Molecular evidence of Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Babesia microti co-infections in Ixodes ricinus ticks in central-eastern region of Poland.
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The aim of the study was to elucidate the distribution of Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Babesia microti co-infection in Ixodes ricinus populations within the central-eastern region of Poland. The prevalence of analysed tick-borne human pathogens in single and polymicrobial infections in I. ricinus ticks were analysed using the conventional and nested PCR techniques. A total number of 1,123 questing tick individuals (291 females, 267 males and 565 nymphs) were collected at different ecosystems (municipal parks, suburban forests, and woodlands). In the presented study, 95 samples of ticks (8.5%) were infected with A.phagocytophilum, 3.1% (n=35) with B. microti, whereas the co-existence status of these human pathogens was detected in 1.8% (n=20) of all tested samples. It has been demonstrated that the prevalence of co-infection status was the highest among females of I. ricinus (11 samples, 3.8%), whereas the lowest within tested nymphs (5 samples, 0.9%). Ticks collected at city parks in Warsaw and suburban areas of this town characterized the highest prevalence of co-infections (3.3 and 4.8%, respectively). Furthermore, it was established that co-infection rates of ticks inhabiting woodlands within Kampinos National Park and Nadbuzanski Landscape Park were similar and reached the levels of 1.4% (n=5) and 1.1% (n=4), respectively. (+info)
Serological survey in persons occupationally exposed to tick-borne pathogens in cases of co-infections with Borrelia burgdorferi, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Bartonella spp. and Babesia microti.
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Sera of 39 farmers, 119 foresters and 32 blood donors were investigated for the presence of antibodies against B. burgdorferi, A. phagocytophilum, B. microti and Bartonella spp. Semi-quantitative indirect immunofluorescence test was used to measure titers of anti-A. phagocytophilum, B. microti and Bartonella spp. IgG. ELISA test was used to measure titers of anti-B. burgdorferi IgM and IgG. B. burgdorferi was the most frequently observed among all the examined pathogens. 27.7% of farmers, 23.1% of forestry workers and 37.5% of control group were infected with Bartonella spp. Anti-A. phagocytophilum and anti-B. microti reactions were observed rarely. Sera of persons with single infection dominated in farmers and forestry workers. Co-infection with 2 pathogens was observed more frequently in forestry workers and farmers than in the control group. Co-infections with 3-4 pathogens were observed only in forestry workers. Among the observed co-infections, the most frequent were: B. burgdorferi with Bartonella spp. and B. burgdorferi with A. phagocytophilum. Moreover, in forestry workers, triple coinfections with B. burgdorferi, Bartonella spp. and A. phagocytophilum and one quadruple coinfection were observed. Persons with occupational risk of tick bites, especially forestry workers, more often have anti-B. burgdorferi antibodies and are more often co-infected with various tick-borne pathogens than the persons from the control group. It seems that more often coinfections in persons with occupational risk of tick bites are a consequence of the higher incidence of infection with B. burgdorferi, as anti-B. microti, A. phagocytophilum and Bartonella spp. antibodies are not more commonly prevalent in persons with occupational risk of tick bites than in healthy volunteers. (+info)
Sequencing of the smallest Apicomplexan genome from the human pathogen Babesia microti.
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Novel type of linear mitochondrial genomes with dual flip-flop inversion system in apicomplexan parasites, Babesia microti and Babesia rodhaini.
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