Guy E, Tasker S, Joynson D H
Public Health Laboratory, Singleton Hospital, Swansea.
Epidemiol Infect. 1998 Dec;121(3):681-3. doi: 10.1017/s0950268898001708.
Nymphal Ixodes ricinus ticks collected from woodland areas in South Wales, UK, were tested using the polymerase chain reaction for the presence both of the causative agent of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (HGE) and Borrelia burgdorferi. Twenty-two of 60 (37%) ticks were found positive in the PCR for B. burgdorferi and 4/60 (7%) for the HGE agent. One tick was found positive both for B. burgdorferi and HGE agent. Our findings imply the presence of the HGE agent in UK ticks and the finding of a tick apparently containing both pathogens underlines the potential for concurrent infection with HGE agent and B. burgdorferi to occur after a single tick-bite. Based on our observations, we conclude that there may be a need to consider a range of pathogens both in laboratory investigation and clinical management of suspected tick-borne disease in the UK, particularly where there is a clinical presentation atypical of Lyme borreliosis alone.
从英国南威尔士林地采集的蓖麻硬蜱若虫，使用聚合酶链反应检测人粒细胞埃立克体病（HGE）病原体和伯氏疏螺旋体的存在情况。60只蜱中有22只（37%）在伯氏疏螺旋体的PCR检测中呈阳性，4只（7%）在HGE病原体检测中呈阳性。发现1只蜱同时对伯氏疏螺旋体和HGE病原体呈阳性。我们的研究结果表明英国蜱中存在HGE病原体，并且发现一只蜱显然同时含有这两种病原体，这突出了单次蜱叮咬后同时感染HGE病原体和伯氏疏螺旋体的可能性。基于我们的观察，我们得出结论，在英国对疑似蜱传疾病进行实验室调查和临床管理时，可能需要考虑一系列病原体，特别是在临床表现并非仅为莱姆病的非典型情况时。
