Borrelia lusitaniaein ImmatureIxodes ricinus(Acari: Ixodidae) Feeding on Common Wall Lizards in Tuscany, Central Italy

Abstract

Lizards and small rodents were live captured in Tuscany, central Italy, from May through August 2005. Prevalence of infestation by larval Ixodes ricinus L. (Acari: Ixodidae) and mean numbers of larvae per host were not significantly different for common wall lizards, Podarcis muralis Laurenti, and Apodemus spp. mice, whereas infestation levels by nymphs were significantly greater on lizards. Borrelia lusitaniae, which was previously shown to be dominant in host-seeking I. ricinus in the same study area, was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in 19.8% (95% confidence interval: 14.4, 26.0) of larval ticks and in 52.9% (27.8, 77.0) of nymphs that were collected from lizards. Moreover, 18.8% (7.2, 36.4) and 25.0 (3.2, 65.1) of lizards' tail biopsies and blood samples, respectively, were positive for B. lusitaniae. Conversely, attached ticks and ear biopsies from Apodemus spp. mice were PCR negative. Passerine birds belonging to 10 species were live captured in March 2005, and Borrelia valaisiana was detected in 57.1% (18.4, 90.1) of I. ricinus nymphs feeding on Eurasian blackbirds, Turdus merula L. Results of this study suggest that lizards play an important role as reservoirs for B. lusitanae and may affect the dominance of this genospecies in the Mediterranean area.

Borrelia lusitaniae OspA Gene Heterogeneity in Mediterranean Basin Area

“…Briefly, Bertolotti et al (2006) reported the prevalence of B. lusitaniae to be 14.0% and 34.0% in host-seeking nymphs and adults, respectively. Amore et al (2007) reported similar results, showing a prevalence of 19.8% and 52.9% in larvae and nymphs collected on lizards. DNA from lizard tails and blood showed a prevalence of 18.8% and 25.0%.…”

“…Ticks were collected by intensive dragging during three sessions in 2004: May 28 (8 collection sites), July 9 (5 sites), and August 4 (14 sites) (Bertolotti et al 2006). Lizards and ticks on lizards were collected during four sampling sessions in spring and summer of 2005: May (4 days), June (2 days), July (4 days), and August (7 days) (Amore et al 2007). Both ticks and lizard tissues, obtained by natural tail fracture, were stored in ethanol 70% until DNA extraction.…”

“…DNA was suspended in nuclease-free water (50 ll for ticks and 100 ll for tissues) (Amore et al 2007). …”

“…The first human isolate of B. lusitaniae was identified in a 46-year-old woman from the Lisbon area in Portugal (Collares-Pereira et al 2004). Such genospecies are the most prevalent in the Mediterranean area (Collares-Pereira et al 2004;Sarih et al 2003;Younsi et al 2005) and recent studies indicate lizards as the reservoir hosts (Amore et al 2007;Majlathova et al 2006;Richter and Matuschka 2006;Tomassone et al 2005;Younsi et al 2005).…”

“…In Italy, B. lusitaniae is the dominant genospecies in hostseeking Ixodes ricinus ticks (Bertolotti et al 2006) and in ticks from lizards (Amore et al 2007) on Le Cerbaie Hills, in the province of Pisa, Tuscany. At the same location, a case of Lyme borreliosis was reported in a forestry worker in 2001.…”