Tick-borne Borreliosis Research Articles

Identification and partial characterisation of new members of the Ixodes ricinus defensin family

The hard-bodied tick Ixodes ricinus (castor bean tick) is the most common tick species in Europe. I. ricinus is a vector of the causative agents of diseases that affect humans and animals including tick-borne encephalitis, borreliosis, tick-borne fever and babesiosis. The innate immune system provides ticks with quite an efficient defence against some pathogenic microorganisms in the event of their penetration into the tick body or through the blood meal. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) constitute an important feature of the tick immune system. Defensins are a well-known class of AMPs. Members of the defensin family of proteins have been reported in several tick species. So far, only two defensins had been identified from I. ricinus. In this study, we report the identification of six novel putative defensins from I. ricinus at the genomic and transcriptional levels. At the genomic level they show differences with one being intronless, while others contain two introns. The expression pattern of these molecules in the salivary glands, midgut, ovary, Malpighian tubules, haemolymph and the tick cell line IRE/CTVM19 was determined. Some of them are tissue specific while others seem to be ubiquitous. Molecular and phylogenetic analyses show that these novel members of the I. ricinus defensin family differ phylogenetically and structurally; nevertheless, the cysteine pattern is highly conserved among the family members. Finally, antimicrobial-peptide prediction tools were used to predict putative antimicrobial activity of our defensins. They show putative antimicrobial activity mainly against Gram-positive bacteria. This study displays the diversity of the defensin family in the tick I. ricinus.

Cross-border surveillance differences: tick-borne encephalitis and lyme borreliosis in the Czech Republic and Poland, 1999-2008.

We compared neighbouring regions of the Czech Republic (CZ) and Poland (PL) situated within 100 km of the country border, in order to compare surveillance systems performance in measuring the burden of tick-borne diseases in both countries. We used routine surveillance notifications from 1999-2008 on tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) and Lyme borreliosis (LB). We assessed the crude risk ratio (RR) across the country border, and its estimates adjusted for both population density and the expected epidemiological gradient across the region, using negative binomial regression. The crude RR between CZ and PL was 7.43 (95% Cl 6.20-8.90) for TBE, and 1.80 (1.76-1.83) for LB. The adjusted RR for TBE increased from 4.47 in 1999-2001 to 10.01 in 2005-2008, but for LB decreased from 9.30 to 2.51 during the respective periods. Those results reflect possible differences in surveillance systems performance between the two countries, as the administrative boundaries cannot constitute a barrier for zoonotic diseases and no biological processes alone can explain such large differences in disease occurrence.

Clinical and epidemiological characteristics of tick-borne borreliosis in the Krasnodar Krai

The purpose of the study the improvement of early diagnostics of Lyme disease on the based of clinical and epidemiological analysis of the main clinical forms of the acute course of the disease in new natural foci in the Krasnodar Krai. Patients and methods. There was analyzed the clinical course of disease and epidemiological data for 207 patients in the early period of acute course of Lyme disease within the period from 2004 to 2013. Results. In the territory of the Krasnodar Krai and the Republic of Adygea there has formed a set of foci of tick-borne borreliosis (TB), i.e. Lyme disease (LD). The infection of cases is observed not only in the natural foci of disease, but also within the city limits. The disease is registered mainly in the erythematous form (74% of patients), non-erythematous form accounts for 26%. The average age of patients was 41,1±1,83, years, males 38%, females 62%. In the non-erythematous form initial clinical symptoms are recorded in average in 11,6 ± 2,20 days after tick suction; in the erythematous form in 6,4 ± 0,70 days ( p

Genome Sequence of the Asiatic Species Borrelia persica

We report the complete genome sequence of Borrelia persica, the causative agent of tick-borne relapsing fever borreliosis on the Asian continent. Its genome of 1,784,979 bp contains 1,850 open reading frames, three ribosomal RNAs, and 32 tRNAs. One clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR) was detected.

Mechanisms of immune and cytokine regulation in pathogenesis of ixodes tick-borne borreliosis

Our aim was to identify the mechanisms of immune and cytokine regulation in different clinical forms of Ixodes tick-borne borreliosis. The clinical observations performed on 581 patients with erythemic (113 patients), non-eritemic (242 patients) forms of Ixodes tick- borne borreliosis and Borrelia co-infection tick-borne encephalitis (226 patients) in the manifestation of the disease. The examination included the determination of the levels of cytokines (interleukin 1β, 4, 8, and tumor necrosis factor α), indicators of cell immunity (CD3+, CD4+, CD8+) and phagocytosis (phagocytic index, the number of phagocytic neutrophils) during the height of the disease and during convalescence. We established the correlations of cytokine production, lymphocyte subpopulations and phagocytosis. Revealed divergent immune-mediated mechanisms of pathogenesis, depending on the clinical forms of Ixodes tick-borne borreliosis and period of the disease, indicating the complexity and diversity of the immune system rearrangements. Cytokine regulation of immune response, mainly consists in the synthesis of the chemoattractant interleukin 8 production which is inversely correlated with the number of phagocytic neutrophils (r = -0.440, p < 0.001) with erythemic form of the disease, is directly correlated with the level of interleukin 4 (r = 0.313, p < 0.001) at non-eritemic form borreliosis, with the production of interleukin 1β (r = 0.367, p < 0.001) and interleukin 4 (r = 0.348, p < 0.001) in Borrelia co-infection tick-borne encephalitis. In the manifestation of acute Borrelia infection, regardless of the clinicalform was typical Th1/Th2 type of immune response and then switches to the period of convalescence for Th1 (cellular) immune response in the form of erythemic Ixodes tick-borne borreliosis and Borrelia co-encephalitic tick-borne infection, and Th2 (humoral) immune response when non-eritemic form of the disease.

The ecology of Ixodes trianguliceps ticks and their role in the natural foci of ixodid tick-borne borrelioses in the Middle Urals

From 1994 to 2011, over 7000 individuals of small mammals were captured and examined for ticks in the natural foci of ixodid tick-borne borrelioses (ITBB) in the Middle Urals (Chusovskoy District of Perm Territory). Alongside with the taiga tick (Ixodes persulcatus), which is the main Borrelia vector, approximately 5700 feeding individuals of Ixodes trianguliceps have been identified. The latter species has been found to be about five times less abundant than the former. I. trianguliceps has been collected from small mammals belonging to 19 species. Its main hosts are common shrews (Sorex araneus), bank voles (Clethrionomys glareolus), and northern red-backed voles (C. rutilus). I. trianguliceps shows two seasonal peaks of abundance, spring-summer, and summer-autumn. Plating in BSK II medium yielded 72 isolates of Borrelia from a total of 1142 individuals of I. trianguliceps; 64 isolates have been identified with PCR and RFLP. The mean values of the Borrelia infestation rate in I. trianguliceps larvae, nymphs, and adults are 2.6, 10.2, and 8.1%, respectively, which is 5–10 times lower than in the taiga tick individuals collected from the same mammals. Borreliae obtained from I. trianguliceps (as well as those from I. persulcatus) have been identified as Borrelia garinii and B. afzelii, the former spirochete species being more frequent (about 90% of isolates from I. trianguliceps). Our results indicate that I. trianguliceps ticks participate in circulation of the ITBB causative agents in the forests of the Middle Urals. Rare occurrence of the tick and low rates of its infestation with borreliae suggest that the species is unlikely to play a significant role in the epizootic development in the natural foci of ITBB.

FERAL HERD INFECTION: ACTUAL PROBLEM OF ULYANOVSK

As a result of social and economic transformation taking place in the Russian Federation over the last 20 years the number of urban inhabitants has been steadily elevating. Urban areas are increasing. Cities absorb not only the surrounding communities, but also the non-urban fauna and flora, and with them the natural foci of certain feral herd infectious (FHI) diseases. The study found that the results confirm the existence of the necessary conditions for the formation and operation of natural foci in the metropolis - Ulyanovsk. 3 out of the 4 infections mentioned above: leptospiroses (39.2%), followed by Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) (17,9%) and Ixodes tick-borne borreliosis (ITB) (14,7%) obtained a wide dissemination. In such separate territories of the region center as Park Pobedy, Belyy Klyuch», Park Karamzina, park «Yunost'» the existence of conjugate foci of the FHI (HFRS, Tick-borne viral encephalitis (TVE), leptospirosis) has been proved.

LADASTEN INFLUENCE ON ASTHENIA DEGREE AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN TICK-BORNE BORRELIOSIS RECONVALESCENTS

Aim. To assess the influence of ladasten on the degree of postinfectious asthenia and quality of life in tick-borne borreliosis reconvalescents. Materials and methods. Two groups of patients with postinfectious somatogenic asthenia were investigated. Group 1 consisted of 36 reconvalescents receiving the preparation ledestan in the dose of 100 mg during 25 days. Group 2, the group of comparison, included 37 reconvalescents who did not apply drugs. Before and after treatment, examination using visual analog asthenia scale, inquire for revealing signs of vegetative changes, score subjective sleep disturbance questionnaire, quality of life questionnaire MOS SF-36, hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) was carried out. Results. After taking ladasten, patients had significant dynamics of decreasing scores by visual analog asthenia scale. Reconvalescents of group 1 after treatment had a significant increase in indices by all SF-30 questionnaire scales ( p =0,001). When analyzing HADS scale data for «depression» parameter, it was established that in the first group there was a positive dynamics of this index after treatment ( p =0,001) which was not registered in the second group ( p =0,931). During ladasten therapy, manifestation of vegetative disorders in the first group decreased ( p =0,001). Analysis of subjective evaluation of sleep disturbance detected normalization of this index after therapeutic course ( p =0,001) as compared to the control ( p =0,146). Conclusion. Efficiency of ladasten in borreliosis reconvalescents is displayed by antiasthenic, anxiolytic, vegetostabilizing properties, normalization of sleep, improvement of quality of life indices. Ladasten in the day dose of 100 mg can be recommended during rehabilitation period for patients after borreliosis with residual effects in the form of postinfectious somatogenic asthenia.

Clinico-epidemiological characteristic of Lyme-borreliosis in the Ternopil’ region

The paper has generalized the clinicoepidemiological findings pertaining to the spread of systemic tickborne borreliosis in the Ternopil’ region, which is recognized to be endemic in relation to Lyme-borreliosis. The level of the disease incidence increases with every passing year. Erythema predominates among clinical forms. A serologic examination of victims for the purpose of diagnosing different clinical forms of the disease is indicated as a result of a sting by ticks. Health education is topical among the population with a view of informing about the methods of preventing Lyme disease.

Ecology ofIxodes triangulicepsand its significance in natural foci of ixodid tick-borne borrelioses in the Middle Urals

Ecology of<i>Ixodes trianguliceps</i>and its significance in natural foci of ixodid tick-borne borrelioses in the Middle Urals

Epidemiology of tick-borne borreliosis in Morocco.

BackgroundThe presence in Morocco of Argasid ticks of the Ornithodoros erraticus complex, the vector of tick-borne relapsing fever (TBRF) in North Africa, has been known since 1919, but the disease is rarely diagnosed and few epidemiological data are available.Methodology/Principal FindingsBetween 2006 and 2011, we investigated the presence of Ornithodoros ticks in rodent burrows in 34 sites distributed across Morocco. We also collected small mammals in 10 sites and we investigated TBRF in febrile patients in Kenitra district. The prevalence of Borrelia infections was assessed by nested PCR amplification in ticks and the brain tissue of small mammals, and by evaluation of thick blood films in patients. A high proportion of burrows were infested with ticks of the O. erraticus complex in all regions of Morocco, with a mean of 39.5% for the whole country. Borrelia infections were found in 39/382 (10.2%) of the ticks and 12/140 (8.6%) of the rodents and insectivores studied by PCR amplification, and 102 patients tested positive by thick blood film. Five small mammalian species were found infected: Dipodillus campestris, Meriones shawi, Gerbillus hoogstrali, Gerbillus occiduus and Atelerix algirus. Three Borrelia species were identified in ticks and/or rodents: B. hispanica, B. crocidurae and B. merionesi.Conclusions/SignificanceTick populations belonging to O. erraticus complex are widely distributed in Morocco and a high proportion of ticks and small mammals are infected by Borrelia species. Although rarely diagnosed, TBRF may be a common cause of morbidity in all regions of Morocco.

Plaque inflammatoire alopéciante du cuir chevelu : mode de révélation atypique d’une tularémie

Tularaemia is a rare arthropod-borne zoonotic infection with 20 to 70 new cases being seen each year in France. Cutaneous ulceration and regional lymphadenopathy are the classical dermatological signs. Diagnosis of atypical forms is more complex.A 48-year-old woman was admitted for an erythematous papular alopecic lesion of the scalp accompanied by fever, chills and cervical lymphadenopathy. Initial antibiotic therapy for 20 days with amoxicillin clavulanate was ineffective. The patient's history included an episode of hunting in the forest three days before the onset of signs. Finally, serology led to the diagnosis of tularaemia. Combined levofloxacin and doxycycline resulted in regression of the scalp lesion and lymph node disorder.The existence of alopecia and location on the scalp did not initially suggest a diagnosis of tularaemia to us. The clinical presentation was highly suggestive of impetigo with satellite lymphadenopathies. However, resistance to antibiotics and the absence of inflammation militated against this diagnosis, and other possible diagnoses such as a tick-borne lymphadenopathy (TIBOLA), borreliosis and tularaemia were discussed. The most common clinical presentation of tularaemia is ulceroglandular tularaemia, which predominates in 80% of cases. The inoculation chancre at the point of initial infection is most often located in the upper limbs.An inflammatory plaque on the scalp with alopecia may reveal tularaemia, a potentially fatal disease resulting from inoculation.

Analysis of the causes of a stably high incidence of tick-borne borreliosis in rural districts of Udmurtia

Aim. To identify of the most active centers of infection of tick-borne borreliosis in Udmurtia and to determine the causes of high morbidity level. Methods. Conducted was a comparative analysis of the dynamics of the incidence of tick-borne borreliosis in various administrative districts of Udmurtia, taking into consideration the confinedness to the landscape and geographical areas, identified were the risk groups for tick-borne borreliosis. The incidence tick-borne borreliosos and the indices of spontaneous infection of donors with borreliae in various landscape-geographical zones of Udmurtia were subjected to a comparative assessment, studied was the medical and economical effectiveness of preventive measures. The study was carried out by conventional methods. Results. It was established that in all the administrative districts of Udmurtia at risk of tick-borne borrelliosis are schoolchildren, pensioners and unemployed people, the risk of the disease increases after 41 year of age regardless of gender or place of residence. Established was a higher medical and economical effectiveness of emergency chemoprophylaxis of borreliosis in the first 48 hours after the tick bite in comparison with the currently used acaricidal treatment. Conclusion. The reasons for high incidence of tick-borne borreliosis in rural districts of Udmurtia - low appealability of the population for medical care after tick bites and a lack of motivation for chemoprophylaxis in school children, pensioners and unemployed people.

Frameworks for risk communication and disease management: the case of Lyme disease and countryside users

Management of zoonotic disease is necessary if countryside users are to gain benefit rather than suffer harm from their activities, and to avoid disproportionate reaction to novel threats. We introduce a conceptual framework based on the pressure-state-response model with five broad responses to disease incidence. Influencing public behaviour is one response and requires risk communication based on an integration of knowledge about the disease with an understanding of how publics respond to precautionary advice. A second framework emphasizes how risk communication involves more than information provision and should address dimensions including points-of-intervention over time, place and audience. The frameworks are developed by reference to tick-borne Lyme borreliosis (also known as Lyme disease), for which informed precautionary behaviour is particularly relevant. Interventions to influence behaviour can be directed by knowledge of spatial and temporal variation of tick abundance, what constitutes risky behaviour, how people respond to information of varying content, and an understanding of the social practices related to countryside use. The frameworks clarify the response options and help identify who is responsible for risk communication. These aspects are not consistently understood, and may result in an underestimation of the role of land-based organizations in facilitating appropriate precautionary behaviour.

Tick-Borne Infections Incidence among the Population of Siberian and Far East Federal Districts in 2009 and 2010 and Prognosis for 2011

Presented are the data on tick-borne infections (tick-borne encephalitis, tick-borne borrelioses and rickettsioses) incidence among the population of the constituent entities of Siberian and Far East Federal Districts in 2009 and 2010. Given is the prognosis on tick-borne encephalitis and tick-borne borrelioses incidence among the population of the Districts for 2011. Generalized information on the amount of preventive measures is presented and the ways of their improvement are discussed.

Using Geographic Information Systems and Decision Support Systems for the Prediction, Prevention, and Control of Vector-Borne Diseases

Emerging and resurging vector-borne diseases cause significant morbidity and mortality, especially in the developing world. We focus on how advances in mapping, Geographic Information System, and Decision Support System technologies, and progress in spatial and space-time modeling, can be harnessed to prevent and control these diseases. Major themes, which are addressed using examples from tick-borne Lyme borreliosis; flea-borne plague; and mosquito-borne dengue, malaria, and West Nile virus disease, include (a) selection of spatial and space-time modeling techniques, (b) importance of using high-quality and biologically or epidemiologically relevant data, (c) incorporation of new technologies into operational vector and disease control programs, (d) transfer of map-based information to stakeholders, and (e) adaptation of technology solutions for use in resource-poor environments. We see great potential for the use of new technologies and approaches to more effectively target limited surveillance, prevention, and control resources and to reduce vector-borne and other infectious diseases.

Comparative analysis of the incidence of tick-borne borreliosis and tick-borne encephalitis in the regions of Russian Federation by using a geographic information system in 2000-2006

An ArcView geographic information system (GIS) was used to comparatively analyze data on the incidence of Ixodes tick-borne borreliosis and tick-borne encephalitis in 89 administrative regions of the Russian Federation in the period 2000 to 2006. All baseline data were processed in the unified global system of geographic coordinates. The employment of GIS technologies to analyze statistics on infectious diseases allows rapid visualization and scaling of epidemiological data on any regions and areas therefore they may be recommended to organize an operative control of the natural foci of infectious diseases and a retrospective analysis of the information accumulated

Neurological manifestations of ixodic tick-borne borreliosis associated with chronic opisthorchiasis in the Tomsk Region

A comparative analysis of neurological manifestations in patients with acute ixodic tick-borne borreliosis (ITB) and patients with ITB associated with chronic opisthorchiasis has been carried out. It has been found that at ITB in the acute phase, nearly all parts of the nervous system are involved in the pathological process. Diseases of central parts of the nervous system were found in 86.7% patients with the monoinfection and in 96.7% patients with ITB associated with chronic opisthorchiasis, diseases of the vegetative part were found in 75.0 and 83.3% patients, and peripheral failures were found in 18.3 and 48.3% patients, respectively. In the structure of neurological pathology of the acute stage of ITB with chronic opisthorchiasis, the prevalence of the combined disease of different parts of the nervous system (93.3%), the more frequent occurrence (96.7%) and higher intensity of headaches (more than 4 points by the visual analog scale), vertigo (76.7%), cognitive failures (35.0%), signs of the vegetative disfunction syndrome (95.0%), and peripheral neuropathy (48.3%) were diagnosed.

Epidemiologic Situation on Natural Focal and Zoonotic Infections in Privolhzskiy Federal District in 2000-2009 and the Prognosis for 2010

The analysis of epidemiologic situation on hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, tick borne borreliosis, tick-borne encephalitis, leptospirosis, tularemia, brucellosis, anthrax, rabies in 2000-2009 in Privolhzskiy Federal District (PFD) was carried out. 94746 patients were registered in that period, hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, tick borne borreliosis and tick-borne encephalitis account for 96.5 % of them. The prognosis of epidemiologic situation of stated infections in PFD in 2010 was made.

Characteristics of production cytokines in patients with development of chronic tick-borne borreliosis

For detection of cytokine production features in patients with development of chronic tick-borne borreliosis the evaluation of spontaneous, fitohaemagglutinin-stimulated and stimulated with antigen of borrelia cytokine production was conducted in supernatants of three-day blood cells cultures. High risk of development of chronic tick-borne borreliosis associated with intensive spontaneous and antigen-stimulated production of interferon-g and transforming growing factor-β1 in acute disease.