Borrelia bavariensis in Questing Ixodes ricinus Ticks, United Kingdom.

We detected Borrelia bavariensis in Ixodes ricinus ticks collected near 2 towns in the United Kingdom. Human B. bavariensis infections have not been reported previously in the country, underscoring the value of tick surveillance to warn of emerging human disease.

Epidemiology, Distribution and Identification of Ticks on Livestock in Pakistan.

Ticks are ectoparasites that transmit a variety of pathogens that cause many diseases in livestock which can result in skin damage, weight loss, anemia, reduced production of meat and milk, and mortality. The aim of this study was to identify tick species and the distribution on livestock hosts (sheep, goat, dairy cattle, and buffalo) of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province and Islamabad from October 2019 to November 2020. Surveillance was performed to calculate the prevalence of ticks on livestock.

Antibiotic resistance profiles and population structure of disease-associated infecting patients in Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital, Western Uganda.

Tackling antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is particularly challenging in low-resource settings such as Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital (FPRRH) in Western Uganda. Specific knowledge of local AMR epidemiology is required to inform evidence-based improvement of antibiotic stewardship measures in the hospital. To address this, we combined existing antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) from FPRRH, with whole genome sequencing (WGS) of 41 isolates (2017-2019).

First report of Theileria annulata in Nigeria: Findings from cattle ticks in Zamfara and Sokoto States.

Background: Ticks and tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) represent a significant economic burden to cattle farming in sub-Saharan Africa including Nigeria. However, in the northern part of this country, where the largest livestock population resides, little is known about the contemporary diversity of ticks and TBPs. This area is particularly vulnerable to climate change, undergoing marked transformation of habitat and associated flora and fauna that is also likely to include ticks.

Determinants of and infection dynamics in UK domestic sheep: the role of co-infection.

Coccidiosis caused by Eimeria species is a well-recognized disease of livestock. Enteric Eimeria infections are common, but disease usually only manifests when infection intensity is abnormally high. Campylobacter species are important zoonotic enteric bacterial pathogens for which livestock are important reservoir hosts.

infection in a patient with aortic root abscess and endocarditis.

Introduction: species are increasingly recognized as agents of culture-negative endocarditis. However, to date, almost all human cases have been associated with two members of the genus, and infections are zoonotic, with domestic cats serving as reservoir hosts for the pathogen. also exploits cats as reservoir hosts, but its zoonotic potential is far less established.

Geographical location influences the composition of the gut microbiota in wild house mice (Mus musculus domesticus) at a fine spatial scale.

The composition of the mammalian gut microbiota can be influenced by a multitude of environmental variables such as diet and infections. Studies investigating the effect of these variables on gut microbiota composition often sample across multiple separate populations and habitat types. In this study we explore how variation in the gut microbiota of the house mouse (Mus musculus domesticus) on the Isle of May, a small island off the east coast of Scotland, is associated with environmental and biological factors.

Investigation into the genetic diversity in toll-like receptors 2 and 4 in the European badger Meles meles.

The Toll-like receptor (TLR) genes are a conserved family of genes central to the innate immune response to pathogen infection. They encode receptor proteins, recognise pathogen associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and trigger initial immune responses. In some host-pathogen systems, it is reported that genetic differences, such as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), associate with disease resistance or susceptibility.

Physiological, but not fitness, effects of two interacting haemoparasitic infections in a wild rodent.

In contrast to the conditions in most laboratory studies, wild animals are routinely challenged by multiple infections simultaneously, and these infections can interact in complex ways. This means that the impact of a parasite on its host's physiology and fitness cannot be fully assessed in isolation, and requires consideration of the interactions with other co-infections. Here we examine the impact of two common blood parasites in the field vole (Microtus agrestis): Babesia microti and Bartonella spp.

A candidate tolerance gene identified in a natural population of field voles (Microtus agrestis).

The animal immune response has hitherto been viewed primarily in the context of resistance only. However, individuals can also employ a tolerance strategy to maintain good health in the face of ongoing infection. To shed light on the genetic and physiological basis of tolerance, we use a natural population of field voles, Microtus agrestis, to search for an association between the expression of the transcription factor Gata3, previously identified as a marker of tolerance in this system, and polymorphism in 84 immune and nonimmune genes.

From the animal house to the field: Are there consistent individual differences in immunological profile in wild populations of field voles (Microtus agrestis)?

Inbred mouse strains, living in simple laboratory environments far removed from nature, have been shown to vary consistently in their immune response. However, wildlife populations are typically outbreeding and face a multiplicity of challenges, parasitological and otherwise. In this study we seek evidence of consistent difference in immunological profile amongst individuals in the wild.

Treponema rectale sp. nov., a spirochete isolated from the bovine rectum.

A Gram-stain-negative, obligatory anaerobic spirochete, CHPAT, was isolated from the rectal tissue of a Holstein-Friesian cow. On the basis of 16S rRNA gene comparisons, CHPAT was most closely related to the human oral spirochete, Treponema parvum, with 88.8 % sequence identity.

Use of Mass-Participation Outdoor Events to Assess Human Exposure to Tickborne Pathogens.

Mapping the public health threat of tickborne pathogens requires quantification of not only the density of infected host-seeking ticks but also the rate of human exposure to these ticks. To efficiently sample a high number of persons in a short time, we used a mass-participation outdoor event. In June 2014, we sampled ≈500 persons competing in a 2-day mountain marathon run across predominantly tick-infested habitat in Scotland.

Treponema ruminis sp. nov., a spirochaete isolated from the bovine rumen.

A novel bacterium, strain Ru1T, was encountered during a survey of spirochaetes living in the gastrointestinal tract of ruminants. Comparative analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequence data indicated that strain Ru1T clustered within the genus Treponemabut shared at most 86.1 % sequence similarity with other recognised species of the genus Treponema.

Detection of Hepatozoon felis in Ticks Collected from Free-Ranging Amur Tigers ( Panthera tigris altaica), Russian Far East, 2002-12.

We collected 69 ticks from nine, free-ranging Amur tigers ( Panthera tigris altaica) between 2002 and 2011 and investigated them for tick-borne pathogens. DNA was extracted using alkaline digestion and PCR was performed to detect apicomplexan organisms. Partial 18S rDNA amplification products were obtained from 14 ticks from four tigers, of which 13 yielded unambiguous nucleotide sequence data.

Multilocus Sequence Typing of Pathogenic Treponemes Isolated from Cloven-Hoofed Animals and Comparison to Treponemes Isolated from Humans.

Unlabelled: Treponema species are implicated in many diseases of humans and animals. Digital dermatitis (DD) treponemes are reported to cause severe lesions in cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, and wild elk, causing substantial global animal welfare issues and economic losses. The fastidiousness of these spirochetes has previously precluded studies investigating within-phylogroup genetic diversity.

Oroya fever and verruga peruana: bartonelloses unique to South America.

Bartonella bacilliformis is the bacterial agent of Carrión's disease and is presumed to be transmitted between humans by phlebotomine sand flies. Carrión's disease is endemic to high-altitude valleys of the South American Andes, and the first reported outbreak (1871) resulted in over 4,000 casualties. Since then, numerous outbreaks have been documented in endemic regions, and over the last two decades, outbreaks have occurred at atypical elevations, strongly suggesting that the area of endemicity is expanding.

Differential inflammatory responses of bovine foot skin fibroblasts and keratinocytes to digital dermatitis treponemes.

Bovine digital dermatitis (BDD) is a serious infectious inflammatory lameness causing pain and suffering to many cattle worldwide and which has severe economic implications. This study set out to investigate relationships between the treponemes considered causal of BDD and the local inflammatory response of the bovine host. Here we describe, for the first time, the isolation of bovine foot skin keratinocytes and fibroblasts as separate cell lineages.

An immunological marker of tolerance to infection in wild rodents.

Hosts are likely to respond to parasitic infections by a combination of resistance (expulsion of pathogens) and tolerance (active mitigation of pathology). Of these strategies, the basis of tolerance in animal hosts is relatively poorly understood, with especially little known about how tolerance is manifested in natural populations. We monitored a natural population of field voles using longitudinal and cross-sectional sampling modes and taking measurements on body condition, infection, immune gene expression, and survival.

First report of Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Babesia microti in rodents in Finland.

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.

Expression of p44 variant-specific antibodies in sheep persistently infected with Anaplasma phagocytophilum.

Sheep infected with Anaplasma phagocytophilum, the causative agent of tick-borne fever (TBF), develop humoral immune responses 7-14 days after infection. Those individuals that survive acute TBF develop persistent infection, which may last for several months or even for life. The persistence of infection and recurrent bacteraemia is thought to be due to p44-mediated antigenic variation.

Distribution of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in Ixodes ricinus populations across central Britain.

Lyme borreliosis is rapidly emerging in the United Kingdom, with over 1000 cases per annum now reported. Lyme borreliosis is caused by the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.