Monica R Young
Canada
Research Article
Lyme Disease Bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi Sensu Lato, Detected in
Multiple Tick Species at Kenora, Ontario, Canada
Author(s): John D Scott, Kerry L Clark, John F Anderson, Janet E Foley, Monica R Young and Lance A DurdenJohn D Scott, Kerry L Clark, John F Anderson, Janet E Foley, Monica R Young and Lance A Durden
We detected the Lyme disease bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.), in 8 species of ixodid ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) collected from mammalian hosts, including humans, at Kenora, Ontario, Canada. These 8 tick species include Ixodes angustus, Ixodes banksi, Ixodes cookei (groundhog tick), Ixodes gregsoni, Ixodes muris (mouse tick), Ixodes scapularis (blacklegged tick), Haemaphysalis leporispalustris (rabbit tick), and Dermacentor albipictus (winter tick). Based on PCR amplification, 39 (41%) of 94 ticks tested were positive for B. burgdorferi s.l. DNA sequencing of the flagellin B (flaB) gene of B. burgdorferi s.l. complex revealed the presence of B. burgdorferi sensu stricto (s.s.), which is pathogenic to humans, and causes diverse neurological manifestations in patients. Notably, we provide the first record of B. burgdorferi s.l. in I. gregsoni, and reveal a new distribution.. View More»
DOI:
10.4172/2155-9597.1000304