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inefficient co-feeding transmission of borrelia afzelii in two common european songbirds.the spirochete bacterium borrelia afzelii is the most common cause of lyme borreliosis in europe. this tick-borne pathogen can establish systemic infections in rodents but not in birds. however, several field studies have recovered larval ixodes ricinus ticks infected with b. afzelii from songbirds suggesting successful transmission of b. afzelii. we reviewed the literature to determine which songbird species were the most frequent carriers of b. afzelii-infected i. ricinus larvae and nymphs. we ...201728054584
transmission differentials for multiple pathogens as inferred from their prevalence in larva, nymph and adult of ixodes ricinus (acari: ixodidae).ixodes ricinus serves as vector for a range of microorganisms capable of causing clinical illness in humans. the microorganisms occur in the same vector populations and are generally affected by the same tick-host interactions. still, the instars have different host preferences which should manifest in different transmission patterns for various microorganisms in the tick populations, i.e., most microorganisms increase in prevalence rate from larvae to nymphs because their reservoirs are among s ...201728255923
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
multistrain infections with lyme borreliosis pathogens in the tick vector.mixed or multiple-strain infections are common in vector-borne diseases and have important implications for the epidemiology of these pathogens. previous studies have mainly focused on interactions between pathogen strains in the vertebrate host, but little is known about what happens in the arthropod vector. borrelia afzelii and borrelia garinii are two species of spirochete bacteria that cause lyme borreliosis in europe and that share a tick vector, ixodes ricinus each of these two tick-borne ...201727836839
expression profiles of toll-like receptors in the differentiation of an infection with borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato spirochetes.the similarity of lyme borreliosis to other diseases and its complex pathogenesis present diagnostic and therapeutic difficulties. the changes that occur at the cellular and molecular levels after a borrelia sp. infection still remain poorly understood. therefore, the present study focused on the expression of tlr and tlr-signaling genes in human dermal fibroblasts in the differentiation of an infection with borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato spirochetes. normal human dermal fibroblasts were cultur ...201727604757
emergence of tick-borne pathogens (borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, anaplasma phagocytophilum, ricketsia raoultii and babesia microti) in the kyiv urban parks, ukraine.to date, only limited data about the presence of ticks and circulation of tick-borne pathogens in urban parks of kyiv in northern ukraine are available. in total, 767 ticks (696 ixodes ricinus and 69 dermacentor reticulatus) collected in seven urban parks and one suburban oak wood park in kyiv were individually analyzed by the pcr assays. tick-borne pathogens, namely spirochetes from borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex, anaplasma phagocytophilum, and babesia microti, were detected in 11.1% o ...201727923669
acarological risk of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato infections across space and time in the netherlands.a longitudinal investigation on tick populations and their borrelia infections in the netherlands was undertaken between 2006 and 2011 with the aim to assess spatial and temporal patterns of the acarological risk in forested sites across the country and to assess variations in borrelia genospecies diversity. ticks were collected monthly in 11 sites and nymphs were examined for borrelia infections. tick populations expressed strong seasonal variations, with consistent and significant differences ...201727893309
clinical and serological one-year follow-up of patients after the bite of ixodes ricinus ticks infected with borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato.the risk of developing lyme borreliosis (lb) after the bite of a borrelia (b.) burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) infected tick in romania is unknown.201727866446
tick thioester-containing proteins and phagocytosis do not affect transmission of borrelia afzelii from the competent vector ixodes ricinus.the present concept of the transmission of lyme disease from borrelia-infected ixodes sp. ticks to the naïve host assumes that a low number of spirochetes that manage to penetrate the midgut epithelium migrate through the hemocoel to the salivary glands and subsequently infect the host with the aid of immunomodulatory compounds present in tick saliva. therefore, humoral and/or cellular immune reactions within the tick hemocoel may play an important role in tick competence to act as a vector for ...201728361038
evolution of antigenic diversity in the tick-transmitted bacterium borrelia afzelii a role for host specialization?antigenic diversity in pathogenic microbes can be a result of at least three different processes: diversifying selection by acquired immunity, host-pathogen coevolution, and/or host specialization. here, we investigate if host specialization drives diversity at ospc (which encodes an immunodominant surface protein) in the tick-transmitted bacterium borrelia afzelii. we determined prevalence and infection intensity of ospc strains in naturally infected wild mammals (rodents and shrews) by 454 amp ...201728345277
comparison of mkp and bsk-h media for the cultivation and isolation of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato.the isolation of b. burgdorferi sensu lato requires the use of complex cultivation media. the aim of the study was to compare the usefulness of bsk-h (a commercial medium produced by himedia, india) and mkp medium. mkp and bsk-h media were prepared in accordance with the relevant protocols. borrelia strains and skin culture biopsies were simultaneously inoculated into both media, incubated and checked for growth. borrelial growth characteristics, isolation rates and characteristics of the isolat ...201728170447
induction of apoptosis in normal human dermal fibroblasts infected with borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato.the spirochete borrelia burgdorferi s.l. can enter into different eukaryotic cells. intracellular localization of bacteria may cause many changes in different cell pathways like apoptosis-mediated caspase cascade. the present studies focused on gene expression associated with caspase cascade after normal human dermal fibroblasts (nhdf) infection with borrelia garinii, borrelia afzelii, and b. burgdorferi s.s. the use of oligonucleotide microarray technique enabled an expression level comparison ...201728068192
enzootic origins for clinical manifestations of lyme borreliosis.both early localized and late disseminated forms of lyme borreliosis are caused by borrelia burgdorferi senso lato. differentiating between the spirochetes that only cause localized skin infection from those that cause disseminated infection, and tracing the group of medically-important spirochetes to a specific vertebrate host species, are two critical issues in disease risk assessment and management. borrelia burgdorferi senso lato isolates from lyme borreliosis cases with distinct clinical ma ...201728040562
ticks infected via co-feeding transmission can transmit lyme borreliosis to vertebrate hosts.vector-borne pathogens establish systemic infections in host tissues to maximize transmission to arthropod vectors. co-feeding transmission occurs when the pathogen is transferred between infected and naive vectors that feed in close spatiotemporal proximity on a host that has not yet developed a systemic infection. borrelia afzelii is a tick-borne spirochete bacterium that causes lyme borreliosis (lb) and is capable of co-feeding transmission. whether ticks that acquire lb pathogens via co-feed ...201728694446
modeling the effects of variable feeding patterns of larval ticks on the transmission of borrelia lusitaniae and borrelia afzelii.spirochetes belonging to the borrelia burgdoferi sensu lato (sl) group cause lyme borreliosis (lb), which is the most commonly reported vector-borne zoonosis in europe. b. burgdorferi sl is maintained in nature in a complex cycle involving ixodes ricinus ticks and several species of vertebrate hosts. the transmission dynamics of b. burgdorferi sl is complicated by the varying competence of animals for different genospecies of spirochetes that, in turn, vary in their capability of causing disease ...201728690096
borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in ixodes longiscutatus ticks from brazilian pampa.borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) complex includes the agents of lyme disease/borreliosis in north america, europe, and asia, such borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, borrelia afzelii, borrelia garinii, borrelia bavariensis, borrelia spielmanii, borrelia bissettiae, and borrelia mayonii. in 2013 b. burgdorferi s.l. was reported for the first time in the neotropical region, from ixodes aragaoi ticks in uruguayan pampa. in addition, from 2011 to 2016, 17 suspected human cases of borreliosis-l ...201728847698
borrelia species detected in ticks feeding on wild korean water deer (hydropotes inermis) using molecular and genotypic analyses.lyme borreliosis is a vector-borne disease transmitted through the bite of ticks infected by borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato group, including b. burgdorferi sensu stricto, b. afzelii, and b. garinii. the goal of the present study was to detect borrelia species in ticks infesting wild korean water deer (kwd; hydropotes inermis swinhoe), using molecular and genotypic analyses. in total, 48 ticks were collected from kwd, all of which were morphologically identified as haemaphysalis longicornis neum ...201728549151
the abundance of the lyme disease pathogen borrelia afzelii declines over time in the tick vector ixodes ricinus.the population dynamics of vector-borne pathogens inside the arthropod vector can have important consequences for vector-to-host transmission. tick-borne spirochete bacteria of the borrelia burgdorferi (sensu lato) species complex cause lyme borreliosis in humans and spend long periods of time (>12 months) in their ixodes tick vectors. to date, few studies have investigated the dynamics of borrelia spirochete populations in unfed ixodes nymphal ticks.201728545520
fitness estimates from experimental infections predict the long-term strain structure of a vector-borne pathogen in the field.the populations of many pathogen species consist of a collection of common and rare strains but the factors underlying this strain-specific variation in frequency are often unknown. understanding frequency variation among strains is particularly challenging for vector-borne pathogens where the strain-specific fitness depends on the performance in both the vertebrate host and the arthropod vector. two sympatric multiple-strain tick-borne pathogens, borrelia afzelii and b. garinii, that use the sa ...201728500292
a foot tumor as late cutaneous lyme borreliosis: a new entity?acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans (aca) is the late cutaneous form of lyme borreliosis. it is a rare tertiary manifestation characterized by a slowly progressive course over many weeks to months. the early inflammatory phase manifests with a bluish-red discoloration and doughy swelling of the skin. atrophic phase represents a late-phase process with red discoloration, thin and wrinkled appearance to the skin. we present a patient who exhibited a previously non-described form of late cutaneous ...201728477365
approaches for reverse line blot-based detection of microbial pathogens in ixodes ricinus ticks collected in austria and impact of the chosen method.ticks transmit a large number of pathogens capable of causing human disease. in this study, the pcr-reverse line blot (rlb) method was used to screen for pathogens in a total of 554 ixodes ricinus ticks collected from all provinces of austria. these pathogens belong to the genera borrelia, rickettsiae, anaplasma/ehrlichia (including "candidatus neoehrlichia"), babesia, and coxiella the pathogens with the highest detected prevalence were spirochetes of the borrelia burgdorferisensu lato complex, ...201728455331
bactericidal activity of octenidine to various genospecies of borrelia burgdorferi, sensu lato spirochetes in vitro and in vivo.the aim of our studies was to invent a reliable method for detection of the bactericidal activity of disinfectants against borrelia burgdorferi in suspension (in vitro) and in cell line cultures (in vivo). in the suspension method, 0.01% octenidine at 20°c and 35°c was bactericidal to borrelia afzeli; borrelia garini, b. burgdorferi sensu stricto after 5 minutes treatment. increase of the temperature to 35°c speed up the bactericidal effect to 1 minute. the bactericidal action of octenidine towa ...201728735308
two mice models for transferability of zoonotic bacteria via tick vector.spotted fever and typhus-related diseases caused by rickettsiae, lyme borreliosis induced by spirochetes from borrelia burgdorferii sensu lato complex, and q fever evoked by coxiella burnetii, are important zoonoses occurring worldwide. in order to study the pathogenesis of these infections, the efficacy of vaccines from the perspective of protection against the pathogens, pathogen - pathogen interactions during co-infections or pathogen-vector-host interrelationship, a suitable animal model sho ...201728854805
borrelia miyamotoi and co-infection with borrelia afzelii in ixodes ricinus ticks and rodents from slovakia.borrelia miyamotoi causes relapsing fever in humans. the occurrence of this spirochete has been reported in ixodes ricinus and wildlife, but there are still gaps in the knowledge of its eco-epidemiology and public health impact. in the current study, questing i. ricinus (nymphs and adults) and skin biopsies from rodents captured in slovakia were screened for the presence of b. miyamotoi and borrelia burgdorferi s.l. dna. the prevalence of b. miyamotoi and b. burgdorferi s.l. in questing ticks wa ...201727995301
lyme borreliosis.lyme borreliosis is a tick-borne disease that predominantly occurs in temperate regions of the northern hemisphere and is primarily caused by the bacterium borrelia burgdorferi in north america and borrelia afzelii or borrelia garinii in europe and asia. infection usually begins with an expanding skin lesion, known as erythema migrans (referred to as stage 1), which, if untreated, can be followed by early disseminated infection, particularly neurological abnormalities (stage 2), and by late infe ...201627976670
strain-specific antibodies reduce co-feeding transmission of the lyme disease pathogen, borrelia afzelii.vector-borne pathogens use a diversity of strategies to evade the vertebrate immune system. co-feeding transmission is a potential immune evasion strategy because the vector-borne pathogen minimizes the time spent in the vertebrate host. we tested whether the lyme disease pathogen, borrelia afzelii, can use co-feeding transmission to escape the acquired immune response in the vertebrate host. we induced a strain-specific, protective antibody response by immunizing mice with one of two variants o ...201626411486
pre-exposure prophylaxis with ospa-specific human monoclonal antibodies protects mice against tick transmission of lyme disease spirochetes.tick transmission of borrelia spirochetes to humans results in significant morbidity from lyme disease worldwide. serum concentrations of antibodies against outer surface protein a (ospa) were shown to correlate with protection from infection with borrelia burgdorferi, the primary cause of lyme disease in the united states.201627338767
diversifying forest communities may change lyme disease risk: extra dimension to the dilution effect in europe.lyme disease is caused by bacteria of the borrelia burgdorferi genospecies complex and transmitted by ixodid ticks. in north america only one pathogenic genospecies occurs, in europe there are several. according to the dilution effect hypothesis (deh), formulated in north america, nymphal infection prevalence (nip) decreases with increasing host diversity since host species differ in transmission potential. we analysed borrelia infection in nymphs from 94 forest stands in belgium, which are part ...201627173094
imbalanced presence of borrelia burgdorferi s.l. multilocus sequence types in clinical manifestations of lyme borreliosis.in this study we used typing based on the eight multilocus sequence typing scheme housekeeping genes (mlst) and 5s-23s rdna intergenic spacer (igs) to explore the population structure of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato isolates from patients with lyme borreliosis (lb) and to test the association between the b. burgdorferi s.l. sequence types (st) and the clinical manifestations they cause in humans. isolates of b. burgdorferi from 183 lb cases across europe, with distinct clinical manifestations ...201627125686
cordoniform morphea: a clinicopathologic study of two cases presenting with the rope sign.morphea clinically presenting as cordoniform lesions has not been described previously in the literature.201626990496
sensitivity of lyme borreliosis spirochetes to serum complement of regular zoo animals: potential reservoir competence of some exotic vertebrates.reaction of vertebrate serum complement with different borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato species is used as a basis in determining reservoir hosts among domesticated and wild animals. borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, borrelia garinii, and borrelia afzelii were tested for their sensitivity to sera of exotic vertebrate species housed in five zoos located in the czech republic. we confirmed that different borrelia species have different sensitivity to host serum. we found that tolerance to borreli ...201626783940
natural foci of borrelia lusitaniae in a mountain region of central europe.lyme borreliosis is the most prevalent tick-borne disease in europe. it is caused by spirochaetes of the borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) complex and transmitted to humans by ticks of the genus ixodes. borrelia afzelii, borrelia garinii, and borrelia valaisiana are the most common genospecies in central europe. in contrast, borrelia lusitaniae predominates in mediterranean countries such as portugal, morocco, and tunisia. in slovakia, its prevalence is low and restricted to only a few site ...201626711673
occurrence of borrelia burgdorferi s.l. in different genera of mosquitoes (culicidae) in central europe.lyme disease or lyme borreliosis is a vector-borne infectious disease caused by spirochetes of the borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex. some stages of the borrelial transmission cycle in ticks (transstadial, feeding and co-feeding) can potentially occur also in insects, particularly in mosquitoes. in the present study, adult as well as larval mosquitoes were collected at 42 different geographical locations throughout germany. this is the first study, in which german mosquitoes were analyzed ...201626631488
a borrelia afzelii infection increases larval tick burden on myodes glareolus (rodentia: cricetidae) and nymphal body weight of ixodes ricinus (acari: ixodidae).several microorganisms have been shown to manipulate their host or vector to enhance their own transmission. here we examined whether an infection with borrelia afzelii affects its transmission between its bank vole (myodes glareolus, schreber, 1780) host and tick vector. captive-bred bank voles were inoculated with b. afzelii or control medium, after which host preference of ixodes ricinus l. nymphs was determined in a y-tube olfactometer. thereafter, infected and uninfected bank voles were pla ...201627694145
the occurrence of ixodes ricinus ticks and important tick-borne pathogens in areas with high tick-borne encephalitis prevalence in different altitudinal levels of the czech republic part ii. ixodes ricinus ticks and genospecies of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex.three years long research study (2011-2013) on population density of ixodes ricinus and the infection rate of the pathogens that they transmit was conducted in four topographically distant areas in the czech republic. in the previous decade (2001-2010) thirteen loci with increased incidence of tick borne encephalitis cases were defined, suggesting the permanent interaction of human population with ticks and indicating the landmarks for study of the presence of other tick borne pathogens. the wor ...201627690476
texas occurrence of lyme disease and its neurological manifestations.today, lyme disease is the most commonly reported tick-borne disease in the united states and europe. the culprits behind lyme disease are the borrelia species of bacteria. in the usa, borrelia burgdorferi causes the majority of cases, while in europe and asia borrelia afzelii and borrelia garinii carry the greatest burden of disease. the clinical manifestations of lyme disease have been identified as early localized, early disseminated, and late chronic. the neurological effects of lyme disease ...201627478852
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
comparison of the lifetime host-to-tick transmission between two strains of the lyme disease pathogen borrelia afzelii.transmission from the vertebrate host to the arthropod vector is a critical step in the life-cycle of any vector-borne pathogen. how the probability of host-to-vector transmission changes over the duration of the infection is an important predictor of pathogen fitness. the lyme disease pathogen borrelia afzelii is transmitted by ixodes ricinus ticks and establishes a chronic infection inside rodent reservoir hosts. the present study compares the temporal pattern of host-to-tick transmission betw ...201627986081
hide and seek: how lyme disease spirochetes overcome complement attack.overcoming the first line of the innate immune system is a general hallmark of pathogenic microbes to avoid recognition and to enter the human host. in particular, spirochetes belonging to the borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex have developed various means to counter the immune response and to successfully survive in diverse host environments for a prolonged period of time. in regard to complement resistance, borrelia utilize a plethora of immune evasion strategies involves capturing of hos ...201627725820
substrate prediction of ixodes ricinus salivary lipocalins differentially expressed during borrelia afzelii infection.evolution has provided ticks with an arsenal of bioactive saliva molecules that counteract host defense mechanisms. this salivary pharmacopoeia enables blood-feeding while enabling pathogen transmission. high-throughput sequencing of tick salivary glands has thus become a major focus, revealing large expansion within protein encoding gene families. among these are lipocalins, ubiquitous barrel-shaped proteins that sequester small, typically hydrophobic molecules. this study was initiated by mini ...201627584086
comparison of growth of borrelia afzelii, borrelia garinii, and borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto at five different temperatures.lyme borreliosis is caused by the spirochete borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, a fastidious bacterium that replicates slowly and requires special conditions to grow in the laboratory. borrelia isolation from clinical material is a golden standard for microbiological diagnosis of borrelial infection. important factors that affect in vitro borrelia growth are temperature of incubation and number of borrelia cells in the sample. the aim of the study was to assess the influence of temperature on borr ...201627310556
seroprevalence of vector-borne pathogens and molecular detection of borrelia afzelii in military dogs from portugal.canine vector-borne diseases (cvbds) are increasingly being reported worldwide and represent a serious threat to both animal and public health. military dogs may constitute a risk group for the agents causing these diseases, as they frequently work outdoors in different areas and are thus exposed to vector arthropods. in order to assess the risk of exposure of this type of dogs, a serological and molecular survey was conducted in military working dogs in portugal. one hundred apparently healthy ...201627160284
susceptibility to ticks and lyme disease spirochetes is not affected in mice coinfected with nematodes.small rodents serve as reservoir hosts for tick-borne pathogens, such as the spirochetes causing lyme disease. whether natural coinfections with other macroparasites alter the success of tick feeding, antitick immunity, and the host's reservoir competence for tick-borne pathogens remains to be determined. in a parasitological survey of wild mice in berlin, germany, approximately 40% of ixodes ricinus-infested animals simultaneously harbored a nematode of the genus heligmosomoides we therefore ai ...201626883594
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
the borrelia afzelii outer membrane protein bapko_0422 binds human factor-h and is predicted to form a membrane-spanning β-barrel.the deep evolutionary history of the spirochetes places their branch point early in the evolution of the diderms, before the divergence of the present day proteobacteria. as a spirochete, the morphology of the borrelia cell envelope shares characteristics of both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. a thin layer of peptidoglycan, tightly associated with the cytoplasmic membrane, is surrounded by a more labile outer membrane (om). this om is rich in lipoproteins but with few known integral m ...201526181365
detection of lyme disease and q fever agents in wild rodents in central italy.the maintenance of tick-borne disease agents in the environment strictly depends on the relationship between tick vectors and their hosts, which act as reservoirs for these pathogens. a pilot study aimed to investigate wild rodents as reservoirs for zoonotic tick-borne pathogens (borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.), coxiella burnetii, francisella tularensis, and anaplasma phagocytophilum) was carried out in an area of gran sasso e monti della laga national park (abruzzi region, central italy) ...201526134933
an invasive mammal (the gray squirrel, sciurus carolinensis) commonly hosts diverse and atypical genotypes of the zoonotic pathogen borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato.invasive vertebrate species can act as hosts for endemic pathogens and may alter pathogen community composition and dynamics. for the zoonotic pathogen borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, the agent of lyme borreliosis, recent work shows invasive rodent species can be of high epidemiological importance and may support host-specific strains. this study examined the role of gray squirrels (sciurus carolinensis) (n = 679), an invasive species in the united kingdom, as b. burgdorferi sensu lato hosts. w ...201525888168
babesia spp. and other pathogens in ticks recovered from domestic dogs in denmark.newly recognized endemic foci for human babesiosis include europe, where ixodes ricinus, a vector for several species of babesia, is the most commonly identified tick. vector-based surveillance provides an early warning system for the emergence of human babesiosis, which is likely to be under-reported at emerging sites. in the present study, we set out to screen i. ricinus collected from danish domestic dogs for babesia, in order to identify whether humans in denmark are exposed to the parasite.201525951937
multi-trophic interactions driving the transmission cycle of borrelia afzelii between ixodes ricinus and rodents: a review.the tick ixodes ricinus is the main vector of the spirochaete borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, the causal agent of lyme borreliosis, in the western palearctic. rodents are the reservoir host of b. afzelii, which can be transmitted to i. ricinus larvae during a blood meal. the infected engorged larvae moult into infected nymphs, which can transmit the spirochaetes to rodents and humans. interestingly, even though only about 1% of the larvae develop into a borreliae-infected nymph, the enzootic bo ...201526684199
infections and mixed infections with the selected species of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex in ixodes ricinus ticks collected in eastern poland: a significant increase in the course of 5 years.in the years 2008-2009 and 2013-2014, 1620 and 1500 questing ixodes ricinus ticks, respectively, were examined on the territory of the lublin province (eastern poland). the presence of three pathogenic species causing lyme disease was investigated: borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, b. afzelii and b. garinii. the proportion of i. ricinus ticks infected with b. burgdorferi sensu lato showed a highly significant increase between 2008-2009 and 2013-2014, from 6.0 to 15.3%. a significant increase w ...201526590929
pathogens vectored by the tick, dermacentor reticulatus, in endemic regions and zones of expansion in poland.dermacentor reticulatus plays an important role in the maintenance of pathogens of medical and veterinary importance in the environment. currently two isolated populations of d. reticulatus are present in poland--western and eastern. the range of the eastern population covers endemic areas in eastern poland but this population is expanding westwards creating an expansion zone in the centre of the country. the expansion zone in western poland is occupied by the recently discovered western populat ...201526403456
within-host competition between borrelia afzelii ospc strains in wild hosts as revealed by massively parallel amplicon sequencing.infections frequently consist of more than one strain of a given pathogen. experiments have shown that co-infecting strains often compete, so that the infection intensity of each strain in mixed infections is lower than in single strain infections. such within-host competition can have important epidemiological and evolutionary consequences. however, the extent of competition has rarely been investigated in wild, naturally infected hosts, where there is noise in the form of varying inoculation d ...201526150659
cross-immunity and community structure of a multiple-strain pathogen in the tick vector.many vector-borne pathogens consist of multiple strains that circulate in both the vertebrate host and the arthropod vector. characterization of the community of pathogen strains in the arthropod vector is therefore important for understanding the epidemiology of mixed vector-borne infections. borrelia afzelii and b. garinii are two species of tick-borne bacteria that cause lyme disease in humans. these two sympatric pathogens use the same tick, ixodes ricinus, but are adapted to different class ...201526319876
complete genome sequence of borrelia afzelii k78 and comparative genome analysis.the main borrelia species causing lyme borreliosis in europe and asia are borrelia afzelii, b. garinii, b. burgdorferi and b. bavariensis. this is in contrast to the united states, where infections are exclusively caused by b. burgdorferi. until to date the genome sequences of four b. afzelii strains, of which only two include the numerous plasmids, are available. in order to further assess the genetic diversity of b. afzelii, the most common species in europe, responsible for the large variety ...201525798594
cross-reactive acquired immunity influences transmission success of the lyme disease pathogen, borrelia afzelii.cross-reactive acquired immunity in the vertebrate host induces indirect competition between strains of a given pathogen species and is critical for understanding the ecology of mixed infections. in vector-borne diseases, cross-reactive antibodies can reduce pathogen transmission at the vector-to-host and the host-to-vector lifecycle transition. the highly polymorphic, immunodominant, outer surface protein c (ospc) of the tick-borne spirochete bacterium borrelia afzelii induces a strong antibody ...201526384476
genetic variation in transmission success of the lyme borreliosis pathogen borrelia afzelii.the vector-to-host and host-to-vector transmission steps are the two critical events that define the life cycle of any vector-borne pathogen. we expect negative genetic correlations between these two transmission phenotypes, if parasite genotypes specialized at invading the vector are less effective at infecting the vertebrate host and vice versa. we used the tick-borne bacterium borrelia afzelii, a causative agent of lyme borreliosis in europe, to test whether genetic trade-offs exist between t ...201525748511
pilot study assessing the effectiveness of factory-treated, long-lasting permethrin-impregnated clothing for the prevention of tick bites during occupational tick exposure in highly infested military training areas, germany.the protective effectiveness of factory-based permethrin-impregnated polymer-coated battle dress uniforms (ptbdus) against tick bites was evaluated at four military training areas in southwestern and central germany where tick bite incidence is known to be high. data were analyzed by comparing tick bite incidence using non-permethrin-treated bdus (ntbdus) during 2009 versus ptbdus during 2010 and 2011, the first two years after their formal introduction for in-country use in the german bundesweh ...201525416331
borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and co-infections with anaplasma phagocytophilum and rickettsia spp. in ixodes ricinus in hamburg, germany.to obtain initial data on borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (spirochaetales: spirochaetaceae) in ixodes ricinus (ixodida: ixodidae) ticks in hamburg, germany, 1400 questing ticks were collected by flagging at 10 different public recreation areas in 2011 and analysed using probe-based quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. the overall rate of infection with b. burgdorferi s.l. was 34.1%; 30.0% of adults were infected (36.7% of females and 26.0% of males), as were 34.5% of nymphs. signifi ...201526096626
borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto and borrelia afzelii: population structure and differential pathogenicity.multilocus sequence typing (mlst) is considered a powerful method to unveil relationships within bacterial populations and it constitutes an economical and fast alternative to whole genome sequencing. we used this method to understand whether there are differences in human pathogenicity within and between different borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato species. therefore, 136 strains from human patients or ticks from europe were included in mlst analyses. the scheme employed used eight chromosomally l ...201526341331
borrelial lymphocytoma in children.the aim of this study was to investigate demographic features, clinical characteristics, laboratory findings and posttreatment course of the disease in children with borrelial lymphocytoma (bl).201526313568
biofilm formation by borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato.bacterial biofilms are microbial communities held together by an extracellular polymeric substance matrix predominantly composed of polysaccharides, proteins and nucleic acids. we had previously shown that borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, the causative organism of lyme disease in the united states is capable of forming biofilms in vitro. here, we investigated biofilm formation by b. afzelii and b. garinii, which cause lyme disease in europe. using various histochemistry and microscopy techniq ...201526208529
borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato-infected ixodes ricinus collected from vegetation near the arctic circle.this is the first study to determine the density of questing ixodes ricinus in northern norway. it was performed at two sites in brønnøy, which has been known for its tick permissive habitats for decades and is one of the northernmost habitats with an abundant i. ricinus population in the world. from april to november 2011, all stages of host-seeking i. ricinus were collected from the two sites. the overall prevalence of nymphs infected with borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato was 21% and that of ad ...201526187417
histopathology and immunophenotype of acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans correlated with ospa and ospc genotypes of borrelia species.chronic cutaneous borreliosis (acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans, aca) is a relatively rare manifestation of borreliosis attributed mainly to borrelia afzelii. chronic borreliosis has been associated with ospa and ospc genotypes. literature on molecular investigations of borrelia in lesions of aca is scant.201526156537
infection of siberian chipmunks (tamias sibiricus barberi) with borrelia sp. reveals a low reservoir competence under experimental conditions.reservoir competence is a key parameter in understanding the role of host species in the epidemiology of multi-host-especially vector-borne-pathogens. with this aim in view, we studied the reservoir competence of the siberian chipmunk (tamias sibiricus barberi) recently introduced into europe, for the multi-host tick-borne bacteria, borrelia burgdorferi sl, the agent of lyme borreliosis. t. sibiricus were experimentally exposed to bites from ixodes ricinus ticks infected with borrelia burgdorfer ...201525805623
an investigation of binding ability of ixodes persulcatus schulze salp15 with lyme disease spirochetes.salp15, a 15-kda tick salivary gland protein, has several suppressive modes of activity against host immunity and plays a critical role in the transmission of lyme disease spirochetes in ixodes scapularis and ixodes ricinus, major vectors of lyme disease in north america and western europe. salp15 adheres to borrelia burgdorferi and specifically interacts with its outer surface protein c (ospc), protecting the spirochete from antibody-mediated cytotoxicity and facilitating infection in the mice. ...201525796479
molecular detection of rickettsia, borrelia, and babesia species in ixodes ricinus sampled in northeastern, central, and insular areas of italy.the aim of the present study was to provide insight into the diversity of tick-borne pathogens circulating in italy, carried/transmitted by ixodes ricinus, one of the most abundant tick species in the country. a total of 447 specimens sampled in five areas of northeastern, central and insular italy were analysed by polymerase chain reaction and sequencing for the presence of rickettsiae, borreliae and babesiae. several rickettsial species of the spotted fever group of zoonotic concern and other ...201525784072
first detection of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato dna in serum of the wild boar (sus scrofa) in northern portugal by nested-pcr.lyme borreliosis is the most common tick-borne zoonosis in the northern hemisphere. several vertebrates are crucial in the epidemiological cycle of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, but the role of wild boar as a reservoir is still unknown. sera were collected from 90 wild boars shot in the trás-os-montes region, northern portugal (hunting season 2011/2012). in this study, borrelia dna was detected for the first time by nested-pcr in three different sera, suggesting that the wild boar may be a po ...201525231138
co-infection with 'candidatus neoehrlichia mikurensis' and borrelia afzelii in an ixodes ricinus tick that has bitten a human in romania.despite the vast importance of ticks as disease vectors, the infectious agents transmitted by ticks are still incompletely known in many areas. here, we report for the first time the detection of the bacterium 'candidatus neoehrlichia mikurensis' in romania, in an ixodes ricinus tick obtained from a human. furthermore, the tick also had a co-infection with borrelia afzelii. 'candidatus neoehrlichia mikurensis' is one of the most recent discoveries of a tick-borne agent, and has been found in hum ...201425127158
defensin from the ornate sheep tick dermacentor marginatus and its effect on lyme borreliosis spirochetes.expression of the previously reported defensin of the tick dermacentor marginatus (defdm) was analysed in different organs by rt-pcr. mrna of the defdm gene was detected in the hemolymph, midgut and salivary glands. moreover defdm was isolated from the tick hemolymph using rp-hplc and its sequence was determined by mass spectrometry and edman degradation. synthetic peptide was used for determining biological activities. the results showed an anti-gram-positive bacterial role for the defensin. as ...201424747431
seroprevalence of campylobacteriosis and relevant post-infectious sequelae.post-infectious sequelea such as guillain barré syndrome (gbs), reactive arthritis (ra), and inflammatory bowel disease (ibd) may arise as a consequence of acute campylobacter-enteritis (ae). however, reliable seroprevalence data of campylobacter-associated sequelae has not been established. the objectives of this study were, first, to identify the most specific and sensitive test antigen in an optimized elisa assay for diagnosing a previous campylobacter-infection and, second, to compare the pr ...201424413899
[a case of lyme neuroborreliosis coexistent with t-cell lymphoma].an 80-year-old japanese man developed sensory disturbance of his extremities. one week after the onset of sensory disturbance, he also developed bilateral facial nerve palsy, weakness of the extremities, vesicorectal disturbance, general fatigue, and syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (siadh). his symptoms worsened gradually. despite the absence of apparent tick bite and characteristic skin lesions, we suspected lyme neuroborreliosis (lnb) because of pleocytosis and elevate ...201424583590
lyme borreliosis caused by diverse genospecies of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in northeastern china.the variety of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (b. burgdorferi) genospecies leads to distinction in clinical manifestations of lyme borreliosis (lb). there are reports of lb clinical characteristics in china, where the b. burgdorferi genospecies in ticks and animal hosts are different from those in europe and north america. during may to september in 2010 and 2011, all patients who had erythema migrans (em, more than 5 cm in diameter) after a recent tick-bite, and sought medical care at mudanjia ...201424438159
rapid outer-surface protein c dna tattoo vaccination protects against borrelia afzelii infection.borrelia afzelii is the predominant borrelia species causing lyme borreliosis in europe. currently there is no human vaccine against lyme borreliosis, and most research focuses on recombinant protein vaccines against borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto. dna tattooing is a novel vaccination method that can be applied in a rapid vaccination schedule. we vaccinated c3h/hen mice with b. afzelii strain pko ospc (outer-surface protein c) using a codon-optimized dna vaccine tattoo and compared this with ...201425273355
comparison of isolation rate of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in two different culture media, mkp and bsk-h.the aim of the study was to evaluate two culture media for borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato isolation from a 5 × 2 × 2 mm skin biopsy that was dissected into two pieces and inoculated into modified kelly-pettenkofer (mkp) and barbour-stoenner-kelly-h (bsk-h) medium. samples were incubated at 33°c for up to 9 weeks. borrelia species was determined by mlui-restriction of whole genome or by msei-restriction of pcr product. we determined the proportion of isolation rate, 'slow-growers', contaminated ...201424237688
songbirds as general transmitters but selective amplifiers of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato genotypes in ixodes rinicus ticks.we investigated to what extent a european songbird (parus major) selectively transmits and amplifies borrelia burgdorferi s.l. bacteria. borrelia-naïve birds were recurrently exposed to ixodes ricinus nymphs carrying a community of more than 34 5s-23s genotypes belonging to five genospecies (borrelia garinii, borrelia valaisiana, borrelia afzelii, b. burgdorferi s.s. and borrelia spielmanii). fed ticks were screened for borrelia after moulting. we found evidence for co-feeding transmission of av ...201424118930
influence of mkp medium stored for prolonged periods on growth and morphology of borrelia afzelii, borrelia garinii, and borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto.modified kelly-pettenkofer (mkp) medium is one of the several media used for isolation and cultivation of borrelia. the aim of the study was to assess whether particular borrelia species (b. afzelii, b. garinii, and b. burgdorferi sensu stricto) have the ability to grow in mkp medium stored at +4 °c for periods for 1 month up to 1 year, and how prolonged storage may influences borrelia growth and morphology. the growth of borrelia was evaluated after 5 days of incubation at 33 °c: cell count per ...201423758221
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
antibodies to decorin-binding protein b (dbpb) in the diagnosis of lyme neuroborreliosis in children.laboratory support is needed to confirm the clinical diagnosis of lyme neuroborreliosis (lnb). antibodies to borrelia-specific proteins have been used to improve serological diagnostics. the aims of this study were to assess the occurrence of antibodies to decorin-binding protein b (dbpb) in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (csf) in children with lnb and to evaluate the performance of dbpb variants in the diagnosis of lnb in children.201425316329
multiple infections of rodents with zoonotic pathogens in austria.rodents are important reservoirs for a large number of zoonotic pathogens. we examined the occurrence of 11 viral, bacterial, and parasitic agents in rodent populations in austria, including three different hantaviruses, lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus, orthopox virus, leptospira spp., borrelia spp., rickettsia spp., bartonella spp., coxiella burnetii, and toxoplasma gondii. in 2008, 110 rodents of four species (40 clethrionomys glareolus, 29 apodemus flavicollis, 26 apodemus sylvaticus, and ...201424915446
early cytokine release in response to live borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato spirochetes is largely complement independent.here we investigated the role of complement activation in phagocytosis and the release of cytokines and chemokines in response to two clinical isolates: borrelia afzelii k78, which is resistant to complement-mediated lysis, and borrelia garinii lu59, which is complement-sensitive.201425265036
complete genome sequencing of borrelia valaisiana and borrelia afzelii isolated from ixodes persulcatus ticks in western siberia.lyme disease, caused by bacteria of the borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex, is the most frequent tick-borne infection in eurasia. here, we report the complete genome sequence of the borrelia valaisiana tom 4006 and borrelia afzelii tom 3107 strains isolated from ixodes persulcatus ticks in western siberia.201425540343
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
the heterogeneity, distribution, and environmental associations of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, the agent of lyme borreliosis, in scotland.lyme borreliosis is an emerging infectious human disease caused by the borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex of bacteria with reported cases increasing in many areas of europe and north america. to understand the drivers of disease risk and the distribution of symptoms, which may improve mitigation and diagnostics, here we characterize the genetics, distribution, and environmental associations of b. burgdorferi s.l. genospecies across scotland. in scotland, reported lyme borreliosis cases have ...201425221774
ticks infesting humans in italy and associated pathogens.ticks may transmit a large variety of pathogens, which cause illnesses in animals and humans, commonly referred to as to tick-borne diseases (tbds). the incidence of human tbds in italy is underestimated because of poor surveillance and the scant amount of studies available.201425023709
molecular evidence for bacterial and protozoan pathogens in hard ticks from romania.the aim of the present study was to provide a preliminary insight into the diversity of tick-borne pathogens circulating at the domestic host-tick interface in romania. for this, feeding and questing ticks were analyzed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (pcr) for the presence of anaplasma phagocytophilum, anaplasma platys, ehrlichia canis, borrelia burgdorferi sensu latu, and by pcr and subsequent sequencing for rickettsia spp., babesia spp. and theileria spp. a total of 382 ticks, encompas ...201323428204
co-infection of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and rickettsia species in ticks and in an erythema migrans patient.lyme borreliosis is the most prevalent tick-borne disease in europe. ixodes ricinus also carries other pathogenic bacteria, but corresponding human diseases are rarely reported. here, we compared the exposure to rickettsia helvetica and rickettsia monacensis with that to lyme borreliosis spirochetes. we assumed that their exposure corresponds to their infection rate in questing i. ricinus.201324326096
borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato prevalence in tick populations in estonia.estonia is located in a unique area of co-distribution of ixodes ricinus and i. persulcatus, which are the main tick vectors of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato. in the last decade, the incidence rate of lyme borreliosis in estonia has increased dramatically up to 115.4 per 100,000 in 2012. here we present the first survey of the presence, the prevalence and genetic characteristics of b. burgdorferi s.l. complex spirochetes in the tick population in estonia.201323837798
prevalence of tick-borne pathogens in ixodes ricinus and dermacentor reticulatus ticks from different geographical locations in belarus.worldwide, ticks are important vectors of human and animal pathogens. besides lyme borreliosis, a variety of other bacterial and protozoal tick-borne infections are of medical interest in europe. in this study, 553 questing and feeding ixodes ricinus (n = 327) and dermacentor reticulatus ticks (n = 226) were analysed by pcr for borrelia, rickettsia, anaplasma, coxiella, francisella and babesia species. overall, the pathogen prevalence in ticks was 30.6% for i. ricinus and 45.6% for d. reticulatu ...201323349900
a probabilistic model in cross-sectional studies for identifying interactions between two persistent vector-borne pathogens in reservoir populations.in natural populations, individuals are infected more often by several pathogens than by just one. in such a context, pathogens can interact. this interaction could modify the probability of infection by subsequent pathogens. identifying when pathogen associations correspond to biological interactions is a challenge in cross-sectional studies where the sequence of infection cannot be demonstrated.201323840418
polymorphisms at the innate immune receptor tlr2 are associated with borrelia infection in a wild rodent population.the discovery of the key role of toll-like receptors (tlrs) in initiating innate immune responses and modulating adaptive immunity has revolutionized our understanding of vertebrate defence against pathogens. yet, despite their central role in pathogen recognition and defence initiation, there is little information on how variation in tlrs influences disease susceptibility in natural populations. here, we assessed the extent of naturally occurring polymorphisms at tlr2 in wild bank voles (myodes ...201323554395
infection dynamics of the tick-borne pathogen "candidatus neoehrlichia mikurensis" and coinfections with borrelia afzelii in bank voles in southern sweden.the tick-borne bacterium "candidatus neoehrlichia mikurensis" has recently been recognized as a human pathogen. together with borrelia afzelii, it is one of the most common pathogens found in the tick ixodes ricinus. here, we compared the epidemiologies of "ca. neoehrlichia mikurensis" and b. afzelii by longitudinal sampling from may to september in one of their most abundant vertebrate hosts, the bank vole (myodes glareolus), using real-time pcr for detection and quantification. the prevalences ...201324375128
molecular detection and genetic identification of borrelia garinii and borrelia afzelii from patients presenting with a rare skin manifestation of prurigo pigmentosa in taiwan.to determine the genetic identity of borrelia spirochetes isolated from patients with an unusual skin lesion of prurigo pigmentosa (pp) in taiwan. the causative agents responsible for human borreliosis were clarified.201324103333
multiple-strain infections of borrelia afzelii: a role for within-host interactions in the maintenance of antigenic diversity?genetically diverse infections are common but little is known about what effects coinfecting strains have on each other in natural host-parasite systems. to explore the nature and consequences of interactions in the wild, we studied the tick-transmitted bacterium borrelia afzelii in one of its main reservoir hosts, the bank vole myodes glareolus. we measured overall infection intensity with quantitative polymerase chain reaction (pcr) and resolved the composition of multiple infections using str ...201323535618
molecular evidence of ehrlichia canis and rickettsia massiliae in ixodid ticks of carnivores from south hungary.to monitor the emergence of thermophilic, mediterranean ixodid tick species and tick-borne pathogens in southern hungary, 348 ticks were collected from shepherd dogs, red foxes and golden jackals during the summer of 2011. golden jackals shared tick species with both the dog and the red fox in the region. dermacentor nymphs were collected exclusively from dogs, and the sequence identification of these ticks indicated that dogs are preferred hosts of both d. reticulatus and d. marginatus nymphs, ...201323439290
a study of the technique of western blot for diagnosis of lyme disease caused by borrelia afzelii in china.to study the technique of western blot for the diagnosis of lyme disease caused by borrelia afzelii in china and to establish the standard criteria by operational procedure.201323425802
differential tick burdens may explain differential borrelia afzelii and borrelia garinii infection rates among four, wild, rodent species in hokkaido, japan.the ecologies of lyme disease borrelia spp. are very specific to location, as they are dependent upon the spirochete species and genotypes, the vectors and the host vertebrates present. in hokkaido, japan, where two human pathogenic, lyme disease borrelia spp. are present, and human cases are reported annually, the ecologies have been poorly studied. our goal was to determine whether variation in borrelial infection rates among rodent species sharing an environment, is due to immunological or ec ...201323391510
rodent species as natural reservoirs of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in different habitats of ixodes ricinus in the netherlands.rodents are natural reservoirs for human pathogenic spirochaetes of the borrelia burgdorferi complex [b. burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.)], and the pathogens are transmitted by ixodes ricinus ticks to humans in the netherlands. b. burgdorferi s.l. infection prevalence in questing ticks, rodents, and ticks feeding on these rodents, all sampled within the same short time span of five days in three different areas in the netherlands, were compared in order to establish the relationship between ticks, ...201323891104
geographical distribution and prevalence of borrelia burgdorferi genospecies in questing ixodes ricinus from romania: a countrywide study.the paper reports the prevalence and geographical distribution of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) and its genospecies in 12,221 questing ixodes ricinus ticks collected at 183 locations from all the 41 counties of romania. the unfed ticks were examined for the presence of b. burgdorferi s.l. by pcr targeting the intergenic spacer 5s-23s. reverse line blot hybridization (rlb) and restriction fragment length polymorphism (rflp) analysis were performed for identification of b. burgdorferi gen ...201323890805
geodemographic analysis of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato using the 5s-23s rdna spacer region.lyme borreliosis is the predominant tick-borne disease in the northern hemisphere, with considerable heterogeneity in clinical manifestations. here, we evaluated one genetic marker for its use in population genetic based analysis. for that we collected molecular and epidemiological records of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato isolates from ticks, animals and humans at various sites in the netherlands and worldwide.201323602839
co-infection with 'candidatus neoehrlichia mikurensis' and borrelia afzelii in ixodes ricinus ticks in southern sweden.the tick-borne bacterium 'candidatus neoehrlichia mikurensis' has recently been recognized as a human pathogen in europe and appears to be the second most common pathogenic bacterium in ixodes ricinus ticks in central europe, second to borrelia afzelii. here, we investigate the prevalence of 'candidatus n. mikurensis' in host-seeking ticks in southern sweden and the rate of co-infection with b. afzelii. we developed a real-time qpcr assay targeting the groel gene of 'candidatus n. mikurensis' an ...201323590321
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