Prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato infection in the Czech Republic.

Introduction: Lyme borreliosis (LB), an infection caused by Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (Bbsl), is the most common tick-borne disease in Europe. To further characterize the LB burden in the Czech Republic, we conducted a seroprevalence study and estimated the incidence of symptomatic Bbsl infections.

Methods: Anti-Bbsl IgM and IgG antibodies were detected in sera collected from the adult population in 2011 -2012 by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunoblot tests at the National Reference Laboratory.

CCL17 influences Borrelia burgdorferi infection in the heart.

Lyme disease, caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, is transmitted to humans by Ixodes ticks. CCL17 is a potent chemokine that plays important roles in diverse illnesses, including autoimmune and infectious diseases. CCL17 knockout (KO) mice, infected with B.

FlbB forms a distinctive ring essential for periplasmic flagellar assembly and motility in Borrelia burgdorferi.

Spirochetes are a widespread group of bacteria with a distinct morphology. Some spirochetes are important human pathogens that utilize periplasmic flagella to achieve motility and host infection. The motors that drive the rotation of periplasmic flagella have a unique spirochete-specific feature, termed the collar, crucial for the flat-wave morphology and motility of the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi.

MCP5, a methyl-accepting chemotaxis protein regulated by both the Hk1-Rrp1 and Rrp2-RpoN-RpoS pathways, is required for the immune evasion of Borrelia burgdorferi.

Borrelia (or Borreliella) burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, is a motile and invasive zoonotic pathogen adept at navigating between its arthropod vector and mammalian host. While motility and chemotaxis are well known to be essential for its enzootic cycle, the role of each methyl-accepting chemotaxis proteins (MCPs) in the infectious cycle of B. burgdorferi remains unclear.

Plasma Microbial Cell-Free DNA Sequencing for Diagnosis of Pediatric Lyme Disease.

We conducted an exploratory study of plasma microbial cell-free DNA sequencing for the diagnosis of Lyme disease among pediatric patients. Low levels of Borrelia burgdorferi microbial cell-free DNA (<3-5 molecules per microliter) were observed in 6/9 serologically confirmed participants, including 4/5 with arthritis and 2/3 with multiple erythema migrans.

Using Catalytic Models to Interpret Age-Stratified Lyme Borreliosis Seroprevalence Data: Can This Approach Help Provide Insight into the Full Extent of Human Infection Occurring at the Population Level?

Diagnosis of Lyme borreliosis (LB) is prone to under ascertainment with the true extent of infection unknown. Cross sectional age-stratified population-based serological survey data may provide insight into this issue. Using data from a previously published Dutch seroprevalence study, we describe the application of catalytic models to make estimates of the annual extent of LB infection.

The Tick Microbiome: The "Other Bacterial Players" in Tick Biocontrol.

Hard ticks (family Ixodidae) are one of the most predominant arthropod disease vectors worldwide, second only to mosquitoes. In addition to harboring animal and human pathogens, ticks are known to carry a microbial community constituted of non-pathogenic organisms, which includes maternally inherited intracellular endosymbionts and other environmentally acquired extracellular microorganisms. These microbial communities, which include bacteria, viruses, protozoans, and fungi-with often commensal, mutualistic, or parasitic associations with the tick-comprise the tick microbiome, bacteria being the most studied community.

Seasonal Dynamics of Ticks and Tick-Borne Pathogens in Republic of Korea.

Tick-borne diseases are a public health problem and a significant burden on the livestock industry. The seasonal abundance of ticks and tick-borne pathogens strongly correlates with the prevalence of these diseases. To investigate the seasonal variation in ticks and tick-borne pathogens, ticks were collected from Gangwon State, Korea, and the tick-borne pathogens , , , and were examined.

Development, Optimization, and Validation of a Quantitative PCR Assay for Detection in Tick, Wildlife, and Human Samples.

Tick-borne pathogens are growing in importance for human and veterinary research worldwide. We developed, optimized, and validated a reliable quantitative PCR (qPCR; real-time PCR) assay to assess Borrelia burgdorferi infection by targeting two B. burgdorferi genes, and .

Examining Infant and Child Neurodevelopmental Outcomes After Lyme Disease During Pregnancy.

Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in the United States. Recent environmental and socioecological changes have led to an increased incidence of Lyme and other tick-borne diseases, which enhances the urgency of identifying and mitigating adverse outcomes of Lyme disease exposure. Lyme disease during pregnancy, especially when untreated, may lead to adverse pregnancy and neonatal outcomes; however, long-term child outcomes following utero exposure to Lyme disease have not yet been systematically assessed.

CXCL13 as a Biomarker: Background and Utility in Multiple Sclerosis.

CXCL13 is a chemokine which is upregulated within the CNS in multiple sclerosis, Lyme neuroborreliosis, and other inflammatory diseases and is increasingly clinically useful as a biomarker. This review provides background for understanding its function in the immune system and its relationship to ectopic lymphoid follicles. Also reviewed are its utility in multiple sclerosis and Lyme neuroborreliosis and potential problems in its measurement.

Correction to: Modified Two-Tiered Testing Enzyme Immunoassay Algorithm for Serologic Diagnosis of Lyme Disease.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofac272.].

Proportion of confirmed Lyme neuroborreliosis cases among adult patients with suspected early European Lyme neuroborreliosis.

Purpose: To determine the frequency of confirmed Lyme neuroborreliosis (LNB) cases in adult patients with three different clinical presentations consistent with early LNB.

Methods: Data were obtained through routine health care at the UMC Ljubljana, Slovenia from 2005 to 2022, using clinical pathways. The patients were classified into three groups: (i) radicular pain of new onset (N = 332); or (ii) involvement of cranial nerve(s) but without radicular pain (N = 997); or (iii) erythema migrans (EM) skin lesion(s) in conjunction with symptoms suggestive of nervous system involvement but without either cranial nerve palsy or radicular pain (N = 240).

Acquisition of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto (Spirochaetales: Spirochaetaceae) by Haemaphysalis longicornis (Acari: Ixodidae) nymphs during interrupted feeding.

A previous laboratory study using Haemaphysalis longicornis Neumann (Acari: Ixodidae) ticks of North American origin showed that larvae could acquire the Lyme disease spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto (s.s.) (Spirochaetales: Spirochaetaceae) while feeding to completion on infected mice.

Unravelling Kikuchi-Fujimoto Disease: A Unique Presentation of Recurrent Aseptic Meningitis in a District Hospital Setting.

Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease (KFD) is a rare, self-limiting, and ultimately benign condition characterised by localised lymphadenopathy. The association of KFD with aseptic meningitis is even more uncommon. We report a case of KFD accompanied by aseptic meningitis in a 31-year-old male who initially presented with lethargy, night sweats, axillary lymphadenopathy, and oral ulcers.

A Day in the Woods in Pregnancy: Fetal and Neonatal Implications.

Borrelia miyamotoi disease (BMD), also known as hard-tick relapsing fever, is an emerging tick-borne illness caused by the bacterium Borrelia miyamotoi. This pathogen is transmitted primarily by Ixodes ticks, also known as deer ticks or black-legged ticks. BMD poses significant public health concerns because of its potential to cause severe hemodynamic and hematologic disturbances, particularly in vulnerable populations such as pregnant individuals.

Clinical characteristics and serological profiles of Lyme disease in children: a 15-year retrospective cohort study in Switzerland.

Background: Lyme disease (LD) is caused by and is the most common tickborne disease in the northern hemisphere. Although classical characteristics of LD are well-known, the diagnosis and treatment are often delayed. Laboratory diagnosis by serological testing is recommended for most LD manifestations.

Persistent Knee Monoarthritis as a Lyme Disease Presentation: A Diagnostic Challenge - Case Report.

There are several differential diagnoses for knee monoarthritis. We report a patient with recurrent episodes of knee effusion, in which the non-specific clinical condition implied several diagnostic hypotheses, therapeutic inaccuracies, and a delay in implementing adequate treatment. For more than 2 years, the patient underwent different Orthopedics and Rheumatology visits.

Two decades of research on sensu lato in questing ticks in Slovakia.

Introduction: In Europe sensu lato (s.l.), the causative agent of Lyme borreliosis is transmitted by the castor bean tick, .

Proposed Immunopathogenetic Mechanisms Underlying Lyme Arthritis.

Lyme disease is commonly associated with musculoskeletal features, inflammatory and noninflammatory. The precise pathogenesis of the clinical features of this infection are complex and often multiple. A better understanding of how Borrelia burgdorferi causes these musculoskeletal manifestations is necessary in order to determine the proper treatment and eschew that which is unlikely to work, often associated with toxicities.

radiosensitivity and Mn antioxidant content: antigenic preservation and pathobiology.

The bacterium responsible for Lyme disease, , accumulates high levels of manganese without iron and possesses a polyploid genome, characteristics suggesting potential extreme resistance to radiation. Contrary to expectations, we report that wild-type B31 cells are radiosensitive, with a gamma-radiation survival limit for 10 wild-type cells of <1 kGy. Thus, we explored radiosensitivity through electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy by quantitating the fraction of Mn present as antioxidant Mn metabolite complexes (H-Mn).

Transendothelial migration of the Lyme disease spirochete involves spirochete internalization as an intermediate step through a transcellular pathway that involves Cdc42 and Rac1.

Despite its importance in pathogenesis, the hematogenous dissemination pathway of is still largely uncharacterized. To probe the molecular details of transendothelial migration more easily, we studied this process using cultured primary or telomerase-immortalized human microvascular endothelial cells in a medium that maintains both the human cells and the spirochetes. In -infected monolayers, we observed ~55% of wild-type spirochetes crossing the monolayer.

Tailored Functionalization of Plasmonic AgNPs/C:H:N:O Nanocomposite for Sensitive and Selective Detection.

We report here on the development of tailored plasmonic AgNPs/C:H:N:O plasma polymer nanocomposites for the detection of the pathogenic bacterium Borrelia afzelii , with high selectivity and sensitivity. Silver (Ag) nanoparticles, generated by a gas aggregation source, are incorporated onto a C:H:N:O plasma polymer matrix, which is deposited by magnetron sputtering of a nylon 6.6.