Borrelia miyamotoi in Human-Biting Ticks,United States, 2013–2019

During 2013–2019, Borrelia miyamotoi infection was detected in 19 US states. Infection rate was 0.5%–3.2%; of B. miyamotoi–positive ticks, 59.09% had concurrent infections. B. miyamotoi is homogeneous with 1 genotype from Ixodes scapularis ticks in northeastern and midwestern states and 1 from I. pacificus in western states.     

Human Infections with Borrelia miyamotoi,Japan

We confirmed infection of 2 patients with Borrelia miyamotoi in Japan by retrospective surveillance of Lyme disease patients and detection of B. miyamotoi DNA in serum samples. One patient also showed seroconversion for antibody against recombinant glycerophosphodiester phosphodiesterase of B. miyamotoi. Indigenous relapsing fever should be considered a health concern in Japan.     

Borrelia miyamotoi sensu lato Seroreactivity and Seroprevalence in the Northeastern United States

Borrelia miyamotoi sensu lato, a relapsing fever Borrelia sp., is transmitted by the same ticks that transmit B. burgdorferi (the Lyme disease pathogen) and occurs in all Lyme disease�?"endemic areas of the United States. To determine the seroprevalence of IgG against B. miyamotoi sensu lato in the northeastern United States and assess whether serum from B. miyamotoi sensu lato�?"infected persons is reactive to B. burgdorferi antigens, we tested archived serum samples from area residents during 1991�?"2012. Of 639 samples from healthy persons, 25 were positive for B. miyamotoi sensu lato and 60 for B. burgdorferi. Samples from �%^10% of B. miyamotoi sensu lato�?"seropositive persons without a recent history of Lyme disease were seropositive for B. burgdorferi. Our resultsA suggest thatA human B. miyamotoiA sensu latoA infection may be common in southern New England and that B. burgdorferi antibody testing is not an effective surrogate for detecting B. miyamotoi sensu lato infection.     

High Prevalence of Borrelia miyamotoi among Adult Blacklegged Ticks from White-Tailed Deer

We compared the prevalence of Borrelia miyamotoi infection in questing and deer-associated adult Ixodes scapularis ticks in Wisconsin, USA. Prevalence among deer-associated ticks (4.5% overall, 7.1% in females) was significantly higher than among questing ticks (1.0% overall, 0.6% in females). Deer may be a sylvatic reservoir for this newly recognized zoonotic pathogen.     

Humans infected with relapsing fever spirochete Borrelia miyamotoi, Russia

Borrelia miyamotoi is distantly related to B. burgdorferi and transmitted by the same hard-body tick species. We report 46 cases of B. miyamotoi infection in humans and compare the frequency and clinical manifestations of this infection with those caused by B. garinii and B. burgdorferi infection. All 46 patients lived in Russia and had influenza-like illness with fever as high as 39.5°C; relapsing febrile illness occurred in 5 (11%) and erythema migrans in 4 (9%). In Russia, the rate of B. miyamotoi infection in Ixodes persulcatus ticks was 1%-16%, similar to rates in I. ricinus ticks in western Europe and I. scapularis ticks in the United States. B. miyamotoi infection may cause relapsing fever and Lyme disease-like symptoms throughout the Holarctic region of the world because of the widespread prevalence of this pathogen in its ixodid tick vectors.     

Borrelia burgdorferi Sensu Stricto DNA in Field-Collected Haemaphysalis longicornis Ticks,Pennsylvania, United States

We collected questing Haemaphysalis longicornis ticks from southeastern counties of Pennsylvania, USA. Of 263 ticks tested by PCR for pathogens, 1 adult female was positive for Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, yielding a 0.4% infection rate. Continued monitoring of this invasive tick is essential to determine its public health role.     

全沟硬蜱在黑龙江小兴安岭莱姆病螺旋体传播中的作用

目的：探讨全沟硬蜱在莱姆病螺旋体传播中的作用。方法：用布旗法在林区草地采蜱，并分类鉴定；用直接荧光抗体法检查蜱类中肠带菌情况，并分离菌株。结果：全沟硬蜱为当地优势蜱种，人群发病与该蜱叮咬率密切相关；该蜱中肠带菌率为４０％，并从１４组（７０只）蜱中分离出２株莱姆病螺旋体；新分离株的单克隆抗体反应与国内分离株Ｍ７相同，而与美国菌株Ｂ３１有区别。结论：当地全沟硬蜱是莱姆病螺旋体的主要生物媒介。     

从桂黔交界地区中华硬蜱中分离到莱姆病螺旋体

目的从桂黔交界地区捕获的蜱中分离莱姆病螺旋体,以探查广西壮族自治区（广西区）和贵州省莱姆病的传播媒介。方法用BSK-Ⅱ培养基从蜱中分离莱姆病螺旋体。用PCR扩增分离菌株的5S～23SrRNA基因间隔区,将PCR扩增产物克隆后测序,通过将测序结果与基因库中莱姆病螺旋体菌株的5S～23SrRNA基因间隔区进行同源性比较和分析,从而鉴定分离株的基因型。结果从捕获的中华硬蜱中分离出1株莱姆病螺旋体（命名为QLT1）。分离株经鉴定为Borrelia valaisiana基因型莱姆病螺旋体。结论中华硬蜱很有可能是广西区和贵州省莱姆病的传播媒介。     

The distribution and prevalence of B. burgdorferi genomospecies in Ixodes ricinus ticks in Ireland

Questing Ixodes ricinus ticks were collected from six locations throughout Ireland and 638 nymphs, 111 females and 118 males were investigated for infection with Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.). The total prevalence of B. burgdorferi s.l. in the ticks was determined as 14.9% by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of the spacer region of 5S-23S rRNA genes. Infection prevalence was significantly higher in adult (20.1%) Ixodes ricinus compared to nymphs (13.1%). The prevalence of infection in adult male and female ticks was similar (19.5% and 20.7% respectively). The genomospecies B. burgdorferi sensu stricto, B. afzelii, B. garinii and group VS116 were identified by reverse line blot (RLB) using genomospecies specific oligonucleotide probes. The most prevalent B. burgdorferi genomospecies identified were VS116 (34.6%), B. garinii (24.3%) and B. burgdorferi sensu stricto (18.4%). B. afzelii was uncommon (6.6%). Multiple infections were observed in 13.2% of the infected ticks. The distribution of the genomospecies showed geographical variation and also seemed to be influenced by the nature of the habitat. A broad range of genomospecies seemed to be associated with the presence of a wide spectrum of potential reservoir hosts in the habitat and also with a high overall prevalence of B. burgdorferi s.l.     

Borrelia,Ehrlichia, and Rickettsia spp. in Ticks Removed from Persons,Texas, USA

Data regarding the type, frequency, and distribution of tick-borne pathogens and bacterial agents are not widely available for many tick species that parasitize persons in the southern United States. We therefore analyzed the frequency and identity of pathogens and bacterial agents in ticks removed from humans and subsequently submitted to the Texas Department of State Health Services, Zoonosis Control Program, from October 1, 2004, through September 30, 2008. The data showed associations of bacterial agents and potential vectors. Tick-related illnesses may pose unidentified health risks in areas such as Texas, where incidence of human disease related to tick bites is low but well above zero and where ticks are not routinely suspected as the cause of disease. Cause, treatment, and prevention strategies can be better addressed through collecting sufficient data to establish baseline assessments of risk.     

Comparison of Lyme Disease in the United States and Europe

Lyme disease, or Lyme borreliosis, is the most common tickborne disease in the United States and Europe. In both locations, Ixodes species ticks transmit the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato bacteria species responsible for causing the infection. The diversity of Borrelia species that cause human infection is greater in Europe; the 2 B. burgdorferi s.l. species collectively responsible for most infections in Europe, B. afzelii and B. garinii, are not found in the United States, where most infections are caused by B. burgdorferi sensu stricto. Strain differences seem to explain some of the variation in the clinical manifestations of Lyme disease, which are both minor and substantive, between the United States and Europe. Future studies should attempt to delineate the specific virulence factors of the different species of B. burgdorferi s.l. responsible for these variations in clinical features.     

福建省蜱类和鼠类的莱姆病调查及首次分离出4株莱姆病螺旋体

从福建省北部莱姆病感染率较高及已发现病人的林区捕获一批家、野鼠类,从鼠体收集到一批蜱类(硬蜱、血蜱),取蜱中肠和鼠肾脏分别接种BSKII培养基,结果共分离出4株莱姆病螺旋体——伯氏疏螺旋体(Borrelia burgdorferi)。从粒形硬蜱和社鼠分离出莱姆病螺旋体在国内外属首次报告。     

Occurrence of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, Borrelia garinii and Borrelia afzelii in the Ixodes ricinus ticks from Eastern Slovakia

A total of 2816 unfed adults nymphs of Ixodes ricinus ticks were collected from vegetation in Koice (Eastern Slovakia) from 1994 to 1997. Prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi s. 1. in I. ricinus ticks, detected by dark field microscopy, varied and depended upon the year and the habitat of the collected ticks. The lowest prevalence was observed in 1994 (4.8%). During 1995 it increased to 17.2% and during the next two years decreased to 15.5% and 14.2%. The rate of infection varied from 2.1 to 23.3% within 10 examined habitats of the Koice area. A different value of relative density of ticks was observed in various habitats. It ranged from 9–212 ticks per collecting hour within one flagged area (600m²) which is 1.5–35.5 ticks per 100m². Eight isolates were obtained from the infected ticks. Electrophoresis and immunoblotting with 6 monoclonal antibodies were used for the identification of Borrelia strains. Three tick isolates were identified as B. burgdorferi s. s. and the other three isolates were found to be B. garinii. One strain reacted as a mixed culture of B. burgdorferi s. s., and B. garinii. The strain originated from the Vihorlat Mountains habitat and was detected by PCR-SSCP as B. burgdorferi s. s. with a small amount of B. afzelii. The obtained results emphasize the epidemiological importance not only of B. garinii and B. afzelii but also of B. burgdorferi s. s. in Central Europe.     

Economic Burden of Reported Lyme Disease in High-Incidence Areas,United States, 2014–2016

Approximately 476,000 cases of Lyme disease are diagnosed in the United States annually, yet comprehensive economic evaluations are lacking. In a prospective study among reported cases in Lyme disease–endemic states, we estimated the total patient cost and total societal cost of the disease. In addition, we evaluated disease and demographic factors associated with total societal cost. Participants had a mean patient cost of ≈$1,200 (median $240) and a mean societal cost of ≈$2,000 (median $700). Patients with confirmed disseminated disease or probable disease had approximately double the societal cost of those with confirmed localized disease. The annual, aggregate cost of diagnosed Lyme disease could be $345–968 million (2016 US dollars) to US society. Our findings emphasize the importance of effective prevention and early diagnosis to reduce illness and associated costs. These results can be used in cost-effectiveness analyses of current and future prevention methods, such as a vaccine.     

Prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi (sensu lato) in Ixodes ricinus (L.) populations in France, according to a phytoecological zoning of the territory

Ixodes ricinus is considered as the main vector of Lyme Borreliosis in France. The aim of our investigations was to obtain a comprehensive view of the spatial risk linked to the distribution of the species in our country. Previous studies [1] have provided strong evidence that the species populations are widely distributed, so the objective of the present work was to ascertain the bacteriological infection of the tick by the agent of the zoonosis (Borrelia burgdorferi, sensu lato), over the French territory, whatever the ecological conditions may be. For this purpose, we kept the same framework as that used in our acarological investigation, a phytoecological zoning of the territory into 54 geographically separate and ecologically distinct units distributed into three climatic zones. Batches of ticks, picked up in these different phytoecological units (only two thirds of which were sampled), were submitted for bacteriological investigation. A total of 4,673 ticks were examined, individually, for the presence of Borellia burgdorferi, by immunofluorescence. Percentages of infection according to the various stages of Ixodes ricinus free stages, collected by flagging, were as follows: 4.95% in 3,247 nymphs, 11.2% in 699 males, 12.5% in 727 females. Larvae were ignored. Practically all the tested units harboured the bacterium. The percentage of tick samples (25 ticks or more) absolutely free of Borrelia, wherever they came from, is very low (not exceeding 10 percent of the sampled forests). Our study confirms the assessment of a widespread distribution of the zoonosis in France which was, until now, exclusively based on an approximate distribution of limited human cases observed in the country.     

Ticks,fleas and rodent-hosts analyzed for the presence of Borrelia miyamotoi in Slovakia: the first record of Borrelia miyamotoi in a Haemaphysalis inermis tick

In Slovakia, little knowledge is available on the occurrence, hosts and vectors of Borrelia miyamotoi of the relapsing fever group. In the current study, 2160 questing and rodent-attached ticks of six species (Ixodes ricinus, Ixodes trianguliceps, Dermacentor marginatus, Dermacentor reticulatus, Haemaphysalis concinna and Haemaphysalis inermis), 279 fleas belonging to 9 species (Ctenophthalmus agyrtes, Ctenophthalmus solutus, Ctenophthalmus assimilis, Megabothris turbidus, Amalareus penicilliger, Hystrichopsylla orientalis, Ctenophthalmus uncinatus, Doratopsylla dasycnema and Nosopsyllus fasciatus) and skin biopsies from 245 small mammals belonging to eight species (Apodemus agrarius, Apodemus flavicollis, Apodemus uralensis, Myodes glareolus, Crocidura leucodon, Micromys minutus, Microtus arvalis, Microtus subterraneus) were screened for the presence of B. miyamotoi DNA. The overall prevalence of B. miyamotoi found in questing and rodent-attached ticks was 1.8% (23 positive/1260 examined) and 3.4% (31 positive/900 examined), respectively. Borrelia miyamotoi was detected in questing I. ricinus, rodent-attached I. ricinus and H. inermis ticks, and in one male of the common vole (M. arvalis) in different habitats (mainly rural) in eastern Slovakia. However, B. miyamotoi was not found in any of the tested fleas. Our findings indicate that rural habitats with different species of tick vectors and hosts are appropriate for the occurrence of B. miyamotoi.