Lyme Disease Bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi Sensu Lato, Detected in Multiple Tick Species at Kenora, Ontario, Canada

Scott, John D.; Clark, Kerry L.; Anderson, John F.; Foley, Janet E.; Young, Monica R; Durden, Lance A.

doi:10.4172/2155-9597.1000304

Cited by 13 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 40 publications

(72 reference statements)

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“…We put forth the following definition for a Lyme disease endemic area based on comprehensive, tick and Lyme disease research across Canada [8], and similarly, conducting field studies and monitoring multiple established tick populations [4,8,12,14,19,22,[48][49][50][51][52][53][54][55][56][57][58]: A Lyme disease endemic area is defined as an established population of vector ticks infected with the Lyme disease bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, at a geographic locality in a single collection period. The present bird-tick-pathogen study at Montée Biggar, Québec meets this definition for a Lyme disease endemic area.…”

Section: Definition Of Lyme Disease Endemic Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…At least six Bbsl genospecies in North America are known to be pathogenic to humans. Epidemiologically, at least seven human-biting Ixodes species act as vectors of Lyme disease spirochetes in Canada, namely Ixodes angustus, Ixodes cookei (groundhog tick), Ixodes muris (mouse tick), Ixodes pacificus (western blacklegged tick), Ixodes scapularis (blacklegged tick), and Ixodes spinipalpis [8,[22][23][24].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Monitoring of Nesting Songbirds Detects Established Population of Blacklegged Ticks and Associated Lyme Disease Endemic Area in Canada

et al. 2020

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This study provides a novel method of documenting established populations of bird-feeding ticks. Single populations of the blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis, and the rabbit tick, Haemaphysalis leporispalustris, were revealed in southwestern Québec, Canada. Blacklegged tick nymphs and, similarly, larval and nymphal rabbit ticks were tested for the Lyme disease bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (Bbsl), using PCR and the flagellin (flaB) gene, and 14 (42%) of 33 of blacklegged tick nymphs tested were positive. In contrast, larval and nymphal H. leporsipalustris ticks were negative for Bbsl. The occurrence of Bbsl in I. scapularis nymphs brings to light the presence of a Lyme disease endemic area at this songbird nesting locality. Because our findings denote that this area is a Lyme disease endemic area, and I. scapularis is a human-biting tick, local residents and outdoor workers must take preventive measures to avoid tick bites. Furthermore, local healthcare practitioners must include Lyme disease in their differential diagnosis.

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Section: Definition Of Lyme Disease Endemic Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Monitoring of Nesting Songbirds Detects Established Population of Blacklegged Ticks and Associated Lyme Disease Endemic Area in Canada

et al. 2020

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“…This Bbsl-positive, D. albipictus female was one of 16 D. albipictus adults collected from a moose, the largest member of the deer family. In Northwestern Ontario a Bbsl-positive D. albipictus was previously collected from an untraveled dog at Kenora, Ontario [73].…”

Section: Ticks On Terrestrial Mammalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Of note, these two zoonotic pathogens are typically reported in blacklegged ticks [79], but not in I. cookei. Importantly, I. cookei bites humans [22,73,[80][81][82], and this present study signifies that this cat-derived I. cookei could have simultaneously transmit these two tick-borne, zoonotic pathogens (e.g., B. microti and Bbsl) to companion animals or people [2,4,69,83]. Often domestic cats will have a subclinical Bbsl infection; however, they may have various symptoms including lethargy, lameness, irregular gait, pain on manipulation of hips and tail (hip and/or tail pain).…”

Section: Co-infected Ticks On Terrestrial Mammalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Detection and Transstadial Passage of Babesia Species and Borrelia burgdorferi Sensu Lato in Ticks Collected from Avian and Mammalian Hosts in Canada

et al. 2019

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Lyme disease and human babesiosis are the most common tick-borne zoonoses in the Temperate Zone of North America. The number of infected patients has continued to rise globally, and these zoonoses pose a major healthcare threat. This tick-host-pathogen study was conducted to test for infectious microbes associated with Lyme disease and human babesiosis in Canada. Using the flagellin (flaB) gene, three members of the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (Bbsl) complex were detected, namely a Borrelia lanei-like spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto (Bbss), and a distinct strain that may represent a separate Bbsl genospecies. This novel Bbsl strain was detected in a mouse tick, Ixodes muris, collected from a House Wren, Troglodytes aedon, in Quebec during the southward fall migration. The presence of Bbsl in bird-feeding larvae of I. muris suggests reservoir competency in three passerines (i.e., Common Yellowthroat, House Wren, Magnolia Warbler). Based on the 18S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene, three Babesia species (i.e., Babesia divergens-like, Babesia microti, Babesia odocoilei) were detected in field-collected ticks. Not only was B. odocoilei found in songbird-derived ticks, this piroplasm was apparent in adult questing blacklegged ticks, Ixodes scapularis, in southern Canada. By allowing live, engorged ticks to molt, we confirm the transstadial passage of Bbsl in I. muris and B. odocoilei in I. scapularis. Bbss and Babesia microti were detected concurrently in a groundhog tick, Ixodes cookei, in Western Ontario. In Alberta, a winter tick, Dermacentor albipictus, which was collected from a moose, Alces alces, tested positive for Bbss. Notably, a B. divergens-like piroplasm was detected in a rabbit tick, Haemaphysalis leporispalustris, collected from an eastern cottontail in southern Manitoba; this Babesia species is a first-time discovery in Canada. This rabbit tick was also co-infected with Borrelia lanei-like spirochetes, which constitutes a first in Canada. Overall, five ticks were concurrently infected with Babesia and Bbsl pathogens and, after the molt, could potentially co-infect humans. Notably, we provide the first authentic report of I. scapularis ticks co-infected with Bbsl and B. odocoilei in Canada. The full extent of infectious microorganisms transmitted to humans by ticks is not fully elucidated, and clinicians need to be aware of the complexity of these tick-transmitted enzootic agents on human health. Diagnosis and treatment must be administered by those with accredited medical training in tick-borne zoonosis.

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“…In North America, Ixodes scapularis is the primary vector in the eastern and central parts of the continent, and Ixodes pacificus is prevalent in in the western regions, although Ixodes cookei , Ixodes angustus , and Ixodes muris have also been found to be vectors, and other species are potential vectors [ 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 ]. In Europe, the Ixodes ricinus species group is the primary vector [ 1 , 3 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Citizen Science and Community Engagement in Tick Surveillance—A Canadian Case Study

et al. 2018

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Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne disease in North America and Europe, and on-going surveillance is required to monitor the spread of the tick vectors as their populations expand under the influence of climate change. Active surveillance involves teams of researchers collecting ticks from field locations with the potential to be sites of establishing tick populations. This process is labor- and time-intensive, limiting the number of sites monitored and the frequency of monitoring. Citizen science initiatives are ideally suited to address this logistical problem and generate high-density and complex data from sites of community importance. In 2014, the same region was monitored by academic researchers, public health workers, and citizen scientists, allowing a comparison of the strengths and weaknesses of each type of surveillance effort. Four community members persisted with tick collections over several years, collectively recovering several hundred ticks. Although deviations from standard surveillance protocols and the choice of tick surveillance sites makes the incorporation of community-generated data into conventional surveillance analyses more complex, this citizen science data remains useful in providing high-density longitudinal tick surveillance of a small area in which detailed ecological observations can be made. Most importantly, partnership between community members and researchers has proven a powerful tool in educating communities about of the risk of tick-vectored diseases and in encouraging tick bite prevention.

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Lyme Disease Bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi Sensu Lato, Detected in Multiple Tick Species at Kenora, Ontario, Canada

Cited by 13 publications

References 40 publications

Monitoring of Nesting Songbirds Detects Established Population of Blacklegged Ticks and Associated Lyme Disease Endemic Area in Canada

Monitoring of Nesting Songbirds Detects Established Population of Blacklegged Ticks and Associated Lyme Disease Endemic Area in Canada

Detection and Transstadial Passage of Babesia Species and Borrelia burgdorferi Sensu Lato in Ticks Collected from Avian and Mammalian Hosts in Canada

Citizen Science and Community Engagement in Tick Surveillance—A Canadian Case Study

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