Presence of pathogenic Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in ticks and rodents in Zhejiang, south-east China.
A molecular epidemiological survey was conducted to investigate the presence of pathogenic Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) species in the forest areas of Zhejiang province, south-east China. A total of 182 ticks of 6 species and 200 rodents of 8 species were collected and individually examined for the presence of B. burgdorferi s.l. DNA by nested PCR targeting the 5S-23S rRNA intergenic spacer. Forty-one ticks of four species, Haemaphysalis concinna, Haemaphysalis longicornis, Rhipicephalus microplus and Haemaphysalis warburconi, were infected with B. burgdorferi s.l., with an overall infection rate of 23 %. Sixteen rodents of four species, Nivivener confucianus, Nivivener coxingi, Apodemus sylvaticus and Rattus losea, were positive for B. burgdorferi s.l., with an overall prevalence of 8 %. MseI RFLP analysis and sequence analysis of the positive PCR products showed that Borrelia spirochaetes in specimens consisted of Borrelia garinii, Borrelia afzelii and Borrelia valaisiana-related group. Forty (98 %) of the B. burgdorferi s.l.-positive ticks were infected with B. garinii and one (2 %) was infected with B. afzelii. Twelve (75 %) of the positive rodents were infected with B. garinii and four (25 %) were infected with the Borrelia spirochaete belonging to B. valaisiana-related group.
Chu
Chen-Yi
CY
Department of Epidemiology, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing 100071, PR China.
Jiang
Bao-Gui
BG
Department of Epidemiology, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing 100071, PR China.
Liu
Wei
W
Department of Epidemiology, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing 100071, PR China.
Zhao
Qiu-Min
QM
Department of Epidemiology, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing 100071, PR China.
Wu
Xiao-Ming
XM
Department of Epidemiology, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing 100071, PR China.
Zhang
Pan-He
PH
Department of Epidemiology, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing 100071, PR China.
Zhan
Lin
L
Department of Epidemiology, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing 100071, PR China.
Yang
Hong
H
Department of Epidemiology, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing 100071, PR China.
Cao
Wu-Chun
WC
Department of Epidemiology, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing 100071, PR China.
D000818:Animals; D025065:Borrelia burgdorferi / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002681:China; D006224:Cricetinae / Q000382:microbiology; D003412:Cricetulus / Q000382:microbiology; D017931:DNA Primers; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D026863:Ixodidae / Q000382:microbiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D051189:Murinae / Q000382:microbiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D051381:Rats / Q000382:microbiology; D012377:Rodentia / Q000382:microbiology*; D013987:Ticks / Q000382:microbiology*
D017931:DNA Primers; D004269:DNA, Bacterial