J Appl Microbiol 2017 Jun 23. Epub 2017 Jun 23.

Dr. Rath Research Institute BV, Santa Clara, California, USA.

Aims: Borrelia spp., a causative pathogenic factor of Lyme disease, has become a major public health threat. Current treatments based on antibiotics often lead to relapse after their withdrawal. Read More

J Community Hosp Intern Med Perspect 2017 Jan 31;7(1):46-48. Epub 2017 Mar 31.

Department of Internal Medicine, Interfaith Medical Center, NY, USA.

Human babesiosis co-infected with Lyme disease in a young patient is an important condition. Here, we describe a case of a 39-year-old male patient with concurrent babesiosis and Lyme disease. Co-infections of tick borne diseases are often difficult to diagnose and underreported, and resulting in significant morbidity and mortality to patients. Read More

J Med Entomol 2017 Jun 17. Epub 2017 Jun 17.

Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin, 1656 Linden Dr., Madison, WI 53706

A passive surveillance program monitored ticks submitted by the public in Iowa from 1990-2013. Submitted ticks were identified to species and life stage, and Ixodes scapularis Say nymphs and adults were tested for the presence of Borrelia burgdorferi. An average of 2. Read More

Zoonoses Public Health 2017 Jun 19. Epub 2017 Jun 19.

Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Baltimore, MD, USA.

We examined whether pet ownership increased the risk for tick encounters and tickborne disease among residents of three Lyme disease-endemic states as a nested cohort within a randomized controlled trial. Information about pet ownership, use of tick control for pets, property characteristics, tick encounters and human tickborne disease were captured through surveys, and associations were assessed using univariate and multivariable analyses. Pet-owning households had 1. Read More

Biochimie 2017 Jun 16. Epub 2017 Jun 16.

Departments of Chemistry/Biochemistry and Pharmacology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA. Electronic address:

Experimental Lyme arthritis provides a mouse model for exploring the development of pathology following infection of C3H mice with Borrelia burgdorferi. Infected mice develop a reliable inflammatory arthritis of the ankle joint with severity that typically peaks around two to three weeks post-infection and then undergoes spontaneous resolution. This makes experimental Lyme arthritis an excellent model for investigating the mechanisms that drive both the development and resolution phases of inflammatory disease. Read More

Microbes Infect 2017 Jun 15. Epub 2017 Jun 15.

Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, 5001 El Paso Dr., El Paso, TX 79905, USA. Electronic address:

Lyme disease is a zoonosis caused by infection with Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb). A great amount of research has attempted to elucidate the mechanisms by which Bb causes inflammation and chronic symptomatology in some patients. Patients often seek unconventional treatments that lack scientific evidence, as medical care is unable to effectively explain and treat their illness. Read More

Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2017 31;7:225. Epub 2017 May 31.

Division of Immunity and Pathogenesis, Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida College of MedicineOrlando, FL, United States.

Knowledge of the transcriptional responses of vector-borne pathogens at the vector-pathogen interface is critical for understanding disease transmission. Borrelia (Borreliella) burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease in the United States, is transmitted by the bite of infected Ixodes sp. ticks. Read More

MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2017 Jun 16;66(23):607-609. Epub 2017 Jun 16.

The term "chronic Lyme disease" is used by some health care providers as a diagnosis for various constitutional, musculoskeletal, and neuropsychiatric symptoms (1,2). Patients with a diagnosis of chronic Lyme disease have been provided a wide range of medications as treatment, including long courses of intravenous (IV) antibiotics (3,4). Studies have not shown that such treatments lead to substantial long-term improvement for patients, and they can be harmful (1,5). Read More

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017 Jun 12. Epub 2017 Jun 12.

Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755;

Therapeutic proteins of wide-ranging function hold great promise for treating disease, but immune surveillance of these macromolecules can drive an antidrug immune response that compromises efficacy and even undermines safety. To eliminate widespread T-cell epitopes in any biotherapeutic and thereby mitigate this key source of detrimental immune recognition, we developed a Pareto optimal deimmunization library design algorithm that optimizes protein libraries to account for the simultaneous effects of combinations of mutations on both molecular function and epitope content. Active variants identified by high-throughput screening are thus inherently likely to be deimmunized. Read More

Acta Vet Hung 2017 Jun;65(2):242-252

Clinical Laboratory and Center for Clinical Studies, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich , Zurich , Switzerland.

Man-made barriers are well known for their effects on ecosystems. Habitat fragmentation, for instance, is a recognised consequence of modern-day infrastructure. The aim of the present study was to investigate the diversity and abundance of tick species, as well as the risks of acquiring tick-borne infections in habitats adjacent to a freeway. Read More

Clin Infect Dis 2017 Jun 9. Epub 2017 Jun 9.

Lehigh Valley Health Network LVPG-Infectious Diseases Practice Leader.

Methods Mol Biol 2017 ;1616:155-170

Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School, 225 Warren Street, Newark, NJ, 07103-3535, USA.

Real-time PCR assays have recently been implemented in diagnostics for many bacterial pathogens, allowing rapid and accurate detection, which ultimately results in improved clinical intervention. Here, we describe a sensitive method of detection for three common tick-borne pathogens Borrelia burgdorferi, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Babesia microti since coinfections with these pathogens have started occurring with increasing frequency over the last several years in both North America and Europe. A shared geographic region, the same tick vectors, and similar transmission cycle all favor simultaneous transmission of these three tick-borne pathogens. Read More

Environ Health Perspect 2017 May 31;125(5):057008. Epub 2017 May 31.

Background: A number of studies have assessed possible climate change impacts on the Lyme disease vector, Ixodes scapularis. However, most have used surface air temperature from only one climate model simulation and/or one emission scenario, representing only one possible climate future.

Objectives: We quantified effects of different Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) and climate model outputs on the projected future changes in the basic reproduction number () of I. Read More

J Med Entomol 2017 Jun 7. Epub 2017 Jun 7.

College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506

The black-legged tick, Ixodes scapularis Say, is the primary vector of Borrelia burgdorferi, a spirochete that causes Lyme disease, in eastern North America. Lyme disease risk has generally been considered to be focused in the Northeast and the northern Midwest in the United States, yet the distribution of the vector extends considerably more broadly. A recent analysis of the distribution of the species using ecological niche modeling approaches painted an odd biogeographic picture, in which the species is distributed in a "rimming" distribution across the northern Midwest and Northeast, and along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the eastern United States, but not broadly in the interior of eastern North America. Read More

J Bacteriol 2017 Jun 5. Epub 2017 Jun 5.

Division of Geographic Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

The ferric uptake regulator (Fur) family of DNA-binding proteins represses and/or activates gene transcription via divalent metal ion-dependent signal sensing. The Borrelia burgdorferi Fur homologue, also known as Borrelia oxidative stress regulator (BosR), promotes spirochetal adaptation to the mammalian host by directly repressing the lipoproteins required for tick colonization and indirectly activating those required for establishing infection in the mammal. Here, we examined whether the DNA-binding activity of BosR was regulated by any of the four most prevalent transition metal ions in B. Read More

Protein Sci 2017 Jun 5. Epub 2017 Jun 5.

Center for Structural Genomics of Infectious Diseases, University of Chicago, 5735 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, 60637.

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium can induce both humoral and cell-mediated responses when establishing itself in the host. These responses are primarily stimulated against the lipopolysaccharide and major outer membrane (OM) proteins. OmpA is one of these major OM proteins. Read More

Rev Bras Reumatol Engl Ed 2017 Jun 2. Epub 2017 Jun 2.

Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Faculdade de Medicina (Famed), Programa de Pós-Graduação em Saúde e Desenvolvimento na Região Centro-Oeste, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil; Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Hospital Universitário Maria Aparecida Pedrossian (Humap), Campo Grande, MS, Brazil.

We aimed to detect DNA of Borrelia burgdorferi in whole blood and serum samples of patients with clinical symptoms and epidemiology compatible with Brazilian Lyme-like disease. Four patients with positive epidemiological histories were recruited for the study. Blood samples were collected, screened by serologic testing by ELISA and Western blotting and molecular identification of B. Read More

J Clin Microbiol 2017 May 31. Epub 2017 May 31.

T2 Biosystems, Lexington, Massachusetts, USA.

In early Lyme disease (LD), serological testing is insensitive and seroreactivity may reflect active or past infection. Here, we evaluated a novel assay for the direct detection of three species of Borrelia spirochetes in whole blood. The T2 Magnetic Resonance (T2MR®) assay platform was used to amplify Borrelia DNA released from intact spirochetes and to detect amplicon. Read More

J Neurol Sci 2017 Jul 17;378:1-2. Epub 2017 Apr 17.

Massachusetts General Hospital, United States; Harvard Medical School, United States. Electronic address:

Nervous system involvement occurs in up to 15% of patients with Lyme disease, most commonly manifested as cranial neuropathy, lymphocytic meningitis, and or radiculoneuritis. We describe a patient with subacute radiculopoliomyelitis-myelitis matching the selective involvement of the anterior horns and roots of the cervical spinal cord seen on MRI and on electrodiagnostic studies. We demonstrate positive CSF Lyme antibodies and document a near-complete recovery with antibiotics. Read More

J Neuroinflammation 2017 May 30;14(1):110. Epub 2017 May 30.

Division of Bacteriology and Parasitology, Tulane National Primate Research Center, Tulane University, 18703, Three Rivers Road, Covington, LA, 70433, USA.

Background: In previous studies, human oligodendrocytes were demonstrated to undergo apoptosis in the presence of Borrelia burgdorferi under an inflammatory milieu. Subsequently, we determined that the MEK/ERK pathway played a significant role in triggering downstream inflammation as well as apoptosis. However, the identity of receptors triggered by exposure to B. Read More

BMC Genomics 2017 May 30;18(1):422. Epub 2017 May 30.

German National Reference Centre for Borrelia (NRZ), Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority (LGL), Veterinärstrasse 2, 85764, Oberschleissheim, Germany.

Background: Borrelia (B.) burgdorferi sensu lato, including the tick-transmitted agents of human Lyme borreliosis, have particularly complex genomes, consisting of a linear main chromosome and numerous linear and circular plasmids. The number and structure of plasmids is variable even in strains within a single genospecies. Read More

Appl Environ Microbiol 2017 May 26. Epub 2017 May 26.

Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.

Lyme borreliosis is the most common zoonotic disease transmitted by ticks in Europe and North America. Despite having multiple tick vectors, the causative agent Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, is vectored mainly by Ixodes ricinus in Europe. In the present study, we aimed to review and summarize the existing data published from 2010 to 2016 concerning the prevalence of B. Read More

Joint Bone Spine 2017 May 23. Epub 2017 May 23.

Department of Rheumatology, Dijon University Hospital and University of Burgundy, 14 rue Paul Gaffarel, 21000 Dijon, FRANCE. Electronic address:

J Med Entomol 2017 May 26. Epub 2017 May 26.

College of Veterinary Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea ( ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ).

Lyme borreliosis is a vector-borne disease transmitted through the bite of ticks infected by Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato group, including B. burgdorferi sensu stricto, B. afzelii, and B. Read More

Parasit Vectors 2017 May 25;10(1):257. Epub 2017 May 25.

Laboratory of Ecology and Evolution of Parasites, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland.

Background: The population dynamics of vector-borne pathogens inside the arthropod vector can have important consequences for vector-to-host transmission. Tick-borne spirochete bacteria of the Borrelia burgdorferi (sensu lato) species complex cause Lyme borreliosis in humans and spend long periods of time (>12 months) in their Ixodes tick vectors. To date, few studies have investigated the dynamics of Borrelia spirochete populations in unfed Ixodes nymphal ticks. Read More

Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2017 May 13. Epub 2017 May 13.

Sørlandet Hospital Health Enterprise, Department of Medical Microbiology, Egsveien 100, PO-Box 416, NO-4604, Kristiansand, Norway.

The most common tick-borne human disease in Norway is Lyme borreliosis. Ticks in Norway also harbour less known disease-causing agents such as Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis, Borrelia miyamotoi and Rickettsia helvetica. However, human infections caused by these pathogens have never been described in Norway. Read More

Am J Cardiovasc Dis 2017 15;7(2):53-56. Epub 2017 Apr 15.

West Virginia University Heart and Vascular InstituteMorgantown, WV, USA.

Background: Lyme disease is an infection that is estimated to affect over 300,000 people in the United States annually. Typically, it presents with erythema migrans (EM), an annular rash at the site of tick attachment, within 3 to 30 days of inoculation. Untreated patients may progress to early disseminated disease. Read More

BMC Fam Pract 2017 May 22;18(1):65. Epub 2017 May 22.

Laboratoire de santé publique du Québec, Institut national de santé publique du Québec, 20045, chemin Sainte-Marie, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, H9X 3R5, Canada.

Background: Lyme disease (LD), a multisystem infection caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto (B. burgdorferi), is the most reported vector-borne disease in North America, and by 2020, 80% of the population in central and eastern Canada could live in LD risk areas. Among the key factors for minimising the impact of LD are the accurate diagnosis and appropriate management of patients bitten by ticks. Read More

Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2017 May 13. Epub 2017 May 13.

Institute for Parasitology, Centre for Infection Medicine, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Buenteweg 17, 30559 Hanover, Germany. Electronic address:

Lyme borreliosis (LB) is the most important human tick-borne disease, but Borrelia genospecies cause different clinical manifestations. Ticks of the genus Ixodes removed from humans between 2006 and 2012 were analysed for Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (sl) infections. The majority of ticks originated from the Greater Hanover region in Northern Germany. Read More

Parasit Vectors 2017 May 19;10(1):244. Epub 2017 May 19.

Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Center for Veterinary Health Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA.

Background: Canine test results generated by veterinarians throughout Canada from 2013-2014 were evaluated to assess the geographical distribution of canine infection with Borrelia burgdorferi, Dirofilaria immitis, Ehrlichia spp., and Anaplasma spp.

Methods: The percent positive test results of 115,636 SNAP® 4Dx® Plus tests from dogs tested were collated by province and municipality to determine the distribution of these vector-borne infections in Canada. Read More

J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc 2017 May 16. Epub 2017 May 16.

Marshfield Clinic Research Institute and.

Background.: Adults with the tick-borne disease human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA) have a spectrum of acute febrile illnesses that, if untreated, might be severe. Clinical presentation and outcomes of children with HGA have been poorly described. Read More

J Vis Exp 2017 May 8(123). Epub 2017 May 8.

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nevada, Reno;

Ixodes scapularis, the vector of Lyme disease, is one of the most important disease vectors in the eastern and Midwestern United States. This species is a three host tick that requires a blood meal from a vertebrate host for each development stage, and the adult females require a blood meal for reproduction. Larval ticks attach to their host for 3 - 5 days for feeding and drop off the host when fully engorged. Read More

Emerg Infect Dis 2017 Jun;23(6)

Case Rep Infect Dis 2017 23;2017:6598043. Epub 2017 Apr 23.

Department of Internal Medicine, Allegheny General Hospital, Allegheny Health Network, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.

Lyme disease (LD) is a tick-borne illness caused by Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto. An 80-year-old female from Pennsylvania, USA, presented to an outside hospital with fever, confusion, lower extremity weakness, and stool incontinence. CT head and MRI spine were unremarkable. Read More

Am J Med 2017 May 11. Epub 2017 May 11.

Phillip J. Baker, Ph.D., Executive Director, American Lyme Disease Foundation, P.O. Box 466, Lyme, CT, 06371; Gary P. Wormser, M.D., New York Medical College, Division of Infectious Diseases, 40 Sunshine Cottage Road, Skyline Office #2N-F05, Valhalla, NY 10595.

Methods Mol Biol 2017 ;1606:133-139

Ceres Nanosciences, Inc., 9385 Discovery Blvd, Manassas, VA, 20110, USA.

The Western blot is an important laboratory technique that allows for specific identification and characterization of proteins. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE)-separated proteins are electophoretically transferred to a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane which is then incubated with specific antibodies, then developed to show the protein of interest. Here, we describe the transfer and detection of Outer surface protein A (OspA), a protein only found on the surface of Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacteria responsible for Lyme disease. Read More

Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2017 May 10. Epub 2017 May 10.

4 Wisconsin Viral Research Group , Waukesha, Wisconsin.

Powassan/Deer Tick Virus (POWV/DTV) is an emerging cause of arboviral neuroinvasive disease in the upper Midwest. These studies describe the prevalence and geographic distribution of Wisconsin ticks carrying POWV/DTV as well as the high frequency of Ixodes scapularis ticks coinfected with both POWV/DTV and Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease. These findings suggest that concurrent transmission of POWV/DTV and B. Read More

Microb Pathog 2017 May 6;109:1-3. Epub 2017 May 6.

Bioinformatics and Medical Informatics Research Center, San Diego State University, San Diego, 92182, USA. Electronic address:

Zoonotic diseases are a subset of infectious diseases, which account for enormous morbidity and mortality. Pathologies like malaria, rabies, Lyme disease, leptospirosis, avian flu etc. are microbe- and parasite-caused ailments, where the etiological agents are introduced into or on the human body via ticks, mosquitoes, birds, rodents, bats, and deer, among other members of kingdom Animalia. Read More

Sci Rep 2017 May 8;7(1):1538. Epub 2017 May 8.

Matrix Dynamics Group, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.

Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum, the causative agent of syphilis, is a highly invasive spirochete pathogen that uses the vasculature to disseminate throughout the body. Identification of bacterial factors promoting dissemination is crucial for syphilis vaccine development. Read More

J Bacteriol 2017 May 8. Epub 2017 May 8.

The University of Houston, Department of Biology and Biochemistry

Dormancy is a protective state where diverse bacteria including M. tuberculosis, S. aureus, T. Read More

Pediatr Rheumatol Online J 2017 May 8;15(1):35. Epub 2017 May 8.

Department of Pediatric Rheumatology, Medical University of Lodz, Sporna 36/50, 91-738, Lodz, Poland.

The Lyme arthritis is a common manifestation of infection with Borrelia burgdorferi spirochete. Despite its infectious background, the inflammation clinically and histopatologically resembles juvenile idiopathic arthritis. As it affects a considerable number of Lyme disease patients, it should be routinely considered in differential diagnosis. Read More

Open Forum Infect Dis 2017 9;4(1):ofw269. Epub 2017 Jan 9.

Center for Wildlife Health, University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, Knoxville.

Background: Most Lyme disease cases in the Midwestern United States are reported in Minnesota and Wisconsin. In recent years, however, a widening geographic extent of Lyme disease has been noted with evidence of expansion eastwards into Michigan and neighboring states with historically low incidence rates.

Methods: We collected confirmed and probable cases of Lyme disease from 2000 through 2014 from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, entering them in a geographic information system. Read More

Vaccine 2017 May 4;35(24):3178-3185. Epub 2017 May 4.

Dept. Microbiology and Immunology, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, Richmond, VA, United States. Electronic address:

The lipoprotein OspA is produced by the Lyme disease spirochetes primarily in unfed ticks. OspA production is down-regulated by the blood meal and it is not produced in mammals except for possible transient production during late stage infection in patients with Lyme arthritis. Vaccination with OspA elicits antibody (Ab) that can target spirochetes in the tick midgut during feeding and inhibit transmission to mammals. Read More

Aten Primaria 2017 May 2. Epub 2017 May 2.

Servicio de Microbiología, Hospital Universitario Lucus Agusti, Lugo, España.

Objective: The main aim of this study was to determine the usefulness of an early diagnosis of Lyme disease (LD) in Primary Health Care Centres (PHCC) using the ELISA test as serological screening technique.

Methods: A retrospective study (2006-2013) was performed in order to determine the anti-Borrelia seropositivity in 2,842 people at risk of having LD. The possible relationship between the environment and the area of residence with anti-Borrelia seropositivity was also studied according to the origin of the specimens (PHCC/Hospital). Read More

Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2017 20;7:131. Epub 2017 Apr 20.

Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, Ministry of Education of China, School of Laboratory Medicine, Wenzhou Medical UniversityWenzhou, China.

Outer surface protein C (OspC) is the most studied major virulence factor of Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease. The level of OspC varies dramatically among B. burgdorferi strains when cultured in vitro, but little is known about what causes such variation. Read More

Front Neurol 2017 20;8:146. Epub 2017 Apr 20.

Department of Radiology, Medical University of Białystok, Białystok, Poland.

Background: Lyme neuroborreliosis (LNB) is a disease caused by spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi, involving the nervous system. It usually manifests as lymphocytic meningoradiculitis, but in rare cases, it can also lead to cerebrovascular complications. We aimed to perform a systematic review of all reported cases of LNB complicated by central nervous system vasculitis and stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). Read More

PLoS One 2017 4;12(5):e0174428. Epub 2017 May 4.

Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, Department of Population Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States of America.

This paper models the prevalence of antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi in domestic dogs in the United States using climate, geographic, and societal factors. We then use this model to forecast the prevalence of antibodies to B. burgdorferi in dogs for 2016. Read More

Open Forum Infect Dis 2017 12;4(2):ofx030. Epub 2017 Feb 12.

Department of Medicine and.

Background: Since 2010, the Champlain BASE (Building Access to Specialist Advice through eConsultation) has allowed primary care providers (PCPs) to submit clinical questions to specialists through a secure web service. The study objectives are to describe questions asked to Infectious Diseases specialists through eConsultation and assess impact on physician behaviors.

Methods: eConsults completed through the Champlain BASE service from April 15, 2013 to January 29, 2015 were characterized by the type of question asked and infectious disease content. Read More

J Rheumatol 2017 May 1. Epub 2017 May 1.

The 72nd Annual Meeting of The Canadian Rheumatology Association (CRA) was held at The Westin Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, February 8-11, 2017. The program consisted of presentations covering original research, symposia, awards, and lectures. Highlights of the meeting include the following 2017 award winners: Dr. Read More