Assessment of Polymicrobial Infections in Ticks in New York State.
Tokarz R, Jain K, Bennett A, Briese T, Ian Lipkin W.
Center for Infection and Immunity, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University , New York, New York.
Abstract Ixodes scapularis ticks are clinically important hematophagous vectors. A single tick bite can lead to a polymicrobial infection.
We determined the prevalence of polymicrobial infection with Borrelia burgdorferi, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Babesia microti, Borrelia miyamotoi, and Powassan virus in 286 adult ticks from the two counties in New York State where Lyme disease is endemic, utilizing a MassTag multiplex polymerase chain reaction assay.
Seventy-one percent of the ticks harbored at least one organism; 30% had a polymicrobial infection. Infections with three microbes were detected in 5% of the ticks. One tick was infected with four organisms. Our results show that coinfection is a frequent occurrence in ticks in the two counties surveyed.
PMID: 19725770 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Posted by JamesNYC (Member # 15793) on :
So 29% had no infection? That surprises me.
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- Thanks for this article, Terry.
It would be interesting to study the differences. Hope they take the research further. -
Posted by TerryK (Member # 8552) on :
James - I've no doubt that there are infections that haven't been discovered yet and maybe some that are known but aren't suspected of being in the tick so aren't tested. Not sure how reliable the testing is either.
71% sure is an alarming number! I was shocked.
Keeb Posted by Cold Feet (Member # 9882) on :
Terry,
This is a very important article -- thx for finding this!
IMO, once these pathogens enter the body and sequester themselves, they CANNOT be eradicated. The "pea soup" of pathogens (Bb, mycoplasma, protozoa, babs, bart, kitchen sink) set up shop and create very nasty, impermeable biofilms.
That's why Lyme patients stay sick. I believe it is that simple - and so complicated.
The more you read about complex biofilms (see my previous posts), the more you will understand my perspective. E.g., candida and MRSA working together.
The findings in this study of multiple co-infections are new; but the reality of these conditions are not. But it is (some?) validation for the hundreds of thousands of people (is it more) that have been afflicted. And my heart goes out to them!
Posted by susiecv (Member # 9702) on :
Did it say what the two NY counties were? I can think of a few likely ones, but am curious to hear which were tested. Sue
Posted by TerryK (Member # 8552) on :
Cold Feet - Are biofilms the key? Not sure but I think they are probably a big piece of the puzzle. I think genetics, the strain of borrelia and number and type of co-infections are all factors. Genetics likely affect our individual ability to deal with biofilms.
Sue - I don't have access to the full article but I found the first page which states it was Westchester County and Sufolk County.
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