Hu C M, Wilske B, Fingerle V, Lobet Y, Gern L
Institut de Zoologie, University of Neuchâtel, Emile Argand 11, 2007 Neuchâtel, Switzerland.
J Clin Microbiol. 2001 Mar;39(3):1169-71. doi: 10.1128/JCM.39.3.1169-1171.2001.
In Europe, Borrelia garinii OspA serotype 4 has been isolated from the cerebrospinal fluid of patients but, up to now, has never been identified among culture isolates from Ixodes ricinus ticks. This information raises the question of whether OspA serotype 4 is transmitted by I. ricinus in nature. In the present study, I. ricinus nymphs collected in an area of endemicity in southern Germany were allowed to feed on mice. Cultivation of ear biopsy specimens showed that six of seven B. garinii-infected mice were infected by OspA serotype 4. In contrast, very few B. garinii OspA serotype 4 organisms were isolated directly from the ticks which infected the mice; most isolates were B. afzelii. The infected mice transmitted mainly OspA serotype 4 to xenodiagnostic ticks, preferentially in combination with B. afzelii.
在欧洲,已经从患者的脑脊液中分离出了加氏疏螺旋体OspA血清型4,但截至目前,在蓖麻硬蜱的培养分离物中从未鉴定出该血清型。这一信息引发了关于OspA血清型4在自然界中是否由蓖麻硬蜱传播的问题。在本研究中,让在德国南部一个流行地区采集的蓖麻硬蜱若虫叮咬小鼠。耳部活检标本的培养显示,7只感染加氏疏螺旋体的小鼠中有6只感染了OspA血清型4。相比之下,直接从感染小鼠的蜱中分离出的加氏疏螺旋体OspA血清型4生物体极少;大多数分离物是阿氏疏螺旋体。受感染的小鼠主要将OspA血清型4传播给异种诊断蜱,优先与阿氏疏螺旋体共同传播。