Abstract
Lyme borreliosis is an infectious disease caused by bacteria of the genus Borrelia. In ruminants, most infections are asymptomatic, but the animals can present myalgia, lameness, laminitis, arthritis, synovitis, neurological symptoms, and also decreased production and abortion. The objective was to investigate Borrelia burgdorferi DNA in cows and cattle ticks on a small dairy farm in a border region. Blood samples and ticks were collected from Holstein cows with a history of decreased milk production and abortions. Borrelia burgdorferi DNA was extracted from blood samples using a commercial extraction kit, and from ticks using an alkaline hydrolysis solution for subsequent nested-PCR. Serum and tick samples did not present Borrelia burgdorferi DNA, and 100% of the ticks were identified as Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus. Although this study shows negative results it contributes to understanding the epidemiology of this etiological agent in Parana and in Brazil, since there are few studies on bovine species. The negative results of this work demonstrate that the animals and ticks researched were not exposed to Borrelia burgdorferi, however, as it is a property located in a border region, the sanitary monitoring of the herd must be performed constantly since this is a region. vulnerable to the entry of potential threats to human, animal and environmental health from vectors and pathogenic microorganisms, given the large extension of the land border with the neighboring country and which also has different health status.
Highlights
Lyme borreliosis is an infectious, multisystemic and cosmopolitan disease caused by spirochete bacteria of the genus Borrelia, which is a gram-negative, motile, microaerophilic and helical-shaped microorganism (MONTANDON et al, 2014)
This study shows negative results it contributes to understanding the epidemiology of this etiological agent in Paraná and in Brazil, since there are few studies on bovine species
The negative results of this work demonstrate that the animals and ticks researched were not exposed to Borrelia burgdorferi, as it is a property located in a border region, the sanitary monitoring of the herd must be performed constantly since this is a region. vulnerable to the entry of potential threats to human, animal and environmental health from vectors and pathogenic microorganisms, given the large extension of the land border with the neighboring country and which has different health status
Summary
Lyme borreliosis is an infectious, multisystemic and cosmopolitan disease caused by spirochete bacteria of the genus Borrelia, which is a gram-negative, motile, microaerophilic and helical-shaped microorganism (MONTANDON et al, 2014). This project was approved by the Animal Experimentation Ethics Committee (CEPEEA) of the Paranaense University (UNIPAR) under protocol number 31974/2017. This disease can affect domestic and wild animals, and it can accidentally infect humans (MASSARD, 2004). It is transmitted through the bite of its vectors (i.e., ticks, mainly of the genus Ixodes) that inoculate saliva infected with the bacteria while they are sucking blood (CORRÊA, 2007; GALO et al, 2009; LOPES, 2013). Different Borrelia strains can infect cattle; a study by Johnson et al (1984) reported that Ixodes ticks are the most important vectors of Borrelia burgdorferi. Mather; Fish; Coughlin (1994) attributed the transmission of Borrelia burgdorferi in cattle through Dermacentor variabilis or Amblyomma americanum
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