Borrelia burgdorferi and Borrelia miyamotoi seroprevalence in California blood donors

The western blacklegged tick, Ixodes pacificus, an important vector in the western United States of two zoonotic spirochetes: Borrelia burgdorferi (also called Borreliella burgdorferi), causing Lyme disease, and Borrelia miyamotoi, causing a relapsing fever-type illness. Human cases of Lyme disease are well-documented in California, with increased risk in the north coastal areas and western slopes of the Sierra Nevada range. Despite the established presence of B. miyamotoi in the human-biting I. pacificus tick in California, clinical cases with this spirochete have not been well studied. To assess exposure to B. burgdorferi and B. miyamotoi in California, and to address the hypothesis that B. miyamotoi exposure in humans is similar in geographic range to B. burgdorferi, 1,700 blood donor sera from California were tested for antibodies to both pathogens. Sampling was from high endemic and low endemic counties for Lyme disease in California. All sera were screened using the C6 ELISA. All C6 positive and equivocal samples and nine randomly chosen C6 negative samples were further analyzed for B. burgdorferi antibody using IgG western blot and a modified two ELISA test system and for B. miyamotoi antibody using the GlpQ ELISA and B. miyamotoi whole cell sonicate western blot. Of the 1,700 samples tested in series, eight tested positive for antibodies to B. burgdorferi (0.47%, Exact 95% CI: 0.20, 0.93) and two tested positive for antibodies to B. miyamotoi (0.12%, Exact 95% CI: 0.01, 0.42). There was no statistically significant difference in seroprevalence for either pathogen between high and low Lyme disease endemic counties. Our results confirm a low frequency of Lyme disease and an even lower frequency of B. miyamotoi exposure among adult blood donors in California; however, our findings reinforce public health messaging that there is risk of infection by these emerging diseases in the state.

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Surveillance of Ticks and Tick-Borne Pathogens in Suburban Natural Habitats of Central Maryland

Journal of Medical Entomology ◽

10.1093/jme/tjaa291 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Matthew T Milholland ◽

Lars Eisen ◽

Robyn M Nadolny ◽

Andrias Hojgaard ◽

Erika T Machtinger ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lyme Disease ◽

Borrelia Burgdorferi ◽

Spotted Fever ◽

Babesia Microti ◽

Borrelia Burgdorferi Sensu Lato ◽

Spotted Fever Group ◽

Borrelia Miyamotoi ◽

Natural Habitats ◽

Questing Ticks ◽

Tick Vectors

Abstract Lyme and other tick-borne diseases are increasing in the eastern United States and there is a lack of research on integrated strategies to control tick vectors. Here we present results of a study on tick-borne pathogens detected from tick vectors and rodent reservoirs from an ongoing 5-yr tick suppression study in the Lyme disease-endemic state of Maryland, where human-biting tick species, including Ixodes scapularis Say (Acari: Ixodidae) (the primary vector of Lyme disease spirochetes), are abundant. During the 2017 tick season, we collected 207 questing ticks and 602 ticks recovered from 327 mice (Peromyscus spp. (Rodentia: Cricetidae)), together with blood and ear tissue from the mice, at seven suburban parks in Howard County. Ticks were selectively tested for the presence of the causative agents of Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato [s.l.]), anaplasmosis (Anaplasma phagocytophilum), babesiosis (Babesia microti), ehrlichiosis (Ehrlichia ewingii, Ehrlichia chaffeensis, and ‘Panola Mountain’ Ehrlichia) and spotted fever group rickettsiosis (Rickettsia spp.). Peromyscus ear tissue and blood samples were tested for Bo. burgdorferi sensu stricto (s.s), A. phagocytophilum, Ba. microti, and Borrelia miyamotoi. We found 13.6% (15/110) of questing I. scapularis nymphs to be Bo. burgdorferi s.l. positive and 1.8% (2/110) were A. phagocytophilum positive among all sites. Borrelia burgdorferi s.s. was found in 71.1% (54/76) of I. scapularis nymphs removed from mice and 58.8% (194/330) of captured mice. Results from study on tick abundance and pathogen infection status in questing ticks, rodent reservoirs, and ticks feeding on Peromyscus spp. will aid efficacy evaluation of the integrated tick management measures being implemented.

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Quality Control Assessment of Canadian Laboratories Testing for Lyme Disease

Canadian Journal of Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1155/1991/128961 ◽

1991 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. 41-45

Author(s):

Harvey Artsob ◽

Maxwell Garvie

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Quality Control ◽

Lyme Disease ◽

Borrelia Burgdorferi ◽

Western Blot ◽

Etiological Agent ◽

Immunofluorescent Assay ◽

Satisfactory Performance ◽

Endemic Areas ◽

Negative Controls

In June 1990 a quality control assessment was undertaken of Canadian public health laboratories testing for antibodies toBorrelia burgdorferi, the etiological agent of Lyme disease. Twenty sera were distributed to nine laboratories, including 12 obtained from patients in Lyme endemic areas and presumed to be serological positives, and eight prescreened negative controls. Seventeen serological reports were submitted, comprising nine enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (elisa), six immunofluorescent assays and two Western blot assessments. Antibodies were detected in 11 of the 12 sera which had been presumed to be positive. Assuming 11 positive sera had been submitted, the test sensitivities varied from 88.9 to 100% byelisa, and 54.5 to 90.1% by immunofluorescent assay. Specificities were 100% for all but oneelisaand one immunofluorescent assay assessment. The results indicate a satisfactory performance byelisabut a need for upgrading or replacement of some immunofluorescent assay tests.

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Role of the BBA64 Locus of Borrelia burgdorferi in Early Stages of Infectivity in a Murine Model of Lyme Disease

Infection and Immunity ◽

10.1128/iai.01118-07 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 76 (1) ◽

pp. 391-402 ◽

Cited By ~ 37

Author(s):

Mahulena Maruskova ◽

M. Dolores Esteve-Gassent ◽

Valerie L. Sexton ◽

J. Seshu

Keyword(s):

Lyme Disease ◽

Borrelia Burgdorferi ◽

Immunoblot Analysis ◽

Open Reading Frames ◽

Mammalian Host ◽

Environmental Signals ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Linear Plasmid 54

ABSTRACT Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, undergoes rapid adaptive gene expression in response to environmental signals encountered during different stages of its life cycle in the arthropod vector or the mammalian host. Among all the plasmid-encoded genes of B. burgdorferi, several linear plasmid 54 (lp54)-encoded open reading frames (ORFs) exhibit the greatest differential expression in response to mammalian host-specific temperature, pH, and other uncharacterized signals. These ORFs include members of the paralogous gene family 54 (pgf 54), such as BBA64, BBA65, and BBA66, present on lp54. In an attempt to correlate transcriptional up-regulation of these pgf 54 members to their role in infectivity, we inactivated BBA64 and characterized the phenotype of this mutant both in vitro and in vivo. There were no major differences in the protein profiles between the BBA64 mutant and the control strains, while immunoblot analysis indicated that inactivation of BBA64 resulted in increased levels of BBA65. Moreover, there was no significant difference in the ability of the BBA64 mutant to infect C3H/HeN mice compared to that of its parental or complemented control strains as determined by culturing of viable spirochetes from infected tissues. However, enumeration of spirochetes using quantitative real-time PCR revealed tissue-specific differences, suggesting a minimal role for BBA64 in the survival of B. burgdorferi in select tissues. Infectivity analysis of the BBA64 mutant suggests that B. burgdorferi may utilize multiple determinants to establish infection in mammalian hosts.

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Comparative evaluation of three different ELISA methods for the diagnosis of early culture-confirmed Lyme disease in Italy

Journal of Medical Microbiology ◽

10.1099/jmm.0.45853-0 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 54 (4) ◽

pp. 361-367 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Antonella Marangoni ◽

Monica Sparacino ◽

Francesca Cavrini ◽

Elisa Storni ◽

Valeria Mondardini ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Immune Response ◽

Lyme Disease ◽

Borrelia Burgdorferi ◽

False Positive ◽

Comparative Evaluation ◽

Endemic Area ◽

Blood Donors ◽

Erythema Migrans ◽

Serum Samples ◽

Positive Reactivity

In this study the raising and development of the immune response to Borrelia burgdorferi infection in 45 Italian patients suffering from culture-confirmed Lyme borreliosis erythema migrans was investigated. A total of 95 serially collected serum samples were tested by using three different commercial ELISAs: recomWell Borrelia (Mikrogen), Enzygnost Borreliosis (DADE Behring) and Quick ELISA C6 Borrelia (Immunetics). The sensitivities of the ELISAs were as follows: Enzygnost Borreliosis IgM, 70.5 %; Quick ELISA C6 Borrelia, 62.1 %; recomWell Borrelia IgM, 55.7 %; recomWell Borrelia IgG, 57.9 %; and Enzygnost Borreliosis IgG, 36.8 %. In order to compare the specificity values of the three ELISAs, a panel of sera obtained from blood donors (210 samples coming from a non-endemic area and 24 samples from an endemic area) was tested, as well as sera from patients suffering from some of the most common biological conditions that could result in false-positive reactivity in Lyme disease serology (n = 40). RecomWell Borrelia IgG and recomWell Borrelia IgM were the most specific (97.1 % and 98.9 %, respectively), followed by Quick ELISA C6 Borrelia (96.7 %). Enzygnost Borreliosis IgG and IgM achieved 90.1 % and 92.3 % specificity, respectively. Sera that gave discrepant results when tested by the three ELISAs were further analysed by Western blotting.

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Effect of Rising Temperature on Lyme Disease: Ixodes scapularis Population Dynamics and Borrelia burgdorferi Transmission and Prevalence

Canadian Journal of Infectious Diseases and Medical Microbiology ◽

10.1155/2019/9817930 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2019 ◽

pp. 1-15 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Dorothy Wallace ◽

Vardayani Ratti ◽

Anita Kodali ◽

Jonathan M. Winter ◽

Matthew P. Ayres ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lyme Disease ◽

Borrelia Burgdorferi ◽

Disease Transmission ◽

Disease Risk ◽

Ixodes Scapularis ◽

Risk Measures ◽

Field Measurements ◽

Field Studies ◽

Mean Annual Temperature ◽

Increased Risk

Warmer temperatures are expected to increase the incidence of Lyme disease through enhanced tick maturation rates and a longer season of transmission. In addition, there could be an increased risk of disease export because of infected mobile hosts, usually birds. A temperature-driven seasonal model of Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme disease) transmission among four host types is constructed as a system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations. The model is developed and parametrized based on a collection of lab and field studies. The model is shown to produce biologically reasonable results for both the tick vector (Ixodes scapularis) and the hosts when compared to a different set of studies. The model is used to predict the response of Lyme disease risk to a mean annual temperature increase, based on current temperature cycles in Hanover, NH. Many of the risk measures suggested by the literature are shown to change with increased mean annual temperature. The most straightforward measure of disease risk is the abundance of infected questing ticks, averaged over a year. Compared to this measure, which is difficult and resource-intensive to track in the field, all other risk measures considered underestimate the rise of risk with rise in mean annual temperature. The measure coming closest was “degree days above zero.” Disease prevalence in ticks and hosts showed less increase with rising temperature. Single field measurements at the height of transmission season did not show much change at all with rising temperature.

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Borrelia burgdorferi (Spirochaetales: Spirochaetaceae) Infection Prevalence and Host Associations of Ticks Found on Peromyscus spp. in Maryland

Journal of Medical Entomology ◽

10.1093/jme/tjab206 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Julia E Poje ◽

Jose F Azevedo ◽

Nisha Nair ◽

Kurayi Mahachi ◽

Lexi E Frank ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lyme Disease ◽

Borrelia Burgdorferi ◽

Disease Risk ◽

Ixodes Scapularis ◽

Sensu Stricto ◽

Infection Prevalence ◽

Private Land ◽

Tissue Samples ◽

Wild Mice ◽

Significant Difference

Abstract Lyme disease, caused by Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto and most commonly transmitted by Ixodes scapularis Say (Ixodida: Ixodidae), is the most common tick-borne disease in Maryland. Because B. burgdorferi s.s. is maintained in enzootic cycles among wild mice (Peromyscus spp) and Ixodes spp ticks, differing patterns of parasitism of ticks on mice could impact the infection prevalence with B. burgdorferi. We determined the infection prevalence of Peromyscus spp as well as questing and partially engorged nymphal ticks collected at six sites on private land in five counties in Maryland from May to August 2020. Questing nymph infection prevalence (NIP) was 14%. We trapped 1258 mice and collected 554 ticks and 413 ear tissue samples. The prevalence of infested Peromyscus spp varied based on host age and sex, with older and male mice more likely to be infested. We detected a significant difference amongst the proportion of attached Ixodes and the location of trapping. Similarly, the prevalence of B. burgdorferi infected Peromyscus spp mice varied between locations (average mouse infection prevalence was 40%), with the highest prevalence in locations where Ixodes were the most commonly found ticks. The B. burgdorferi infection prevalence in partially engorged I. scapularis nymphs retrieved from Peromyscus spp was ~36% which lends further support to the host infection prevalence. Local differences in distribution of infected vectors and reservoirs are important factors to consider when planning interventions to reduce Lyme disease risk.

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Evaluation of 2 ELISAs to determine Borrelia burgdorferi seropositivity in horses over a 12-month period

Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation ◽

10.1177/10406387211016103 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 104063872110161

Author(s):

Megan Neely ◽

Luis Arroyo ◽

Claire Jardine ◽

Katie Clow ◽

Alison Moore ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lyme Disease ◽

Borrelia Burgdorferi ◽

Ixodes Scapularis ◽

Surface Proteins ◽

Test Reliability ◽

Serum Samples ◽

Initial Testing ◽

Paired Samples ◽

Outer Surface Proteins ◽

Significant Difference

The blacklegged tick ( Ixodes scapularis), which transmits Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, has undergone rapid range expansion in Ontario. In horses, Lyme disease remains an enigmatic disease, with limited understanding of the pathogenesis and many issues pertaining to selection and interpretation of laboratory tests. We evaluated B. burgdorferi seropositivity in naturally exposed horses over a 12-mo period and compared paired samples with 2 common serologic tests. Serum samples were collected in 2017, ~1 y after initial testing, from a cohort of 22 horses that were seropositive in a 2016 seroprevalence study. Samples were tested using a C6 ELISA and a multiplex ELISA targeting outer surface proteins A, C, and F. 1 y after initial testing, 14 of 22 (64%) horses remained seropositive; 7 (32%) were positive on the multiplex ELISA, 2 (9%) on C6 ELISA, and 5 (23%) on both tests. Repeatability was 100% for the C6 ELISA, and 95% for the multiplex ELISA, with no significant difference between paired sample multiplex titer values. Our results indicate strong intra-test reliability, although further investigation is required to determine the clinical significance of serologic testing.

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Glycerophosphodiester Phosphodiesterase Identified as Non-Reliable Serological Marker for Borrelia miyamotoi Disease

Microorganisms ◽

10.3390/microorganisms8121846 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 (12) ◽

pp. 1846

Author(s):

Michael Reiter ◽

Theresa Stelzer ◽

Anna M. Schötta ◽

Mateusz Markowicz ◽

Michael Leschnik ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Borrelia Burgdorferi ◽

Blood Donors ◽

Diagnostic Marker ◽

Red Cross ◽

Borrelia Burgdorferi Sensu Lato ◽

Borrelia Miyamotoi ◽

High Concentrations ◽

Pathogen Diagnosis ◽

Diagnosis Of Infection ◽

Glycerophosphodiester Phosphodiesterase

The relapsing fever group Borrelia miyamotoi is an emerging tick-borne pathogen. Diagnosis of infection is currently mainly based on serological methods detecting antibodies against B. miyamotoi glycerophosphodiester phosphodiesterase (GlpQ). Here, we scrutinized the reliability of GlpQ as a diagnostic marker and compared the seroprevalence in different study populations and by applying various immunoblotting methods. Antibodies were detected in the sera of 7/53 hunters and in 1/11 sera of Lyme neuroborreliosis patients. Furthermore, 17/74 sera of persons with high concentrations of anti-Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (α-Bbsl) antibodies reacted strongly with B. miyamotoi GlpQ in immunoblots. The B. miyamotoi GlpQ seroprevalence was 7/50 in α-Bbsl negative persons. In healthy blood donors from commercial suppliers and from the Austrian Red Cross, seroprevalences were 5/14 and 10/35, respectively. Strikingly, two B. miyamotoi PCR-positive cases from Austria had negative GlpQ serology, indicating poor sensitivity. Finally, when we analyzed sera of dogs, we found α-B. miyamotoi GlpQ antibody seroprevalence in tick-free dogs (n = 10) and in tick-exposed dogs (n = 19) with 2/10 and 8/19, respectively. Thus, our results indicate that GlpQ-based B. miyamotoi serology holds neither specificity nor sensitivity.

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Significantly Improved Accuracy of Diagnosis of Early Lyme Disease by Peptide Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay Based on the Borreliacidal Antibody Epitope of Borrelia burgdorferi OspC

Clinical and Vaccine Immunology ◽

10.1128/cvi.00079-08 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 15 (6) ◽

pp. 981-985 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Dean A. Jobe ◽

Steven D. Lovrich ◽

Krista E. Asp ◽

Michelle A. Mathiason ◽

Stephanie E. Albrecht ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lyme Disease ◽

Borrelia Burgdorferi ◽

Western Blot ◽

Immunosorbent Assay ◽

Antibody Test ◽

Immunoglobulin M ◽

Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽

C Terminus ◽

Igm Elisa ◽

Improved Accuracy

ABSTRACT Highly specific borreliacidal antibodies are induced by infection with Borrelia burgdorferi, and the immunodominant response during early Lyme disease is specific for an epitope within the 7 amino acids nearest the C terminus of OspC. We evaluated the ability of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) based on a synthetic peptide (OspC7) that matched the region to detect the response and compared the sensitivity during early Lyme disease to that for an FDA-approved Western blot. When the optical density value was adjusted to 98% specificity based on the results from testing normal or uncharacterized sera (n = 236) or sera from patients with blood factors or illnesses that commonly produce antibodies that cross-react with B. burgdorferi antigens (n = 77), 115 (73%) of 157 sera from patients likely to have early Lyme disease were positive for immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies and 17 (11%) also had IgG antibodies. In addition, the IgM ELISA reactivities and the titers of antibodies detected by a flow cytometric borreliacidal antibody test correlated closely (r = 0.646). Moreover, the IgM ELISA was significantly more sensitive (P < 0.001) than the Western blot procedure. The findings therefore confirmed that the peptide IgM ELISA detected OspC borreliacidal antibodies and provided strong evidence that the test can eliminate the necessity for confirming early Lyme disease by a supplementary test such as Western blotting.

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The use of local isolates in Western blots improves serological diagnosis of Lyme disease in Scotland

Journal of Medical Microbiology ◽

10.1099/jmm.0.46793-0 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 56 (1) ◽

pp. 47-51 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

S. Mavin ◽

R. M. Milner ◽

R. Evans ◽

J. M. W. Chatterton ◽

A. W. L. Joss ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lyme Disease ◽

Borrelia Burgdorferi ◽

Western Blot ◽

Clinical Picture ◽

Reference Strain ◽

Sensu Stricto ◽

Serological Diagnosis ◽

Western Blots ◽

Equivocal Result ◽

Positive Results

Nine Scottish Borrelia burgdorferi isolates were investigated in IgG Western blot tests. Sera previously found to be positive and negative when tested by routine Western blots prepared from reference strain B. burgdorferi sensu stricto antigen had different outcomes with these isolates. Two isolates, E5 (Borrelia afzelii) and G4 (B. burgdorferi sensu stricto) performed well, reproducing Western blot-positive results in 90 and 95 % of tests, respectively. When antigens from both isolates were incorporated into a single IgG Western blot, the results of a panel of sera were improved when compared to the routine reference strain IgG Western blot. All of the sera positive by the routine Western blot remained positive using the Scottish isolate antigen mix. Twenty-three of the 25 negative sera remained negative and two produced an equivocal result. Of the 15 samples that tested IgG Western blot equivocal with the B. burgdorferi sensu stricto reference strain, 11 (73 %) became weak or strong positive when tested with the B. afzelii/B. burgdorferi sensu stricto antigen mix (χ 2=14.35, Yates' correction, P<0.001). In seven of these, a clinical picture of Lyme disease was consistent with the new results. The use of Scottish strains of B. afzelii and B. burgdorferi sensu stricto to provide antigen for the IgG Western blot improves the diagnosis of Lyme disease for patients in Scotland.

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