Birds as reservoirs for Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. in Western Europe: circulation of B. turdi and other genospecies in bird-tick cycles in Portugal.
Environ Microbiol
; 15(2): 386-97, 2013 Feb.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-22882497
ABSTRACT
Birds are important in the ecology of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) because they are important hosts for vector tick immature stages and are known reservoirs for some Borrelia genospecies. The aim of our study was to assess the role of common passerine bird species as reservoirs for B. burgdorferi s.l. in Western Europe. We surveyed birds in enzootic areas in Portugal, where no information is available for birds as reservoirs for this aetiologic agent and where B. lusitaniae, for which few reservoirs have been identified, is the dominant genospecies. Twenty-three birds (2.9%), including Turdus merula, T. philomelos, Parus major and Fringilla coelebs harboured infected ticks, but only Turdus sp. harboured infected tick larvae. In one study area, although B. lusitaniae was dominant in questing Ixodes ricinus, no ticks feeding on birds were infected with this genospecies, and B. valaisiana was the dominant genospecies in I. ricinus larvae feeding on birds. In the other area ticks collected from birds were mainly I. frontalis which were infected with B. turdi. Two skin biopsies (4.2%) from two T. merula were positive, one for B. valaisiana and the other for B. turdi. This is the first report for B. turdi in Western Europe.
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Carrapatos
/
Borrelia
/
Reservatórios de Doenças
/
Borrelia burgdorferi
/
Passeriformes
/
Ectoparasitoses
Limite:
Animals
País/Região como assunto:
Europa
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Environ Microbiol
Assunto da revista:
MICROBIOLOGIA
/
SAUDE AMBIENTAL
Ano de publicação:
2013
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Portugal