Parasit Vectors. 2020 Feb 27;13(1):106. doi: 10.1186/s13071-020-3969-7.
Borrelia miyamotoi and Borrelia burgdorferi (sensu lato) identification and survey of tick-borne encephalitis virus in ticks from north-eastern Germany.
Ixodes ricinus is the most common tick species in Europe and the main vector for Borrelia burgdorferi (sensu lato) and tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV). It is involved also in the transmission of Borrelia miyamotoi, a relapsing fever spirochete that causes health disorders in humans. Little is known regarding the circulation of Borrelia species and the natural foci of TBEV in north-eastern Germany. The goal of this study was to investigate the infection rates of Borrelia spp. and of TBEV in I. ricinus ticks from north-eastern Germany.
METHODS:
Ticks were collected by flagging from 14 forest sites in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania between April and October 2018. RNA and DNA extraction was performed from individual adult ticks and from pools of 2-10 nymphs. Real time reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) targeted the 3′ non-coding region of TBEV, while DNA of Borrelia spp. was tested by nested PCR for the amplification of 16S-23S intergenic spacer. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) was performed on B. miyamotoi isolates.
RESULTS:
In total, 2407 ticks were collected (239 females, 232 males and 1936 nymphs). Female and male I. ricinus ticks had identical infection rates (both 12.1%) for Borrelia spp., while nymphal pools showed a minimum infection rate (MIR) of 3.3%. Sequencing revealed four Borrelia species: B. afzelii, B. garinii, B. valaisiana and B. miyamotoi.
Borrelia afzelii had the highest prevalence in adult ticks (5.5%) and nymphs (MIR of 1.8%)
Borrelia miyamotoi was identified in 3.0% of adults and registered the MIR of 0.8% in nymphs
Borrelia valaisiana was confirmed in 2.5% adult ticks and nymphs had the MIR of 0.7%
B. garinii was present in 1.1% of adults and showed a MIR of 0.1% in nymphs
The MLST of B. miyamotoi isolates showed that they belong to sequence type 635.
No tick sample was positive after RT-qPCR for TBEV RNA.
CONCLUSIONS:
The prevalence of B. miyamotoi in I. ricinus ticks registered similar levels to other reports from Europe suggesting that this agent might be well established in the local tick population.
The detection of B. burgdorferi (s.l.) indicates a constant circulation in tick populations from this region.
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**Comment**
If four borrelia species were discovered in German ticks, it’s highly likely these same ticks are transmitting to humans. German patients are sunk if doctors are utilizing worthless CDC 2-tiered testing as it ONLY uses one strain, which isn’t even discussed in this paper (B. burgdorferi).
Borrelia afzelii, miyamotoi, and garinii ALL are pathogenic to humans.
This 2004 article shows they found valaisiana in the cerebrospinal fluid in a, “61-year-old man with a history of spastic paraparesis, which is strong clinical evidence of advanced neuroborreliosis.” They further state, “This report is the first of genetic detection of B. valaisiana in CSF, which indicates a probable association of this genospecies with disease in humans.” https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/10/9/03-0439_article
Sixteen years later we still don’t know if valaisianna is pathogen to humans.
This, right here, is why we don’t need more climate data.
We need to know what is causing disease in humans, and how to detect it (test), and treat it.
Almost half of deer ticks carry Lyme disease: New study
The blacklegged ticks, Ixodes pacificus (depicted here), and I. scapularis, are known vectors for the zoonotic spirochetal bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi, which is the pathogen responsible for causing Lyme disease. The ticks, inoculated with the bacterium when they bite infected mice, squirrels and other small animals, subsequently pass the pathogens to their human victims when they obtain a blood meal. Here, you are looking at a dorsal view of a female I. pacificus hard tick. (Courtesy of CDC/ James Gathany; William L. Nicholson, Ph.D.)
Nearly half of more than 2,000 deer ticks collected last year for a new study in Connecticut were infected with Lyme disease.
Of 2,068 deer ticks tested at the Center for Vector Biology and Zoonotic Diseases at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station in New Haven, Connecticut, 46 percent carry the Lyme disease pathogen Borrelia burgdorferi.
About 13 percent also carried the human disease-causing pathogen Babesia microti, which causes babesia, a life-threatening infection of the red blood cells in humans.
Researchers found that 9 percent of the adult ticks carried Anaplasma phagocytophilum, which causes anaplasmosis, which is marked by fever, headache, chills and muscle aches; 2 percent carried Borrelia miyamotoi, which cause hard tick relapsing fever, bacterial infection that can cause recurring bouts of fever, headache, muscle and joint aches and nausea; and 1 percent carried Powassan virus, which can cause Powassan encephalitis, which produces symptoms of fever, headache, vomiting and weakness, and can lead to encephalitis) meningitis.
The ticks were gathered in the first year of a new federally funded Connecticut-wide surveillance program for ticks and associated tick-borne diseases.
More than 2,500 ticks were collected throughout spring, summer and fall 2019 from 40 publicly accessible locations in all eight Connecticut counties and screened for five different human disease-causing pathogens.
Deer ticks, also known as black-legged ticks, were the most collected species, at 2,068 adult ticks, followed by American dog tick, at 437; lone star tick, at 3; and Asian longhorned tick, at 2.
All adult female and nymphal deer ticks were tested at CAES for the presence of the five different disease-causing pathogens.
About 15 percent of the nymphs carried Lyme disease, 6 percent carried babesiosis, 5 percent carried anaplasmosis and 2 percent carried hard tick relapsing fever.
The survey was funded by a one-year grant issued from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention through the Connecticut Department of Public Health and has potential to continue into a multi-year effort to document tick and pathogen abundances statewide to inform the public so appropriate precautions are taken when spending time outdoors.
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**Comment**
So, similarly to CDC 2-tiered testing, “heads you win, tails you lose.”
A while back I posted the following information about nationwide tick testing results:
Our current research shows that 60% of tick tested are infected with at least one disease causing organism, 38% are co-infected with two or more, 15% carry three or more, and 5% of the ticks tested carry four or more. https://www.tickcheck.com/statistics
The percentage of Wisconsin ticks being infected, as of 2017:
On average, about 22 percent of deer tick nymphs in Wisconsin have been found to be infected with Borrelia burgdorferi. The infection rate for adults is about twice as high, around 40-45 percent.In some locations, though, researchers have found infection rates as high as 75 percent of the tick population.
The number of deer ticks in specific areas of Wisconsin can vary widely by area, by landscape, and by forest type. Researchers have not found any relationship with the numbers of white-footed mice or white-tailed deer in any given areas. https://www.wiscontext.org/deer-ticks-wisconsin-and-diseases-they-carry
Russell Labs states the following:
In 2019, we documented established populations of the deer tick in every Wisconsin County except for Dodge and Winnebago. In those two counties, we found a very low number. Any forested locations could be a source of deer ticks and Lyme Disease. https://wisconsin-ticks.russell.wisc.edu
Please remember, this is only covers Lyme disease statistics. Wisconsin is home to many other diseases spread by ticks and we are a hot spot for Powassan Virus.
Increases in tick-borne disease prevalence and transmission are important public health issues. Efforts to control these emerging diseases are frustrated by the struggle to control tick populations and to detect and treat infections caused by the pathogens that they transmit. This review covers tick-borne infectious diseases of nonrickettsial bacterial, parasitic, and viral origins. While tick surveillance and tracking inform our understanding of the importance of the spread and ecology of ticks and help identify areas of risk for disease transmission, the vectors are not the focus of this document.
Here, we emphasize the most significant pathogens that infect humans as well as the epidemiology, clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases that they cause. Although detection via molecular or immunological methods has improved, tick-borne diseases continue to remain underdiagnosed, making the scope of the problem difficult to assess. Our current understanding of the incidence of tick-borne diseases is discussed in this review. An awareness of the diseases that can be transmitted by ticks in specific locations is key to detection and selection of appropriate treatment. As tick-transmitted pathogens are discovered and emerge in new geographic regions, our ability to detect, describe, and understand the growing public health threat must also grow to meet the challenge.
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**Of Note**
This article has a delayed release (embargo) and will be available in PMC on January 2, 2021.
I pray to God that their inference to “ticks in specific locations” doesn’t continue the 40 year old narrative which placates doctors into looking at maps to determine if patients are infected or not.
To reveal the genetic diversity of Babesia microti and Theileria orientalis in Southwest China, we conducted a molecular survey of piroplasms in hard ticks in a China-Myanmar border county. Host infesting and questing ticks were collected from Tengchong County in 2013 and 2014. Piroplasm infection in ticks was detected by PCR, and then, phylogenetic analysis was conducted to study the genetic diversity of the pathogens identified in ticks.
All in all, six piroplasm species comprising of the following have been identified after screening goat and cattle-attached ticks:
B. microti
B. orientalis
a novel Babesia species designated Babesia sp. Tengchong, China
T. orientalis
T. luwenshuni
an undescribed piroplasmid species referred to as Piroplasmid sp. Tengchong, China
B. bigemina has been identified by screening questing ticks
Phylogenetic analysis based on the 18S rRNA and partial β-tubulin gene revealed two novel potentially zoonotic genotypes designated B. microti Tengchong-Type A and B.
The T. orientalis genotypes identified in the present study represent the seven known genotypes 1-5, 7, and N3 as revealed by phylogenetic analysis of 18S rRNA and MPSP genes. Importantly, an additional genotype designated N4 has also been identified in this study, which brings the number of recognized T. orientalis genotypes to a total of twelve.
Thus, besides the two novel species, Babesia sp. Tengchong, China, closely related to Babesia species isolated from yak and Piroplasmid sp. Tengchong, China, our study demonstrates that additional novel B. microti and T. orientalis genotypes exist in Southwest China.
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**Comment**
Babesia Microti is pathogenic in humans.
Babesia orientalis is pathogenic in water buffalo.
Theileria orientalis is pathogenic in cattle.
Theileria luwenshuni is pathogenic in sheep and goats.
Babesia bigemina is pathogenic in cattle.
They also discovered a NEW Theileria orientalis genotype (N4).
The study identified TWO NEW Babesia microti genotypes (B. micro Tengchong- Type A & B) which may be pathogenic to humans.
Ticks come in many different varieties that not only look different, but also live in different regions and environments, and can transmit different types of diseases to both people and animals.
The purpose of this article is to provide some basic information about ticks, as well as key details about the various species that you are most likely to encounter in different regions of the United States. If you suspect that you or a loved one has been bitten by a tick of any kind, try to keep it as intact as possible so you can have it tested. Place it in a secure container so it can be evaluated by your healthcare provider, veterinarian, or local vector control for identification.
What Are Ticks?
Ticks belong to a group of animals called arthropods. Like spiders, they fall under the classification of arachnids—a specific type of arthropod with eight legs. Unlike spiders, however, ticks feed on blood from mammals—including people, pets and livestock—as well as birds, reptiles, and amphibians. They have been reported in rural and urban environments around the world, but are most often found in grassy or wooded areas and are typically most active from spring through fall.
In general, ticks can be divided into two main families: hard ticks (Ixodidae) and soft ticks (Argasidae).
HARD TICKS (IXODIDAE) Hard ticks all share the distinguishing trait of a hard outer shield or black plate, known as a scutum.
SOFT TICKS (ARGASIDAE) Soft ticks do not have a scutum but instead have more rounded bodies.
Both of these families of ticks have species that can transmit diseases to humans; however, the typical length of time required to do so differs just like their feeding habits. Certain hard ticks that carry Lyme disease, for example, typically must be attached for 36 to 48 hours to infect a host, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Certain soft ticks that transmit Tick-Borne Relapsing Fever (TBRF), however, feed very quickly and can cause disease in humans.
What is the Typical Lifecycle of a Tick?
Ticks generally have four stages of life: egg, larvae, nymph and adult.
Eggs, which can number into the thousands, are laid by the female tick. These eggs hatch into larvae, which are also known as “seed ticks.” The larvae typically attach to smaller animals, such as mice and birds.
After several days of feeding, the larvae develop into nymphs, which can then attach to larger hosts and then ultimately turn into adult ticks. Most tick-borne diseases are transmitted by nymphs, which are so small that hosts often don’t see them.
Ticks advance through each of these stages by molting, a process during which they shed their outer skin.
What to Do After a Tick Bite
If you find a tick on you during a tick check, the most important thing to do is remove it immediately. The longer the tick remains attached to the skin, the higher the chances are that it will transmit a disease.
The CDC recommends using fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick by the head and pull up with steady, even pressure. They also recommend avoiding folk remedies like burning matches or petroleum jelly, which can cause the tick to regurgitate more pathogens into the bloodstream. As mentioned, you should try to save the tick for testing if possible.
For more information on what to do after a tick bite, read the Tick Talk blog What to Do After You’ve Been Bitten by a Tick.
How to Treat a Tick Bite
Tick bites are an unfortunate occurrence since, once you’ve been bitten, any potential pathogens have already been transmitted.
However, in addition to removing all ticks, saving them for testing, and watching carefully for symptoms of tick-borne diseases, you can perform basic first aid on the bite. Wash the bite site with warm water and soap, rubbing alcohol, or an iodine scrub. You can also watch the site carefully for any rashes, but remember that rash is only a symptom of some tick-borne diseases, and it doesn’t always occur. Even with Lyme disease, the bull’s eye rash only shows up in some patients.
Of the nearly 900 species of ticks that exist in the world, only a select number bite and transmit disease to humans within the United States. The following descriptions provide key facts about each of these different types of ticks, including what each tick looks like at various stages of the lifecycle, some distinguishing characteristics, regions where they’re typically found, and what kinds of ticks carry Lyme disease and other illnesses that can infect both people and pets.
Distinguishing Characteristics of the American Dog Tick:
Sometimes called wood ticks, American dog ticks are a type of hard tick that is most often found in tall grass, as well as low-lying brush and twigs. At both adult and nymph stages, these ticks can feed on a variety of mammals, but adult females are most likely to bite humans. The adult females are most easily identified by the large, off-white scutum that starkly contrasts with the rest of their dark-brown bodies. Diseases Transmitted by the American Dog Tick:
Both nymphs and adults can transmit Rickettsia rickettsia, which causes Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and the bacteria that causes Tularemia. Where the American Dog Tick is Found in the U.S.:
American dog ticks are primarily found east of the Rocky Mountains, although they can also be found in certain areas along the Pacific Coast.Summary These days, ticks are more than just an annoyance. One bite can make you sick, even change your life. Taking protective measures is important in order to prevent a tick bite. Reducing tick abundance in your yard, wearing protective clothing, and scanning your body for ticks are all great actions for preventing tick bites. Fortunately, the best way to prevent bites remains the same: Know your ticks and how to avoid them. Here are the most common ticks in the United States.
I think the most important thing to remember is that ticks move around on other animals and birds. They are finding tropical ticks in Ontario and vice versa. A patient should NEVER be told they aren’t infected with something solely because a doctor looked at a geographical map. These maps are guides that are constantly changing.
I would also like to point out one other fact – Mycoplasma (even the bioweaponized one) is found and transmitted by the deer tick. Mycoplasma isn’t even acknowledged by mainstream medicine, yet, is a formidable foe: https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2016/02/07/mycoplasma-treatment/
Summary
