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PubMed2002

Characterisation of the 33kDa piroplasm surface antigen of Theileria orientalis/sergenti/buffeli isolates from West Java, Indonesia.

The immunodominant 33/35kDa antigen of a Theileria isolate from West Java, Indonesia, was characterised and immuno-affinity purified by use of a monoclonal antibody, KUL-a4, and was shown to be representative of the T. orientalis/sergenti/buffeli group. The aminoterminal sequence of the purified 35kDa peptide (20 residues) was determined by automated Edman degradation and found to correspond to the predicted amino acid sequence of a prospective p33 gene previously sequenced from the same isolate. The cleavage site of a putative signal peptide was identified and conforms the (-3, -1) rule for signal peptidases. The existence of dimeric and trimeric forms of the p33/35 antigen is hypothesised from Western blot profiles. KUL-a4 appeared specific for the T. orientalis/sergenti/buffeli group. It did not recognise in indirect fluorescence antibody test (IFAT), intraerythrocytic bodies of Anaplasma marginale or piroplasms and schizonts of T. mutans, T. parva and T. annulata, whereas cattle antisera raised to these species showed cross-reactivity in IFAT. It however, appeared weakly cross-reactive in Western blot and ELISA, with the 34kDa piroplasm antigen of one T. annulata (Gharb) isolate. The present study indicates that the isolated antigen belongs to the p33/34 antigen family described within the T. sergenti/orientalis/buffeli group, and documents the group-specificity of one of its epitopes.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Tick- and flea-borne rickettsial emerging zoonoses.

Between 1984 and 2004, nine more species or subspecies of spotted fever rickettsiae were identified as emerging agents of tick-borne rickettsioses throughout the world. Six of these species had first been isolated from ticks and later found to be pathogenic to humans. The most recent example is Rickettsia parkeri, recognized as a human pathogen more than 60 years after its initial isolation from ticks. A new spotted fever rickettsia, R. felis was also found to be associated with fleas and to be a human pathogen. Similarly, bacteria within the family Anaplasmataceae have been considered to be of veterinary importance only, yet three species have been implicated in human diseases in recent years, including Ehrlichia chaffeensis, the agent of human monocytic ehrlichiosis, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, the agent of human anaplasmosis (formerly known as "human granulocytic ehrlichiosis agent", E. equi and E. phagocytophila), and finally Ehrlichia ewingii, which causes granulocytic ehrlichiosis in humans. We present here an overview of the various tick- and flea-borne rickettsial zoonoses described in the last 20 years, focusing on the ecological, epidemiological and clinical aspects.

Anaplasmosis↗

PubMedDate not supplied

A serological study of exposure to arthropod-borne pathogens in dogs from northeastern Spain.

There is limited information regarding the prevalence of many vector borne pathogens in Europe and especially in Spanish dogs. We investigated 206 sick and 260 clinically healthy dogs from three different regions in northeastern Spain for antibodies to Rickettsia conorii (Rc), Ehrlichia canis (Ec), Anaplasma phagocytophilum (Ap), Bartonella henselae (Bh), Bartonella vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii (Bvb), Leishmania infantum (Li) and Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb) and for antigen of Dirofilaria immitis (Di). Total prevalences were the following: Rc (56.4%), Li (30%), Ec (16.7%), Bh (16.8%), Ap (11.5%), Bvb (1.07%), Di (0.6%) and Bb (0.6%). Seroprevalences for Rc, Ec, Ap, Bh, and Bvb and Bb and Di antigens were similar among the three different study sites. The Ec seroprevalence, as determined by Snap 3DX, was statistically lower in dogs from Mallorca (0%) than Tarragona (16%) and Barcelona (5%) (P < 0.0001). Detection of Rc antibodies was associated with seroreactivity to Ec and Ap antigens (P = 0.018 and P = 0.002, respectively). IFA Ec antibodies were associated with Ap seroreactivity (P < 0.0001). There was no association between the clinical status, sex, time of the year when samples were collected, life-style or exposure to fleas or ticks and a positive test result for Ec, Bh, Bvb, or Bb antibodies or Di antigens. Li seroreactivity was associated with illness and living outdoors (P < 0.0001, P = 0.029; respectively), Rc seroreactivity with the male gender (P = 0.028) and Ap seroreactivity with living outdoors (P = 0.045). This study indicates that exposure to Rc, Li, Ec or related Ehrlichia spp., Bh and Ap or a related spp., is common whereas Di, Bb and Bvb is uncommon among dogs from the Mediterranean basin. We also provide serological data that suggests the existence of a novel Ehrlichia species on Mallorca island.

Animal Husbandry↗

PubMed2004

Infection and blood transfusion: a guide to donor screening.

In recent years, blood-component therapy has become more accessible in veterinary practice. As with human medicine, care must be taken to minimize the risk of disease transmission from donor to recipient. Determining the appropriate diseases to screen for is complicated by regional variations in disease incidence, the existence of chronic carrier states for some diseases, the difficulty in screening-test selection, and testing cost. The feline diseases considered include retroviral infections, feline coronaviruses, ehrlichiosis (Ehrlichia canis-like), anaplasmosis (Anaplasma phagocytophilum), neorickettsiosis (Neorickettsia risticii), hemoplasmosis (Mycoplasma hemofelis and M. hemominutum, previously feline hemobartonellosis), and cytauxzoonosis (Cytauxzoon felis). The canine diseases considered in this paper include babesiosis (Babesia canis and B. gibsonii,) ehrlichiosis (E. canis and E. ewingii), anaplasmosis (A. phagocytophilum), neorickettsiosis (N. risticii var. atypicalis), leishmaniasis (Leishmania donovani complex), brucellosis (Brucella canis), hemoplasmosis (M. hemocanis, previously canine hemobartonellosis), and bartonellosis (Bartonella vinsonii).

Animals↗

PubMed2003

[Fever after a tick bite: clinical manifestations and diagnosis of acute tick bite-associated infections in northeastern Switzerland].

BACKGROUND: Different tick-borne infections can cause an acute febrile illness. The study objectives were to investigate the clinical manifestations and diagnosis of infections among patients who presented with fever after a tick-bite, and to detect newly described pathogens, including Ehrlichia, Babesia and Rickettsia helvetica, in North-Eastern Switzerland. PATIENTS AND METHODS: : We studied 75 patients (41 male, 34 female, median age 38 years, among them 10 children) who had fever within 3 weeks after a tick-bite. Paired sera were tested for antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi, tick-borne encephalitis virus, Anaplasma (Ehrlichia) phagocytophila, Babesia microti, B. divergens, and Rickettsia helvetica. In addition, microscopy and polymerase chain reaction was used to detect Ehrlichia. Clinical data were obtained at baseline and at 1 and 2 year follow-up. RESULTS: Tick-borne infections were confirmed or possible in 36 (48 %) patients: 7 (9 %) Erythema migrans, 6 (8 %) other specific manifestations of Lyme borreliosis, 6 (8 %) Lyme borreliosis presenting as non-specific febrile illness, 8 (11 %) tick-borne encephalitis, 7 (10 %) granulocytic ehrlichiosis, 1 B. microti infection in a traveler from the US and 6 (8 %) dual infections. In 8 (11 %) patients serological findings were suggesting possible acute or past R. helvetica infection. CONCLUSION: Among patients with fever after a tick-bite, Lyme borreliosis was most frequently found. There was no evidence for babesiosis among the resident population. Serologic data suggest that human granulocytic ehrlichiosis and R. helvetica infections may be endemic in Switzerland. Among 50 % of the patients no tick-borne infections could be diagnosed.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed2004

Disruption of Ixodes scapularis anticoagulation by using RNA interference.

Ixodes scapularis ticks transmit many pathogens, including Borrelia burgdorferi, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Babesia microti. Vaccines directed against arthropod proteins injected into the host during tick engorgement could prevent numerous infectious diseases. Salp14, a salivary anticoagulant, poses a key target for such intervention. Salp14 is the prototypic member of a family of potential I. scapularis anticoagulants, expressed and secreted in tick saliva during tick feeding. RNA interference was used to assess the role of Salp14 in tick feeding. Salp14 and its paralogs were silenced, as demonstrated by the reduction of mRNA and protein specific for these antigens. Tick salivary glands lacking Salp14 had reduced anticoagulant activity, as revealed by a 60-80% reduction of anti-factor Xa activity. Silencing the expression of salp14 and its paralogs also reduced the ability of I. scapularis to feed, as demonstrated by a 50-70% decline in the engorgement weights. Because ticks have several anticoagulants, it is likely that the expression of multiple anticoagulants in I. scapularis saliva would have to be ablated simultaneously to abolish tick feeding. These studies demonstrate that RNA interference can silence I. scapularis genes and disrupt their physiologic function in vivo, and they identify vaccine candidates that can alter vector engorgement.

Actins↗

PubMed2001

Efficient use of a small genome to generate antigenic diversity in tick-borne ehrlichial pathogens.

Ehrlichiae are responsible for important tick-transmitted diseases, including anaplasmosis, the most prevalent tick-borne infection of livestock worldwide, and the emerging human diseases monocytic and granulocytic ehrlichiosis. Antigenic variation of major surface proteins is a key feature of these pathogens that allows persistence in the mammalian host, a requisite for subsequent tick transmission. In Anaplasma marginale pseudogenes for two antigenically variable gene families, msp2 and msp3, appear in concert. These pseudogenes can be recombined into the functional expression site to generate new antigenic variants. Coordinated control of the recombination of these genes would allow these two gene families to act synergistically to evade the host immune response.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1997

Different seasonal occurrence of anaplasmosis outbreaks in beef and diary cattle in an area of Argentina free of Boophilus microplus ticks.

The seasonal occurrence of anaplasmosis (Anaplasma marginale) outbreaks in dairy and beef cattle was analysed for a region of Argentina (29 degrees to 31 degrees S and 58 degrees to 62 degrees W) that is free of Boophilus microplus ticks, using data collected from December 1978 to November 1995. The outbreaks were confirmed by inspection of blood smears obtained from sick or dead cattle. A total of 94 outbreaks were confirmed by inspection of blood smears obtained from sick or dead cattle. A total of 94 outbreaks were identified: 48 in beef cattle and 46 in dairy herds. The proportional seasonal distribution of outbreaks was different in beef and dairy cattle (chi-square = 15.08, P < 0.01). While no seasonal pattern of anaplasmosis outbreaks was found in dairy cattle, there was a concentration of outbreaks during the summer months (54% of the total) in beef cattle. Rural practices that are carried out more frequently on dairy than on beef cattle may have favoured iatrogenic transmission of A. marginale in the milk production system.

Anaplasmosis↗

PubMed2003

Cloning and characterization of putative zinc protease genes of Ehrlichia canis.

A putative zinc protease gene operon from Ehrlichia canis was cloned and sequenced. A genomic library was constructed in a pHG165 plasmid vector using Sau3A partially digested E. canis chromosomal DNA. Sequence analysis of the insert DNA from this clone indicated two open reading frames with a size of 1314 and 1350 bp that encodes for ProA and ProB, respectively. Based on BLAST analyses, ProA and ProB share 20-30% identities with members of the eukaryotic mitochondrial processing peptidase (MPP) subfamily, which are heterodimers containing alpha and beta subunits. The subunits share a 20% of identity, but only MPP-beta contains a conserved zincbinding motif, His-Xaa-Xaa-Glu-His (HXXEH). proA and proB are also detectable in E. canis and Ehrlichia chaffeensis, but not the Anaplasma phagocytophila. 5'-RACE revealed that the 5' end of the proA mRNA is heterogeneous, containing additional adenine residues that may be directed by pseudo-templated transcription. Although ProA was identified in both E. canis and E. chaffeensis, ProB was detected only in E. canis. ProA and ProB were both detectable in E. canis-infected DH82 cells. Sera from dogs, which were either naturally or experimentally infected with E. canis, recognized both the recombinant protein antigens.

Bacterial Proteins↗

PubMed1999

Upregulation of interleukin-4 and IFN-gamma expression by IFN-tau, a member of the type I IFN family.

Trophoblast interferon-tau (IFN-tau) is a new member of the type I IFN family that is produced in large quantities by the ruminant conceptus. Like other type I IFN, IFN-tau inhibits viral replication and activates natural killer (NK)-mediated cytotoxicity. In mice and humans, type I IFN enhances type 1 T helper (Th) cell responses, but the effects of type I IFN, including IFN-tau, on cytokine expression by bovine Th cells have not been described. The present study determined the effects of IFN-tau on interleukin-4 (IL-4), IFN-gamma, and IL-10 expression by antigen-specific, CD4+ T cell lines derived from cattle immune to either Babesia bovis, Babesia bigemina rhoptry-associated protein-1, or Anaplasma marginale. IFN-tau upregulated IFN-gamma secretion and steady-state levels of IFN-gamma and IL-4 mRNA by cell lines cultured for 3-6 weeks. In contrast, the steady-state levels of IL-10 mRNA were either not changed or inhibited at these times. Similar effects were obtained with human IFN-alpha. Comparison of the quantities of IFN-gamma, IL-4, and IL-10 transcripts in IFN-tau-treated or IFN-alpha-treated cultures revealed that even though IFN-gamma was the predominant cytokine expressed by all T cell lines, both IFN-gamma and IL-4 steady-state transcript levels were upregulated by a comparable degree. Thus, these studies demonstrate that IFN-tau is an immunomodulatory cytokine that promotes enhanced IL-4 and IFN-gamma responses by effector T cells but not, strictly speaking, Thl-biased responses in cattle. These results indicate the potential use of this cytokine as an adjuvant in ruminants to boost cell-mediated immune responses.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

Epidemiology and impact of coinfections acquired from Ixodes ticks.

Ixodes scapularis and other ticks in the Ixodes ricinus complex may transmit multiple pathogens, but research on coinfections has been limited. Coinfections occur with varying frequency in ticks, but single infections are more common than dual infections. The proportion of I. scapularis or I. ricinus ticks coinfected with both Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and Anaplasma phagocytophila is generally low, ranging from < 1% to 6% in six geographic areas. A higher prevalence of tick coinfection (26%) has been reported in Westchester County, New York. Genetic variants of the human disease-causing strain of A. phagocytophila are present in some tick populations, and they may affect the risk of coinfection or clinical illness. The proportion of Ixodes ticks coinfected with B. burgdorferi and Babesia microti has ranged from 2% in New Jersey to 19% on Nantucket Island, Massachusetts. In humans, cross-sectional seroprevalence studies have found markers of dual infection in 9-26% of patients with a tick-borne infection, but such studies often fail to distinguish simultaneous coinfection from sequential infections. Several studies have prospectively assessed the occurrence of acute coinfection. Among patients with a confirmed tick-borne infection, coinfection rates as high as 39% have been reported. The most commonly recognized coinfection in most of the eastern United States is Lyme borreliosis (LB) and babesiosis, accounting for approximately 80% of coinfections. LB and human granulocytic ehrlichiosis coinfections are less common, occurring in 3-15% of patients with a tick-borne infection in Connecticut or Wisconsin. Studies of clinical outcomes suggest that patients with acute Babesia coinfection have more severe symptoms and a longer duration of illness than patients with LB alone, but the risk of spirochete dissemination is similar. Coinfections can modify the immune response and alter the severity of arthritis in animal models. Future coinfection research should focus on long-term clinical outcomes, the role of genetic variants, immunologic effects, and the potential role of Bartonella species as tick-borne pathogens.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

Co-infection of white-tailed deer with multiple strains of Ehrlichia chaffeensis.

We investigated the effect of exposing deer to multiple strains of Ehrlichia chaffeensis that differed in number of tandem repeats in either the variable-length PCR target (VLPT) gene or 120 kDa antigen gene. We hypothesized that infection with one strain would provide immunity to infection with other strains of E. chaffeensis. All deer initially exposed to strain A (604-2) became PCR and culture positive by 10 days post-infection (DPI). Three deer infected with strain A and subsequently inoculated with strain B (623-4) became infected with strain B. Two deer infected with strain A and subsequently inoculated with strain C (125B) became infected with strain C. Of three deer, each infected with strain B and subsequently inoculated with strain C, one was PCR positive for strain C. Of three deer previously inoculated with both strains A and B, and subsequently inoculated with strain C, one showed delayed evidence of strain C. Western blot analysis demonstrated that deer sera reacted differently to antigens from each exposed strain. A complementary in vitro study demonstrated that exposure to two strains differing in VLPT repeats may lead to co-infection of DH82 cells. These results complement a previous study and further show that deer can become sequentially infected with up to three strains of E. chaffeensis. This suggests that competitive exclusion, a phenomenon described in related organisms such as Anaplasma marginale whereby infection with one strain precludes subsequent infection by a second, distinct strain of the same species, may not occur with E. chaffeensis.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

Serologic evidence for Rickettsia typhi and an ehrlichial agent in Norway rats from Baltimore, Maryland, USA.

We screened serum from 90 Norway rats trapped in East Baltimore, Maryland, USA, from April to November 2005 for antibodies against Rickettsia typhi and Ehrlichia chaffeensis. Six rats had positive titers of > or = 1:64 against R. typhi and did not react with R. akari. In addition, four rats had cross-reactive antibodies with titers of > or = 1:64 against Ehrlichia chaffeensis. Sera from these rats also cross-reacted with Anaplasma phagocytophilum or Ehrlichia muris. Our data indicate that the agent of murine typhus and ehrlichial agents are circulating in the Norway rat population in Baltimore.

Animals↗

PubMed1978

Cyclic thrombocytopenia induced by a Rickettsia-like agent in dogs.

Hematologic manifestations and the ultrastructure of a platelet-specific microorganism isolated from a dog in Florida were studied. The agent was readily transmitted experimentally to adult dogs by intravenous inoculation with infected blood. Parasitemias and concomitant thrombocytopenias were cyclic in that both recurred within relatively constant periods of one to two weeks following experimental infections. Hemorrhage was not a manifestation of the disease even though thrombocytopenias were severe. Microorganisms were visualized by light and electron microscopy. They were observed only in platelets and were composed of single or multiple subunits (morula forms). The microorganisms were ultrastructurally very similar to those reported in Ehrlichia canis infections of dogs and Anaplasma marginale infections of cattle. Microorganisms were surrounded by single membranes which more or less conformed to the external surfaces of subunits that were surrounded by double membranes. From electron microscopic studies, it is suggested that these organisms be classified in the order Rickettsiales.

Alphaproteobacteria↗

PubMed1996

Ixodes (Ixodes) scapularis (Acari:Ixodidae): redescription of all active stages, distribution, hosts, geographical variation, and medical and veterinary importance.

The blacklegged tick, Ixodes (Ixodes) scapularis Say, 1821, is redescribed, based on laboratory reared specimens originating in Bulloch County, Georgia. Information on distribution, host associations, morphological variation, and medical/veterinary importance is also presented. A great deal of recent work has focused on this species because it is the principal vector of the agent of Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi Johnson, Schmidt, Hyde, Steigerwaldt & Brenner) in eastern North America. Its distribution appears to be expanding, and includes the state of Florida in the southeastern United States north to the provinces of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, Canada, west to North and South Dakota, United States, and south to the state of Coahuila, Mexico. Although I. scapularis feeds on at least 125 species of North American vertebrates (54 mammalian, 57 avian, and 14 lizard species), analysis of the U.S. National Tick Collection holdings show that white-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus (Zimmermann), cattle, Bos taurus L., dogs, Canis lupus L., and other medium-to-large sized mammals are important hosts for adults as are native mice and other small mammals, certain ground-frequenting birds, skinks, and glass lizards for nymphs and larvae. This tick is a polytypic species exhibiting north-south and east-west morphological clines. Analysis of variance and Student-Newman-Keuls multiple comparisons revealed significant interpopulational variation that is expressed most significantly in the nymphal stage. Nymphs from northern (Minnesota, Massachusetts, Maryland) populations had relatively larger basis capituli with shorter cornua (except Maryland) than southern (North Carolina, Georgia) populations. Midwestern populations (Minnesota, Missouri) differed from eastern populations (Massachusetts, Maryland, North Carolina, Georgia) in idiosomal characters (broader scuta, larger coxae III, and IV). In addition to Lyme disease, this tick is also a primary vector of the agent of human and rodent babesiosis, Babesia microti Franca. Under laboratory conditions it has transmitted the agents of deer babesiosis, Babesia odocoilei Emerson & Wright, tularemia, Francisella tularensis McCoy & Chapin, and anaplasmosis, Anaplasma marginale Theiler. Moreover, I. scapularis can reach pest proportions on livestock, and females can cause tick paralysis in dogs.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Western gray squirrel (Rodentia: Sciuridae): a primary reservoir host of Borrelia burgdorferi in Californian oak woodlands?

In California, dense woodlands have been recognized as important biotopes where humans are exposed to the nymphal stage of the western blacklegged tick, Ixodes pacificus Cooley & Kohls, the primary vector of the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto (s.s.), in the far-western United States. To identify the principal reservoir host(s) of this spirochete, and of closely related spirochetes in the B. burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) complex, in dense woodlands in Mendocino County, California, approximately 50 species of birds and mammals, including wood rats and kangaroo rats, were evaluated as potential hosts for vector ticks and borreliae in 2002 and 2003. Although polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing analyses revealed that many vertebrate species had been exposed to one or more members of the B. burgdorferi s.l. spirochetal complex, only the western gray squirrel, Sciurus griseus, fulfilled the major criteria for a reservoir host of B. burgdorferi s.s. Ear-punch biopsies from eight of 10 squirrels collected from five separate woodlands were PCR-positive for B. burgdorferi s.s., 47% of I. pacificus larvae (n = 64) and 31% of nymphs (n = 49) removed from squirrels contained B. burgdorferi s.l., and the engorgement status of I. pacificus larvae was associated positively with acquisition of spirochetes. Overall, 83 and 100% of the amplicons sequenced from PCR-positive I. pacificus larvae and nymphs, respectively, were identified as B. burgdorferi s.s, Among the five remaining positive I. pacificus larvae, three contained B. bissettii and two had uncharacterized B. burgdorferi s.l. Borrelia burgdorferi s.s. was detected in one of five larvae and zero of two nymphs of the Pacific Coast tick, Dermacentor occidentalis Marx, that likewise had been removed from squirrels. The rickettsial agent of human anaplasmosis, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, was detected in the blood or ear biopsies of two squirrels and in one (1.6%) of 64 I. pacificus larvae and two (4.1%) of 49 nymphs obtained from squirrels. The one rickettsial-positive larva was coinfected with B. burgdorferi s.s. The apparently high reservoir potential of S. griseus for B. burgdorferi s.s., plus the fact that the geographic distribution of this squirrel coincides well with that of most reported human cases of Lyme disease in this region, indicated that it may be essential for maintaining foci of B. burgdorferi s.s. in certain types of woodlands. The findings with respect to A. phagocytophilum, although of less certain significance, suggest that S. griseus could serve as a secondary host of this rickettsia.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Presence of Borrelia burgdorferi (Spirochaetales: Spirochaetaceae) in southern Kettle Moraine State Forest, Wisconsin, and characterization of strain W97F51.

Lyme disease, caused by Borrelia burgdorferi Johnson, Schmidt, Hyde, Steigerwalt & Brenner; babesiosis, caused by Babesia microti Franca; and human granulocytic ehrlichiosis, caused by Anaplasma phagocytophilum Bakken & Dumler have been reported in Wisconsin, mainly in the endemic areas of the northwestern part of the state. People exposed to blacklegged ticks, Ixodes scapularis Say, from this region can potentially contract one or all of these diseases concurrently. Within the past several years, there have been cases of Lyme disease reported from southeastern Wisconsin, an area that contains deer, mice, and similar vegetation found at regions with high endemicity. However, past white-tailed deer surveys suggested no existence of I. scapularis in southeastern Wisconsin. However, in 1996, we identified questing adult I. scapularis in the southernmost part of the Southern Kettle Moraine State Forest, Walworth County. To determine whether an established population of I. scapularis exists in this region, we performed a detailed survey of the abundance of host-seeking I. scapularis adults and the presence and abundance of subadults feeding on white-footed mice, Peromyscus leucopus Rafinesque. We also tested for possible infections of B. burgdorferi, Ba. microti, and A. phagocytophilum in ticks and B. burgdorferi harbored by mice. In 1997 and 1998, a total of 249 P. leucopus mice and 118 questing adult I. scapularis ticks, in addition to 157 larvae and seven nymphs feeding on mice, were collected and their locations were recorded from the Nordic trails of the Southern Kettle Moraine State Forest. Only one P. leucopus and its attached engorged I. scapularis nymph were infected with B. burgdorferi, whereas none of the engorged larvae attached to mice were infected. However, 4.2% of questing adult I. scapularis were infected with B. burgdorferi. The abundance of questing adult I. scapularis was 1.6 ticks per hour. The prevalence of subadult ticks on mice was 27%, with a mean intensity on infested mice of 2.0. I. scapularis adults were not infected with either Ba. microti or A. phagocytophilum. A unique strain of B. burgdorferi s.l. (W97F51) was discovered, showing 33 nucleotide substitutions and one codon insertion in a 567-bp fragment of the OspB gene, compared with Borrelia bissettii (strain Ca389). The sequences of ospA, ospB, ospC,fla, and rrs genes and the rrf-rrl intergenic spacer region were compared between W97F51 and other B. burgdorferi s.l. species. Although W97F51 was most genetically related to B. bissettii, the genetic identity of W97F51 was less than that of B. bissettii conspecifics. This study documents the existence of an established population of I. scapularis and the presence of B. burgdorferi with a novel strain in southeastern Wisconsin.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Detection of Rickettsia, Borrelia, and Bartonella in Carios kelleyi (Acari: Argasidae).

Carios kelleyi (Colley & Kohls 1941), a tick associated with bats and bat habitats, has been reported to feed on humans, but there is little published data regarding the presence of vector-borne pathogens in these ticks. C. kelleyi nymphs and adults were collected from residential and community buildings in Jackson County, Iowa, and tested by polymerase chain reaction for Rickettsia, Borrelia, Bartonella, Coxiella, and Anaplasma. Rickettsia DNA was detected in 28 of 31 live ticks. Sequences of the 17-kDa and rOmpA genes suggest that this agent is a novel spotted fever group Rickettsia. Transstadial and transovarial transmission of this Rickettsia were demonstrated. The flagellin gene of a Borrelia, closely related to B. turicatae, was detected in one of 31 live ticks. The 16S-23S intergenic spacer region of Bartonella henselae also was detected in one of 31 live ticks. Coxiella or A. phagocytophilum DNA were not detected in these ticks.

Animals↗