scholarly journals Passage through Ixodes scapularis Ticks Enhances the Virulence of a Weakly Pathogenic Isolate of Borrelia burgdorferi

2009 ◽  
Vol 78 (1) ◽  
pp. 138-144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarojini Adusumilli ◽  
Carmen J. Booth ◽  
Juan Anguita ◽  
Erol Fikrig
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Lyme Disease ◽  
Borrelia Burgdorferi ◽  
Ixodes Scapularis ◽  
The United States ◽  
Sensu Stricto ◽  
Array Analysis ◽  
C3h Mice ◽  
Attenuated Isolate

ABSTRACT Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne illness in the United States. In this paper we explore the contribution of Ixodes scapularis ticks to the pathogenicity of Borrelia burgdorferi in mice. Previously we demonstrated that an isolate of B. burgdorferi sensu stricto (designated N40), passaged 75 times in vitro (N40-75), was infectious but was no longer able to cause arthritis and carditis in C3H mice. We now show that N40-75 spirochetes can readily colonize I. scapularis and multiply during tick engorgement. Remarkably, tick-transmitted N40-75 spirochetes cause disease in mice. N40-75 spirochetes isolated from these animals also retained their pathogenicity when subsequently administered to mice via syringe inoculation. Array analysis revealed that several genes associated with virulence, including bba25, bba65, bba66, bbj09, and bbk32, had higher expression levels in the tick-passaged N40-75 spirochete. These data suggest that transmission of a high-passage attenuated isolate of B. burgdorferi by the arthropod vector results in the generation of spirochetes that have enhanced pathogenesis in mice.

scholarly journals Complex Population Structure of Borrelia burgdorferi in Southeastern and South Central Canada as Revealed by Phylogeographic Analysis

2014 ◽  
Vol 81 (4) ◽  
pp. 1309-1318 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Mechai ◽  
G. Margos ◽  
E. J. Feil ◽  
L. R. Lindsay ◽  
N. H. Ogden
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Borrelia Burgdorferi ◽  
Ixodes Scapularis ◽  
The United States ◽  
Sensu Stricto ◽  
Content Type ◽  
South Central ◽  
Central Canada ◽  
Complex Population ◽  
Reservoir Hosts

ABSTRACTLyme disease, caused by the bacteriumBorrelia burgdorferisensu stricto, is an emerging zoonotic disease in Canada and is vectored by the blacklegged tick,Ixodes scapularis. Here we used Bayesian analyses of sequence types (STs), determined by multilocus sequence typing (MLST), to investigate the phylogeography ofB. burgdorferipopulations in southern Canada and the United States by analyzing MLST data from 564B. burgdorferi-positive samples collected during surveillance. A total of 107 Canadian samples from field sites were characterized as part of this study, and these data were combined with existing MLST data for samples from the United States and Canada. Only 17% of STs were common between both countries, while 49% occurred only in the United States, and 34% occurred only in Canada. However, STs in southeastern Ontario and southwestern Quebec were typically identical to those in the northeastern United States, suggesting a recent introduction into this region from the United States. In contrast, STs in other locations in Canada (the Maritimes; Long Point, Ontario; and southeastern Manitoba) were frequently unique to those locations but were putative descendants of STs previously found in the United States. The picture in Canada is consistent with relatively recent introductions from multiple refugial populations in the United States. These data thus point to a geographic pattern of populations ofB. burgdorferiin North America that may be more complex than simply comprising northeastern, midwestern, and Californian groups. We speculate that this reflects the complex ecology and spatial distribution of key reservoir hosts.

Geographic Uniformity of the Lyme Disease Spirochete (Borrelia burgdorferi) and Its Shared History With Tick Vector (Ixodes scapularis) in the Northeastern United States

Genetics ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 160 (3) ◽  
pp. 833-849
Author(s):  
Wei-Gang Qiu ◽  
Daniel E Dykhuizen ◽  
Michael S Acosta ◽  
Benjamin J Luft
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Genetic Structure ◽  
Lyme Disease ◽  
Borrelia Burgdorferi ◽  
Ixodes Scapularis ◽  
Balancing Selection ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
The United States ◽  
High Genetic Diversity ◽  
Tick Vector

Abstract Over 80% of reported cases of Lyme disease in the United States occur in coastal regions of northeastern and mid-Atlantic states. The genetic structure of the Lyme disease spirochete (Borrelia burgdorferi) and its main tick vector (Ixodes scapularis) was studied concurrently and comparatively by sampling natural populations of I. scapularis ticks along the East Coast from 1996 to 1998. Borrelia is genetically highly diverse at the outer surface protein ospC. Since Borrelia is highly clonal, the ospC alleles can be used to define clones. A newly designed reverse line blotting (RLB) assay shows that up to 10 Borrelia clones can infect a single tick. The clone frequencies in Borrelia populations are the same across the Northeast. On the other hand, I. scapularis populations show strong regional divergence (among northeastern, mid-Atlantic, and southern states) as well as local differentiation. The high genetic diversity within Borrelia populations and the disparity in the genetic structure between Borrelia and its tick vector are likely consequences of strong balancing selection on local Borrelia clones. Demographically, both Borrelia and I. scapularis populations in the Northeast show the characteristics of a species that has recently expanded from a population bottleneck. Major geological and ecological events, such as the last glacial maximum (18,000 years ago) and the modern-day expansion of tick habitats, are likely causes of the observed “founder effects” for the two organisms in the Northeast. We therefore conclude that the genetic structure of B. burgdorferi has been intimately shaped by the natural history of its main vector, the northern lineage of I. scapularis ticks.

scholarly journals Investigation of Genotypes of Borrelia burgdorferi in Ixodes scapularis Ticks Collected during Surveillance in Canada

2011 ◽  
Vol 77 (10) ◽  
pp. 3244-3254 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. H. Ogden ◽  
G. Margos ◽  
D. M. Aanensen ◽  
M. A. Drebot ◽  
E. J. Feil ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
North America ◽  
Lyme Disease ◽  
Borrelia Burgdorferi ◽  
Diagnostic Tests ◽  
Ixodes Scapularis ◽  
The United States ◽  
Borrelia Miyamotoi ◽  
Content Type

ABSTRACTThe genetic diversity ofBorrelia burgdorferisensu stricto, the agent of Lyme disease in North America, has consequences for the performance of serological diagnostic tests and disease severity. To investigateB. burgdorferidiversity in Canada, where Lyme disease is emerging, bacterial DNA in 309 infected adultIxodes scapularisticks collected in surveillance was characterized by multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and analysis of outer surface protein C gene (ospC) alleles. Six ticks carriedBorrelia miyamotoi, and one tick carried the novel speciesBorrelia kurtenbachii. 142 ticks carriedB. burgdorferisequence types (STs) previously described from the United States. Fifty-eight ticks carriedB. burgdorferiof 1 of 19 novel or undescribed STs, which were single-, double-, or triple-locus variants of STs first described in the United States. Clonal complexes with founder STs from the United States were identified. SeventeenospCalleles were identified in 309B. burgdorferi-infected ticks. Positive and negative associations in the occurrence of different alleles in the same tick supported a hypothesis of multiple-niche polymorphism forB. burgdorferiin North America. Geographic analysis of STs andospCalleles were consistent with south-to-north dispersion of infected ticks from U.S. sources on migratory birds. These observations suggest that the genetic diversity ofB. burgdorferiin eastern and central Canada corresponds to that in the United States, but there was evidence for founder events skewing the diversity in emerging tick populations. Further studies are needed to investigate the significance of these observations for the performance of diagnostic tests and clinical presentation of Lyme disease in Canada.

Coinfection of Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) Nymphs With Babesia spp. (Piroplasmida: Babesiidae) and Borrelia burgdorferi (Spirochaetales: Spirochaetaceae) in Wisconsin

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
T E Zembsch ◽  
X Lee ◽  
G M Bron ◽  
L C Bartholomay ◽  
S M Paskewitz
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Borrelia Burgdorferi ◽  
Ixodes Scapularis ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Sensu Stricto ◽  
Babesia Microti ◽  
Tick Bites ◽  
The Family ◽  
Babesia Spp

Abstract Borrelia burgdorferi, the spirochete that causes Lyme disease, is endemic and widespread in Wisconsin. Research in the northeastern United States has revealed a positive association between Babesia microti, the main pathogen that causes babesiosis in humans, and Bo. burgdorferi in humans and in ticks. This study was conducted to examine associations between the disease agents in the Upper midwestern United States. Ixodes scapularis Say nymphs (N = 2,858) collected between 2015 and 2017 from nine locations in Wisconsin were tested for Babesia spp. and Borrelia spp. using real-time PCR. Two species of Babesia were detected; Ba. microti and Babesia odocoilei (a parasite of members of the family Cervidae). Prevalence of infection at the nine locations ranged from 0 to 13% for Ba. microti, 11 to 31% for Bo. burgdorferi sensu stricto, and 5.7 to 26% for Ba. odocoilei. Coinfection of nymphs with Bo. burgdorferi and Ba. odocoilei was detected in eight of the nine locations and significant positive associations were observed in two of the eight locations. The prevalence of nymphal coinfection with both and Bo. burgdorferi and Ba. microti ranged from 0.81 to 6.5%. These two pathogens were significantly positively associated in one of the five locations where both pathogens were detected. In the other four locations, the observed prevalence of coinfection was higher than expected in all but one site-year. Clinics and healthcare providers should be aware of the association between Ba. microti and Bo. burgdorferi pathogens when treating patients who report tick bites.

scholarly journals Human Coinfection withBorrelia burgdorferiandBabesia microtiin the United States

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristen L. Knapp ◽  
Nancy A. Rice
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Lyme Disease ◽  
Causative Agent ◽  
Ixodes Scapularis ◽  
Immunological Response ◽  
The United States ◽  
Babesia Microti ◽  
Current State ◽  
Tick Borne Disease ◽  
Multiple Pathogens

Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, andBabesia microti, a causative agent of babesiosis, are increasingly implicated in the growing tick-borne disease burden in the northeastern United States. These pathogens are transmitted via the bite of an infected tick vector,Ixodes scapularis, which is capable of harboring and inoculating a host with multiple pathogens simultaneously. Clinical presentation of the diseases is heterogeneous and ranges from mild flu-like symptoms to near-fatal cardiac arrhythmias. While the reason for the variability is not known, the possibility exists that concomitant infection with bothB. burgdorferiandB. microtimay synergistically increase disease severity. In an effort to clarify the current state of understanding regarding coinfection withB. burgdorferiandB. microti, in this review, we discuss the geographical distribution and pathogenesis of Lyme disease and babesiosis in the United States, the immunological response of humans toB. burgdorferiorB. microtiinfection, the existing knowledge regarding coinfection disease pathology, and critical factors that have led to ambiguity in the literature regarding coinfection, in order to eliminate confusion in future experimental design and investigation.

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 Efficacy of an Evernimicin (SCH27899) In Vitro and in an Animal Model of Lyme Disease

2001 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 936-937 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles S. Pavia ◽  
Gary P. Wormser ◽  
John Nowakowski ◽  
Anthony Cacciapuoti
Keyword(s):  
Animal Model ◽  
Lyme Disease ◽  
Borrelia Burgdorferi ◽  
Antibiotic Treatment ◽  
Murine Model ◽  
C3h Mice

ABSTRACT The MICs of evernimicin at which 90% of Borrelia burgdorferi patient isolates were inhibited ranged from 0.1 to 0.5 μg/ml. Evernimicin was as effective as ceftriaxone againstB. burgdorferi in a murine model of experimental Lyme disease. As assessed by culturing the urinary bladders of infected C3H mice, no live Borrelia isolates were recoverable following antibiotic treatment.

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 Active and Passive Immunity against Borrelia burgdorferi Decorin Binding Protein A (DbpA) Protects against Infection

1998 ◽  
Vol 66 (5) ◽  
pp. 2143-2153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark S. Hanson ◽  
David R. Cassatt ◽  
Betty P. Guo ◽  
Nita K. Patel ◽  
Michael P. McCarthy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lyme Disease ◽  
Borrelia Burgdorferi ◽  
Low Dose ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Protein A ◽  
Sensu Stricto ◽  
Passive Immunity ◽  
In Vitro Growth

ABSTRACT Borrelia burgdorferi, the spirochete that causes Lyme disease, binds decorin, a collagen-associated extracellular matrix proteoglycan found in the skin (the site of entry for the spirochete) and in many other tissues. Two borrelial adhesins that recognize this proteoglycan, decorin binding proteins A and B (DbpA and DbpB, respectively), have recently been identified. Infection of mice by low-dose B. burgdorferi challenge elicited antibodies against DbpA and DbpB that were sustained at high levels, suggesting that these antigens are expressed in vivo. Scanning immunoelectron microscopy showed that DbpA was surface accessible on intact borreliae. Passive administration of DbpA antiserum protected mice from infection following challenge with heterologous B. burgdorferi sensu stricto isolates, even when serum administration was delayed for up to 4 days after challenge. DbpA is the first antigen target identified that is capable of mediating immune resolution of early, localizedB. burgdorferi infections. DbpA immunization also protected mice from B. burgdorferi challenge; DbpB immunization was much less effective. DbpA antiserum inhibited in vitro growth of manyB. burgdorferi sensu lato isolates of diverse geographic, phylogenetic, and clinical origins. In combination, these findings support a role for DbpA in the immunoprophylaxis of Lyme disease and suggest that DbpA vaccines have the potential to eliminate early-stageB. burgdorferi infections.

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