Tick feeding modulates the human skin immune landscape to facilitate tick-borne pathogen transmission.

During cutaneous tick attachment, the feeding cavity becomes a site of transmission for tick salivary compounds and tick-borne pathogens. However, the immunological consequences of tick feeding for human skin remain unclear. Here, we assessed human skin and blood samples upon tick bite and developed a human skin explant model mimicking Ixodes ricinus bites and tick-borne pathogen infection.

Bacteria and protozoa with pathogenic potential in Ixodes ricinus ticks in Viennese recreational areas.

Ixodes ricinus is the most relevant vector for tick-borne diseases in Austria and responsible for the transmission of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s. l.), which causes Lyme borreliosis in humans; however, also other bacteria and protozoa can be found in ticks and have the potential of infecting people and animals.

Persistent Anti- IgM Antibodies without Lyme Borreliosis in the Clinical and Immunological Context.

The aim of the study was to investigate the etiology of persistent IgM antibodies against Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (sl) and to analyze their association with nonspecific symptoms. The study group comprised individuals with persistent IgM antibodies in the absence of IgG. The relation between ELISA values and time elapsed since past erythema migrans (EM) was analyzed.

Nonspecific symptoms following infection with Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato: A retrospective cohort study.

Whether infection with Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (sl) can cause nonspecific symptoms is a matter of controversy. We investigated whether individuals infected with B. burgdorferi sl develop unspecific symptoms more frequently than non-infected controls.

The regional decline and rise of tick-borne encephalitis incidence do not correlate with Lyme borreliosis, Austria, 2005 to 2018.

BackgroundTick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus is a human pathogen that is expanding its endemic zones in Europe, emerging in previously unaffected regions. In Austria, increasing incidence in alpine regions in the west has been countered by a decline in traditional endemic areas to the east of the country.AimTo shed light on the cause of this disparity, we compared the temporal changes of human TBE incidences in all federal provinces of Austria with those of Lyme borreliosis (LB), which has the same tick vector and rodent reservoir.

Novel Protozoans in Austria Revealed through the Use of Dogs as Sentinels for Ticks and Tick-Borne Pathogens.

We previously isolated and cultivated the novel strain Jongejan. This prompted us to ask whether this strain is unique or more widely present in Austria. To assess this issue, we retrospectively screened ticks collected from dogs in 2008.

Infections with Tickborne Pathogens after Tick Bite, Austria, 2015-2018.

The aim of this prospective study was to assess the risk for tickborne infections after a tick bite. A total of 489 persons bitten by 1,295 ticks were assessed for occurrence of infections with sensu lato, , spp., spp.

Identification and Characterization of "Candidatus Rickettsia Thierseensis", a Novel Spotted Fever Group Rickettsia Species Detected in Austria.

spp. are the second most common pathogens detected in ticks in Austria after sensu lato. Species belonging to the spotted fever group (SFG) are the causative agents for tick-borne rickettsiosis across the world.

Lyme Borreliosis with Scalp Eschar Mimicking Rickettsial Infection, Austria.

We report on a patient in Austria with scalp eschar and neck lymphadenopathy. Rickettsial etiology was excluded by culture, PCR, and serologic tests. Borrelia afzelii was identified from the eschar swab by PCR.

Human Borrelia miyamotoi Infection, Austria.

We report a human case of Borrelia miyamotoi infection diagnosed in Austria. Spirochetes were detected in Giemsa-stained blood smears. The presence of B.

Francisella tularensis as the cause of protracted fever.

Background: Tularemia, a re-emerging, potential life threatening infectious disease, can present itself with nonspecific clinical symptoms including fever, chills and malaise. Taking a detailed history of exposure and a highly raised index of clinical suspicion are necessary to take the appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic steps in this setting. Here, a case report of typhoid tularaemia is presented.

Molecular diagnosis of autochthonous human anaplasmosis in Austria - an infectious diseases case report.

Background: The diagnosis of human anaplasmosis remains elusive and is probably often missed. This case report highlights the efficacy of molecular diagnostic techniques.

Case Presentation: We would like to report the case of a 74-year-old man who was admitted to hospital because of a high fever, marked chills, transient diplopic images and vertigo, 6 weeks after multiple tick bites.

Chlamydia trachomatis serovars in urogenital and ocular samples collected 2014-2017 from Austrian patients.

Infection of humans with Chlamydia trachomatis, a bacterial pathogen with a unique intracellular replication cycle, may cause a variety of clinical manifestations. These are linked to various serovars of the pathogen; trachoma to serovars A-C, oculogenital infections to serovars D-K, and lymphogranuloma venereum to serovars L1-L3. Nineteen serovars are known as human pathogens.

Severe Myasthenic Manifestation of Leptospirosis Associated with New Sequence Type of Leptospira interrogans.

We report the rapid development of a myasthenic crisis as the first-time manifestation of myasthenia gravis. The symptoms developed in the course of acute leptospirosis associated with a new sequence type of Leptospira interrogans. Antibiotic treatment led to rapid amelioration of myasthenia.

Adult tick positive for in Austria, October 2018.

We report on a non-indigenous adult tick in Austria carrying the human pathogenic ; presumably introduced as a nymph via migratory birds and completed the moulting within the same year. It was negative for Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus, but the finding of represents a potential threat for humans due to its zoonotic character. Awareness of invasive tick species and carried pathogens should be improved in central and northern Europe.

Secondary dementia due to Lyme neuroborreliosis.

Dementia-like syndromes are rare manifestations of Lyme neuroborreliosis. The clinical patterns are summarized using our own cases and case reports from the literature, which were diagnosed as definite Lyme neuroborreliosis according to the European guidelines. The cases disclose signs of subcortical dementia that occur more rapidly than in patients suffering from primary dementia.

Critical analysis of a doxycycline treatment trial of rhesus macaques infected with Borrelia burgdorferi.

A critical analysis was conducted of a doxycycline treatment trial of Indian rhesus macaques. In this treatment trial, the investigators attempted to infect the primates with Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto by at least 10 tick bites from artificially infected ticks. None of the primates became ill; nevertheless, 5 primates were treated with a 28-day course of oral doxycycline.

Lyme borreliosis-from tick bite to diagnosis and treatment.

Lyme borreliosis is caused by certain genospecies of the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex, which are transmitted by hard ticks of the genus Ixodes. The most common clinical manifestation is erythema migrans, an expanding skin redness that usually develops at the site of a tick bite and eventually resolves even without antibiotic treatment. The infecting pathogens can spread to other tissues and organs, resulting in manifestations that can involve the nervous system, joints, heart and skin.

CXCL13 concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid of patients with Lyme neuroborreliosis and other neurological disorders determined by Luminex and ELISA.

The aims of the study were to determine and compare the concentration of CXCL13 in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with Lyme neuroborreliosis (LNB) and various other neurological disorders applying a Luminex based assay and ELISA, and to find factors associated with CXCL13 concentration. CSF samples obtained from four clinically well-defined groups of patients (proven LNB, suspected LNB, tick-borne encephalitis (TBE), and aseptic meningitis/meningoencephalitis other than TBE) - 25 samples per group - were analyzed. The performance of the Luminex recomBead CXCL13 assay (Microgen, Neuried, Germany) and ELISA (Euroimmun, Lübeck, Germany) was assessed by receiver operating characteristics.

Lactoferrin is a natural inhibitor of plasminogen activation.

The plasminogen system is essential for dissolution of fibrin clots, and in addition, it is involved in a wide variety of other physiological processes, including proteolytic activation of growth factors, cell migration, and removal of protein aggregates. On the other hand, uncontrolled plasminogen activation contributes to many pathological processes ( tumor cells' invasion in cancer progression). Moreover, some virulent bacterial species ( or ) bind human plasminogen and hijack the host's plasminogen system to penetrate tissue barriers.

Approaches for Reverse Line Blot-Based Detection of Microbial Pathogens in Ixodes ricinus Ticks Collected in Austria and Impact of the Chosen Method.

Ticks transmit a large number of pathogens capable of causing human disease. In this study, the PCR-reverse line blot (RLB) method was used to screen for pathogens in a total of 554 ticks collected from all provinces of Austria. These pathogens belong to the genera , , / (including " Neoehrlichia"), , and The pathogens with the highest detected prevalence were spirochetes of the complex, in 142 ticks (25.