Journal Article

Borrelia miyamotoi in host-seeking Ixodes ricinus ticks in England

MEDLOCK, J. M., SPRONG, H., JAHFARI, S., HANSFORD, K. M., FONVILLE, M.

2015

Overview

This paper reports the first detection of Borrelia miyamotoi in UK Ixodes ricinus ticks. It also reports on the presence and infection rates of I. ricinus for a number of other tick-borne pathogens of public health importance. Ticks from seven regions in southern England were screened for B. miyamotoi, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.), Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Neoehrlichia mikurensis using qPCR. A total of 954 I. ricinus ticks were tested, 40 were positive for B. burgdorferi s.l., 22 positive for A. phagocytophilum and three positive for B. miyamotoi, with no N. mikurensis detected. The three positive B. miyamotoi ticks came from three geographically distinct areas, suggesting a widespread distribution, and from two separate years, suggesting some degree of endemicity. Understanding the prevalence of Borrelia and other tick-borne pathogens in ticks is crucial for locating high-risk areas of disease transmission.

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Subject: Anaplasma phagocytophilum / Anaplasma phagocytophilum - isolation & purification / Animals / Arachnids / Bacterial infections / Borrelia - genetics / Borrelia - isolation & purification / Borrelia burgdorferi / Borrelia burgdorferi - genetics / Borrelia burgdorferi - isolation & purification / Disease transmission / Disease Vectors / DNA, Bacterial - analysis / England / Immunocompetence / Infections / Ixodes - microbiology / Ixodes ricinus / Ixodidae / National parks / Original Papers / Other infections / Pathogens / Public health / Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / Sequence Analysis, DNA