Occurrence of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, Borrelia garinii and Borrelia afzelii in the Ixodes ricinus ticks from Eastern Slovakia.

A total of 2816 unfed adults nymphs of Ixodes ricinus ticks were collected from vegetation in Kosice (Eastern Slovakia) from 1994 to 1997. Prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi s. l. in I. ricinus ticks, detected by dark field microscopy, varied and depended upon the year and the habitat of the collected ticks. The lowest prevalence was observed in 1994 (4.8%). During 1995 it increased to 17.2% and during the next two years decreased to 15.5% and 14.2%. The rate of infection varied from 2.1 to 23.3% within 10 examined habitats of the Kosice area. A different value of relative density of ticks was observed in various habitats. It ranged from 9-212 ticks per collecting hour within one flagged area (600 m2) which is 1.5-35.5 ticks per 100 m2. Eight isolates were obtained from the infected ticks. Electrophoresis and immunoblotting with 6 monoclonal antibodies were used for the identification of Borrelia strains. Three tick isolates were identified as B. burgdorferi s. s. and the other three isolates were found to be B. garinii. One strain reacted as a mixed culture of B. burgdorferi s. s., and B. garinii. The strain originated from the Vihorlat Mountains habitat and was detected by PCR-SSCP as B. burgdorferi s. s. with a small amount of B. afzelii. The obtained results emphasize the epidemiological importance not only of B. garinii and B. afzelii but also of B. burgdorferi s. s. in Central Europe.

Identification of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, Borrelia garinii and Borrelia afzelii in Ixodes ricinus ticks from southern Bohemia using monoclonal antibodies.

The prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) in 761 Ixodes ricinus ticks collected in different localities of southern Bohemia was investigated. The minimum infection rate of nymphs, males and females as determined by dark-field microscopy was 4.8% in 1997. The total B. burgdorferi prevalence determined in ticks in 1998 was 11.04%. A significant local variability of the prevalence of B. burgdorferi was not found. Nine isolates were identified at a genospecies level by immunoblotting with prepared monoclonal antibodies (Mabs). The most prevalent genospecies in ticks was B. burgdorferi sensu stricto (s.s.) (6 strains). Two tick isolates reacted with Mabs specific to both B. garinii and B. afzelii and one isolate was detected as a mixed culture of B. burgdorferi s.s. and B. garinii. Considerable variability in protein composition among the strains obtained was found to exist. Five B. burgdorferi genospecies-specific Mabs were prepared and used for the identification of spirochaete isolates. Mabs 9B8 and 6C5 reacted with OspA and OspB proteins of B. burgdorferi s.s., while 4D7 and 1D11 recognised OspA protein of B. garinii and 9D2 specifically reacted with the OspB protein of B. afzelii. In addition, Mab 5H4 reacted with flagellin of all the above-mentioned genospecies of B. burgdorferi s.l.

Elisa comparison of three whole-cell antigens of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in serological study of dogs from area of Kosice, eastern Slovakia.

Three antigens of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (B. burgdorferi sensu stricto--Slovak strain Ir 105, B. garini - Slovak strain K 24 and B. burgdorferi sensu stricto--American strain B 31) were compared by ELISA on a group of dogs from urban agglomeration of Kosice, eastern Slovakia. Of 256 serum samples from dogs examined for the presence of anti-Borrelia IgG antibodies, 128 (50%) were positive with Ir 105 antigen, 107 (41.7%) with K 24 and 74 (28.9%) with B 31. The seroprevalence between strains B 31 and K 24 and B 31 and Ir 105 differed statistically significantly (test chi2, p < 0.05), however, the difference between strains K 24 and Ir 105 was insignificant. A significantly higher seroprevalence of all the strains examined was detected in hunting dogs (test chi2, p < 0.05) when compared with service and pet dogs. The seroprevalence correlated with the frequency of outing the dogs in woody areas with the occurrence of borreliae in ticks (R = 0.5 or 0.7) as well as with the frequency of finding engorged ticks (R = 0.5). An epizootiological anamnesis showed a fair specificity in all the strains examined. The Slovak strains showed the higher consistency of positive and negative findings (70%) but statistically lower specificity than the American strain.

[Preliminary identification of Borrelia burgdorferi isolated from Ixodes ricinus ticks in eastern Slovakia]. / Predbezná identifikácia izolátov Borrelia burgdorferi z kliest'ov Ixodes ricinus východného Slovenska.

The first finding of spirochetes Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in eastern Slovakia pertains to ticks Ixodes ricinus collected in the Kosice park forest in September 1995. The authors tested 7 strains using immunoblotting with 4 monoclonal antibodies (Mab): H9724--specific to the genus Borrelia, identifying 41 kDa flagellar protein, H5332--specific to OspA protein of B. burgdorferi, J 8.3 and I 17.3 specific to OspA and OspB proteins of B. afzelii. All the strains belong to the genus Borrelia (reacted with Mab H9724), 6 of 7 strains designated Ir103, Ir105, Ir107, Ir108, Ir112 and Ir113 were identified as B. burgdorferi sensu lato (reacted with Mab H5332). None of the strains reacted with Mab specific for B. afzelii.