Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases最新文献

{"title":"A reverse vaccinology approach identified novel recombinant tick proteins with protective efficacy against Rhipicephalus microplus infestation","authors":"Luísa N. Domingues ,&nbsp;Kylie G. Bendele ,&nbsp;Deanna M. Bodine ,&nbsp;Lénaïg Halos ,&nbsp;Andre A. Cutolo ,&nbsp;Martin Liebstein ,&nbsp;Justin Widener ,&nbsp;Monica Figueiredo ,&nbsp;Yovany Moreno ,&nbsp;Christian Epe ,&nbsp;Alvimar Jose da Costa ,&nbsp;Lucas Vinícius Costa Gomes ,&nbsp;Felix D. Guerrero","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102403","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102403","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The cattle tick, <em>Rhipicephalus microplus</em>, causes significant economic losses to the cattle industry. Tick control is predominately achieved via pesticide applications. However, alternative control methods such as vaccines are needed due to the tick's capacity to quickly develop pesticide resistance and to combat tick-borne diseases. We used an <em>in silico</em> reverse vaccinology approach to evaluate and rank open reading frames (ORFs) from the tick's transcriptome for their potential use as anti-<em>R. microplus</em> vaccine antigens. We manually annotated the 200 highest ranked antigens and selected 10 transcript ORFs as vaccine antigen candidates for expression in <em>Pichia pastoris</em> or insect cells. Six of the ten candidate antigens could be successfully expressed and purified <em>in vitro</em> as recombinant proteins with &gt; 1 mg quantity. RT-PCR confirmed the expression of all six transcripts in tick RNA. However, only three of the six transcripts' corresponding ORFs could be confirmed as present in tick tissue protein extracts. Only four of the six vaccine candidate antigens were successfully expressed and purified in sufficient quantity (&gt; 10 mg) for immunogenicity and efficacy trials in cattle. These four were designated BI-TS002, BI-TS004, BI-TS008, and BI-TS009 and sufficient annotation existed that showed sequence similarity to serine‑rich adhesin for platelets, glycine-rich cell wall structural membrane protein, SWM-1 tick serine protease inhibitor, and venom-like dermonecrotic toxins from ticks and spiders, respectively. Cattle immunized with BI-TS004, BI-TS008 and BI-TS009 yielded a statistically significant difference in antibody response post-immunization. This difference was noted on Days 42, 56, 70, and 84 post-immunization for BI-TS008 and BI-TS009, but only on Day 56 for BI-TS004. BI-TS008 and BI-TS009, were formulated with adjuvant and cattle stall tests conducted over a 175 day period to evaluate efficacy against <em>R. microplus</em> infestations. Both an adjuvant only negative control group and a positive control group using the commercially available GAVAC anti-tick vaccine were used. Efficacy was determined by comparing number of engorged adult female ticks, total egg mass weight, and egg hatchability produced from the immunized group to corresponding data from the adjuvant only negative control group. Thus, effects on engorged adult tick number, reproductive capacity, and fertility were measured. Both initial (designated Phase 1 and calculated from tick collections of Days 60–94 days post-first immunization) and long-term (designated Phase 2 and calculated from tick collections of Days 152–175 post-first immunization) efficacies were determined. The overall Phase 1 trial efficacies of BI-TS008, BI-TS009, and GAVAC were 68.3 %, 48.5 %, and 70.7 %, respectively. The overall Phase 2 trial efficacies of BI-TS008, BI-TS009, and GAVAC were 64.4 %, -30.1 %, and 45.1 %, respectively.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"15 6","pages":"Article 102403"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2024-10-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142478908","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Parthenogenetic Haemaphysalis longicornis acetylcholinesterases are triggered by the repellent effect of cinnamaldehyde, a primary compound found in cinnamon oil","authors":"Ceyan kuang,&nbsp;Jie Cao,&nbsp;Yongzhi Zhou,&nbsp;Houshuang Zhang,&nbsp;Yanan Wang,&nbsp;Jinlin Zhou","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102404","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102404","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The control and prevention of ticks and tick-borne diseases rely on chemical insecticides and repellents. Plant-derived compounds potentially represent new and safer repellents. Cinnamaldehyde, a component of cinnamon oil, exhibits antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, acaricidal, and repellent activity against ticks. Here we studied the molecular mechanism of the repellent effect of cinnamaldehyde on <em>Haemaphysalis longicornis</em>. A 2 % cinnamaldehyde treatment resulted in &gt;90 % nymph repellency within 6 h. Nymphs were exposed to cinnamaldehyde for 30 min, and subsequent transcriptome and metabolome analyses revealed the involvement of <em>H. longicornis</em> Acetylcholinesterases (HL-AchEs) in the response process. HL-AchEs was transcribed in all tick developmental stages and tissues. Following cinnamaldehyde treatment, the transcript and specific activity of the enzyme of AchE were significantly altered. Following RNAi, electroantennography (EAG) tests demonstrated a significant decrease in response to various repellents as well as a significant decrease in repellency. Our findings have revealed that HL-AchEs mediates cinnamaldehyde-induced tick repellency, and the results provide insights into the mechanism of plant-derived tick repellents.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"15 6","pages":"Article 102404"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2024-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142433515","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Short Communication: Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Babesia spp. in ixodid ticks infesting red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in Great Britain","authors":"Karen L Mansfield ,&nbsp;Estela González ,&nbsp;Stuart McKay ,&nbsp;Ternenge Apaa ,&nbsp;Alexander J Kent ,&nbsp;Paul Cropper ,&nbsp;Naomi Berry ,&nbsp;Luis M Hernández-Triana ,&nbsp;Nicholas Johnson","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102401","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102401","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Red foxes (<em>Vulpes vulpes</em>) are found throughout the United Kingdom (UK), and can reach high population densities in urban areas. They are often infested with ticks which may carry tick-borne pathogens, leading to a risk of transmission to domestic animals and humans. This study investigated the prevalence of tick-borne pathogens in ticks sourced from red fox carcasses across Great Britain between 2018 and 2022. Tick species were identified using morphological keys and molecular barcoding, followed by specific pathogen testing using PCR. In total, 227 ticks were collected from 93 foxes. Pooling (<em>n</em> = 2) was undertaken for unengorged nymphs from the same tick species and fox host, with 203 homogenates tested in total (24 pools and 179 individual ticks). <em>Ixodes hexagonus</em> was the most abundant tick species sampled (73 %), of which 59 % were nymphs and 41 % were females. Less common were <em>Ixodes ricinus</em> (12 %) and <em>Ixodes canisuga</em> (15 %), the majority of which were females (73 % and 91 %, respectively). One <em>Ixodes</em> sp. larva was identified. <em>Babesia</em> DNA was identified in seven individual ticks and once in pooled ticks (<em>n</em> = 2); seven detections were in <em>I. hexagonus</em> and one in <em>I. canisuga</em>, with an overall detection rate of 7 % (95 % CI: 6 − 8 %). Sequence analysis confirmed that all <em>Babesia</em> detections in <em>I. hexagonus</em> were <em>Babesia vulpes</em>, with detection of <em>Babesia</em> Badger Type A in <em>I. canisuga</em>. Screening for <em>Anaplasma phagocytophilum</em> DNA through amplification of the <em>msp2</em> gene yielded an overall detection rate of 4 % (detected in <em>I. hexagonus</em> only). Louping ill virus was not detected by qRT-PCR in any tick RNA tested. The majority of pathogen detections were in ticks from red foxes in rural areas of the UK, although a small number of <em>Babesia</em> detections were in ticks collected from semi-rural or urban red foxes. Additionally, <em>B. vulpes</em> was detected in GB red fox tissues, suggesting a potential role as a reservoir host. This study confirms the detection of tick-borne pathogens in ticks infesting UK red foxes and highlights the involvement of GB tick species in animal or human disease transmission.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"15 6","pages":"Article 102401"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2024-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142394668","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Pathogens transmitted by Ixodes ricinus","authors":"Jeremy Gray ,&nbsp;Olaf Kahl ,&nbsp;Annetta Zintl","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102402","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102402","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Ixodes ricinus</em> is the most important tick vector in central and western Europe and one of the most researched parasites. However, in the published literature on the tick and the pathogens it transmits, conjecture about specific transmission cycles and the clinical significance of certain microbes is not always clearly separated from confirmed facts. This article aims to present up-to-date, evidence-based information about the well-researched human pathogens tick-borne encephalitis virus, louping-ill virus, <em>Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Borrelia burgdorferi</em> sensu lato and several <em>Babesia</em> species, with a focus on their development in the tick, transmission dynamics and the reservoir hosts that support their circulation in the environment. <em>Borrelia miyamotoi, Neoehrlichia mikurensis, Rickettsia helvetica</em> and <em>Rickettsia monacensis,</em> which are much less common causes of disease but may affect immunocompromised patients, are also briefly discussed. Finally, the possible role of <em>I. ricinus</em> in the transmission of <em>Coxiella burnetii, Francisella tularensis, Bartonella</em> spp. and <em>Spiroplasma ixodetis</em> is reviewed.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"15 6","pages":"Article 102402"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2024-10-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142378472","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Hyalomma marginatum - A silent stowaway after vacation at the Adriatic Sea","authors":"Mateusz Markowicz ,&nbsp;Anna-Margarita Schötta ,&nbsp;Peter Hufnagl ,&nbsp;Annette Nigsch ,&nbsp;Alexander Indra ,&nbsp;Georg G. Duscher","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102400","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102400","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Hyalomma marginatum</em> is an invasive tick species capable of transmitting pathogens that cause severe diseases such as Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever. In Austria, <em>H. marginatum</em> occurs sporadically, and migratory birds are believed to bring <em>H. marginatum</em> from distant regions. We report several incidents of <em>H. marginatum</em> imported by travelers in private cars from Croatia to Austria. One tick was positive for <em>Rickettsia aeschlimannii</em>. Tourist traffic may play a significant role in the northward expansion of this tick species aside from introduction by birds.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"15 6","pages":"Article 102400"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2024-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142322363","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Survey of tick-borne relapsing fever borreliae in southern and southeastern Kazakhstan","authors":"Yekaterina O. Ostapchuk ,&nbsp;Akerke O. Bissenbay ,&nbsp;Artyom V. Kuligin ,&nbsp;Andrey V. Zhigailov ,&nbsp;Yuliya V. Perfilyeva ,&nbsp;Sofiya A. Kan ,&nbsp;Anzhelika V. Lushova ,&nbsp;Olga A. Stukolova ,&nbsp;Zaure Z. Sayakova ,&nbsp;Nurshat Abdolla ,&nbsp;Andrey M. Dmitrovskiy ,&nbsp;Akzhigit S. Mashzhan ,&nbsp;Saltanat A. Kuatbekova ,&nbsp;Zhaniya Dosmagambet ,&nbsp;Zhanna Zh. Shapiyeva ,&nbsp;Dinara A. Naizabayeva ,&nbsp;Nailya K. Ospanbekova ,&nbsp;Aidyn Yeszhanov ,&nbsp;Ilyas A. Akhmetollayev ,&nbsp;Yuriy A. Skiba","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102398","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102398","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Tick-borne relapsing fever group borreliae (TBRFGB) are spirochetes that cause disease in humans and animals. Little is known about the prevalence of TBRFGB infections in ticks and humans in Kazakhstan. A total of 846 ticks belonging to ten species of the family Ixodidae and three species of the family Argasidae were collected from the vegetation, poultry shelters, domestic ruminants, bitten humans, pigeons, dogs and house walls in four oblasts of the southern and southeastern regions of Kazakhstan. The ticks were subjected to DNA extraction and identification of TBRFGB by conventional PCR using primers targeting flagella subunit B (<em>flaB</em>), glycerophosphodiester phosphodiesterase (<em>glpQ</em>) and P66 porin (<em>P66</em>) genes. The overall infection rate of TBRFGB in the ticks was 6.2 % (46/846). TBRFGB DNA was identified in <em>Ixodes persulcatus</em> (5.5 %; 26/477), <em>Ornithodoros tartakovskyi</em> (6 %; 2/36) and <em>Argas persicus</em> (13.4 %; 18/134) ticks. Partial sequencing of <em>flaB, glpQ</em> and <em>P66</em> genes identified <em>Borrelia miyamotoi</em> in <em>I. persulcatus</em> and <em>Borrelia anserina</em> in <em>A. persicus</em>. To detect the presence of <em>B. miyamotoi</em> infection in people in the study region, we performed serological analysis of samples collected from 42 patients admitted to hospital with fever of unknown etiology or with a history of a tick bite. The analysis revealed IgM and IgG antibodies against one or several <em>B. miyamotoi</em> antigens in 10 % and 5 % of patients, respectively. The data obtained provide strong evidence of the presence of <em>B. miyamotoi</em> and <em>B. anserina</em> in the southern and southeastern regions of Kazakhstan, underscoring the need for increased awareness of potential infections caused by these borreliae in these regions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"15 6","pages":"Article 102398"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2024-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142322105","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ticks and tick-borne pathogens on Belle-Île-en-Mer: An exploratory study in a western French island environment","authors":"A. Haidar-Ahmad ,&nbsp;C. Barthel ,&nbsp;P. Boyer ,&nbsp;G. Joncour ,&nbsp;B. Degeilh ,&nbsp;N. Boulanger","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102399","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102399","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The islands of Brittany provide unique ecosystems for ticks and tick-borne diseases owing to their oceanic climate, influencing interactions among ticks, hosts, and pathogens. We conducted a preliminary investigation on Belle-Île-en-Mer, an island off the Atlantic coast of Brittany in western France, to assess the prevalence of questing adult ticks and associated human pathogenic bacteria. <em>Dermacentor</em> spp<em>.</em> were found to dominate the tick population (61 %): 23 % <em>Dermacentor reticulatus</em> and 77 % <em>D. marginatus. Haemaphysalis punctata</em> (27 %) was also prevalent on the island, and <em>Ixodes ricinus</em> (12 %) was detected for the first time on Belle-Île-en-Mer. Both <em>Dermacentor</em> species harbored either <em>Rickettsia slovaca</em> (24 %) or <em>Rickettsia raoultii</em> (20 %), whereas <em>I. ricinus</em> carried <em>Borrelia burgdorferi</em> sensu lato and <em>Anaplasma phagocytophilum</em> but not <em>Borrelia miyamotoi</em> or <em>Neoehrlichia mikurensis</em>. Detection of two potentially pathogenic species in the <em>B. burgdorferi</em> sensu lato complex, <em>B. afzelii</em> and <em>B. lusitaniae</em>, along with <em>A. phagocytophilum</em> underscores the current risk of Lyme borreliosis and anaplasmosis. The high prevalence of <em>Rickettsia</em> infection in <em>Dermacentor</em> indicates an additional risk of human rickettsioses.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"16 1","pages":"Article 102399"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2024-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877959X2400092X/pdfft?md5=220379e0982b2c406886c77200a19492&pid=1-s2.0-S1877959X2400092X-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142310344","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Calf immunization protocols with low-virulence isolates of Anaplasma marginale: Analysis of post-inoculation effects and protection against natural challenge","authors":"Filipe Lucas de Melo Mendonça ,&nbsp;Matheus Figueiredo Coelho ,&nbsp;Camila Valgas Bastos ,&nbsp;Júlia Angélica Gonçalves da Silveira ,&nbsp;Rafael Romero Nicolino ,&nbsp;Jose Azael Zambrano Uribe ,&nbsp;Múcio Flávio Barbosa Ribeiro ,&nbsp;Bruna Torres Silvestre ,&nbsp;Rodrigo Melo Meneses ,&nbsp;Antônio Último de Carvalho ,&nbsp;Tiago Facury Moreira ,&nbsp;Elias Jorge Facury-Filho","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102394","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102394","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Bovine anaplasmosis is endemic and is of fundamental importance worldwide. Therefore, measures for controlling and preventing clinical diseases are warranted to ensure the reduction of associated economic losses. The objective of the present study was to assess the post-inoculation effects and protection conferred by three different protocols of inoculation of low-virulence live strains of <em>Anaplasma marginale</em> (UFMG1 and UFMG3) in field-challenged cattle. Sixty-eight Holstein calves with an average age of 17 days were randomly divided into four groups. The groups received two subcutaneous administrations spaced 40 days apart, at a dosage of 2 × 10⁶ infected erythrocytes of the following <em>A. marginale</em> strains: G1 (UFMG1 + UFMG1); G2 (UFMG3 + UFMG3); G3 (UFMG1 + UFMG3); and G4 (control). Every two days, the animals were evaluated for rectal temperature, Packed Cell Volume (PCV), and blood smears. Blood samples were collected prior to inoculation, before the field challenge, and after the challenge period, nPCR and IFAT techniques were performed. There were no significant differences in rickettsemia levels, reduction in PCV, or antibody detection among the different inoculation strategies. Forty days after the second inoculation, 90 %, 84.6 %, and 90.9 % of the animals in G1, G2, and G3, respectively, tested positive using nPCR. After inoculation, the group G2, which received the UFMG3 inoculum, had a higher frequency of treatment (odds ratio of 6.7; 1.198-38.018 CI; <em>p</em> = 0.03), while groups G1 and G3 demonstrated similar treatment frequencies compared to the control. During the natural challenge phase, 13.3 % of animals in group G1 required treatment (odds ratio of 0.108; 0.018-0.635 CI; <em>p</em> = 0.014) compared to 58.8 % of the control group. Considering the results collectively, the protocol using the UFMG1 strain (G1) stands out for its potential to be safe and induce some degree of immunization against <em>A. marginale</em>, reducing the incidence of clinical disease and the need for treatment during natural challenge.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"16 1","pages":"Article 102394"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2024-09-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877959X24000876/pdfft?md5=bc677300f4e100b6ab7a6836040ce789&pid=1-s2.0-S1877959X24000876-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142299402","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Knowledge, attitudes and behaviour towards ticks and tick-borne diseases—A survey among Lyme borreliosis cases in Bavaria in 2019","authors":"Stefanie Böhm ,&nbsp;Volker Fingerle ,&nbsp;Andreas Beyerlein ,&nbsp;Manfred Wildner ,&nbsp;Merle M. Böhmer","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102396","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102396","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Lyme borreliosis (LB) is the most common tick-borne disease (TBD) in Germany. In Bavaria, the average annual incidence of reported cases was 34.3 cases per 100,000 inhabitants between 2013 and 2020, although case numbers were presumed to be substantially higher. Since no vaccine against LB is currently available, prevention focuses on individual protection measures. This study aims to address knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours among LB cases, a population group at increased exposure to ticks, tick bites and repeated infections.</p><p>We invited Bavarian LB cases reported between weeks 23 and 35 in 2019 to participate in a questionnaire study. Questions included socio-demographic characteristics, experiences with TBDs, potential tick exposures, details of the recent episode of LB, and knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours regarding TBDs and protection measures.</p><p>Among the 377 participants, 300 were adults/adolescents, 77 were children (&lt;14 years). Two third resided in rural areas. Although mostly well informed, a significant proportion of participants did not know or were misinformed about availability of repellents (48.5 %), risk of LB in their district (24.9 %), ticks not falling from trees (22.1 %) and non-availability of vaccination against LB (20.9 %). Even though a majority perceived checking for ticks after spending time outdoors, wearing long clothes, wearing closed shoes and tucking pants in socks as effective protection measures against tick bites, a much lower proportion applied those measures frequently (proportions perceived vs. applied: 99.2 % vs. 72.1%; 93.8 % vs. 40.2 %, 88.8 % vs. 51.1 % and 85.4 % vs. 16.8 %, respectively).</p><p>Identified lack of knowledge or misconception regarding risk factors, availability of protection measures and tick behaviour may hamper application of recommended protection measures. There appeared to be a discrepancy between perceived effectiveness and frequency of application of protection measures. Addressing identified gaps in education campaigns, specifically targeting people living in rural areas, and utilising physician-patient interactions for education are promising entry points to increase awareness and prevent TBDs. Moreover, motivators and barriers for the application of preventive behaviour should be subject of future studies.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"16 1","pages":"Article 102396"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2024-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877959X2400089X/pdfft?md5=9d03a727cfe4da7f68ad5d07521b5457&pid=1-s2.0-S1877959X2400089X-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142244154","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Seropositivity to tick-borne pathogens in nature management workers in the Netherlands","authors":"B.J.A. Hoeve-Bakker ,&nbsp;G. Çelik ,&nbsp;O.E. van den Berg ,&nbsp;C.C. van den Wijngaard ,&nbsp;A. Hofhuis ,&nbsp;J.H.J. Reimerink ,&nbsp;S.F.T. Thijsen ,&nbsp;K. Kerkhof","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102397","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102397","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The incidence of tick-borne infections other than Lyme borreliosis and tick-borne encephalitis is rising in Europe, including the Netherlands. Nature management workers, being highly exposed to ticks, serve as valuable sentinels for seroprevalence studies on tick-borne pathogens (TBPs). This study assessed nature management workers’ seropositivity to TBPs including <em>Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Babesia divergens, B. microti, Borrelia burgdorferi</em> s.l., <em>Rickettsia conorii</em> and <em>R. typhi</em> in the Netherlands. In addition, the study examined coexposure to multiple TBPs and identified risk factors for <em>B. burgdorferi</em> s.l.- and <em>A. phagocytophilum</em>-seropositivity.</p><p>The study included 525 nature management workers who donated serum and completed a questionnaire. Sera were analysed for exposure to <em>A. phagocytophilum, B. divergens, B. microti, R. conorii</em> and <em>R. typhi</em> using immunofluorescence assays. For <em>B. burgdorferi</em> s.l. antibody detection, the recommended two-tier testing strategy was used. Risk factor analysis was performed using logistic regression modelling.</p><p>Seropositivity was 30.9 % for <em>B. burgdorferi</em> s.l.; 16.4 % for <em>A. phagocytophilum</em>; 6.5 % for <em>R. conorii</em>; 2.3 % for <em>R. typhi</em>; 4.2 % for <em>B. divergens</em>; and 0.4 % for <em>B. microti</em>. Almost half (49.3 %) of the participants demonstrated seropositivity for one or more pathogens. Risk factors for <em>B. burgdorferi</em> s.l.-seropositivity included being male, increasing age and tick bite frequency. For <em>A. phagocytophilum</em>-seropositivity, increasing age and working in North Holland province were significant risk factors.</p><p>This study illustrates the exposure to TBPs in the Netherlands, emphasizing the need for ongoing vigilance and international collaborations to better understand and address the growing threat of TBPs in regions with demonstrated environmental TBP circulation.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"16 1","pages":"Article 102397"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2024-09-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877959X24000906/pdfft?md5=4c05bad0dfb6c78fb1c4ab49f3d7a12e&pid=1-s2.0-S1877959X24000906-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142230741","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}