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.     

Borrelia lusitaniae and green lizards (Lacerta viridis), Karst Region, Slovakia

In Europe, spirochetes within the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex are transmitted by Ixodes ricinus ticks. Specific associations are described between reservoir hosts and individual genospecies. We focused on green lizard (Lacerta viridis) as a host for ticks and potential host for borreliae. In 2004 and 2005, a total of 146 green lizards infested by ticks were captured, and 469 I. ricinus ticks were removed. Borrelial infection was detected in 16.6% of ticks from lizards. Of 102 skin biopsy specimens collected from lizards, 18.6% tested positive. The most frequently detected genospecies was B. lusitaniae (77.9%-94.7%). More than 19% of questing I. ricinus collected in areas where lizards were sampled tested positive for borreliae. B. garinii was the dominant species, and B. lusitaniae represented 11.1%. The presence of B. lusitaniae in skin biopsy specimens and in ticks that had fed on green lizards implicates this species in the transmission cycle of B. lusitaniae.     

Seasonal dynamics of Anaplasma phagocytophila in a rodent-tick (Ixodes trianguliceps) system,United Kingdom

We investigated the reservoir role of European wild rodents for Anaplasma phagocytophila using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of blood collected from individually tagged rodents captured monthly over 2 years. The only tick species observed in the woodland study site was Ixodes trianguliceps, and ruminant reservoir hosts were not known to occur. A. phagocytophila infections were detected in both bank voles and wood mice but were restricted to periods of peak nymphal and adult tick activity. Most PCR-positive rodents were positive only once, suggesting that rodent infections are generally short-lived and that ticks rather than rodents may maintain the infection over winter. Bank voles were more likely to be PCR positive than wood mice, possibly because detectable infections are longer lived in bank voles. This study confirms that woodland rodents can maintain A. phagocytophila in Great Britain in the absence of other reservoir hosts and suggests that I. trianguliceps is a competent vector.     

Two Anaplasma phagocytophilum Strains in Ixodes scapularis Ticks,Canada

We developed PCR-based assays to distinguish a human pathogenic strain of Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Ap-ha, from Ap-variant 1, a strain not associated with human infection. The assays were validated on A. phagocytophilum-infected blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis) collected in Canada. The relative prevalence of these 2 strains in I. scapularis ticks differed among geographic regions.     

Entomologic and serologic evidence of zoonotic transmission of Babesia microti,eastern Switzerland

We evaluated human risk for infection with Babesia microti at a site in eastern Switzerland where several B. microti-infected nymphal Ixodes ricinus ticks had been found. DNA from pooled nymphal ticks amplified by polymerase chain reaction was highly homologous to published B. microti sequences. More ticks carried babesial infection in the lower portion of the rectangular 0.7-ha grid than in the upper (11% vs. 0.8%). In addition, we measured seroprevalence of immunoglobulin (Ig) G antibodies against B. microti antigen in nearby residents. Serum from 1.5% of the 396 human residents of the region reacted to B. microti antigen (>1:64), as determined by indirect immunofluorescence assay (IgG). These observations constitute the first report demonstrating B. microti in a human-biting vector, associated with evidence of human exposure to this agent in a European site.     

Bartonella henselae in Ixodes ricinus ticks (Acari: Ixodida) removed from humans,Belluno province,Italy

The potential role of ticks as vectors of Bartonella species has recently been suggested. In this study, we investigated the presence of Bartonella species in 271 ticks removed from humans in Belluno Province, Italy. By using primers derived from the 60-kDa heat shock protein gene sequences, Bartonella DNA was amplified and sequenced from four Ixodes ricinus ticks (1.48%). To confirm this finding, we performed amplification and partial sequencing of the pap31 protein and the cell division protein ftsZ encoding genes. This process allowed us to definitively identify B. henselae (genotype Houston-1) DNA in the four ticks. Detection of B. henselae in these ticks might represent a highly sensitive form of xenodiagnosis. B. henselae is the first human-infecting Bartonella identified from Ixodes ricinus, a common European tick and the vector of various tickborne pathogens. The role of ticks in the transmission of bartonellosis should be further investigated.     

河南商城地区蜱媒传染病的相关调查

目的 了解河南商城地区可能存在的蜱媒传染病的感染情况.方法 通过现场调查和实验室检测相结合的方法,对该地区病例、媒介蜱和宿主动物进行了调查.对43例病例的临床表现和实验室检测进行回顾性分析.用PCR和序列测定方法对媒介蜱和啮齿类宿主动物样本中查菲埃立克体、无形体、Q热立克次体的感染进行检测.结果 病例临床表现以发热伴白...     

Anaplasma phagocytophilum-infected ticks, Japan

We report Anaplasma phagocytophilum infection of Ixodes persulcatus and I. ovatus ticks in Japan. Unique p44/msp2 paralogs (and/or 16S rRNA genes) were detected in tick tissues, salivary glands, and spleens of experimentally infected mice. These findings indicate the public health threat of anaplasmosis in Japan.     

Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Babesia microti, and Borrelia burgdorferi in Ixodes scapularis, southern coastal Maine

Ixodes scapularis (deer ticks) from Maine were tested for multiple infections by polymerase chain reaction and immunofluorescence. In 1995, 29.5%, 9.5%, and 1.9% of deer ticks were infected with Borrelia burgdorferi, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Babesia microti, respectively. In 1996 and 1997, the number of A. phagocytophilum-infected ticks markedly declined. In 1995 through 1996, 4 (1.3%) of 301 were co-infected.     

Babesia microti and Anaplasma phagocytophilum: two emerging zoonotic pathogens in Europe and Hungary

Babesia microti and Anaplasma phagocytophilum was recently reported with a minimum prevalence of 0.9 and 1.3% in Hungary based on the PCR-sequencing analysis of 452 European sheep ticks (Ixodes ricinus). These results and the epidemiological data of the neighbouring countries indicate that human cases caused by these pathogens may occur in the country. The aim of the present paper is to summarise the current knowledge on the morphology, life cycle and distribution of B. microti and A. phagocytophilum, and the epidemiology, clinical features, diagnosis, treatment and control of babesiosis and granulocytic anaplasmosis.     

Genetic variants of Ehrlichia phagocytophila, Rhode Island and Connecticut

Primers were used to amplify a 561-bp region of the 16S rRNA gene of Ehrlichia phagocytophila from Ixodes scapularis ticks and small mammals collected in Rhode Island and Connecticut. DNA sequences for all 50 E. phagocytophila-positive samples collected from 1996 through 1998 in southwestern Connecticut were identical to the sequence reported for E. phagocytophila DNA from confirmed human cases. In contrast, the sequences from 92 of 123 E. phagocytophila-positive Rhode Island samples collected from 1996 through 1999 included several variants differing by 1-2 nucleotides from that in the agent infecting humans. While 11.9% of 67 E. phagocytophila-positive ticks collected during 1997 in Rhode Island harbored ehrlichiae with sequences identical to that of the human agent, 79.1% had a variant sequence not previously described. The low incidence of human ehrlichiosis in Rhode Island may in part result from interference by these variant ehrlichiae with maintenance and transmission of the true agent of human disease.     

First detection of spotted fever group rickettsiae in Ixodes ricinus from Italy

Ixodes ricinus from Italy were examined for the first time to detect whether rickettsiae were present. Using molecular methods, we detected three different spotted fever group rickettsiae, including Rickettsia helvetica. Our results raise the possibility that bacteria other than R. conorii are involved in rickettsial diseases in Italy.     

Tickborne pathogen detection, Western Siberia, Russia

Ixodes persulcatus (n = 125) and Dermacentor reticulatus (n = 84) ticks from Western Siberia, Russia, were tested for infection with Borrelia, Anaplasma/Ehrlichia, Bartonella, and Babesia spp. by using nested polymerase chain reaction assays with subsequent sequencing. I. persulcatus ticks were infected with Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (37.6% +/- 4.3% [standard deviation]), Anaplasma phagocytophilum (2.4% +/- 1.4%), Ehrlichia muris (8.8% +/- 2.5%), and Bartonella spp. (37.6% +/- 4.3%). D. reticulatus ticks contained DNA of B. burgdorferi sensu lato (3.6% +/- 2.0%), Bartonella spp. (21.4% +/- 4.5%), and Babesia canis canis (3.6% +/- 2.0%). Borrelia garinii, Borrelia afzelii, and their mixed infections were observed among I. persulcatus, whereas B. garinii NT29 DNA was seen in samples from D. reticulatus. Among the I. persulcatus ticks studied, no Babesia spp. were observed, whereas B. canis canis was the single subspecies found in D. reticulatus.     

Relapsing fever-like spirochetes infecting European vector tick of Lyme disease agent

To determine whether relapsing fever-like spirochetes associated with hard ticks may infect Ixodes ricinus ticks in central Europe, we screened questing ticks for 16S rDNA similar to that of Asian and American relapsing fever-like spirochetes. We compared the prevalence of these spirochetes to that of Lyme disease spirochetes transmitted by the same vector. Relapsing fever-like spirochetes infect 3.5% of questing vector ticks in our three central European sites near the Rhein Valley. These spirochetes differ genetically from their American and Asian analogs while being relatively homogeneous in the region we sampled. The Lyme disease genospecies most commonly detected in central Europe are distributed broadly, whereas those that are less frequently found appear to be place-specific. The absence of co-infected ticks suggests that relapsing fever-like and Lyme disease spirochetes may not share hosts. Exposure risk for relapsing fever-like spirochetes is similar to that of certain Lyme disease genospecies. Although many persons may be bitten by ticks infected by relapsing fever-like spirochetes, health implications remain unknown.     

Migratory passerine birds as reservoirs of Lyme borreliosis in Europe

To define the role of birds as reservoirs and disseminators of Borrelia spirochetes, we characterized tick infestation and reservoir competence of migratory passerine birds in Sweden. A total of 1,120 immature Ixodes ricinus ticks were removed from 13,260 birds and assayed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for Borrelia, followed by DNA sequencing for species and genotype identification. Distributions of ticks on birds were aggregated, presumably because of varying encounters with ticks along migratory routes. Lyme borreliosis spirochetes were detected in 160 (1.4%) ticks. Borrelia garinii was the most common species in PCR-positive samples and included genotypes associated with human infections. Infestation prevalence with infected ticks was 5 times greater among ground-foraging birds than other bird species, but the 2 groups were equally competent in transmitting Borrelia. Migratory passerine birds host epidemiologically important vector ticks and Borrelia species and vary in effectiveness as reservoirs on the basis of their feeding behavior.     

2010-2011无年形我体国的东感北染林情区况蜱调中查嗜吞噬细胞

目的调查我国东北林区蜱标本中嗜吞噬细胞无形体的感染情况。方法2010-2011年在东北林区采集蜱标本,用聚合酶链反应方法扩增gltA基因片段,分析东北林区蜱中无形体的感染情况,代表阳性片段联用长片段16S rRNA进行扩增测序确认;并将所得序列与GenBank中已注册的序列进行比对分析。结果共检测蜱2293只,其中2010年1161只,阳性率4.91%,2011年1132只,阳性率4.24%,2年的感染率差异无统计学意义(χ2=0.373,P=0.830;χ2=1.789,P=0.409)。全沟硬蜱阳性率4.86%(91/1872),长角血蜱为3.41%(14/411),森林革蜱为0(0/10),3个蜱种的感染率差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。测得的gltA序列中,NE-gltA-1与Hc346株(GenBank:GU935788)最相似,仅差2 bp,相似性99%;NE-gltA-2与MDJ-Ip92株(HQ396224)序列一致,相似性100%。与2个序列相似性最远的是ZJ-HGA-72株(DQ458811),相差53 bp,相似性84%。测得的16S rRNA序列与我国从东北鼠源分离株China-C-T(tGQ412339)最接近,相似性为99%,与Florida株(AF309867)相似性最远,相似性97%。结论我国东北林区蜱中普遍存在嗜吞噬细胞无形体的感染,全沟硬蜱和长角血蜱可能为无形体的媒介宿主。     

Borrelia garinii in seabird ticks (Ixodes uriae), Atlantic Coast, North America

Borrelia garinii is the most neurotropic of the genospecies of B. burgdorferi sensu lato that cause Lyme disease in Europe, where it is transmitted to avian and mammalian reservoir hosts and to humans by Ixodes ricinus. B. garinii is also maintained in an enzootic cycle in seabirds by I. uriae, a tick found at high latitudes in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. To determine whether B. garinii is present in seabird ticks on the Atlantic Coast of North America, we examined 261 I. uriae ticks by polyclonal antiborrelial fluorescent antibody. Ten of 61 ticks from Gull Island, Newfoundland, were positive for borreliae by this screen. Amplicons of DNA obtained by PCR that targeted the B. garinii rrs-rrla intergenic spacer were sequenced and matched to GenBank sequences for B. garinii. The potential for introduction of this agent into the North American Lyme disease enzootic is unknown.     

Detection of Coxiella burnetii in ticks collected in Slovakia and Hungary

A total of 235 adult ticks collected from vegetation in Slovakia and Hungary in 1998–2000 were tested for Coxiella burnetii by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). C. burnetii was identified in six ticks of Ixodes ricinus, Dermacentor marginatus, and Haemaphysalis concinna species.     

Tick species and tick-borne infections identified in population from a rural area of Spain

To determine the tick species that bite humans in the province of Soria (Spain) and ascertain the tick-borne pathogens that threaten people's health in that province, 185 tick specimens were collected from 179 patients who sought medical advice at health-care centres. The ticks were identified, and their DNA examined by PCR for pathogens. Most ticks were collected in autumn and spring (59 and 57 respectively). Nine species of ticks were identified, the most frequent being Dermacentor marginatus (55.7%), Ixodes ricinus (12.4%) and Rhipicephalus bursa (11.9%). Ninety-seven females, 66 males, 21 nymphs and one larva were identified. Twenty-six ticks carried DNA from Rickettsia spp. (11 Rickettsia slovaca, 6 Rickettsia spp. RpA4/DnS14, 1 Rickettsia massiliae/Bar29, and 8 unidentified); two ticks carried DNA from Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and seven ticks harboured DNA from Anaplasma phagocytophilum.     

Acarological risk of exposure to agents of tick-borne zoonoses in the first recognized Italian focus of Lyme borreliosis

Acarological risk was calculated as the probability of encountering at least one host-seeking Ixodes ricinus tick infected by the pathogen Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, in 100 m transects in the province of Genoa, Italy. The seasonal pattern of I. ricinus was studied using generalized estimating equations (GEE) with negative binomial error, to consider overdispersion of tick counts and repeated sampling of the same dragging sites from April 1998 to March 1999. Prevalence of infection by B. burgdorferi s.l. was evaluated by PCR and hybridization with genospecies-specific probes. Acarological risk (R) peaked in April (R = 0.2, 95% CI 0.13-0.26) and November (R = 0.29, 95% CI 0.10-0.46). Borrelia garinii and B. valaisiana were the most common genospecies at our study site suggesting a major role of birds as reservoirs. DNA from Anaplasma phagocytophilum, the agent of granulocytic ehrlichiosis in humans and animals, was amplified from an adult I. ricinus.