Diversity of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in ticks and small mammals from different habitats.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Ixodid ticks are important vectors for zoonotic pathogens, with Ixodes ricinus being the most important in Europe. Rodents are hosts of immature life stages of I. ricinus ticks and are considered main reservoirs for tick-borne pathogens, e.g. Borrelia burgdorferi. The aim of this study was to analyse the prevalence as well as genospecies and sequence type (ST) diversity of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in ticks and small mammals from central Germany and to elaborate on the influence of environmental and/or individual host and vector factors on Borrelia prevalence.

Methods

After species identification, 1167 small mammal skin samples and 1094 ticks from vegetation were screened by B. burgdorferi sensu lato real-time polymerase chain reaction, and positive samples

SUBMITTER: Krol N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9175456 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature