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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
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
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
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
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
technical and clinical validation of three commercial real-time pcr kits for the diagnosis of neuroborreliosis in cerebrospinal fluid on three different real-time pcr platforms.this study reports the evaluation of the technical and clinical validation of the o-diaborburg kit (dia), borrelia burgdorferi pcr kit, isex (gene), and borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato real-tm (sac) for the diagnosis of neuroborreliosis in cerebrospinal fluid based on both borrelia dna and csf samples from patients with clinical suspicion of neuroborreliosis. this validation study was done by analysing the kits on the rotorgene q (rgq), cfx96, and lightcycler480 (lc480). for all kits, the linear ...201727714590
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
screening of nci-dtp library to identify new drug candidates for borrelia burgdorferi. 201727826144
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
identification and molecular survey of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in sika deer (cervus nippon) from jilin province, north-eastern china.lyme disease caused by borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) is a common disease of domestic animals and wildlife worldwide. sika deer is first-grade state-protected wildlife animals in china and have economic consequences for humans. it is reported that sika deer may serve as an important reservoir host for several species of b. burgdorferi s.l. and may transmit these species to humans and animals. however, little is known about the presence of borrelia pathogens in sika deer in china. in this ...201727818123
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
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
borrelia burgdorferi chey2 is dispensable for chemotaxis or motility but crucial for the infectious life cycle of the spirochete.the requirements for bacterial chemotaxis and motility range from dispensable to crucial for host colonization. even though more than 50% of all sequenced prokaryotic genomes possess at least one chemotaxis signaling system, many of those genomes contain multiple copies of a chemotaxis gene. however, the functions of most of those additional genes are unknown. most motile bacteria possess at least one chey response regulator that is typically dedicated to the control of motility and which is usu ...201727799336
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
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
antibody response to lyme disease spirochetes in the context of vlse-mediated immune evasion.lyme disease (ld), the most prevalent tick-borne illness in north america, is caused by borrelia burgdorferi the long-term survival of b. burgdorferi spirochetes in the mammalian host is achieved though vlse-mediated antigenic variation. it is mathematically predicted that a highly variable surface antigen prolongs bacterial infection sufficiently to exhaust the immune response directed toward invariant surface antigens. if the prediction is correct, it is expected that the antibody response to ...201727799330
prevalence of serological response to borrelia burgdorferi in farmers from eastern and central poland.lyme borreliosis (lyme disease) caused by the borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato spirochete is the most common tick-borne infection manifested by a wide spectrum of clinical symptoms. in poland, the preventive health care does not comprise individual farmers as it is practiced in foresters. the objective of this study was to evaluate the exposure of polish farmers to infection with b. burgdorferi, based on serological screening test and epidemiological investigation. a total of 3,597 farmers were e ...201727796648
enhanced protective immunogenicity of homodimeric borrelia burgdorferi outer surface protein c.lyme borreliosis is caused by tick-transmitted spirochetes of the borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato group and is the most common vector-borne disease in the united states and europe. outer surface protein c (ospc) is a 23-kda outer surface lipoprotein expressed during spirochete transmission from the tick to the vertebrate host. in a previous study, we found that immunization with a recombinant disulfide-bridged dimeric form of ospc (d-ospc) stimulates increased antibody responses relative to immu ...201727733423
infection with the lyme disease pathogen suppresses innate immunity in mice with diet-induced obesity.obesity is a major global public health concern. immune responses implicated in obesity also control certain infections. we investigated the effects of high-fat diet-induced obesity (dio) on infection with the lyme disease bacterium borrelia burgdorferi in mice. dio was associated with systemic suppression of neutrophil- and macrophage-based innate immune responses. these included bacterial uptake and cytokine production, and systemic, progressive impairment of bacterial clearance, and increased ...201727794208
a novel glycan modifies the flagellar filament proteins of the oral bacterium treponema denticola.while protein glycosylation has been reported in several spirochetes including the syphilis bacterium treponema pallidum and lyme disease pathogen borrelia burgdorferi, the pertinent glycan structures and their roles remain uncharacterized. herein, a novel glycan with an unusual chemical composition and structure in the oral spirochete treponema denticola, a keystone pathogen of periodontitis was reported. the identified glycan of mass 450.2 da is composed of a monoacetylated nonulosonic acid (n ...201727696564
impact of white-tailed deer on the spread of borrelia burgdorferi.there is a public perception that the white-tailed deer odocoileus virginianus (artiodactyla: cervidae) is the main reservoir supporting the maintenance and spread of the causative agent of lyme disease, borrelia burgdorferi. this study examines the pathogen prevalence rate of borrelia in adult ixodes scapularis (ixodida: ixodidae), the black-legged tick, collected from white-tailed deer and compares it with pathogen prevalence rates in adult ticks gathered by dragging vegetation in two contiguo ...201727699814
autoimmune arthritides, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, or peripheral spondyloarthritis following lyme disease.to describe systemic autoimmune joint diseases that develop following lyme disease, and to compare their clinical features with those of lyme arthritis (la).201727636905
not all erythema migrans lesions are lyme disease.lyme disease is the number one arthropod-transmitted disease in the us, and one of the diagnostic criteria for the illness is development of an erythematous bull's-eye rash around a tick bite that may expand over time, hence the term erythema migrans. however, there are other erythema migrans-like rashes, such as those from a condition known as southern tick-associated rash illness. this article describes a patient with an erythema migrans-like lesion similar to that associated with lyme disease ...201727612442
the putative walker a and walker b motifs of rrp2 are required for the growth of borrelia burgdorferi.rrp2 encodes a putative bacterial enhancer binding protein (bebp) in borrelia burgdorferi. point mutation (g239c) of rrp2 abolishes the transcriptional activation of σ(54) -dependent rpos. in contrast to canonical bebps that are dispensable for bacterial growth, rrp2 is essential for borrelial growth in bsk medium. it has been believed that rrp2's atpase activity is not required for cell growth, but experimental evidence supporting this notion has been lacking. in particular, it has remained unc ...201727696536
actin-dependent regulation of borrelia burgdorferi phagocytosis by macrophages.the spirochete borrelia burgdorferi is the causative agent of lyme disease, a multisystemic disorder affecting primarily skin, nervous system, and joints. if an infection with borrelia proceeds unchecked, the disease can also enter a chronic stage, leading to the development of neuroborreliosis or cardiac arrhythmia. successful elimination of b. burgdorferi by the host immune system is thus decisive for the positive outcome of a respective infection. accordingly, host immune cells such as macrop ...201727744511
infections in the differential diagnosis of bell's palsy: a plea for performing csf analysis.peripheral facial nerve palsy (fp) is the most common single nerve affection. most cases are idiopathic, but a relevant fraction is caused by potentially treatable aetiologies including infections. not all current diagnosis and treatment guidelines recommend routine cerebrospinal fluid (csf) analysis in the diagnostic workup of this symptom. in this study, we evaluated frequency of aetiologies and relevance of csf analysis in an interdisciplinary cohort.201727530390
seroprevalence of west nile virus, crimean-congo hemorrhagic fever virus, francisella tularensis and borrelia burgdorferi in rural population of manisa, western turkey.zoonotic diseases are well recognised threat to public health globally. the information of regional prevalence and associated risk factors allow the national programmes to determine and frame better strategies for their control, as they also provide the actual status of zoonosis in the region. the aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of west nile virus (wnv), crimean-congo hemorrhagic fever virus (cchfv), francisella tularensis and borrelia burgdorferi among the rural residents ...201727353580
chronic lymphomonocytic meningoencephalitis, oligoarthritis and erythema nodosum: report of baggio-yoshinari syndrome of long and relapsing evolution.the brazilian human borreliosis, also known as baggio-yoshinari syndrome (bys), is a tickborne disease but whose ticks do not pertain to the ixodes ricinus complex. it is caused by borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato microorganisms and resembles clinical and laboratory features of lyme disease (ld). bys is also distinguished from ld by its prolonged clinical evolution, with relapsing episodes and autoimmune dysfunction. we describe the case of a young female who, over one year, progressively present ...201724878862
cerebrospinal fluid t-regulatory cells recognize borrelia burgdorferi napa in chronic lyme borreliosis.the napa protein of b. burgdorferi is essential for the persistence of spirochetes in ticks. one of the most intriguing aspects of napa is its potential to interfere with the host immune system. here, we investigated the role of the acquired immune responses induced by napa in the cerebrospinal fluids (csf) of patients with chronic lyme borreliosis. we evaluated the cytokine profile induced in microglia cells and csf t cells following napa stimulation. we report here that napa induced a regulato ...201724355226
a boy with a tight skin: borrelia-associated early-onset morphea.we present a case of a 16-year-old boy with morphea caused by borrelia burgdorferi. we re-emphasise an immunohistochemical method, focus floating microscopy (ffm), to detect borrelia burgdorferi spirochetes in tissue sections. focus floating microscopy (ffm) proved to be more sensitive than polymerase chain reaction (pcr) and nearly equally specific.201724093617
prevalence of antibodies to borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto in humans from a cuban village.lyme disease has not been officially reported in cuba. however, clinical cases have been serologically reported. seroprevalence survey of borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto antibodies in humans in the country has not been conducted.201722358362
a serosurvey of diseases of free-ranging gray wolves (canis lupus) in minnesota.we tested serum samples from 387 free-ranging wolves ( canis lupus ) from 2007 to 2013 for exposure to eight canid pathogens to establish baseline data on disease prevalence and spatial distribution in minnesota's wolf population. we found high exposure to canine adenoviruses 1 and 2 (88% adults, 45% pups), canine parvovirus (82% adults, 24% pups), and lyme disease (76% adults, 39% pups). sixty-six percent of adults and 36% of pups exhibited exposure to the protozoan parasite neospora caninum . ...201728192048
early disseminated lyme disease causing false positive serology for primary epstein-barr virus infection - report of 2 cases.false positive serology for lyme disease was reported in patients with acute infectious mononucleosis. here we describe two patients with early-disseminated lyme disease who were misdiagnosed with infectious mononucleosis based on false positive tests for primary epstein-barr virus infection.201728379435
white matter diseases with radiologic-pathologic correlation.white matter diseases include a wide spectrum of disorders that have in common impairment of normal myelination, either by secondary destruction of previously myelinated structures (demyelinating processes) or by primary abnormalities of myelin formation (dysmyelinating processes). the pathogenesis of many white matter diseases remains poorly understood. demyelinating disorders are the object of this review and will be further divided into autoimmune, infectious, vascular, and toxic-metabolic pr ...201727618323
infection resistance and tolerance in peromyscus spp., natural reservoirs of microbes that are virulent for humans.the widely-distributed north american species peromyscus leucopus and p. maniculatus of cricetine rodents are, between them, important natural reservoirs for several zoonotic diseases of humans: lyme disease, human granulocytic anaplasmosis, babesiosis, erhlichiosis, hard tickborne relapsing fever, powassan virus encephalitis, hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, and plague. while these infections are frequently disabling and sometimes fatal for humans, the peromyscines display little pathology and ap ...201727381345
tuberculosis 'the great imitator': a usual disease with unusual presentations.a number of infectious diseases have been referred to by the phrase 'the great imitator', of which the oldest is syphilis; others include lyme disease, nocardiosis, etc. tuberculosis has been described as the second great imitator as it can imitate various other disease processes. an awareness of the atypical clinical manifestations of tuberculosis is important, especially in regions where tuberculosis continues to be a major public health problem, such as india. extrapulmonary tuberculosis (ept ...201728166920
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
emerging borreliae - expanding beyond lyme borreliosis.lyme borreliosis (or lyme disease) has become a virtual household term to the exclusion of other forgotten, emerging or re-emerging borreliae. we review current knowledge regarding these other borreliae, exploring their ecology, epidemiology and pathological potential, for example, for the newly described b. mayonii. these bacteria range from tick-borne, relapsing fever-inducing strains detected in some soft ticks, such as b. mvumii, to those from bat ticks resembling b. turicatae. some of these ...201727523487
vertebrate ticks distribution and their role as vectors in relation to road edges and underpasses.roads fragment vertebrate populations and affect the dynamics and dispersal patterns of vertebrate parasites. we evaluated how vertebrate ticks distribute near roads and road underpasses in human-caused road-fragmented landscapes in seville, sw spain. we sampled 49 stations with 93 individualized sampling points and assessed tick abundance. we explored the relationship between tick presence and abundance and distance to the nearest road and underpass (drainage culverts and other passages used by ...201728402742
approaches for reverse line blot-based detection of microbial pathogens in ixodes ricinus ticks collected in austria and impact of the chosen method.ticks transmit a large number of pathogens capable of causing human disease. in this study, the pcr-reverse line blot (rlb) method was used to screen for pathogens in a total of 554 ixodes ricinus ticks collected from all provinces of austria. these pathogens belong to the genera borrelia, rickettsiae, anaplasma/ehrlichia (including "candidatus neoehrlichia"), babesia, and coxiella the pathogens with the highest detected prevalence were spirochetes of the borrelia burgdorferisensu lato complex, ...201728455331
small rnas of borrelia burgdorferi: characterizing functional regulators in a sea of srnas
.borrelia (borreliella) burgdorferi and closely related genospecies are the causative agents of lyme disease, the most common tick-borne disease north of the equator. the bacterium, a member of the spirochete phylum, is acquired by a tick vector that feeds on an infected vertebrate host and is transmitted to another vertebrate during subsequent feeding by the next tick stage. the precise navigation of this enzootic cycle entails the regulation of genes required for these two host-specific phases ...201728656017
interaction of primary mast cells with borrelia burgdorferi (sensu stricto): role in transmission and dissemination in c57bl/6 mice.borrelia burgdorferi (sensu lato), the causative agent of lyme borreliosis is a bacterium transmitted by hard ticks, ixodes spp. bacteria are injected into the host skin during the tick blood meal with tick saliva. there, borrelia and saliva interact together with skin cells such as keratinocytes, fibroblasts, mast cells and other specific immune cells before disseminating to target organs.201728655322
neuroborreliosis in swedish children: a population-based study on incidence and clinical characteristics.borrelia burgdorferi is a common cause of bacterial meningitis but there are very few studies on incidence in europe.201728654563
in vivo imaging of lyme arthritis in mice by [(18)f]fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography.lyme borreliosis (lb) is a tick-borne infectious disease caused by borrelia burgdorferi spirochaetes, which are able to disseminate from the tick-bite site to distant organs. mouse models are widely used to study lb and especially lyme arthritis (la), but only a few whole-animal in vivo imaging studies on the pathogenesis of b. burgdorferi infection in mice have been published so far. the existing imaging techniques have their drawbacks and, therefore, novel tools to complement the array of avai ...201728649922
a dual luciferase reporter system for b. burgdorferi measures transcriptional activity during tick-pathogen interactions.knowledge of the transcriptional responses of vector-borne pathogens at the vector-pathogen interface is critical for understanding disease transmission. borrelia (borreliella) burgdorferi, the causative agent of lyme disease in the united states, is transmitted by the bite of infected ixodes sp. ticks. it is known that b. burgdorferi has altered patterns of gene expression during tick acquisition, persistence and transmission. recently, we and others have discovered in vitro expression of rnas ...201728620587
blood donor borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato seroprevalence and history of tick bites at a northern limit of the vector distribution.in order to study the antibody seroprevalence of the causal agent of lyme borreliosis, borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.), and the history of tick bites at a geographical distribution limit of ixodes ricinus, we compared healthy blood donors in geographically extreme regions: the borreliosis-endemic vestfold county (59°n) and the region of northern norway. blood samples were screened using igg/vlse elisa, and positive/borderline samples were confirmed using c6 elisa and immunoblot assays. al ...201728612350
impact of a freeway on the dispersal of ticks and ixodes ricinus-borne pathogens: forested resting areas may become lyme disease hotspots.man-made barriers are well known for their effects on ecosystems. habitat fragmentation, for instance, is a recognised consequence of modern-day infrastructure. the aim of the present study was to investigate the diversity and abundance of tick species, as well as the risks of acquiring tick-borne infections in habitats adjacent to a freeway. therefore, ixodid ticks were collected from the vegetation at two-week intervals (in the main tick season, from march to june) in eight habitats of differe ...201728605964
the geographic distribution of ixodes scapularis (acari: ixodidae) revisited: the importance of assumptions about error balance.the black-legged tick, ixodes scapularis say, is the primary vector of borrelia burgdorferi, a spirochete that causes lyme disease, in eastern north america. lyme disease risk has generally been considered to be focused in the northeast and the northern midwest in the united states, yet the distribution of the vector extends considerably more broadly. a recent analysis of the distribution of the species using ecological niche modeling approaches painted an odd biogeographic picture, in which the ...201728591858
importance of common wall lizards in the transmission dynamics of tick-borne pathogens in the northern apennine mountains, italy.during the investigations on ticks and tick-borne pathogens (tbp) range expansion in the northern apennines, we captured 107 podarcis muralis lizards. sixty-eight animals were infested by immature ixodes ricinus, haemaphysalis sulcata and h. punctata. borrelia burgdorferi s.l. was detected in 3.7% of i. ricinus larvae and 8.0% of nymphs. together with the species-specific b. lusitaniae, we identified b. garinii, b. afzelii and b. valaisiana. rickettsia spp. (18.1% larvae, 12.0% nymphs), namely r ...201728540487
infection with borrelia chilensis in ixodes stilesi ticks collected from pudu puda deer.lyme borreliosis is a vector-borne zoonosis caused by borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato species complex spirochetes, which are maintained in transmission cycles among vertebrates and ixodes ticks. recently, a new genospecies within this complex, borrelia chilensis, was described in ixodes stilesi collected from the environment and from rodents in chile. this tick also infests the native southern pudu deer (pudu puda). the objectives of this study were to investigate the prevalence, intensity of in ...201728549720
detection and genetic characterization of a wide range of infectious agents in ixodes pavlovskyi ticks in western siberia, russia.the ixodes pavlovskyi tick species, a member of the i. persulcatus/i. ricinus group, was discovered in the middle of the 20(th) century in the russian far east. limited data have been reported on the detection of infectious agents in this tick species. the aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and genetic variability of a wide range of infectious agents in i. pavlovskyi ticks collected in their traditional and recently invaded habitats, the altai mountains and novosibirsk province, ...201728545549
crowdsourcing-based nationwide tick collection reveals the distribution of ixodes ricinus and i. persulcatus and associated pathogens in finland.a national crowdsourcing-based tick collection campaign was organized in 2015 with the objective of producing novel data on tick distribution and tick-borne pathogens in finland. nearly 20 000 ixodes ticks were collected. the collected material revealed the nationwide distribution of i. persulcatus for the first time and a shift northwards in the distribution of i. ricinus in finland. a subset of 2038 tick samples containing both species was screened for borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (the prev ...201728487561
candidatus neoehrlichia mikurensis and borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato detected in the blood of norwegian patients with erythema migrans.the most common tick-borne human disease in norway is lyme borreliosis. ticks in norway also harbour less known disease-causing agents such as candidatus neoehrlichia mikurensis, borrelia miyamotoi and rickettsia helvetica. however, human infections caused by these pathogens have never been described in norway. the main aims of the study were to evaluate the contribution of several tick-borne bacterial agents, other than borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, to zoonotic diseases in norway and to dete ...201728539197
practices of lyme disease diagnosis and treatment by general practitioners in quebec, 2008-2015.lyme disease (ld), a multisystem infection caused by the spirochete borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto (b. burgdorferi), is the most reported vector-borne disease in north america, and by 2020, 80% of the population in central and eastern canada could live in ld risk areas. among the key factors for minimising the impact of ld are the accurate diagnosis and appropriate management of patients bitten by ticks. in this study, the practices of quebec general practitioners (gps) on ld diagnosis and m ...201728532428
lyme borreliae prevalence and genospecies distribution in ticks removed from humans.lyme borreliosis (lb) is the most important human tick-borne disease, but borrelia genospecies cause different clinical manifestations. ticks of the genus ixodes removed from humans between 2006 and 2012 were analysed for borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (sl) infections. the majority of ticks originated from the greater hanover region in northern germany. the engorgement status varied over the entire spectrum from unengorged (no evidence of started blood feeding) to fully engorged. in the present ...201728528880
canine infection with borrelia burgdorferi, dirofilaria immitis, anaplasma spp. and ehrlichia spp. in canada, 2013-2014.canine test results generated by veterinarians throughout canada from 2013-2014 were evaluated to assess the geographical distribution of canine infection with borrelia burgdorferi, dirofilaria immitis, ehrlichia spp., and anaplasma spp.201728526093
relative risk for ehrlichiosis and lyme disease in an area where vectors for both are sympatric, new jersey, usa. 201728518034
occurrence of <i>coxiella burnetii</i>, <i>ehrlichia canis</i>, <i>rickettsia</i> species and <i>anaplasma phagocytophilum</i>-like bacterium in ticks collected from dogs and cats in south africa.ticks are major vectors of arthropod-borne infections and transmit a wide variety of zoonotic pathogens. this study was conducted mainly to determine the occurrence of canine tick-borne bacterial and rickettsial pathogens especially those with zoonotic potential. we examined 276 rhipicephalus sanguineus, 38 haemaphysalis elliptica and 4 amblyomma hebraeum ticks from 90 dogs and 4 cats from the free state, kwazulu-natal, north west and mpumalanga provinces. dna of coxiella burnetii (41%), ehrlich ...201728582983
insights into pg-binding, conformational change, and dimerization of the ompa c-terminal domains from salmonella enterica serovar typhimurium and borrelia burgdorferi.salmonella enterica serovar typhimurium can induce both humoral and cell-mediated responses when establishing itself in the host. these responses are primarily stimulated against the lipopolysaccharide and major outer membrane (om) proteins. ompa is one of these major om proteins. it comprises a n-terminal eight-stranded β-barrel transmembrane domain and a c-terminal domain (ompa(ctd) ). the ompa(ctd) and its homologs are believed to bind to peptidoglycan (pg) within the periplasm, maintaining b ...201728580643
identification of tp0751 (pallilysin) as a treponema pallidum vascular adhesin by heterologous expression in the lyme disease spirochete.treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum, the causative agent of syphilis, is a highly invasive spirochete pathogen that uses the vasculature to disseminate throughout the body. identification of bacterial factors promoting dissemination is crucial for syphilis vaccine development. an important step in dissemination is bacterial adhesion to blood vessel surfaces, a process mediated by bacterial proteins that can withstand forces imposed on adhesive bonds by blood flow (vascular adhesins). the study of ...201728484210
a proteomic signature of dormancy in the actinobacterium micrococcus luteus.dormancy is a protective state in which diverse bacteria, including mycobacterium tuberculosis, staphylococcus aureus, treponema pallidum (syphilis), and borrelia burgdorferi (lyme disease), curtail metabolic activity to survive external stresses, including antibiotics. evidence suggests dormancy consists of a continuum of interrelated states, including viable but nonculturable (vbnc) and persistence states. vbnc and persistence contribute to antibiotic tolerance, reemergence from latent infecti ...201728484042
lost in plasmids: next generation sequencing and the complex genome of the tick-borne pathogen borrelia burgdorferi.borrelia (b.) burgdorferi sensu lato, including the tick-transmitted agents of human lyme borreliosis, have particularly complex genomes, consisting of a linear main chromosome and numerous linear and circular plasmids. the number and structure of plasmids is variable even in strains within a single genospecies. genes on these plasmids are known to play essential roles in virulence and pathogenicity as well as host and vector associations. for this reason, it is essential to explore methods for ...201728558786
europe-wide meta-analysis of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato prevalence in questing ixodes ricinus ticks.lyme borreliosis is the most common zoonotic disease transmitted by ticks in europe and north america. despite having multiple tick vectors, the causative agent, borrelia burgdorferisensu lato, is vectored mainly by ixodes ricinus in europe. in the present study, we aimed to review and summarize the existing data published from 2010 to 2016 concerning the prevalence of b. burgdorferi sensu lato spirochetes in questing i. ricinus ticks. the primary focus was to evaluate the infection rate of thes ...201728550059
detection and differentiation of lyme spirochetes and other tick-borne pathogens from blood using real-time pcr with molecular beacons.real-time pcr assays have recently been implemented in diagnostics for many bacterial pathogens, allowing rapid and accurate detection, which ultimately results in improved clinical intervention. here, we describe a sensitive method of detection for three common tick-borne pathogens borrelia burgdorferi, anaplasma phagocytophilum, and babesia microti since coinfections with these pathogens have started occurring with increasing frequency over the last several years in both north america and euro ...201728600768
a protein-protein interaction dictates borrelial infectivity.two borrelia burgdorferi interacting proteins, bb0238 and bb0323, play distinct roles in pathogen biology and infectivity although a significance of their interaction remained enigmatic. here we identified the polypeptide segment essential for bb0238-bb0323 interaction and examined how it supports spirochete infectivity. we show that the interaction region in bb0323 requires amino acid residues 22-200, suggesting that the binding encompasses discontinuous protein segments. in contrast, the inter ...201728592866
when a patient suspected with juvenile idiopathic arthritis turns out to be diagnosed with an infectious disease - a review of lyme arthritis in children.the lyme arthritis is a common manifestation of infection with borrelia burgdorferi spirochete. despite its infectious background, the inflammation clinically and histopatologically resembles juvenile idiopathic arthritis. as it affects a considerable number of lyme disease patients, it should be routinely considered in differential diagnosis. development of arthritis is partially dependent on spirochetal factors, including the ribosomal spacer type and the sequence of outer surface protein c. i ...201728482848
unusual manifestation of neuroboreliosis (case report).the paper reported the verified case of neuroboreliosis with unusual clinical presentation of parkinsonism. study aimed at establishing the significance of a precise differential diagnosis with substantial analysis of the symptoms of several diseases to avoid the false diagnosis and to conduct the opportune and adequate therapeutic management. we described the case of the diagnosed neuroboreliosis with clinical expression of multiple sclerosis (ms) and parkinsonism. a 44 years old man was diagno ...201728480854
geographic expansion of lyme disease in michigan, 2000-2014.most lyme disease cases in the midwestern united states are reported in minnesota and wisconsin. in recent years, however, a widening geographic extent of lyme disease has been noted with evidence of expansion eastwards into michigan and neighboring states with historically low incidence rates.201728480261
a case of early disseminated neurological lyme disease followed by atypical cutaneous manifestations.lyme disease (ld) is a tick-borne illness caused by borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto. an 80-year-old female from pennsylvania, usa, presented to an outside hospital with fever, confusion, lower extremity weakness, and stool incontinence. ct head and mri spine were unremarkable. an infectious work-up including lumbar puncture was negative. she was transferred to our tertiary care hospital. patient was noted to have mild unilateral right-sided facial droop and a diffuse macular rash throughout t ...201728512589
[tick-borne infections in denmark].the castor bean tick, ixodes ricinus, is common in woodlands in most of denmark. besides borrelia burgdorferi, it can harbour a number of pathogenic microorganisms such as tick-borne encephalitis virus, anaplasma phagocytophilum, rickettsia helvetica, francisella tularensis, candidatus neoehrlichia mikurensis, bartonella spp., borrelia miyamotoi and babesia spp. these tick-borne infections should be a differential diagnostic consideration during the tick season in denmark. we review the distribu ...201728504633
corrigendum to: dna-based identification and ospc serotyping in cultures of borrelia burgdorferi s.l. isolated from ticks collected in the moravia (czech republic). 201728504440
anaplasma phagocytophilum, babesia microti, borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, and toxoplasma gondii in ixodes ricinus (acari, ixodida) ticks collected from slowinski national park (northern poland). 201728504439
molecular evidence of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in patients in brazilian central-western region.we aimed to detect dna of borrelia burgdorferi in whole blood and serum samples of patients with clinical symptoms and epidemiology compatible with brazilian lyme-like disease. four patients with positive epidemiological histories were recruited for the study. blood samples were collected, screened by serologic testing by elisa and western blotting and molecular identification of b. burgdorferi by amplifying a fragment of the conserved gene that synthesizes the hook flagellar flge. the results s ...201728579253
t2 magnetic resonance assay-based direct detection of three lyme disease-related borrelia species in whole-blood samples.in early lyme disease (ld), serologic testing is insensitive and seroreactivity may reflect active or past infection. in this study, we evaluated a novel assay for the direct detection of three species of borrelia spirochetes in whole blood. the t2 magnetic resonance (t2mr) assay platform was used to amplify borrelia dna released from intact spirochetes and to detect amplicon. analytical sensitivity was determined from blood spiked with known concentrations of spirochetes, and the assay's limit ...201728566314
species composition and temporal distribution of adult ixodid ticks and prevalence of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and rickettsia species in orange county, california. 201728504429
the clinical relevance of studies on borrelia burgdorferi persisters. 201728502813
receptor tyrosine kinases play a significant role in human oligodendrocyte inflammation and cell death associated with the lyme disease bacterium borrelia burgdorferi.in previous studies, human oligodendrocytes were demonstrated to undergo apoptosis in the presence of borrelia burgdorferi under an inflammatory milieu. subsequently, we determined that the mek/erk pathway played a significant role in triggering downstream inflammation as well as apoptosis. however, the identity of receptors triggered by exposure to b. burgdorferi and initiating signaling events was unknown.201728558791
western blot techniques.the western blot is an important laboratory technique that allows for specific identification and characterization of proteins. sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (sds-page)-separated proteins are electophoretically transferred to a polyvinylidene fluoride (pvdf) membrane which is then incubated with specific antibodies, then developed to show the protein of interest. here, we describe the transfer and detection of outer surface protein a (ospa), a protein only found on th ...201728501998
powassan/deer tick virus and borrelia burgdorferi infection in wisconsin tick populations.powassan/deer tick virus (powv/dtv) is an emerging cause of arboviral neuroinvasive disease in the upper midwest. these studies describe the prevalence and geographic distribution of wisconsin ticks carrying powv/dtv as well as the high frequency of ixodes scapularis ticks coinfected with both powv/dtv and borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of lyme disease. these findings suggest that concurrent transmission of powv/dtv and b. burgdorferi from coinfected ticks is likely to occur in humans ...201728488932
investigation of ospc expression variation among borrelia burgdorferi strains.outer surface protein c (ospc) is the most studied major virulence factor of borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of lyme disease. the level of ospc varies dramatically among b. burgdorferi strains when cultured in vitro, but little is known about what causes such variation. it has been proposed that the difference in endogenous plasmid contents among strains contribute to variation in ospc phenotype, as b. burgdorferi contains more than 21 endogenous linear (lp) and circular plasmids (cp), ...201728473966
cerebrovascular manifestations of lyme neuroborreliosis-a systematic review of published cases.lyme neuroborreliosis (lnb) is a disease caused by spirochete borrelia burgdorferi, involving the nervous system. it usually manifests as lymphocytic meningoradiculitis, but in rare cases, it can also lead to cerebrovascular complications. we aimed to perform a systematic review of all reported cases of lnb complicated by central nervous system vasculitis and stroke or transient ischemic attack (tia).201728473801
full-thickness macular hole: a rare complication of borrelia burgdorferi neuroretinitis.borrelia burgdorferi is a known infective cause of neuroretinitis. we present a case of b burgdorferi neuroretinitis complicated by macular hole in a 22-year-old man. the neuroretinitis was managed with early high-dose intravenous corticosteroid and oral antibiotic. the macular hole was managed with macular hole surgery after intraocular inflammation had resolved.201728473358
[clinical manifestations, diagnosis and treatment of lyme borreliosis].lyme borreliosis is an infection caused by the borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex and transmitted by ixodes ricinus ticks in denmark. it can manifest itself in several different forms of which erythema migrans is the most common and is diagnosed by clinical assessment of the characteristic erythema. laboratory support for the clinical diagnosis of other manifestations rests on the measurement of borrelia-specific antibodies. treatment is straight-forward with antibiotics such as penicillin. ...201728473022
lyme disease ecology in a changing world: consensus, uncertainty and critical gaps for improving control.lyme disease is the most common tick-borne disease in temperate regions of north america, europe and asia, and the number of reported cases has increased in many regions as landscapes have been altered. although there has been extensive work on the ecology and epidemiology of this disease in both europe and north america, substantial uncertainty exists about fundamental aspects that determine spatial and temporal variation in both disease risk and human incidence, which hamper effective and effi ...201728438910
prevalence of selected infectious disease agents in stray cats in catalonia, spain.the objective of the current study was to investigate the prevalence rates of the following infectious agents in 116 stray cats in the barcelona area of spain: anaplasma phagocytophilum, bartonella species, borrelia burgdorferi, chlamydia felis, dirofilaria immitis, ehrlichia species, feline calicivirus (fcv), feline herpesvirus-1 (fhv-1), feline leukaemia virus (felv), feline immunodeficiency virus (fiv), haemoplasmas, mycoplasma species and rickettsia species.201728491415
detection of anaplasma phagocytophilum, babesia microti, borrelia burgdorferi, borrelia miyamotoi, and powassan virus in ticks by a multiplex real-time reverse transcription-pcr assay.ixodes scapularis ticks are implicated in transmission of anaplasma phagocytophilum, borrelia burgdorferi, borrelia miyamotoi, babesia microti, and powassan virus. we describe the establishment and implementation of the first multiplex real-time pcr assay with the capability to simultaneously detect and differentiate all five pathogens in a single reaction. the application of this assay for analysis of ticks at sites in new york and connecticut revealed a high prevalence of b. microti in ticks f ...201728435891
infectious agents is a risk factor for myxomatous mitral valve degeneration: a case control study.the etiology of myxomatous mitral valve degeneration (mvd) is not fully understood and may depend on time or environmental factors for which the interaction of infectious agents has not been documented. the purpose of the study is to analyze the effect of mycoplasma pneumoniae (mp), chlamydophila pneumoniae (cp) and borrelia burgdorferi (bb) on myxomatous mitral valve degeneration pathogenesis and establish whether increased in inflammation and collagen degradation in myxomatous mitral valve deg ...201728431520
evaluation of biomérieux's dissociated vidas lyme igm ii and igg ii as a first-tier diagnostic assay for lyme disease.the recommended laboratory diagnostic approach for lyme disease is a standard two-tiered testing (sttt) algorithm where the first tier is typically an enzyme immunoassay (eia) that if positive or equivocal is reflexed to western immunoblotting as the second tier. biomérieux manufactures one of the most commonly used first-tier eias in the united states, the combined igm/igg vidas test (lyt). recently, biomérieux launched its dissociated first-tier tests, the vidas lyme igm ii (lym) and igg ii (l ...201728330884
borrelia-primed and -infected mice deficient of interleukin-17 develop arthritis after neutralization of gamma-interferon.the immune mechanisms responsible for development of lyme arthritis are partially understood with interleukin-17 (il-17) and gamma-interferon (ifn-γ) playing a generally accepted role. elevated levels of il-17 and/or ifn-γ have been reported in samples from human lyme arthritis patients and experimental mice. in addition, il-17 and ifn-γ have been implicated in the onset of arthritis in borrelia-primed and -infected c57bl/6 mice. recently, we showed that il-17-deficient mice developed swelling a ...201728175297
bactericidal activity of octenidine to various genospecies of borrelia burgdorferi, sensu lato spirochetes in vitro and in vivo.the aim of our studies was to invent a reliable method for detection of the bactericidal activity of disinfectants against borrelia burgdorferi in suspension (in vitro) and in cell line cultures (in vivo). in the suspension method, 0.01% octenidine at 20°c and 35°c was bactericidal to borrelia afzeli; borrelia garini, b. burgdorferi sensu stricto after 5 minutes treatment. increase of the temperature to 35°c speed up the bactericidal effect to 1 minute. the bactericidal action of octenidine towa ...201728735308
management of lyme disease in european children: a review for practical purpose.lyme disease is a tick-borne zoonosis transmitted through a bite of a tick carrying a spirochete belonging to borrelia species. in the last 20 years, the reported incidence of lyme disease is increased by three times in europe. clinically, the illness develops through a primary stage with a typical skin rash (erythema marginatum), then a secondary stage with possible neurologic or cardiac involvement. the last stage (chronic lyme disease) is mainly represented by arthritis or late neurological c ...201728681315
a biochip-based combined immunoassay for detection of serological status of borrelia burgdorferi in lyme borreliosis.dithiobis (succinimidyl undecanoate) modified gold surface biochip were used as a combined immunoassay platform for concurrently detecting immune responses to borrelia burgdorferi (b. burgdorferi) sensu lato antigens, flagellin, outer surface protein c, variable major protein-like sequence proteins, and 3 vlse protein ir6 peptides. the peptides represented intrinsic borrelia genospecies: b. burgdorferi sensu stricto, b. garinii, and b. afzelii, respectively.201728676442
phagocytic receptors activate syk and src signaling during borrelia burgdorferi phagocytosis.phagocytosis of the lyme disease causing pathogen borrelia burgdorferi has been shown to be important in generating an inflammatory response to the pathogen. as a result, understanding the mechanisms of phagocytosis has been an area of great interest in the field of lyme disease. several cell surface receptors that participate in b. burgdorferi phagocytosis have been reported, including scavenger receptor marco and integrin α3β1. we sought to define the mechanisms by which these receptors mediat ...201728717031
[borrelia miyamotoi: a recently identified human pathogenic tick-borne relapsing fever spirochete].borrelia miyamotoi is a recently described relapsing fever spirochete transmitted by ticks of the ixodes ricinus complex. this pathogen is different from borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (the lyme borreliosis spirochetes) in its epidemiology, ecology and also genetics. over 50 patients have been described worldwide with borrelia miyamotoi disease, and three immunocompromised patients were reported with neurological symptoms. our knowledge about borrelia miyamotoi infection in ticks and its distri ...201728714333
regulation of escherichia coli pathogenesis by alternative sigma factor n.σ(n) (also σ(54)) is an alternative sigma factor subunit of the rna polymerase complex that regulates the expression of genes from many different ontological groups. it is broadly conserved in the eubacteria with major roles in nitrogen metabolism, membrane biogenesis, and motility. σ(n) is encoded as the first gene of a five-gene operon including rpon (σ(n)), ptsn, hpf, rapz, and npr that has been genetically retained among species of escherichia, shigella, and salmonella. in an increasing numb ...201728635589
range expansion and increasing borrelia burgdorferi infection of the tick ixodes scapularis (acari: ixodidae) in iowa, 1990-2013.a passive surveillance program monitored ticks submitted by the public in iowa from 1990-2013. submitted ticks were identified to species and life stage, and ixodes scapularis say nymphs and adults were tested for the presence of borrelia burgdorferi. an average of 2.6 of iowa's 99 counties submitted first reports of i. scapularis per year over the surveillance period, indicating expansion of this tick species across the state. the proportion of vector ticks infected by b. burgdorferi increased ...201728633503
lyme carditis buried beneath st-segment elevations.lyme disease is caused by the spirochete borrelia burgdorferi and is carried to human hosts by infected ticks. there are nearly 30,000 cases of lyme disease reported to the cdc each year, with 3-4% of those cases reporting lyme carditis. the most common manifestation of lyme carditis is partial heart block following bacterial-induced inflammation of the conducting nodes. here we report a 45-year-old gentleman that presented to the hospital with intense nonradiating chest pressure and tightness. ...201728713599
clinical association: lyme disease and guillain-barre syndrome.guillain-barre syndrome (gbs) is a life-threatening condition in which patients may present to the emergency department in respiratory distress leading to death. the early identification and treatment of such a condition is paramount in preventing mortality. while there are many infections associated with gbs, the association with lyme disease is uncommon. through our case we aim to highlight borrelia burgdorferi as an important antecedent infection associated with the development of gbs. in thi ...201728711274
completed genome sequences of borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto b31(nrz) and closely related patient isolates from europe.borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto is a causative agent of human lyme borreliosis in the united states and europe. we report here the completed genome sequences of strain b31 isolated from a tick in the united states and two closely related strains from europe, pali and pabe, which were isolated from patients with erythema migrans and neuroborreliosis, respectively.201728705983
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