Constructing an ELISA for Detection of Anti-Borrelia in Wildlife and Agricultural Animals.

Zoonotic diseases have major impacts on human and animal health, as well as being ecologically significant. Lyme Borreliosis or Lyme disease, caused by infection by pathogenic members of the Borrelia genus, is among these zoonotic diseases. Serology is one of the most accessible means for indirect surveillance of pathogen presence by monitoring the presence, abundance, and type of immune response to the pathogen or pathogen-associated epitopes.

Profiling disease burden and Borrelia seroprevalence in Canadians with complex and chronic illness.

Lyme disease, caused by vector-borne Borrelia bacteria, can present with diverse multi-system symptoms that resemble other conditions. The objective of this study was to evaluate disease presentations and Borrelia seroreactivity in individuals experiencing a spectrum of chronic and complex illnesses. We recruited 157 participants from Eastern Canada who reported one or more diagnoses of Lyme disease, neurological, rheumatic, autoimmune, inflammatory, gastrointestinal, or cardiovascular illnesses, or were asymptomatic and presumed healthy.

Electrochemical Detection of Using a Biomimetic Flow Cell System.

Lyme disease, caused by infection with pathogenic bacteria, has emerged as a pervasive illness throughout North America and many other regions of the world in recent years, owing in part to climate-mediated habitat expansion of the tick vectors. Standard diagnostic testing has remained largely unchanged over the past several decades and is indirect, relying on detection of antibodies against the pathogen, rather than detection of the pathogen itself. The development of new rapid, point-of-care tests for Lyme disease that directly detects the pathogen could drastically improve patient health by enabling faster and more frequent testing that could better inform patient treatment.

Morphological and molecular confirmation of Ornithodoros hasei (Schulze, 1935) (Acari: Argasidae) in Colombia.

A large number of tick species are proven vectors for the transmission of bacteria, protozoa, and viruses. Soft ticks (Acari: Argasidae) in South America have been found to be the most frequent carriers of borreliae of the relapsing fever group (RFG); however, there are several information gaps specially on the taxonomy and distribution of some tick species. Here, we used light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and PCR amplification of a fragment of the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene to evaluate 174 larvae of Ornithodoros (Argasidae) collected from three bat species (Eptesicus orinocensis, Molossus rufus and Noctilio albiventris) in the Orinoquia Region of Colombia.

Seeking Care for Long COVID: A Narrative Analysis of Canadian Experiences.

The goal of this study was to explore the experiences of individuals seeking care for long COVID-19 in the Canadian healthcare system. Recorded virtual interviews were carried out with 8 participants and narrative analysis was used to examine the stories produced and identify the central narratives that defined participants' experiences. Care-seeking experiences were characterized by (1) often debilitating multi-system symptoms for which little information about prognosis was available and no effective treatments were provided, (2) compounded by the frustration of trying to convince family, friends, and health care practitioners of the legitimacy of their illness, (3) access to medical care was severely limited by the global pandemic and associated higher thresholds for care, (4) like others suffering from complex, multi-system conditions, people with long COVID are often struggling with a health-care system ill-suited for dealing with long-term and possibly chronic conditions.

Cultivation Methods of Spirochetes from Borrelia burgdorferi Sensu Lato Complex and Relapsing Fever Borrelia.

The Borrelia consists of three groups of species, those of the Lyme borreliosis (LB) group, also known as B. burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.

Lyme borreliosis in pregnancy and associations with parent and offspring health outcomes: An international cross-sectional survey.

Background: Lyme disease (LD) is a complex tick-borne pathology caused by sensu lato bacteria. Currently, there are limited data regarding the health outcomes of people infected during pregnancy, the potential for perinatal transmission to their fetus, and the long-term effects on these children. Therefore, the primary objective of this survey study was to investigate the impact of LD in pregnancy on both the parent and their offspring.

Borrelia burgdorferi and Borrelia miyamotoi in Atlantic Canadian wildlife.

Borrelia burgdorferi and Borrelia miyamotoi are tick-vectored zoonotic pathogens maintained in wildlife species. Tick populations are establishing in new areas globally in response to climate change and other factors. New Brunswick is a Canadian maritime province at the advancing front of tick population establishment and has seen increasing numbers of ticks carrying B.

Monitoring Risk: Tick and Public Participatory Surveillance in the Canadian Maritimes, 2012-2020.

Ticks are vectors of many diseases, including Lyme disease (Ld). Lyme disease is an emerging disease in Canada caused by infection with the Lyme borreliosis (Lb) members of the genus of spirochaete bacteria, of which   is regionally the most prevalent. The primary tick vector in central and eastern Canada, , is increasing in numbers and in the geographical extent of established populations.

Detection of Borrelia spp., Ehrlichia canis, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Dirofilaria immitis in Eastern Coyotes (Canis latrans) in Nova Scotia, Canada.

Borrelia burgdorferi and Borrelia miyamotoi are tickborne zoonotic pathogens in Canada. Both bacteria are vectored by ticks, Ixodes scapularis in Atlantic Canada, but require wildlife reservoir species to maintain the bacteria for retransmission to future generations of ticks. Coyotes (Canis latrans) are opportunistic feeders, resulting in frequent contact with other animals and with ticks.

ticks and on Prince Edward Island: Passive tick surveillance and canine seroprevalence.

Ticks and canine sera were submitted by veterinarians from Prince Edward Island over a 15-month period spanning 3 tick seasons. The objective of the study was to determine the infection prevalence of , a causative agent of Lyme disease, in the province's ticks and the seroprevalence in its dogs. It was found that 97.

Lyme Disease Patient Outcomes and Experiences; A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Lyme disease is a vector-borne illness caused by spp. bacterium spread by ticks to humans and other mammals. Despite being prevalent in many regions of the world, there remains considerable uncertainty surrounding many aspects of the disease, and consensus on the most appropriate and effective means of treating the illness remains to be achieved.

Knowledge and Knowledge Needs about Lyme Disease among Occupational and Recreational Users of the Outdoors.

As the prevalence of Lyme disease increases across Canada, it is imperative that the educational needs of at-risk groups be identified. The current study compared the level of knowledge and the knowledge needs about Lyme disease among individuals that spend time outdoors for work and for recreational purposes. Between December 2018 and February 2019, a survey was distributed to outdoor organizations across New Brunswick, Canada.

Parenting When Children Have Lyme Disease: Fear, Frustration, Advocacy.

Increasing numbers of Canadians, including children and adolescents, are being infected with and contracting Lyme disease. In the present study, we provided a qualitative analysis of written correspondence produced by 23 parents of children and adolescents with Lyme disease. The goal of this study was to investigate how medical and psychological issues were highlighted by parents describing their family's Lyme disease experiences.

Identification of Borrelia bissettii in Ixodes scapularis ticks from New Brunswick, Canada.

Lyme disease is a tick-borne disease that is emerging in Canada. The disease is caused by spirochetes of the Lyme borreliosis group, which is expanding as new species are discovered. In Canada, Lyme disease risk has so far been assessed primarily by detection of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto.

Under-Detection of Lyme Disease in Canada.

Lyme disease arises from infection with pathogenic species. In Canada, current case definition for confirmed Lyme disease requires serological confirmation by both a positive first tier ELISA and confirmatory second tier immunoblot (western blot). For surveillance and research initiatives, this requirement is intentionally conservative to exclude false positive results.

Motivations and Experiences of Canadians Seeking Treatment for Lyme Disease Outside of the Conventional Canadian Health-Care System.

Objective: We aimed to describe the experiences of Canadians who seek diagnosis and treatment for Lyme disease outside of the conventional Canadian health-care system.

Methods: Forty-five individuals who had sought treatment for Lyme disease outside of the conventional Canadian health-care system were recruited from Lyme support and advocacy groups across Canada to answer open-ended questions about their experiences.

Results: Respondents sought treatment outside of the conventional medical system due to extensive diagnostic procedures and treatments that did not resolve symptoms.

Citizen Science and Community Engagement in Tick Surveillance-A Canadian Case Study.

Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne disease in North America and Europe, and on-going surveillance is required to monitor the spread of the tick vectors as their populations expand under the influence of climate change. Active surveillance involves teams of researchers collecting ticks from field locations with the potential to be sites of establishing tick populations. This process is labor- and time-intensive, limiting the number of sites monitored and the frequency of monitoring.

Combining public participatory surveillance and occupancy modelling to predict the distributional response of Ixodes scapularis to climate change.

Ixodes scapularis, a known vector of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto (Bbss), is undergoing range expansion in many parts of Canada. The province of New Brunswick, which borders jurisdictions with established populations of I. scapularis, constitutes a range expansion zone for this species.

Detecting the Lyme Disease Spirochete, Borrelia Burgdorferi, in Ticks Using Nested PCR.

Lyme disease is a serious vector-borne infection that is caused by the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato family of spirochetes, which are transmitted to humans through the bite of infected Ixodes ticks. The primary etiological agent in North America is Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto. As geographic risk regions expand, it is prudent to support robust surveillance programs that can measure tick infection rates, and communicate findings to clinicians, veterinarians, and the general public.

Lyme disease risk in dogs in New Brunswick.

This study assessed the seroprevalence of anti-Borrelia burgdorferi antibodies in New Brunswick dogs. Testing of 699 serum samples from dogs across the province revealed a 6% province-wide seropositivity, more than 6 times higher than that found in 2008. The rapid increase in seropositivity indicates increased Lyme disease risk to both canine and human health.

Evidence for horizontal transfer of Wolbachia by a Drosophila mite.

Mites are common ectoparasites of Drosophila and have been implicated in bacterial and mobile element invasion of Drosophila stocks. The obligate endobacterium, Wolbachia, has widespread effects on gene expression in their arthropod hosts and alters host reproduction to enhance its survival and propagation, often with deleterious effects in Drosophila hosts. To determine whether Wolbachia could be transferred between Drosophila melanogaster laboratory stocks by the mite Tyrophagus putrescentiae, mites were introduced to Wolbachia-infected Drosophila vials.