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melting pot of tick-borne zoonoses: the european hedgehog contributes to the maintenance of various tick-borne diseases in natural cycles urban and suburban areas.european hedgehogs (erinaceus europaeus) are urban dwellers and host both ixodes ricinus and ixodes hexagonus. these ticks transmit several zoonotic pathogens like borrelia burgdorferi (sensu lato), anaplasma phagocytophilum, rickettsia helvetica, borrelia miyamotoi and "candidatus neoehrlichia mikurensis". it is unclear to what extent hedgehogs in (sub) urban areas contribute to the presence of infected ticks in these areas, which subsequently pose a risk for acquiring a tick-borne disease. the ...201728270232
detection of borrelia miyamotoi and other tick-borne pathogens in human clinical specimens and ixodes scapularis ticks in new york state, 2012-2015.borrelia miyamotoi (bm) is a recently emerging bacterial agent transmitted by several species of ixodid ticks. diagnosis of bm infection can be challenging, as the organism is not easily cultivable. we have developed and validated a multiplex real-time pcr to simultaneously identify bm infection and the agents causing human granulocytic anaplasmosis and human monocytic ehrlichiosis, anaplasma phagocytophilum and ehrlichia chaffeensis, respectively. the assay is 100% specific; highly sensitive, d ...201728131594
immune evasion of borrelia miyamotoi: cbia, a novel outer surface protein exhibiting complement binding and inactivating properties.borrelia (b.) miyamotoi, an emerging tick-borne relapsing fever spirochete, resists complement-mediated killing. to decipher the molecular principles of immune evasion, we sought to identify determinants contributing to complement resistance. employing bioinformatics, we identified a gene encoding for a putative factor h-binding protein, termed cbia (complement binding and inhibitory protein a). functional analyses revealed that cbia interacted with complement regulator factor h (fh), c3, c3b, c ...201728331202
evaluation of a serological test for the diagnosis of borrelia miyamotoi disease in europe.borrelia miyamotoi causes systemic febrile illness and is transmitted by the same tick species that transmits borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and tick-borne encephalitis virus. we describe a serological test using a fragment of glycerophosphodiester phosphodiesterase (glpq) as an antigen, and determined its performance in well-defined patient categories.201728259789
the first case of imported borrelia miyamotoi disease concurrent with lyme disease.borrelia miyamotoi disease (bmd) is an emerging infectious disease caused by b. miyamotoi. although bmd has been reported in the united states, europe, and japan, no case of imported bmd has been described in the world. here, we report a 63-year-old american man living in japan who presented with malaise, headache, myalgia, and arthralgia. we suspected lyme disease because of his travel history to minnesota and presence of erythema migrans. serologic analysis supported our diagnosis, and doxycyc ...201728162921
host immune evasion by lyme and relapsing fever borreliae: findings to lead future studies for borrelia miyamotoi.the emerging pathogen, borrelia miyamotoi, is a relapsing fever spirochete vectored by the same species of ixodes ticks that carry the causative agents of lyme disease in the us, europe, and asia. symptoms caused by infection with b. miyamotoi are similar to a relapsing fever infection. however, b. miyamotoi has adapted to different vectors and reservoirs, which could result in unique physiology, including immune evasion mechanisms. lyme borrelia utilize a combination of ixodes-produced inhibito ...201728154563
toward a complete north american borrelia miyamotoi genome.borrelia miyamotoi, of the relapsing-fever spirochete group, is an emerging tick-borne pathogen causing human illness in the northern hemisphere. here, we present the chromosome, eight extrachromosomal linear plasmids, and a draft sequence for five circular and one linear plasmid of a borrelia miyamotoi strain isolated from an ixodes sp. tick from connecticut, usa.201728153903
development and optimization of an in vitro cultivation protocol allows for isolation of borrelia miyamotoi from patients with hard tick-borne relapsing fever.borrelia miyamotoi has been shown to infect humans in eurasia and north america causing hard tick-borne relapsing fever (htbrf). in vitro cultivation of b. miyamotoi was described recently; but clinical isolation of relapsing fever borrelia is cumbersome. our aim was to develop a straightforward protocol enabling b. miyamotoi isolation directly from the blood of patients.201728110053
borrelia miyamotoi in vectors and hosts in the netherlands.ixodes ticks transmit borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.), the causative agent of lyme borreliosis (lb). these tick species also transmit borrelia miyamotoi, which was recently found to cause infections in humans. we were interested in the prevalence of b. miyamotoi infection in ticks and natural hosts in the netherlands, and to what extent ticks are co-infected with b. burgdorferi. in addition, erythema migrans has been sporadically described in b. miyamotoi-infected patients, but these skin ...201728065617
diagnosing borreliosis.borrelia species fall into two groups, the borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (bbsl) complex, the cause of lyme borreliosis (also known as lyme disease), and the relapsing fever group. both groups exhibit inter- and intraspecies diversity and thus have variations in both clinical presentation and diagnostic approaches. a further layer of complexity is derived from the fact that ticks may carry multiple infectious agents and are able to transmit them to the host during blood feeding, with potential ...201728055580
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
validation of droplet digital pcr for the detection and absolute quantification of borrelia dna in ixodes scapularis ticks.we evaluated the qx200 droplet digital pcr (ddpcr™, bio-rad) system and protocols for the detection of the tick-borne pathogens borrelia burgdorferi and borrelia miyamotoi in ixodes scapularis nymphs and adults collected from north truro, massachusetts. preliminary screening by nested pcr determined positive infection levels of 60% for b. burgdorferi in these ticks. to investigate the utility of ddpcr as a screening tool and to calculate the absolute number of bacterial genome copies in an infec ...201727806739
cascading effects of predator activity on tick-borne disease risk.predators and competitors of vertebrates can in theory reduce the density of infected nymphs (din)-an often-used measure of tick-borne disease risk-by lowering the density of reservoir-competent hosts and/or the tick burden on reservoir-competent hosts. we investigated this possible indirect effect of predators by comparing data from 20 forest plots across the netherlands that varied in predator abundance. in each plot, we measured the density of questing ixodes ricinus nymphs (don), din for thr ...201728724731
[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
in vitro susceptibility of the relapsing fever spirochete borrelia miyamotoi to antimicrobial agents.hard tick-borne relapsing fever (htbrf) is an emerging infectious disease throughout the temperate zone caused by the relapsing fever spirochete borrelia miyamotoi antibiotic treatment of htbrf is empirically based on the treatment of lyme borreliosis, however antibiotic susceptibility of b. miyamotoi has not been studied to date. thus, we set out to determine the in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility of b. miyamotoia microdilution method with 96-well microtiter plates was used to determine anti ...201728674060
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
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
[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
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
prevalence of borrelia miyamotoi and borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in questing ticks from a recreational coniferous forest of east saxony, germany.the hard tick ixodes ricinus is the most important vector of tick-transmitted pathogens in europe, frequently occurring in urban parks and greenbelts utilized for recreational activities. this species is the most common vector of the causative agents of lyme borreliosis in europe. similarly, the species spreads borrelia miyamotoi, causing a relapsing-fever like illness. a total of 1774 ixodes ricinus (50 females, 68 males, 840 nymphs and 818 larvae) were collected with flagging between march and ...201728843481
tick surveillance for borrelia miyamotoi and phylogenetic analysis of isolates in mongolia and japan.borrelia miyamotoi, recently recognized as a human pathogenic spirochete, was isolated from ixodes persulcatus and i. ovatus in northern mongolia and honshu island, a major island in japan. although no human b. miyamotoi infections have been reported in mongolia, the prevalence of b. miyamotoi in ticks from mongolia is higher than that in ticks from hokkaido, japan, where human cases have been reported. moreover, the multi-locus sequence analysis of cultured isolates revealed that b. miyamotoi i ...201728768603
case report: clinical features of a case of suspected borrelia miyamotoi disease in hokkaido, japan.we herein report a case of suspected borrelia miyamotoi disease in hokkaido, japan. the patient complained of lassitude, arthralgia, and high fever after a tick bite. furthermore, at the time of consultation, the patient exhibited momentary loss of consciousness and low blood pressure. laboratory tests revealed elevation of liver enzymes, thrombocytopenia, and increased c-reactive protein. seroconversion to b. miyamotoi glycerophosphoryl diester phosphodiesterase antigen suggested the patient wa ...201728719293
transmission of borrelia miyamotoi sensu lato relapsing fever group spirochetes in relation to duration of attachment by ixodes scapularis nymphs.borrelia miyamotoi sensu lato relapsing fever group spirochetes are emerging as causative agents of human illness (borrelia miyamotoi disease) in the united states. host-seeking ixodes scapularis ticks are naturally infected with these spirochetes in the eastern united states and experimentally capable of transmitting b. miyamotoi. however, the duration of time required from tick attachment to spirochete transmission has yet to be determined. we therefore conducted a study to assess spirochete t ...201728501504
prevalence of borrelia miyamotoi in ixodes persulcatus in irkutsk city and its neighboring territories, russia.adult ixodes persulcatus were collected in highly populated districts in irkutsk city, russia, and in popular recreational and professional areas in its neighboring territories. borrelia miyamotoi infection in i. persulcatus was examined using multiplex taqman-pcr targeting 16s rdna, and nested pcr and sequencing analyses targeting flab and 16s rdna. b. miyamotoi and lyme disease borrelia species were detected in 13 (infection rate, 2.9%) and 77 (17.3%) out of 445 i. persulcatus ticks, respectiv ...201626750571
distribution and survival of borrelia miyamotoi in human blood components.borrelia miyamotoi, the agent of relapsing fever, is a tick-borne spirochete first isolated in japan in 1994. since then, the spirochete has been detected in ticks globally, generally in the same vectors as the lyme disease agent. human infection has been reported in russia, europe, japan, and the united states, as influenza-like febrile illness. in addition, two cases of meningoencephalitis caused by b. miyamotoi have also been reported in immunocompromised patients. here we evaluate the abilit ...201626689144
molecular survey of zoonotic agents in rodents and other small mammals in croatia.croatia is a focus for many rodent-borne zoonosis. here, we report a survey of 242 rodents and small mammals, including 43 myodes glareolus, 131 apodemus flavicollis, 53 apodemus agrarius, three apodemus sylvaticus, six sorex araneus, four microtus arvalis, one microtus agrestis, and one muscardinus avellanarius, collected at eight sites in croatia over an 8-year period. multiplex masstag polymerase chain reaction (pcr) was used for detection of borrelia, rickettsia, bartonella, babesia, ehrlich ...201626711522
assessing the abundance, seasonal questing activity, and borrelia and tick-borne encephalitis virus (tbev) prevalence of ixodes ricinus ticks in a lyme borreliosis endemic area in southwest finland.studies have revealed that ixodes ricinus (acari: ixodidae) have become more abundant and their geographical distribution extended northwards in some nordic countries during the past few decades. however, ecological data of tick populations in finland are sparse. in the current study, i. ricinus abundance, seasonal questing activity, and their borrelia spp. and tick-borne encephalitis virus (tbev) prevalence were evaluated in a lyme borreliosis endemic area in southwest finland, seili island, wh ...201626548608
detection and characterization of the emerging relapsing fever pathogen, borrelia miyamotoi, from the ixodes ricinus tick in the rural trakya (thrace) region of northwestern turkey.the hard tick-borne relapsing fever agent, borrelia miyamotoi infection in ixodes ricinus ticks sampled from istanbul and the countryside of kirklareli in northwestern turkey, was examined by taqman-pcr targeting 16s rdna, nested pcr targeting 16s rdna, the flagellin gene (flab), and the 16s and 23s rdna intergenic spacer (igs), and sequencing analyses of these amplicons. b. miyamotoi was detected in 1 out of 248 i. ricinus ticks (infection rate 0.4%). the tick infected with b. miyamotoi was col ...201627788060
hard tick relapsing fever caused by borrelia miyamotoi in a child.a 5-year-old massachusetts resident developed hard tick-borne relapsing fever caused by borrelia miyamotoi. a partially engorged ixodes scapularis tick was removed from her scalp and identified as infected with b. miyamotoi using polymerase chain reaction. two weeks later, she developed an illness compatible with b. miyamotoi infection that included fatigue and recurrent fever. the diagnosis was confirmed by b. miyamotoi seroconversion.201627626914
occurrence of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in ixodes ricinus ticks with first identification of borrelia miyamotoi in vojvodina, serbia.lyme borreliosis is the most common tick-borne infectious disease in eurasia. borrelia miyamotoi is the only known relapsing fever borrelia group spirochete transmitted by ixodes species. the aim of this study was to investigate the presence of lyme borrelia spp. and relapsing fever borrelia spp. in ixodes ricinus ticks collected from dogs and the vegetation from different parts of vojvodina, serbia. a total of 71 ixodes ricinus ticks were collected and screened for the presence of lyme borrelia ...201627574731
laboratory cultivation and maintenance of borrelia miyamotoi.borrelia miyamotoi is a relapsing fever tick-borne pathogen found in ixodes spp. (hard) ticks. in vitro culturing has proven difficult despite initial reports of cultures maintained in barbour-stoenner-kelly-ii (bsk-ii) medium. the ability to culture in vitro opens many avenues for investigating the genetics and physiology of bacterial species. this unit describes methods for the maintenance and cultivation of b. miyamotoi in liquid medium. © 2016 by john wiley & sons, inc.201627517334
paired real-time pcr assays for detection of borrelia miyamotoi in north american ixodes scapularis and ixodes pacificus (acari: ixodidae).borrelia miyamotoi is an emerging, tick-borne human pathogen. in north america, it is primarily associated with ixodes scapularis and ixodes pacificus, two species known to bite humans. here we describe the development and evaluation of a pair of real-time taqman pcr assays designed to detect b. miyamotoi in north american ticks. we sought to achieve sensitivity to b. miyamotoi strains associated with ticks throughout north america, the full genetic diversity of which is unknown, by targeting se ...201627475875
insights into borrelia miyamotoi infection from an untreated case demonstrating relapsing fever, monocytosis and a positive c6 lyme serology.we describe a patient from the united states with pcr- and serology-confirmed borrelia miyamotoi infection who recovered without antibiotics. our findings suggest that b. miyamotoi infection may cause relapsing fever, blood monocytosis and antibody reactivity to the c6 peptide. further studies are required to better define the spectrum of clinical and laboratory findings for this emerging tick-transmitted infection.201627412815
borrelia miyamotoi: a human tick-borne relapsing fever spirochete in europe and its potential impact on public health.borrelia miyamotoi is a tick-borne bacterium which has only recently been identified in europe as a human pathogen causing relapsing fever and little is known about its local impact on human health. there are three types of b. miyamotoi: asian (siberian), european, and american. b. miyamotoi is transmitted by the same ixodes ricinus-persulcatus species complex, which also transmits b. burgdorferi s.l., the lyme borreliosis group. both borrelia groups are mostly maintained in natural rodent popul ...201627100337
variable major proteins as targets for specific antibodies against borrelia miyamotoi.borrelia miyamotoi is a relapsing fever spirochete in ixodes ticks that has been recently identified as a human pathogen causing hard tick-borne relapsing fever (htbrf) across the northern hemisphere. no validated serologic test exists, and current serologic assays have low sensitivity in early htbrf. to examine the humoral immune response against b. miyamotoi, we infected c3h/hen mice with b. miyamotoi strain lb-2001 expressing variable small protein 1 (vsp1) and demonstrated that spirochetemia ...201627076681
[follow-up of patients with ixodes tick-borne borrelioses caused by borrelia miyamotoi or borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato].ixodes tick-borne borrelioses (itbb) are caused by two different spirochetes: borrelia from the group of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, the agents of the classic lyme borreliosis (lb), and borrelia miyamotoi that belongs to the group of borrelia causing tick-borne relapsing fevers. itbb caused by b. miyamotoi (bm-itbb) is a previously unknown infectious disease discovered in russia. it is known that the lb sequelae may reduce the long-term life guality of convalescents.201628005031
a novel duplex real-time pcr permits simultaneous detection and differentiation of borrelia miyamotoi and borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato.for simultaneous detection of borrelia miyamotoi (relapsing fever spirochete) and borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, we have developed a duplex real-time pcr targeting the flagellin gene (flab; p41), a locus frequently used in routine diagnostic pcr for b. burgdorferi s.l. detection.201626168860
prevalence and diversity of tick-borne pathogens in nymphal ixodes scapularis (acari: ixodidae) in eastern national parks.tick-borne pathogens transmitted by ixodes scapularis say (acari: ixodidae), also known as the deer tick or blacklegged tick, are increasing in incidence and geographic distribution in the united states. we examined the risk of tick-borne disease exposure in 9 national parks across six northeastern and mid-atlantic states and the district of columbia in 2014 and 2015. to assess the recreational risk to park visitors, we sampled for ticks along frequently used trails and calculated the density of ...201628028138
[did you know this about the diseases spread by ticks?].the number of ticks, members of the acarids, is increasing in the finnish nature, and the risk of tick-borne infections has therefore increased as well. the incidence of lyme borreliosis and tick-borne encephalitis has also increased over the past few years. possible recently discovered tick-borne infectious organisms include borrelia miyamotoi and anaplasma phagocytophilum bacteria and the babesia protozoon. although infections caused by these microorganism are presumed to be rare in finland, t ...201627522835
distribution of ticks and the risk of lyme disease and other tick-borne pathogens of public health significance in ontario, canada.over the past two decades, the northward spread of ixodes scapularis across ontario, canada, has accelerated and the risk of lyme disease has increased. active surveillance is a recognized and effective method for detecting reproducing populations of i. scapularis. in this study, we conducted field sampling consistent with an active surveillance approach from may to october 2014 at 104 sites in central, eastern, and southern ontario to determine the current distribution of i. scapularis and othe ...201626870937
co-infections and transmission dynamics in a tick-borne bacterium community exposed to songbirds.we investigated the transmission dynamics of a community of tick-borne pathogenic bacteria in a common european songbird (parus major). tick-naïve birds were infested with three successive batches (spaced 5 days apart) of field-collected ixodes ricinus nymphs, carrying the following tick-borne bacteria: rickettsia helvetica (16.9%), borrelia garinii (1.9%), borrelia miyamotoi (1.6%), anaplasma phagocytophilum (1.2%) and candidatus neoehrlichia mikurensis (0.4%). fed ticks were screened for the p ...201626627444
borrelia miyamotoi-associated neuroborreliosis in immunocompromised person.borrelia miyamotoi is a newly recognized human pathogen in the relapsing fever group of spirochetes. we investigated a case of b. miyamotoi infection of the central nervous system resembling b. burgdorferi-induced lyme neuroborreliosis and determined that this emergent agent of central nervous system infection can be diagnosed with existing methods.201627533748
unique strain of borrelia miyamotoi in ixodes pacificus ticks, california, usa. 201627479523
morgellons disease: a filamentous borrelial dermatitis.morgellons disease (md) is a dermopathy characterized by multicolored filaments that lie under, are embedded in, or project from skin. although md was initially considered to be a delusional disorder, recent studies have demonstrated that the dermopathy is associated with tickborne infection, that the filaments are composed of keratin and collagen, and that they result from proliferation of keratinocytes and fibroblasts in epithelial tissue. culture, histopathological and molecular evidence of s ...201627789971
molecular detection of tick-borne pathogens in humans with tick bites and erythema migrans, in the netherlands.tick-borne diseases are the most prevalent vector-borne diseases in europe. knowledge on the incidence and clinical presentation of other tick-borne diseases than lyme borreliosis and tick-borne encephalitis is minimal, despite the high human exposure to these pathogens through tick bites. using molecular detection techniques, the frequency of tick-borne infections after exposure through tick bites was estimated.201627706159
borrelia miyamotoi infection in patients from upper midwestern united states, 2014-2015.we confirmed borrelia miyamotoi infection in 7 patients who had contracted an illness while near la crosse, wisconsin, usa, an area where ixodes scapularis ticks are endemic. b. miyamatoi infection should now be considered among differential diagnoses for patients from the midwestern united states who have signs and symptoms suggestive of tickborne illness.201627434048
environmental factors influencing tick densities over seven years in a french suburban forest.worldwide changes in socio-economic and environmental factors and the global climate are recognised causes of variation in tick distribution and density. thus it is of great importance that new studies address the changing risk of infection for exposed populations. in europe, ixodes ricinus ticks are the most common vectors of several pathogens impacting veterinary and public health that have colonised suburban habitats.201627234215
human pathogens associated with the blacklegged tick ixodes scapularis: a systematic review.the blacklegged tick ixodes scapularis transmits borrelia burgdorferi (sensu stricto) in eastern north america; however, the agent of lyme disease is not the sole pathogen harbored by the blacklegged tick. the blacklegged tick is expanding its range into areas of southern canada such as ontario, an area where exposure to blacklegged tick bites and tick-borne pathogens is increasing. we performed a systematic review to evaluate the public health risks posed by expanding blacklegged tick populatio ...201627151067
tick-borne bacterial pathogens in southwestern finland.ixodes ricinus and ixodes persulcatus are the main vectors of lyme borreliosis spirochetes and several other zoonotic bacteria in northern europe and russia. however, few studies screening bacterial pathogens in finnish ticks have been conducted. therefore, reports on the occurrence and prevalence of several bacterial pathogens detected from ticks elsewhere in europe and russia are altogether missing from finland. the main aim of the current study was to produce novel data on the occurrence and ...201627004834
larvae of ixodes ricinus transmit borrelia afzelii and b. miyamotoi to vertebrate hosts.lyme borreliosis is the most common tick-borne human disease and is caused by borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.). borrelia miyamotoi, a relapsing fever spirochaete, is transmitted transovarially, whereas this has not been shown for b. burgdorferi (s.l). therefore, b. burgdorferi (s.l) is considered to cycle from nymphs to larvae through vertebrates. larvae of ixodes ricinus are occasionally b. burgdorferi (s.l) infected, but their vector competence has never been studied.201626896940
high prevalence of borrelia miyamotoi among adult blacklegged ticks from white-tailed deer.we compared the prevalence of borrelia miyamotoi infection in questing and deer-associated adult ixodes scapularis ticks in wisconsin, usa. prevalence among deer-associated ticks (4.5% overall, 7.1% in females) was significantly higher than among questing ticks (1.0% overall, 0.6% in females). deer may be a sylvatic reservoir for this newly recognized zoonotic pathogen.201626811985
multiple and diverse vsp and vlp sequences in borrelia miyamotoi, a hard tick-borne zoonotic pathogen.based on chromosome sequences, the human pathogen borrelia miyamotoi phylogenetically clusters with species that cause relapsing fever. but atypically for relapsing fever agents, b. miyamotoi is transmitted not by soft ticks but by hard ticks, which also are vectors of lyme disease borrelia species. to further assess the relationships of b. miyamotoi to species that cause relapsing fever, i investigated extrachromosomal sequences of a north american strain with specific attention on plasmid-born ...201626785134
survey of ixodes pacificus ticks in california reveals a diversity of microorganisms and a novel and widespread anaplasmataceae species.ixodes pacificus ticks can harbor a wide range of human and animal pathogens. to survey the prevalence of tick-borne known and putative pathogens, we tested 982 individual adult and nymphal i. pacificus ticks collected throughout california between 2007 and 2009 using a broad-range pcr and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (pcr/esi-ms) assay designed to detect a wide range of tick-borne microorganisms. overall, 1.4% of the ticks were found to be infected with borrelia burgdorferi, 2.0% w ...201526375033
detection, identification and genotyping of borrellia spp. in rodents in slovenia by pcr and culture.borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, the agent of lyme borreliosis, is mainly maintained in natural foci through the transmission cycles of competent tick vectors (ixodes sp.) and a vertebrate reservoir. specific rodents have been identified as the principal reservoir of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in europe. borrelia miyamotoi is the only relapsing fever spirochete transmitted by the same tick. the aim of the present study was to perform an epidemiological survey to determine the presence of b. ...201526253121
eco-epidemiology of borrelia miyamotoi and lyme borreliosis spirochetes in a popular hunting and recreational forest area in hungary.borrelia miyamotoi, the newly discovered human pathogenic relapsing fever spirochete, and borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato are maintained in natural rodent populations. the aim of this study was to investigate the natural cycle of b. miyamotoi and b. burgdorferi s.l. in a forest habitat with intensive hunting, forestry work and recreational activity in southern hungary.201526048373
borrelia miyamotoi infection in nature and in humans.borrelia miyamotoi is a relapsing fever borrelia group spirochete that is transmitted by the same hard-bodied (ixodid) tick species that transmit the agents of lyme disease. it was discovered in 1994 in ixodes persulcatus ticks in japan. b. miyamotoi species phylogenetically cluster with the relapsing fever group spirochetes, which usually are transmitted by soft-bodied (argasid) ticks or lice. b. miyamotoi infects at least six ixodes tick species in north america and eurasia that transmit lyme ...201525700888
borrelia miyamotoi disease: neither lyme disease nor relapsing fever.borrelia miyamotoi disease (bmd) is a newly recognized borreliosis globally transmitted by ticks of the ixodes persulcatus species complex. once considered to be a tick symbiont with no public health implications, b miyamotoi is increasingly recognized as the agent of a nonspecific febrile illness often misdiagnosed as acute lyme disease without rash, or as ehrlichiosis. the frequency of its diagnosis in the northeastern united states is similar to that of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis. a diag ...201526593262
lyme disease coinfections in the united states.lyme disease in north america is caused by infection with the spirochetal bacterium borrelia burgdorferi and transmitted by ixodes scapularis and ixodes pacificus ticks. these ticks also have the potential to transmit a rapidly expanding list of other pathogenic bacteria, viruses, and parasites, including anaplasma phagocytophilum, babesia microti, deer tick (powassan) virus, borrelia miyamotoi, and the ehrlichia muris-like organism. coinfections with b burgdorferi and these other agents are oft ...201526593260
relatively low prevalence of babesia microti and anaplasma phagocytophilum in ixodes scapularis ticks collected in the lehigh valley region of eastern pennsylvania.several human pathogens are transmitted by the blacklegged tick, ixodes scapularis. these include the spirochetes that cause lyme disease (borrelia burgdorferi) which is endemic to the lehigh valley region of eastern pennsylvania. emerging and currently rare tick-borne diseases have been of increasing concern in this region, including tick-borne relapsing fever (caused by borrelia miyamotoi), human granulocytic anaplasmosis (caused by anaplasma phagocytophilum), and human babesiosis (caused by b ...201526318263
tick-borne bacteria in ixodes ricinus collected in southern norway evaluated by a commercial kit and established real-time pcr protocols.ticks are important vectors of human pathogens. the knowledge of disease causing agents harboured by ticks in norway is limited. the focus of this study was (a) to detect the bacteria of medical importance in ticks collected from the vegetation at locations in the southern part of the country and (b) to evaluate a novel commercially available multiplex pcr based method by comparing results with conventional established real-time pcr protocols. borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato was confirmed to be ...201525985721
borrelia miyamotoi in host-seeking ixodes ricinus ticks in england.this paper reports the first detection of borrelia miyamotoi in uk ixodes ricinus ticks. it also reports on the presence and infection rates of i. ricinus for a number of other tick-borne pathogens of public health importance. ticks from seven regions in southern england were screened for b. miyamotoi, borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.), anaplasma phagocytophilum and neoehrlichia mikurensis using qpcr. a total of 954 i. ricinus ticks were tested, 40 were positive for b. burgdorferi s.l., 22 ...201525017971
borrelia miyamotoi: the newest infection brought to us by deer ticks. 201526053967
borrelia miyamotoi disease in the northeastern united states: a case series.the first recognized cases of borrelia miyamotoi disease (bmd) in north america were reported in the northeastern united states in 2013.201526053877
borrelia miyamotoi is widespread in ixodes ricinus ticks in southern norway.from april to october 2007, host-seeking ixodes ricinus ticks were collected from four locations in southern norway; farsund, mandal, søgne and tromøy, respectively. larvae (n=210), nymphs (n=1130) and adults (n=449) were investigated for infection with borrelia miyamotoi by real-time polymerase chain reaction (pcr) amplification of part of the 16s rrna gene. results were verified by direct sequencing of the pcr amplicon generated from the rrs (16s)-rrl (23s) intergenetic spacer. b. miyamotoi wa ...201525962805
borrelia miyamotoi: a widespread tick-borne relapsing fever spirochete.borrelia miyamotoi is a relapsing fever spirochete that has only recently been identified as a human pathogen. borrelia miyamotoi is genetically and ecologically distinct from borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, while both are present in ixodes ticks. over 50 patients with an acute febrile illness have been described with a b. miyamotoi infection, and two infected immunocompromised patients developed a meningoencephalitis. seroprevalence studies indicate exposure in the general population and in sp ...201525892254
a newly established real-time pcr for detection of borrelia miyamotoi in ixodes ricinus ticks.a total of 350 ticks collected in austria were analyzed for the presence of dna sequences of b. miyamotoi. three ticks gave positive results in a b. miyamotoi-specific nested pcr. results were confirmed by sequencing the amplified glpq gene from the positive samples. moreover we developed a real-time pcr which unambiguously detected b. miyamotoi in all positive samples. further genotyping of the samples found 100% identity of the 16s-23s intergenic spacer region with swedish b. miyamotoi sequenc ...201525736476
multilocus spacer analysis revealed highly homogeneous genetic background of asian type of borrelia miyamotoi.borrelia miyamotoi, a member of the relapsing fever group borreliae, was first isolated in japan and subsequently found in ixodes ticks in north america, europe and russia. currently, there are three types of b. miyamotoi: asian or siberian (transmitted mainly by ixodes persulcatus), european (ixodesricinus) and american (ixodesscapularis and ixodespacificus). despite the great genetic distances between b. miyamotoi types, isolates within a type are characterised by an extremely low genetic vari ...201525697887
diseases from north america: focus on tick-borne infections.tick-borne infections are seen throughout the united states, with varying geographical locations. many of these infections are also increasingly seen in europe. certain ticks (eg ixodes) can transmit more than one infection. diagnosis, particularly in early infection, can be challenging and therefore knowledge of the distinguishing clinical features and epidemiology of these diseases is important. testing for lyme disease often causes confusion for patients and medical providers, as serological ...201525650204
long-term in vitro cultivation of borrelia miyamotoi.borrelia are fastidious bacteria some of which are difficult to grow in vitro. here, we report a method for successful continuous in vitro cultivation of the emerging pathogen borrelia miyamotoi. the type and quantity of serum as well as the atmosphere were critical for successful in vitro cultivation. optimal growth was achieved using 50% pooled human serum and an atmosphere of 6% co2.201525561082
blood transfusion transmission of the tick-borne relapsing fever spirochete borrelia miyamotoi in mice.borrelia miyamotoi, a recently discovered relapsing fever spirochete, occurs in hard-bodied ticks wherever lyme disease is endemic. human infection is associated with relapsing fever and can cause meningoencephalitis in immunocompromised patients. a few cases of transfusion transmission of other relapsing fever spirochete species have been reported but none for b. miyamotoi. our objective was to determine whether b. miyamotoi transfusion transmission could occur in a murine transfusion model. he ...201525251880
the presence of borrelia miyamotoi, a relapsing fever spirochaete, in questing ixodes ricinus in belgium and in the netherlands.borrelia miyamotoi is a tick-borne bacterium that may cause relapsing fever in humans. as this pathogen has been discovered in europe only recently, only little is known about its local impact on human health and its spatial distribution. in this study, we show the results of pcr screenings for b. miyamotoi in flagged ixodes ricinus from belgium and the netherlands. b. miyamotoi was detected in nine of thirteen, and three of five locations from the netherlands and belgium, respectively. these ou ...201525212814
[the blood coagulation system and microcirculatory disorders in ixodid tick-borne borreliosis caused by borrelia miyamotoi].to study blood coagulation and microcirculatory disorders as a possible cause of transient dysfunctions of organs (the kidney, liver, heart, lung, etc.) in patients with ixodid tick-borne borreliosis caused by borrelia miyamotoi (bmt). subjects and methods; twenty-four patients with lyme disease (ld) and 28 bmt patients treated at izhevsk city hospital (udmurtia) were examined in the study. platelet counts and the presence of d-dimers were determined; activated partial thromboplastin time, proth ...201526821412
[relapsing (recurrent) disease caused by borrelia miyamotoi].to clarify the clinical, laboratory, and epidemiological characteristics of relapsing ixodes tick-borne borreliosis (itb) caused by borrelia miyamotoi.201526821411
coexistence of borrelia burgdorferi s.l. genospecies within ixodes ricinus ticks from central and eastern poland.the purpose of the study was to assess the prevalence and coinfection rates of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato genotypes in ixodes ricinus (l.) ticks sampled from diverse localities in central and eastern regions of poland. in years 2009-2011, questing nymphs and adults of i. ricinus were collected using a flagging method at 18 localities representing distinct ecosystem types: urban green areas, suburban forests and rural woodlands. molecular detection of b. burgdorferi s.l. genospecies was base ...201526408587
molecular identification of borrelia miyamotoi in ixodes ricinus from portugal.borrelia miyamotoi, a relapsing fever spirochete, has been found recently in ixodes ricinus ticks; however, little is known about its spatial distribution and potential local impact on human health. a total of 640 ticks (447 nymphs and 193 adults) collected throughout portugal were analyzed using two nested pcr protocols, one targeting the flagellin gene and the other the internal transcribed space region between the 5s and the 23s rrna. as a result, b. miyamotoi was detected, for the first time ...201526273814
borrelia miyamotoi. in response. 201526666795
borrelia miyamotoi. 201526666794
probability of spirochete borrelia miyamotoi transmission from ticks to humans. 201526584357
update and commentary on four emerging tick-borne infections: ehrlichia muris-like agent, borrelia miyamotoi, deer tick virus, heartland virus, and whether ticks play a role in transmission of bartonella henselae.emerging tick-borne infections continue to be observed in the united states and elsewhere. current information on the epidemiology, clinical and laboratory features, and treatment of infections due to ehrlichia muris-like agent, deer tick virus, borrelia miyamotoi sensu lato, and heartland virus was provided and critically reviewed. more research is needed to define the incidence and to understand the clinical and the laboratory features of these infections. there is also a growing need for the ...201525999230
[dna detection of pathogens transmitted by ixodid ticks in blood of small mammals inhabiting the forest biotopes in middle irtysh area (omsk region, west siberia)].microtine rodents were captured in two disconnected sampling sites in omsk region where ixodes pesulrcatus and ixodes trianguliceps are sympatric. in blood samples of rodents the dna was revealed belonging to several ixodid-transmitted pathogens: borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (prevalence 20.0 and 6.0%, here and further values are given for the first and second site, respectively), borrelia miyamotoi (8.3 and 2.0%), anlaplasnma phagocytophilum (33.3 and 48.0%), ehrlichia muris (30.0 and 2.0%) a ...201425507835
[dna detection of pathogens transmitted by ixodid ticks in blood of small mammals inhabiting the forest biotopes in middle irtysh area (omsk region, west siberia)].microtine rodents were captured in two disconnected sampling sites in omsk region where ixodes pesulrcatus and ixodes trianguliceps are sympatric. in blood samples of rodents the dna was revealed belonging to several ixodid-transmitted pathogens: borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (prevalence 20.0 and 6.0%, here and further values are given for the first and second site, respectively), borrelia miyamotoi (8.3 and 2.0%), anlaplasnma phagocytophilum (33.3 and 48.0%), ehrlichia muris (30.0 and 2.0%) a ...201425434237
ixodes ricinus ticks (acari, ixodidae) as a vector of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and borrelia miyamotoi in lower silesia, poland--preliminary study.ixodes ricinus is the primary vector of borrelia spirochetes in europe, including both the lyme borreliosis (lb) group and the relapsing fever (rf) group. the aim of the study was to estimate the prevalence of different genospecies from the b. burgdorferi s.l. complex and b. miyamotoi in questing i. ricinus collected in chosen areas in lower silesia, sw poland. a total of 599 i. ricinus ticks were investigated using the pcr-rflp method. the calculated overall minimum infection rate of ticks with ...201425150724
remarkable diversity of tick or mammalian-associated borreliae in the metropolitan san francisco bay area, california.the diversity of lyme disease (ld) and relapsing fever (rf)-group spirochetes in the metropolitan san francisco bay area in northern california is poorly understood. we tested ixodes pacificus, i. spinipalpis, and small mammals for presence of borreliae in alameda county in the eastern portion of san francisco bay between 2009 and 2012. analyses of 218 borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (bb sl) culture or dna isolates recovered from host-seeking i. pacificus ticks revealed that the human pathogen b ...201425129859
the relapsing fever spirochete borrelia miyamotoi resists complement-mediated killing by human serum.borrelia miyamotoi, a relapsing fever spirochete transmitted by ixodid ticks, is able to cause infections associated with systemic complaints, including malaise and fever, as well as meningoencephalitis in immunocompromised patients. in order to elucidate immune evasion of previously difficult to cultivate b. miyamotoi, we have examined the ability of this newly emerging human pathogen to escape the complement system. growth inhibition assays revealed that b. miyamotoi is strongly resistant to c ...201425104575
increased diversity of zoonotic pathogens and borrelia burgdorferi strains in established versus incipient ixodes scapularis populations across the midwestern united states.the center of origin theory predicts that genetic diversity will be greatest near a specie's geographic origin because of the length of time for evolution. by corollary, diversity will decrease with distance from the origin; furthermore, invasion and colonization are frequently associated with founder effects that reduce genetic variation in incipient populations. the blacklegged tick, ixodes scapularis, harbors a suite of zoonotic pathogens, and the geographic range of the tick is expanding in ...201424953506
are apodemus spp. mice and myodes glareolus reservoirs for borrelia miyamotoi, candidatus neoehrlichia mikurensis, rickettsia helvetica, r. monacensis and anaplasma phagocytophilum?in europe, in addition to borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and tick-borne encephalitis (tbe) virus, other zoonotic pathogens, like b. miyamotoi, a species related to the relapsing fever spirochaetes, candidatus neoehrlichia mikurensis (n. mikurensis), rickettsia helvetica, rickettsia monacensis, and anaplasma phagocytophilum have been reported in the ixodid tick ixodes ricinus. no study was conducted to identify reservoir hosts for these pathogens. here, we investigated the role played by wild ro ...201424582511
phylogeny of a relapsing fever borrelia species transmitted by the hard tick ixodes scapularis.the discovery of borrelia species that were related to the agents of relapsing fever but were transmitted by hard ticks rather than soft ticks challenged previous taxonomies based largely on microbe-host specificities and geographic considerations. one of these newly-identified organisms is the borrelia miyamotoi sensu lato strain lb-2001 from north america and transmitted by ixodes scapularis. this or related strains have been identified as the cause of human disease, but comparatively little i ...201424813576
tick surveillance for relapsing fever spirochete borrelia miyamotoi in hokkaido, japan.during 2012-2013, a total of 4325 host-seeking adult ticks belonging to the genus ixodes were collected from various localities of hokkaido, the northernmost island of japan. tick lysates were subjected to real-time pcr assay to detect borrelial infection. the assay was designed for specific detection of the relapsing fever spirochete borrelia miyamotoi and for unspecific detection of lyme disease-related spirochetes. overall prevalence of b. miyamotoi was 2% (71/3532) in ixodes persulcatus, 4.3 ...201425111141
tick-borne pathogen - reversed and conventional discovery of disease.molecular methods have increased the number of known microorganisms associated with ticks significantly. some of these newly identified microorganisms are readily linked to human disease while others are yet unknown to cause human disease. the face of tick-borne disease discovery has changed with more diseases now being discovered in a "reversed way," detecting disease cases only years after the tick-borne microorganism was first discovered. compared to the conventional discovery of infectious d ...201425072045
pathogens in ticks collected from dogs in berlin/brandenburg, germany.tick-borne diseases are a major health risk for humans and dogs. in addition to collection and analysis of questing ticks, analysis of host-associated ticks for the presence of pathogens is a valuable method to gain insight into transmission patterns of tick-borne diseases.201425441762
ixodes ricinus and its transmitted pathogens in urban and peri-urban areas in europe: new hazards and relevance for public health.tick-borne diseases represent major public and animal health issues worldwide. ixodes ricinus, primarily associated with deciduous and mixed forests, is the principal vector of causative agents of viral, bacterial, and protozoan zoonotic diseases in europe. recently, abundant tick populations have been observed in european urban green areas, which are of public health relevance due to the exposure of humans and domesticated animals to potentially infected ticks. in urban habitats, small and medi ...201425520947
large scale spatial risk and comparative prevalence of borrelia miyamotoi and borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in ixodes pacificus.borrelia miyamotoi is a newly described emerging pathogen transmitted to people by ixodes species ticks and found in temperate regions of north america, europe, and asia. there is limited understanding of large scale entomological risk patterns of b. miyamotoi and of borreila burgdorferi sensu stricto (ss), the agent of lyme disease, in western north america. in this study, b. miyamotoi, a relapsing fever spirochete, was detected in adult (n=70) and nymphal (n=36) ixodes pacificus ticks collecte ...201425333277
prevalence of borrelia miyamotoi in ixodes ticks in europe and the united states.borrelia miyamotoi, a relapsing fever-related spirochete transmitted by ixodes ticks, has been recently shown to be a human pathogen. to characterize the prevalence of this organism in questing ixodes ticks, we tested 2,754 ticks for a variety of tickborne pathogens by pcr and electrospray-ionization mass spectrometry. ticks were collected from california, new york, connecticut, pennsylvania, and indiana in the united states and from germany and the czech republic in europe from 2008 through 201 ...201425280366
high seroprevalence of borrelia miyamotoi antibodies in forestry workers and individuals suspected of human granulocytic anaplasmosis in the netherlands.substantial exposure to borrelia miyamotoi occurs through bites from ixodes ricinus ticks in the netherlands, which also transmit borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and anaplasma phagocytophilum. direct evidence for b. miyamotoi infection in european populations is scarce. a flu-like illness with high fever, resembling human granulocytic anaplasmosis, has been attributed to b. miyamotoi infections in relatively small groups. borrelia miyamotoi infections associated with chronic meningoencephalitis ...201425356364
the relapsing fever spirochete borrelia miyamotoi is cultivable in a modified kelly-pettenkofer medium, and is resistant to human complement.borrelia miyamotoi is a relapsing fever spirochete found in ixodes ticks in north america, europe, and asia, and has recently been found to be invasive in humans. cultivation of this spirochete has not yet been described, but is important for patient diagnostics and scientific purposes. host specificity of borrelia species is dependent on resistance to host complement (serum resistance), and since b. miyamotoi has been identified as a human pathogen we were interested whether b. miyamotoi is res ...201425189195
broad-range survey of tick-borne pathogens in southern germany reveals a high prevalence of babesia microti and a diversity of other tick-borne pathogens.abstract ticks harbor numerous pathogens of significance to human and animal health. a better understanding of the pathogens carried by ticks in a given geographic area can alert health care providers of specific health risks leading to better diagnosis and treatments. in this study, we tested 226 ixodes ricinis ticks from southern germany using a broad-range pcr and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry assay (pcr/esi-ms) designed to identify tick-borne bacterial and protozoan pathogens in ...201425072989
high-throughput screening of tick-borne pathogens in europe.due to increased travel, climatic, and environmental changes, the incidence of tick-borne disease in both humans and animals is increasing throughout europe. therefore, extended surveillance tools are desirable. to accurately screen tick-borne pathogens (tbps), a large scale epidemiological study was conducted on 7050 ixodes ricinus nymphs collected from france, denmark, and the netherlands using a powerful new high-throughput approach. this advanced methodology permitted the simultaneous detect ...201425120960
borrelia miyamotoi sensu lato seroreactivity and seroprevalence in the northeastern united states.borrelia miyamotoi sensu lato, a relapsing fever borrelia sp., is transmitted by the same ticks that transmit b. burgdorferi (the lyme disease pathogen) and occurs in all lyme disease-endemic areas of the united states. to determine the seroprevalence of igg against b. miyamotoi sensu lato in the northeastern united states and assess whether serum from b. miyamotoi sensu lato-infected persons is reactive to b. burgdorferi antigens, we tested archived serum samples from area residents during 1991 ...201424960072
dna sequencing diagnosis of off-season spirochetemia with low bacterial density in borrelia burgdorferi and borrelia miyamotoi infections.a highly conserved 357-bp segment of the 16s ribosomal rna gene (16s rdna) of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and the correspondent 358-bp segment of the borrelia miyamotoi gene were amplified by a single pair of nested polymerase chain reaction (pcr) primers for detection, and the amplicons were used as the templates for direct sanger dna sequencing. reliable molecular diagnosis of these borreliae was confirmed by sequence alignment analysis of the hypervariable regions of the pcr amplicon, usi ...201424968274
lyme and associated tick-borne diseases: global challenges in the context of a public health threat. 201424918091
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