title: The importance of lizards and small mammals as reservoirs for Borrelia lusitaniae in Portugal.
abstract: Borrelia lusitaniae is a pathogen frequent in the Mediterranean area. Apart from lizards, evidence for birds and small mammals as competent reservoirs for this genospecies has been occasional. We collected questing ticks, skin biopsies and Ixodes sp. ticks feeding on lizards, birds and small mammals in a B. burgdorferi s.l. (sensu lato) enzootic area to assess their importance in the maintenance of B. lusitaniae. Borrelia lusitaniae was the most prevalent genospecies in questing ticks and was commonly found in larvae feeding on Psammodromus algirus. One biopsy infected with B. lusitaniae was collected from the tail of one Podarcis hispanica, which suggests systemic infection. Ixodes ricinus larvae feeding on Apodemus sylvaticus were infected with B. lusitaniae but with a lower prevalence. Our results reinforce the importance of lizards as reservoirs for B. lusitaniae, suggesting that P. algirus, in particular, acts as main reservoir for B. lusitaniae in Portugal.
authors.affiliation: IMAR/CMA - Marine and Environmental Research Centre, MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Coimbra, Largo Marquês de Pombal, Coimbra, 3004-517, Portugal; Centre for Vector and Infectious Diseases Research, National Institute of Health Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Águas de Moura, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ana Cláudia
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Norte
authors.forename: António
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alves da Silva
authors.forename: Joana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.forename: Luís Pascoal
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.forename: M Sofia
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Núncio
authors.forename: Raquel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Escudero
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Anda
authors.forename: Jaime A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Ramos
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lopes de Carvalho
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds / Q000469:parasitology; D001898:Borrelia / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D043344:Chordata; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D004478:Ectoparasitic Infestations / Q000469:parasitology*; D018884:Ixodes / Q000382:microbiology*; D007814:Larva / Q000382:microbiology; D008116:Lizards / Q000469:parasitology*; D051189:Murinae / Q000469:parasitology; D011174:Portugal; D014242:Trichoderma