Arbobacteria &amp;ndash; Pathogens Transmittable by Arthropods

Gürtler, Leo; Blümel, Johannes; Bürger, Reinhard; Drosten, Christian; Gröner, Albrecht; Heiden, M.; Hitzler, W; Jansen, B.; Klamm, H; Ludwig, Wolf-Dieter; Montag-Lessing, Thomas; Offergeld, Ruth; Pauli, Georg; Seitz, Rainer; Schlenkrich, Uwe; Schottstedt, Volkmar; Willkommen, Hannelore

doi:10.1159/000112812

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 16 publications

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“…is also extracellular and Y. pestis is mainly extracellular. 2 In this case series of 500 consecutive patients presenting between October 2010 and February 2014, either referred or self-initiated regarding the possibility of “Lyme disease”, an analysis was done to define the clinical characteristics at the time of presentation of these zoonoses compared to those seen in North America, Europe, and Asia, as well as to quantify incidence figures. Patients attended from every state in Australia.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Clinical determinants of Lyme borreliosis, babesiosis, bartonellosis, anaplasmosis, and ehrlichiosis in an Australian cohort

Mayne¹

2014

IJGM

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Background Borrelia burgdorferi is the causative agent of Lyme borreliosis. This spirochete, along with Babesia , Bartonella , Anaplasma , Ehrlichia , and the Rickettsia spp. are recognized tick-borne pathogens. In this study, the clinical manifestation of these zoonoses in Australia is described. Methods The clinical presentation of 500 patients over the course of 5 years was examined. Evidence of multisystem disease and cranial nerve neuropathy was sought. Supportive laboratory evidence of infection was examined. Results Patients from every state of Australia presented with a wide range of symptoms of disease covering multiple systems and a large range of time intervals from onset. Among these patients, 296 (59%) were considered to have a clinical diagnosis of Lyme borreliosis and 273 (54% of the 500) tested positive for the disease, the latter not being a subset of the former. In total, 450 (90%) had either clinical evidence for or laboratory proof of borrelial infection, and the great majority of cases featured neurological symptoms involving the cranial nerves, thus mimicking features of the disease found in Europe and Asia, as distinct from North America (where extracutaneous disease is principally an oligoarticular arthritis). Only 83 patients (17%; number [n]=492) reported never leaving Australia. Of the 500 patients, 317 (63%) had clinical or laboratory-supported evidence of coinfection with Babesia or Bartonella spp. Infection with A. phagocytophilum was detected in three individuals, and Ehrlichia chaffeensis was detected in one individual who had never traveled outside Australia. In the cohort, 30 (11%; n=279) had positive rickettsial serology. Conclusion The study suggests that there is a considerable presence of borreliosis in Australia, and a highly significant burden of coinfections accompanying borreliosis transmission. The concept sometimes advanced of a “Lyme-like illness” on the continent needs to be re-examined as the clinical interplay between all these infections. Evidence is presented for the first report of endemic anaplasmosis and ehrlichiosis on the continent.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%