprevalence to tick-borne encephalitis virus (tbev) and borrelia burgdorferi in forestry workers and farmers from the same areas. a significant correlation between tick activity and seroprevalence to both tbev and b. burgdorferi antigen was found in farmers and in the total exam ...	2001	11748891
a portuguese isolate of borrelia lusitaniae induces disease in c3h/hen mice.	a low-passage, portuguese isolate of borrelia lusitaniae, strain potib2, was inoculated into c3h/hen mice and disease was monitored by histopathology at 8 weeks after spirochaete challenge. ear, heart, bladder, femoro-tibial joint, brain and spinal cord were examined. b. lusitaniae strain potib2 (6 of 10 mice) and b. burgdorferi sensu stricto strain n40 (9 of 10 mice) induced similar lesions in the bladder of infected mice characterised as a multifocal, lymphoid, interstitial cystitis. moreover, ...	2001	11761189
distribution of clinically relevant borrelia genospecies in ticks assessed by a novel, single-run, real-time pcr.	a lightcycler-based pcr protocol was developed which targets the ospa gene for the identification and quantification of the different borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato species in culture and in ticks, based on the use of a fluorescently labeled probe (hybprobe) and an internally labeled primer. the detection limit of the pcr was 1 to 10 spirochetes. a melting temperature determined from the melting curve of the amplified product immediately after thermal cycling allowed the differentiation of the ...	2002	11773090
salivary gland extract from ixodes ricinus tick polarizes the cytokine profile toward th2 and suppresses proliferation of t lymphocytes in human pbmc culture.	tick salivary gland extract (sge) was previously shown to inhibit murine t cell proliferation. in mice, sge has an inhibitory effect on th1 and a stimulatory effect on th2 cytokine elaboration. in the present study, tick-mediated immunomodulation of human t cell proliferation and cytokine elaboration was analyzed using human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (pbmcs) stimulated with concanavalin a (con a) or lipopolysaccharide (lps). using flow cytometry, tick saliva-induced changes were investi ...	2001	11780819
comparative study of early lyme disease: erythema migrans in new york state and northeastern poland.	the objective was to compare the clinical features of early local lyme disease: erythema migrans (em) between two highly endemic areas: new york state and northeastern poland. study was based on self reporting questionnaires, physical examination, and laboratory results.	2002	11782679
characterization of a novel salivary immunosuppressive protein from ixodes ricinus ticks.	in tick salivary glands, several genes are induced during the feeding process, leading to the expression of new proteins. these proteins are typically secreted in tick saliva and are potentially involved in the modulation of the host immune and hemostatic responses. in a previous study, the construction and the analysis of a subtractive library led to the identification of ixodes ricinus immunosuppressor (iris), a novel protein, differentially expressed in i. ricinus salivary glands during the b ...	2002	11792703
tick-borne encephalitis virus in lithuania.	tick-borne encephalitis (tbe) is a severe problem in lithuania, indicated by the 171 to 645 serologically confirmed cases that occurred each year between 1993 and 1999. in the present report, the first isolation and partial genetic analysis of a lithuanian tbe virus (tbev) strain isolated from a patient's serum sample is described. the patient was bitten by a tick while visiting the lazdijai district (veisiejai forest) in the southernmost part of lithuania, a geographical area where ixodes ricin ...	2001	11837641
antibodies to granulocytic ehrlichia in moose, red deer, and roe deer in norway.	serum samples from 104 moose (alces alces), 124 red deer (cervus elaphus) and 114 roe deer (capreolus capreolus), collected from different counties in southern norway from 1994 to 2000, were analysed by an indirect immunofluorescent antibody staining method for antibodies to ehrlichia equi. the overall seroprevalences for granulocytic ehrlichia spp. in moose, red deer, and roe deer from ixodes ricinus infested counties were 43%, 55%, and 96%, respectively. antibody prevalence was significantly h ...	2002	11838199
heterogeneity in the effect of different ixodid tick species on human natural killer cell activity.	tick saliva plays a vital role in blood-feeding, including manipulation of the host response to tick infestation. furthermore, a diverse number of tick-borne pathogens are transmitted to vertebrate hosts via tick saliva, some of which exploit the immunomodulatory activities of their vector's saliva. we report that salivary gland extracts (sge) derived from dermacentor reticulatus adult ticks induce a decrease in the natural killer (nk) activity of effector cells obtained from healthy human blood ...	2002	11856443
field evidence for density-dependent facilitation amongst ixodes ricinus ticks feeding on sheep.	engorged ixodes ricinus nymphs collected from sheep resident in an upland uk field site were significantly lighter than nymphs that engorged on previously tick-naïve sheep, indicating that site-resident sheep continually exposed to ticks acquired anti-tick resistance. the weights of engorged nymphs that fed on naturally tick-resistant sheep increased significantly, however, when increasingly high numbers of adult female ticks fed on the sheep during seasonal peaks of tick activity. this relation ...	2002	11862990
natural ehrlichia phagocytophila transmission coefficients from sheep 'carriers' to ixodes ricinus ticks vary with the numbers of feeding ticks.	in a longitudinal study in a uk upland site, 38% of adult sheep were detected as infected with the tick-borne bacterium ehrlichia phagocytophila by pcr of blood samples. infection prevalence declined significantly with sheep age but varied significantly and non-linearly with the number of adult ixodes ricinus ticks feeding per sheep. these findings suggested that under conditions of natural repeated tick-borne challenge sheep remain partially susceptible to re-infections, but the likelihood of r ...	2002	11862991
[clinico-epidemiologic characteristics of lyme disease treated at the infectious disease in novy sad 1993-1998].	borrelia burgdorferi, the etiological agent of lyme disease, is transmitted by the bite of ixodes ricinus, registered in all parts of yugoslavia. vectors are very active in spring and early summer and the disease has a seasonal distribution. generally speaking, there are three defined stages of the disease, but some of them can be misdiagnosed or really absent. serological analysis of lyme disease is very difficult to interpret, especially in later stages, so confirmation by immunoblot assays is ...	2001	11876010
lyme disease and current aspects of immunization.	lyme disease is a tick-borne multisystem disease that affects primarily the skin, nervous system, heart and joints. at least three species of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, namely borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, borrelia garinii, and borrelia afzelii, can cause the disease. this review will focus mainly on the pathophysiology of lyme arthritis, the long-term outcome of lyme disease, and the recently licensed vaccine against lyme disease.	2002	11879534
serological investigation of granulocytic ehrlichia infection in sheep in norway.	serum samples of 749 sheep from 75 sheep flocks in norway, i.e. 361 lambs (6 to 7 months old) and 388 adults (> 1.5 year), were analysed for antibodies to ehrlichia equi. ten animals from each flock were examined. seropositive animals were found along the coast of southern norway from vestfold to sør-trøndelag (as far north as 63 degrees 38'n). seropositive sheep were not found in southeast, east or northern norway. thirty-two flocks were seropositive, although tick-borne fever had only been dia ...	2001	11887393
the effect of two different oxytetracycline treatments in experimental ehrlichia phagocytophila infected lambs.	the effect of 2 different oxytetracycline treatments in acute e. phagocytophila infected lambs was investigated. twenty 5-month-old lambs of the dala and rygja breeds were used. ten lambs were inoculated intravenously with a stabilate of an ovine e. phagocytophila strain. on the third day of fever, 4 lambs were given long-acting oxytetracycline (terramycin prolongatum vet, pfizer) (20 mg/kg) intramuscularly and another 4 lambs were given short-acting oxytetracycline (terramycin vet, pfizer) (10 ...	2001	11887394
persistence of granulocytic ehrlichia infection during wintertime in two sheep flocks in norway.	granulocytic ehrlichia infection in sheep is common in norway in areas with ixodes ricinus. in this study, 2 sheep flocks that had been grazing on i. ricinus infested pastures the previous season, were blood sampled after being housed indoors for nearly 6 months during wintertime. thirty animals from each flock were examined for granulocytic ehrlichia infection in the peripheral blood by blood inoculation studies, stained blood smear evaluation, polymerase chain reaction (pcr) analysis and serol ...	2001	11887395
serological and molecular evidence of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis focus in the białowieza primeval forest (puszcza białowieska), northeastern poland.	human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (hge) is an emerging tickborne zoonosis. first described in the usa, it is being increasingly reported from several european countries. this study was undertaken to provide serological and molecular evidence of the occurrence of the hge focus in the białowieza primeval forest, located in northeastern poland. to this end, the seroprevalence of hge in this area, where lyme borreliosis and tickborne encephalitis are highly endemic, was determined by means of an indir ...	2002	11913504
molecular identification of borrelia valaisiana and hge-like ehrlichia in ixodes ricinus ticks sampled in north-eastern italy: first report in veneto region.	pcr amplification was applied to screen the presence of both borrelia burgdorferi s.l. and ehrlichia species in pools of field-collected ixodes ricinus ticks. the specimens so far analysed (n = 55), grouped in 11 pools, were sampled in feltre area (veneto region, ne italy). five pools proved positive for b. valaisiana (45%) and one of them (9%) was also positive for ehrlichia, that was further characterised as a hge-like ehrlichia. this is the first report of the two bacteria in the veneto regio ...	2001	11921543
transmission studies of babesia microti in ixodes ricinus ticks and gerbils.	in order to investigate the possible role of ixodes ricinus as a vector of zoonotic babesia microti infection in europe, a european rodent isolate (hk) and a zoonotic american isolate (gi) were studied in transmission experiments. pcr detected b. microti in the blood and spleens of infected gerbils (meriones unguiculatus) and also in laboratory-induced infections of i. ricinus ticks. b. microti dna was detected by pcr in all pooled samples of nymphs and the majority of adults that had fed as lar ...	2002	11923342
dynamics of dissemination and outer surface protein expression of different european borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato strains in artificially infected ixodes ricinus nymphs.	unfed ixodes ricinus nymphs were infected with eight different strains and clones of borrelia afzelii and b. garinii by capillary feeding. except one b. afzelii clone, all expressed ospc in culture. tick midguts and salivary glands were investigated at different time intervals for the presence of borreliae and for ospa and ospc phenotypes by immunofluorescence with simultaneous staining of ospa and ospc with monoclonal antibodies. both species were transmittable to i. ricinus. all ospc-expressin ...	2002	11923373
distribution of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in ixodes ricinus (acari: ixodidae) ticks from the basque country, spain.	borrelia burgdorferi was found widespread in ixodid ticks from the basque country (spain) during a two-step study. in the first part, a total of 7,835 ixodids of eight different species was collected from vegetation, classified, and processed using polymerase chain reaction (pcr) for detection of b. burgdorferi ospa dna. b. burgdorferi dna wasdetectedin < or = 12.5% of adults and > or = 0.6% of ixodes ricinus (l., 1758) nymphs (mean 1.5 and 0.05%, respectively), and in < or = 14.3% of adult hema ...	2002	11931254
comparative behavior of different life-cycle stages of ixodes ricinus (acari: ixodidae) to human-produced stimuli.	nymphs of ixodes ricinus (linnaeus, 1758), i. scapularis say, 1821, and i. pacificus cooley & kohls, 1943 are epidemiologically the most dangerous stage for transmission of lyme disease to humans. many factors play a role in the epidemiological significance of the nymphs. in this study, we address the question of whether nymphs show a greater tendency than adults to accept humans as their host. to evaluate this, we have compared the host acceptance behavior of nymphs and adults (males and female ...	2002	11931263
immunosuppressive effects of ixodes ricinus tick saliva or salivary gland extracts on innate and acquired immune response of balb/c mice.	saliva and salivary gland extract (sge) of ixodes ricinus ticks have suppressive effects on the innate immune response of balb/c mice. tick saliva prevents hemolysis of sheep red blood cells (srbc) by the human alternative pathway of complement. the adaptive immune response is also modulated by tick antigens (saliva or sge). when stimulated in vitro with increasing doses of tick antigens, the proliferation and il-4 production of draining lymph node t cells of mice infested with nymphal ticks inc ...	2002	11954903
persistence of ehrlichia phagocytophila infection in two age groups of lambs.	tick-borne fever (tbf) is caused by the rickettsiae ehrlichia phagocytophila and is a common disease in sheep in tick (ixodes ricinus) infested areas in norway. earlier investigations have shown that some sheep could remain infected for several months after the primary infection. in this study, the persistence of e. phagocytophila after experimental infection was investigated in 2 age groups of lambs. six lambs (1-2 weeks old) and 14 lambs (6-8 months old) were inoculated intravenously with an o ...	2001	11957373
[epidemiologic aspect of lyme borreliosis among the inhabitants of podlasie province].	the aim of this study was to evaluate lyme borreliosis morbidity among the inhabitants of podlasie province in the years of 1996-2000.	2001	11984950
the occurrence dna of babesia microti in ticks ixodes ricinus in the forest areas of szczecin.	babesia microti, an intraerythrocytic protozoan and the etiological agent of human babesiosis, is transmitted by the bite of the tick, ixodes ricinus. the aim of the present study was to confirm the presence of b. microti by detection of the dna of these protozoans. the prevalence of b. microti was studied using the pcr method with primers complementary to the gene fragment encoding nuclear small-subunit ribosomal rna (ss-rdna). in the course of this study a total of 2095 ticks, ixodes ricinus, ...	2001	11987464
genetic variants of ehrlichia phagocytophila, rhode island and connecticut.	primers were used to amplify a 561-bp region of the 16s rrna gene of ehrlichia phagocytophila from ixodes scapularis ticks and small mammals collected in rhode island and connecticut. dna sequences for all 50 e. phagocytophila-positive samples collected from 1996 through 1998 in southwestern connecticut were identical to the sequence reported for e. phagocytophila dna from confirmed human cases. in contrast, the sequences from 92 of 123 e. phagocytophila-positive rhode island samples collected f ...	2002	11996680
serologic evidence of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis, greece.		2002	12023926
genetic identification of rickettsiae isolated from ticks in japan.	following the description in japan of japanese spotted fever, caused by rickettsia japonica, a search for the vector of this disease led to the isolation of several rickettsiae from various tick species. sixty-three rickettsial isolates were obtained from six different tick species, and six type strains were described by pcr and monoclonal antibody testing. we identified these six strains by amplification and sequencing of the genes encoding 16s rrna and citrate synthase. we confirmed that the i ...	2002	12037083
repellency and efficacy of 65% permethrin and selamectin spot-on formulations against ixodes ricinus ticks on dogs.	two topically applied spot-on products used for flea and tick control on dogs, 65% permethrin (defend exspot treatment for dogs, schering-plough animal health corp., union, nj) and selamectin (revolution [united states] or stronghold [europe], pfizer animal health, new york, ny), were evaluated for repellency and efficacy against ixodes ricinus, the primary vector of lyme disease in europe. eighteen dogs were evenly and randomly allocated to the following treatments: 1) 65% permethrin, 2) selame ...	2002	12050829
geographical information systems and bootstrap aggregation (bagging) of tree-based classifiers for lyme disease risk prediction in trentino, italian alps.	the risk of exposure to lyme disease in the province of trento, italian alps, was predicted through the analysis of the distribution of ixodes ricinus (l.) nymphs infected with borrelia burgdorferi s.l. with a model based on bootstrap aggregation (bagging) of tree-based classifiers within a geographical information system (gis). data on l ricinus density assessed by dragging the vegetation in 438 sites during 1996 were cross-correlated with the digital cartography of a gis, which included the va ...	2002	12061445
borrelia burgdorferi population kinetics and selected gene expression at the host-vector interface.	by using real-time quantitative pcr, the population dynamics and gene transcription of borrelia burgdorferi were examined in ticks and skin of mice during acquisition of the infection from mice by ticks and during transmission of the infection from ticks to mice. population dynamics were determined by using a flab dna target. a quantitative analysis of flab, ospa, ospc, dbpa, and arp transcription was also performed. the results revealed that both uninfected larval and nymphal ixodes scapularis ...	2002	12065476