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Bourgeois JS, Hu LT. Hitchhiker's Guide to Borrelia burgdorferi. J Bacteriol 2024:e0011624. [PMID: 39140751 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00116-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Don't Panic. In the nearly 50 years since the discovery of Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdorferi has emerged as an unlikely workhorse of microbiology. Interest in studying host-pathogen interactions fueled significant progress in making the fastidious microbe approachable in laboratory settings, including the development of culture methods, animal models, and genetic tools. By developing these systems, insight has been gained into how the microbe is able to survive its enzootic cycle and cause human disease. Here, we discuss the discovery of B. burgdorferi and its development as a model organism before diving into the critical lessons we have learned about B. burgdorferi biology at pivotal stages of its lifecycle: gene expression changes during the tick blood meal, colonization of a new vertebrate host, and developing a long-lasting infection in that vertebrate until a new tick feeds. Our goal is to highlight the advancements that have facilitated B. burgdorferi research and identify gaps in our current understanding of the microbe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey S Bourgeois
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University Lyme Disease Initiative, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Linden T Hu
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University Lyme Disease Initiative, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Gryczyńska A, Polaczyk J, Welc-Falęciak R. Toxoplasma gondii infection in ticks infesting migratory birds: the blackbird (Turdus merula) and the song thrush (Turdus philomelos). EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2024; 92:233-240. [PMID: 38321308 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-023-00878-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
Toxoplasmosis, caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii, is the zoonosis widespread all over the world. Birds constitute an important group of T. gondii intermediate hosts often attacked by definitive hosts, e.g. domestic cats. Due to confirmation of an additional way of T. gondii transmission via tick bite, the aim of our study was to state and evaluate the infection prevalence of ticks feeding on blackbirds (Turdus merula) and song thrushes (Turdus philomelos). The real-time PCR amplification of the B1 gene fragment was used for detection of T. gondii infection in 157 Ixodes ricinus ticks removed from captured birds. The results showed the thrushes as hosts intensively attacked by ticks (prevalence 88.5% and 70% for blackbirds and song thrushes, respectively), and T. gondii infected individuals were detected. Among all ticks infected, 7 (5.8%; n = 120) were collected from blackbirds, and 2 (5.4%; n = 37) from song thrushes. The thrushes small body sizes and their tendency to urban ecosystems colonization, suggest that they relatively often become a pray of domestic cats, and combined with our findings, are potentially involved in maintenance the T. gondii population, especially in anthropogenic habitats, where the presence of toxoplasmosis is likely to constitute a serious danger to public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicja Gryczyńska
- Department of Ecology, Institute of Functional Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, University of Warsaw, 101 Żwirki i Wigury St, 02-089, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Justyna Polaczyk
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Functional Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, 1 Miecznikowa St, 02-096, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Renata Welc-Falęciak
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Functional Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, 1 Miecznikowa St, 02-096, Warsaw, Poland
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Hansford KM, Gillingham EL, Vaux AGC, Cull B, McGinley L, Catton M, Wheeler BW, Tschirren B, Medlock JM. Impact of green space connectivity on urban tick presence, density and Borrelia infected ticks in different habitats and seasons in three cities in southern England. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2023; 14:102103. [PMID: 36525762 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2022.102103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the effects of local habitat and wider landscape connectivity factors on tick presence, nymph density and Borrelia species (spp.) prevalence in the tick population is important for identifying the public health risk from Lyme borreliosis. This multi-city study collected data in three southern England cities (Bath, Bristol, and Southampton) during spring, summer, and autumn in 2017. Focusing specifically on urban green space used for recreation which were clearly in urbanised areas, 72 locations were sampled. Additionally, geospatial datasets on urban green space coverage within 250 m and 1 km of sampling points, as well as distance to woodland were incorporated into statistical models. Distance to woodland was negatively associated with tick presence and nymph density, particularly during spring and summer. Furthermore, we observed an interaction effect between habitat and season for tick presence and nymph density, with woodland habitat having greater tick presence and nymph density during spring. Borrelia spp. infected Ixodes ricinus were found in woodland, woodland edge and under canopy habitats in Bath and Southampton. Overall Borrelia spp. prevalence in nymphs was 2.8%, similar to wider UK studies assessing prevalence in Ixodes ricinus in rural areas. Bird-related Borrelia genospecies dominated across sites, suggesting bird reservoir hosts may be important in urban green space settings for feeding and infecting ticks. Whilst overall density of infected nymphs across the three cities was low (0.03 per 100 m2), risk should be further investigated by incorporating data on tick bites acquired in urban settings, and subsequent Lyme borreliosis transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kayleigh M Hansford
- Medical Entomology & Zoonoses Ecology, UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down, UK; European Centre for Environment & Human Health, University of Exeter Medical School, Truro, UK; Health Protection Research Unit in Environmental Change & Health, UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down, UK.
| | - Emma L Gillingham
- Medical Entomology & Zoonoses Ecology, UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down, UK; Health Protection Research Unit in Environmental Change & Health, UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down, UK
| | - Alexander G C Vaux
- Medical Entomology & Zoonoses Ecology, UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down, UK
| | - Benjamin Cull
- Medical Entomology & Zoonoses Ecology, UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down, UK
| | - Liz McGinley
- Medical Entomology & Zoonoses Ecology, UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down, UK
| | - Matthew Catton
- Medical Entomology & Zoonoses Ecology, UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down, UK
| | - Benedict W Wheeler
- European Centre for Environment & Human Health, University of Exeter Medical School, Truro, UK; Health Protection Research Unit in Environmental Change & Health, UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down, UK
| | | | - Jolyon M Medlock
- Medical Entomology & Zoonoses Ecology, UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down, UK; Health Protection Research Unit in Environmental Change & Health, UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down, UK; Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging & Zoonotic Infections, UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down, UK
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