scholarly journals Babesia microti—Borrelia Burgdorferi Coinfection

Pathogens ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikhat Parveen ◽  
Purnima Bhanot
Keyword(s):  
Lyme Disease ◽  
Blood Transfusion ◽  
Borrelia Burgdorferi ◽  
Geographic Distribution ◽  
Causative Agent ◽  
Ixodes Scapularis ◽  
Protozoan Parasite ◽  
Babesia Microti ◽  
Human Babesiosis ◽  
The U.S

The incidence and geographic distribution of human babesiosis is growing in the U.S. Its major causative agent is the protozoan parasite, Babesia microti. B. microti is transmitted to humans primarily through the bite of Ixodes scapularis ticks, which are vectors for a number of other pathogens. Other routes of B. microti transmission are blood transfusion and in rare cases of mother-to-foetus transmission, through the placenta. This review discusses the current literature on mammalian coinfection with B. microti and Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent Lyme disease.

scholarly journals Diagnosis of a tick-borne coinfection in a patient with persistent symptoms following treatment for Lyme disease

2018 ◽  
pp. bcr-2018-225342 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine Hoversten ◽  
Matthew Asher Bartlett
Keyword(s):  
Differential Diagnosis ◽  
Lyme Disease ◽  
Borrelia Burgdorferi ◽  
Medical Therapy ◽  
Causative Agent ◽  
Antimicrobial Therapy ◽  
Ixodes Scapularis ◽  
Babesia Microti ◽  
Persistent Symptoms

A 67-year-old woman presented with 5 days of myalgias and fevers on completion of a 21-day course of amoxicillin for Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi infection). She was found to have profound thrombocytopenia, as well as new anaemia and leucopenia. Workup revealed Babesia microti as the causative agent of her symptoms. The patient quickly improved after appropriate antimicrobial therapy directed against babesiosis was started. This case illustrates the importance of basic microbiology, including epidemiology and common vectors, when creating a differential diagnosis. Because the Ixodes scapularis tick can harbour and transmit multiple parasites simultaneously, the possibility of coinfection should be considered in any patient not responding to appropriate initial medical therapy.

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 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.

scholarly journals Coinfection of Bartonella spp. and Borrelia Burgdorferi in Ixodes Scapularis Using PCR Assay, a Case Study in Nova Scotia

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 57
Author(s):  
James Kho ◽  
Chelsea Colbourne ◽  
Emma Bent ◽  
Amal El Nabbout ◽  
Tatiana Rossolimo
Keyword(s):  
Nova Scotia ◽  
North America ◽  
Lyme Disease ◽  
Borrelia Burgdorferi ◽  
Causative Agent ◽  
Ixodes Scapularis ◽  
Bacterial Species ◽  
Pcr Assay ◽  
Important Species ◽  
Chronic Lyme Disease

Coinfection of vector species can provide more insight into the complex relationship between zoonotic pathogens and its host. Ixodes scapularis (Say) or the deer-tick in particular is an important species in North America because of its exceptional ability as a vector that can transmit zoonotic diseases such as Lyme and Cat Scratch Disease (CSD). In recent years, many studies have suggested a possible link between the coinfection of Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme, with other tick-borne bacteria such as Bartonella spp., the causative agent of CSD, as partly responsible for the symptoms associated with Chronic Lyme Disease or Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome. This study investigates the prevalence of Bartonella spp. and Borrelia burgdorferi in Ixodes scapularis using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) assay to potentially find a link between the two of the most common tick-borne pathogens found in Nova Scotia. Standard PCR using primers targeted at the two bacterial species were conducted on 157 I. scapularis ticks collected in Nova Scotia. Overall, we found high prevalence for both bacteria at 75.16% for Bartonella spp. and 47.13% for B. burgdorferi with no significant differences between the sex of the ticks. Interestingly, all the ticks positive for B. burgdorferi were also positive for Bartonella spp. which implies that the coinfection rate between B. burgdorferi and Bartonella spp. is 47.13%. We report one of the highest coinfection rates for B. burgdorferi and Bartonella spp. in I. scapularis, consistent with the current trends of increasing tick presence in North America.

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

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.

scholarly journals Monitoring the patterns of submission and presence of tick-borne pathogens in Ixodes scapularis collected from humans and companion animals in Ontario, Canada (2011–2017)

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark P. Nelder ◽  
Curtis B. Russell ◽  
Antonia Dibernardo ◽  
Katie M. Clow ◽  
Steven Johnson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Borrelia Burgdorferi ◽  
Regression Models ◽  
Ixodes Scapularis ◽  
Companion Animals ◽  
Companion Animal ◽  
Babesia Microti ◽  
Blacklegged Tick ◽  
Host Type ◽  
Animal Populations ◽  
Pathogen Prevalence

Abstract Background The universal nature of the human–companion animal relationship and their shared ticks and tick-borne pathogens offers an opportunity for improving public and veterinary health surveillance. With this in mind, we describe the spatiotemporal trends for blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis) submissions from humans and companion animals in Ontario, along with pathogen prevalence. Methods We tested tick samples submitted through passive surveillance (2011–2017) from humans and companion animals for Borrelia burgdorferi, Borrelia miyamotoi, Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Babesia microti. We describe pathogen prevalence in ticks from humans and from companion animals and constructed univariable Poisson and negative binomial regression models to explore the spatiotemporal relationship between the rates of tick submissions by host type. Results During the study, there were 17,230 blacklegged tick samples submitted from humans and 4375 from companion animals. Tick submission rates from companion animals were higher than expected in several public health units (PHUs) lacking established tick populations, potentially indicating newly emerging populations. Pathogen prevalence in ticks was higher in PHUs where established blacklegged tick populations exist. Borrelia burgdorferi prevalence was higher in ticks collected from humans (maximum likelihood estimate, MLE = 17.5%; 95% confidence interval, CI 16.97–18.09%) than from companion animals (9.9%, 95% CI 9.15–10.78%). There was no difference in pathogen prevalence in ticks by host type for the remaining pathogens, which were found in less than 1% of tested ticks. The most common co-infection B. burgdorferi + B. miyamotoi occurred in 0.11% of blacklegged ticks from humans and animals combined. Borrelia burgdorferi prevalence was higher in unengorged (21.9%, 95% CI 21.12–22.65%) than engorged ticks (10.0%, 95% CI 9.45–10.56%). There were no consistent and significant spatiotemporal relationships detected via regression models between the annual rates of submission of each host type. Conclusions While B. burgdorferi has been present in blacklegged ticks in Ontario for several decades, other tick-borne pathogens are also present at low prevalence. Blacklegged tick and pathogen surveillance data can be used to monitor risk in human and companion animal populations, and efforts are under consideration to unite surveillance efforts for the different target populations. Graphic Abstract

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 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.

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