title: Prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and Anaplasmataceae members in Ixodes ricinus ticks in Alsace, a focus of Lyme borreliosis endemicity in France.
abstract: Due to the high Lyme borreliosis incidence in Alsace, in northeastern France, we investigated in 2003-2004 three cantons in this region in order to determine the density of Ixodes ricinus ticks infected by Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and Anaplasmataceae. The peak density of nymphs infected by B. burgdorferi sensu lato at Munster and Guebwiller, where the disease incidence was high, was among the highest reported in Europe (105 and 114 per 100 m(2), respectively). In contrast, the peak density of infected nymphs was low in the canton of Dannemarie (5/100 m(2)), where the disease incidence was low. The two main species detected in ticks were Borrelia afzelii, more frequent in nymphs, and Borrelia garinii, more frequent in adult ticks. The rates of tick infection by Anaplasma phagocytophilum were 0.4% and 1.2% in nymphs and adults, respectively.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire des Spirochètes, Institut Pasteur, 28 rue du Dr. Roux, 75724 Paris Cedex 15, France.
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ferquel
authors.forename: Martine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Garnier
authors.forename: Jérôme
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Marie
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bernède-Bauduin
authors.forename: Guy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Baranton
authors.forename: Claudine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pérez-Eid
authors.forename: Danièle
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Postic
mesh_terms: D000710:Anaplasmataceae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D000818:Animals; D015748:Borrelia burgdorferi Group / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D019353:Endemic Diseases; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D018884:Ixodes / Q000382:microbiology*; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D009758:Nymph / Q000382:microbiology; D015995:Prevalence