Identification of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, Anaplasma and Ehrlichia Species, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiae in Ticks from Southeastern Europe

Abstract

Prevalence data for tick-borne pathogens are used to assess the risk for human health. In this study the presence and identity of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, Ehrlichia, Anaplasma, and Rickettsia species in Bulgarian Ixodes ricinus ticks and in non- Ixodes ticks from Turkey and Albania was determined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and reverse line blot hybridization. In the adult Bulgarian ticks, the prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato infection was approximately 40%, while Borrelia afzelii was the predominant species, representing more than half of all Borrelia-positive ticks. Ehrlichia and Anaplasma species were detected in 35% of the adult Ixodes ricinus ticks and in 10% of the nymphs. Sequence analysis of PCR products reacting with the Anaplasma phagocytophila probe revealed a 16S rRNA gene identical to that of the Anaplasma phagocytophila prototype strain. Ehrlichia and Anaplasma species were found in approximately 7% of the non- Ixodes ticks. Sequence analysis of some of these samples revealed the presence of Anaplasma ovis, Ehrlichia canis, and a species closely resembling Ehrlichia chaffeensis. About half of all adult ticks examined and approximately 20% of all nymphs were infected with Rickettsia species. In Ixodes ricinus ticks, Rickettsia helvetica and a Rickettsia species designated as IRS3 were found in high prevalence. Rickettsia conorii was found in virtually all non- Ixodes tick species from Albania and Turkey. The results of this study show that many tick-borne diseases are most probably endemic in the Balkan area. Furthermore, the results suggest that there is a considerable chance for simultaneous transmission of tick-borne pathogens to human beings.

A serological study of exposure to arthropod-borne pathogens in dogs from northeastern Spain

“…As described in this study, the overall Bb seroprevalence was only 0.6% and there was not a statistical association between Bb and Ap seroreactivity among the three study sites. No studies have reported Ap in R. sanguineus ticks; however, a recent study reported Ap DNA in R. bursa from Albania [4]. Dog sera from Mallorca recognized Ec antigens by IFA testing (17.6%) that were not detected by a commercial diagnostic test (Snap 3DX) that uses Ec synthetic peptides as antigens (0%) [2].…”

“…It is well known that Ap is transmitted by Ixodes ricinus ticks, which also transmit Bb in central European countries such as in central Italy [5], Bulgaria [4] and Switzerland [29]. In northern Spain (regions close to the atlantic ocean), there are reports of Ap infection in Ixodes ticks, in humans [27], in larvae of Neotrombicula autumnalis [10], in sheep where infection can result in abortions [12], in cattle with non-specific illness [20] and in wild small mammals and roe deer [26].…”

“…In the Mediterranean basin I. ricinus is rarely encountered [9]. Further evidence supporting infrequent exposure to the Ixodes species in the Mediterranean basin [4,13] is the fact that Lyme disease is uncommonly reported in dogs or humans in this region. As described in this study, the overall Bb seroprevalence was only 0.6% and there was not a statistical association between Bb and Ap seroreactivity among the three study sites.…”

Update on tick-borne bacterial diseases in Europe

“…Since then, it has been detected by PCR in ticks in several European countries, mainly in southern and southeastern Europe: Spain, Italy, Portugal, Slovakia, Albania, Hungary, Bulgaria, Moldova, Eastern Ukraine and Switzerland (Marquez et al, 1998;Sekeyova et al, 2000;Beninati et al, 2002;Dobler & Wolfel, 2009;Sreter-Lancz et al, 2006;de Carvalho et al, 2008;Boretti et al, 2009;Movila et al, 2009). The prevalence of R. monacensis infection in I. ricinus ticks collected in nature varied between 2.4 % in Spain, 8.6 % in Germany, 12.2 % in Slovakia and 52.9 % in Bulgaria (Christova et al, 2003;Sekeyova et al, 2000). Recently, in two patients from Spain, R. monacensis was detected in blood samples by molecular tools and one rickettsial strain was isolated by shell vial culture.…”

“…It was first isolated from I. ricinus in Switzerland in 1979 . R. helvetica has been detected in I. ricinus in many European countries, including France, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Sweden, Portugal, Germany, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Poland, Hungary, Moldova, Eastern Ukraine and Italy (Nijhof et al, 2007;Christova et al, 2003;Dobler & Wolfel, 2009;Marquez, 2008;Parola et al, 2005;Nilsson et al, 1999;Movila et al, 2009). In Sweden, two patients with clinical symptoms of fatal perimyocarditis were infected with R. helvetica, as confirmed by electron microscopy, PCR and serology (Nilsson et al, 1999).…”