First report of Borrelia miyamotoi in an Ixodes ricinus tick in Augsburg, Germany

Abstract

Borrelia miyamotoi, a spirochete found in the hard tick Ixodes ricinus, is thought to cause relapsing fever. The disease caused by this bacterium can manifest with high fever, fatigue and other symptoms. It may also lead to central nervous system involvement with symptoms similar to meningoencephalitis. DNA from ticks from the greater Augsburg region in Germany was subjected to qPCR for Borrelia spp., followed by nested PCR and subsequent sequencing for species identification of the qPCR positive samples. From 112 ticks, 20 were found to be positive for Borrelia. The DNA sequenced showed 50% Borrelia afzelli, 15% Borrelia garinii, 5% Borrelia valaisiana and one sequence was identified as Borrelia miyamotoi. The positive identification of Borrelia miyamotoi is unlikely to be due to contamination. In conclusion, Borrelia miyamotoi has been found in a tick in the Augsburg region for the first time. This follows on from previous reports of a low incidence of this bacterium in southern Germany around Lake Constance and in the Munich region. This infectious agent should be taken into account when patients present with recurring fever or neurological symptoms which cannot be otherwise explained. Tick-borne relapsing fever should now be considered as a cause of such symptoms and medical professionals should contemplate differential Borrelia testing when presented with corresponding symptoms.

Hedgehogs, Squirrels, and Blackbirds as Sentinel Hosts for Active Surveillance of Borrelia miyamotoi and Borrelia burgdorferi Complex in Urban and Rural Environments

“…Although our study was primarily focused on B. burgdorferi s.l., using a multiplex real-time PCR protocol that includes B. miyamotoi specific primers and probe, we detected the DNA of this Borrelia in a few European hedgehog and Eurasian red squirrel individuals. These findings support the previous reports on B. myiamotoi in Europe [66][67][68] and suggest that squirrels and hedgehogs contribute to the natural transmission cycle of this pathogen.…”

The Surveillance of Borrelia Species in Camelus dromedarius and Associated Ticks: The First Detection of Borrelia miyamotoi in Egypt

“…It is the only Borrelia species in the RF group that can be spread by the Ixodes tick [ 21 , 22 , 23 ]. Borrelia miyamotoi infection commonly manifests as a febrile illness accompanied by fatigue, headache, chills, myalgia, arthralgia, and nausea, with potentially fatal complications such as meningoencephalitis [ 22 , 24 , 25 , 26 ]. Ticks of all stages are possible vectors of B. miyamotoi because it has transstadial and transovarial transmission which is not the case with Lyme borrelia, indicating that the global distribution of B. miyamotoi -infected ticks may exceed that of B. burgdorferi -infected ticks [ 27 , 28 ].…”

Genetic Diversity of Borreliaceae Species Detected in Natural Populations of Ixodes ricinus Ticks in Northern Poland

“…Additionally, in Europe I. ricinus is also a vector tick for another Borreliaceae family member of the genus Borrelia, i.e., B. miyamotoi, classified as relapsing fever-like spirochetes [18] and causing Borrelia miyamotoi disease, BMD [19]. B. miyamotoi is reported in Europe for the last twenty years [18,[20][21][22][23]. The symptoms of BMD consist mainly of relapsing fever and non-specific flu-like illness but less specific neurological symptoms are also reported [24].…”