title: Real-time PCR-based identification of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato species in ticks collected from humans in Romania.
abstract: The aims of our study were to determine (i) which tick species bite humans in Romania and (ii) the prevalence of Borrelia (B.) burgdorferi genospecies in these ticks. All ticks collected from patients who presented to the Clinic of Infectious Diseases Cluj Napoca in spring/summer 2010 were morphologically identified by an entomologist and tested for B. burgdorferi genospecies prevalence by a real-time PCR assay targeting the hbb gene and melting curve analysis. Out of 532 ticks, 518 were Ixodes ricinus, 10 Dermacentor marginatus, and 3 Haemaphysalis spp. ticks, and one unidentified tick due to destruction. Since evaluation of the hbb PCR revealed that it was not possible to differentiate between B. spielmanii/B. valaisiana and B. garinii/B. bavariensis, sequencing of an 800-bp fragment of the ospA gene was performed in these cases. Out of 389 investigated ticks, 43 were positive by hbb PCR for B. burgdorferi sensu lato. The positive samples were 42 Ixodes ricinus (11.1% B. burgdorferi sensu lato prevalence) and the one unidentified tick. Species identification revealed the presence of mainly B. afzelii, but also of B. garinii, B. burgdorferi sensu stricto, B. valaisiana, and B. lusitaniae. In 4 samples, differentiation between B. spielmanii/B. valaisiana was impossible. Our study shows that the most relevant human pathogenic B. burgdorferi genospecies - predominantly B. afzelii - are present in ticks collected from Romanian patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Iuliu Hatieganu", Cluj Napoca, Romania; Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Cluj Napoca, Romania; National Reference Centre for Borrelia, Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Oberschleissheim, Germany.
authors.forename: Violeta T
authors.initials: VT
authors.lastname: Briciu
authors.affiliation: Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Oberschleissheim, Germany.
authors.forename: Fabian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.affiliation: Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Oberschleissheim, Germany.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sebah
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Iuliu Hatieganu", Cluj Napoca, Romania.
authors.forename: Doina F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Tăţulescu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Clinic of Infectious Diseases, Cluj Napoca, Romania.
authors.forename: Georgiana
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Coroiu
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Iuliu Hatieganu", Cluj Napoca, Romania.
authors.forename: Mihaela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lupşe
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Iuliu Hatieganu", Cluj Napoca, Romania.
authors.forename: Dumitru
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Carstina
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Cluj Napoca, Romania.
authors.forename: Andrei D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Mihalca
authors.affiliation: National Reference Centre for Borrelia, Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Oberschleissheim, Germany.
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hizo-Teufel
authors.affiliation: National Reference Centre for Borrelia, Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Oberschleissheim, Germany.
authors.forename: Christiane
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Klier
authors.affiliation: Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Oberschleissheim, Germany.
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Huber
authors.affiliation: National Reference Centre for Borrelia, Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Oberschleissheim, Germany. Electronic address: volker.fingerle@lgl.bayern.de.
authors.forename: Volker
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Fingerle
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015748:Borrelia burgdorferi Group / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007814:Larva; D008297:Male; D009758:Nymph; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012383:Romania / Q000453:epidemiology; D013045:Species Specificity; D013984:Tick Infestations / Q000453:epidemiology*; D017282:Tick-Borne Diseases; D013987:Ticks / Q000145:classification
keywords: Borrelia burgdorferi; Humans; Ixodes ricinus; Real-time PCR; Romania; Ticks; hbb gene