posted
I was doing an online research using PubMed and decided to share some of it. Notice the number of articles that are international...most recent are listed first. Lots of interesting stuff here. ________________________
Parasitol Int. 2008 Mar;57(1):32-7. Epub 2007 Aug 1.
Occurrence of multiple infections with different Borrelia burgdorferi genospecies in Danish Ixodes ricinus nymphs.
Vennestr�m J, Egholm H, Jensen PM.
Section for Genetics and Microbiology, Department of Ecology, The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Frederiksberg, Denmark.
The pathogen Borrelia burgdorferi causes Lyme Borreliosis in human and animals world-wide. In Europe the pathogen is transmitted to the host by the vector Ixodes ricinus. The nymph is the primary instar for transmission to humans. We here study the infection rate of five Borrelia genospecies: B. burgdorferi sensu stricto, B. afzelii, B. garinii, B. valaisiana, B. lusitaniae in nymphs, by IFA and PCR. 600 nymphs were collected in North Zealand of Denmark. Each nymph was first analysed by IFA. If positive for spirochaetal infection, the genospecies was determined by PCR. The infection rate of B. burgdorferi sensu lato was 15.5%, with the primary genospecies being B. afzelii (64.3%), B. garinii (57.1%), and B. lusitaniae (26.8%). It is the first time B. lusitaniae is documented in Denmark. Even though, the highest infection rate was discovered for B. afzelii and B. garinii, mixed infections are more common than single infections. Fifty-one percent (29/56) of these were infected with two genospecies, 7.1% (4/56) with three, and 5.3% (3/56) with four. We try to explain the high infection rate and the peculiar number of multiple infections, with a discussion of changes host abundance and occurrence of different transmission patterns.
PMID: 17804280 PubMed - in process 2: Proc Biol Sci. 2008 Jan 22;275(1631):227-35.
Conspicuous impacts of inconspicuous hosts on the Lyme disease epidemic.
Brisson D, Dykhuizen DE, Ostfeld RS.
Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Leidy Laboratories, 326, 433 South University Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6018, USA.
Emerging zoonotic pathogens are a constant threat to human health throughout the world. Control strategies to protect public health regularly fail, due in part to the tendency to focus on a single host species assumed to be the primary reservoir for a pathogen. Here, we present evidence that a diverse set of species can play an important role in determining disease risk to humans using Lyme disease as a model. Host-targeted public health strategies to control the Lyme disease epidemic in North America have focused on interrupting Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto (ss) transmission between blacklegged ticks and the putative dominant reservoir species, white-footed mice. However, B. burgdorferi ss infects more than a dozen vertebrate species, any of which could transmit the pathogen to feeding ticks and increase the density of infected ticks and Lyme disease risk. Using genetic and ecological data, we demonstrate that mice are neither the primary host for ticks nor the primary reservoir for B. burgdorferi ss, feeding 10% of all ticks and 25% of B. burgdorferi-infected ticks. Inconspicuous shrews feed 35% of all ticks and 55% of infected ticks. Because several important host species influence Lyme disease risk, interventions directed at a multiple host species will be required to control this epidemic.
PMID: 18029304 PubMed - in process
3: Annu Rev Entomol. 2008 Jan 7;53:323-343.
Prevention of Tick-Borne Diseases *
Piesman J, Eisen L.
1Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases, Coordinating Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado 80522; email: [email protected] , 2Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523; email: [email protected].
Tick-borne diseases are on the rise. Lyme borreliosis is prevalent throughout the Northern Hemisphere, and the same Ixodes tick species transmitting the etiologic agents of this disease also serve as vectors of pathogens causing human babesiosis, human granulocytic anaplasmosis, and tick-borne encephalitis. Recently, several novel agents of rickettsial diseases have been described. Despite an explosion of knowledge in the fields of tick biology, genetics, molecular biology, and immunology, transitional research leading to widely applied public health measures to combat tick-borne diseases has not been successful. Except for the vaccine against tick-borne encephalitis virus, and a brief campaign to reduce this disease in the former Soviet Union through widespread application of DDT, success stories in the fight against tick-borne diseases are lacking. Both new approaches to tick and pathogen control and novel ways of translating research findings into practical control measures are needed to prevent tick-borne diseases in the twenty-first century.
PMID: 17877457 PubMed - as supplied by publisher
4: Int J Med Microbiol. 2008 Jan 3;298(1-2):135-142. Epub 2007 Sep 20.
Development of hepatitis B virus capsids into a whole-chain protein antigen display platform: New particulate Lyme disease vaccines.
Nassal M, Skamel C, Vogel M, Kratz PA, Stehle T, Wallich R, Simon MM.
Department of Internal Medicine II/Molecular Biology, University Hospital Freiburg, Hugstetter Stra�e 55, D-79106 Freiburg, Germany.
The immunogenicity of peptides and small protein fragments can be considerably enhanced by their presentation on particulate carriers such as capsid-like particles (CLPs) from hepatitis B virus (HBV). HBV CLPs are icosahedral nanoparticles formed by 90 or 120 core protein dimers. Insertions into the immunodominant c/e1 B cell epitope, a surface-exposed loop on the HBV capsid protein, are especially immunogenic. Here we investigated whether the HBV core protein can be exploited as a vaccine carrier for whole-chain protein antigens, using two clinically relevant proteins derived from a bacterial human pathogen, the Lyme disease agent Borrelia burgdorferi. For this purpose we analyzed CLP formation by core fusions with the entire 255-amino-acid ectodomain of outer surface lipoprotein A (OspA), and with two distinct, 189 amino acid long variants of the dimeric OspC (OspC(a), OspC(b)) of B. burgdorferi. OspA appropriately inserted into the HBV core protein yielded a multimerization-competent fusion protein, termed coreOspA. Although only partially assembling into regular CLPs, coreOspA induced antibodies to OspA, including the Ig isotype profile and specificity for the protective epitope "LA-2", with an efficiency similar to that of recombinant lipidated OspA, the first generation vaccine against Lyme disease. Moreover, coreOspA actively and passively protected mice against subsequent challenge with B. burgdorferi. Fusions with the two OspC variants were found to efficiently form regular CLPs, most probably by OspC dimerization across different core protein dimers. In mice, both coreOspC preparations induced high-titered antibody responses to the homologous but also to the heterologous OspC variant, which conferred protection against challenge with B. burgdorferi. The data demonstrate the principal applicability of HBV CLPs to act as potent immunomodulator even for structurally complex full-length polypeptide chains, and thus open new avenues for novel vaccine designs.
PMID: 17888729 PubMed - as supplied by publisher
5: Mol Immunol. 2008 Jan;45(1):180-9. Epub 2007 Jun 6.
Human homologues of a Borrelia T cell epitope associated with antibiotic-refractory Lyme arthritis.
Center for Immunology and Inflammatory Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA. [email protected]
Antibiotic-refractory Lyme arthritis, which may result from infection-induced autoimmunity, is associated with HLA-DR molecules that bind an epitope of Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb) outer-surface protein A (OspA(165-173)) and with T cell reactivity with this epitope. One potential mechanism to explain these associations is molecular mimicry between OspA(165-173) and a self-peptide. Here, we searched the published human genome for peptides with sequence homology with OspA(165-173). The two peptides identified with the greatest sequence homology with the OspA epitope were MAWD-BP(276-288), which had identity at eight of the nine core amino acid residues, and T-span7(58-70), which had identity at six residues. MAWD-BP mRNA was expressed by synoviocytes, while T-span7 mRNA was not. However, neither peptide bound all of the HLA-DR molecules associated with antibiotic-refractory Lyme arthritis. Among 11 patients, 9 had T cell reactivity with OspA(161-170), 6 had responses to MAWD-BP(276-288), and 3 had reactivity with T-span7(58-70), but reactivity with the self-peptides was lower than that induced by the spirochetal epitope. Thus, there remains an association between OspA(165-173) and antibiotic-refractory Lyme arthritis, and infection-induced autoimmunity is an attractive hypothesis to explain this outcome. However, molecular mimicry due to sequence homology between OspA(165-173) and a human peptide seems unlikely to be the critical mechanism.
Publication Types: * Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural * Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
PMID: 17555819 PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE
6: J Immunol. 2007 Dec 15;179(12):8076-82. Related Articles, Links
CD28 Deficiency Exacerbates Joint Inflammation upon Borrelia burgdorferi Infection, Resulting in the Development of Chronic Lyme Arthritis.
Iliopoulou BP, Alroy J, Huber BT.
Department of Pathology, and.
Lyme disease, caused by the tick-borne spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb), is a multisystem illness, affecting many organs, such as the heart, the nervous system, and the joints. Months after Bb infection, approximately 60% of patients experience intermittent arthritic attacks, a condition that in some individuals progresses to chronic joint inflammation. Although mice develop acute arthritis in response to Bb infection, the joint inflammation clears after 2 wk, despite continuous infection, only very rarely presenting with chronic Lyme arthritis. Thus, the lack of an animal system has so far prevented the elucidation of this persistent inflammatory process that occurs in humans. In this study, we report that the majority of Bb-infected CD28(-/-) mice develop chronic Lyme arthritis. Consistent with observations in chronic Lyme arthritis patients, the infected mutant, but not wild-type mice present recurring monoarticular arthritis over an extended time period, as well as anti-outer surface protein A of Bb serum titers. Furthermore, we demonstrate that anti-outer surface protein A Abs develop in these mice only after establishment of chronic Lyme arthritis. Thus, the Bb-infected CD28(-/-) mice provide a murine model for studying chronic Lyme arthritis.
PMID: 18056348 PubMed - in process
7: Nervenarzt. 2007 Dec 7 Epub ahead of print Related Articles, Links
Isolated neuritis of the oculomotor nerve in infectious mononucleosis.
Article in German
Erben Y, Gonzalez Hofmann C, Steinmetz H, Ziemann U.
A 19-year-old immune-competent patient developed right-sided headache and, subsequently, subacute diplopia. On clinical examination he had incomplete right oculomotor palsy. Cranial MRI showed pathologic contrast enhancement of the right oculomotor nerve at its exit point from the mesencephalon, and the CSF displayed slight pleocytosis. The following relevant differential diagnoses were not supported by additional examinations: neurosarcoidosis, Lyme neuroborreliosis, neurosyphilis, tuberculous meningitis, viral meningitis (HIV, VZV, CMV), CNS lymphoma, vasculitis associated with rheumatic disease, Tolosa-Hunt syndrome, and diabetic neuropathy. However, on the basis of blood lymphocytosis, positive heterophile antibody test (Paul-Bunnell test), the presence of IgM antibodies against Epstein-Barr virus capsid antigen, and elevated transaminases, infectious mononucleosis was diagnosed. Isolated neuritis of the oculomotor nerve is a rare parainfectious manifestation of infectious mononucleosis.
PMID: 18058080 PubMed - as supplied by publisher
8: Med Mal Infect. 2007 Dec 5 Epub ahead of print Related Articles, Links
What kind of clinical, epidemiological, and biological data is essential for the diagnosis of Lyme borreliosis? Dermatological and ophtalmological courses of Lyme borreliosis.
Article in French
Boy� T.
Service de dermatologie, h�pital d'instruction des arm�es Legouest, 27, avenue de Planti�res, BP10, 57998 Metz Arm�es, France.
Lyme borreliosis (BL) is a multisystem infectious tick-transmitted disease. The diversity of Borrelia burgdorferi is the reason for a wide spectrum of dermatological and ophthalmologic presentations between patients from Europe and from other countries. In Europe, the main manifestations are dermatological. During the early stage, the diagnosis is clinical: finding erythema migrans (EM) a few days after a tick bite is sufficient; several EM mean an early-disseminated disease. Borrelial lymphocytoma (only in Europe) is a solitary nodule or plaque (earlobe, nipple, scrotum), which appears during the second stage. The diagnosis relies on clinical and histological findings (B-cell infiltration) and a positive serological test. It is sometimes difficult to make the difference between BL and B-cell lymphoma and pseudo lymphoma; an empirical antibiotic trial period will be helpful for the diagnosis in this case. During the late stage, the clinical evolution of acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans is progressive: inflammatory then atrophic lesions appear, often on the hands, limbs, or feet. The diagnosis is made on histological findings (T-cell infiltration) and a positive serological test. The relationship between BL and morphea or lichen sclerosus was not demonstrated according to the latest reports. Ocular manifestations are rare events occurring during every stage of the disease. A wide spectrum of presentations is possible (uveitis and optic neuritis). BL is responsible for ocular infection or inflammation. A neurological presentation is often associated with the ocular manifestation. Proving the diagnosis is often difficult because of these polymorphous manifestations.
PMID: 18065181 PubMed - as supplied by publisher
9: Arch Pediatr. 2007 Dec;14(12):1442-1450. Epub 2007 Oct 17. Related Articles, Links
Children arthropod bites protective measures: insecticides and repellents.
Article in French
Sorge F, Imbert P, Laurent C, Minodier P, Banerjee A, Khelfaoui F, Gu�rin N, Gendrel D; pour le Groupe de p�diatrie tropicale; Soci�t� fran�aise de p�diatrie.
D�partement de p�diatrie, h�pital Saint-Vincent-de-Paul, 74, avenue Denfert-Rochereau, 75614 Paris cedex 14 France.
Vector transmitted diseases are often a serious threat for child health, especially for children traveller in tropical regions. Few arthropod borne diseases are preventable by immunization or chimioprophylaxis. Prevention of most of them is based on personal protection against arthropod bites. The evidence of its efficacy has been established by the use of impregnated bed nets, impregnated clothes with permethrin or mosquito repellent which reduced significantly child malaria morbidity and mortality in endemic countries. These personal protective measures are able to minimize arthropod bites and prevent Chikungunya infection, dengue fever and Lyme disease. The choice of a repellent among the commercialised products need to be efficacy and safety evidence based. This article propose to raise this issue and to give pragmatic recommendations, with a focus to children below 30 months who are at a high toxicological risk. Severity of these diseases allowed to use potentially toxic repellents if misused.
PMID: 17942289 PubMed - as supplied by publisher
10: Can J Microbiol. 2007 Dec;53(12):1375-7. Related Articles, Links
Immune complexes in early Lyme disease.
Lenc�kov� D, Stefanc�kov� A, Ivanov� R, Petko B.
Department of Natural Foci Diseases, Parasitological Institute of Slovak Academy of Sciences, Hlinkova 3, 04001 Kosice, Slovakia.
The study investigated the presence of Borrelia-specific antibodies captured in immune complexes (ICs) in patients with early Lyme disease manifested by erythema migrans. Out of 18 patients, 15 (83.3%) tested positive for polyethylene glycol-precipitated ICs containing IgM antibodies, while only 4 (22.2%) were IgG positive. These results are in accordance with our findings obtained by standard ELISA and recombinant blot, which indicated that ICs might be used for serological diagnosis of the early disease.
Antigen biochips verify and extend the scope of antibody detection in Lyme borreliosis.
Du W, Ma X, Nyman D, Povlsen K, Akguen N, Schneider EM.
Section Experimental Anesthesiology, University Clinic Ulm, D-89075 Ulm, Germany.
The antibody response of serum IgM and IgG of patients with neuroborreliosis and erythema migrans of Lyme borreliosis (LB) was examined against a 41-kDa flagellar antigen and an 8-mer synthetic OspC8 peptide (VAESPKKP) derived from the C-terminus of outer surface protein C (OspC) from Borrelia garinii. We developed a streptavidin-modified biochip-based immunodiagnosis and compared it with conventional methods such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western blot (WB). The diagnostic sensitivity of the coated biochips was demonstrated to be identical, and the results of conventional assays such as ELISA and WB were confirmed. Flagellar antigens lead to better diagnosis because of a higher discriminative value. By contrast, OspC8, a peptide derived from the outer surface antigen, is less sensitive to identify immunity in LB. The inferior antigenicity of OspC8 may be due to epitope masking. Overall, this system is open to simultaneously analyze a larger family of peptides differing in length. Thus, an array approach is generally more advantageous to extend the pattern of antigens to be tested for antigenicity in LB. Serial analysis during ongoing disease may be valuable to learn more about the course of the disease and intermittent reactivation of infection. Protein biochip as a potential substitution of ELISA and WB method offers the opportunity to study serum immunity in a multiplicity of patients simultaneously.
PMID: 17888607 PubMed - in process
12: HNO. 2007 Dec;55(12):961-3. Related Articles, Links
Sensorineural loss of hearing in lower registers as the main symptom of Lyme disease.
Article in German
Mehler K, Emmel M, Petereit HF, Spr�th A, Dr�ge A, Brockmeier K.
Klinik und Poliklinik f�r Kinderkardiologie, Klinikum der Universit�t zu K�ln, Joseph-Stelzmann-Str. 9, 50924, K�ln, Deutschland, [email protected].
In a 9-year-old boy with sudden sensorineural loss of hearing in the lower registers in both ears, serology showed elevated levels of antibodies against Borrelia burgdorferi and examination of the CSF revealed a positive antibody index against Borrelia burgdorferi. The boy was treated with antibiotics for 2 weeks. Audiometry performed 4 weeks after treatment was completely normal. Inner ear involvement in Lyme disease has often been discussed. Treating these patients with antibiotics may lead to an improvement in some.
Publication Types: * English Abstract
PMID: 17103202 PubMed - in process
13: Int J Antimicrob Agents. 2007 Dec;30(6):496-504. Epub 2007 Oct 1. Related Articles, Links
Evidence of a conjugal erythromycin resistance element in the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi.
Jackson CR, Boylan JA, Frye JG, Gherardini FC.
Antimicrobial Resistance Research Unit, ARS, SAA, USDA, Russell Research Center, Athens, GA 30602, USA.
We report the identification of isolates of Borrelia burgdorferi strain B31 that exhibit an unusual macrolide-lincosamide (ML) or macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin A (MLS(A)) antibiotic resistance pattern. Low-passage isolates were resistant to high levels ( greater than100mug/mL) of erythromycin, spiramycin and the lincosamides but were sensitive to dalfopristin, an analogue of streptogramin B. Interestingly, the high-passage erythromycin-resistant strain B31 was resistant to quinupristin, an analogue of streptogramin A (25mug/mL). Biochemical analysis revealed that resistance was not due to antibiotic inactivation or energy-dependent efflux but was instead due to modification of ribosomes in these isolates. Interestingly, we were able to demonstrate high-frequency transfer of the resistance phenotype via conjugation from B. burgdorferi to Bacillus subtilis (10(-2)-10(-4)) or Enterococcus faecalis (10(-5)). An intergeneric conjugal system in B. burgdorferi suggests that horizontal gene transfer may play a role in its evolution and is a potential tool for developing new genetic systems to study the pathogenesis of Lyme disease.
PMID: 17905571 PubMed - in process
14: J Craniomaxillofac Surg. 2007 Dec;35(8):397-400. Epub 2007 Oct 17. Related Articles, Links
Temporomandibular joint involvement caused by Borrelia Burgdorferi.
Lesnicar G, Zerdoner D.
Department of Infectious Diseases and Febrile Conditions (Head: Prof. Gorazd Lesnicar,M.D., Ph.D.).
BACKGROUND: Lyme borreliosis is an endemic disease in Slovenia with an incidence of around 150 patients per 100,000 inhabitants. Although the large joints are most typically affected in Lyme borreliosis, there are also periods of disease activity with arthritis or arthralgias involving smaller joints, including the temporo-mandibular joint. PATIENTS: During the years between 2000 and 2003, two patients with Lyme borreliosis affecting the temporo-mandibular joints were treated. The patients presented with fatigue and pain in diverse muscle groups accompanied by arthralgia, which was most pronounced in the temporomandibular joint area. None of the patients were febrile or had joint effusions. METHODS: Both patients were examined by means of biochemical and serological examinations for Borrelia burgdorferi using ELISA assay and Western blot test (both for IgM and IgG), plain radiographs, MR and CT scans, and scinti-scan of the temporo-mandibular joints They both had positive serum markers for an acute B. burgdorferi infection and were treated with intravenous ceftriaxone. RESULTS: None of the patients had clinical or laboratory signs of chronic Lyme disease activity two and four years following therapy, respectively. Roentgenographic and nuclear magnetic resonance imaging of the temporo-mandibular joints had not shown any persistent sign of acute inflammation. CONCLUSION: There are only few reports of patients with manifest temporo-mandibular joint involvement of Lyme borreliosis in the literature. This report emphasizes the importance of differential diagnosis of acute temporo-mandibular joint arthralgia, of early diagnosis of Lyme borreliosis, and of the necessity for prompt antibiotic treatment.
PMID: 17942315 PubMed - in process
15: J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2007 Dec;78(12):1409-10. Related Articles, Links
Retrobulbar optic neuritis: a complication of Lyme disease?
Krim E, Guehl D, Burbaud P, Lagueny A.
Publication Types: * Case Reports * Letter
PMID: 18024698 PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE
16: Z Rheumatol. 2007 Dec;66(8):706-712. Related Articles, Links
Synovitis score: value of histopathological diagnostics in unclear arthritis : Case reports from rheumatological pathological practice.
Article in German
Jakobs M, Morawietz L, Rothschenk H, Hopf T, Weiner S, Schausten H, Krukemeyer MG, Krenn V.
Zentrum f�r Histologie, Zytologie und molekulare Diagnostik Trier, Max-Planck-Stra�e 18-20, 54296, Trier, Deutschland, [email protected].
Histopathological assessment of synovial biopsies has an established value. The value for inflammatory joint diseases without standardized rating mechanisms was, however, unknown until recently. The exemplary use of the synovitis score in four cases all including recurrent bruises of the knee joint portrays its value for diagnosis and therapy.Usage of the score includes assessing the enlargement of the lining layer, cellular density of synovial stroma and leucocyte infiltration by giving each a score of 0-3 points and adding them. Presence of high-grade synovitis ( greater than/=4 points) in all cases displayed the reason for the joint bruises within a primarily inflammatory, rheumatoid circle.In this report we show the broad variety of uses for the synovitis score dealing with cases of Lyme arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, seronegative monarthritis and HLA-B27-positive peripheral arthritis.
PMID: 18000669 PubMed - as supplied by publisher
17: Arthritis Rheum. 2007 Nov 29;56(12):4216-4225 Epub ahead of print Related Articles, Links
Antibody responses to Borrelia burgdorferi in patients with antibiotic-refractory, antibiotic-responsive, or non-antibiotic-treated lyme arthritis.
Center for Immunology and Inflammatory Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.
OBJECTIVE: To compare the pattern of antibody responses to Borrelia burgdorferi in patients with antibiotic-refractory, antibiotic-responsive, or non-antibiotic-treated Lyme arthritis as an indirect measure of spirochetal persistence or eradication. METHODS: At least 3 serial serum samples from 41 patients with antibiotic-refractory arthritis and 23 patients with antibiotic-responsive arthritis, and samples from 10 non-antibiotic-treated, historical control patients were tested for IgG reactivity with B burgdorferi sonicate and 4 differentially expressed outer surface lipoproteins of the spirochete, by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: Among non-antibiotic-treated patients, antibody titers to B burgdorferi antigens remained high throughout a 2-5-year period of arthritis. In contrast, in patients with antibiotic-responsive arthritis, in whom joint swelling usually resolved during a 1-month course of oral antibiotic therapy, the median antibody titers to most of the spirochetal antigens remained steady or decreased during the first 1-3 months after starting antibiotic therapy. In patients with antibiotic-refractory arthritis, who had persistent joint swelling for a median duration of 10 months despite 2-3 months of oral or intravenous antibiotics, the median titers to most antigens increased slightly during the first 1-3 months. However, by 4-6 months after starting antibiotic therapy, reactivity with all antigens declined similarly in both antibiotic-treated groups. CONCLUSION: Whereas the antibody titers to B burgdorferi remained high in non-antibiotic-treated patients, the titers declined similarly 4-6 months after starting therapy in patients with antibiotic-responsive or antibiotic-refractory arthritis, suggesting that synovial inflammation persisted in patients with antibiotic-refractory arthritis after the period of infection.
PMID: 18050219 PubMed - as supplied by publisher
18: Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis. 2007 Nov 20 Epub ahead of print Related Articles, Links
Borrelia burgdorferi Sensu Lato in Siberian Chipmunks (Tamias sibiricus) Introduced in Suburban Forests in France.
Vourc'h G, Marmet J, Chassagne M, Bord S, Chapuis JL.
National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA), UR346 Animal Epidemiology, F-63122 Saint Gen�s Champanelle, France.
Numerous vertebrate reservoirs have been described for Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (sl), which includes the etiological agents of Lyme Borreliosis (LB). The Siberian chipmunk (Tamias sibiricus) is a rodent originating from Asia, where it is suspected to be a B. burgdorferi reservoir. It has been intentionally released into the wild in Europe since the 1970s, but has not yet been subject to any study regarding its association with the LB agent. In this paper we studied Siberian chipmunk infestation with the LB vector (Ixodes ricinus) and infection prevalence by LB spirochetes in a suburban introduced population. We compared these findings with known competent reservoir hosts, the bank vole (Myodes clethrionomys glareolus) and wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus). All Siberian chipmunks were infested with larvae and larval abundance was higher in this species (mean number of larvae 95% Confidence Interval : 73.5 46.0, 117.2 ) than in the two other rodent species (bank voles: 4.4 3.0, 6.3 and wood mice: 10.2 4.9, 21.2 ). Significant factors affecting abundance of larvae were host species and sampling season. Nymphs were most prevalent on chipmunks (86.2%, mean: 5.1 3.3, 8.0 ), one vole carried only two nymphs, and none of the mice had any nymphs. Nymph abundance in chipmunks was affected by sampling season and sex. Furthermore, the infection prevalence of B. burgdorferi sl in the Siberian chipmunk was the highest (33.3%) and predominantly of B. afzelii. The infection prevalence was 14.1% in bank voles, but no wood mouse was found to be infected. Our results suggest that the Siberian chipmunk may be an important reservoir host for LB.
PMID: 18021026 PubMed - as supplied by publisher
19: BMJ. 2007 Nov 17;335(7628):1008.
Comment on: * BMJ. 2007 Nov 3;335(7626):910-2.
Lyme wars: let's tackle the testing.
Stricker RB, Johnson L.
Publication Types: * Comment * Letter
PMID: 18006976 PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE
20: Clin Vaccine Immunol. 2007 Nov 14 Epub ahead of print Related Articles, Links
Quantitative Measurement of C6 Antibody Following Treatment of Borrelia burgdorferi Antibody-Positive Nonclinical Dogs.
Levy SA, O'Connor TP, Hanscom JL, Shields P, Lorentzen L, Dimarco AA.
Durham Veterinary Hospital PC, 178 Parmelee Hill Road, Durham, CT 06422; Dept. of Research and Development, Dept. of Marketing, IDEXX Laboratories, Inc., Westbrook, ME 04092.
The detection of antibody to the B. burgdorferi C6 peptide using enzyme-linked-immunoassays is a widely accepted method for the diagnosis of Lyme infection in dogs and in humans. Antibody to the C6 peptide is highly specific for B. burgdorferi and declines following treatment of dogs and humans exposed to B. burgdorferi. A quantitative assay to determine C6 antibody levels was developed and used to measure changes in antibody levels following antibiotic treatment of B. burgdorferi positive-nonclinical dogs. One hundred and thirty two client-owned dogs were used in the study; 64 were negative, 53 of 68 positive animals received treatment and 15 were untreated controls. Test sera were collected at 3, 6 and 12 months from seropositive dogs receiving treatment and untreated controls. Dogs in the treated group were assigned to moderate-to-high ( greater than/= 29 U/ml) and low ( less than 29 U/ml) C6 level groups because the change in the C6 level post treatment was dependent on the level prior to treatment. There was a significant decline in the 30 dogs with moderate-to-high initial C6 levels that exceeded the maximal decline of the untreated control dogs in all cases 6 months (16 data points) and 12 months (29 data points) post treatment. There was little change in C6 level following antibiotic therapy in the 23 dogs with low initial C6 levels. The quantitative C6 antibody test can be used to measure changes in C6 antibody levels following treatment of antibody-positive nonclinical dogs.
PMID: 18003819 PubMed - as supplied by publisher
-------------------- My biofilm film: www.whyamistillsick.com 2004 Mycoplasma Pneumonia 2006 Positive after 2 years of hell 2006-08 Marshall Protocol. Killed many bug species 2009 - Beating candida, doing better Lahey Clinic in Mass: what a racquet! Posts: 830 | From Mass. | Registered: Aug 2006
| IP: Logged |
bettyg
Unregistered
posted
coldfeet, could you do us all a BIG favor, and show the names of each SUBJECT title you have pasted below, and then add to the very TOP OF YOUR POST.
it will save us alot of time if we are not interested in reading about this or that.
to edit your post, click on PAPER/PENCIL and that opens up subject title and body text..
show all the subject titles at the VERY TOP OF YOUR POST PLEASE, BEORE the pub med articles. thank you.
IP: Logged |
The Lyme Disease Network is a non-profit organization funded by individual donations. If you would like to support the Network and the LymeNet system of Web services, please send your donations to:
The
Lyme Disease Network of New Jersey 907 Pebble Creek Court,
Pennington,
NJ08534USA http://www.lymenet.org/
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
![[group hug]](graemlins/grouphug.gif)
![[kiss]](graemlins/kissing.gif)
Printer-friendly view of this topic