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Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2019 Feb 7. Epub 2019 Feb 7.

Biosciences eastern and central Africa - International Livestock Research Institute (BecA-ILRI) hub, P.O. Box 30709-00100, Nairobi, Kenya. Electronic address:

The cattle tick Rhipicephalus microplus is the most important arthropod vector of livestock diseases globally. Since its introduction in West Africa a decade ago, it has been reported in Ivory Coast, Benin, Togo, Mali, Burkina Faso and Nigeria with potentially far-reaching adverse impacts on the livestock sector in the region. Cameroon is located on a major route for transboundary cattle trade between Central and West Africa and it is therefore at risk from R. Read More

Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2019 Feb 13. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

1 Foodborne, Waterborne, Vectorborne, and Zoonotic Diseases Section, Minnesota Department of Health, St. Paul, Minnesota.

Introduction: The prevalence of Francisella tularensis in Minnesota ticks is unknown. Ticks collected at seven sites were tested to determine the infection prevalence of F. tularensis in Dermacentor variabilis in Minnesota. Read More

Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2019 Jan 24. Epub 2019 Jan 24.

National Veterinary Institute, Kemitorvet, building 202, 2800, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.

Presently, it is uncertain to what extent seasonal migrating birds contribute to the introduction of ticks and tick-associated pathogens in Denmark. To quantify this phenomenon, we captured birds during the spring and autumn migration at three field sites in Denmark and screened them for ticks. Bird-derived ticks were identified to tick species and screened for 37 tick-borne pathogens using real-time PCR. Read More

Schweiz Arch Tierheilkd 2019 Jan;161(1):23-31

Virologisches Institut, Klinik für Zoo- Heim- und Wildtiere, Nationales Zentrum für Vektorentomologie/Institut für Parasitologie, Vetsuisse-Fakultät, Universität Zürich.

Introduction: European hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) have a high exposure to various ticks, which could transmit pathogens with direct health significance for the host and may have zoonotic potential. Tick-borne meningoencephalitis (FSME) is an important tick-borne disease in Switzerland, caused by the tick-borne encephalitis virus. About its occurrence in the European hedgehog population is little known. Read More

J Vet Res 2018 Sep 10;62(3):275-280. Epub 2018 Dec 10.

I. Horbachevsky Ternopil State Medical University, 46000 Ternopil, Ukraine.

Introduction: Lyme borreliosis/Lyme disease is caused by and is one of the most common vector-borne diseases transmitted by ticks.

Material And Methods: A total of 136 ticks, collected in the Ternopil (Ukraine) region, including 126 adults (70 females and 56 males), and 10 nymphs were examined. The identification of the species and their developmental form was based on morphological characteristics. Read More

Rev Soc Bras Med Trop 2018 Nov-Dec;51(6):843-847

Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal da Grande Dourados , Dourados, MS, Brasil.

Introduction: Peripheral blood of 400 dogs infected with Leishmania and Ehrlichia were analyzed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and clinical signs were characterized.

Methods: PCR and parasitological tests were conducted.

Results: PCR was positive for Leishmania in 84. Read More

Brain Behav 2018 Dec 22;8(12):e01160. Epub 2018 Nov 22.

Department of Infectious Diseases and Neuroinfections, Medical University of Białystok, Białystok, Poland.

Introduction: The aim of this study was the assessment of neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and S-100 concentration in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in patients with different clinical forms of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE).

Material And Methods: The serum and CFS concentrations of S100B and NSE of 43 patients with TBE were measured with ELISA method using commercial kits: NSE and S100B Elisa Kit (DRG, Germany). Subjects were divided into: Group I-patients with meningoencephalitis (n = 17) and Group II-patients with meningitis (n = 26). Read More

PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2018 10 31;12(10):e0006911. Epub 2018 Oct 31.

Grupo de Epidemiología, Facultad Nacional de Salud Pública, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia.

Introduction: Most of the studies related to rickettsial infection in Colombia are cross-sectional because of the challenge in conducting prospective studies on infectious disease that may have a difficult diagnosis. Although cross-sectional studies are essential to detect people exposed to rickettsiae, they are not suited to demonstrate the recent circulation of this pathogen in areas at risk of transmission.

Objective: To characterize the epidemiology of incident cases of Spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsial infection in humans and equines from rural areas of Urabá region in Colombia where outbreaks of rickettsiae previously occurred. Read More

J Vet Med Sci 2018 Nov 4;80(11):1743-1746. Epub 2018 Oct 4.

Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8657.

A rapid risk assessment was conducted using a questionnaire composed of 10 questions asking experts in African swine fever (ASF) to identify and rank the potential risk factors associated with the introduction and spread of ASF in Japan. The experts participating in this risk assessment considered illegal food import, followed by transport routes and foreign workers, to be the most relevant pathway of ASF introduction into Japan. Kanto and Kyushu were identified as the most likely regions for ASF introduction. Read More

Annu Rev Virol 2018 Sep;5(1):185-207

Viral Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Viral Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA; email: ,

Flaviviruses are arthropod-borne RNA viruses that are a significant threat to global health due to their widespread distribution, ability to cause severe disease in humans, and capacity for explosive spread following introduction into new regions. Members of this genus include dengue, tick-borne encephalitis, yellow fever, and Zika viruses. Vaccination has been a highly successful means to control flaviviruses, and neutralizing antibodies are an important component of a protective immune response. Read More

Rev Sci Tech 2017 Dec;36(3):879-887

Since its introduction to the Republic of Georgia in 2007, African swine fever virus (ASFV) has spread across the Caucasus region, the Russian Federation, and some Eastern European countries. It is assumed that large populations of naïve, domestic, free-ranging and wild pigs are vital to the transmission of the disease. Since its epidemic emergence in the region in 2007, ASFV has continued to circulate, which suggests that an endemic cycle has been established and is maintained by contact between free-ranging domestic pigs, wild pigs, and possibly native Ornithodoros ticks, the most likely reservoirs for the virus. Read More

PLoS One 2018 24;13(8):e0202800. Epub 2018 Aug 24.

Center for Animal Disease Modeling and Surveillance (CADMS), Department of Medicine & Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, United States of America.

Background: Georgia is a country in the Caucasus region with a traditional backyard and highly variable pig farming system. The practices of such sectors have seldom been described and analyzed to better understand their implication in the introduction and spread of infectious pig diseases. Moreover, the Georgian pig sector was badly hit by an epidemic of African swine fever in 2007 that quickly spread throughout the region. Read More

Expert Rev Proteomics 2018 08 3;15(8):627-635. Epub 2018 Aug 3.

a SaBio. Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos IREC-CSIC-UCLM-JCCM , Ciudad Real , Spain.

Introduction: Ticks are obligate hematophagous arthropod ectoparasites that transmit pathogens responsible for a growing number of tick-borne diseases (TBDs) throughout the world. Vaccines have been shown to be the most efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly approach for the control of ticks and the prevention of TBDs. Although at its infancy, interactomics has shown the possibilities that the knowledge of the interactome offers in understanding tick biology and the molecular mechanisms involved in pathogen infection and transmission. Read More

Infect Genet Evol 2018 Nov 11;65:6-11. Epub 2018 Jul 11.

Department of Arbovirology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, WHO Collaborating Centre for Arbovirus and Hemorrhagic Fever Reference and Research, Hamburg, Germany; German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Hamburg, Germany.

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever orthonairovirus (CCHFV) is a tick-borne virus which causes severe disease in humans with fatality cases up to 30%. We investigated the genetic and evolutionary characteristics of CCHFV in Kosovo, in particular in humans and found that different virus variants of genotype V circulate, with Turkey as a possible origin for the progenitor of southern European CCHF outbreaks. Phylogenetic analyses also revealed a single introduction event and in situ evolution of CCHFV in this country. Read More

Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2018 11 9;18(11):595-600. Epub 2018 Jul 9.

1 Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health , Tehran, Iran .

Introduction: Piroplasms are hemoprotozoa comprising heterogeneous tick-borne parasites, which are differentiated into three genera, namely Babesia, Theileria, and Cytauxzoon. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence, molecular identification, and phylogenetic relationship of both Theileria spp. and Babesia spp. Read More

Expert Rev Vaccines 2018 07 12;17(7):569-576. Epub 2018 Jul 12.

d Technologies and Information Systems Institute UCLM , Ciudad Real , Spain.

Introduction: The incidence of tick-borne diseases (TBDs) is growing worldwide, and vaccines appear as the most effective and environmentally sound intervention for the prevention and control of TBDs. Areas covered: The vaccinomics approach combines omics technologies and bioinformatics for the characterization of tick-host-pathogen molecular interactions and the development of next-generation vaccines. The two main challenges of the vaccinomics approach are the integration and analysis of omics datasets, and the development of screening platforms for the identification of candidate protective antigens. Read More

Ann Agric Environ Med 2018 Jun 21;25(2):326-328. Epub 2018 Mar 21.

Department of Animal Physiology and Immunology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.

Introduction And Objectives: The existence of a blood group preference for ticks is a problem widely discussed among the lay public but often neglected by the scientific community. The Ixodes ricinus tick transmits serious zoonotic diseases such as Lyme borreliosis, tick encephalitis, or anaplasmosis. The preventive strategies include vaccination (if available) and individual measures including the use of repellents and avoidance of risk areas. Read More

Ann Agric Environ Med 2018 Jun 17;25(2):360-363. Epub 2018 May 17.

Institute of Zoology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poznań, Poland.

Introduction: Tick abundance and the prevalence of the pathogens they carry have been increasing worldwide in the last decades, and is projected to increase even further. Despite the fact that problem is global, there still remain many gaps in the diagnosis and treatment of tick-borne diseases. The best protection from tick-borne pathogens, therefore, is prevention and avoidance of bites. Read More

Acta Med Port 2018 Apr 30;31(4):196-200. Epub 2018 Apr 30.

Pediatric Department. Centro Hospitalar de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro. Vila Real, Portugal.

Introduction: Mediterranean spotted fever is an infectious disease included in the human rickettsiosis group, with its main distribution in the Mediterranean and South European countries. It is an endemic disease in Portugal, with dogs acting as the main domestic reservoir. Children are a particularly vulnerable group due to their close contact with household animals and by frequently playing outdoors. Read More

Vet Microbiol 2018 Jun 19;219:144-149. Epub 2018 Apr 19.

Department of Virology, Veterinary and Agrochemical Research Centre (CODA-CERVA), Groeselenberg 99, B-1180 Brussels, Belgium.

African swine fever virus (ASFV) is a highly resistant viraemic virus with devastating socio-economic impact. Its present epidemiology in Eastern Europe and Russia warrants increased biosecurity measures in Western Europe. This includes proactive precautions on traffic of pork products within and between areas that are officially free from ASF. Read More

MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2018 May 4;67(17):496-501. Epub 2018 May 4.

Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, CDC, Fort Collins, Colorado.

Introduction: Vectorborne diseases are major causes of death and illness worldwide. In the United States, the most common vectorborne pathogens are transmitted by ticks or mosquitoes, including those causing Lyme disease; Rocky Mountain spotted fever; and West Nile, dengue, and Zika virus diseases. This report examines trends in occurrence of nationally reportable vectorborne diseases during 2004-2016. Read More

Biomedica 2018 Mar 15;38(1):69-76. Epub 2018 Mar 15.

Departamento de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Sonora, Hermosillo, México.

Introduction: Rocky Mountain spotted fever is a highly lethal infectious disease, particularly if specific treatment with doxycycline is given belatedly.

Objective: To describe the clinical profile of fatal Rocky Mountain spotted fever cases in hospitalized patients in the state of Sonora, México.

Materials And Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study on a series of 47 deaths caused by Rickettsia rickettsii from 2013 to 2016. Read More

Acta Trop 2018 Jul 3;183:43-56. Epub 2018 Apr 3.

The BioRobotics Institute, Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025 Pontedera, Pisa, Italy; Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy. Electronic address:

Mosquito and tick feeding activity represent a key threat for humans, livestock, pets and wildlife worldwide. Rearing these vectors in laboratory conditions is extremely important to investigate basic facets of their biology, vector competence, new control strategies, as well as mechanisms of pesticide resistance. However, the use of animals or humans to provide blood for hematophagous arthropod feeding poses a strict limit to these researches, due to the accidental transmission of diseases, ethical problems concerning animal welfare, as well as expensive and time-consuming animal rearing procedures. Read More

Arch Med Sci 2018 Mar 22;14(2):313-320. Epub 2016 Mar 22.

Department of Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland.

Introduction: The aim of our current study was to evaluate cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum CXCL9 concentrations and diagnostic usefulness of this molecule in tick-borne encephalitis (TBE). The study included TBE patients in the acute phase (TBE I) and after 2 weeks of follow-up (TBE II). The control group consisted of patients investigated for suspected central nervous system (CNS) infection, but with normal CSF findings. Read More

Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2018 05 20;18(5):252-257. Epub 2018 Mar 20.

9 Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences , Tehran, Iran .

Introduction: Anaplasma/Ehrlichia species are tick-transmitted pathogens that cause infections in humans and numerous domestic and wild animal species. There is no information available on the molecular characteristics and phylogenetic position of Anaplasma/Ehrlichia spp. isolated from tick species from different geographic locations in Iran. Read More

Ann Agric Environ Med 2018 Mar 11;25(1):31-35. Epub 2017 Feb 11.

Institute of Health, State Higher Vocational School of Technology and Economic in Jaroslaw, Jaroslaw, Poland.

Introduction: During feeding, the tick sucks blood from the host along with the pathogens that are in the blood, simultaneously exchanging its own pathogens with the host. Humans can also be a host. It is important to understand the most typical circumstances in which people might become infected with Borrelia burgdorferi. Read More

Expert Rev Proteomics 2018 04 22;15(4):353-366. Epub 2018 Mar 22.

c Center for Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine , George Mason University , Manassas , VA , USA.

Introduction: Mass spectrometry (MS) is the premier tool for discovering novel disease-associated protein biomarkers. Unfortunately, when applied to complex body fluid samples, MS has poor sensitivity for the detection of low abundance biomarkers (≪10 ng/mL), derived directly from the diseased tissue cells or pathogens. Areas covered: Herein we discuss the strengths and drawbacks of technologies used to concentrate low abundance analytes in body fluids, with the aim to improve the effective sensitivity for MS discovery. Read More

Dis Mon 2018 May 9;64(5):170-174. Epub 2018 Mar 9.

Debusk College of Osteopathic Medicine, Lincoln Memorial University, United States. Electronic address:

J Med Microbiol 2018 Apr 6;67(4):543-548. Epub 2018 Mar 6.

1​Department of Infectious Disease and Clinical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Cumhuriyet University, Sivas, Turkey.

Introduction: Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is an acute viral haemorrhagic disease. Reactive oxygen species that are mainly generated by the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase (NOX) enzyme family have a pivotal role in the pathophysiology of many diseases. The serum levels of NOX isoforms in patients with CCHF have yet to be assessed. Read More

Parasit Vectors 2018 03 2;11(1):125. Epub 2018 Mar 2.

Centre for Food-borne and Animal Parasitology, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Background: Equine piroplasmosis (EP) is an economically significant infection of horses and other equine species caused by the tick-borne protozoa Theileria equi and Babesia caballi. The long-term carrier state in infected animals makes importation of such subclinical cases a major risk factor for the introduction of EP into non-enzootic areas. Regulatory testing for EP relies on screening of equines by serological methods. Read More

Transbound Emerg Dis 2018 Aug 19;65(4):1024-1032. Epub 2018 Feb 19.

DTU National Veterinary Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Lindholm, Kalvehave, Denmark.

Since the introduction of African swine fever virus (ASFV) into the Baltic states and Poland in 2014, the disease has continued to spread within these regions. In 2017, the virus spread further west and the first cases of disease were reported in the Czech Republic and Romania, in wild boar and domestic pigs, respectively. To control further spread, knowledge of different modes of transmission, including indirect transmission via a contaminated environment, is crucial. Read More

Vet Parasitol 2018 Feb 1;251:90-94. Epub 2018 Jan 1.

Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA.

Introduction: Theileria equi, an etiologic agent of equine piroplasmosis, is a tick-transmitted hemoprotozoan of the phylum Apicomplexa. Recent outbreaks of piroplasmosis in the United States have renewed interest in safe and effective treatment options. Although imidocarb dipropionate (IMD) is the drug of choice for clearance of T. Read More

Przegl Epidemiol 2017 ;71(4):595-602

Chair of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow

Introduction And Objective: The improving epidemiological situation of the most of communicable diseases causes, that the real and potential risks attributable to them have been forgotten. The aim of study was to determine the mothers knowledge about vaccine preventable diseases

Materials And Methods: A survey was conducted among 177 randomly selected mothers. The interviews with mothers hospitalized after childbearing in two hospitals in Krakow and Myslenice were conducted at the end of 2014 and in 2015

Results: The assessment of risk to develop an infectious diseases in unvaccinated children significantly varied among mothers. Read More

Przegl Epidemiol 2017 ;71(4):513-517

National Institute of Public Health –National Institute of Hygiene in Warsaw Department of Epidemiology

Introduction: Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne disease in Poland. Borrelia burgdorferi spirochete can occur in the whole country, which, according to ECDC, should be considered as an endemic area. Borrelia strains are transmitted to humans and certain other animals by Ixodes (1). Read More

Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2018 03 16;18(3):164-172. Epub 2018 Jan 16.

1 Microbial Containment Complex, National Institute of Virology, Pune, India .

Introduction: Kyasanur forest disease (KFD) outbreak was confirmed in Dodamarg Taluka, Sindhudurga district (Maharashtra) in India during the year 2016. The rise in suspected KFD cases was reported in January 2016, peaked during March, and then declined gradually from April 2016. The outbreak was thoroughly investigated considering different socio-clinical parameters. Read More

Prev Vet Med 2018 Jan 1;149:47-52. Epub 2017 Nov 1.

Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Lazio e della Toscana "M. Aleandri", Via Appia Nuova 1411, 00178 Rome, Italy.

Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF), endemic in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and the Middle East, is caused by a tibovirus (CCHFV) transmitted in particular by the Hyalomma genus of the Ixodidae family that can remain attached to the host for up to 26days, which in case of migratory birds allows long distance carriage. Although CCHF in domestic ruminants is usually subclinical, they may become reservoirs and act as sentinels for the introduction and/or circulation of CCHFV. In this study, possible CCHFV introduction and circulation in Italy were monitored by tick sampling on migratory birds and by a serosurvey conducted on sheep. Read More

Ann Agric Environ Med 2017 Dec 18;24(4):696-701. Epub 2017 Dec 18.

Laboratory of Biomedical Microbiology and Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy, 041 81 Kosice, Slovakia.

Introduction: Introduction and objective. Lyme disease (LD) is the most common vector-borne disease in the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere. Diagnosis of LD is mainly based on clinical symptoms supported with serology (detection of anti-Borrelia antibodies) and is often misdiagnosed in areas of endemicity. Read More

Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther 2018 01 26;16(1):5-11. Epub 2017 Dec 26.

a Department of Neurosciences , Overlook Medical Center , Summit , NJ , USA.

Introduction: The nervous system is involved in 10-15% of patients infected with B. burgdorferi, B. afzelii and B. Read More

J Vet Med Sci 2018 Mar 15;80(2):333-336. Epub 2017 Dec 15.

National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan.

Serum and DNA from blood samples collected from Vietnamese yellow cattle (n=101) and cattle imported from Thailand (n=54) at a Vietnamese slaughter house were screened for Babesia bovis and Babesia bigemina infections by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and PCR. The positive rates determined by ELISA (B. bovis and B. Read More

Enferm Infecc Microbiol Clin 2018 11 26;36(9):568-571. Epub 2017 Nov 26.

Centro de Rickettsiosis y Enfermedades Transmitidas por Artrópodos Vectores, Departamento de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Hospital San Pedro-CIBIR, Logroño (La Rioja), Spain. Electronic address:

Introduction: Borrelia miyamotoi is a tick-borne pathogen belonging to the relapsing fever group. It had not been reported from Spain, but its wide distribution and the presence of the tick-vector (Ixodes ricinus) made us suspect its circulation. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of Borrelia spp. Read More

Vet Microbiol 2017 Nov 4;211:92-102. Epub 2017 Oct 4.

DTU National Veterinary Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Lindholm, DK-4771 Kalvehave, Denmark. Electronic address:

In 2014, African swine fever virus (ASFV) was introduced into the Baltic states and Poland. Since then, the disease has continued to spread within these regions, and recently, cases were reported in the Czech Republic and Romania. Currently, there is an increasing risk of ASFV introduction into Western Europe. Read More

Methods Mol Biol 2018 ;1690:105-114

Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA.

Borrelia burgdorferi is maintained in nature by a tick-rodent infection cycle where it traverses and colonizes a variety of host and vector tissues. A tick-borne murine model has been developed to study Lyme disease in the laboratory, which has a substantial impact in advancing our knowledge of spirochete infectivity and pathogenesis. Here, we detail a microinjection-based method for rapid and efficient infection of ticks with B. Read More

Transbound Emerg Dis 2018 Apr 12;65(2):557-566. Epub 2017 Oct 12.

VISAVET Health Surveillance Centre and Animal Health Department, Veterinary School, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain.

African swine fever (ASF) is an infectious disease of swine that has been present in Sardinia since 1978. Soon after introduction of the disease, several control and eradication programmes were established with limited success. Some researchers attributed the persistence of the disease in central and eastern areas to certain socio-economic factors, the existence of some local and traditional farming practices (i. Read More

JMM Case Rep 2017 Apr 21;4(4):e005090. Epub 2017 Apr 21.

Department of Infectious Diseases, Division of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Turku, Turku University Hospital, P.O. Box 52, 20521 Turku, Finland.

Lyme borreliosis is a multisystem tick-borne disease caused by . Neurological manifestations are reported in up to 15 % of adult patients with Lyme disease, while the frequency among children is higher. The most common manifestations are painful radiculopathy, facial nerve paresis and lymphocytic meningitis. Read More

PLoS One 2017 28;12(9):e0185495. Epub 2017 Sep 28.

Utrecht Centre for Tick-Borne Diseases, FAO Reference Centre for Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 1, Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Heartwater, or cowdriosis, is a tick-borne disease of domestic and wild ruminants that is endemic in the Caribbean and sub-Saharan Africa. The disease is caused by an intracellular pathogen, Ehrlichia ruminantium and may be fatal within days of the onset of clinical signs with mortality rates of up to 90% in susceptible hosts. Due to the presence of competent tick vectors in North America, there is substantial risk of introduction of heartwater with potentially devastating consequences to the domestic livestock industry. Read More

PLoS One 2017 22;12(9):e0185434. Epub 2017 Sep 22.

Clinical Microbiology, Laboratory Medicine, Region Jönköping County, Sweden.

Introduction: Lyme borreliosis (LB) is the most common tick transmitted disease in Europe. The diagnosis of LB today is based on the patient´s medical history, clinical presentation and laboratory findings. The laboratory diagnostics are mainly based on antibody detection, but in certain conditions molecular detection by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) may serve as a complement. Read More

Transbound Emerg Dis 2018 Feb 17;65(1):e165-e172. Epub 2017 Sep 17.

Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald - Insel Riems, Germany.

African swine fever (ASF) is a notifiable disease with serious socio-economic consequences that has been present in wild boar in the Baltic States and Poland since 2014. An introduction of ASF is usually accompanied by increased mortality, making fallen wild boar and hunted animals with signs of disease the main target for early warning and passive surveillance. It is difficult, however, to encourage hunters and foresters to report and take samples from these cases. Read More

Transbound Emerg Dis 2017 Dec 18;64(6):1665-1668. Epub 2017 Sep 18.

Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services, United States Department of Agriculture, Greenport, NY, USA.

African swine fever (ASF) is a highly contagious haemorrhagic disease of pigs that has the potential to cause mortality nearing 100% in naïve animals. While an outbreak of ASF in the United States' pig population (domestic and feral) has never been reported, an introduction of the disease has the potential to cause devastation to the pork industry and food security. During the recovery phase of an outbreak, an antibody detection diagnostic assay would be required to prove freedom of disease within the previously infected zone and eventually nationwide. Read More

Postepy Hig Med Dosw (Online) 2017 Jan;71(1):788-796

Department of Infectious Diseases and Neuroinfections, Medical University in Białystok, Poland.

<b>Introduction: </b>It is known that in the pathogenesis of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) various molecules play a significant role. The most prominent factors include IL-10, IL-28B, CD-209 and CCR5. It is reasonable to search for genetic predispositions to the development of various clinical forms of TBE related to the genetic variation of IL-10, IL-28B, CD-209 and CCR5. Read More

Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2017 10 25;8(6):936-941. Epub 2017 Aug 25.

Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, College of Veterinary Medicine, Complutense University of Madrid, Avda. Puerta de Hierro s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain.

Mediterranean theileriosis is one of the most fatal theilerioses, with considerable economic impact on livestock production. The potential consequences of asymptomatic infection on the animal's health and on the epidemiology in endemic regions are still unclear. The objectives of this study were to determine the molecular prevalence of T. Read More