Article
Infectious Diseases
Viktoriya A. Levytska, Andriy B. Mushinsky, Dana Zubrikova, Lucia Blanarova, Ewa Dlugosz, Bronislava Vichova, Kateryna A. Slivinska, Zdzislaw Gajewski, Slawomir Gizinski, Shuling Liu, Lan Zhou, Artem S. Rogovskyy
Summary: The study investigated the prevalence of various tick-borne pathogens in different regions of Ukraine, finding variations in infection rates among different tick species, while no significant differences were observed between the five cities.
TICKS AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Justyna Anna Liberska, Jerzy Franciszek Michalik, Miroslawa Dabert
Summary: This study aimed to determine the presence of B. miyamotoi in host-seeking ticks and engorged Ixodes ticks. The results showed that B. miyamotoi is widely present in tick populations in different urban ecosystems of Poznań. The lack of difference in infection presence between animal-derived and host-seeking ticks suggests that surveillance of pets may be useful for evaluating human exposure to B. miyamotoi-infected ticks in urban areas. Further studies are needed to understand the role of domestic and wild carnivores in the epidemiology of B. miyamotoi, which remains unknown.
TICKS AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Dolores Genne, Whitney Jiricka, Anouk Sarr, Maarten J. Voordouw
Summary: Vector-borne pathogens can establish multiple-strain infections in both the host and the vector, but the impact of multiple-strain infections in the vector on strain-specific transmission to naive hosts is unclear.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Christopher B. Zinck, Prasobh Raveendran Thampy, Ryan O. M. Rego, Dustin Brisson, Nicholas H. Ogden, Maarten Voordouw
Summary: This study compared the infection prevalence and spirochete abundance of different strains of Borrelia burgdorferi in a rodent host. The results showed variations in tissue infection and spirochete load among strains, with differences observed between male and female mice. Furthermore, the study suggests that laboratory-based estimates of pathogen abundance can predict the strain composition of this tick-borne pathogen in nature.
Article
Ecology
Jordan Salomon, Alexandra Lawrence, Arielle Crews, Samantha Sambado, Andrea Swei
Summary: Lyme disease is the most prevalent vector-borne disease in the United States. Research shows that tick burdens on rodent hosts are influenced by predator diversity and questing tick abundance, impacting tick transmission and pathogen prevalence.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Heidi K. Goethert, Thomas N. Mather, Alanna O'Callahan, Sam R. Telford III
Summary: In the northeastern U.S., Lyme disease is mainly transmitted between vertebrate hosts and subadult deer ticks. The force of transmission is influenced by the host utilization of infected nymphal and uninfected larval ticks. The findings of this study provide insights into the host utilization differences of larval and nymphal deer ticks and their implications for Lyme disease transmission.
TICKS AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Sukanya Narasimhan, Nallakkandi Rajeevan, Morven Graham, Ming-Jie Wu, Kathleen DePonte, Solenne Marion, Orlanne Masson, Anya J. O'Neal, Joao H. F. Pedra, Daniel E. Sonenshine, Erol Fikrig
Summary: This study reveals that changes in tick microbiome composition do not significantly affect the transmission of Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease. The spirochetes may utilize an intracellular exit route during migration, helping them avoid the influence of microbiota in the midgut lumen.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kacie Ring, Lisa Couper, Anne L. Sapiro, Fauna Yarza, X. Frank Yang, Keith Clay, Chase Mateusiak, Seemay Chou, Andrea Swei
Summary: The bloodmeal source of ticks, especially from lizards, significantly affects their vector competency and gene regulation, challenging previous assumptions about the role of lizards in the ecology of Lyme disease transmission.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Angela Gimmel, Ulrike Eulenberger, Annette Liesegang
Summary: Commercial hedgehog diets may not provide adequate nutrition compared to the natural diet of European hedgehogs. Wet diets are closer to the natural diet, while some products had inaccuracies in their labels regarding compliance with Swiss and European law.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGY AND ANIMAL NUTRITION
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Alzbeta Sujanova, Zuzana Cuziova, Radovan Vaclav
Summary: This study found that the infestation rates of ticks and the infection rates of Borrelia in bird-feeding ticks are related to the haemosporidian infection status of the birds. More than half of the bird-feeding ticks were infected with Borrelia. There is a negative correlation between the haemosporidian infection status of the birds and the Borrelia infection rate in bird-feeding ticks, but it is dependent on the age of the birds.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Alexander A. Kirillov, Nadezhda Yu Kirillova, Alexander B. Ruchin
Summary: The helminth fauna of Northern white-breasted hedgehogs in the Republic of Mordovia, Russia, includes various trematodes, cestodes, nematodes, and acanthocephalans, with some species being recorded for the first time in Russia. Hedgehogs serve as the final hosts for parasitic species with organic host relationships. The parasite communities of Erinaceus spp. in the Palearctic region are primarily influenced by host-specific parasites.
Article
Parasitology
Julia Probst, Andrea Springer, Christina Strube
Summary: This study investigated tick infestations and seasonal infestation risk in dogs and cats in Germany and Austria. The results showed that I. ricinus and D. reticulatus were the most common tick species in Germany, while I. ricinus and D. reticulatus were dominant in Austria as well. Notably, ticks were found to be active during the winter months, highlighting the importance of year-round tick control.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Juraj Koci, Sandhya Bista, Payal Chirania, Xiuli Yang, Chrysoula Kitsou, Vipin Singh Rana, Ozlem Buyuktanir Yas, Daniel E. Sonenshine, Utpal Pal
Summary: I. scapularis ticks produce multiple orthologs for the widely studied tick gut protein Bm86, termed as Is86, which features at least three identifiable regions with EGF-like domains. Immunization with specific recombinant EGF antigens in murine hosts marginally reduced spirochete loads in the skin during B. burgdorferi infection, but the impact of EGF immunization on tick engorgement and pathogen survival in the vector is limited. Further investigations of Is86 and other tick antigens would enrich our understanding of tick biology and contribute to the development of anti-tick measures.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Gabriele Margos, Markus Hofmann, Sherwood Casjens, Marlene Dupraz, Susanne Heinzinger, Christine Hartberger, Sabrina Hepner, Mercy Schmeusser, Andreas Sing, Volker Fingerle, Karen D. McCoy
Summary: Borrelia garinii, a human pathogenic species found in Europe, Asia, and marine birds, has different genome types and plasmid numbers in seabirds compared to terrestrial avian species, potentially indicating niche adaptation. However, genome type does not directly correlate with host species.
INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Beata Wodecka, Jerzy Michalik, Renata Grochowalska
Summary: This study investigated the role of red foxes and their associated ticks in maintaining Borrelia burgdorferi. Through PCR analysis of ticks removed from infested animals, multiple species of ticks carrying B. burgdorferi were identified. Tissue analysis of red foxes also showed a certain level of infection. However, red foxes have low reservoir competence for most species of B. burgdorferi.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Robert E. Rollins, Alexia Mouchet, Gabriele Margos, Lidia Chitimia-Dobler, Volker Fingerle, Noemie S. Becker, Niels J. Dingemanse
Summary: Our study found that the infestation probability and burden of ticks in great tits are influenced by individual-specific traits and ecological factors. While exploratory behavior and body condition were not directly related to tick burden, faster explorers had a higher infestation probability. Additionally, human disturbance was correlated with increased infestation probability, emphasizing the importance of animal behavior and environmental factors in parasite infestation among avian hosts.
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY AND SOCIOBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Robert E. Rollins, Janna Wuelbern, Florian Roettgerding, Tristan A. Nowak, Sabrina Hepner, Volker Fingerle, Gabriele Margos, Yi-Pin Lin, Peter Kraiczy, Noemie S. Becker
Summary: This study investigates the role of PFam54 proteins in Lyme borreliosis pathogenesis using Borrelia bavariensis isolates naturally lacking the entire PFam54 gene array. The results show that these isolates are more susceptible to human serum but remain infectious to mice after intradermal inoculation, suggesting the nonessential role of PFam54 in long-term infection.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Paul R. Wratil, Marcel Stern, Alina Priller, Annika Willmann, Giovanni Almanzar, Emanuel Vogel, Martin Feuerherd, Cho-Chin Cheng, Sarah Yazici, Catharina Christa, Samuel Jeske, Gaia Lupoli, Tim Vogt, Manuel Albanese, Ernesto Mejias-Perez, Stefan Bauernfried, Natalia Graf, Hrvoje Mijocevic, Martin Vu, Kathrin Tinnefeld, Jochen Wettengel, Dieter Hoffmann, Maximilian Muenchhoff, Christopher Daechert, Helga Mairhofer, Stefan Krebs, Volker Fingerle, Alexander Graf, Philipp Steininger, Helmut Blum, Veit Hornung, Bernhard Liebl, Klaus Ueberla, Martina Prelog, Percy Knolle, Oliver T. Keppler, Ulrike Protzer
Summary: This study reports on the dynamics of neutralizing antibodies in individuals convalescing from coronavirus disease 2019 or who are vaccine-naive and subsequently vaccinated. The findings suggest that infection-plus-vaccination-induced hybrid immunity or triple immunization can induce high-quality antibodies with superior neutralization capacity against variants of concern, including omicron.
Article
Virology
Kerstin Puchinger, Noemi Castelletti, Raquel Rubio-Acero, Christof Geldmacher, Tabea M. Eser, Flora Deak, Ivana Paunovic, Abhishek Bakuli, Elmar Saathoff, Alexander von Meyer, Alisa Markgraf, Philine Falk, Jakob Reich, Friedrich Riess, Philipp Girl, Katharina Mueller, Katja Radon, Jessica Michelle Guggenbuehl Noller, Roman Woelfel, Michael Hoelscher, Inge Kroidl, Andreas Wieser, Laura Olbrich
Summary: This study investigated the dynamics of viral loads and antibodies in COVID-19 patients and found a correlation between viral loads and clinical progression.
Article
Microbiology
Andrea Springer, Daniela Jordan, Antje Glass, Olaf Kahl, Volker Fingerle, Philipp Girl, Lidia Chitimia-Dobler, Christina Strube
Summary: This study investigated the relationship between Borrelia prevalence and spirochete load with morphometric age in questing Ixodes ricinus nymphs in northern Germany. The results showed that there was no significant difference in infection prevalence between different morphometric age groups, but infection intensity declined significantly with increasing morphometric age. B. afzelii was found to be the dominant species among the differentiated infections.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Jennifer Flechsler, Ute Eberle, Alexandra Dangel, Sabrina Hepner, Clara Wimmer, Johannes Lutmayr, Regina Konrad, Carola Berger, Laura Weise, Annika Sprenger, Joerg Zeitler, Natali Paravinja, Hildegard Angermeier, George Githure, Sandra Schmidt, Bianca Treis, Mercy Okeyo, Bernhard Liebl, Nikolaus Ackermann, Andreas Sing
Summary: Using PCR screening and NGS analysis, we investigated the circulation of Omicron variant in the German state of Bavaria. So far, we have detected 69 Omicron cases in our laboratory and confirmed the variant in the first 16 cases.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Sabrina Jungnick, Bernhard Hobmaier, Natali Paravinja, Lena Mautner, Mona Hoyos, Regina Konrad, Maren Haase, Armin Baiker, Ute Eberle, Magdalena Bichler, Bianca Treis, Mercy Okeyo, Barbara Streibl, Clara Wimmer, Sabrina Hepner, Annika Sprenger, Carola Berger, Laura Weise, Alexandra Dangel, Siegfried Ippisch, Walter Jonas, Manfred Wildner, Bernhard Liebl, Nikolaus Ackermann, Andreas Sing, Volker Fingerle
Summary: In this study, seven commonly used SARS-CoV-2 rapid antigen tests (RATs) from different manufacturers were analyzed to determine their performance in detecting the Omicron and Delta variants. The results showed that there were no significant differences in the analytical limit of detection (LoD) between Omicron and Delta for the RATs examined. In terms of clinical samples, no obvious differences in RAT positivity rates were observed between Omicron and Delta. However, variations were observed between tests produced by different manufacturers.
Article
Microbiology
Matthew Combs, Ashley L. Marcinkiewicz, Alan P. Dupuis, April D. Davis, Patricia Lederman, Tristan A. Nowak, Jessica L. Stout, Klemen Strle, Volker Fingerle, Gabriele Margos, Alexander T. Ciota, Maria A. Diuk-Wasser, Sergios-Orestis Kolokotronis, Yi-Pin Lin
Summary: The study reveals a correlation between different host-adapted phenotypes of the Lyme disease-causing agent B. burgdorferi and polymorphic loci related to evasion of host immune responses. Analysis of the genomes and complement evasion genes of 20 strains identified ospC loci as being correlated with host-specific complement evasion phenotypes. This study provides important insights into the immunological and genomic determinants of host association, laying the foundation for further research in this field.
Editorial Material
Microbiology
Gabriele Margos, Anna Jonsson Henningsson, Mateusz Markowicz, Volker Fingerle
Article
Infectious Diseases
Gabriele Margos, Gary P. Wormser, Ira Schwartz, Mateusz Markowicz, Anna J. Henningsson, Reto Lienhard, Brian Stevenson, Agustin Estrada-Pena, Andreas Sing, Volker Fingerle, Markus Goker
Summary: The taxon names used in public databases are critical for linking organisms to sequence data. Simplistic approaches for determining preferred synonyms can introduce biases in taxonomic opinions. It is not necessary or possible to generate newer validly published names for reverting to the previous merged genus. The policy of always preferring the latest validly published name may render the database oblivious to reversals in taxonomic opinion.
TICKS AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Florian Roettgerding, John Njeru, Elif Schluefter, Andreas Latz, Rouzbeh Mahdavi, Ulrich Steinhoff, Sally J. Cutler, Silke Besier, Volkhard A. J. Kempf, Volker Fingerle, Peter Kraiczy
Summary: This study aimed to develop novel and reliable immunoassays for the serodiagnosis of louse-borne relapsing fever (LBRF). Two immunoreactive antigens (CihC and GlpQ) were identified as promising target candidates, and two immunoassays (line immunoblot and ELISA) for IgM and IgG were evaluated. The results showed that these assays had high sensitivity and specificity, even at early time points of infection, indicating their potential as reliable tools in clinical practice.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Barbara Streibl, Heidi Lahne, Andreas Grahl, Philipp Agsten, Magdalena Bichler, Christa Buechl, Marco Damzog, Ute Eberle, Stefan Gaertner, Bernhard Hobmaier, Gabriele Margos, Martin Hoch, Sabrina Jungnick, Walter Jonas, Katharina Katz, Liane Laubert, Barbara Schutt, Cornelia Seidl, Bianca Treis, Daniel Weindl, Karen Zilch, Manfred Wildner, Bernhard Liebl, Nikolaus Ackermann, Andreas Sing, Volker Fingerle
Summary: This study investigated an outbreak of the Alpha variant of SARS-CoV-2 in a nursing home in Bavaria, Germany. The findings indicate that vaccination provides protection against infection, severe disease progression, and death. However, breakthrough infections can still occur despite full vaccination, and they may enhance antibody responses, suggesting the potential benefit of booster vaccinations.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Robert E. Rollins, Kozue Sato, Minoru Nakao, Mohammed T. Tawfeeq, Fernanda Herrera-Mesias, Ricardo J. Pereira, Sergey Kovalev, Gabriele Margos, Volker Fingerle, Hiroki Kawabata, Noemie S. Becker
Summary: Vector-borne pathogens can expand geographically and cause new diseases through host and vector shifts. In this study, the evolutionary history of three Borrelia genospecies was reconstructed using 142 Eurasian isolates, and it was found that each genospecies has an Asian origin but displayed unique substructuring and evolutionary response to the colonization of Europe. The pattern of allele sharing between continents supports the concept of host adaptation being important for pathogen dispersal.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Antje Glass, Andrea Springer, Marie -Kristin Raulf, Volker Fingerle, Christina Strube
Summary: The prevalence of Borrelia infection in ticks has remained stable in Hanover, Germany over a 15-year period. However, there have been shifts in the distribution of different Borrelia species, which may alter the epidemiological risk.
TICKS AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Angeline Hoffmann, Thomas Mueller, Volker Fingerle, Cornelia Silaghi, Matthias Noll
Summary: The study investigated the prevalence and diversity of potential human pathogenic bacteria in tick microbiomes. Rickettsia helvetica was found to be the most common species in tick microbiomes.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Harold Salant, Yaarit Nachum-Biala, Doni Zivotofsky, Tsachi Even Tzur, Gad Baneth
Summary: This study describes the presentation, clinical signs, parasitemia levels, laboratory findings and treatment of dogs infected with B. negevi. Treatment with imidocarb dipropionate was helpful for recovery from clinical disease but did not facilitate parasite elimination, and it is therefore recommended to treat canine B. negevi infection with the combination of atovaquone and azithromycin.
TICKS AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES
(2024)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Gervillien Arnold Malonga, Almoustapha Issiaka Maiga, Dimitry Moudiongui Mboungou Malanda, Mahamadou Saliou, Juth ece Private Malanda-Kiminou, Oumar Dolo, Anicet Luc Magloire Boumba, Alhassane Ba, Robert Murphy, Jean Felix Peko, Anne-Genevieve Marcelin, Vincent Calvez, Stephane Marot
Summary: A serological survey in sub-urban areas of the capital cities of Congo and Mali reveals human contact with Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) associated with previously described CCHFV risk factors.
TICKS AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES
(2024)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Aleksander Wymazal, Sabina Nowak, Robert W. Myslajek, Anna Bajer, Renata Welc-Faleciak, Maciej Szewczyk, Iga Kwiatkowska, Kinga M. Stepniak, Michal Figura, Agnieszka Kloch
Summary: The wolf population in Central and Eastern Europe has been increasing, but their frequent contacts with humans make them a potential zoonotic reservoir. This study found a high prevalence of tick-borne pathogens in free-ranging wolves from Poland.
TICKS AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES
(2024)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Nannet D. Fabri, Hans Heesterbeek, Joris P. G. M. Cromsigt, Frauke Ecke, Hein Sprong, Lonneke Nijhuis, Tim R. Hofmeester, Nienke Hartemink
Summary: In many parts of the northern hemisphere, different species of deer, small mammals, and birds coexist and their composition can strongly influence the outbreak potential of tick-borne pathogens. This study investigates how the abundance and composition of vertebrate communities affect the basic reproduction number R0 of tick-borne pathogens, and shows that species composition plays a substantial role in the outbreak potential of tick-borne diseases.
TICKS AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES
(2024)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Lynn M. Osikowicz, Maria R. Rizzo, Andrias Hojgaard, Sarah E. Maes, Rebecca J. Eisen
Summary: This article describes the prevalence and diversity of Lyme disease in the United States. By using different detection methods, the authors found various species of spirochetes present in specific tick species, revealing the potential transmission of pathogens among ticks.
TICKS AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES
(2024)
Review
Infectious Diseases
El-Sayed El-Alfy, Ibrahim Abbas, Somaya Saleh, Rana Elseadawy, Ragab M. Fereig, Mohamed Abdo Rizk, Xuenan Xuan
Summary: Published data on tick-borne pathogens in camels worldwide have been collected, providing an overview of their global prevalence and species diversity. Evidence of natural infection of camels with certain tick-borne pathogens is limited, particularly because most of the camels were considered healthy at the time of sampling. More research is needed to understand the role of camels in maintaining and transmitting these pathogens.
TICKS AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES
(2024)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Saana Sipari, Mikko Kiljunen, Minna Nylund, Eva R. Kallio
Summary: This study introduces a stable isotope analysis method to directly identify tick breeding hosts by sampling field collected larvae. The results show that stable isotope signatures can reflect the diet of the breeding host of the mother tick.
TICKS AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES
(2024)
