Detection of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and Chlamydophila psittaci in throat and cloacal swabs from birds migrating through Slovakia

Detection of Chlamydiaceae in Swiss wild birds sampled at a bird rehabilitation centre

Background

Annually, 800–1500 wild birds are admitted to the rehabilitation centre of the Swiss Ornithological Institute, Sempach, Lucerne, Switzerland. The workers of the centre come in close contact with the avian patients and might therefore be exposed to zoonotic agents shed by these birds, such as Chlamydia psittaci.

Methods

In the present study, 91 choanal, 91 cloacal and 267 faecal swabs from 339 wild birds of 42 species were investigated using a stepwise diagnostic approach.

Results

Chlamydiaceae were detected in 0.9 per cent (0.3–2.6 per cent) of birds (n=3), all of them members of the Columbidae family. The Chlamydiaceae species of two of these birds (one Eurasian collared dove, one fancy pigeon) were identified as C psittaci types B and E by PCR and outer membrane protein A genotyping.

Conclusion

The findings of the current study suggest that zoonotic transmission of Chlamydiaceae is very unlikely for songbird and waterfowl species tested herein, while pigeons might pose a risk to workers at rehabilitation centres.

Lyme borreliosis spirochetes and spotted fever group rickettsiae in ixodid ticks from Pianosa island, Tuscany Archipelago, Italy

A study on tick fauna and tick-borne pathogens was undertaken in Pianosa, an island in the Tuscany Archipelago that constitutes an important stopping and nesting point for migratory birds. Ticks were removed from feral cats and a few terrestrial birds, and host-seeking ticks were collected by dragging. A total of 89 ticks were found on animals: 57 Ixodes ventalloi Gil Collado, 1936 and 32 Ixodes acuminatus Neumann, 1901. Host-seeking ticks were 354 Hyalomma spp. larvae and 18 Hyalomma spp. adults, identified as Hyalomma marginatum C.L. Koch, 1844 (n=11) and 7 Hyalomma detritum Schulze, 1919 (n=7). A sample of adult ticks was subjected to molecular analyses to look for Rickettsia spp. and Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.). Sequence analysis of the 5S-23S intergenic spacer region and OspA gene of B. burgdorferi s.l.-positive samples showed the presence of Borrelia spielmanii (n=3; 3.7%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.08-10.4) and Borrelia valaisiana (n=13; 13.6%, 95% CI 7.0-23.0) in Ixodes ticks from cats and terrestrial birds. Ixodes spp. were also infected by Rickettsia helvetica (n=19; 23.4%, 95% CI 14.7-34.2). Finally, we detected Rickettsia aeschlimannii in 3 out of 12 host-seeking Hyalomma spp. adults tested (25%, 95% CI 5.5-57.2). Our study shows the presence of several tick-borne pathogens in Pianosa. Hyalomma spp. and Ixodes ticks other than I. ricinus seem to be involved in their epidemiological cycle, and birds could contribute to the pathogen dispersal along their migration routes. This is the first finding of B. spielmanii in Italy. We hypothesize the involvement of peridomestic rodents or hedgehogs in its maintenance in Pianosa.

Serological and molecular detection of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and Anaplasmataceae in rodents

The presence of Anaplasma spp. and Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in rodents from Eastern Slovakia were followed by serological and molecular methods. The seroprevalence for Borrelia was detected in 16.6 %, for Anaplasmataceae (APT) in 13.2 % and co-occurrence of Borrelia and APT in 7.5 %. Out of 110 ear biopsies of rodents, 5 were B. afzelii-positive. Five biopsies tested positive with the Ehr521-Ehr747 primers amplifying all the members of the family APT. A. phagocytophilum was detected in 1.8 %, 2.7 % were infected with Anaplasma-like organisms. Co-occurrence of Borrelia and Anaplasma in ear biopsies was found in 1.8 %. The circulation of both Borrelia and Anaplasma in the region of Eastern Slovakia was confirmed.

Detection of Borrelia burgdorferi and Borrelia lonestari in birds in Tennessee

Lyme disease in the United States is caused by the bacterial spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi s.s. (Johnson, Schmid, Hyde, Steigerwalt, and Brenner), which is transmitted by tick vectors Ixodes scapularis (Say) and I. pacificus (Cooley and Kohls). Borrelia lonestari, transmitted by the tick Amblyomma americanum L., may be associated with a related syndrome, southern tick-associated rash illness (STARI). Borrelia lonestari sequences, reported primarily in the southeastern states, have also been detected in ticks in northern states. It has been suggested that migratory birds may have a role in the spread of Lyme disease spirochetes. This study evaluated both migratory waterfowl and nonmigratory wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris, Eastern wild turkey) for B. burgdorferi and B. lonestari DNA sequences. A total of 389 avian blood samples (163 migratory birds representing six species, 125 wild turkeys harvested in habitats shared with migratory birds, 101 wild turkeys residing more distant from migratory flyways) were extracted, amplified, and probed to determine Borrelia presence and species identity. Ninety-one samples were positive for Borrelia spp. Among migratory birds and turkeys collected near migration routes, B. burgdorferi predominated. Among turkeys residing further away from flyways, detection of B. lonestari was more common. All A. americanum ticks collected from these areas were negative for Borrelia DNA; no I. scapularis were found. To our knowledge, this represents the first documentation of B. lonestari among any birds.

Phenotypic and genotypic analysis of Borrelia spp. isolated from Ixodes ricinus ticks by using electrophoretic chips and real-time polymerase chain reaction

The genotype of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato was detected in 371 out of 1244 ticks. Borrelia determination was based on partial sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene and real-time polymerase chain reactions for identification and quantitation of ospA and recA genes. Different Borrelia spp. were identified; B. garinii in 40% ticks followed by B. afzelii (36.3%), B. burgdorferi sensu stricto (12.9%), B. valaisiana (3.5%), B. lusitaniae (0.8%), B. bissettii (0.5%) and B. miyamotoi-like (0.5%). Cultivation of 30 borrelia strains in BSK-H medium, among them B. valaisiana, B. bissettii-like and B. miyamotoi-like strains was unique in Czechia. Calibrated microfluidic-based quantification showed differences in the concentration of the nucleic acids and molar mass of the outer surface proteins of different Borrelia spp. with standard sensitivity and specificity and was helpful for their identification. The outer surface protein OspA was absent in B. miyamotoi-like and the OspB protein in B. valaisiana, B. lusitaniae and in three subtypes of B. garinii.