| anaplasma phagocytophilum induces ixodes scapularis ticks to express an antifreeze glycoprotein gene that enhances their survival in the cold. | in the united states, ixodes scapularis ticks overwinter in the northeast and upper midwest and transmit the agent of human granulocytic anaplasmosis, anaplasma phagocytophilum, among other pathogens. we now show that the presence of a. phagocytophilum in i. scapularis ticks increases their ability to survive in the cold. we identified an i. scapularis antifreeze glycoprotein, designated iafgp, and demonstrated via rnai knockdown studies the importance of iafgp for the survival of i. scapularis ... | 2010 | 20739755 |
| inadequate binding of immune regulator factor h is associated with sensitivity of borrelia lusitaniae to human complement. | spirochetes belonging to the borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex differ in resistance to complement-mediated killing by human serum. here, we characterize complement sensitivity of a panel of b. lusitaniae isolates derived from ticks collected in germany and portugal as well as one patient-derived isolate, pohl. all isolates are highly susceptible to complement-mediated lysis in human serum and activate complement predominantly by the alternative pathway, leading to an increased deposition o ... | 2010 | 20823202 |
| growth, cysts and kinetics of borrelia garinii (spirochaetales: spirochaetacea) in different culture media. | the aim of the present paper was to evaluate cyst formation and growth parameters of borrelia garinii in a range of media differing in formulation and cost. a qualitative assessment of morphology and motility of b. garinii was conducted. all media were prepared aseptically and used in test tubes or petri dishes. for each medium, the initial spirochete concentration was standardized to 10(3) spirochets/ml. the following culture media were suitable to grow b. garinii: barbour-stoenner-kelly, brain ... | 2010 | 20835623 |
| nitrophorin 2, a factor ix(a)-directed anticoagulant, inhibits arterial thrombosis without impairing haemostasis. | nitrophorin 2 (np2) is a 20 kda lipocalin identified in the salivary gland of the blood sucking insect, rhodnius prolixus. it functions as a potent inhibitor of the intrinsic pathway of coagulation upon binding to factor ix (fix) or fixa. herein we have investigated the in vivo antithrombotic properties of np2. surface plasmon resonance assays demonstrated that np2 binds to rat fix and fixa with high affinities (kd = 43 and 47 nm, respectively), and prolongs the aptt without affecting the pt. in ... | 2010 | 20838739 |
| prevalence and diversity of borrelia species in ticks that have bitten humans in sweden. | members of the genus borrelia are among the most common infectious agents causing tick-borne disease in humans worldwide. here, we developed a light upon extension (lux) real-time pcr assay that can detect and quantify borrelia species in ticks that have fed on humans, and we applied the assay to 399 such ticks. borrelia pcr-positive ticks were identified to species level by sequencing the products of conventional pcr performed using borrelia group-specific primers. there was a 19% prevalence of ... | 2010 | 20844223 |
| co-circulation of emerging tick-borne pathogens in middle germany. | abstract from may until october 2007, a total of 658 ixodes ricinus ticks were collected off birds (189), rodents (273), and vegetation (196) in a certain area of middle germany and investigated for infection with babesia spp., anaplasma phagocytophilum, and rickettsia spp. overall, 13.1% (86/658) of the ticks were infected with at least one pathogen; co-infections occurred in 0.6% (4/658). babesia spp. specific dna was detected in 9.7% (64/658) of the ticks, 1.4% (9/658) were infected with a. p ... | 2011 | 20846013 |
| tick surveillance in great britain. | the ability for public/veterinary health agencies to assess the risks posed by tick-borne pathogens is reliant on an understanding of the main tick vector species. crucially, the status, distribution, and changing trends in tick distribution and abundance are implicit requirements of any risk assessment; however, this is contingent on the quality of tick distribution data. since 2005 the health protection agency has promoted an enhanced tick surveillance program. through engagement with a variet ... | 2011 | 20849277 |
| established and emerging pathogens in ixodes ricinus ticks collected from birds on a conservation island in the baltic sea. | tick-borne pathogens such as lyme borreliosis spirochaetes, anaplasma phagocytophilum, rickettsia spp. and babesia spp. cause a great variety of diseases in animals and humans. although their importance with respect to emerging human diseases is increasing, many issues about their ecology are still unclear. in spring 2007, 191 ixodes ricinus (acari: ixodidae) ticks were collected from 99 birds of 11 species on a bird conservation island in the baltic sea in order to test them for borrelia spp., ... | 2010 | 20868431 |
| elimination of lyme disease spirochetes from ticks feeding on domestic ruminants. | to determine whether and which spirochetes are cleared from ixodes ricinus ticks during feeding on ruminants, ticks were removed from goats and cattle grazing on tick-infested pastures. although about a quarter of ticks questing on the pasture were infected by spirochetes, no molted ticks that had previously engorged to repletion on ruminants harbored lyme disease spirochetes. borrelia miyamotoi spirochetes, however, appear not to be eliminated. thus, the more subadult ticks are diverted from re ... | 2010 | 20870789 |
| factors affecting patterns of tick parasitism on forest rodents in tick-borne encephalitis risk areas, germany. | identifying factors affecting individual vector burdens is essential for understanding infectious disease systems. drawing upon data of a rodent monitoring programme conducted in nine different forest patches in southern hesse, germany, we developed models which predict tick (ixodes spp. and dermacentor spp.) burdens on two rodent species apodemus flavicollis and myodes glareolus. models for the two rodent species were broadly similar but differed in some aspects. patterns of ixodes spp. burdens ... | 2010 | 20878183 |
| detection of babesia divergens in southern norway by using an immunofluorescence antibody test in cow sera. | the incidence of bovine babesiosis, caused by babesia divergens (apicomplexa: piroplasmida) has decreased markedly since the 1930 s, but may re-emerge as a consequence of climate change and changes in legislation and pasturing practices. this is a potentially serious disease, with both economical and animal welfare consequences. therefore, there is a need to survey the distribution of b. divergens. | 2010 | 20925923 |
| ixodid tick salivary gland products target host wound healing growth factors. | for successful blood-feeding, ticks must confront the host immune system comprising many cells and signaling molecules, mainly cytokines and growth factors. these factors bind to specific receptors on the cell membranes, thereby initiating a signaling cascade that leads to distinct cellular activities. ticks are able to manipulate host immune responses via molecules secreted from their salivary glands. saliva of ixodid ticks contains factors binding important cytokines and their subgroup, chemok ... | 2010 | 20934428 |
| response of human skin equivalents to sarcoptes scabiei. | studies have shown that molecules in an extract made from bodies of the ectoparasitic mite, sarcoptes scabiei de geer, modulate cytokine secretion from cultured human keratinocytes and fibroblasts. in vivo, in the parasitized skin, these cells interact with each other by contact and cytokine mediators and with the matrix in which they reside. therefore, these cell types may function differently together than they do separately. in this study, we used a human skin equivalent (hse) model to invest ... | 2010 | 20939384 |
| a tick salivary protein targets cathepsin g and chymase and inhibits host inflammation and platelet aggregation. | platelet aggregation and acute inflammation are key processes in vertebrate defense to a skin injury. recent studies uncovered the mediation of 2 serine proteases, cathepsin g and chymase, in both mechanisms. working with a mouse model of acute inflammation, we revealed that an exogenous salivary protein of ixodes ricinus, the vector of lyme disease pathogens in europe, extensively inhibits edema formation and influx of neutrophils in the inflamed tissue. we named this tick salivary gland secret ... | 2010 | 20940421 |
| lack of genetic structure among eurasian populations of the tick ixodesricinus contrasts with marked divergence from north-african populations. | host-parasite interactions may select for significant novel mutations with major evolutionary consequences for both partners. in poor active dispersers such as ticks, their population structures are shaped by their host movements. here, we use population genetics and phylogeography to investigate the evolutionary history of the most common tick in europe, ixodes ricinus, a vector of pathogenic agents causing diseases in humans and animals. two mitochondrial and four nuclear genes were sequenced ... | 2010 | 20946897 |
| environmental monitoring to enhance comprehension and control of infectious diseases. | in a world of emerging and resurging infectious diseases, dominated by zoonoses, environmental monitoring plays a vital role in our understanding their dynamics and their spillover to humans. here, we critically review the ecology, epidemiology and need for monitoring of a variety of directly transmitted (sin nombre virus, avian influenza) and vector-borne (ross river virus, west nile virus, lyme disease, anaplasmosis and babesiosis) zoonoses. we focus on the valuable role that existing monitori ... | 2010 | 20957286 |
| tick infestation (acari: ixodidae) in roe deer (capreolus capreolus) from northwestern spain: population dynamics and risk stratification. | during the 2007 and 2008 hunting seasons (april-october) the skin of 367 roe deer (capreolus capreolus l.), hunted in different preserves from galicia (northwestern spain), were examined for ticks (acari: ixodidae). the overall prevalence of infestation by ticks was 83.1%. the predominant species was ixodes ricinus (83.1%), whereas a single dermacentor marginatus specimen appeared in one roe deer. all developmental stages of i. ricinus were found parasitizing roe deer, the adults being the most ... | 2010 | 20963472 |
| ixodid ticks in bosnia and herzegovina. | ticks of the ixodidae family represent an enormous threat to human and animal health. from january to december 2004, a total of 10,050 ixodid ticks were collected from 26 areas in bosnia and herzegovina and determined to the species level. ticks were collected from dogs, sheep, cows, goats, rodents, humans and plants. ixodes ricinus was the most prevalent species, followed by dermacentor marginatus marginatus, rhipicephalus bursa, hyalomma marginatum marginatum, rhipicephalus sanguineus, haemaph ... | 2010 | 20967487 |
| use of d.d.t. against sheep ticks, ixodes ricinus l. | | 1946 | 20985528 |
| the water balance in ixodes ricinus l. and certain other species of ticks. | | 1946 | 21014244 |
| the ecology of the sheep tick, ixodes ricinus l.; distribution of the tick on hill pasture. | | 1946 | 21014253 |
| differentiation of medically important euro-asian tick species ixodes ricinus, ixodes persulcatus, ixodes hexagonus, and dermacentor reticulatus by polymerase chain reaction. | abstract understanding epidemiology of the tick-borne pathogens requires the accurate identification of the vector ticks. morphological analysis of ticks is difficult and often leads to misidentification. molecular techniques offer an alternative approach of tick identification. to date, no practical and reliable molecular assays for discrimination of euro-asian ticks are available. our aim was to develop such an assay for discrimination between four euro-asian tick species of high medical impor ... | 2010 | 21028959 |
| crimean-congo hemorrhagic fever in european part of turkey: genetic analysis of the virus strains from ticks and a seroepidemiological study in humans. | abstract a survey of ticks from domestic ruminants, together with a serosurvey in humans was conducted in thrace (northwestern turkey) to evaluate the prevalence of crimean-congo hemorrhagic fever virus (cchfv) in ticks and humans. more prevalent ticks were hyalomma marginatum, hyalomma aegyptium, rhipicephalus bursa, and rhipicephalus (boophilus) annulatus, with low numbers of dermacentor marginatus, rhipicephalus sanguineus group, and ixodes ricinus. no differences in the tick faunal compositi ... | 2010 | 21028961 |
| prevalence and molecular characterization of tick-borne encephalitis virus in ixodes ricinus ticks collected in slovenia. | abstract the hard tick ixodes ricinus is the principal vector of tick-borne encephalitis virus (tbev) in slovenia; but until now, there was no information about the prevalence of tbev infection in slovenian ticks. we conducted a 2-year survey in 2005 and 2006, during which we were collecting i. ricinus ticks monthly in eight different locations of slovenia. a total of 4777 i. ricinus ticks were collected: 1515 in year 2005 and 3262 in year 2006. the collected ticks were pooled into groups from w ... | 2010 | 21028962 |
| molecular identification and expression analysis of lipocalins from blood feeding taiga tick, ixodes persulcatus schulze. | lipocalins have been known for their several biological activities in blood-sucking arthropods. recently, the identification and characterization of lipocalins from ixodes ricinus (lirs) have been reported and functions of lipocalins are well documented. in this study, we have characterized four ixodes persulcatus lipocalins that were discovered while analyzing i. persulcatus tick salivary gland est library. we show that the four i. persulcatus lipocalins, here after named lipers (lipocalin from ... | 2010 | 21036169 |
| detection of babesia and theileria species infection in cattle from portugal using a reverse line blotting method. | babesiosis and theileriosis are tick-borne diseases widespread in tropical and sub-tropical regions with high economic impact worldwide. in portugal there are at least 4 tick vectors known to be competent for the transmission of babesia and theileria sp. identified: rhipicephalus bursa, rhipicephalus (boophilus) annulatus, ixodes ricinus and haemaphysalis punctata. all these potential babesia and theileria tick vectors are widely distributed in portugal, although they are predominant in the sout ... | 2010 | 21036481 |
| utilization of serology for the diagnosis of suspected lyme borreliosis in denmark: survey of patients seen in general practice. | serological testing for lyme borreliosis (lb) is frequently requested by general practitioners for patients with a wide variety of symptoms. | 2010 | 21040576 |
| crystallization and diffraction analysis of the serpin irs-2 from the hard tick ixodes ricinus. | irs-2 from the hard tick ixodes ricinus belongs to the serpin family of protease inhibitors. it is produced in the salivary glands of the tick and its anti-inflammatory activity suggests that it plays a role in parasite-host interaction. recombinant irs-2 prepared by heterologous expression in a bacterial system was crystallized using the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method. the crystals belonged to the primitive tetragonal space group p4(3) and diffracted to 1.8 å resolution. mass-spectrometri ... | 2010 | 21045293 |
| anaplasma phagocytophilum in ticks in slovenia. | abstract: ticks act as vectors of many pathogens of domestic animals and humans. anaplasma phagocytophilum in europe is transmitted by the ixodid tick vector ixodes ricinus. a. phagocytophilum causes a disease with diverse clinical signs in various hosts. a great genetic diversity of the groesl operon of a. phagocytophilum has been found in ticks elsewhere. in slovenia, the variety of the groesl operon was conducted only on deer samples. in this study, the prevalence of infected ticks was estima ... | 2010 | 21050436 |
| rhipicephalus microplus salivary gland molecules induce differential cd86 expression in murine macrophages. | abstract: | 2010 | 21054882 |
| borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in ixodes ricinus ticks collected from migratory birds in southern norway. | borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) are the causative agent for lyme borreliosis (lb), the most common tick-borne disease in the northern hemisphere. birds are considered important in the global dispersal of ticks and tick-borne pathogens through their migration. the present study is the first description of b. burgdorferi prevalence and genotypes in ixodes ricinus ticks feeding on birds during spring and autumn migration in norway. | 2010 | 21054890 |
| hatching of the egg of ixodes ricinus l. | | 1946 | 21066569 |
| a twist on lyme: the challenge of diagnosing european lyme neuroborreliosis. | lyme neuroborreliosis is a tick-borne illness with central and peripheral nervous system manifestations. clinical features and methods for accurate diagnosis differ across world regions owing to different causative borrelia species. the importance of these distinctions is highlighted by a 12-year-old canadian girl who acquired lyme neuroborreliosis in europe. | 2010 | 21068272 |
| coexistence of emerging bacterial pathogens in ixodes ricinus ticks in serbia. | the list of tick-borne pathogens is long, varied and includes viruses, bacteria, protozoa and nematodes. as all of these agents can exist in ticks, their co-infections have been previously reported. we studied co-infections of emerging bacterial pathogens (borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, anaplasma phagocytophilum and francisella tularensis) in ixodes ricinus ticks in serbia. using pcr technique, we detected species-specific sequences, rrf-rrl rdna intergenic spacer for b. burgdorferi s.l., p44/ ... | 2010 | 21073144 |
| anaplasma phagocytophilum infection in a domestic cat in finland: case report. | anaplasmosis is a vectorborne disease caused by the gram-negative bacterium anaplasma phagocytophilum. this species displays positive tropism to granulocytes and can cause illness in several mammalian species, including cats, dogs, and humans. it is considered as an emerging disease in europe. the clinical signs are nonspecific and include fever, lethargy, and inappetence. the most typical hematologic abnormality is thrombocytopenia. a tentative diagnosis can be made by detecting intracytoplasmi ... | 2010 | 21078141 |
| geographic and temporal variations in population dynamics of ixodes ricinus and associated borrelia infections in the netherlands. | abstract in a countrywide investigation of the ecological factors that contribute to lyme borreliosis risk, a longitudinal study on population dynamics of the sheep tick ixodes ricinus and their infections with borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) was undertaken at 24 sites in the netherlands from july 2006 to december 2007. study sites were mature forests, dune vegetations, or new forests on land reclaimed from the sea. ticks were sampled monthly and nymphal ticks were investigated for the pr ... | 2010 | 21083369 |
| comparison of the tick repellent efficacy of chemical and biological products originating from europe and the usa. | the present paper investigates the efficacy of common anti-tick repellents in europe and in the usa. there were tested ixodes ricinus, dermacentor reticulatus, and rhipcephalus sanguineus when they are placed onto hands and clothes of male and female humans being treated with common tick repellents. it was seen that deet needed high concentrations to repel ticks, while essential oils are mostly inefficient. on the other hand saltidin=icaridin, p-menthan-diol and ir 3535 showed long-lasting effec ... | 2010 | 21085991 |
| first detection of spotted fever group rickettsiae in ixodes ricinus and dermacentor reticulatus ticks in the uk. | a preliminary study was conducted to determine the presence of spotted fever rickettsiae in two species of british tick (ixodes ricinus and dermacentor reticulatus). the 16s rrna gene of rickettsia spp. was detected in 39/401 (9·7%) of ticks tested, including 22/338 (6·5%) i. ricinus and 17/63 (27%) d. reticulatus. some positive i. ricinus samples showed 100% homology with rickettsia helvetica (10/22), and most positive d. reticulatus showed 100% homology with r. raoultii (13/17). five other ric ... | 2010 | 21087541 |
| [diseases and pathogenic agents transmitted by ticks in switzerland]. | among the 20 tick species described in switzerland, ixodes ricinus, the most frequent one, is implicated in the transmission of pathogenic agents. lyme borreliosis and tick-borne encephalitis (tbe) are the major tick-borne diseases transmitted to human. presently 5 borrelia species, belonging to the group borrelia burgdorferi, are recognized as human pathogens. the risks of infection depend on the stage of the vector, the multiple hosts, the pathogenic agent, as well as human behavior in nature. ... | 2010 | 21089555 |
| modeling the spread of vector-borne diseases on bipartite networks. | vector-borne diseases for which transmission occurs exclusively between vectors and hosts can be modeled as spreading on a bipartite network. | 2010 | 21103064 |
| efficacy of deltamethrin (butox® 7.5 pour on) against nymphs and adults of ticks (ixodes ricinus, rhipicephalus sanguineus) in treated hair of cattle and sheep. | ticks are known to be able to transmit a broad spectrum of agents of diseases in cattle or sheep. therefore, measurements are needed to keep ticks away from the body of any ruminant belonging to the agricultural life stock. the present study dealt with investigations to measure the efficacy of the insecticide deltamethrin (butox® 7.5 pour on) against specimens of two important species (ixodes ricinus and rhipicephalus sanguineus). four sheep and four young cattle were treated lege arte along the ... | 2010 | 21113726 |
| antialarmin effect of tick saliva during the transmission of lyme disease. | tick saliva has potent immunomodulatory properties. in arthropod-borne diseases, this effect is largely used by microorganisms to increase their pathogenicity and to evade host immune responses. we show that in lyme borreliosis, tick salivary gland extract and a tick saliva protein, salp15, inhibit in vitro keratinocyte inflammation induced by borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto or by the major outer surface lipoprotein of borrelia, ospc. chemokines (interleukin-8 [il-8] and monocyte chemoattract ... | 2010 | 21134970 |
| chimeric tick-borne encephalitis/dengue virus is attenuated in ixodes scapularis ticks and aedes aegypti mosquitoes. | abstract in an effort to derive an efficacious live attenuated vaccine against tick-borne encephalitis, we generated a chimeric virus bearing the structural protein genes of a far eastern subtype of tick-borne encephalitis virus (tbev) on the genetic background of recombinant dengue 4 (den4) virus. introduction of attenuating mutations into the tbev envelope protein gene, as well as the den4 ns5 protein gene and 3' noncoding region in the chimeric genome, results in decreased neurovirulence and ... | 2010 | 21142950 |
| first detection of spotted fever group rickettsiae in ticks in serbia. | ticks can transmit multiple pathogenic bacteria responsible for diseases in animals and humans such as borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, anaplasma phagocytophilum, and spotted fever group rickettsia sp. the current study aimed to investigate the presence of rickettsiae in ticks collected from seven localities in serbia. one hundred thirty-one (131) questing ticks belonging to 5 tick species (dermacentor marginatus, dermacentor reticulatus, haemaphysalis punctata, haemaphysalis concinna, and ixode ... | 2010 | 21142961 |
| coxiella burnetii and coinfections in ixodes ricinus ticks in central germany. | abstract a total of 1000 ixodes ricinus ticks were collected in 2006 and 2007 in a forest region of central germany and investigated for coxiella burnetii. the transposase element is1111 and isocitrate dehydrogenase gene were targets of the real-time polymerase chain reaction. the pathogen was detected in 19 ticks (1.9%), and interestingly, in 10 of these samples, coinfections with borrelia spp., spotted fever group rickettsiae, or babesia spp. were present. our study reports on c. burnetii infe ... | 2010 | 21142964 |
| investigation of the ecology of francisella tularensis during an inter-epizootic period. | abstract a 1-year study of the ecological cycle of francisella tularensis was performed in an enzootic area during an inter-epizootic period. the study was based on multiple sampling of all major constituents of the disease cycle. seroprevalence of tularemia in the european brown hare (lepus europaeus) population was 5.1% (10/197) with low antibody titers (1/10 and 1/20), and f. tularensis ssp. holarctica was isolated from four hares. f. tularensis was not detected in the 38 common voles (microt ... | 2010 | 21142970 |
| synanthropic birds influence the distribution of borrelia species: analysis of ixodes ricinus ticks feeding on passerine birds. | ixodes ricinus ticks collected from 835 birds and from vegetation in the czech republic were analyzed. host-seeking ticks (n = 427) were infected predominantly by borrelia afzelii (25%). ticks (n = 1,012) from songbirds (passeriformes) were infected commonly by borrelia garinii (12.1%) and borrelia valaisiana (13.4%). juveniles of synanthropic birds, eurasian blackbirds (turdus merula) and song thrushes (turdus philomelos), were major reservoir hosts of b. garinii. | 2010 | 21148704 |
| dynamics of digestive proteolytic system during blood feeding of the hard tick ixodes ricinus. | abstract: | 2010 | 21156061 |
| multilocus sequence analysis of borrelia bissettii strains from north america reveals a new borrelia species, borrelia kurtenbachii. | using multilocus sequence analyses (mlsa), we investigated the phylogenetic relationship of spirochaete strains from north america previously assigned to the genospecies borrelia bissettii. we amplified internal fragments of 8 housekeeping genes (clpa, clpx, nifs, pepx, pyrg, recg, rplb, and uvra) located on the main linear chromosome by polymerase chain reaction. phylogenetic analysis of concatenated sequences of the 8 loci showed that the b. bissettii clade consisted of 4 closely related clust ... | 2010 | 21157575 |
| questing ticks in suburban forest are infected by at least six tick-borne pathogens. | abstract the role of ixodes ricinus ticks in the transmission of pathogens of public health importance such as borrelia burgdorferi s.l. is widely recognized and is suspected in several emerging vector-borne pathogens in europe. here, we assess prevalence rates of several endemic and emerging zoonotic pathogens in tick populations in an area of high human population density in france, to contribute to a risk assessment for potential transmission to humans. pathogen prevalence rates were evaluate ... | 2010 | 21158500 |
| first survey on hard ticks (ixodidae) collected from humans in romania: possible risks for tick-borne diseases. | the importance of studies on the diversity of ticks attacking humans resides mostly in the relatively highly-specific tick-pathogen associations. human tick bites are commonly reported worldwide but removal of ticks from patients is rarely followed by specific identification of the ticks, leaving to some degree of hazard the preventive treatment of possible associated diseases. a total number of 308 ticks were collected between april and june 2010 from 275 human patients who voluntarily presente ... | 2010 | 21161719 |
| a temporal dilution effect: hantavirus infection in deer mice and the intermittent presence of voles in montana. | the effect of intermittently occurring, non-reservoir host species on pathogen transmission and prevalence in a reservoir population is poorly understood. we investigated whether voles, microtus spp., which occur intermittently, influenced estimated standing antibody prevalence (esap) to sin nombre hantavirus (snv, bunyaviridae: hantavirus) among deer mice, peromyscus maniculatus, whose populations are persistent. we used 14 years of data from central montana to investigate whether esap among de ... | 2010 | 21170746 |
| survival of ixodes ricinus (acari: ixodidae) under challenging conditions of temperature and humidity is influenced by borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato infection. | abstract to determine whether borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) influences tick survival under thermohygrometric stress, ixodesricinus (l.) (acari: ixodidae) questing ticks were tested under various relative humidities (13, 32, 51.5, 61, and 89% rh) at two different temperatures (12.5 and 25 degrees c) and investigated for borrelia infection. survival rate of females was highest (77.6%), followed by males (51.6%), and nymphs (43.2%). the thermohygrometric factor that most importantly determ ... | 2010 | 21175072 |
| irml - a gene encoding a new member of the ml protein family from the hard tick, ixodes ricinus. | blood intake causes significant changes in ticks, triggering vital physiological processes including differential gene expression. a gene encoding ixodes ricinus ml-domain containing protein (irml) is one of the set of the genes that are strongly induced by blood meals. irml belongs to the ml protein family that commonly occurs in diverse organisms and is involved in lipid binding and transport, pathogen recognition or in immune response. an irml gene was amplified from cdna of engorged i. ricin ... | 2010 | 21175949 |
| distinct host species correlate with anaplasma phagocytophilum anka gene clusters. | anaplasma phagocytophilum is a gram-negative, tick-transmitted, obligate intracellular bacterium that elicits acute febrile diseases in humans and domestic animals. in contrast to the united states, human granulocytic anaplasmosis seems to be a rare disease in europe despite the initial recognition of a. phagocytophilum as the causative agent of tick-borne fever in european sheep and cattle. considerable strain variation has been suggested to occur within this species, because isolates from huma ... | 2010 | 21177886 |
| co-infection with borrelia species and other tick-borne pathogens in humans: two cases from poland. | co-infection with borrelia species and anaplasma phagocytophilum or babesia spp. was assessed in a retrospective study of tick-exposed individuals from southeastern poland. the co-infection rate of these pathogens was found to be rather low (borrelia spp./anaplasma phagocytophilum--4.2%, 1/24; borrelia spp./babesia spp.--4.2%, 1/24). however, due to the increased prevalence of borrelia spp. in ixodes ricinus ticks in poland and the recent emergence of new tick-borne infections, it is necessary t ... | 2010 | 21186774 |
| identification of anaplasma phagocytophilum in tick populations in estonia, the european part of russia and belarus. | clin microbiol infect abstract: anaplasma phagocytophilum is associated with diseases of goats, sheep, cattle, dogs and horses. in the beginning of the 1990s it was identified as a human pathogen, causing human granulocytic anaplasmosis (hga) in the usa, europe and the far east of russia. a. phagocytophilum is maintained in nature in an enzootic cycle including ticks as the main vector and a wide range of mammalian species as reservoirs. ixodes ricinus and i. persulcatus ticks were collected in ... | 2011 | 21199155 |
| hemelipoglycoprotein from the ornate sheep tick, dermacentor marginatus: structural and functional characterization. | tick carrier proteins are able to bind, transport, and store host-blood heme, and thus they function also as antioxidants. nevertheless, the role of carrier proteins in ticks is not fully understood. some of them are found also in tick males which do not feed on hosts to such an extent such as females (there are differences in male feeding in different tick species) and thus they are not dealing with such an excess of heme; some of the carrier proteins were found in salivary glands where the pro ... | 2011 | 21214898 |
| a functional toll-like receptor 3 gene (tlr3) may be a risk factor for tick-borne encephalitis virus (tbev) infection. | tick-borne encephalitis virus (tbev) infections may be asymptomatic or cause severe symptoms in the central nervous system. a mutation in the chemokine receptor 5 gene has been associated with increased risk of tbe but explains only a limited number of cases. investigations of further risk factors are needed. | 2011 | 21216866 |
| whole genome sequence of an unusual borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato isolate. | human lyme disease is caused by a number of related borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato species. we report here the complete genome sequence of borrelia sp. isolate sv1 from finland. this isolate is to date the closest known relative of b. burgdorferi sensu stricto, but it is sufficiently genetically distinct from that species that it and its close relatives warrant its candidacy for new-species status. we suggest that this isolate should be named "borrelia finlandensis." | 2011 | 21217002 |
| discovery of dermacentor reticulatus (acari: amblyommidae) populations in the lubuskie province (western poland). | the distribution of the meadow tick, dermacentor reticulatus (fabricius) is divided into two separate areas-western europe and eastern (russian). the break in distribution of this species falls in poland, as well as other sites. the populations of d. reticulatus in poland, which have been confirmed by collecting ticks from vegetation, are located in the north-eastern and western parts of the country, although there are also reports of d. reticulatus occurring on hosts in several parts of poland ... | 2011 | 21225447 |
| biochemical responses and oxidative stress in francisella tularensis infection: a european brown hare model. | the aim of the present study was to investigate biochemical and oxidative stress responses to experimental f. tularensis infection in european brown hares, an important source of human tularemia infections. | 2011 | 21232117 |
| transfusion-transmitted babesia spp.: bull's-eye on babesia microti. | babesia spp. are intraerythrocytic protozoan parasites of animals and humans that cause babesiosis, a zoonotic disease transmitted primarily by tick vectors. although a variety of species or types of babesia have been described in the literature as causing infection in humans, the rodent parasite babesia microti has emerged as the focal point of human disease, especially in the united states. not only has b. microti become established as a public health concern, this agent is increasingly being ... | 2011 | 21233506 |
| identification and characterization of ixodes scapularis antigens that elicit tick immunity using yeast surface display. | repeated exposure of rabbits and other animals to ticks results in acquired resistance or immunity to subsequent tick bites and is partially elicited by antibodies directed against tick antigens. in this study we demonstrate the utility of a yeast surface display approach to identify tick salivary antigens that react with tick-immune serum. we constructed an ixodes scapularis nymphal salivary gland yeast surface display library and screened the library with nymph-immune rabbit sera and identifie ... | 2011 | 21246036 |
| efficacy of ixodes ricinus as a vector of zoonotic babesiosis in sinai peninsula, egypt. | ticks and blood samples were collected every month from march 2009 through april 2010 from different sites in sinai to detect babesial parasites using pcr assay based on nuclear small subunit rrna gene. ticks were found to contain babesial dna. sequence determination and analysis of amplified portions of nss-rdna revealed their identity with b. bovis and a high degree of homology with b. bigemina and b. divergens. the results represent the first genetic evidence of different species of babesia a ... | 2010 | 21246957 |
| sequencing of a tick-borne encephalitis virus from ixodes ricinus reveals a thermosensitive rna switch significant for virus propagation in ectothermic arthropods. | tick-borne encephalitis virus (tbev) is a flavivirus with major impact on global health. the geographical tbev distribution is expanding, thus making it pivotal to further characterize the natural virus populations. in this study, we completed the earlier partial sequencing of a tbev pulled out of a pool of rna extracted from 115 ticks collected on torö in the stockholm archipelago. the total rna was sufficient for all sequencing of a tbev genome (torö-2003), without conventional enrichment proc ... | 2011 | 21254926 |
| kinetic study of the antibody response during the blood meal of ixodes ricinus: implication on plasma cell maturation in vivo and for anti-ixodes vaccination. | anti-tick vaccination could be an ideal solution to prevent pathogen transmission, but none is currently available against ixodes ticks. recently, we showed that adult ixodes ricinus infestation on mice decreases the specific antibody production to bsa injected during infestation. here, a kinetic study of seric levels of bsa-specific antibodies was performed to evaluate the b memory cell differentiation in balb/c mice and the capacity of specific b memory cells to respond to bsa during infestati ... | 2011 | 21255683 |
| amblyomma americanum (l.) (acari: ixodidae) tick salivary gland serine protease inhibitor (serpin) 6 is secreted into tick saliva during tick feeding. | in order to successfully feed and transmit disease agents, ticks are thought to inject serine protease inhibitors (serpins) into the host to modulate host defense responses to tick feeding, such as inflammation, the complement activation pathway and blood coagulation. in this study, we show that amblyomma americanum (aam) serpin (s) 6 is putatively injected into the host during tick feeding, in that the antibody to recombinant (r) aams6 specifically reacted with the expected ~43/45 kda aams6 pro ... | 2011 | 21270316 |
| borrelia burgdorferi in ticks and dogs in the province of vojvodina, serbia. | lyme disease is a tick borne zoonotic infection, caused by borrelia burgdorferi s.l. bacteria. for the transmission of the disease, the presence of ticks is a prerequisite. lyme borreliosis mostly occurs in people and dogs, but it may occur in other animals. ticks which carry b. burgdorferi s.l. in serbia are of the ixodes ricinus specis. in serbia, lyme disease was detected for the first time in the late '80-es. in dogs, clinical symptoms may occur even months after a tick bite, and include wea ... | 2010 | 21275243 |
| exon variability of gene encoding glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase of ixodes ricinus ticks. | we have previously found apparent differences in gpdh allele frequences between borrelia infected and uninfected ixodes ricinus as revealed by native gel electrophoresis of allozyme polymorphisms. the present study deals with the genetic basis of the observed allozyme polymorphism. multiple sequence alignment of 36 gpdh open reading frames identified a total of 40 polymorphic nucleotide sites. of the 40 polymorphic nucleotide sites, 34 were silent (did not result in amino acid residue change), w ... | 2010 | 21275244 |
| is sarcoidosis a rickettsiosis? an archival study. | based on earlier research, rickettsia helvetica could possibly be involved in the pathogenesis of sarcoidosis. rickettsiae are transmitted to humans by a tick vector, ixodes ricinus; this tick is highly prevalent in northern europe. we aimed to investigate the association between evidence of rickettsiae and sarcoidosis in histological samples. | 2011 | 21284566 |
| european subtype tick-borne encephalitis virus in ixodes persulcatus ticks. | | 2011 | 21291624 |
| rickettsia aeschlimannii in hyalomma marginatum ticks, germany. | | 2011 | 21291625 |
| modelling the effect of temperature variation on the seasonal dynamics of ixodes ricinus tick populations. | seasonal variation in temperature is known to drive annual patterns of tick activity and can influence the dynamics of tick-borne diseases. an age-structured model of the dynamics of ixodes ricinus populations was developed to explore how changes in average temperature and different levels of temperature variability affect seasonal patterns of tick activity and the transmission of tick-borne diseases. the model produced seasonal patterns of tick emergence that are consistent with those observed ... | 2011 | 21295037 |
| small risk of developing symptomatic tick-borne diseases following a tick bite in the netherlands. | in the netherlands, the incidence of lyme borreliosis is on the rise. besides its causative agent, borrelia burgdorferi s.l., other potential pathogens like rickettsia, babesia and ehrlichia species are present in ixodes ricinus ticks. the risk of disease associated with these microorganisms after tick-bites remains, however, largely unclear. a prospective study was performed to investigate how many persons with tick-bites develop localized or systemic symptoms and whether these are associated w ... | 2011 | 21310036 |
| a comparative study of clinical manifestations, haematological and serological responses after experimental infection with anaplasma phagocytophilum in two norwegian sheep breeds. | it has been questioned if the old native norwegian sheep breed, old norse sheep (also called norwegian feral sheep), normally distributed on coastal areas where ticks are abundant, is more protected against tick-borne infections than other norwegian breeds due to a continuously high selection pressure on pasture. the aim of the present study was to test this hypothesis in an experimental infection study. | 2011 | 21314927 |
| babesias of red deer (cervus elaphus) in ireland. | abstract: blood samples were obtained from 38 wild red deer (cervus elaphus) at two sites in ireland and subjected to pcr analysis of the 18s rrna gene followed by sequencing. two fragments of the 18s rrna gene were generated by two different pcr protocols and subsequent sequencing suggested that at least six of the deer were infected by a babesia that, in those loci, is indistinguishable from babesia divergens, an important tick-borne pathogen of cattle and of zoonotic significance. additionall ... | 2011 | 21314977 |
| variability within the msp2 gene in populations of anaplasma phagocythopilum. | anaplasma phagocytophilum is an obligate intracellular bacterial parasite of verterbrate granulocytes. this bacterium is the aetiologic agent of human granulocytic anaplasmosis. the msp2 gene encoding major surface protein 2 is unique for anaplasma and displays high antigenic variation. a fragment of the msp2 gene (334 bp) of a. phagocytophilum, amplified with dna isolated from ixodes ricinus, syringophilidae, capreolus capreolus and canis lupus familiaris, was used to determine polymorphisms of ... | 2010 | 21324269 |
| differences in questing tick species distribution between atlantic and continental climate regions in spain. | climate and vegetation in spain vary from north to south, affecting tick distribution and consequently the presence of tick-borne diseases. the aim of this study was to investigate throughout a 2-yr study the distribution of the different exophilic questing tick species present in 18 areas: eight located in central and 10 in northern spain. the same methodology was used in both areas, sampling vegetation on a monthly basis by blanket dragging for 20- to 30-min intervals. a total of 12 species be ... | 2011 | 21337943 |
| species diversity of ixodid ticks feeding on humans in amasya, turkey: seasonal abundance and presence of crimean-congo hemorrhagic fever virus. | ticks (acari:ixodidae) are important pests transmitting tick-borne diseases such as crimean-congo hemorrhagic fever (cchf) to humans. between 2002 and 2009, numerous cchf cases were reported in turkey, including amasya province. in the current study, species diversity, seasonal abundance of ticks, and presence of cchf virus (cchfv) in ticks infesting humans in several districts of amasya province were determined. in the survey, a total of 2,528 ixodid ticks were collected from humans with tick b ... | 2011 | 21337953 |
| comparative population dynamics of a generalist (ixodes ricinus) and specialist tick (i. hexagonus) species from european hedgehogs. | although the population dynamics of the tick ixodes ricinus are relatively well studied, those of other western european tick species are largely unknown. moreover, there is very little information related to the interactions between i. ricinus and other ticks. such knowledge, however, is of special interest in respect to the epidemiology of tick-borne pathogens such as borrelia spp. we compared the dynamics of the generalist i. ricinus with the nest-dwelling hedgehog specialist, i. hexagonus. b ... | 2011 | 21350974 |
| antibody production by injection of living cells expressing non self antigens as cell surface type ii transmembrane fusion protein. | antigen expression and purification are laborious, time consuming and frequently difficult steps in the process of antibody production. in the present study, we developed a method avoiding these two steps. this method relies on the injection of histocompatible living cells stably expressing the antigen as a cell surface type ii transmembrane fusion protein. a vector, nicknamed pcd1-cd134l, was constructed to express the antigen fused at the carboxyterminal end of the human cd134 ligand (cd134l) ... | 2011 | 21354163 |
| the tickpro computer program for predicting ixodes ricinus host-seeking activity and the warning system published on websites. | the computer program with the acronym tickpro (tick prognosis) facilitates medium-range forecasts of the level of host-seeking activity in ticks within a 1-4 day horizon. the program is based on the medium-range weather forecast routinely produced at the czech hydrometeorological institute (chmi), as well as on previously developed mathematical models describing the correlation of meteorological factors with the host-seeking activity of ixodes ricinus. these models are based on a 6-year whole-se ... | 2010 | 21361109 |
| "candidatus neoehrlichia mikurensis" infection in a dog from germany. | "candidatus neoehrlichia mikurensis" is a new intracellular pathogen associated with human infection and death. "candidatus neoehrlichia mikurensis" infection in a chronically neutropenic dog from germany was confirmed by dna sequencing. the same organism was previously described from ticks and two sick human beings from germany. | 2011 | 21367991 |
| detection and characterization of babesia species in ixodes ticks in estonia. | the presence of babesia spp. was studied in 2603 ixodes ricinus and ixodes persulcatus ticks collected at seven sites in estonia. by reverse line blot screening, babesia spp. was detected in 36 (1.4%) ticks, among them 18 (0.7%) were further recognized by a babesia microti probe, 3 (0.1%) by a babesia divergens probe, and the other 15 (0.6%) were recognized only by the universal babesia spp. "catch all" probe. sequence analyses of 6 of these 15 samples revealed that all of them belonged to babes ... | 2011 | 21395407 |
| prevalence of three zoonotic babesia species in ixodes ricinus (linn+®, 1758) nymphs in a suburban forest in switzerland. | the tick ixodes ricinus (linn+®, 1758) is known as the vector of various babesia spp. pathogenic for humans. in switzerland, three of them, babesia divergens, babesia venatorum (also known as babesia eu1), and babesia microti, have been reported in i. ricinus ticks from various areas. the aim here was to determine how frequently these species infect i. ricinus nymphs in a suburban forest and to determine their prevalence over 3 years along a pathway delimited in four different sections. babesia ... | 2011 | 21395425 |
| tick paralysis in australia caused by ixodes holocyclus neumann. | ticks are obligate haematophagous ectoparasites of various animals, including humans, and are abundant in temperate and tropical zones around the world. they are the most important vectors for the pathogens causing disease in livestock and second only to mosquitoes as vectors of pathogens causing human disease. ticks are formidable arachnids, capable of not only transmitting the pathogens involved in some infectious diseases but also of inducing allergies and causing toxicoses and paralysis, wit ... | 2011 | 21396246 |
| economic downturn results in tick-borne disease upsurge. | the emergence of zoonoses is due both to changes in human activities and to changes in their natural wildlife cycles. one of the most significant vector-borne zoonoses in europe, tick-borne encephalitis (tbe), doubled in incidence in 1993, largely as a consequence of the socio-economic transition from communism to capitalism and associated environmental changes. | 2011 | 21406086 |
| distribution and molecular characterization of wolbachia endosymbionts and filarial nematodes in maryland populations of the lone star tick (amblyomma americanum). | the lone star tick amblyomma americanum is host to a wide diversity of endosymbiotic bacteria. we identified a novel wolbachia symbiont infecting a. americanum. multilocus sequence typing phylogenetically placed the endosymbiont in the increasingly diverse f supergroup. we assayed a total of 1031 ticks (119 females, 78 males and 834 nymphs in 89 pools) from 16 maryland populations for infection. infection frequencies in the natural populations were approximately 5% in females and <2% (minimum in ... | 2011 | 21410491 |
| multilocus sequence typing implicates rodents as the main reservoir host of human-pathogenic borrelia garinii in japan. | multilocus sequence typing of borrelia garinii isolates from humans and comparison with rodent and tick isolates were performed. fifty-nine isolates were divided into two phylogenetic groups, and an association was detected between clinical and rodent isolates, suggesting that, in japan, human-pathogenic b. garinii comes from rodents via ticks. | 2011 | 21411595 |
| phylogenetic and virulence analysis of tick-borne encephalitis virus field isolates from switzerland. | tick-borne encephalitis (tbe) is an endemic disease in switzerland, with about 110-120 reported human cases each year. endemic areas are found throughout the country. however, the viruses circulating in switzerland have not been characterized so far. in this study, the complete envelope (e) protein sequences and phylogenetic classification of 72 tbe viruses found in ixodes ricinus ticks sampled at 39 foci throughout switzerland were analyzed. all isolates belonged to the european subtype and wer ... | 2011 | 21412794 |
| pathogens of emerging tick-borne diseases, anaplasma phagocytophilum, rickettsia spp., and babesia spp., in ixodes ticks collected from rodents at four sites in switzerland (canton of bern). | this study is part of a project that aimed to better understand the role of small mammals in the maintenance of the tick-borne encephalitis virus at four different sites in switzerland. here we focused on the detection of three intracellular pathogens, anaplasma phagocytophilum, rickettsia spp., and babesia spp., in field-derived ticks that detached from 79 small mammals. we analyzed 465 ixodes ricinus larvae after their molt and 14 semiengorged i. trianguliceps that were feeding on rodents. no ... | 2011 | 21417929 |
| prevalence, distribution and risk associated with tick infestation of dogs in great britain. | current concerns over the potential impacts of climate change and the increased movement between countries of people and companion animals on the distribution of ectoparasites, highlight the need for accurate understanding of existing prevalence patterns. without these future changes will not be detected. here, the distribution and prevalence of tick infestations of domestic dogs in great britain were examined. a total of 173 veterinary practices were recruited to monitor tick attachment to dogs ... | 2011 | 21418263 |
| the effects of sampling method and vegetation type on the estimated abundance of ixodes ricinus ticks in forests. | estimating the spatial and temporal variation in tick abundance is of great economical and ecological importance. entire-blanket dragging is the most widely used method to sample free-living ixodid ticks. however, this technique is not equally efficient in different vegetation types. the height and structure of the vegetation under study will not only determine the likelihood of a tick-blanket contact, but will also determine the rate of dislodgement. the purpose of this study was therefore to d ... | 2011 | 21431925 |
| ixodes ricinus ticks (acari: ixodidae): vectors for lyme disease spirochetes in romania. | in this study 1,868 questing ixodes ricinus ticks (nymphs and adults), collected in six sites from three counties--giurgiu, sibiu, and tulcea--in romania, were examined by polymerase chain reaction (pcr) followed by reverse line blot (rlb) for detection of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato presence. the bacteria were found in 18% of the investigated ticks. the prevalence of infection did not differ significantly between nymphs (19.1%) and adults (15.4%). three b. burgdorferi s.l. genospecies were ... | 2011 | 21431930 |
| borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato detected in skin of norwegian mountain hares (lepus timidus) without signs of dissemination. | the mountain hare (lepus timidus) population in southern norway appears to be in decline. necropsy and laboratory examinations of 36 hares found dead or diseased during 2007-2009 in vest- and aust-agder counties showed that disease and deaths were attributed to multiple causes, with no specific etiology emerging as a cause for population decline. to investigate whether borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) infection is associated with mortality in mountain hares, tissues and ticks collected fro ... | 2011 | 21441181 |
| the hard-tick fauna of mainland portugal (acari: ixodidae): an update on geographical distribution and known associations with hosts and pathogens. | this work is an updated revision of the available information on portuguese ixodid tick species. it includes data on tick biology, ecology, taxonomy and host/pathogen-associations. the current list of portuguese ixodid ticks comprises twenty species: dermacentor marginatus (sulzer, 1776), dermacentor reticulatus (fabricius, 1794), haemaphysalis hispanica gil collado, 1938, haemaphysalis inermis birula, 1895, haemaphysalis punctata canestrini & fanzago, 1878, hyalomma lusitanicum koch, 1844, hyal ... | 2011 | 21452063 |
| the common shrew (sorex araneus): a neglected host of tick-borne infections? | although the importance of rodents as reservoirs for a number of tick-borne infections is well established, comparatively little is known about the potential role of shrews, despite them occupying similar habitats. to address this, blood and tick samples were collected from common shrews (sorex araneus) and field voles (microtus agrestis), a known reservoir of various tick-borne infections, from sites located within a plantation forest in northern england over a 2-year period. of 647 blood sampl ... | 2011 | 21453011 |
| the relevance of tick bites to the production of ige antibodies to the mammalian oligosaccharide galactose-a-1,3-galactose. | in 2009, we reported a novel form of delayed anaphylaxis to red meat that is related to serum ige antibodies to the oligosaccharide galactose-a-1,3-galactose (alpha-gal). most of these patients had tolerated meat for many years previously. the implication is that some exposure in adult life had stimulated the production of these ige antibodies. | 2011 | 21453959 |
| reservoir competence of various rodents for the lyme disease spirochete borrelia spielmanii. | to determine whether the pathogenic lyme disease spirochete borrelia spielmanii is adapted exclusively to garden dormice, we compared the reservoir competence of various rodent species for this spirochete, including sympatric and peridomestic rodents. the different kinds of rodents varied in their attractiveness to nymphal ticks and their level of susceptibility to tick-borne b. spielmanii infection, but only the edible dormouse appeared to be refractory. although hazel dormice and norway rats b ... | 2011 | 21460106 |