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Microorganisms
Special Issues
Borrelia and Lyme Disease
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Borrelia and Lyme Disease

A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Parasitology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2021) | Viewed by 6460

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Maryna Golovchenko

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
Interests: Lyme disease; host; vector; tissue tropism; persisters
Dr. Natasha Rudenko

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
Biology Centre CAS, Institute of Parasitology, Branisovska 31, 37005 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
Interests: Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex; persistent infection; atypical forms; genetic diversity; distribution; Lyme disease
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Lyme disease (LD) is a tick-borne multisystem disorder caused by certain species of spirochetes from Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex. Today, 22 named species from Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex are widely distributed around the world. However, new species and variants continue to be described, so the current number of described species is probably not final.

Considering human sensitivity to B. burgdorferi s.l., the complex of 22 Borrelia species can be divided into two groups: 10 species that were already detected in or isolated from humans and 12 species for which pathogenic potential to humans is still under investigation.

Lyme disease spirochetes are transmitted to a human during a tick bite. During the transmission, molecules from vertebrate hosts, tick vectors, and spirochetes interact in two overlapping and complex microworlds: (1) the feeding lesion in the vertebrate host and (2) the vector midgut. Survival of Lyme disease spirochete in both worlds is enabled by switching its antigenic profile and interaction with both vector and host proteins. Lyme disease is a multifaceted problem. To understand the transmission of Borrelia by ticks, development of spirochete infection, or host reaction to tick bite and infection, we first need to understand the ecological and epidemiological aspects of Lyme disease, particularly (1) the distribution and prevalence of spirochetes in their reservoirs and vectors, (2) the specific virulence factors differentiating between nonpathogenic and pathogenic variants of spirochetes from Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex, and (3) the drivers that contribute to the spread and (re-)emergence of spirochetes which may lead to the discovery of pathogen-specific molecules that can be used as targets for vaccination or treatment.

Dr. Maryna Golovchenko
Dr. Natasha Rudenko
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Microorganisms is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato
  • tick vector
  • reservoir host
  • spirochete transmission
  • pathogenic strains
  • pathogen distribution

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 1360 KiB  
Article
Seroprevalence of Antibodies against Tick-Borne Pathogens in Czech Patients with Suspected Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome
by Kristyna Sloupenska, Jana Dolezilkova, Barbora Koubkova, Beata Hutyrova, Mojmir Racansky, Pavel Horak, Maryna Golovchenko, Milan Raska, Natalie Rudenko and Michal Krupka
Microorganisms 2021, 9(11), 2217; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9112217 - 25 Oct 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3094
Abstract
The hypothesized importance of coinfections in the pathogenesis of post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS) leads to the use of combined, ongoing antimicrobial treatment in many cases despite the absence of symptoms typical of the presence of infection with specific pathogens. Serum samples from [...] Read more.
The hypothesized importance of coinfections in the pathogenesis of post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS) leads to the use of combined, ongoing antimicrobial treatment in many cases despite the absence of symptoms typical of the presence of infection with specific pathogens. Serum samples from 103 patients with suspected post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome were tested for the presence of antibodies to the major tick-borne pathogens Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Bartonella henselae/Bartonella quinatana, and Babesia microti. Although the presence of anti-Anaplasma antibodies was detected in 12.6% of the samples and anti-Bartonella antibodies in 9.7% of the samples, the presence of antibodies against both pathogens in the same samples or anti-Babesia antibodies in the selected group of patients could not be confirmed. However, we were able to detect autoantibodies, mostly antinuclear, in 11.6% of the patients studied. Our results are in good agreement with previously published studies showing the presence of a wide spectrum of autoantibodies in some patients with complicated forms of Lyme disease and post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome, but they do not reveal a significant influence of co-infections on the development of PTLDS in the studied group of patients. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Borrelia and Lyme Disease)
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13 pages, 966 KiB  
Article
Borrelia burgdorferi Sensu Lato in Questing and Engorged Ticks from Different Habitat Types in Southern Germany
by Cristian Răileanu, Cornelia Silaghi, Volker Fingerle, Gabriele Margos, Claudia Thiel, Kurt Pfister and Evelyn Overzier
Microorganisms 2021, 9(6), 1266; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9061266 - 10 Jun 2021
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2472
Abstract
Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) causes the most common tick-borne infection in Europe, with Germany being amongst the countries with the highest incidences in humans. This study aimed at (1) comparing infection rates of B. burgdorferi s.l. in questing Ixodes ricinus ticks from [...] Read more.
Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) causes the most common tick-borne infection in Europe, with Germany being amongst the countries with the highest incidences in humans. This study aimed at (1) comparing infection rates of B. burgdorferi s.l. in questing Ixodes ricinus ticks from different habitat types in Southern Germany, (2) analysing genospecies distribution by habitat type, and (3) testing tissue and ticks from hosts for B. burgdorferi s.l. Questing ticks from urban, pasture, and natural habitats together with feeding ticks from cattle (pasture) and ticks and tissue samples from wild boars and roe deer (natural site) were tested by PCR and RFLP for species differentiation. B. burgdorferi s.l. was found in 29.8% questing adults and 15% nymphs. Prevalence was lower at the urban sites with occurrence of roe deer than where these were absent. Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. DNA was found in 4.8% ticks from roe deer, 6.3% from wild boar, and 7.8% from cattle. Six genospecies were identified in unfed ticks: Borrelia afzelii (48.6%), Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto (16%), Borrelia garinii (13.2%), Borrelia valaisiana (7.5%), Borrelia spielmanii (6.2%), and Borrelia bavariensis (0.9%). This study shows high infection levels and a great diversity of Borrelia in questing ticks. The presence of roe deer seems to reduce B. burgdorferi s.l. infection rates in tick populations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Borrelia and Lyme Disease)
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