<i>Amblyomma americanum</i>
            : a Potential Vector of Lyme Disease in New Jersey

Schulze, Terry L.; Bowen, G. S.; Bosler, Edward M.; Lakat, MF; Parkin, William E.; Altman, Ronald; Ormiston, B G; Jk, Shisler

doi:10.1126/science.6710158

Cited by 137 publications

(45 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…Since the mid-1980s, physicians have described a Lyme disease-like illness in patients from the southeastern and southcentral United States in which an erythema migrans rash and mild flu-like symptoms develop following the bite of a lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum (2,3,12,19,31,43). This disease is alternatively referred to as southern tick-associated rash illness (STARI), Master's disease, or southern Lyme disease (23,30).…”

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confidence: 99%

First Culture Isolation of Borrelia lonestari , Putative Agent of Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness

Varela¹,

Luttrell

Howerth³

et al. 2004

J Clin Microbiol

107

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Southern tick-associated rash illness (STARI) is a Lyme disease-like infection described in patients in the southeastern and south-central United States, where classic Lyme disease is relatively rare. STARI develops following the bite of a lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum) and is thought to be caused by infection with an "uncultivable" spirochete tentatively named Borrelia lonestari. In this study, wild lone star ticks collected from an area where B. lonestari is endemic were cocultured in an established embryonic tick cell line (ISE6). The cultures were examined by dark-field microscopy for evidence of infection, and spirochete identity and morphology were evaluated by flagellin B and 16S rRNA gene sequence, by reaction to Borrelia-wide and B. burgdorferi-specific monoclonal antibodies, and by electron microscopy. Live spirochetes were first visualized in primary culture of A. americanum ticks by dark-field microscopy 14 days after the cell culture was inoculated. The sequences of the flagellin B and 16S rRNA genes of cultured spirochetes were consistent with previously reported sequences of B. lonestari. The cultured spirochetes reacted with a Borrelia-wide flagellin antibody, but did not react with an OspA antibody specific to B. burgdorferi, by indirect fluorescent antibody testing. Electron microscopy demonstrated organisms that were free and associated with ISE6 cells, with characteristic Borrelia sp. morphology. This study describes the first successful isolation of B. lonestari in culture, providing a much needed source of organisms for the development of diagnostic assays and forming a basis for future studies investigating the role of the organism as a human disease agent.

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confidence: 99%

First Culture Isolation of Borrelia lonestari , Putative Agent of Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness

Varela¹,

Luttrell

Howerth³

et al. 2004

J Clin Microbiol

107

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“…Although B. theileri, associated with Rhipicephalus and Boophilus (both classified within the ixodid subfamily Metastriata), was described during the early part of the 20th century (17), its relationship to other borreliae remains poorly described. Spirochetes have been detected within the metastriate Lone Star ticks (Amblyomma americanum) (1,2,10,18,24), but only recently has their taxonomic status been analyzed. Their identity has assumed prominence because Lone Star ticks are associated with a syndrome of undescribed etiology (referred to as southern tick-associated rash infection or Masters' disease) that is confused with Lyme disease (3,8,22; P. M. Armstrong, L. Rosa Brunet, A. Spielman, and S. R. Telford III, submitted for publication).…”

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confidence: 99%

Lone Star Tick-Infecting Borreliae Are Most Closely Related to the Agent of Bovine Borreliosis

et al. 2001

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Although Borrelia theileri, the agent of bovine borreliosis, was described at the turn of the century (in 1903), its relationship with borreliae causing Lyme disease or relapsing fever remains undescribed. We tested the previously published hypothesis that spirochetes infecting Lone Star ticks (Amblyomma americanum) may comprise B. theileri by analyzing the 16S ribosomal DNAs (rDNAs) and flagellin genes of these spirochetes. B. theileri, the Amblyomma agent, and B. miyamotoi formed a natural group or clade distinct from but most closely related to that of the relapsing fever spirochetes. B. theileri and the Amblyomma agent were 97 and 98% similar at the nucleotide level within the analyzed portions of the 16S rDNA and the flagellin gene respectively, suggesting a recent divergence. The agent of bovine borreliosis might be explored as a surrogate antigen for the as-yet-uncultivatable Amblyomma agent in studies designed to explore the etiology of a Lyme disease-like infection associated with Lone Star ticks.

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“…4 Rape is frequent and has been used as a weapon of war. 5 Vulnerability is compounded by poverty, homelessness, breakdown of social supports, and lack of access to health care. In Sierra Leone and Angola, the isolation of the populations during the conflict appears to have paradoxically protected them from the accelerating epidemic in neighbouring countries, but the postconflict period poses a great risk to the populations, during which intervention is essential.…”

Section: Treatment Of Aids In Conflict-affected Settings: a Failure Omentioning

confidence: 99%

“…4 It is important to recognise that the range of A americanum extends well beyond the Red States and as far north along the eastern seaboard as Maine. "Lyme disease" cases have followed the bite of this tick in both New Jersey and Maryland, 5 suggesting that cases of erythema migrans in some Blue States are not exclusively due to B burgdorferi infection. A strong recommendation can be made for further study of STARI and of Presidential elections.…”

Section: *Tom Ellman Heather Culbert Victorio Torres-fecedmentioning

confidence: 99%