Article
Immunology
Bijaya Sharma, Julie E. McCarthy, Cecily A. Freliech, Morgen M. Clark, Linden T. Hu
Summary: Unrecognized immunodeficiency may contribute to antibiotics' failure in treating Lyme disease symptoms. The study showed that the efficacy of doxycycline was significantly lower in mice lacking adaptive immunity, especially B cells, with the most pronounced effect seen in immunodeficient C3H mice. Additionally, the addition of a single dose of ceftriaxone to doxycycline treatment effectively cleared infection in severely immunodeficient C3H mice.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Bryna L. Fitzgerald, Barbara Graham, Mark J. Delorey, Adoracion Pegalajar-Jurado, M. Nurul Islam, Gary P. Wormser, John N. Aucott, Alison W. Rebman, Mark J. Soloski, John T. Belisle, Claudia R. Molins
Summary: This study used metabolomics to analyze metabolic responses in patients with Post-treatment Lyme disease symptoms/syndrome (PTLDS) compared to clinically cured non-PTLDS patients. The findings revealed observable metabolic differences between PTLDS and non-PTLDS patients at multiple time points, with distinct patterns of metabolite abundance. A small number of metabolites could be used to define PTLDS versus non-PTLDS patients at specific time points, and these findings were validated in a second patient cohort. These results suggest that metabolite-based measurement can help distinguish patients with PTLDS and provide insights into the underlying biochemistry of PTLDS.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Maroun M. Sfeir, Jennifer K. Meece, Elitza S. Theel, Dane Granger, Thomas R. Fritsche, Allen C. Steere, John A. Branda
Summary: Modified two-tiered testing algorithms are acceptable alternatives for Lyme disease diagnosis. The study found that these algorithms showed higher sensitivity in patients with acute erythema migrans and comparable specificity in other types of Lyme disease patients and control subjects.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Finja Huendersen, Stefanie Forst, Erich Kasten
Summary: The study found that patients with Lyme disease have lower quality of life and sleep, as well as cognitive impairments in attention and memory. Depressive symptoms are common among Lyme patients, and the disease is often diagnosed late.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Klaudia Sowula, Joanna Szaleniec, Mateusz Dworak, Maria Przeklasa, Malgorzata Maraj, Piotr Ceranowicz, Jerzy Tomik
Summary: The study aimed to evaluate the frequency of vertigo symptoms and potential labyrinth damage in patients diagnosed with Lyme disease (LD). Vertigo is often associated with labyrinth and hearing-organ damage in LD patients, and antibiotic therapy is effective in reducing otoneurological symptoms.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Shaghayegh Jahanbani, Paige S. Hansen, Lisa K. Blum, Effie E. Bastounis, Nitya S. Ramadoss, Mallesh Pandrala, Jessica Marie Kirschmann, Grace Sisemore Blacker, Zelda Z. Love, Irving L. Weissman, Fahimeh Nemati, Michal Caspi Tal, William H. Robinson
Summary: This study sequenced the antibody repertoire of plasmablasts in Bb-infected humans and identified their binding specificities. The researchers found that by conjugating a TLR9-agonist CpG oligo to an anti-BmpA monoclonal antibody, they were able to enhance macrophage phagocytosis of Bb.
CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Elisa Kortela, Mari Kanerva, Satu Kurkela, Jarmo Oksi, Asko Jarvinen
Summary: This study evaluated the conditions behind the symptoms in patients with suspected Lyme borreliosis (LB) referred to an infectious diseases clinic. The results showed that LB was unlikely in half of the patients, with most cases having other conditions to explain their symptoms.
CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTION
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Christa D. Jackson, Kinsey A. Hilliard, Charles R. Brown
Summary: The deficiency of 12/15-lipoxygenase (12/15-LO) exacerbates ankle swelling and arthritis severity in Lyme arthritis, suggesting that 12/15-LO lipid metabolites play a crucial role in resolving inflammatory arthritis. Therapeutic treatment with lipoxin A4 (LXA(4)) can alleviate joint edema and pain in Lyme arthritis patients.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Sanna Avellan, Daniel Bremell
Summary: The study found that adjunctive corticosteroids do not improve or impair the outcome for patients with LNB PFP treated with doxycycline.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Paul M. Arnaboldi, Adiya S. Katseff, Mariya Sambir, Raymond J. Dattwyler
Summary: This study evaluated the efficacy of using synthetic peptides containing unique epitopes from B. burgdorferi as antigen targets in Lyme disease seroassay. The results showed that combining epitopes from different antigens significantly increased the sensitivity of the assay without compromising specificity. These findings provide a new approach to improve the laboratory diagnosis of Lyme disease.
Article
Immunology
Bharti Bhatia, Chadwick Hillman, Philip E. Stewart, Patricia Rosa
Summary: The highly conserved gene bba30 on the linear plasmid lp54 of Lyme disease spirochetes was found to be not required during the experimental mouse-tick infectious cycle, suggesting its potential role in the natural life cycle of Borrelia burgdorferi remains undefined.
INFECTION AND IMMUNITY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Jenny Wachter, Craig Martens, Kent Barbian, Ryan O. M. Rego, Patricia Rosa
Summary: This study characterized the methylomes of various Borrelia species involved in Lyme disease, revealing new sequence motifs methylated by plasmid-encoded restriction/modification enzymes. Contrary to previous findings, no consistent differences in gene expression were found among isogenic derivatives lacking certain restriction/modification enzymes, suggesting a need for further study to understand the epigenetic impact of methylation on gene expression in these bacteria. Knowledge of the motifs recognized and methylated by these enzymes will aid in genetic investigations of these important human pathogens.
Article
Microbiology
Gary P. Wormser, Donna McKenna, Eliana Jacobson, Elayna M. Shanker, Keith D. Shaffer, Carol Scavarda, Paul Visintainer
Summary: The study found that patients with erythema migrans who received antibiotic treatment for less than 7 days were more likely to experience at least one symptom than those treated for 7 days or more. Additionally, there was a significantly lower percentage of males among the treated group compared to untreated study subjects.
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS AND CHEMOTHERAPY
(2021)
Article
Parasitology
Zsuzsa Kalmar, Violeta Briciu, Mircea Coroian, Mirela Flonta, Amanda-Lelia Radulescu, Adriana Topan, Andrei Daniel Mihalca, Mihaela Lupse
Summary: The study in Romania found specific IgG and IgM antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. among healthy blood donors. Higher seroprevalence was observed in men, older individuals, and those engaged in outdoor work.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Thomas Cafiero, Alvaro Toledo
Summary: The spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi has a variety of membrane proteins involved in its complex life cycle, including GroEL which is a cytoplasmic chaperone protein that binds plasminogen and components of the extracellular matrix to help establish infection and dissemination.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Robert E. Rollins, Zehra Yeyin, Maja Wyczanska, Nikolas Alig, Sabrina Hepner, Volker Fingerle, Gabriele Margos, Noemie S. Becker
Summary: The study found Borrelia burgdorferi s. l. positive ticks in all plots around Munich, Germany, with significantly different numbers of positive nymphs between plots but not for positive adults. Six Bbsl genospecies were identified, with B. afzelii and B. garinii dominating and B. miyamotoi found in two sampling plots, highlighting variability in Bbsl prevalence and genospecies distribution over short geographic distances.
TICKS AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Ute Eberle, Clara Wimmer, Ingrid Huber, Antonie Neubauer-Juric, Giuseppe Valenza, Nikolaus Ackermann, Andreas Sing
Summary: In order to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a significant demand for fast and reliable diagnostic assays for detecting SARS-CoV-2. Laboratory experiences showed that different commercially available real-time RT-PCR assays varied considerably in performance and validation, calling for mandatory validation procedures before routine use.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY & INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Sabrina Jungnick, Bernhard Hobmaier, Lena Mautner, Mona Hoyos, Maren Haase, Armin Baiker, Heidi Lahne, Ute Eberle, Clara Wimmer, Sabrina Hepner, Annika Sprenger, Carola Berger, Alexandra Dangel, Manfred Wildner, Bernhard Liebl, Nikolaus Ackermann, Andreas Sing, Volker Fingerle
Article
Infectious Diseases
Ute Eberle, Susanne Heinzinger, Regina Konrad, Clara Wimmer, Bernhard Liebl, Katharina Katz, Nikolaus Ackermann, Andreas Sing
Summary: The Bavarian Influenza Sentinel (BIS) monitors the annual influenza season by combining virological and epidemiological data. The 2019/2020 influenza season overlapped with the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing investigation into whether there was an unnoticed spread of SARS-CoV-2 in the community prior to the first COVID-19 cluster in Bavaria. Retrospective analysis of oropharyngeal swabs collected in BIS found no evidence of SARS-CoV-2 spread prior to late January 2020 in Bavaria.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yi Moua, Serge Olivier Kotchi, Antoinette Ludwig, Stephanie Brazeau
Summary: The study aimed to provide a habitat suitability map of the main vectors of West Nile virus, Culex pipiens-restuans, in southern Quebec and eastern Ontario. By using landscape metrics and species distribution models, the importance of vegetation edges and mixed or paved areas for the bio-ecology of Culex pipiens-restuans was highlighted.
Article
Microbiology
Ana Claudia Norte, Pierre H. Boyer, Santiago Castillo-Ramirez, Michal Chvostac, Mohand O. Brahami, Robert E. Rollins, Tom Woudenberg, Yuliya M. Didyk, Marketa Derdakova, Maria Sofia Nuncio, Isabel Lopes de Carvalho, Gabriele Margos, Volker Fingerle
Summary: The study used MLST to investigate the population structure of Borrelia lusitaniae in different regions, revealing two distinguishable populations with Portuguese samples clustering predominantly based on geographical location. In addition, it was found that the distribution of two different Ixodes ticks may be related to the population structure of Borrelia in those regions.
Review
Infectious Diseases
Katherine A. Wolcott, Gabriele Margos, Volker Fingerle, Noemie S. Becker
Summary: Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (Bbsl) is a bacterial species complex that causes Lyme borreliosis, the most frequently reported vector-borne disease in the Northern hemisphere. Host and vector associations play a crucial role in the geographic distribution and speciation of Bbsl, which are relevant to human health. Current knowledge on host associations in Bbsl is limited and further research, particularly experimental studies using xenodiagnosis and genomics, is needed to fully understand the interactions among hosts, vectors, and bacteria involved in this complex system.
TICKS AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Cristian Raileanu, Cornelia Silaghi, Volker Fingerle, Gabriele Margos, Claudia Thiel, Kurt Pfister, Evelyn Overzier
Summary: The study demonstrates high infection levels and diverse genospecies of Borrelia in questing ticks in different habitats in Southern Germany. The presence of roe deer appears to reduce infection rates of B. burgdorferi s.l. in tick populations.
Article
Microbiology
Anne-Marie Lowe, Karl Forest-Berard, Richard Trudel, Ernest Lo, Philippe Gamache, Matthieu Tandonnet, Serge-Olivier Kotchi, Patrick Leighton, Antonia Dibernardo, Robbin Lindsay, Antoinette Ludwig
Summary: The study aimed to investigate the presence of Ae. Albopictus in southern Quebec, but no specimens were found, though one Ae. Aegypti specimen was detected. The research suggests that ongoing monitoring and utilizing multiple capture techniques targeting a wide range of species may provide valuable information to public health authorities regarding the growing risk of emerging mosquito-borne diseases in southern Canada.
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)
Review
Parasitology
Antje Steinbrink, Katharina Brugger, Gabriele Margos, Peter Kraiczy, Sven Klimpel
Summary: Ticks are vectors of many human pathogens, and Lyme disease is the most commonly occurring vector-borne infectious disease caused by bacteria transmitted by ticks. The incidence of Lyme disease in Europe is relatively high, but epidemiological data are incomplete and standardization of diagnostic and surveillance systems is needed.
PARASITOLOGY RESEARCH
(2022)
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
Parasitology
Robert E. Rollins, Gabriele Margos, Andreas Brachmann, Stefan Krebs, Alexia Mouchet, Niels J. Dingemanse, Abdelkarim Laatamna, Nassiba Reghaissia, Volker Fingerle, Dirk Metzler, Noemie S. Becker, Lidia Chitimia-Dobler
Summary: Ticks are important vectors of human and animal pathogens, and understanding their taxonomy is crucial. This study utilized molecular tools to confirm the identification of Ixodes inopinatus ticks collected from Germany, and found that genetically they represented Ixodes ricinus, rather than I. inopinatus. The results also suggested that I. inopinatus may be geographically isolated and raised questions about its existence in central Europe. The study highlights the power of genomic data in answering questions regarding tick taxonomy.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Samir Mechai, Heather Coatsworth, Nicholas H. Ogden
Summary: This study found that there is an association between the genetic distance of OspC major groups and the decrease in serological test sensitivity. The analysis of single nucleotide polymorphisms suggests that specific amino acid modifications may impact protein binding affinity. Further studies are needed to explore the clinical implications of these findings.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Tom Woudenberg, Ute Eberle, Durdica Marosevic, Bernhard Liebl, Nikolaus Ackermann, Katharina Katz, Andreas Sing
Summary: This study assessed the diagnostic sensitivity and Ct values of RT-PCR in COVID-19 patients, finding that viral RNA can still be detected up to 48 days after symptom onset, with the lowest Ct values observed two days after symptom onset. The diagnostic sensitivity of RT-PCR remained above 90% in repeatedly sampled patients up to 7 days after symptom onset.
EPIDEMIOLOGY AND INFECTION
(2021)
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)