title: Presence of potentially pathogenic Babesia sp. for human in Ixodes ricinus in Switzerland.
abstract: We have designed and performed a new PCR method based on the 18S rRNA in order to individuate the presence and the identity of Babesia parasites. Out of 1159 Ixodes ricinus (Acari: Ixodidae) ticks collected in four areas of Switzerland, nine were found to contain Babesia DNA. Sequencing of the short amplicon obtained (411-452 bp) allowed the identification of three human pathogenic species: Babesia microti, B. divergens, for the first time in Switzerland, Babesia sp. EU1. We also report coinfections with B. sp. EU1-Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto and Babesia sp. EU1-B. afzelii.
authors.affiliation: Istituto Cantonale di Microbiologia, Bellinzona, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Casati
authors.forename: Heinz
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sager
authors.forename: Lise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gern
authors.forename: Jean-Claude
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Piffaretti
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001096:Arachnid Vectors / Q000469:parasitology*; D001403:Babesia / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D041001:Babesia microti / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D001404:Babesiosis / Q000635:transmission; D001483:Base Sequence; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000737:chemistry; D018884:Ixodes / Q000469:parasitology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / Q000737:chemistry; D013045:Species Specificity; D013557:Switzerland / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S