Evidence for Disseminated Mycoplasma fermentans in New Jersey Residents with Antecedent Tick Attachment and Subsequent Musculoskeletal Symptoms

Eskow, Eugene; Adelson, Martin E.; Rao, Raja-Venkitesh S.; Mordechai, Eli

doi:10.1097/01.rhu.0000062510.04724.07

Cited by 14 publications

(14 citation statements)

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“…Associations are recorded mostly outside Belgium as this was little investigated in the country. Notably, while mycoplasmas are increasingly related to ticks in the USA [47], and their prevalence is increasing throughout Europe [48,49], there are no investigations of Mycoplasma in Belgian tick species in the literature.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial disaggregation of tick occurrence and ecology at a local scale as a preliminary step for spatial surveillance of tick-borne diseases: general framework and health implications in Belgium

et al. 2013

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BackgroundThe incidence of tick-borne diseases is increasing in Europe. Sub national information on tick distribution, ecology and vector status is often lacking. However, precise location of infection risk can lead to better targeted prevention measures, surveillance and control.MethodsIn this context, the current paper compiled geolocated tick occurrences in Belgium, a country where tick-borne disease has received little attention, in order to highlight the potential value of spatial approaches and draw some recommendations for future research priorities.ResultsMapping of 89,289 ticks over 654 sites revealed that ticks such as Ixodes ricinus and Ixodes hexagonus are largely present while Dermacentor reticulatus has a patchy distribution. Suspected hot spots of tick diversity might favor pathogen exchanges and suspected hot spots of I. ricinus abundance might increase human-vector contact locally. This underlines the necessity to map pathogens and ticks in detail. While I. ricinus is the main vector, I. hexagonus is a vector and reservoir of Borrelia burgdorferi s.l., which is active the whole year and is also found in urban settings. This and other nidiculous species bite humans less frequently, but seem to harbour pathogens. Their role in maintaining a pathogenic cycle within the wildlife merits investigation as they might facilitate transmission to humans if co-occurring with I. ricinus. Many micro-organisms are found abroad in tick species present in Belgium. Most have not been recorded locally but have not been searched for. Some are transmitted directly at the time of the bite, suggesting promotion of tick avoidance additionally to tick removal.ConclusionThis countrywide approach to tick-borne diseases has helped delineate recommendations for future research priorities necessary to design public health policies aimed at spatially integrating the major components of the ecological cycle of tick-borne diseases. A systematic survey of tick species and associated pathogens is called for in Europe, as well as better characterisation of species interaction in the ecology of tick-borne diseases, those being all tick species, pathogens, hosts and other species which might play a role in tick-borne diseases complex ecosystems.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial disaggregation of tick occurrence and ecology at a local scale as a preliminary step for spatial surveillance of tick-borne diseases: general framework and health implications in Belgium

et al. 2013

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“…What is interesting is that the predominant presence of Mycoplasma fermentans in the Borrelia burgdorferi-positive CFS patients is consistent with the finding of this species of Mycoplasma in ticks collected from the environment (Eskow et al, 2003).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 50%

“…CFS patients have also been diagnosed with Lyme disease (Shor, 2006), and Eskow et al (2003) have found that the attachment of ticks and subsequent appearance of musculoskeletal signs and symptoms is associated with systemic Mycoplasma fermentans infections (Eskow et al, 2003), it was not unexpected that CFS patients with evidence of Borrelia burgdorferi infections would also show evidence of Mycoplasma species in their blood. What is interesting is that the predominant presence of Mycoplasma fermentans in the Borrelia burgdorferi-positive CFS patients is consistent with the finding of this species of Mycoplasma in ticks collected from the environment (Eskow et al, 2003).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne disease in North America and has been reported widely the USA and Eastern Canada. First described in Southeastern Connecticut in 1975, the infection is caused by a tick bite and entry into the body of the spiral-shaped spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi (Burgdorfer et al, 1982) and other coinfectants, including Mycoplasma fermentans (Eskow, Adelson, Rao, & Mordechai, 2003). Here we investigated the presence of Mycoplasma infections in CFS patients who were also diagnosed with Lyme disease and compared them with CFS patients who tested negative for Borrelia burgdorferi.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

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Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Patients Subsequently Diagnosed with Lyme Disease Borrelia burgdorferi: Evidence for Mycoplasma Species Coinfections

Nicolson¹,

Nicolson²,

Haier³

2008

WCFS

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Objective: We examined the blood of 48 North American chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) patients subsequently diagnosed with Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi infection) and compared these with 50 North American CFS patients without evidence of Borrelia burgdorferi infections for presence of Mycoplasma species coinfections using forensic polymerase chain reaction. Results: We found that 68.75% of Garth L. Nicolson and Nancy L. Nicolson are affiliated to the Institute for Molecular Medicine, Huntington Beach, CA. Joerg Haier is affiliated to CFS/Lyme patients show evidence of mycoplasma coinfections (odds ratio [OR] = 41.8; confidence limits [CL] = 11.3-155; and p < .001) compared with controls, whereas 50% of CFS patients without a diagnosis of Lyme disease show Mycoplasma coinfections (OR = 19.0; CL = 5.3-69; and p < .001) compared with controls. Because CFS patients without a diagnosis of Lyme disease have a high prevalence of one of four Mycoplasma species and a majority show evidence of multiple infections, we examined CFS/Lyme patients' blood for various Mycoplasma species. We found that CFS patients with Lyme disease mostly had single species Mycoplasma infections (OR = 31.7; CL = 8.6-116; and p < .001) with a preponderance of Mycoplasma fermentans infections (50% of patients; OR = 59.0; CL = 7.6-460; and p < .001), whereas the most commonly found Mycoplasma species in CFS patients without Lyme disease was Mycoplasma pneumoniae (34% of patients; OR = 14.94; CL = 3.3-69; and p < .001). Conclusions: The results indicate that a subset of CFS patients show evidence of infection with Borrelia burgdorferi, and a large fraction of these patients were also infected with Mycoplasma fermentans and to a lesser degree with other Mycoplasma species.

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“…Besides the genetic constitution of B . burgdorferi sl, other explanations for the variability in the clinical manifestations of Lyme borreliosis are the (genetic) constitution of the human host [42,43], co-infections with other pathogens [44-46] and the bacterial load of ticks. However, the current study only focuses on genetic aspects of B .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ability to cause erythema migrans differs between Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato isolates

et al. 2013

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BackgroundLyme borreliosis is a tick-borne disease caused by Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato. The variety of characteristic and non-specific clinical manifestations is partially explained by its genetic diversity. We investigated the ability of B. burgdorferi sl isolates to cause erythema migrans.MethodsThe genetic constellation of isolates from ticks was compared to isolates found in erythema migrans. PCR and sequence analysis was performed on the plasmid-encoded ospC and the chromosomal 5S-23S rDNA spacer region (IGS).ResultsSeven different B. burgdorferi sl genospecies were identified in 152 borrelia isolates from ticks and erythema migrans biopsies. B afzelii (51%) and B. garinii (27%) were the most common in ticks. From the 44 sequences obtained from erythema migrans samples 42 were B. afzelii, one B. garinii and one B. bavariensis. Significant associations with erythema migrans formation were found for four IGS and two ospC types. Five from 45 ospC types were associated with more than one genospecies.ConclusionsB. burgdorferi sl isolates differ in their propensity to cause erythema migrans. These differences were also found within genospecies. In other words, although B. afzelii was mostly associated with erythema migrans, some B. afzelii isolates had a low ability to cause erythema migrans. Our data further support the occurrence of plasmid exchange between borrelia genospecies under natural conditions.

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Evidence for Disseminated Mycoplasma fermentans in New Jersey Residents with Antecedent Tick Attachment and Subsequent Musculoskeletal Symptoms

Cited by 14 publications

References 23 publications

Spatial disaggregation of tick occurrence and ecology at a local scale as a preliminary step for spatial surveillance of tick-borne diseases: general framework and health implications in Belgium

Spatial disaggregation of tick occurrence and ecology at a local scale as a preliminary step for spatial surveillance of tick-borne diseases: general framework and health implications in Belgium

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Patients Subsequently Diagnosed with Lyme Disease Borrelia burgdorferi: Evidence for Mycoplasma Species Coinfections

Ability to cause erythema migrans differs between Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato isolates

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