Molecular detection of reptile-associated Borrelia in Boa constrictor (Squamata: Boidae) from Veracruz, Mexico

Genetic diversity of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto: Novel strains from Mexican wild rodents

“…previously isolated from Amblyomma dissimile ticks attached to Rhinella horribilis in Veracruz, Mexico, accession number: KY389373 (as previously reported by Morales‐Diaz et al. (2020)).…”

“…In all reactions, we included a negative (the same reaction mixture with water) and a positive control (DNA from a Borrelia sp. previously isolated from Amblyomma dissimile ticks attached to Rhinella horribilis in Veracruz, Mexico, accession number: KY389373 (as previously reported by Morales-Diaz et al (2020)).…”

Reptile vector-borne diseases of zoonotic concern

“…Thus, some species of lizards, in specific epidemiological contexts, might reduce the prevalence of borrelial bacteria resulting in a zooprophylactic effect or reducing the vectors that can feed on competent hosts ( Tijsse-Klasen et al, 2010 ). Additionally, a separate clade of reptile-associated Borrelia , with no demonstrated pathogenicity, has been detected in Turkey, Mexico, Japan, and Australia from reptiles (i.e., varanid lizards, snakes and tortoises) and ticks (i.e., Amblyomma spp., Bothriocroton spp., H. aegyptium ) ( Güner et al, 2003 ; Takano et al, 2010 ; Panetta et al, 2017 ; Morales-Diaz et al, 2020 ; Colunga-Salas et al, 2020 ). This group of borrelial agents, and also those from the relapsing fever group, have been detected in imported reptiles to non-endemic areas together with their ticks, highlighting the need of quarantine and control measures ( Takano et al, 2010 ; Colunga-Salas et al, 2020 ).…”

“…For example, some studies initially hypothesized that the origin of the SARS-COV-2, causative agent of the COVID-19 pandemic, were snakes ( Tiwari et al, 2020 ; Ji et al, 2020 ). This is also the case of the evolution of VBDs, where many pathogens have a clade or cluster of species associated to reptiles or ectothermic tetrapods, like the reptile-associated Borrelia group ( Morales-Diaz et al, 2020 ), or the reptile clade of Leishmania (subgenus Sauroleishmania ) ( Tuon et al, 2008 ). Also, some parasitic arthropods became well adapted to their reptilian host producing minimum deleterious effects on them ( Bertrand et al, 2002 ; Bower et al, 2019 ), such as in the case of Amblyomma rotundatum ticks infesting reptiles in South America ( Polo et al, 2021 ; Mendoza-Roldan et al, 2020a ), or Ixodes ricinus parasitizing wild lizards ( Lacerta agilis ) in Europe ( Wieczorek et al, 2020 ).…”

Molecular detection of the reptile‐associated Borrelia group in Amblyomma dissimile, Mexico

“…In Mexico, there is a single study done with Borrelia in reptiles, conducted in several species from the coastal state of Veracruz, where the presence of DNA from a member of the reptile‐associated Borrelia group was recorded. This was closely related with isolates from Amblyomma trimaculatum and Amblyomma varanense from Japan and Thailand, respectively (Takano et al ., 2010; Trinachartvanit et al ., 2016; Morales‐Diaz et al ., 2020). Additionally, other isolates of this Borrelia group have been recovered from nine species of the genus Amblyomma worldwide, which highlights the importance of this genus as vector of this Borrelia group (Güner et al ., 2004; Takano et al ., 2010; Kalmár et al ., 2015; Cicuttin et al ., 2019).…”