| experimental transmission of anaplasma marginale by male dermacentor reticulatus. | bovine anaplasmosis has been reported in several european countries, but the vector competency of tick species for anaplasma marginale from these localities has not been determined. because of the wide distributional range of dermacentor reticulatus within europe and the major role of dermacentor spp. as a vector of a. marginale in the united states, we tested the vector competency of d. reticulatus for a. marginale. | 2007 | 18053123 |
| phenotypic and genotypic analysis of borrelia spp. isolated from ixodes ricinus ticks by using electrophoretic chips and real-time polymerase chain reaction. | the genotype of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato was detected in 371 out of 1244 ticks. borrelia determination was based on partial sequencing of the 16s rrna gene and real-time polymerase chain reactions for identification and quantitation of ospa and reca genes. different borrelia spp. were identified; b. garinii in 40% ticks followed by b. afzelii (36.3%), b. burgdorferi sensu stricto (12.9%), b. valaisiana (3.5%), b. lusitaniae (0.8%), b. bissettii (0.5%) and b. miyamotoi-like (0.5%). cultiva ... | 2007 | 18062179 |
| an insight into the sialome of the soft tick, ornithodorus parkeri. | while hard ticks (ixodidae) take several days to feed on their hosts, soft ticks (argasidae) feed faster, usually taking less than 1h per meal. saliva assists in the feeding process by providing a cocktail of anti-hemostatic, anti-inflammatory and immunomodullatory compounds. saliva of hard ticks has been shown to contain several families of genes each having multiple members, while those of soft ticks are relatively unexplored. analysis of the salivary transcriptome of the soft tick ornithodoru ... | 2008 | 18070662 |
| ticks biting humans in the urban area of istanbul. | a passive surveillance for tick bites in humans was undertaken in the city of istanbul (turkey) in the summer and autumn of 2006. from 1,054 reported tick bites, most were females of ixodes ricinus (27%) and nymphs of hyalomma aegyptium (50%). a few adults of hyalomma m. marginatum, rhipicephalus sanguineus and dermacentor marginatus were also recorded. we investigated potential risk factors for i. ricinus and h. aegyptium with spatial statistics. climate features at 1-km resolution (monthly min ... | 2008 | 18074152 |
| [significance of red deer (cervus elaphus) in the ecology of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato]. | background: red deer (cervus elaphus) is one of the most important host of the adult tick (ixodes ricinus) which is the basic vector of the lyme disease causative agent--borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in europe. the aim of the present study was to establish the role of red deer in the transmission of b. burgdorferi s.1. material and methods. tissues from 74 red deers were evaluated and the presence of b. burgdorferi s.1 dna was identified using nested pcr technique based on fla gene. the identi ... | 2007 | 18075156 |
| tick infestation on roe deer in relation to geographic and remotely sensed climatic variables in a tick-borne encephalitis endemic area. | roe deer capreolus capreolus are among the most important feeding hosts for the sheep tick ixodes ricinus, thus contributing to the occurrence of tick-borne diseases in europe. tick-borne encephalitis (tbe), which is transmitted by co-feeding of larvae and nymphs on rodents, requires precise climatic conditions to occur. we used roe deer as sentinels for potential circulation of tbe virus in northern italy, by examining the association between tick infestation, occurrence of tbe human cases, geo ... | 2008 | 18081949 |
| changes in the structure of the cuticle of ixodes ricinus l. 1758 (acari, ixodidae) during feeding. | female ixodes ricinus (ticks) are able to consume several times as much as their own weight in food. the body volume increases without the animal moulting. special structural and material characteristics of the cuticular exoskeleton render this phenomenon possible. only the alloscutum, which has a very pronounced lamellar structure, extends. the individual lamellae correspond to surface folds in the outer endocuticle and the epicuticle covering it. the degree of folding is correlated to the nutr ... | 2002 | 18088973 |
| molecular method for bartonella species identification in clinical and environmental samples. | a new, efficient molecular method for detection of bartonella, based on the 16s-23s rrna intergenic spacer and 16s rrna amplification by multiplex pcr combined with reverse line blotting, was designed. this assay could simultaneously detect 20 different known species and other bartonella species not described previously. | 2008 | 18094134 |
| the pathogenesis of lyme neuroborreliosis: from infection to inflammation. | this review describes the current knowledge of the pathogenesis of acute lyme neuroborreliosis (lnb), from invasion to inflammation of the central nervous system. borrelia burgdorferi (b.b.) enters the host through a tick bite on the skin and may disseminate from there to secondary organs, including the central nervous system. to achieve this, b.b. first has to evade the hostile immune system. in a second step, the borrelia have to reach the central nervous system and cross the blood-brain barri ... | 2008 | 18097481 |
| pasture improvement and the control of sheep tick, ixodes ricinus l. | | 1948 | 18101398 |
| some aspects of the ecology of the tick, ixodes ricinus, l., in wales. | | 1948 | 18104360 |
| the ecology of the sheep tick, ixodes ricinus l.; host relationships of the tick, review of previous work in britain. | | 1949 | 18112000 |
| the scutum of the tick, ixodes ricinus l. | | 1949 | 18112006 |
| the ecology of the sheep tick, ixodes ricinus l.; host relationships of the tick; observations on hill and moorland grazings in northern england. | | 1949 | 18124151 |
| blackbirds and song thrushes constitute a key reservoir of borrelia garinii, the causative agent of borreliosis in central europe. | blackbirds (turdus merula) and song thrushes (turdus philomelos) were found to carry 95% of all spirochete-infected tick larvae among 40 bird species captured in central europe. more than 90% of the infections were typed as borrelia garinii and borrelia valaisiana. we conclude that thrushes are key players in the maintenance of these spirochete species in this region of central europe. | 2008 | 18156328 |
| borrelia burgdorferi complement regulator-acquiring surface proteins (bbcrasps): expression patterns during the mammal-tick infection cycle. | host complement is widely distributed throughout mammalian body fluids and can be activated immediately as part of the first line of defense against invading pathogens. the agent of lyme disease, borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.), is naturally resistant to that innate immune defense system of its hosts. one resistance mechanism appears to involve binding fluid-phase regulators of complement to distinct borrelial outer surface molecules known as crasps (complement regulator acquiring surface ... | 2008 | 18165150 |
| prevalence of ixodid ticks on cattle in mazandaran province, iran. | a survey was carried out to investigate the prevalence of hard tick species (acari: ixodidae) on cattle in mazandaran province, iran. a total of 953 ticks were collected from 86 infested cattle during activating seasons of ticks during 2004-2005. nine species were identified: boophilus annulatus (51.3%), rhipicephalus bursa (16.8%), haemaphysalis punctata (6.3%), ixodes ricinus (6.8%), hyalomma marginatum (12.5%), hyalomma anatolicum excavatum (5.2%), hyalomma asiaticum (0.6%), hyalomma detritum ... | 2007 | 18165714 |
| variability and action mechanism of a family of anticomplement proteins in ixodes ricinus. | ticks are blood feeding arachnids that characteristically take a long blood meal. they must therefore counteract host defence mechanisms such as hemostasis, inflammation and the immune response. this is achieved by expressing batteries of salivary proteins coded by multigene families. | 2008 | 18167559 |
| distantly related lipocalins share two conserved clusters of hydrophobic residues: use in homology modeling. | lipocalins are widely distributed in nature and are found in bacteria, plants, arthropoda and vertebra. in hematophagous arthropods, they are implicated in the successful accomplishment of the blood meal, interfering with platelet aggregation, blood coagulation and inflammation and in the transmission of disease parasites such as trypanosoma cruzi and borrelia burgdorferi. the pairwise sequence identity is low among this family, often below 30%, despite a well conserved tertiary structure. under ... | 2008 | 18190694 |
| complement evasion by human pathogens. | the human immune system has developed an elaborate network of cascades for dealing with microbial intruders. owing to its ability to rapidly recognize and eliminate microorganisms, the complement system is an essential and efficient component of this machinery. however, many pathogenic organisms have found ways to escape the attack of complement through a range of different mechanisms. recent discoveries in this field have provided important insights into these processes on a molecular level. th ... | 2008 | 18197169 |
| midichloria mitochondrii is widespread in hard ticks (ixodidae) and resides in the mitochondria of phylogenetically diverse species. | the hard tick ixodes ricinus (ixodidae) is the sole animal thus far shown to harbour an intra-mitochondrial bacterium, which has recently been named midichloria mitochondrii. the objectives of this work were (i) to screen ixodid ticks for midichloria-related bacteria and (ii) to determine whether these bacteria exploit the intra-mitochondrial niche in other tick species. our main goal was to discover further models of this peculiar form of symbiosis. we have thus performed a pcr screening for mi ... | 2008 | 18205982 |
| assessment of intraspecific mtdna variability of european ixodes ricinus sensu stricto (acari: ixodidae). | the ixodes ricinus complex is composed of 14 species distributed worldwide. some members of this complex are involved in the transmission of a number of diseases to animals and humans, in particular lyme borreliosis, tick-borne encephalitis, ehrlichiosis and babesiosis. while the phylogenetic relationships between species of the i. ricinus complex have been investigated in the past, still little is known about the genetic structure within the species i. ricinus sensu stricto. we have investigate ... | 2008 | 18206426 |
| tickborne encephalitis, southwestern france. | we report an autochthonous human case of tickborne encephalitis (tbe) in the bordeaux area, southwestern france. the patient was a farmer who had severe encephalomyelitis. elisa and neutralization assay of serum and cerebrospinal fluid established the diagnosis. this potential new endemic focus for tbe virus should be further investigated. | 2007 | 18214196 |
| competitive exclusion between piroplasmosis and anaplasmosis agents within cattle. | | 2008 | 18225951 |
| an outbreak of tick paralysis in free-ranging mouflon (ovis ammon musimon). | during november 2006, two live and one dead mouflon (ovis ammon musimon) were presented with a history of weakness, tremors, and paralysis. after a detailed gross and histologic examination and a bacteriologic, parasitologic, and rabies evaluation, a preliminary diagnosis of tick paralysis was established. a thorough field search revealed 13 affected mouflons found in the open hunting ground "sveti juraj" near the town of senj (croatia), along with an additional 35 mouflon carcasses. all 13 mouf ... | 2007 | 18229866 |
| the relationships between ixodes ricinus and small mammal species at the woodland-pasture interface. | ixodes ricinus, as vector, and small mammals, as reservoirs, are implicated in pathogen transmission between wild fauna, domestic animals and humans at the woodland-pasture interface. the ecological relationship between ticks and small mammals was monitored in 2005 on four bocage (enclosed pastureland) sites in central france, where questing ticks were collected by dragging and small mammals were trapped. questing i. ricinus tick and small mammal locations in the environment were assessed throug ... | 2008 | 18247140 |
| prevalence of anaplasma phagocytophilum in ixodes ricinus ticks determined by polymerase chain reaction with two pairs of primers detecting 16s rrna and anka genes. | a total of 684 ixodes ricinus ticks (321 nymphs, 184 males, and 179 females) were collected by flagging lower vegetation in 6 forest districts located on the territory of lublin province (eastern poland). ticks were examined by polymerase chain reaction (pcr) method for the presence of anaplasma phagocytophilum dna with two pairs of primers: ehr521/ehr747 for detecting 16s rrna gene, and la6/la1 for detecting anka gene. to study the relationship between infection in ticks and people occupational ... | 2007 | 18247465 |
| rickettsia monacensis and human disease, spain. | we identified rickettsia monacensis as a cause of acute tickborne rickettsiosis in 2 humans. its pathogenic role was assessed by culture and detection of the organism in patients' blood samples. this finding increases the number of recognized human rickettsial pathogens and expands the known geographic distribution of mediterranean spotted fever-like cases. | 2007 | 18252123 |
| molecular evidence for anaplasma phagocytophilum in israel. | sequences from the anaplasma phagocytophilum 16s rrna gene were detected in 5 ticks representing 3 species (hyalomma marginatum, rhipicephalus turanicus, and boophilus kohlsi) collected from roe deer (capreolus capreolus) in mount carmel, israel. the sequences were all identical to those of ap-variant 1 strain. | 2007 | 18252125 |
| greek goat encephalitis virus strain isolated from ixodes ricinus, greece. | a strain of greek goat encephaltitis virus was isolated from engorged ixodes ricinus ticks that had fed on goats in northern greece. the strain was almost identical to the prototype strain isolated 35 years ago. | 2008 | 18258134 |
| analysis of the distribution of the tick ixodes ricinus l. (acari: ixodidae) in a nature reserve of western germany using geographic information systems. | from may to november 2003, at five selected sites of the 'siebengebirge', a nature reserve near bonn, germany, data on microclimate, pedology, plant sociology and tick abundance were collected weekly and correlated. a total of 2832 host-seeking ixodes ricinus (2660 nymphs and 172 adults) were collected, with maximal abundance in june and a minor second increase in abundance in august. the spatial and temporal variation in tick abundance was closely related to the air temperature, relative humidi ... | 2009 | 18262840 |
| tick infestation risk and borrelia burgdorferi s.l. infection-induced increase in host-finding efficacy of female ixodes ricinus under natural conditions. | an investigation of the risk of human tick infestation, together with the prevalence of borrelia burgdorferi s.l. infection, was conducted in a sylvatic habitat in western germany to provide data needed for future risk-benefit evaluations of acaricides used for clothing impregnation. additionally, data were collected on behavioural changes in borrelia burgdorferi s.l.-infected adult female i. ricinus ticks and the possible impact of such changes on host-finding efficacy. the risk of i. ricinus-i ... | 2008 | 18273686 |
| ticks and mosquitoes as vectors of borrelia burgdorferi s. l. in the forested areas of szczecin. | the aim of the study was to determine the infection level of adult forms and larvae of ticks and mosquitoes with borrelia burgdorferi in the forested areas of szczecin. a total of 1699 ticks ixodes ricinus, including 1422 nymphs, 277 adult forms and 2862 mosquito females representing the genera aedes (89.6%) and culex (10.4%) were collected between the years 2004 and 2005. a further 3746 larvae and 1596 pupae of culex pipiens pipiens were colleted from water bodies. borrelia burgdorferi s. l. wa ... | 2007 | 18274258 |
| a family of putative metalloproteases in the salivary glands of the tick ixodes ricinus. | ticks are obligate blood-feeding arachnids. during their long-lasting blood meal, they have to counteract the protective barriers and defense mechanisms of their host. these include tissue integrity, pain, hemostasis, and the inflammatory and immune reactions. here, we describe a multigene family coding for five putative salivary metalloproteases induced during the blood meal of ixodes ricinus. the evolutionary divergence inside the family was driven by positive darwinian selection. this came to ... | 2008 | 18279375 |
| salp15 binding to dc-sign inhibits cytokine expression by impairing both nucleosome remodeling and mrna stabilization. | ixodes ticks are major vectors for human pathogens, such as borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of lyme disease. tick saliva contains immunosuppressive molecules that facilitate tick feeding and b. burgdorferi infection. we here demonstrate, to our knowledge for the first time, that the ixodes scapularis salivary protein salp15 inhibits adaptive immune responses by suppressing human dendritic cell (dc) functions. salp15 inhibits both toll-like receptor- and b. burgdorferi-induced productio ... | 2008 | 18282094 |
| tick repellent substances in the essential oil of tanacetum vulgare. | the repellent effect of the essential oils of flower heads of the aromatic plant tansy, tanacetum vulgare l. (asteraceae), originating from sweden, was tested against host-seeking nymphs of the common tick ixodes ricinus (l.). the essential oils were obtained by steam distillation (sd) and by using an online solvent extraction separation setup. further fractionations of the sd oils were obtained by medium-pressure liquid chromatography on silica gel. the volatiles of the essential oils and the f ... | 2008 | 18283947 |
| molecular evidence of bartonella dna in ixodid ticks in czechia. | we report the development of a novel method for detection of bartonella dna in ixodid ticks. the assay is based on a specific amplification of a part of 16s rrna gene and 16s-23s rrna intergenic spacer region of bartonella sp. by nested pcr and southern blot hybridization with specific dna probe; the method is highly sensitive and specific. the screening of 327 unfed ticks collected in different urban and suburban areas of czechia in 2003-2005 revealed the presence of bartonella dna in four ixod ... | 2007 | 18298048 |
| detection of anaplasma dna in ixodes ricinus ticks: pitfalls. | a total of 150 nymphal ixodes ricinus (l., 1758) (acari: ixodidae) from the czech republic were examined for anaplasma phagocytophilum (foggie, 1949) dumler et al., 2001 by pcr using ehr521/747 primers: 22 of 50 pools were positive (minimum prevalence, 14.7%). however, sequencing of the pcr products did not show complete homology with a. phagocytophilum (91%) while the closest relationship (95%) was found to "candidatus ehrlichia walkefii". the results indicate a need for care in interpretation ... | 2007 | 18303773 |
| prevalence of babesia canis, borrelia afzelii, and anaplasma phagocytophilum infection in hard ticks removed from dogs in warsaw (central poland). | the purposes of this study were to specify the occurrence and prevalence of babesia canis, borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, and anaplasma phagocytophilum in ticks removed from dogs in warsaw, and to determine the borrelia species occurring in ixodes ricinus ticks. among 590 collected ticks, 209 were identified as i. ricinus, and 381 as dermacentor reticulatus. dna of b. canis was detected in 11% of d. reticulatus ticks. we found that 6.2% of i. ricinus ticks harbored b. burgdorferi s.l. specific ... | 2008 | 18328630 |
| profiling of proteolytic enzymes in the gut of the tick ixodes ricinus reveals an evolutionarily conserved network of aspartic and cysteine peptidases. | abstract: | 2008 | 18348719 |
| diversity of ixodes ricinus tick-associated bacterial communities from different forests. | nymphal ixodes ricinus ticks (n=180) were collected from three different areas in the netherlands to investigate the effect of forest composition on tick-associated microbial communities. sampled habitats differed in thickness of leaf litter and humus layers and vegetation associations and were located near amsterdam (beech-oak), ede (birch-oak) and veldhoven (birch-oak). analysis of nine 16s rrna gene clone libraries made from individual ticks showed nearest matches with presumed pathogens cand ... | 2008 | 18355299 |
| dynamic transmission of numerous anaplasma phagocytophilum genotypes among lambs in an infected sheep flock in an area of anaplasmosis endemicity. | the transmission dynamics of anaplasma phagocytophilum strains circulating within juvenile members of a sheep flock grazing on an ixodes ricinus-infested pasture in southern norway were monitored. pcr-based detection of the bacterial p44 fragments in the blood of 16 lambs sampled weekly for 16 weeks following their release into pasture revealed rickettsemia in all animals, with an increasing proportion of infected animals as the survey progressed. comparison of partial msp4 sequences obtained fr ... | 2008 | 18367562 |
| rickettsia felis in fleas, france. | | 2008 | 18394302 |
| prevention of infectious tick-borne diseases in humans: comparative studies of the repellency of different dodecanoic acid-formulations against ixodes ricinus ticks (acari: ixodidae). | abstract: | 2008 | 18397516 |
| aggregation in the tick ixodes ricinus (acari: ixodidae): use and reuse of questing vantage points. | ongoing work in oak woods in killarney national park in southwestern ireland is focusing on the factors influencing the fine-scale aggregated distribution of ixodes ricinus l. (acari: ixodidae) on the ground. the extent of reuse of stems of vegetation as questing points by adult ticks was determined by paint-marking stems on which ticks were found, counting and removing these ticks, and subsequently reexamining the same stems for ticks on two further occasions. overall, an estimated 2,967 stems ... | 2008 | 18402137 |
| investigation of ecological and environmental determinants for the presence of questing ixodes ricinus (acari: ixodidae) on gower, south wales. | the spatial heterogeneity of questing ixodes ricinus (l.) (acari: ixodidae) within endemic areas in great britain is well established. their presence is acutely responsive to blood host availability and their ability to maintain water balance, which are in turn governed by a variety of ecological and environmental factors. this article details the findings of a 3-yr study on the gower peninsula, south wales, which investigated the contribution of such factors (both ground- and geographic informa ... | 2008 | 18402148 |
| cellular and molecular characterization of an embryonic cell line (bme26) from the tick rhipicephalus (boophilus) microplus. | the cellular and molecular characteristics of a cell line (bme26) derived from embryos of the cattle tick rhipicephalus (boophilus) microplus were studied. the cells contained glycogen inclusions, numerous mitochondria, and vesicles with heterogeneous electron densities dispersed throughout the cytoplasm. vesicles contained lipids and sequestered palladium meso-porphyrin (pd-mp) and rhodamine-hemoglobin, suggesting their involvement in the autophagic and endocytic pathways. the cells phagocytose ... | 2008 | 18405834 |
| structural changes in the salivary glands of ixodes ricinus larvae. | the authors analysed the structure of ixodes ricinus (l.) larvae in specimens immediately after leaving the egg sheaths, in those which have not fed for 2 months after hatching, and in feeding larvae on the second day of feeding. the results showed that salivary glands in tick larvae are formed by alveoli aligned in strands on both sides of the central nervous system. these alveoli open into central efferent ducts via short ducts. the constituent elements of salivary glands include pyramidal alv ... | 2007 | 18412045 |
| enhanced spatial models for predicting the geographic distributions of tick-borne pathogens. | disease maps are used increasingly in the health sciences, with applications ranging from the diagnosis of individual cases to regional and global assessments of public health. however, data on the distributions of emerging infectious diseases are often available from only a limited number of samples. we compared several spatial modelling approaches for predicting the geographic distributions of two tick-borne pathogens: ehrlichia chaffeensis, the causative agent of human monocytotropic ehrlichi ... | 2008 | 18412972 |
| aza-peptidyl michael acceptors. a new class of potent and selective inhibitors of asparaginyl endopeptidases (legumains) from evolutionarily diverse pathogens. | aza-peptide michael acceptors with the general structure of cbz-ala-ala-aasn- trans-ch=chcor are a new class of inhibitors specific for the asparaginyl endopeptidases (ae) (legumains). structure-activity relationships (sars) were characterized for a set of 31 aza-peptide michael acceptors with aes derived from three medically important parasites: the protist trichomonas vaginalis, the hard tick ixodes ricinus, and the flatworm schistosoma mansoni. despite arising from phylogenetically disparate ... | 2008 | 18416543 |
| tick saliva inhibits dendritic cell migration, maturation, and function while promoting development of th2 responses. | similarly to other blood-feeding arthropods, ticks have evolved immunosuppressive mechanisms enabling them to overcome the host immune system. although the immunomodulatory effect of tick saliva on several cell populations of the immune system has been extensively studied, little is known about its impact on dendritic cells (dcs). we have examined the effect of ixodes ricinus tick saliva on dc function in vitro and in vivo. exposure of dcs to tick saliva in vitro resulted in impaired maturation, ... | 2008 | 18424740 |
| the tick salivary protein salp15 inhibits the killing of serum-sensitive borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato isolates. | borrelia burgdorferi, the agent of lyme disease, is transmitted by ticks. during transmission from the tick to the host, spirochetes are delivered with tick saliva, which contains the salivary protein salp15. salp15 has been shown to protect spirochetes against b. burgdorferi-specific antibodies. we now show that salp15 from both ixodes ricinus and ixodes scapularis protects serum-sensitive isolates of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato against complement-mediated killing. i. ricinus salp15 showed ... | 2008 | 18426890 |
| rickettsia slovaca in dermacentor marginatus and tick-borne lymphadenopathy, tuscany, italy. | of 263 patients in tuscany, italy, from whom ticks were removed during july 2005-may 2007, five showed signs of tick-borne encephalopathy. of the ticks, 17 were dermacentor marginatus; 6 (35.3%) of these were identified by sequence analysis as containing rickettsia slovaca. tick-borne lympadenopathy occurs in this area. | 2008 | 18439371 |
| [occurrence of borrelia burgdorferi s.l. in selected ixodes ricinus populations within nadbuzański landscape park]. | the aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in ixodes ricinus ticks within nadbuzański landscape park (central-eastern mazovian province, poland). material and | 2007 | 18441877 |
| effect of host populations on the intensity of ticks and the prevalence of tick-borne pathogens: how to interpret the results of deer exclosure experiments. | deer are important blood hosts for feeding ixodes ricinus ticks but they do not support transmission of many tick-borne pathogens, so acting as dead-end transmission hosts. mathematical models show their role as tick amplifiers, but also suggest that they dilute pathogen transmission, thus reducing infection prevalence. empirical evidence for this is conflicting: experimental plots with deer removal (i.e. deer exclosures) show that the effect depends on the size of the exclosure. here we present ... | 2008 | 18442427 |
| first detection of rickettsia helvetica in ixodes ricinus ticks in austria. | a total of 853 ixodes ricinus ticks collected from the nine federal states of austria were examined by molecular methods for possible infections with rickettsia spp. it was shown that roughly one-third of the ticks were infected with rickettsia spp. moreover, rickettsia helvetica was detected in austria for the first time. | 2008 | 18447624 |
| essential protective role attributed to the surface lipoproteins of borrelia burgdorferi against innate defences. | to initiate infection, a microbial pathogen must be able to evade innate immunity. here we show that the lyme disease spirochete borrelia burgdorferi depends on its surface lipoproteins for protection against innate defences. the deficiency for ospc, an abundantly expressed surface lipoprotein during early infection, led to quick clearance of b. burgdorferi after inoculation into the skin of scid mice. increasing expression of any of the four randomly chosen surface lipoproteins, ospa, ospe, vls ... | 2008 | 18452586 |
| biology of infection with borrelia burgdorferi. | the spirochete borrelia burgdorferi is a tick-borne obligate parasite whose normal reservoir is a variety of small mammals. although infection of these natural hosts does not lead to disease, infection of humans can result in lyme disease as a consequence of the human immunopathologic response to b burgdorferi. consistent with the pathogenesis of lyme disease, bacterial products that allow b burgdorferi to replicate and survive seem to be primarily what is required for the bacterium to cause dis ... | 2008 | 18452798 |
| molecular detection of bartonella schoenbuchensis from ectoparasites of deer in massachusetts. | deer keds (lipoptena cervi) are thought to have been introduced into new england from europe during the 1800 s. we sought to determine whether l. cervi from massachusetts deer contained evidence of infection by bartonella schoenbuchensis, which appears to be maintained by l. cervi in europe. five of 6 keds were found to contain b. schoenbuchensis dna, and 2 deer ticks cofeeding on deer with such keds did as well. the detection of bartonella dna in deer ticks probably represents contamination by ... | 2008 | 18454595 |
| detection of borrelia lusitaniae, rickettsia sp. irs3, rickettsia monacensis, and anaplasma phagocytophilum in ixodes ricinus collected in madeira island, portugal. | a total of 300 ixodes ricinus ticks were tested by polymerase chain reaction (pcr) for the presence of borrelia spp., rickettsia spp., and anaplasma phagocytophilum. sequence analysis demonstrated 8 (2.7%) ticks infected with b. lusitaniae, 60 (20%) with rickettsia spp., and 1 (0.3%) with a. phagocytophilum. seven (2.3%) ticks were coinfected with b. lusitaniae and rickettsia spp., 2 (0.6%) with r. monacensis, and 5 (1.7%) with rickettsia sp. irs3. the results of this study suggest simultaneous ... | 2008 | 18454598 |
| efficacy of a single application of a 12.5% pyriprole topical solution against laboratory infestations with ticks (ixodes ricinus, dermacentor reticulatus, and rhipicephalus sanguineus) on dogs. | in three separate studies, the efficacy of a single treatment with a 12.5% pyriprole spot-on solution was investigated against induced infestation with ixodes ricinus, dermacentor reticulatus and rhipicephalus sanguineus on dogs (both sexes; beagles in studies 1 and 2, mixed-breed in study 3). for each tick species, one group of 8 dogs left untreated (studies 1 and 2) or treated with a placebo solution (study 3) was compared with another group treated once with the spot-on solution at a dose rat ... | 2008 | 18455315 |
| the propensity of different borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto genotypes to cause disseminated infections in humans. | lineages of borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium that causes lyme disease, can be characterized by distinct alleles at the outer surface protein c (ospc) locus. the lineages marked by ospc genotypes have been shown to be differentially invasive in different species of mammals, including humans; genotypes a, b, i, and k effectively disseminate to human blood and cerebrospinal fluid. in this report, we extend the sample of genotypes isolated from human blood to include genotypes n, h, c, m, and d, ... | 2008 | 18458317 |
| a molecular survey of theileria and babesia parasites in cattle, with a note on the distribution of ticks in tunisia. | between october and november 2006, a total of 278 bovine blood samples were examined, and 104 (37.4%) were positive for piroplasms by microscopy. a reverse line blot hybridisation with polymerase chain reaction detected theileria annulata, t. buffeli, babesia bovis and b. bigemina in cattle accounting for 48.6% of positive samples. the most frequently found species was t. buffeli, which was present in 39.2% of the samples. t. annulata was found in 48 samples (17.3%). babesia infections were less ... | 2008 | 18458949 |
| influence of climate warming on tickborne encephalitis expansion to higher altitudes over the last decade (1997-2006) in the highland region (czech republic). | the steep rise in the incidence of tick-borne encephalitis (tbe) in the 1990s and its subsequent high level in the czech republic are not even over the whole territory. it is manifested markedly in the czech-moravian highland region. in the decades of 1971 through 1992, tbe incidence in the highland region did not reach the countrywide average. the rise has been noted only since 1997; in the year 2006 tbe incidence in that administrative region was more than double the countrywide average. analy ... | 2008 | 18459472 |
| genetic study of the distribution of greek goat encephalitis virus in greece. | tick-borne encephalitis virus (tbev) and louping ill virus (liv) are viruses in the mammalian tick-borne virus group/genus flavivirus, causing central nervous system disease. greek goat encephalitis virus (ggev), which was isolated from the brain of a newborn goat with neurological symptoms, is currently classified in the tbev group. the vector of ggev has not yet been specifically identified but is considered likely to be ixodes ricinus. a total of 3,144 ixodidae ticks collected during 2003-200 ... | 2008 | 18471057 |
| verification and dissection of the ospc operator by using flab promoter as a reporter in borrelia burgdorferi. | the lyme disease spirochete borrelia burgdorferi must repress expression of outer surface protein c (ospc) to effectively evade specific humoral immunity and to establish persistent infection. this ability largely relies upon a regulatory element, the only operator that has been reported in spirochetal bacteria. immediately upstream of the ospc promoter, two sets of inverted repeats (irs) constitute small and large palindromes, in which the right ir of the large palindrome contains the left ir o ... | 2008 | 18479884 |
| insight into the sialome of the castor bean tick, ixodes ricinus. | in recent years, there have been several sialome projects revealing transcripts expressed in the salivary glands of ticks, which are important vectors of several human diseases. here, we focused on the sialome of the european vector of lyme disease, ixodes ricinus. | 2008 | 18489795 |
| molecular identification of anaplasma marginale and rickettsial endosymbionts in blood-sucking flies (diptera: tabanidae, muscidae) and hard ticks (acari: ixodidae). | in an attempt to identify the main vector and possible transmission routes of anaplasma spp. in a region of hungary with high prevalence of ovine and bovine anaplasmosis, dna was extracted from 316 haematophagous arthropods (individually or in pools), including 4 species of ixodid ticks, 6 species of tabanid flies and hornflies. midichloria-like organisms were identified with pcr (amplifying a portion of the 16s rrna gene) and sequencing from dermacentor marginatus and ixodes ricinus. significan ... | 2008 | 18495345 |
| immunomodulatory arsenal of nymphal ticks. | ticks have developed their own immunomodulatory mechanisms to inhibit the host inflammatory response. one of them involves the ability to subvert the cytokine network at the site of tick feeding by secreting cytokine binding molecules. most studies have focused on the immunomodulatory prowess of adult female ticks. here we describe anti-cytokine activity in salivary gland extracts (sges) prepared from 2-day-fed nymphs of dermacentor reticulatus fabricius, ixodes ricinus l., rhipicephalus appendi ... | 2008 | 18498617 |
| rickettsial seroepidemiology among farm workers, tianjin, people's republic of china. | high seroprevalence rates for anaplasma phagocytophilum (8.8%), coxiella burnetii (6.4%), bartonella henselae (9.6%), and rickettsia typhi (4.1%) in 365 farm workers near tianjin, people's republic of china, suggest that human infections with these zoonotic bacteria are frequent and largely unrecognized. demographic features of seropositive persons suggest distinct epidemiology, ecology, and risks. | 2008 | 18507907 |
| anaplasma phagocytophilum infection in ixodes ricinus, bavaria, germany. | anaplasma phagocytophilum dna was detected by real-time pcr, which targeted the msp2 gene, in 2.9% of questing ixodes ricinus ticks (adults and nymphs; n = 2,862), collected systematically from selected locations in bavaria, germany, in 2006. prevalence was significantly higher in urban public parks in munich than in natural forests. | 2008 | 18507918 |
| temporal variations in the usefulness of normalized difference vegetation index as a predictor for ixodes ricinus (acari: ixodidae) in a borrelia lusitaniae focus in tuscany, central italy. | host-seeking ticks were collected during monthly dragging sessions from november 2004 through october 2006 in tuscany, central italy. normalized difference vegetation index (ndvi), which was calculated from landsat etm+ 7 remote sensing data recorded in august 2001, was significantly correlated with numbers of host-seeking immature ixodes ricinus l. (acari: ixodidae) during periods of relatively low rainfall such as summer 2005 (spearman's p = 0.78, p < 0.001 for nymphs in july) and to a lower e ... | 2008 | 18533451 |
| babesia species occurring in austrian ixodes ricinus ticks. | babesiosis is a tick-transmitted disease of veterinary and medical importance. the first austrian case of human babesiosis was recently recorded. in the current study, ticks at all life cycle stages (instars), including 853 ixodes ricinus and 11 haemaphysalis concinna ticks, from sampling sites throughout austria were examined for the presence of babesia spp. by using 18s rrna gene pcr and sequencing, and the overall mean infection rate was 51.04%. the infection rates for sampling sites were hig ... | 2008 | 18539787 |
| divergence within the marker region of the groesl operon in anaplasma phagocytophilum. | anaplasma phagocytophilum is an obligate intracellular bacterial parasite in human and animal granulocytes. in europe, a. phagocytophilum is transmitted by ixodes ticks; ixodes ricinus is the vector of the parasite in poland. in terms of epidemiology, the identification of pathogens in ticks increasingly relies on molecular techniques. polymerase chain reaction (pcr) with species-specific primers is a tool that allows the quick and accurate detection of pathogens in ticks, humans, or animals. dn ... | 2008 | 18551326 |
| borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, anaplasma phagocytophilum, francisella tularensis and their co-infections in host-seeking ixodes ricinus ticks collected in serbia. | to evaluate the prevalence rate of tick-borne bacterial pathogens, unfed adult ixodes ricinus ticks were collected from vegetation in 2001, 2003, and 2004 at 18 localities throughout serbia. a total of 287 ticks were examined by pcr technique for the presence of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, anaplasma phagocytophilum, and francisella tularensis. the highest prevalence rate was that for b. burgdorferi sensu lato (42.5%), followed by a. phagocytophilum (13.9%) and f. tularensis (3.8%). the pres ... | 2008 | 18551370 |
| ticks infesting domestic animals in northern greece. | the tick species infesting grazing animals in the countryside of 11 prefectures in northern greece were investigated during april-july and september-december of consecutive years 2003-2006. a total of 3,249 (1,952 males, 1,297 females) adult ticks were collected from goats, sheep, cattle and dogs. ticks were identified as ixodes ricinus (44.57%), ixodes gibbosus (4.09%), rhipicephalus bursa (19.14%), rhipicephalus sanguineus, rhipicephalus turanicus (5.79%), hyalomma marginatum marginatum (12.40 ... | 2008 | 18563592 |
| multiple paternity in ixodes ricinus (acari: ixodidae), assessed by microsatellite markers. | this investigation examines multiple paternity in ixodes ricinus (acari: ixodidae). previous studies have shown that multiple mating occurs in this tick, but this is the first evaluation of multiple paternity. three family groups were examined by a panel of polymorphic microsatellite loci; all ticks were bred from wild-collected engorged females with a copulating male attached. for most larvae, the attached males could be excluded as possible sire, and in the 3 tested families, at least 2 of 3 f ... | 2008 | 18564735 |
| variable exposure and immunological response to lyme disease borrelia among north atlantic seabird species. | colonial seabirds often breed in large aggregations. these individuals can be exposed to parasitism by the tick ixodes uriae, but little is known about the circulation of pathogens carried by this ectoparasite, including lyme disease borrelia. here we investigated the prevalence of antibodies (ab) against borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in seabird species sampled at eight locations across the north atlantic. using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay tests, we found that the prevalence of anti-borr ... | 2008 | 18577503 |
| preliminary evaluation of exotic tick species and exotic pathogens imported on migratory birds into the british isles. | field studies were carried out to determine whether ticks are being imported into the british isles on migratory birds. during spring and autumn migration 2004, ticks were collected from ringed birds at 11 bird observatories and 3 inland riparia riparia colonies. a total of 38 ticks of 4 species (ixodes ricinus, i. frontalis, i. lividus, i. arboricola) were collected from 12 species of bird. ticks were tested for viruses in the flavivirus and nairovirus genera, with no positives found. this data ... | 2008 | 18585865 |
| spotted fever group rickettsiae in ticks, morocco. | a total of 370 ticks, encompassing 7 species from 4 genera, were collected during 2002-2006 from domestic animals and vegetation in the taza region of northeastern morocco. rickettsial dna was identified in 101 ticks (27%) by sequencing pcr products of fragments of the citrate synthase and outer membrane protein genes of rickettsia spp. seven rickettsiae of the spotted fever group were identified, including 4 pathogens: r. aeschlimannii in hyalomma marginatum marginatum, r. massiliae in rhipicep ... | 2008 | 18598627 |
| transmission of bartonella henselae by ixodes ricinus. | bartonella spp. are facultative intracellular bacteria associated with several emerging diseases in humans and animals. b. henselae causes cat-scratch disease and is increasingly associated with several other syndromes, particularly ocular infections and endocarditis. cats are the main reservoir for b. henselae and the bacteria are transmitted to cats by cat fleas. however, new potential vectors are suspected of transmitting b. henselae, in particular, ixodes ricinus, the most abundant ixodid ti ... | 2008 | 18598628 |
| wide distribution of a high-virulence borrelia burgdorferi clone in europe and north america. | the a and b clones of borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, distinguished by outer surface protein c (ospc) gene sequences, are commonly associated with disseminated lyme disease. to resolve phylogenetic relationships among isolates, we sequenced 68 isolates from europe and north america at 1 chromosomal locus (16s-23s ribosomal rna spacer) and 3 plasmid loci (ospc,dbpa, and bbd14). the ospc-a clone appeared to be highly prevalent on both continents, and isolates of this clone were uniform in dna ... | 2008 | 18598631 |
| growth of tick-borne encephalitis virus (european subtype) in cell lines from vector and non-vector ticks. | we undertook a comparative study of the susceptibility of different tick cell lines to infection with the european subtype of tick-borne encephalitis virus (tbev), prototype strain neudoerfl. the growth of tbev was investigated in lines derived from vector ixodes ricinus l. ticks (ire/ctvm18, 19, and 20), as well as non-vector ticks, namely ixodes scapularis say (ide2), boophilus microplus canestrini (bme/ctvm2), hyalomma anatolicum anatolicum koch (hae/ctvm9), rhipicephalus appendiculatus neuma ... | 2008 | 18602711 |
| blood meal identification and parasite detection in laboratory-fed and field-captured lutzomyia longipalpis by pcr using fta databasing paper. | the phlebotomine sand fly lutzomyia longipalpis takes blood from a variety of wild and domestic animals and transmits leishmania (leishmania) infantum chagasi, etiological agent of american visceral leishmaniasis. blood meal identification in sand flies has depended largely on serological methods but a new protocol described here uses filter-based technology to stabilise and store blood meal dna, allowing subsequent pcr identification of blood meal sources, as well as parasite detection, in bloo ... | 2008 | 18606150 |
| asparaginyl endopeptidase from the carcinogenic liver fluke, opisthorchis viverrini, and its potential for serodiagnosis. | to isolate and characterize an asparaginyl endopeptidase from the carcinogenic liver fluke, opisthorchis viverrini, and evaluate its expression profile, biochemical activity, and potential as an immunodiagnostic antigen. | 2008 | 18619888 |
| suppression of cell proliferation and cytokine expression by hl-p36, a tick salivary gland-derived protein of haemaphysalis longicornis. | previously, a putative immunosuppressant-coding gene was identified from a complementary dna library derived from the salivary glands of partially-fed haemaphysalis longicornis. using real-time polymerase chain reaction, the gene was shown to be predominantly expressed during blood feeding with the site of expression being mainly in the salivary glands; this was confirmed by western blotting analysis. to investigate the function of this novel protein, in this study, we examined the proliferative ... | 2009 | 18624730 |
| prevalence of anaplasma phagocytophilum and its coinfection with borrelia afzelii in ixodes ricinus and ixodes persulcatus ticks inhabiting tver province (russia) - a sympatric region for both tick species. | human granulocytic anaplasmosis (hga) and lyme borreliosis (lb) are tick-borne infectious diseases caused by anaplasma phagocytophilum and borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato species, respectively. in this study, p44/msp2 paralogues specific to a. phagocytophilum and 5s-23s rrna gene-intergenic spacers specific to b. burgdorferi sensu lato species were detected by pcr in ticks collected in two regions, tver (kalinin) and konakovo, of the tver (kalinin) province located 150 km north-west of moscow. t ... | 2008 | 18628500 |
| validation of a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for detection of babesia bigemina antibodies in cattle. | a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (celisa) based on a broadly conserved, species-specific, b-cell epitope within the c terminus of babesia bigemina rhoptry-associated protein 1a was validated for international use. receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed 16% inhibition as the threshold for a negative result, with an associated specificity of 98.3% and sensitivity of 94.7%. increasing the threshold to 21% increased the specificity to 100% but modestly decreased the sensi ... | 2008 | 18632921 |
| detection and identification of rickettsia species in the northeast of italy. | this study was carried out using ixodes ricinus ticks collected during 2005 and 2006 from the friuli venezia giulia (fvg) region in the northeastern part of italy and an area along the slovenian side of the western border of italy. the results indicate that rickettsia spp. is widely distributed throughout these areas, with the greatest prevalence in the central part of the fvg region. the prevalence of rickettsia spp. was 4.5% during 2005 and 6.1% during 2006. by sequencing the 16s rrna gene, we ... | 2008 | 18637720 |
| relapsing fever spirochetes retain infectivity after prolonged in vitro cultivation. | borrelia hermsii and borrelia burgdorferi, two closely related spirochetes, are the etiological agents of tick-borne relapsing fever and lyme disease, respectively. previous studies have shown the loss of infectivity of b. burgdorferi is associated with in vitro cultivation. this diminished infectivity of b. burgdorferi has occurred as early as three in vitro passages, and the loss of plasmids have been observed with these less virulent to noninfective cultures. the effects of long-term in vitro ... | 2008 | 18637723 |
| ticks (ixodes ricinus). | | 2008 | 18642180 |
| molecular method for discrimination between francisella tularensis and francisella-like endosymbionts. | environmental studies on the distribution of francisella spp. are hampered by the frequency of francisella-like endosymbionts that can produce a misleading positive result. a new, efficient molecular method for detection of francisella tularensis and its discrimination from francisella-like endosymbionts, as well as two variants associated with human disease (unusual f. tularensis strain fnsp1 and f. tularensis subsp. novicida-like strain 3523), is described. the method is highly specific and se ... | 2008 | 18650358 |
| [infestation of game animals from north-western poland by common tick (ixodes ricinus)]. | ixodes ricinus tick species is the most common tick in poland and is the primary vector of many pathogens. the aim of this study was to determine the infestation of three species of game animals: roe deer (capreolus capreolus), red deer (cervus elaphus) and wild boar (sus scrofa) from forest area of north-western poland. | 2008 | 18664103 |
| two ways of experimental infection of ixodes ricinus ticks (acari: ixodidae) with spirochetes of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex. | a previously reported procedure for the introduction of borrelia spirochetes into tick larvae by immersion in a suspension of spirochetes was tested on ixodes ricinus (l.) ticks and three of the most medically important european borrelia genomic species, b. burgdorferi sensu stricto, b. garinii and b. afzelii. the procedure was compared with "classical" infection of nymphs by feeding on infected mice. both methods yielded comparable results (infection rate 44-65%) with the exception of b. afzeli ... | 2008 | 18666419 |
| [lyme borreliosis in bosnia and herzegovina--clinical, laboratory and epidemiological research]. | lyme borreliosis is multisistemic zoonosis that is transmitted from animals to humans by ticks of the ixodes ricinus complex, which presents vectors for causative organism. lyme borreliosis is caused by borelia burgdorferi sensu lato, which has four different species. objective of this research was to investigate frequency of borreliosis on our material, to determine seasonal yearly distribution of disease and to investigate variability of clinical forms of disease. | 2008 | 18669233 |
| repellent effect of sweet basil compounds on ixodes ricinus ticks. | diseases transmitted by ticks are causing increasing concern in europe and all around the world. repellents are an effective measure for reducing the risk of tick bite; products based on natural compounds represent an interesting alternative to common synthetic repellents. in this study the repellency of sweet basil (ocimum basilicum l.) was tested against the tick ixodes ricinus l., by using a laboratory bioassay. a bioassay-assisted fractionation allowed the identification of a compound involv ... | 2008 | 18670893 |
| evidence of the role of tick subolesin in gene expression. | subolesin is an evolutionary conserved protein that was discovered recently in ixodes scapularis as a tick protective antigen and has a role in tick blood digestion, reproduction and development. in other organisms, subolesin orthologs may be involved in the control of developmental processes. because of the profound effect of subolesin knockdown in ticks and other organisms, we hypothesized that subolesin plays a role in gene expression, and therefore affects multiple cellular processes. the ob ... | 2008 | 18673577 |
| spotted fever group rickettsia in ticks from southeastern spain natural parks. | during an 8-years study, we collected from vegetation or domestic and wild mammals 1246 ticks (624 males, 511 females and 111 nymphs) belonging to 13 species in jaen province (andalusia) and we analyzed these ticks by pcr and sequencing for the presence of rickettsiae. specific rickettsiae dna was detected in 243 (19.5%) of the ticks tested. sequence analysis of amplicons of glta, ompa and ompb genes revealed that ixodes ricinus were infected with r. monacensis, including strain irs3, and r. hel ... | 2008 | 18677442 |
| identification of residual blood proteins in ticks by mass spectrometry proteomics. | mass spectrometry-based proteomics of individual ticks demonstrated persistence of mammalian host blood components, including alpha- and beta-globin chains, histones, and mitochondrial enzymes, in ixodes scapularis and amblyomma americanum ticks for months after molting. residual host proteins may identify sources of infection for ticks. | 2008 | 18680654 |
| rickettsia felis in fleas, germany. | among 310 fleas collected from dogs and cats in germany, rickettsia felis was detected in all specimens (34) of archaeopsylla erinacei (hedgehog flea) and in 9% (24/226) of ctenocephalides felis felis (cat flea). r. helvetica was detected in 1 ceratophyllus gallinae (hen flea). | 2008 | 18680660 |