This study looks promising. A new, real-time (no waiting for weeks for a Bb culture test) test for Lyme bacteria (Borrelia miyamotoi, which is only one of many Borrelia species, but good enough for a proof-of-concept) seems to have been developed in Austria. Read on....
-Bob
10.1016/j.ttbdis.2015.02.002. [Epub ahead of print]
A newly established real-time PCR for detection of Borrelia miyamotoi in Ixodes ricinus ticks.
Reiter M1, Schötta AM2, Müller A2, Stockinger H2, Stanek G2.
Author information
1Institute for Hygiene and Applied Immunology, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, Kinderspitalgasse 15, 1090 Vienna, Austria. Electronic address: michael.a.reiter@meduniwien.ac.at.
2Institute for Hygiene and Applied Immunology, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, Kinderspitalgasse 15, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
Abstract
A total of 350 ticks collected in Austria were analyzed for the presence of DNA sequences of B. miyamotoi. Three ticks gave positive results in a B. miyamotoi-specific nested PCR. Results were confirmed by sequencing the amplified glpQ gene from the positive samples.
Moreover we developed a real-time PCR which unambiguously detected B. miyamotoi in all positive samples. Further genotyping of the samples found 100% identity of the 16S-23S intergenic spacer region with Swedish B. miyamotoi sequences.
This is the first detection of the relapsing fever spirochete Borrelia miyamotoi in hard ticks in Austria. The results consolidate the picture of a European-wide distribution of B. miyamotoi and again underscore the need for clinical awareness to clarify possible involvement of this species in human disease.
Copyright © 2015 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.
KEYWORDS:
Borrelia; Ixodes; Miyamotoi; PCR; Tick
PMID:
25736476
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please be constructive in your comments.