http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/article ... ool=pubmed
Online gepubliceerd: 31 Mei 2011
Door: Caroline Reis, Martine Cote, Danielle Le Thun, Benoit Lecuelle, Michael L. Levin,Muriel Vayssier-Taussat en Sarah I Bonnet.
Vector Competence of the Tick Ixodes ricinus for Transmission of Bartonella birtlesii
Abstract
Bartonella spp. are facultative intacellular vector-borne bacteria associated with several emerging diseases
in humans and animals all over the world.
The potential for involvement of ticks in transmission of Bartonella spp. has been heartily debated for many years.
However, most of the data supporting bartonellae transmission by ticks come from molecular and serological epidemiological
surveys in humans and animals providing only indirect evidences without a direct proof of tick vector competence for transmission
of bartonellae.
We used a murine model to assess the vector competence of Ixodes ricinus for Bartonella birtlesii.
Larval and nymphal I. ricinus were fed on a B. birtlesii-infected mouse.
The nymphs successfully transmitted B. birtlesii to naïve mice as bacteria were recovered from both the mouse blood and liver at
seven and 16 days after tick bites.
The female adults successfully emitted the bacteria into uninfected blood
after three or more days of tick attachment, when fed via membrane feeding system.
Histochemical staining showed the presence of bacteria in salivary glands and muscle tissues of partially engorged adult ticks,
which had molted from the infected nymphs.
These results confirm the vector competence of I. ricinus for B. birtlesii and represent the first in vivo demonstration of a Bartonella
sp. transmission by ticks.
Consequently, bartonelloses should be now included in the differential diagnosis for patient exposed to tick bites.
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