Search results for "Ixodes"
showing 10 items of 59 documents
Heterogeneity of host-parasite relationships : ecological and evolution significance
2005
Although parasites have been studied for a long time, the major knowledge concern parasite which have medical or veterinary interest. Whereas they are omnipresent in the nature, the role of parasite infections on natural populations is poorly understood. One of the aim of this work was to study the pathogenicity of two groups of parasites (ticks and Haemosporidae) among natural populations of blackbirds. The study revealed that both parasites are associated with body condition and immune response. However, the study of an urban blackbird population did not confirm the effect of Haemosporidae on the survey and on the population dynamic.The impact of spatial pattern on the relation between ho…
Variable exposure and immunological response to Lyme disease Borrelia among North Atlantic seabird species.
2008
Colonial seabirds often breed in large aggregations. These individuals can be exposed to parasitism by the tick Ixodes uriae , but little is known about the circulation of pathogens carried by this ectoparasite, including Lyme disease Borrelia . Here we investigated the prevalence of antibodies (Ab) against Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in seabird species sampled at eight locations across the North Atlantic. Using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay tests, we found that the prevalence of anti- Borrelia Ab in adult seabirds was 39.6% on average (over 444 individuals), but that it varied among colonies and species. Common guillemots showed higher seroprevalence (77.1%±5.9) than black-legged …
Tick saliva increases production of three chemokines including monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, a histamine-releasing cytokine
2014
Summary The effect of Ixodes ricinus tick saliva on the production of various cytokines and chemokines by mouse splenocytes was tested by a cytokine array. We demonstrated a strong upregulation of three chemokines, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), thymus-derived chemotactic agent 3 (TCA-3) and macrophage inflammatory protein 2 (MIP-2). MCP-1 could be induced by tick saliva itself. While TCA-3 and MIP-2 are engaged in Th2 polarization of the host immune response associated with tick feeding, MCP-1 may act as a histamine release factor, increasing blood flow into the feeding lesion thus facilitating tick engorgement in the late, rapid feeding phase.
Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in Ixodes ricinus ticks collected from migratory birds in Southern Norway
2010
Abstract Background Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) are the causative agent for Lyme borreliosis (LB), the most common tick-borne disease in the northern hemisphere. Birds are considered important in the global dispersal of ticks and tick-borne pathogens through their migration. The present study is the first description of B. burgdorferi prevalence and genotypes in Ixodes ricinus ticks feeding on birds during spring and autumn migration in Norway. Methods 6538 migratory birds were captured and examined for ticks at Lista Bird Observatory during the spring and the autumn migration in 2008. 822 immature I. ricinus ticks were collected from 215 infested birds. Ticks were investigated f…
BORRELIA BURGDORFERI SENSU LATO DETECTED IN SKIN OF NORWEGIAN MOUNTAIN HARES (LEPUS TIMIDUS) WITHOUT SIGNS OF DISSEMINATION
2011
The mountain hare (Lepus timidus) population in southern Norway appears to be in decline. Necropsy and laboratory examinations of 36 hares found dead or diseased during 2007-2009 in Vest- and Aust-Agder counties showed that disease and deaths were attributed to multiple causes, with no specific etiology emerging as a cause for population decline. To investigate whether Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) infection is associated with mortality in mountain hares, tissues and ticks collected from hares were investigated for infection with the spirochete. Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. DNA was not detected in samples from internal organs, whereas Borrelia afzelii, B. burgdorferi sensu stricto (s.…
Borrelia miyamotoi is widespread in Ixodes ricinus ticks in southern Norway.
2015
From April to October 2007, host-seeking Ixodes ricinus ticks were collected from four locations in southern Norway; Farsund, Mandal, Sogne and Tromoy, respectively. Larvae (n=210), nymphs (n=1130) and adults (n=449) were investigated for infection with Borrelia miyamotoi by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of part of the 16S rRNA gene. Results were verified by direct sequencing of the PCR amplicon generated from the rrs (16S)-rrl (23S) intergenetic spacer. B. miyamotoi was detected at all sites and throughout the period of questing activity, with infection prevalence (≤1.26%) similar to what has been seen in other European countries. Detection of the relapsing fever …
First Report of Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Babesia microti in Rodents in Finland
2014
Tick-borne diseases pose an increasingly important public health problem in Europe. Rodents are the reservoir host for many tick-transmitted pathogens, including Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Babesia microti, which can cause human granulocytic anaplasmosis and babesiosis, respectively. To estimate the presence of these pathogens in rodents in Finland, we examined blood samples from 151 bank voles (Myodes glareolus) and demonstrate, for the first time, that A. phagocytophilum and B. microti commonly infect bank voles (in 22% and 40% of animals, respectively) in Finland. Sequence analysis of a fragment of 18S rRNA showed that the B. microti strain isolated was identical to the Munich strain, …
Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and Anaplasma phagocytophilum in Ixodes ricinus ticks in Brønnøysund in northern Norway
2013
Ticks are important vectors of disease for both humans and animals. In Europe, Lyme borreliosis is the most abundant tick-borne human disease, whereas anaplasmosis, or tick-borne fever, is the most widespread tick-borne infection in domestic animals. However, knowledge about the prevalence of the causative disease agents in questing ticks in the northern range of their distribution in Norway is missing. Ixodes ricinus ticks were therefore collected by flagging vegetation in Brønnøysund, an area near the Arctic Circle in Norway where ticks have been abundant for decades. Ticks were analysed for infection with Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and Anaplasma phagocytophilum by real-time PCR ampl…
18S rRNA gene sequences and phylogenetic relationships of European hard-tick species (Acari: Ixodidae)
1998
The complete 18S rRNA gene sequences of the following six European hard-tick species were obtained by direct PCR cycle sequencing and silver-staining methods: Rhipicephalus pusillus, Boophilus annulatus, Dermacentor marginatus, Hyalomma lusitanicum, Haemaphysalis punctata, and Ixodes ricinus. Differences observed in the sequence alignment of these six species together with the 18S rRNA gene sequences of 13 other hard-tick species demonstrate that this gene is a good marker for supraspecific differentiation as well as genus grouping among hard ticks. Phylogenetic analyses strongly support that Hyalomma species share a common ancestor with Rhipicephalinae and, consequently, Hyalomminae should…
Untersuchungen zur Bedeutung der Frühsommer-Meningoenzephalitis in Rheinland-Pfalz
2002
Within the scope of a prospective clinical study during 2001 in Rhineland-Palatinate specimen from sera and cerebrospinal fluids of 163 patients with suspected meningitis were controlled in an enzyme immunoassay concerning a TBE infection. Questionable results were checked via a neutralisation test. In no case such an infection was confirmed. No virus specific nucleic acids could be detected in 998 nymphs and adults of Ixodes ricinus in an additional investigation in 2000. Therefore Rhineland-Palatinate has to be considered as a region with low virus prevalence. A general recommendation for vaccination is not necessary.