Borrelia lusitaniae and spotted fever group rickettsiae in Ixodes ricinus (Acari: Ixodidae) in Tuscany, central Italy.
Prevalence of infection by Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. and spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsiae was estimated in host-seeking ticks in an area in Tuscany, central Italy, where Lyme borreliosis was reported in a forestry worker. B. burgdorferi s.l. was identified by polymerase chain reaction in 16.7% (95% CI = 10.3, 24.8) of Ixodes ricinus (L.) nymphs and 39.6% (95% CI = 26.5, 54.0) of adults. Borrelia lusitaniae accounted for 82.9% of positive samples, followed by Borrelia garinii (9.8%), Borrelia afzelii (2.4%), and Borrelia burgdorferi s.s. (2.4%). One Rhipicephalus spp. adult was infected with B. garinii (prevalence = 8.3%; 95% CI = 0.21, 38.5). Prevalence of infection by SFG rickettsiae was 38.5% (95% CI = 26.7, 51.4) in I. ricinus nymphs, 34.6% (95% CI = 22.0, 49.1) in I. ricinus adults, and 50% (95% CI = 21.1, 78.9) in Rhipicephalus spp. adults. Phylogenetic analysis showed the similarity of B. lusitaniae strains that were identified in this study and of a strain that was previously isolated from a human patient in Portugal. Results of this study confirm the dominance of B. lusitaniae in areas in the Mediterranean basin and the infection by SFG rickettsiae in I. ricinus.
Bertolotti
Luigi
L
Dipartimento di Produzioni Animali, Epidemiologia ed Ecologia, Facoltà di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Torino, Via Leonardo da Vinci, 44, 10095 Grugliasco TO, Italy.
Tomassone
Laura
L
Tramuta
Clara
C
Grego
Elena
E
Amore
Giuseppina
G
Ambrogi
Cecilia
C
Nebbia
Patrizia
P
Mannelli
Alessandro
A
D000818:Animals; D001096:Arachnid Vectors / Q000382:microbiology*; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D001898:Borrelia / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer / Q000235:genetics; D005970:Glutamate Synthase / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D018884:Ixodes / Q000382:microbiology*; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission; D009758:Nymph / Q000382:microbiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D015995:Prevalence; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D012281:Rickettsia / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D012282:Rickettsia Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission
D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; C078167:OMPA outer membrane proteins; C107166:glutamate synthase A; D005970:Glutamate Synthase