Natural Co-Exposure to Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. and Anaplasma phagocytophilum: Unraveling the Hematological Profile in Sheep

Athanasiou, Labrini V.; Tsokana, Constantina N.; Gougoulis, D.A.; Tzivara, A.; Dedousi, Anna; Katsoulos, Panagiotis D.

doi:10.3390/life13020469

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 56 publications

(78 reference statements)

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“…The studies conducted up to now showed a low seroprevalence of 3.3% in humans [ 73 ] and 0.1–2.2% in dogs [ 74 , 75 ]. Recently, a study showed that sheep are also exposed to B. burgdorferi in Greece and provided evidence of co-exposure with A. phagocytophilum [ 76 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evidence of Horse Exposure to Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Borrelia burgdorferi, and Leishmania infantum in Greece through the Detection of IgG Antibodies in Serum and in an Alternative Diagnostic Sample—The Saliva

Athanasiou,

Katsogiannou,

Tyrnenopoulou

et al. 2023

Biomolecules

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Among the various zoonotic pathogens that infect horses, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Borrelia spp. and Leishmania spp. have gained scientific interest, and relevant molecular and serological studies in horses have been conducted worldwide. Moreover, human and veterinary medicine have extensively applied alternatives to serum diagnostic samples—such as saliva—for detecting pathogens or antibodies. In this study, we investigated the exposure of horses in Greece to A. phagocytophilum, B. burgdorferi, and L. infantum, and we assessed the diagnostic accuracy of saliva compared to serum in detecting IgG antibodies against the abovementioned pathogens. Paired saliva and serum samples were collected from 317 horses from different regions in Greece. The paired samples were examined using the indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) for detecting IgG antibodies against A. phagocytophilum, B. burgdorferi, and L. infantum. Sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio (PLR), and negative likelihood ratio (NLR) were determined to assess the validity of saliva as an alternative to serum. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve revealed that the optimal cut-off value for detecting antibodies against all the examined pathogens in saliva was 1/10. Higher seropositivity rates were found for B. burgdorferi (15.14%) and A. phagocytophilum (14.19%) compared to L. infantum (1.26%). The detection of IgG antibodies using IFAT in saliva samples had a good test performance compared to serum. The two sample types had a substantial to almost perfect agreement. Although the sensitivity was moderate (70.83–75.56%) in all cases, the specificity was almost perfect to perfect (99.63–100%). This study provides the first evidence that horses in Greece are exposed to A. phagocytophilum and B. burgdorferi and confirms that the seroprevalence of L. infantum in horses in Greece remains low. Our findings suggest that saliva sampling coupled with IFAT could be successfully applied for detecting IgG antibodies against these important zoonotic pathogens in large-scale epidemiological studies in horses, at the population level, as an alternative to serum.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evidence of Horse Exposure to Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Borrelia burgdorferi, and Leishmania infantum in Greece through the Detection of IgG Antibodies in Serum and in an Alternative Diagnostic Sample—The Saliva

Athanasiou,

Katsogiannou,

Tyrnenopoulou

et al. 2023

Biomolecules

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Prevalence of Lyme Disease and Relapsing Fever Borrelia spp. in Vectors, Animals, and Humans within a One Health Approach in Mediterranean Countries

Koutantou,

Drancourt,

Angelakis

2024

Pathogens

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The genus Borrelia has been divided into Borreliella spp., which can cause Lyme Disease (LD), and Borrelia spp., which can cause Relapsing Fever (RF). The distribution of genus Borrelia has broadened due to factors such as climate change, alterations in land use, and enhanced human and animal mobility. Consequently, there is an increasing necessity for a One Health strategy to identify the key components in the Borrelia transmission cycle by monitoring the human-animal-environment interactions. The aim of this study is to summarize all accessible data to increase our understanding and provide a comprehensive overview of Borrelia distribution in the Mediterranean region. Databases including PubMed, Google Scholar, and Google were searched to determine the presence of Borreliella and Borrelia spp. in vectors, animals, and humans in countries around the Mediterranean Sea. A total of 3026 were identified and screened and after exclusion of papers that did not fulfill the including criteria, 429 were used. After examination of the available literature, it was revealed that various species associated with LD and RF are prevalent in vectors, animals, and humans in Mediterranean countries and should be monitored in order to effectively manage and prevent potential infections.

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Natural Co-Exposure to Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. and Anaplasma phagocytophilum: Unraveling the Hematological Profile in Sheep

Cited by 2 publications

References 56 publications

Evidence of Horse Exposure to Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Borrelia burgdorferi, and Leishmania infantum in Greece through the Detection of IgG Antibodies in Serum and in an Alternative Diagnostic Sample—The Saliva

Evidence of Horse Exposure to Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Borrelia burgdorferi, and Leishmania infantum in Greece through the Detection of IgG Antibodies in Serum and in an Alternative Diagnostic Sample—The Saliva

Prevalence of Lyme Disease and Relapsing Fever Borrelia spp. in Vectors, Animals, and Humans within a One Health Approach in Mediterranean Countries

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