Skotarczak B, Cichocka A
Division of Genetics, Faculty of Biology, University of Szczecin, Piastów 40B, 71-065 Szczecin, Poland.
Folia Biol (Krakow). 2001;49(3-4):247-50.
Babesia microti, an intraerythrocytic protozoan and the etiological agent of human babesiosis, is transmitted by the bite of the tick, Ixodes ricinus. The aim of the present study was to confirm the presence of B. microti by detection of the DNA of these protozoans. The prevalence of B. microti was studied using the PCR method with primers complementary to the gene fragment encoding nuclear small-subunit ribosomal RNA (ss-rDNA). In the course of this study a total of 2095 ticks, Ixodes ricinus, were examined. The mean infection rate was 6.2%. Variable prevalance values were also obtained from six different locations and they were further modified by the seasons of the year. The results confirmed the competence of I. ricinus as a vector of B. microti and that a B. microti-specific PCR can provide a sensitive test for laboratory detection of babesiosis.
微小巴贝斯虫是一种红细胞内原生动物，也是人类巴贝斯虫病的病原体，通过蓖麻硬蜱叮咬传播。本研究的目的是通过检测这些原生动物的DNA来确认微小巴贝斯虫的存在。使用与编码核小亚基核糖体RNA（ss-rDNA）的基因片段互补的引物，通过PCR方法研究了微小巴贝斯虫的流行情况。在本研究过程中，共检查了2095只蓖麻硬蜱。平均感染率为6.2%。还从六个不同地点获得了不同的流行率值，并且这些值因一年中的季节而进一步变化。结果证实了蓖麻硬蜱作为微小巴贝斯虫传播媒介的能力，并且微小巴贝斯虫特异性PCR可为巴贝斯虫病的实验室检测提供灵敏的检测方法。
