Abstract
We conducted an investigation of Borrelia miyamotoi infections in humans and ticks in northeastern China. Of 984 patients reporting recent tick bites, 14 (1.4%) were found to be infected with B. miyamotoi by PCR and genomic sequencing. The 14 patients had nonspecific febrile manifestations, including fever, headache, anorexia, asthenia, and arthralgia. Rash, eschar, and regional lymphadenopathy were each observed in 1 patient. Four (28.6%) patients were hospitalized because of severe disease. B. miyamotoi was detected in 3.0% (19/627) of Ixodes persulcatus, 1 (2.8%) of 36 Haemaphysalis concinna, and none of 29 Dermacentor silvarum ticks. Phylogenetic analyses based on sequences of a nearly entire 16s rRNA gene, a partial flagellin gene, and the glycerophosphodiester phosphodiesterase gene revealed that B. miyamotoi identified in patients and ticks were clustered in the group of the Siberian type. These findings indicate that B. miyamotoi is endemic in northeastern China and its public health significance deserves further investigation.
Highlights
We conducted an investigation of Borrelia miyamotoi infections in humans and ticks in northeastern China
Identification of B. miyamotoi Infection in Patients During the study period, we screened a total of 984 participants who had a recent tick bite and sought medical care by using a rPCR assay specific for B. miyamotoi
The B. miyamotoi bacterium is a newly described emerging pathogen, which was known to be transmitted to human beings by Ixodes ticks in North America and Eurasia [6,16]
Summary
We conducted an investigation of Borrelia miyamotoi infections in humans and ticks in northeastern China. Phylogenetic analyses based on sequences of a nearly entire 16s rRNA gene, a partial flagellin gene, and the glycerophosphodiester phosphodiesterase gene revealed that B. miyamotoi identified in patients and ticks were clustered in the group of the Siberian type. These findings indicate that B. miyamotoi is endemic in northeastern China and its public health significance deserves further investigation. Borrelia miyamotoi is an emerging pathogen first identified in Ixodes persulcatus ticks and rodents from Japan in 1994 [1,2] Since this bacterium has been discovered in various other Ixodes tick species, including I. ricinus, I. scapularis, I. pacificus, I. ovatus, and I. pavlovskyi, all of which are known for biting humans [3].
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