First Record of a Suspected Human-Pathogenic Borrelia Species in Populations of the Bat Tick Carios vespertilionis in Sweden.

ABSTRACT: The bat tick Cariosvespertilionis has been reported from Sweden to occasionally feed on humans resulting in disease symptoms. The aim of this study was to investigate C. vespertilionis as a potential vector and reservoir of Borrelia species. In 2015 and 2018 in south-central Sweden, C. vespertilionis ticks were collected from a wooden bat box harboring Soprano pipistrelle bats, Pipistrellus pygmaeus. In addition, one C. vespertilionis tick found inside a house in southern Sweden in 2019 was collected. Ticks were screened for Borrelia spp. using a genus-specific quantitative PCR assay. The Borrelia species of the positive specimens were determined by conventional PCR followed by DNA sequencing and phylogenetic analyses. A total

SUBMITTER: Jaenson TGT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8160990 | biostudies-literature | 2021 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature