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no association between borrelia burgdorferi antibodies and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in a case-control study.previous studies, mostly case reports and uncontrolled studies, provide a low level of evidence for the hypothesized link between lyme disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (als). in order to make evidence-based recommendations regarding testing for borrelia burgdorferi antibodies in the diagnostic work-up for als, the objective of this study was to explore the evidence for an association between these antibodies and als in a case-control design including age-, gender- and residency-matched ...201728000348
erratum for chu et al., function of the borrelia burgdorferi ftsh homolog is essential for viability both in vitro and in vivo and independent of hflk/c. 201627999167
borrelia miyamotoi and co-infection with borrelia afzelii in ixodes ricinus ticks and rodents from slovakia.borrelia miyamotoi causes relapsing fever in humans. the occurrence of this spirochete has been reported in ixodes ricinus and wildlife, but there are still gaps in the knowledge of its eco-epidemiology and public health impact. in the current study, questing i. ricinus (nymphs and adults) and skin biopsies from rodents captured in slovakia were screened for the presence of b. miyamotoi and borrelia burgdorferi s.l. dna. the prevalence of b. miyamotoi and b. burgdorferi s.l. in questing ticks wa ...201727995301
lyme disease or a lemon? 201627989005
molecular epidemiological survey of bacterial and parasitic pathogens in hard ticks from eastern china.ticks are able to transmit various pathogens-viruses, bacteria, and parasites-to their host during feeding. several molecular epidemiological surveys have been performed to evaluate the risk of tick-borne pathogens in china, but little is known about pathogens circulating in ticks from eastern china. therefore, this study aimed to investigate the presence of bacteria and parasites in ticks collected from xuzhou, a 11258km(2) region in eastern china. in the present study, ticks were collected fro ...201727986546
the domestic pig as a potential model for borrelia skin infection.the skin lesion erythema migrans is a characteristic early manifestation of lyme borreliosis in humans. however, the pathomechanisms leading to development of this erythema are not fully understood. models that mimic human skin would enhance research in this field. human and porcine skin structures strongly resemble each other. therefore, we attempted to induce erythema migrans lesions in experimental borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato infection in the skin of domestic pigs. the formation of erythe ...201727986402
comparison of the lifetime host-to-tick transmission between two strains of the lyme disease pathogen borrelia afzelii.transmission from the vertebrate host to the arthropod vector is a critical step in the life-cycle of any vector-borne pathogen. how the probability of host-to-vector transmission changes over the duration of the infection is an important predictor of pathogen fitness. the lyme disease pathogen borrelia afzelii is transmitted by ixodes ricinus ticks and establishes a chronic infection inside rodent reservoir hosts. the present study compares the temporal pattern of host-to-tick transmission betw ...201627986081
serosurvey of borrelia in dogs, horses, and humans exposed to ticks in a rural settlement of southern brazil.the aims of the present study were to serosurvey dogs, horses, and humans highly exposed to tick bites for anti-borrelia burgdorferi s.l. antibodies, identify tick species present, and determine risk factors associated with seropositivity in a rural settlement of paraná state, southern brazil. eighty-seven residents were sampled, along with their 83 dogs and 18 horses, and individual questionnaires were administered. immunofluorescence antibody test (ifat) was performed on serum samples and posi ...201627982299
lyme disease: why the controversy?some australians have become convinced of the existence of locally acquired lyme disease (ld). the history of ld, since its recognition in the early 1970s, is reviewed as a model for investigative approaches to unknown syndromes. australian management guidelines for ld include the requirement for diagnostic testing by national association of testing authorities-accredited laboratories using therapeutic goods administration-licensed tests, which result in the efficient diagnosis of ld in overseas ...201627981776
strain-dependent recognition of a unique degradation motif by clpxp in streptococcus mutans.streptococcus mutans, a dental pathogen, has a remarkable ability to cope with environmental stresses. under stress conditions, cytoplasmic proteases play a major role in controlling the stability of regulatory proteins and preventing accumulation of damaged and misfolded proteins. clpxp, a well-conserved cytoplasmic proteolytic system, is crucial in maintaining cellular homeostasis in bacteria. clpx is primarily responsible for recognition of substrates and subsequent translocation of unfolded ...201627981232
effect of rpon, rpos and luxs pathways on the biofilm formation and antibiotic sensitivity of borrelia burgdorferi.borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of lyme disease, is capable of forming biofilm in vivo and in vitro, a structure well known for its resistance to antimicrobial agents. for the formation of biofilm, signaling processes are required to communicate with the surrounding environment such as it was shown for the rpon-rpos alternative sigma factor and for the luxs quorum-sensing pathways. therefore, in this study, the wild-type b. burgdorferi and different mutant strains lacking rpon, rpos, a ...201627980856
tick-borne diseases in turkey: a review based on one health perspective.the importance of tick-borne diseases is increasing all over the world, including turkey. global warming, environmental and ecological changes and the existence of suitable habitats increase the impact of ticks and result in frequent emergence or re-emergence of tick-borne diseases (tbds) with zoonotic characteristics. in turkey, almost 19 tbds have been reported in animals and men, involving four protozoa (babesiosis, theileriosis, cytauxzoonosis, hepatozoonosis), one filarial nematode (acantho ...201627977689
lyme borreliosis.lyme borreliosis is a tick-borne disease that predominantly occurs in temperate regions of the northern hemisphere and is primarily caused by the bacterium borrelia burgdorferi in north america and borrelia afzelii or borrelia garinii in europe and asia. infection usually begins with an expanding skin lesion, known as erythema migrans (referred to as stage 1), which, if untreated, can be followed by early disseminated infection, particularly neurological abnormalities (stage 2), and by late infe ...201627976670
retrospective study investigating the seroprevalence of anaplasma phagocytophilum in manitoba, canada: 2011-2014.human granulocytic anaplasmosis is currently not nationally notifiable in canada. this for the most part accounts for gross under-estimation of true incidence and prevalence of hga and would potentially culminate in clinical missed opportunities. to the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the seroprevalence of anaplasma phagocytophilum in a canadian jurisdiction with known established black-legged tick populations.201627975075
chronic pain in children and adolescents: diagnosis and treatment of primary pain disorders in head, abdomen, muscles and joints.primary pain disorders (formerly "functional pain syndromes") are common, under-diagnosed and under-treated in children and teenagers. this manuscript reviews key aspects which support understanding the development of pediatric chronic pain, points to the current pediatric chronic pain terminology, addresses effective treatment strategies, and discusses the evidence-based use of pharmacology. common symptoms of an underlying pain vulnerability present in the three most common chronic pain disord ...201627973405
stable transmission of borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto on the outer banks of north carolina.the spirochaete (borrelia burgdorferi) associated with lyme disease was detected in questing ticks and rodents during a period of 18 years, 1991-2009, at five locations on the outer banks of north carolina. the black-legged tick (ixodes scapularis) was collected at varied intervals between 1991 and 2009 and examined for b. burgdorferi. the white-footed mouse (peromyscus leucopus), house mouse (mus musculus) marsh rice rat (oryzomys palustris), marsh rabbit (sylvilagus palustris), eastern cottont ...201627966833
different use of cell surface glycosaminoglycans as adherence receptors to corneal cells by gram positive and gram negative pathogens.the epithelium of the cornea is continuously exposed to pathogens, and adhesion to epithelial cells is regarded as an essential first step in bacterial pathogenesis. in this article, the involvement of glycosaminoglycans in the adhesion of various pathogenic bacteria to corneal epithelial cells is analyzed. all microorganisms use glycosaminoglycans as receptors, but arranged in different patterns depending on the gram-type of the bacterium. the heparan sulfate chains of syndecans are the main re ...201627965938
transplantation of human embryonic stem cells in patients with multiple sclerosis and lyme disease.background multiple sclerosis (ms) is an inflammatory and neurodegenerative disease in which the myelin sheath of nerve cells is damaged. it can cause delayed neurologic symptoms similar to those seen in lyme disease (ld) patients. thymus derived t-cells (myelin reactive) migrate to the blood brain barrier and stimulate an inflammatory cascade in the central nervous system. cell based therapies play an important role in treating neurological diseases such as ms and ld. case report human embryoni ...201627956736
the lyme disease pathogen borrelia burgdorferi infects murine bone and induces trabecular bone loss.lyme disease is caused by members of the borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato species complex. arthritis is a well-known late-stage pathology of lyme disease, but the effects of b. burgdorferi infection on bone at sites other than articular surfaces are largely unknown. in this study, we investigated whether b. burgdorferi infection affects bone health in mice. in mice inoculated with b. burgdorferi or vehicle (mock infection), we measured the presence of b. burgdorferi dna in bones, bone mineral den ...201727956598
identification of ixodes ricinus blood meals using an automated protocol with high resolution melting analysis (hrma) reveals the importance of domestic dogs as larval tick hosts in italian alpine forests.in europe, ixodes ricinus l. is the main vector of a variety of zoonotic pathogens, acquired through blood meals taken once per stage from a vertebrate host. defining the main tick hosts in a given area is important for planning public health interventions; however, until recently, no robust molecular methods existed for blood meal identification from questing ticks. here we improved the time- and cost-effectiveness of an hrma protocol for blood meal analysis and used it to identify blood meal s ...201627955678
the borrelia burgdorferi telomere resolvase, rest, possesses atp-dependent dna unwinding activity.spirochetes of the genus borrelia possess unusual genomes harboring multiple linear and circular replicons. the linear replicons are terminated by covalently closed hairpin (hp) telomeres. hairpin telomeres are formed from replicated intermediates by the telomere resolvase, rest, in a phosphoryl transfer reaction with mechanistic similarities to those promoted by type 1b topoisomerases and tyrosine recombinases. there is growing evidence that rest is multifunctional. upon rest depletion dna repl ...201627940553
antibody profiling of canine igg responses to the ospc protein of the lyme disease spirochetes supports a multivalent approach in vaccine and diagnostic assay development.ospc performs essential functions during the enzootic cycle of the lyme disease (ld) spirochetes. in this study, the specificity of antibody (ab) responses to ospc was profiled to define the antigenic determinants during infection and after vaccination. several ospc variants or 'types' were screened with serum from snap4dx c6 positive dogs and with serum from rabbits hyperimmunized with ospc proteins. the ospc type-specific nature of the ab response revealed that variable domains of ospc are imm ...201627938705
antibiotics for the neurological complications of lyme disease.various central nervous system-penetrant antibiotics are bactericidal in vitro and in vivo against the causative agent of lyme neuroborreliosis (lnb), borrelia burgdorferi. these antibiotics are routinely used clinically to treat lnb, but their relative efficacy is not clear.201627931077
acute transverse myelitis associated with salmonella bacteremia: a case report.background acute transverse myelitis (atm) is an uncommon and often overlooked complication of certain bacterial and viral infections that can have a rapid onset and result in severe neurological deficits.  case report this case report describes a previously healthy 28-year-old woman who presented to the trauma center after developing acute paralysis and paresthesias of all four extremities within the span of hours. the initial presumptive diagnosis was spinal cord contusion due to a fall versus ...201627928148
genetic analysis of revertants isolated from the rod-fragile flif mutant of salmonella.flif is the protein comprising the ms-ring of the bacterial flagellar basal body, which is the base for the assembly of flagellar axial structures. from a flif mutant that easily releases the rod-hook-filament in viscous environments, more than 400 revertants that recovered their swarming ability in viscous conditions, were isolated. the second-site mutations were determined for approximately 70% of them. there were three regions where the mutations were localized: two in region i, 112 in region ...201627924254
emergence of tick-borne pathogens (borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, anaplasma phagocytophilum, ricketsia raoultii and babesia microti) in the kyiv urban parks, ukraine.to date, only limited data about the presence of ticks and circulation of tick-borne pathogens in urban parks of kyiv in northern ukraine are available. in total, 767 ticks (696 ixodes ricinus and 69 dermacentor reticulatus) collected in seven urban parks and one suburban oak wood park in kyiv were individually analyzed by the pcr assays. tick-borne pathogens, namely spirochetes from borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex, anaplasma phagocytophilum, and babesia microti, were detected in 11.1% o ...201727923669
update of the swiss guidelines on post-treatment lyme disease syndrome.lyme borreliosis is caused by borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato infection, which responds well to antibiotic therapy in the overwhelming majority of cases. however, despite adequate antibiotic treatment some patients report persisting symptoms which are commonly summarised as post-treatment lyme disease syndrome (ptlds). in 2005, the swiss society of infectious diseases published a case definition for ptlds. we aimed to review the scientific literature with a special emphasis on the last 10 years, ...201627922168
acute clinical worsening after steroid administration in cervical myelitis may reveal a subdural arteriovenous fistula.subdural arteriovenous fistula (sdavf) is a rare condition characterized by clinical manifestations ranging from mild bilateral sensory deficits to quadriplegia. the diagnosis is often delayed due to unspecific neurological symptoms, initially diagnosed as polyneuropathy or myelopathy. the diagnosis can be delayed for as long as 1-15 years. the following report describes a cervical sdavf case initially misdiagnosed as myelitis transversa and treated with intravenous steroids. a 56-year-old male ...201627920716
commercial test kits for detection of lyme borreliosis: a meta-analysis of test accuracy.the clinical diagnosis of lyme borreliosis can be supported by various test methodologies; test kits are available from many manufacturers. literature searches were carried out to identify studies that reported characteristics of the test kits. of 50 searched studies, 18 were included where the tests were commercially available and samples were proven to be positive using serology testing, evidence of an erythema migrans rash, and/or culture. additional requirements were a test specificity of ≥8 ...201627920571
outer membrane proteins bb0405 and bb0406 are immunogenic, but only bb0405 is required for borrelia burgdorferi infection.we recently identified the borrelia burgdorferi outer membrane protein (omp) bb0406 and found that the gene encoding this omp was cotranscribed with the gene encoding the omp bb0405. interestingly, bb0405 and bb0406 share 59% similarity and are grouped into the same b. burgdorferi paralogous gene family. given their overall similarity, it is plausible that both omps have similar or overlapping functions in this pathogenic spirochete. bb0405 was recently shown to be required for mammalian infecti ...201727920211
dna barcodes identify medically important tick species in canada.medically important ticks (acari: ixodidae) are often difficult to identify morphologically. a standardized, molecular approach using a 658 base pair dna barcode sequence (from the 5' region of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit i gene) was evaluated for its effectiveness in discriminating ticks in north america, with an emphasis on canadian ticks. dna barcodes were generated for 96 of 154 specimens representing 26 ixodid species. a genetic cluster analysis was performed on the barco ...201727918193
immunogenetic markers definition in latvian patients with lyme borreliosis and lyme neuroborreliosis.the aim of this study was to determine the human leukocyte antigen (hla)-drb1 alleles in two groups of patients in latvia: patients with lyme borreliosis and patients with lyme neuroborreliosis. the study included 216 patients with lyme borreliosis, 29 patients with lyme neuroborreliosis and 282 control persons. all surveyed persons were residents of latvia. the hla-dr genotyping was performed by polymerase chain reaction- sequence specific primer (pcr-ssp). the predisposition to the lyme borrel ...201627916969
use of a tick-borne disease manual increases accuracy of tick identification among primary care providers in lyme disease endemic areas.given the high incidence of tick bites and tick-borne diseases in the united states, it is important for primary care providers to recognize common ticks and the pathogens they may transmit. if a patient has removed and saved an attached tick, identifying the tick helps guide clinical management and determine whether antibiotic prophylaxis for lyme disease is appropriate. to investigate providers' ability to recognize common ticks and the pathogens they may transmit, we asked 76 primary care pro ...201727916581
a critical appraisal of the mild axonal peripheral neuropathy of late neurologic lyme disease.in older studies, a chronic distal symmetric sensory neuropathy was reported as a relatively common manifestation of late lyme disease in the united states. however, the original papers describing this entity had notable inconsistencies and certain inexplicable findings, such as reports that this condition developed in patients despite prior antibiotic treatment known to be highly effective for other manifestations of lyme disease. more recent literature suggests that this entity is seen rarely, ...201727914746
in vivo expression technology and 5' end mapping of the borrelia burgdorferi transcriptome identify novel rnas expressed during mammalian infection.borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterial pathogen responsible for lyme disease, modulates its gene expression profile in response to the environments encountered throughout its tick-mammal infectious cycle. to begin to characterize the b. burgdorferi transcriptome during murine infection, we previously employed an in vivo expression technology-based approach (bbivet). this identified 233 putative promoters, many of which mapped to un-annotated regions of the complex, segmented genome. herein, we glob ...201727913725
against the tide: the role of bacterial adhesion in host colonization.evolving under the constant exposure to an abundance of diverse microbial life, the human body has developed many ways of defining the boundaries between self and non-self. many physical and immunological barriers to microbial invasion exist, and yet bacteria have found a multitude of ways to overcome these, initiate interactions with and colonize the human host. adhesion to host cells and tissues is a key feature allowing bacteria to persist in an environment under constant flux and to initiate ...201627913666
seroprevalence of babesia microti in individuals with lyme disease.babesiosis is an emerging tick-borne disease (tbd) caused by babesia microti, an intracellular parasite of red blood cells. currently, it is the highest ranked pathogen transmitted by blood transfusion. most healthy individuals infected with b. microti are asymptomatic, but may be at risk for chronic infection. similar to lyme disease transmitted by borrelia burgdorferi, b. microti is spread by ixodes scapularis ticks. the rate of coinfection with these tbds in humans is unclear as most studies ...201627911694
lyme arrhythmia in an avid golfer: a diagnostic challenge and a therapeutic dilemma.lyme disease is a multisystem disorder affecting dermatologic, cardiac, nervous and musculoskeletal systems. cardiac manifestations occur in about 5% of lyme infections and stem from the involvement of the cardiac conduction system, resulting in varying degrees of sino-atrioventricular block. occasionally, lyme infection may also present with myopericarditis. unlike isolated conduction node disease, myocardial involvement presents a great diagnostic and therapeutic dilemma for the physician. we ...201727909484
a novel approach to probe host-pathogen interactions of bovine digital dermatitis, a model of a complex polymicrobial infection.polymicrobial infections represent a great challenge for the clarification of disease etiology and the development of comprehensive diagnostic or therapeutic tools, particularly for fastidious and difficult-to-cultivate bacteria. using bovine digital dermatitis (dd) as a disease model, we introduce a novel strategy to study the pathogenesis of complex infections.201627908274
phylogenetic lineages and postglacial dispersal dynamics characterize the genetic structure of the tick, ixodes ricinus, in northwest europe.dispersal and gene flow are important mechanisms affecting the dynamics of vectors and their pathogens. here, patterns of genetic diversity were analyzed in many north european populations of the tick, ixodes ricinus. population sites were selected within and between areas separated by geographical barriers in order to evaluate the importance of tick transportation by birds in producing genetic connectivity across open sea and mountain ranges. the phylogenetic analyses of the mitochondrial contr ...201627907193
tick bite by nymphal amblyomma testudinarium.ticks are parasites that usually suck the blood of wild or domestic animals; rarely, they ingest human blood and spread various febrile infectious diseases along with skin problems. out of 40 cases of tick bite reported in korea, only 3 were caused by nymphal ticks, and tick bites by nymphal amblyomma testudinarium have not been reported previously. herein, we report a rare case of tick bite by nymphal a. testudinarium. a 57-year-old woman presented with an asymptomatic solitary erythematous nod ...201627904278
solitary erythematous plaque on the nasolabial fold. 201627904193
influence of tick and mammalian physiological temperatures on borrelia burgdorferi biofilms.the spirochaete bacterium borrelia burgdorferisensu lato is the aetiologic agent of lyme disease. borrelia is transmitted to mammals through tick bite and is adapted to survive at tick and mammalian physiological temperatures. we have previously shown that b. burgdorferi can exist in different morphological forms, including the antibiotic-resistant biofilm form, in vitro and in vivo. b. burgdorferi forms aggregates in ticks as well as in humans, indicating potential of biofilm formation at both ...201627902419
the potential of omics technologies in lyme disease biomarker discovery and early detection.lyme borreliosis (lb) is the most prevalent arthropod-borne infectious disease in north america and many countries of the temperate northern hemisphere. it is associated with local and systemic manifestations and has persistent post-treatment health complications in some individuals. innate and acquired immunity-related inflammation is likely to play a critical role in both host defense against borrelia burgdorferi and disease severity. large-scale analytical approaches to quantify gene expressi ...201727900646
gray wolf exposure to emerging vector-borne diseases in wisconsin with comparison to domestic dogs and humans.world-wide concern over emerging vector-borne diseases has increased in recent years for both animal and human health. in the united sates, concern about vector-borne diseases in canines has focused on lyme disease, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, and heartworm which infect domestic and wild canids. of these diseases, lyme and anaplasmosis are also frequently diagnosed in humans. gray wolves (canis lupus) recolonized wisconsin in the 1970s, and we evaluated their temporal and geographic patterns of ...201627898670
molecular evidence for toxoplasma gondii in feeding and questing ixodes ricinus ticks.the aim of the present study was to detect toxoplasma gondii in ticks collected from ponies and field vegetation and to determine the role of shetland ponies as a potential reservoir host for t. gondii. a total of 1737 feeding ixodes ricinus collected from 49 horses and 371 questing ticks were tested by pcr and sequencing for the presence and genotyping of t. gondii. all ticks were examined in a previous study to detect and identify pathogenic bacterial species. the aim of this study was also to ...201727894863
is there any association between sarcoidosis and infectious agents?: a systematic review and meta-analysis.during the last few years, investigators have debated the role that infectious agents may have in sarcoidosis pathogenesis. with the emergence of new molecular biology techniques, several studies have been conducted; therefore, we performed a meta-analysis in order to better explain this possible association.201627894280
relapsing-remitting lesions in a woman with progressive hemifacial atrophy and chronic hepatitis b virus infection: a case report.progressive hemifacial atrophy (pha) is a rare disorder characterized by unilateral facial atrophy affecting the skin, subcutaneous tissue, and fat, muscle, and osteocartilagenous structures creating a sunken hemiface appearance.etiopathogenesis of pha is poorly understood; no definitive treatment is currently available.201627893674
acarological risk of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato infections across space and time in the netherlands.a longitudinal investigation on tick populations and their borrelia infections in the netherlands was undertaken between 2006 and 2011 with the aim to assess spatial and temporal patterns of the acarological risk in forested sites across the country and to assess variations in borrelia genospecies diversity. ticks were collected monthly in 11 sites and nymphs were examined for borrelia infections. tick populations expressed strong seasonal variations, with consistent and significant differences ...201727893309
application of ethnobotanical repellents and acaricides in prevention, control and management of livestock ticks: a review.ticks transmit at least the same number or even more pathogens than any other group of blood-feeding arthropods worldwide affecting humans and animals. the eco-friendly control and management of tick vectors in a constantly changing environment is a crucial challenge. besides the development of vaccines against ticks, ipm practices aimed at reducing tick interactions with livestock, emerging pheromone-based control tools, and few biological control agents, the extensive employment of acaricides ...201627892855
progress in the molecular diagnosis of lyme disease.current laboratory testing of lyme borreliosis mostly relies on serological methods with known limitations. diagnostic modalities enabling direct detection of pathogen at the onset of the clinical signs could overcome some of the limitations. molecular methods detecting borrelial dna seem to be the ideal solution, although there are some aspects that need to be considered. areas covered: this review represent summary and discussion of the published data obtained from literature searches from pub ...201727892737
lyme carditis: an interesting trip to third-degree heart block and back.carditis is an uncommon presentation of the early disseminated phase of lyme disease. we present the case of a young female who presented with erythema migrans and was found to have first-degree heart block which progressed to complete heart block within hours. after receiving ceftriaxone, there was complete resolution of the heart block in sequential fashion. our case illustrates the importance of early recognition and anticipation of progressive cardiac conduction abnormalities in patients pre ...201627891258
the impact of temperature and precipitation on blacklegged tick activity and lyme disease incidence in endemic and emerging regions.the incidence of lyme disease shows high degrees of inter-annual variation in the northeastern united states, but the factors driving this variation are not well understood. complicating matters, it is also possible that these driving factors may vary in regions with differing histories of lyme disease endemism. we evaluated the effect of the number of hot (t > 25 °c), dry (precipitation = 0) days during the questing periods of the two immature ixodes scapularis life stages (larval and nymphal) ...201627887625
neuroborreliosis.appropriate, critical application of evidence-based diagnostic criteria enables both a clear definition of what constitutes neuroborreliosis-nervous system infection with borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto in the us, b garinii and less commonly b. afzelii and other species in europe-and recognition that this disorder is quite similar in europe and the us. most commonly evidenced by lymphocytic meningitis and/or multifocal inflammation of the peripheral (common; cranial neuropathy, radiculopathy, ...201627885483
borrelia burgdorferi – morphological structure and motility as adaptation for transmission and survival in the habitat of a tick-vertebrate setuplyme borreliosis is a multisystem chronic disease caused by borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) spirochete transmitted by ixodes. this bacterium has a remarkable ability to survive in tick-vertebrate setup. its infection causes diagnostic and clinical difficulties. it was distinguished as a separate disease entity over 30 years ago. observations made by steere et al. proved to be a milestone since they found correlation between the occurrence of skin and joint lesions with tick bites. further ...201727883377
balancing the immune response in the brain: il-10 and its regulation.the inflammatory response is critical to fight insults, such as pathogen invasion or tissue damage, but if not resolved often becomes detrimental to the host. a growing body of evidence places non-resolved inflammation at the core of various pathologies, from cancer to neurodegenerative diseases. it is therefore not surprising that the immune system has evolved several regulatory mechanisms to achieve maximum protection in the absence of pathology.201627881137
established population of blacklegged ticks with high infection prevalence for the lyme disease bacterium, borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, on corkscrew island, kenora district, ontario.we document an established population of blacklegged ticks, ixodes scapularis, on corkscrew island, kenora district, ontario, canada. primers of the outer surface protein a (ospa) gene, the flagellin (fla) gene, and the flagellin b (flab) gene were used in the pcr assays to detect borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.), the lyme disease bacterium. in all, 60 (73%) of 82 adult i. scapularis, were infected with b. burgdorferi s.l. as well, 6 (43%) of 14 unfed i. scapularis nymphs were positive for ...201627877080
heterogeneity in the abundance and distribution of ixodes ricinus and borrelia burgdorferi (sensu lato) in scotland: implications for risk prediction.cases of lyme borreliosis, a vector-borne zoonosis caused by bacteria in the borrelia burgdorferi (sensu lato) species group, have increased in recent years in europe. knowledge of environmental factors associated with abundance of the tick vector ixodes ricinus and the pathogen b. burgdorferi (s.l.) is of interest to understand responses to environmental changes, predict variation in risk and to inform management interventions.201627876087
peroperative cardiogenic shock suggesting acute coronary syndrome as initial manifestation of lyme carditis.carditis can complicate lyme disease in an estimated <5% of cases, and cardiogenic shock and severe cardiac arrhythmias are described with electrocardiographic abnormalities that could be suggestive of coronary manifestations. we report a case of severe persistent biventricular heart failure complicated by cardiac arrhythmias as initial manifestation of a lyme disease developing peroperatively electrocardiographic abnormalities suggesting acute transmural myocardial infarction.201627871570
lyme disease in poland in 2014lyme disease is the most common tick-borne disease, caused by spirochetes of the borrelia genus transmitted by ticks of the ixodes genus. infection caused by borrelia burgdorferi occur throughout poland and therefore, according also to ecdc description, the whole country should be considered as an endemic area.201727870540
lyme disease spirochaete borrelia burgdorferi does not require thiamin.thiamin pyrophosphate (thdp), the active form of thiamin (vitamin b1), is believed to be an essential cofactor for all living organisms(1,2). here, we report the unprecedented result that thiamin is dispensable for the growth of the lyme disease pathogen borrelia burgdorferi (bb)(3). bb lacks genes for thiamin biosynthesis and transport as well as known thdp-dependent enzymes(4), and we were unable to detect thiamin or its derivatives in bb cells. we showed that eliminating thiamin in vitro and ...201627869793
ceftriaxone pulse dosing fails to eradicate biofilm-like microcolony b. burgdorferi persisters which are sterilized by daptomycin/ doxycycline/cefuroxime without pulse dosing.although the majority of lyme disease patients can be cured, at least 10-20% of the patients continue to suffer from persisting symptoms such as fatigue, muscular and joint pain, and neurologic impairment after standard 2-4 week antibiotic treatment. while the causes for this post-treatment lyme disease symptoms are unclear, one possibility is due to borrelia burgdorferi persisters that are not effectively killed by current antibiotics such as doxycycline or amoxicillin used to treat lyme diseas ...201627867375
clinical and serological one-year follow-up of patients after the bite of ixodes ricinus ticks infected with borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato.the risk of developing lyme borreliosis (lb) after the bite of a borrelia (b.) burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) infected tick in romania is unknown.201727866446
ability of an oral formulation of afoxolaner to protect dogs from borrelia burgdorferi infection transmitted by wild ixodes scapularis ticks.a randomized, blinded, negative controlled study was conducted to determine whether treatment with afoxolaner (nexgard(®), merial, inc.) would prevent the transmission of borrelia burgdorferi to dogs by wild caught ixodes scapularis ticks. twenty healthy dogs were randomly assigned to two groups of ten dogs each. ten dogs were treated orally on day 0 at a dose near the minimum recommended dose of afoxolaner of 2.5mg/kg (actual doses 2.5-3.1mg/kg) and ten control dogs were not treated. on day 28, ...201627865266
detection of lyme disease and anaplasmosis pathogens via pcr in pennsylvania deer ked.borrelia burgdorferi and anaplasma phagocytophilum are obligate intracellular parasites that maintain their life cycles in enzoonotic vector-host cycles with ixodes scapularis as a vector. in addition to ticks, the hosts are commonly infested with insects from the hippoboscidae family. this study confirms the presence of b. burgdorferi and a. phagocytophilum in deer keds (lipoptena cervi) removed from white-tailed deer using pcr. detection of these pathogens in deer ked represents a potential no ...201627860010
structural and molecular analysis of a protective epitope of lyme disease antigen ospa and antibody interactions.the murine monoclonal antibody la-2 recognizes a clinically protective epitope on outer surface protein (ospa) of borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of lyme disease in north america. human antibody equivalence to la-2 is the best serologic correlate of protective antibody responses following ospa vaccination. understanding the structural and functional basis of the la-2 protective epitope is important for developing ospa-based vaccines and discovering prophylactic antibodies against lyme ...201727859766
tick microbiome and pathogen acquisition altered by host blood meal.lyme disease, a zoonotic disease, is the most prevalent vector-borne disease in the northern hemisphere. diversity of the vector (tick) microbiome can impact pathogen transmission, yet the biotic and abiotic factors that drive microbiome diversity are largely unresolved, especially under natural, field conditions. we describe the microbiome of ixodes pacificus ticks, the vector for lyme disease in the western united states, and show a strong impact of host blood meal identity on tick microbiome ...201727858931
t cells exacerbate lyme borreliosis in tlr2-deficient mice.infection of humans with the spirochete, borrelia burgdorferi, causes lyme borreliosis and can lead to clinical manifestations such as arthritis, carditis, and neurological conditions. experimental infection of mice recapitulates many of these symptoms and serves as a model system for the investigation of disease pathogenesis and immunity. innate immunity is known to drive the development of lyme arthritis and carditis, but the mechanisms driving this response remain unclear. innate immune cells ...201627857714
a review of the centers for disease control and prevention's guidelines for the clinical laboratory diagnosis of lyme disease.the purpose of this paper is to review information regarding the current guidelines for the clinical laboratory diagnosis of lyme disease as set forth by the centers for disease control and prevention (cdc) to chiropractic physicians and to discuss the clinical utility of this testing.201627857635
mechanical unfolding studies of protein molecules.atomic force microscopy (afm) enables the pick up of a single protein molecule to apply a mechanical force. this technique, called "force spectroscopy," provides unique information about the intermediates and free energy landscape of the mechanical unfolding of proteins. in this review, we introduce the afm-based single molecule force spectroscopy of proteins and describe recent studies that answer some fundamental questions such as "is the mechanical resistance of proteins isotropic?", "what is ...201227857607
claims-based diagnostic patterns of patients evaluated for lyme disease and given extended antibiotic therapy.a lyme disease (ld) diagnosis can be far from straightforward, particularly if erythema migrans does not develop or is not noticed. extended courses of antibiotics for ld are not recommended, but their use is increasing. we sought to elucidate the patient patterns toward a diagnosis of ld, hypothesizing that a subset of patients ultimately receiving extended courses antibiotics may be symptomatic for an extended period before the first ld diagnosis.201727855040
cyclic-di-gmp binding induces structural rearrangements in the plza and plzc proteins of the lyme disease and relapsing fever spirochetes: a possible switch mechanism for c-di-gmp-mediated effector functions.the c-di-gmp network of borrelia burgdorferi, a causative agent of lyme disease, consists of rrp1, a diguanylate cyclase/response regulator; hpk1, a histidine kinase; pdea and pdeb, c-di-gmp phosphodiesterases; and plza, a pilz domain c-di-gmp receptor. borrelia hermsii, a causative agent of tick-borne relapsing fever, possesses a putative c-di-gmp regulatory network that is uncharacterized. while b. burgdorferi requires c-di-gmp to survive within ticks, the associated effector mechanisms are po ...201627852620
individual and environmental factors associated with the seroprevalence of borrelia burgdorferi in belgian farmers and veterinarians.lyme disease (ld) is a common tick-borne disease in europe. diverse factors at various scales determine the spatial distribution of borrelia burgdorferi infection risk and a better understanding of those factors in a spatially explicit framework is needed for disease management and prevention. while the ecology of ticks and the landscape favoring their abundance have been extensively studied, the environmental conditions favoring an intense contact with susceptible humans, including groups at ri ...201627852421
education on tick bite and lyme borreliosis prevention, aimed at schoolchildren in the netherlands: comparing the effects of an online educational video game versus a leaflet or no intervention.lyme disease or lyme borreliosis (lb) is the most common tick-borne disease both in the united states and europe. children, in particular, are at high risk of contracting lb. since child-specific educational tools on ticks, tick bites and lb are lacking, we developed an online educational video game. in this study, we compared the effectiveness of an online educational video game versus a newly developed leaflet aimed to improve prevention of tick bites and lb among dutch schoolchildren.201627852247
[challenge of neuroborreliosis].lyme borreliosis is the most frequent tick-borne infection in europe. it is a multisystemic disease affecting the skin, joints, heart, in rare cases the eyes and regularly the nervous system. taking current clinical and microbiological guidelines into account, neuroborreliosis can in general be diagnosed and treated successfully. an appropriate guideline-conform antibiotic treatment is effective and in most cases recovery from acute neuroborreliosis is complete. nevertheless, the evidence base r ...201627847963
prevalence of rickettsia spp. in ticks and serological and clinical outcomes in tick-bitten individuals in sweden and on the åland islands.tick-transmitted diseases are an emerging health problem, and the hard tick ixodes ricinus is the main vector for borrelia spp., tick-borne encephalitis virus and most of the spotted fever rickettsiae in europe. the aim of the present study was to examine the incidence of rickettsial infection in the southernmost and south central parts of sweden and the åland islands in finland, the risk of infection in humans and its correlation with a bite of a rickettsia-infected tick, the self-reported symp ...201627846275
ticks (acari: ixodidae) infesting cattle and some other domestic and wild hosts on the french mediterranean island of corsica.corsica is a mountainous french island in the north-western mediterranean presenting a large diversity of natural environments where many interactions between domestic animals and wild fauna occur. despite a favourable context for ticks and tick-borne diseases (tbds), the tick fauna of corsica has not systematically been investigated.201627842608
duration of borrelia mayonii infectivity in an experimental mouse model for feeding ixodes scapularis larvae.a novel species within the borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex, borrelia mayonii, was recently described and found to be associated with lyme borreliosis in the upper midwest of the united states. the blacklegged tick, ixodes scapularis, is naturally infected with b. mayonii in the upper midwest and has been experimentally demonstrated to serve as a vector for this spirochete. natural vertebrate reservoirs for b. mayonii remain unknown. in this study, we demonstrate that an experimental spir ...201727838290
biopharmaceuticals from microorganisms: from production to purification.the use of biopharmaceuticals dates from the 19th century and within 5-10 years, up to 50% of all drugs in development will be biopharmaceuticals. in the 1980s, the biopharmaceutical industry experienced a significant growth in the production and approval of recombinant proteins such as interferons (ifn α, β, and γ) and growth hormones. the production of biopharmaceuticals, known as bioprocess, involves a wide range of techniques. in this review, we discuss the technology involved in the bioproc ...201627838289
multistrain infections with lyme borreliosis pathogens in the tick vector.mixed or multiple-strain infections are common in vector-borne diseases and have important implications for the epidemiology of these pathogens. previous studies have mainly focused on interactions between pathogen strains in the vertebrate host, but little is known about what happens in the arthropod vector. borrelia afzelii and borrelia garinii are two species of spirochete bacteria that cause lyme borreliosis in europe and that share a tick vector, ixodes ricinus each of these two tick-borne ...201727836839
detection of borrelia genomospecies 2 in ixodes spinipalpis ticks collected from a rabbit in canada.lyme disease is a serious health problem, with many patients requiring in-depth clinical assessment and extended treatment. in the present study, we provide the first records of the western blacklegged tick, ixodes pacificus , and ixodes spinipalpis parasitizing eastern cottontails, sylvilagus floridanus . we also documented a triple co-infestation of 3 tick species (ixodes angustus, i. pacificus , i. spinipalpis) feeding on an eastern cottontail. notably, we discovered a unique member of the ly ...201727835071
new insights into the cyclic di-adenosine monophosphate (c-di-amp) degradation pathway and the requirement of the cyclic dinucleotide for acid stress resistance in staphylococcus aureus.nucleotide signaling networks are key to facilitate alterations in gene expression, protein function, and enzyme activity in response to diverse stimuli. cyclic di-adenosine monophosphate (c-di-amp) is an important secondary messenger molecule produced by the human pathogen staphylococcus aureus and is involved in regulating a number of physiological processes including potassium transport. s. aureus must ensure tight control over its cellular levels as both high levels of the dinucleotide and i ...201627834680
the role of hydrophobicity and surface receptors at hyphae of lyophyllum sp. strain karsten in the interaction with burkholderia terrae bs001 - implications for interactions in soil.the soil bacterium burkholderia terrae strain bs001 can interact with varying soil fungi, using mechanisms that range from the utilization of carbon/energy sources such as glycerol to the ability to reach novel territories in soil via co-migration with growing fungal mycelia. here, we investigate the intrinsic properties of the b. terrae bs001 interaction with the basidiomycetous soil fungus lyophyllum sp. strain karsten. in some experiments, the ascomycetous trichoderma asperellum 302 was also ...201627833591
host associations and genomic diversity of borrelia hermsii in an endemic focus of tick-borne relapsing fever in western north america.an unrecognized focus of tick-borne relapsing fever caused by borrelia hermsii was identified in 2002 when five people became infected on wild horse island in flathead lake, montana. the terrestrial small mammal community on the island is composed primarily of pine squirrels (tamiasciurus hudsonicus) and deer mice (peromyscus maniculatus), neither of which was known as a natural host for the spirochete. thus a 3-year study was performed to identify small mammals as hosts for b. hermsii.201627832805
phospholipidomic analysis reveals changes in sphingomyelin and lysophosphatidylcholine profiles in plasma from patients with neuroborreliosis.in recent years, the number of patients suffering from lyme disease (ld) has significantly increased. the most dangerous manifestation of ld is neuroborreliosis associated with invasion of the central nervous system by borrelia burgdorferi. phospholipids (pl) and their metabolites are involved in inflammation, which plays a dominant, but still unclear, role in the pathogenesis of neuroborreliosis. we analyzed the plasma pl profiles of neuroborreliosis patients (n = 8) and healthy volunteers (n = ...201627832501
phospholipidomic analysis reveals changes in sphingomyelin and lysophosphatidylcholine profiles in plasma from patients with neuroborreliosis.in recent years, the number of patients suffering from lyme disease (ld) has significantly increased. the most dangerous manifestation of ld is neuroborreliosis associated with invasion of the central nervous system by borrelia burgdorferi. phospholipids (pl) and their metabolites are involved in inflammation, which plays a dominant, but still unclear, role in the pathogenesis of neuroborreliosis. we analyzed the plasma pl profiles of neuroborreliosis patients (n = 8) and healthy volunteers (n = ...201627832501
fungal kats/kdacs: a new highway to better antifungal drugs? 201627832212
linear sclerodermoid lupus erythematosus profundus in a child.lupus erythematosus panniculitis, also known as lupus profundus, is a variant in the clinicopathological spectrum of lupus erythematosus (le) affecting about 2%-3% of le patients. a linear configuration of le panniculitis has been reported rarely with rare reports describing the coexistence of different forms of cutaneous le and localized morphea. in this study, the authors present a 9-year-old girl with linear arrangement of subcutaneous nodules on her left forearm. microscopic findings from 2 ...201627831941
seroprevalence of borrelia burgdorferi, anaplasma phagocytophilum, and francisella tularensis infections in belgium: results of three population-based samples.to estimate the seroprevalence of borrelia burgdorferi (bb), anaplasma phagocytophilum (ap), and francisella tularensis (ft) in belgium, we tested sera from three population-based samples in which exposure to pathogen is assumed to vary: 148 samples from workers professionally exposed, 209 samples from rural blood donors, and 193 samples from urban blood donors. sera were tested using elisa or the immunofluorescence assay test. the seroprevalence of bb was 5.4% in workers professionally exposed, ...201727828762
evaluation of the illumigene malaria lamp: a robust molecular diagnostic tool for malaria parasites.isothermal nucleic acid amplification assays such as the loop mediated isothermal amplification (lamp), are well suited for field use as they do not require thermal cyclers to amplify the dna. to further facilitate the use of lamp assays in remote settings, simpler sample preparation methods and lyophilized reagents are required. the performance of a commercial malaria lamp assay (illumigene malaria lamp) was evaluated using two sample preparation workflows (simple filtration prep (sfp)) and gra ...201627827432
screening of nci-dtp library to identify new drug candidates for borrelia burgdorferi. 201727826144
rapid antimicrobial susceptibility test for identification of new therapeutics and drug combinations against multidrug-resistant bacteria.current antimicrobial susceptibility testing has limited screening capability for identifying empirical antibiotic combinations to treat severe bacterial infections with multidrug-resistant (mdr) organisms. we developed a new antimicrobial susceptibility assay using automated ultra-high-throughput screen technology in combination with a simple bacterial growth assay. a rapid screening of 5170 approved drugs and other compounds identified 25 compounds with activities against mdr klebsiella pneumo ...201627826141
high-throughput parallel sequencing to measure fitness of leptospira interrogans transposon insertion mutants during acute infection.pathogenic species of leptospira are the causative agents of leptospirosis, a zoonotic disease that causes mortality and morbidity worldwide. the understanding of the virulence mechanisms of leptospira spp is still at an early stage due to the limited number of genetic tools available for this microorganism. the development of random transposon mutagenesis in pathogenic strains a decade ago has contributed to the identification of several virulence factors. in this study, we used the transposon ...201627824878
rna-seq analyses of the midgut from blood- and serum-fed ixodes ricinus ticks.adult females of the genus ixodes imbibe blood meals exceeding about 100 times their own weight within 7‒9 days. during this period, ticks internalise components of host blood by endocytic digest cells that line the tick midgut epithelium. using rna-seq, we aimed to characterise the midgut transcriptome composition in adult ixodes ricinus females during early and late phase of engorgement. to address specific adaptations to the haemoglobin-rich diet, we compared the midgut transcriptomes of gene ...201627824139
16s rrna amplicon sequencing for epidemiological surveys of bacteria in wildlife.the human impact on natural habitats is increasing the complexity of human-wildlife interactions and leading to the emergence of infectious diseases worldwide. highly successful synanthropic wildlife species, such as rodents, will undoubtedly play an increasingly important role in transmitting zoonotic diseases. we investigated the potential for recent developments in 16s rrna amplicon sequencing to facilitate the multiplexing of the large numbers of samples needed to improve our understanding o ...201627822541
enterogenous bacterial glycolipids are required for the generation of natural killer t cells mediated liver injury.glycolipids are potent activator of natural killer t (nkt) cells. the relationship between nkt cells and intestinal bacterial glycolipids in liver disorders remained unclear. we found that, in sharp contrast to specific pathogen-free (spf) mice, germ-free (gf) mice are resistant to concanavalin a (cona)-induced liver injury. cona treatment failed to trigger the activation of hepatic nkt cells in gf mice. these defects correlated with the sharply reduced levels of cd1d-presented glycolipid antige ...201627821872
babesia microti from humans and ticks hold a genomic signature of strong population structure in the united states.babesia microti is an emerging tick-borne apicomplexan parasite with increasing geographic range and incidence in the united states. the rapid expansion of b. microti into its current distribution in the northeastern usa has been due to the range expansion of the tick vector, ixodes scapularis, upon which the causative agent is dependent for transmission to humans.201627821055
lyme neuroborreliosis.lyme disease is a multistage and multisystem disease. neurological manifestations [termed lyme neuroborreliosis (lnb)] occur in about 10% of patients with lyme disease. diagnostics and treatment of early and late lnb are widely established. however, the management of persistent symptoms is still fraught with controversies, and therefore is the focus of this review.201727820708
borrelia and nephropathy: cryoglobulinaemic membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis responsive to doxycyclin in active lyme disease.the association of membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (mpgn) with lyme borreliosis has only been reported for the c1q-negative subtype. a 64-year-old male presenting with rising creatinine, nephrotic syndrome and monoarthritis few months after a tick bite was noted to have mixed cryoglobulinaemia, a positive borrelia western blot and 'full-house' pattern mpgn with interstitial granuloma. findings resolved with prednisolone and doxycyclin therapy. the histology is consistent with mpgn secon ...201327818755
pericardial tamponade in an adult suffering from acute mumps infection.here, we report a case of a 51-year-old man with acute pericardial tamponade requiring emergency pericardiocentesis after he suffered from sore throat, headache, malaise, and sweats for two weeks. serological analyses revealed increased mumps igm and igg indicating an acute mumps infection whereas other bacterial and viral infections were excluded. in addition, mri revealed atypical swelling of the left submandibular gland. whereas mumps has become a rare entity in children due to comprehensive ...201627818687
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