All Posts Tagged With: "Austria"

Linda’s comment….too bad that Medical University of Vienna, Wienna Austria can work with the US docs on this horrific disease….??

Full article: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=The%20expanding%20Lyme%20Borrelia%20complex-clinical%20significance%20of%20genomic%20species%3F

Excerpt:

Ten years after the 
discovery of spirochaetes as agents of Lyme disease in 1982 in the USA, 
three genomic species had diverged from the phenotypically heterogeneous 
strains of Borrelia burgdorferi isolated in North America and Europe: 
Borrelia afzelii, B. burgdorferi sensu stricto (further B. burgdorferi), 
and Borrelia garinii. 

Link: http://eutils.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/eutils/elink.fcgi?dbfrom=pubmed&id=21050324&retmode=ref&cmd=prlinks

Excerpt:

A previously healthy febrile patient with travel history to
Nicaragua showed rapid clinical deterioration with hemodynamic
shock and anuria. Diagnosis of severe malaria was established
based on intra-erythrocytic parasites and antimalarial treatment
was initiated. However, upon reevaluation Babesia microti
infection was suspected and molecular characterization by
polymerase chain reaction and sequence analysis was performed.
(c) 2010 International Society of Travel Medicine.

Tick-borne encephalitis is an infection of the CNS caused by a tick-borne
encephalitis virus transmitted by ticks. It is more common in adults than in
children. During the last 30 years, the incidence of the disease increased
continuously in almost all endemic European countries except Austria. Many
factors are responsible for the increased incidence. However, in Austria, the
incidence of tick-borne encephalitis decreased dramatically since the
introduction of a well-organized vaccination campaign against tick-borne
encephalitis. The diagnosis of tick-borne encephalitis is based on clinical
criteria and laboratory confirmation of infection. Other tick-borne diseases,
such as Lyme borreliosis and human granulocytic anaplasmosis, should be
considered in children with tick-borne encephalitis since endemic areas for all
three diseases overlap. Continued

Among the various species of hard ticks, Ixodes ricinus is the most frequently
found tick throughout Europe. As with other ixodid ticks, the developmental
cycle runs through three stages. In each stage a blood meal is required in order
to develop to the next stage. Ixodes ricinus has been found to feed on more than
300 different vertebrate species. Usually, larval ticks feed on small mammals
such as mice and become infected with various microorganisms and viruses, of
which some are substantial pathogens to humans. The pathogens remain in the tick
during molting and are thus transstadially transmitted to the next developmental
stage. Pathogens transmitted to humans are the agents of Lyme borreliosis, the
tick-borne encephalitis virus, Rickettsia species, Anaplasma phagocytophilum,
occasionally Francisella tularensis, and protozoal Babesia species. Within the
scope of an EU project Ixodes ricinus ticks from all federal states of Austria
were searched by means of PCR methods for bacterial pathogens such as Anaplasma
phagocytophilum, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, Coxiella burnetii, Ehrlichia
spp., Francisella tularensis, Rickettsia spp., and protozoal Babesia.
Additionally, the prevalence of Bartonella spp. in this tick species was also
determined. Besides the singular detection of Coxiella burnetii and Francisella
tularensis in one tick collection site the overall prevalence of Anaplasma
phagocytophilum, borreliae, rickettsae and babesiae in Ixodes ricinus amounted
to 15%, 14%, 6% and surprising 36% and 51%, respectively. Bartonellae were
detected in about 7%.

Among the various species of hard ticks, Ixodes ricinus is the most frequently found tick throughout Europe. As with other ixodid ticks, the developmental cycle runs through three stages. In each stage a blood meal is required in order to develop to the next stage. Ixodes ricinus has been found to feed on more than 300 different vertebrate species. Usually, larval ticks feed on small mammals such as mice and become infected with various microorganisms and viruses, of which some are substantial pathogens to humans. The pathogens remain in the tick during molting and are thus transstadially transmitted to the next developmental stage. Pathogens transmitted to humans are the agents of Lyme borreliosis, the tick-borne encephalitis virus, Rickettsia species, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, occasionally Francisella tularensis, and protozoal Babesia species. Within the scope of an EU project Ixodes ricinus ticks from all federal states of Austria were searched by means of PCR methods for bacterial pathogens such as Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, Coxiella burnetii, Ehrlichia spp., Francisella tularensis, Rickettsia spp., and protozoal Babesia. Additionally, the prevalence of Bartonella spp. in this tick species was also determined. Besides the singular detection of Coxiella burnetii and Francisella tularensis in one tick collection site the overall prevalence of Anaplasma phagocytophilum, borreliae, rickettsae and babesiae in Ixodes ricinus amounted to 15%, 14%, 6% and surprising 36% and 51%, respectively. Bartonellae were detected in about 7%. Continued