Laimo liga arba Laimo boreliozė yra labiausiai Europoje, Šiaurės Amerikoje, Rusijoje ir Tolimuosiuose Rytuose plintanti, erkių pernešama zoonozė (Masuzawa, 2004, Wang ir kt., 1999, Sinski ir kt., 2006, Barbour, 1998). Tai yra dažniausia Ixodes ricinus erkių pernešama infekcija (Krupka ir kt., 2007, Žakovska ir kt., 2008). Daugiausia jos atvejų užfiksuojama Centrinėje-Rytų Europoje (Derdakova, Lenčakova, 2005). Laimo boreliozė yra vis didėjanti visuomenės sveikatos problema (Piesman, Gern, 2004, Hillyard, 1996). Kasmet tiek Europoje, tiek Šiaurės Amerikoje užfiksuojama tūktančiai ligos atvejų (Wang ir kt., 1999, Ostfeld, Keesing, 2000, Barbour, 1998). Pastaraisiais metais vykstant klimato pokyčiams, žmogui vis labiau keičiant jį supančią aplinką, Ixodes ricinus erkių gausumas Europoje sparčiai auga. To pasėkoje daugėja ir erkių pernešamų susirgimų (Tsao, 2009, Derdakova, Lenčakova, 2005). Gamtoje enzootinį Laimo ligos ciklą sudaro: sukėlėjas – B. burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.), serkė - vektorius, ir rezervuarinis šeimininkas (Humair, Gern, 2000). B. burgdorferi s.l. tyrimai sukėlėją platinančiose erkėse ir rezervuariniuose šeimininkuose, kaip ir tikslus B. burgdorferi s.l. genotipų nustatymas padėtų tiek suprasti šios ligos ekologiją ir epidemiologiją, tiek nustatyti efektyvias prevencijos priemones (Derdakova, Lenčakova, 2005). Šio darbo tikslas – įvertinti dviejų pagrindinių rezervuarinių šeimininkų geltonkaklės pelės (Apodemus flavicollis) ir rudojo pelėno (Myodes glareolus)... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / SUMMARY The aim of present study was to assess the importance of two main reservoir hosts A. flavicollis and M. gareolus, and their ectoparasites I. ricinus immature ticks in Lyme disease agent B. burgdorferi s.l. circulation in natural foci. The following research tasks were formulated: 1. To establish the infectivity level of questing immature I. ricinus ticks with B. burgdorferi s.l. and to determine it’s genotypes composition. 2. To investigate the infectivity level of two main Lithuania rodent species A. flavicollis and M. glareolus with B. burgdorferi s.l. and to determine it’s genotypes composition. 3. To estimate prevalence and abundant of infestation with immature I. ricinus ticks in A. flavicollis and M. glareolus species rodents. To calculate any differences between rodents in species, age and sex level. 4. To evaluate transmition efficient of B. burgdorferi s.l. from rodent to feeding I. ricinus larvae. The infectivity level in questing I. ricinus nymphs in fragmented mixed forests of Lithuania was relatively high, and varied in different districts from 14% to 24%. The most prevalent genotype was B. afzelii, and only in one district B. garinii was found. In case of I. ricinus larvae the overall infectivity level with Lyme disease spirochete was 3,5%. In order to establish the infectivity level with B. burgdorferi s.l. in total 302 rodents comprising 3 species - A. flavicollis, M. glareolus and A. agrarius were investigated. The results have showed that in all... [to full text]

Sensitivity of spirochetes from Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex to serum complement of humans of different age and sex was analyzed. Complement-mediated Borrelia killing was observed in different combination of serum and selected Borrelia genospecies. The obtained results confirmed that age itself does not influence the sensitivity of human to Borrelia infection. However, the females seem to be more vulnerable to it. Each of ten tested Borrelia species was proved to be potentially infective for human in different ratio. The clear separation of all ten checked Borrelia species into two groups was revealed after the reaction with human sera: species with low sensitivity to human serum complement (mortality below 1 percent) and species with higher sensitivity (mortality over 3-4 percent).

The present study aimed detection of a human pathogen B. bugdorferi sensu lato species in suspected Lyme borreliosis (LB) patients in Turkey by PCR analysis and supportive serologic tests. The 152 clinical samples (140 serum and blood, 10 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), 1 synovial fluid, 1 skin biopsy specimens) from 140 patients sent from 22 different cities of Turkey to The Spirochetal Diseases Diagnosis Laboratory of Central Veterinary Control and Research Institute were analysed. Serum samples were subjected to ELISA with a commercial kit and all of the blood, CSF, synovial fluid and skin biopsy samples were examined by PCR. In PCR analysis two primer sets targeting the ospA gene located on the plasmid and ribosomal 23S rRNA gene of B. burgdorferi sensu lato were used. The results indicated that 32,1% (45 of 140) seropositivity was detectable by ELISA. Our results support that there is a risk of acquiring LB in different regions of Turkey. Although considerable positive detections were recorded using serologic tests,none of the specimens were positive in PCR analysis. Further studies on PCR based methods for detection of B. burgdorferi sensu lato in patients with a high clinical probability of LB apparently may require that the specimen should be taken in the early phases and before the administration of any therapeutic agent.

The aim of present master’s thesis was to compare the results of serological methods for diagnosing borreliosis that are commonly used in Spadia laboratories (ELISA, immunoblots) in terms of recommendation on how and when to indicate and interpret them. The theoretical part is focusing on the characteristics and history of borreliosis, microbiological description of Borrelia, immune system and pathogenesis of the disease as well as the therapy and prevention. The experimental part is focusing on the analysis of results obtained from common examinations of antibodies to Borrelia made in Spadia Lab laboratories from January 1st 2014 to December 31st 2015. Screening of antibodies to Borrelia made by ELISA in IgM and IgG was done for all samples according to recommendation of CDC. In 2014 the ELISA screening was done using ELISA kits from Euroimmun and Evolis sample processors whereas in 2015 it was done using DiaSorin’s CLIA kits on Liaison analyser. Positive results were then confirmed by Westernblot or lineblot alternatively if the physician did not ask otherwise. It must be remembered that ELISA and Westernblot belong among serological methods that are using antibodies, i.e. substances produced by the immune system. The immune system plays the key role in protecting the body against infection and the antibodies are its important tool. Serological methods belong among immunoassay methods, which is still not standardized. Diagnosis of infections cann‘t be based only on antibody testing. It is necessary to assess the results in the context of the entire clinical picture, history and in the case of antibodies it is recommended retesting with an interval.

No description available.

Ixodes genties erkės yra krauju mintantys nariuotakojai, visų – stuburinių gyvūnų, taip pat žmogaus parazitai. Ixodes ricinus erkės perneša daugybę ligų sukėlėjų, tokių kaip: erkinio encefalito (erkinio encefalito virusas), Laimo ligos (Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato bakterijos), bebeziozės sukėlėjus (Babesia microti ir Babesia divergens). Taip pat platina ir Anaplasma phagocytophilum bakterijas. Šiuo metu erkių platinamos ligos yra dažniausios vektorių sukeliamos infekcijos Europoje. Pastaraisiais metais išpopuliarėjo molekulinės biologijos metodai, paremti patogenų nukleino rūgščių polimerazės grandinine reakcija ir RLB hibridizacija. Šie metodai laikomi tinkamiausiais, jautriausiais ir specifiškiausiais erkių platinamų ligų sukėlėjų diagnostikai. Šiame darbe naudoti molekuliniai metodai erkių platinamų ligų sukėlėjų: erkinio encefalito viruso, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato ir Babesia spp., nustatymui iš 2200 erkių, surinktų keturiuose Lietuvos rajonuose. Tyrimų metu nustatyti šeši erkinio encefalito viruso infekcijų atvejai, iš kurių penki teigiami mėginiai nustatyti Radviliškio raj. surinktose erkėse ir vienas – Utenos raj. Anaplasma phagocytophilum bakterijų infekcijos yra dažniausiai pasitaikančios infekcijos Lietuvos erkėse. Tyrimų metu nustatyti 37 (3 %) teigiami Anaplasma phagocytophilum mėginiai, iš kurių 17 (46 %) nustatyti Kėdainių raj. surinktose erkėse, 15 (32 %) – Klaipėdos, 5 (14 %) – Radviliškio ir 3 (8 %) – Utenos raj. Tarp šių... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Ticks of genus Ixodes that infect livestock, deer, dogs, and a wide variety of other species including humans. Ixodes ricinus can also transmit numerous diseases including tick-borne encephalitis, Lyme diseases (Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato infections), babesiosis (Babesia microti and Babesia divergens infections). It can also spread Anaplasma phagocytophilum bacteria. Now tick-borne infections are the most frequent human vector-borne infections in Europe, the incidence of these infections has been on rise, and new infections have emerged. In recent years, molecular detection methods based on PCR amplification of the nucleic acids of pathogens and Reverse Line blot hybridization have been showed to be effective, sensitive and specific methods for diagnosis of tick-borne diseases. In this work were used molecular detection methods for tick-borne pathogens: tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, and Babesia spp., diagnostics in 2200 ticks collected in four Lithuanian regions forests. During investigation were identified six cases of TBEV, which five positive samples were from ticks collected in Radviliškis region and one from Utenos region forest. Anaplasma phagocytophilum bacteria infections were most frequent in Lithuanian ticks, during researches were identified 37 (3 %) cases (17 (46 %) in Kėdainių region, 15 (32 %) – Klaipėdos, 5 (14 %) – Radviliškio, and 3 (8 %) – Utenos region). In these 81 % were in adult... [to full text]

The proposed thesis contributes to the basic knowledge in tick (Ixodes ricinus) and tick-borne pathogens (Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, tick-borne encephalitis virus) ecology in particular studying the spatial distribution, host associations and its causes and consequences in Central European habitats.