title: First record of Borrelia burgdorferi B31 strain in Dermacentor nitens ticks in the northern region of Parana (Brazil).
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of DNA of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) in ticks that feed on horses used for animal traction in rural Jataizinho, Parana, Brazil. Between February and June 2008, a total of 224 ticks was collected of which 75% were identified as Dermacentor nitens and 25% as Amblyomma cajenense. To amplify B. burgdorferi s.l. DNA, the intergenic space region (ISR) between the 5S (rrf) 23S (rrl) rRNA genes was used as targets for nested-PCR. Two ticks of the D. nitens species were positive for B. burgdorferi s.l. Both species showed a fragment of 184 bp, but the sequencing revealed 99.9% homology with the B. burgdorferi sensu stricto (s.s.) strain B31. These results showed, for the first time, the presence of spirochete DNA infecting ticks that parasitize horses used for animal traction, in the rural municipality mentioned. In conclusion, this study opens up promising prospects for determining the infection rate of B. burgdorferi s.s. genospecies or other species in the equine population, as well as the impact of the infection rate on Lyme disease in the state of Parana.
authors: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciência Animal, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, PR, Brazil.
authors: Daniela Dib
authors: DD
authors: Gonçalves
authors: Grupo de Leptospirose e Borreliose de Lyme, Unidade de Microbiologia Médica, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal. ; Centro de Recursos Microbiológicos, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Caparica, Portugal.
authors: Teresa
authors: T
authors: Carreira
authors: Grupo de Leptospirose e Borreliose de Lyme, Unidade de Microbiologia Médica, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal. ; Centro de Recursos Microbiológicos, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Caparica, Portugal.
authors: Mónica
authors: M
authors: Nunes
authors: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciência Animal, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, PR, Brazil.
authors: Aline
authors: A
authors: Benitez
authors: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciência Animal, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, PR, Brazil.
authors: Fabiana Maria Ruiz
authors: FM
authors: Lopes-Mori
authors: Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, PR, Brazil.
authors: Odilon
authors: O
authors: Vidotto
authors: Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, PR, Brazil.
authors: Julio Cesar
authors: JC
authors: de Freitas
authors: Grupo de Leptospirose e Borreliose de Lyme, Unidade de Microbiologia Médica, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal. ; Centro de Recursos Microbiológicos, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Caparica, Portugal.
authors: Maria Luísa
authors: ML
authors: Vieira
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D025065:Borrelia burgdorferi / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001938:Brazil; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D003870:Dermacentor / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012338:RNA, Ribosomal, 23S / Q000235:genetics; D012341:RNA, Ribosomal, 5S / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer; D012338:RNA, Ribosomal, 23S; D012341:RNA, Ribosomal, 5S
keywords: Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato; Dermacentor nitens; equine; rural area; ticks