title: Detection of Borrelia burgdorferi and Anaplasma phagocytophilum in the black-legged tick, Ixodes scapularis, within southwestern Pennsylvania.
abstract: Prevalence studies of Borrelia burgdorferi and Anaplasma phagocytophilum have been rare for ticks from southwestern Pennsylvania. We collected 325 Ixodes scapularis ticks between 2011 and 2012 from four counties in southwestern Pennsylvania. We tested for the presence of Borrelia burgdorferi and Anaplasma phagocytophilum using PCR. Of the ticks collected from Pennsylvania, B. burgdorferi (causative agent of Lyme disease) was present in 114/325 (35%) and Anaplasma phagocytophilum (causative agent of Human Granulocytic Anaplasmosis) was present in 48/325 (15%) as determined by PCR analysis.
authors.affiliation: University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, Johnstown, PA, U.S.A., 15904.
authors.forename: Scott M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, Johnstown, PA, U.S.A., 15904.
authors.forename: Preston M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Lehman
authors.affiliation: University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, Johnstown, PA, U.S.A., 15904.
authors.forename: Ryan A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Kern
authors.affiliation: University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, Johnstown, PA, U.S.A., 15904. henning@pitt.edu.
authors.forename: Jill D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Henning
mesh_terms: D041081:Anaplasma phagocytophilum / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D000818:Animals; D001096:Arachnid Vectors / Q000382:microbiology*; D025065:Borrelia burgdorferi / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D018884:Ixodes / Q000382:microbiology*; D010414:Pennsylvania; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
keywords: Anaplasma phagocytophilum; Borrelia burgdorferi; PCR.