scholarly journals The need to unravel the twisted nature of the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex across Europe

Microbiology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 166 (5) ◽  
pp. 428-435
Author(s):  
Martin Strnad ◽  
Ryan O.M. Rego
Keyword(s):  
Borrelia Burgdorferi ◽  
Single Species ◽  
Sensu Stricto ◽  
Borrelia Burgdorferi Sensu Lato ◽  
Pathogenic Potential ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Differential Gene ◽  
Vector Borne ◽  
Genetic Techniques ◽  
Infectious Cycle

Lyme borreliosis is a vector-borne infection caused by bacteria under the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex, both in Europe and North America. Differential gene expression at different times throughout its infectious cycle allows the spirochete to survive very diverse environments within different mammalian hosts as well as the tick vector. To date, the vast majority of data about spirochetal proteins and their functions are from genetic studies carried out on North American strains of a single species, i.e. B. burgdorferi sensu stricto. The whole-genome sequences recently obtained for several European species/strains make it feasible to adapt and use genetic techniques to study inherent differences between them. This review highlights the crucial need to undertake independent studies of genospecies within Europe, given their varying genetic content and pathogenic potential, and differences in clinical manifestation.

scholarly journals Genetic Heterogeneity of Borrelia burgdorferi Sensu Lato in Ixodes ricinus Ticks Collected in Belgium

1998 ◽  
Vol 36 (11) ◽  
pp. 3352-3354 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie-Christine Misonne ◽  
Georges Van Impe ◽  
Philippe P. Hoet
Keyword(s):  
Lyme Disease ◽  
Borrelia Burgdorferi ◽  
Ixodes Ricinus ◽  
Single Species ◽  
Sensu Stricto ◽  
Borrelia Burgdorferi Sensu Lato ◽  
Ixodes Ricinus Ticks ◽  
Biogeographic Regions ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
Comparison Of The Results

Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.), the etiological agent of Lyme disease, is transmitted by the bite of Ixodes ricinus. Four hundred eighty-nine ticks, collected in four locations of a region of southern Belgium where Lyme disease is endemic, were examined for the presence of the spirochete. In a PCR test with primers that recognize a chromosomal gene of all strains, 23% of the ticks were found to be infected. The species B. burgdorferi s.l. comprises at least three pathogenic genomospecies, B. burgdorferi sensu stricto (s.s.),Borrelia garinii, and Borrelia afzelii, which could be distinguished in PCR tests with species-specific primers that correspond to distinct plasmid sequences. B. garinii was most prevalent (53% of infected ticks), followed by B. burgdorferi s.s. (38%) and B. afzelii (9%). Of the infected ticks, 40% were infected with a single species, 40% were infected with two species, and 5% were infected with all three species. For 15% of the ticks, the infecting species could not be identified. No difference in rates of prevalence was observed among the four locations, which had similar ground covers, even though they belonged to distinct biogeographic regions. A greater heterogeneity of spirochetal DNA in ticks than in cultured reference DNA was suggested by a comparison of the results of PCRs with two different sets of species-specific primer sequences.

Borrelia kurtenbachii sp. nov., a widely distributed member of the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato species complex in North America

2014 ◽  
Vol 64 (Pt_1) ◽  
pp. 128-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriele Margos ◽  
Joseph Piesman ◽  
Robert S. Lane ◽  
Nicholas H. Ogden ◽  
Andreas Sing ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Borrelia Burgdorferi ◽  
Type Species ◽  
Species Complex ◽  
Sensu Stricto ◽  
Borrelia Burgdorferi Sensu Lato ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Link Type ◽  
The North ◽  
Northern Latitudes

Lyme borreliosis group spirochaetes are parasitic bacteria transmitted by vector ticks of the genus Ixodes and distributed mainly between 40° and 60° northern latitudes. Since Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto (hereinafter, B. burgdorferi ) was described in the north-eastern USA during the early 1980s, an increasing diversity has been noted within the species complex. Here, we describe a novel genomic species, Borrelia kurtenbachii sp. nov. (type strain 25015T = ATCC BAA-2495T =  DSM 26572T), that is prevalent in transmission cycles among vector ticks and reservoir hosts in North America. Confirmation of the presence of this species in Europe awaits further investigation.

scholarly journals CsrA (BB0184) Is Not Involved in Activation of the RpoN-RpoS Regulatory Pathway in Borrelia burgdorferi

2014 ◽  
Vol 82 (4) ◽  
pp. 1511-1522 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhiming Ouyang ◽  
Jianli Zhou ◽  
Michael V. Norgard
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Borrelia Burgdorferi ◽  
Animal Studies ◽  
Expression System ◽  
Regulatory Pathway ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mouse Tissues ◽  
Differential Gene ◽  
Carbon Storage Regulator

ABSTRACTBorrelia burgdorferiencodes a homologue of the bacterial carbon storage regulator A (CsrA). Recently, it was reported that CsrA contributes toB. burgdorferiinfectivity and is required for the activation of the central RpoN-RpoS regulatory pathway. However, many questions concerning the function of CsrA inB. burgdorferigene regulation remain unanswered. In particular, there are conflicting reports concerning the molecular details of how CsrA may modulaterpoSexpression and, thus, how CsrA may influence the RpoN-RpoS pathway inB. burgdorferi. To address these key discrepancies, we examined the role of CsrA in differential gene expression in the Lyme disease spirochete. Upon engineering an induciblecsrAexpression system inB. burgdorferi, controlled hyperexpression of CsrA in a merodiploid strain did not significantly alter the protein and transcript levels ofbosR,rpoS, and RpoS-dependent genes (such asospCanddbpA). In addition, we constructed isogeniccsrAmutants in two widely used infectiousB. burgdorferistrains. When expression ofbosR,rpoS,ospC, anddbpAwas compared between thecsrAmutants and their wild-type counterparts, no detectable differences were observed. Finally, animal studies indicated that thecsrAmutants remained infectious for and virulent in mice. Analyses ofB. burgdorferigene expression in mouse tissues showed comparable levels ofrpoStranscripts by thecsrAmutants and the parental strains. Taken together, these results constitute compelling evidence that CsrA is not involved in activation of the RpoN-RpoS pathway and is dispensable for mammalian infectious processes carried out byB. burgdorferi.

scholarly journals Far-Reaching Dispersal of Borrelia burgdorferi Sensu Lato-Infected Blacklegged Ticks by Migratory Songbirds in Canada

Healthcare ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 89 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Scott ◽  
Kerry Clark ◽  
Janet Foley ◽  
Bradley Bierman ◽  
Lance Durden
Keyword(s):  
Lyme Disease ◽  
Borrelia Burgdorferi ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Ixodes Scapularis ◽  
Pcr Amplification ◽  
Sensu Stricto ◽  
Borrelia Burgdorferi Sensu Lato ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Northern Areas ◽  
Migratory Songbirds

Lyme disease has been documented in northern areas of Canada, but the source of the etiological bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (Bbsl) has been in doubt. We collected 87 ticks from 44 songbirds during 2017, and 24 (39%) of 62 nymphs of the blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis, were positive for Bbsl. We provide the first report of Bbsl-infected, songbird-transported I. scapularis in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia; Newfoundland and Labrador; north-central Manitoba, and Alberta. Notably, we report the northernmost account of Bbsl-infected ticks parasitizing a bird in Canada. DNA extraction, PCR amplification, and DNA sequencing reveal that these Bbsl amplicons belong to Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto (Bbss), which is pathogenic to humans. Based on our findings, health-care providers should be aware that migratory songbirds widely disperse B. burgdorferi-infected I. scapularis in Canada’s North, and local residents do not have to visit an endemic area to contract Lyme disease.

scholarly journals Detection and Transstadial Passage of Babesia Species and Borrelia burgdorferi Sensu Lato in Ticks Collected from Avian and Mammalian Hosts in Canada

Healthcare ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 155 ◽  
Author(s):  
John D. Scott ◽  
Kerry L. Clark ◽  
Nikki M. Coble ◽  
Taylor R. Ballantyne
Keyword(s):  
Lyme Disease ◽  
Borrelia Burgdorferi ◽  
Medical Training ◽  
Sensu Stricto ◽  
Babesia Microti ◽  
Borrelia Burgdorferi Sensu Lato ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Babesia Species ◽  
House Wren ◽  
Human Babesiosis

Lyme disease and human babesiosis are the most common tick-borne zoonoses in the Temperate Zone of North America. The number of infected patients has continued to rise globally, and these zoonoses pose a major healthcare threat. This tick-host-pathogen study was conducted to test for infectious microbes associated with Lyme disease and human babesiosis in Canada. Using the flagellin (flaB) gene, three members of the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (Bbsl) complex were detected, namely a Borrelia lanei-like spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto (Bbss), and a distinct strain that may represent a separate Bbsl genospecies. This novel Bbsl strain was detected in a mouse tick, Ixodes muris, collected from a House Wren, Troglodytes aedon, in Quebec during the southward fall migration. The presence of Bbsl in bird-feeding larvae of I. muris suggests reservoir competency in three passerines (i.e., Common Yellowthroat, House Wren, Magnolia Warbler). Based on the 18S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene, three Babesia species (i.e., Babesia divergens-like, Babesia microti, Babesia odocoilei) were detected in field-collected ticks. Not only was B. odocoilei found in songbird-derived ticks, this piroplasm was apparent in adult questing blacklegged ticks, Ixodes scapularis, in southern Canada. By allowing live, engorged ticks to molt, we confirm the transstadial passage of Bbsl in I. muris and B. odocoilei in I. scapularis. Bbss and Babesia microti were detected concurrently in a groundhog tick, Ixodes cookei, in Western Ontario. In Alberta, a winter tick, Dermacentor albipictus, which was collected from a moose, Alces alces, tested positive for Bbss. Notably, a B. divergens-like piroplasm was detected in a rabbit tick, Haemaphysalis leporispalustris, collected from an eastern cottontail in southern Manitoba; this Babesia species is a first-time discovery in Canada. This rabbit tick was also co-infected with Borrelia lanei-like spirochetes, which constitutes a first in Canada. Overall, five ticks were concurrently infected with Babesia and Bbsl pathogens and, after the molt, could potentially co-infect humans. Notably, we provide the first authentic report of I. scapularis ticks co-infected with Bbsl and B. odocoilei in Canada. The full extent of infectious microorganisms transmitted to humans by ticks is not fully elucidated, and clinicians need to be aware of the complexity of these tick-transmitted enzootic agents on human health. Diagnosis and treatment must be administered by those with accredited medical training in tick-borne zoonosis.

Infestation of sand lizards (Lacerta agilis) resident in the Northeastern Poland by Ixodes ricinus (L.) ticks and their infection with Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato

2007 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alicja Gryczyńska-Siemiątkowska ◽  
Alicja Siedlecka ◽  
Joanna Stańczak ◽  
Miłosława Barkowska
Keyword(s):  
Borrelia Burgdorferi ◽  
Ixodes Ricinus ◽  
Tick Infestation ◽  
Sensu Stricto ◽  
Borrelia Burgdorferi Sensu Lato ◽  
Passerine Birds ◽  
Northeastern Poland ◽  
Lacerta Agilis ◽  
Etiological Agents ◽  
Age And Sex

AbstractSand lizards (Lacerta agilis) were trapped and examined for ticks from May to September in 2002 and 2003 in Northeastern Poland. A total of 233 Ixodes ricinus (L.) ticks (76 larvae and 157 nymphs) was found on 31 of 235 captured lizards (13.2%). The tick infestation is relatively low compared to that of mammals and passerine birds from the same area (Siński et al. 2006, Gryczyńska et al. 2002). Tick infestation depended on the month of capture, being the highest in spring. In autumn no ticks were recorded on any of the captured lizards. The oldest lizards carried the highest number of ticks but no differences related to sex of the host were found. All the collected ticks were analysed by PCR for the presence of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, the etiological agents of Lyme disease. Spirochetes were detected in 11 out of 233 (4.7%) ticks tested. Genetic analysis confirmed that the spirochetes are members of the Borrelia afzelii, B. garinii and B. burgdorferi sensu stricto genospecies. Mixed infection were not detected. The prevalence of infection was analysed in relation to months of the capture, age and sex of the lizards, but differences were not statistically significant. The obtained results suggest that lizards are probably not B. burgdorferi reservoirs, but further studies are required to confirm this.

scholarly journals Antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi OspA, OspC, OspF, and C6 Antigens as Markers for Early and Late Infection in Dogs

2012 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 527-535 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bettina Wagner ◽  
Heather Freer ◽  
Alicia Rollins ◽  
David Garcia-Tapia ◽  
Hollis N. Erb ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lyme Disease ◽  
Borrelia Burgdorferi ◽  
The United States ◽  
Sensu Stricto ◽  
Antibody Responses ◽  
Surface Proteins ◽  
Early Infection ◽  
Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Antibody Levels

ABSTRACTLyme disease in the United States is caused byBorrelia burgdorferisensu stricto, which is transmitted to mammals by infected ticks.Borreliaspirochetes differentially express immunogenic outer surface proteins (Osp). Our aim was to evaluate antibody responses to Osp antigens to aid the diagnosis of early infection and the management of Lyme disease. We analyzed antibody responses during the first 3 months after the experimental infection of dogs using a novel multiplex assay. Results were compared to those obtained with two commercial assays detecting C6 antigen. Multiplex analysis identified antibodies to OspC and C6 as early as 3 weeks postinfection (p.i.) and those to OspF by 5 weeks p.i. Antibodies to C6 and OspF increased throughout the study, while antibodies to OspC peaked between 7 and 11 weeks p.i. and declined thereafter. A short-term antibody response to OspA was observed in 3/8 experimentally infected dogs on day 21 p.i. Quant C6 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) results matched multiplex results during the first 7 weeks p.i.; however, antibody levels subsequently declined by up to 29%. Immune responses then were analyzed in sera from 125 client-owned dogs and revealed high agreement between antibodies to OspF and C6 as robust markers for infection. Results from canine patient sera supported that OspC is an early infection marker and antibodies to OspC decline over time. The onset and decline of antibody responses toB. burgdorferiOsp antigens and C6 reflect their differential expression during infection. They provide valuable tools to determine the stage of infection, treatment outcomes, and vaccination status in dogs.

scholarly journals Genospecies Identification and Characterization of Lyme Disease Spirochetes of Genospecies Borrelia burgdorferi Sensu Lato Isolated from Rodents in Taiwan

1998 ◽  
Vol 36 (11) ◽  
pp. 3127-3132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chien-Ming Shih ◽  
Han-Ming Chang ◽  
Show-Li Chen ◽  
Li-Lian Chao
Keyword(s):  
Lyme Disease ◽  
Borrelia Burgdorferi ◽  
Pcr Primers ◽  
Sensu Stricto ◽  
Surface Proteins ◽  
Borrelia Burgdorferi Sensu Lato ◽  
Pcr Analysis ◽  
Protein Profiles ◽  
Specific Pcr ◽  
Plasmid Profiles

Lyme disease spirochetes of the genospecies Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato were identified and characterized for the first time in Taiwan. Seven isolates, designated TWKM1 to TWKM7, were purified from the ear tissues of three species of rodents captured from seven localities of Taiwan. The immunological characteristics of these Taiwan isolates were compared with those of other genospecies of Lyme disease spirochetes by analyzing the protein profiles and reactivities with B. burgdorferi-specific monoclonal antibodies (MAbs). The genospecies of these Taiwan isolates were also identified by the similarities in their plasmid profiles and differential reactivities with genospecies-specific PCR primers. Although two distinct protein profiles were observed among the seven Taiwan isolates, the MAb reactivities against the outer surface proteins of B. burgdorferi of all of these isolates were consistent with those of B. burgdorferi sensu lato. The similarities of the plasmid profiles also confirmed the identities of these Taiwan isolates. PCR analysis indicated that all of these Taiwan isolates were genetically related to the genospecies B. burgdorferi sensu stricto. These results demonstrate the first identification of Lyme disease spirochetes in Taiwan and also highlight the increasing demand for defining the reservoirs and vector ticks of B. burgdorferi. A serosurvey for Lyme disease infection in the human population of Taiwan may also be required.

scholarly journals Bactericidal Activity of Octenidine to Various Genospecies of Borrelia burgdorferi, Sensu Lato Spirochetes in Vitro and in Vivo

2017 ◽  
Vol 66 (2) ◽  
pp. 259-263 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stanisława Tylewska-Wierzbanowska ◽  
Urszula Roguska ◽  
Grażyna Lewandowska ◽  
Tomasz Chmielewski
Keyword(s):  
Borrelia Burgdorferi ◽  
Bactericidal Activity ◽  
Reliable Method ◽  
Bactericidal Effect ◽  
Sensu Stricto ◽  
Borrelia Burgdorferi Sensu Lato ◽  
Bactericidal Action ◽  
Speed Up

The aim of our studies was to invent a reliable method for detection of bactericidal activity of disinfectants against Borrelia burgdorferi in suspension (in vitro) and in cell line cultures (in vivo). In the suspension method, 0.01 % octenidine at 20°C and 35°C was bactericidal to Borrelia afzeli; Borrelia garini, B. burgdorferi sensu stricto after 5 minutes treatment. Increase of the temperature to 35°C speed up the bactericidal effect to 1 minute. The bactericidal action of octenidine towards B. burgdorferi spirochetes growing in fibroblasts was less effective and needed a longer time to kill them than in the suspension.

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