Infection rate ofIxodes ricinus ticks withBorrelia afzelii, Borrelia garinii, andBorrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto in Slovenia

Abstract

In spring 1993, Ixodes ricinus ticks were collected from six regions of Slovenia to determine their overall rate of infection with Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and to assess the frequency of individual species in these tick populations. Ticks were dissected and midgut tissue inoculated into modified Barbour-Stoenner-Kelly (BSK II) medium. Borrelia isolates were differentiated into separate species using species-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers and by large restriction fragment pattern (LRFP) analysis. Infected ticks were found in all six regions surveyed. Spirochaetes were isolated from 69 of 363 ticks (19%): the isolation rate from adult female ticks was 35% (23/66 ticks cultured), from adult male ticks 22% (20/91), and from nymphal ticks 13% (26/206). Determination of the species of 60 isolates revealed that 32 were Borrelia afzelii (53%), 20 were Borrelia garinii (33%), and 8 were Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto (13%). In the Ljubljana region Borrelia afzelii and Borrelia garinii predominated (43% and 40%, respectively), whereas Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto constituted only 17% of isolates. In three other regions of the country Borrelia afzelii was isolated exclusively, although the number of isolates investigated was small. This study demonstrates the presence of all three European species of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato within the Slovenian tick population and also within a geographic area of less than 100 m2.

Infection of Ixodes ricinus (Acari: Ixodidae) by Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in North Africa

“…On a subtropical island in the Atlantic, northwest of continental Africa, the infection rate of I. ricinus by B. burgdorferi was 1.3% (Matuschka et al 1994). The 30.5% infection rate we observed in Tunisia is within the range reported from European countriesÑ13.8% in Spain (Mareuez and Constan 1990), 9.6% in Belgium (Martin et al 1990), 5Ð50% in Switzerland , Gern et al 1992, 20% in the Netherlands (Rijpkema et al 1994), 18% in Germany (Matuschka et al 1992), 13% in Slovenia (Strle et al 1995), 45% in Croatia (Rijpkema et al 1996), and 12.4% in France (Zhioua et al 1996). Additional studies are needed to determine the infection rates of immatures and to identify the reservoir hosts of B. burgdorferi sensu lato in Tunisia.…”

Reservoir Role of Lizard <I>Psammodromus algirus</I> in Transmission Cycle of <I>Borrelia burgdorferi</I> Sensu Lato (Spirochaetaceae) in Tunisia

“…Indeed, adult I. ricinus, which have ingested a greater number of potentially infected meals than nymphs, usually show a higher prevalence of B. burgdorferi s.l. infection than immature stages (Aeschlimann et al 1986, Strle et al 1995, Younsi et al 2001. Borrelia Infection in Lizards.…”

Distribution of Clinically RelevantBorreliaGenospecies in Ticks Assessed by a Novel, Single-Run, Real-Time PCR

“…Dilution series of Borrelia DNA showed that 1,000 Borrelia genome equivalents corresponded to a ct value of 30, 100 genome equivalents corresponded to 34, 10 genome equivalents corresponded to 38, and 1 genome equivalent corresponded to more than 40 cycles. (26). Interestingly, three of the 1,055 ticks examined were positive for B. burgdorferi sensu lato but the isolates could not be classified into one of the three species, as their T m (58.6°C) differed from those of the others: B. burgdorferi sensu stricto (63°C), B. garinii (68°C), and B. afzelii (72.5°C).…”