RESUMO
This study was carried out using Ixodes ricinus ticks collected during 2005 and 2006 from the Friuli Venezia Giulia (FVG) region in the northeastern part of Italy and an area along the Slovenian side of the western border of Italy. The results indicate that Rickettsia spp. is widely distributed throughout these areas, with the greatest prevalence in the central part of the FVG region. The prevalence of Rickettsia spp. was 4.5% during 2005 and 6.1% during 2006. By sequencing the 16S rRNA gene, we show for the first time the presence of Rickettsia helvetica in I. ricinus ticks in the FVG region and the presence of R. monacensis in ticks in both areas. Furthermore, we detected a sequence with a high homology with that of R. limoniae in a tick obtained from the alpine zone.
Assuntos
Rickettsia/classificação , Rickettsia/isolamento & purificação , Animais , DNA Bacteriano/classificação , Demografia , Feminino , Itália , Ixodes/microbiologia , Masculino , Ninfa , EslovêniaRESUMO
In this study we have developed a new Restriction-Fragment-Length-Polymorphism (RFLP) genotyping method for rapid detection and identification of Borrelia genospecies present as unique species or as co-infection in multiple specimens obtained simultaneously from 29 individual patients affected by early or late Lyme borreliosis (LB). The target of the RFLP-genotyping was the heterogeneous plasmid located ospA gene, thus we developed a method able to detect and differentiate between six clinically relevant Borrelia genospecies circulating in Europe, B. burgdorferi sensu stricto, B. garinii, B. afzelii, B. valaisiana, B. bissettii and B. spielmanii. In this study Borrelia DNA could be detected by PCR in at least one specimen of each patient, except in one case of neuroborreliosis (NB); blood samples gave the highest sensitivity in all patient groups. The genotyping indicated that B. afzelii was present in 8 patients with skin involvement, B. garinii in 2 cases of NB and 4 cases with skin involvement, B. burgdorferi sensu stricto was detected in one patient with skin involvement and another with Lyme arthritis. Different Borrelia species in distinct specimens were identified in one patient with EM. The RFLP analysis of 11 patients revealed mixed patterns, which suggested pluri-infection with different Borrelia species.
Assuntos
Antígenos de Superfície/genética , Proteínas da Membrana Bacteriana Externa/genética , Vacinas Bacterianas/genética , Borrelia burgdorferi/classificação , Lipoproteínas/genética , Doença de Lyme/microbiologia , Polimorfismo de Fragmento de Restrição , Biópsia , Borrelia burgdorferi/genética , Borrelia burgdorferi/isolamento & purificação , DNA Bacteriano/genética , Diagnóstico Diferencial , Eritema Migrans Crônico/microbiologia , Eritema Migrans Crônico/patologia , Feminino , Humanos , Doença de Lyme/diagnóstico , Doença de Lyme/patologia , Neuroborreliose de Lyme/microbiologia , Neuroborreliose de Lyme/patologia , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Plasmídeos/genética , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase , Pele/microbiologia , Pele/patologiaRESUMO
We report, for the first time, the presence of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus in the tick Ixodes ricinus collected in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region of north-eastern Italy. Using molecular methods, we demonstrate that the TBE virus carried by ticks from FVG is a western European strain. Sequence analysis of the 5' NCR showed 98.4% identity to the Neudoerfl strain.
