Abstract
Lymphatic filariasis (LF) is one of the neglected tropical diseases targeted for global elimination by 2020 and to guide elimination efforts countries have, in recent years, conducted extensive mapping surveys. Documenting the past and present distribution of LF and its environmental limits is important for a number of reasons. Here, we present an initiative to develop a global atlas of LF and present a new global map of the limits of LF transmission.
Highlights
The assessment of tick infection rates by Feria-Arroyo et al was based on nested PCR amplification of flaB and 16S rRNA-23S rRNA gene intergenic spacer (IGS) regions using DNA specimens extracted from ticks as templates and primers specific for Borrelia species
The results reported by Feria-Arroyo et al [1] are contrary to all prior studies, in which the frequency of detection of Borrelia sequences in ticks from Texas has been less than 3%
One of these ticks contained DNA identified as B. burgdorferi; this specimen was the only I. scapularis tick of 53 tested that gave positive results for Borrelia sequences [3]
Summary
In a recent Parasites and Vectors article, Feria-Arroyo et al [1] concluded that the Texas-Mexico transboundary region is “part of a continuum in the pathogenic landscape of Lyme disease” based on their findings that 45% of Ixodes scapularis ticks collected from 12 locations in the region were infected with strains of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto. All 21 of the GenBank entries had extensive sequence differences at the 5’ and 3’ ends when aligned with the B. burgdorferi B31 IGS sequence (Additional file 1: Figure S1). In the aligned region corresponding to the first 50 nt of the B31 sequence, all of the sequences reported by Feria-Arroyo et al were truncated and many were missing additional nucleotides in comparison with the B31 sequence, resulting in gaps in the alignment This region is highly conserved in all available B. burgdorferi sequences (100% identity) and even in B. garinii, B. afzelii, B. miyamotoi, B. hermsii, and B. parkeri (1 nt difference in each or 98% identity; data not shown). It is not plausible that all 21 sequences arose from the tick specimens collected in Texas and exhibited such a high level of sequence identity with the B31 sequence This finding places doubt on all of the results obtained, including the flaB PCR positive results reported in the article. Tick stage was not reported, all 13 host-seeking ticks appear to have been collected from human subjects at deer hunter
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