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Bacterial Diseases (bacterial + disease)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	52%
Life Sciences	39%
Earth and Environmental Science	8%

Selected Abstracts

Improved techniques for rearing mud crab Scylla paramamosain (Estampador 1949) larvae

AQUACULTURE RESEARCH, Issue 14 2007
Truong Trong Nghia
Abstract A series of rearing trials in small 1 L cones and large tanks of 30,100 L were carried out to develop optimal rearing techniques for mud crab (Scylla paramamosain) larvae. Using water exchange (discontinuous partial water renewal or continuous treatment through biofiltration) and micro-algae (Chlorella or Chaetoceros) supplementation (daily supplementation at 0.1,0.2 million cells mL,1 or maintenance at 1,2 millions cells mL,1), six different types of rearing systems were tried. The combination of a green-water batch system for early stages and a recirculating system with micro-algae supplementation for later stages resulted in the best overall performance of the crab larvae. No clear effects of crab stocking density (50,200 larvae L,1) and rotifer (30,60 rotifers mL,1) and Artemia density (10,20 L,1) were observed. A stocking density of 100,150 zoea 1 (Z1) L,1, combined with rotifer of 30,45 mL,1 for early stages and Artemia feeding at 10,15 nauplii mL,1 for Z3,Z5 seemed to produce the best performance of S. paramamosain larvae. Optimal rations for crab larvae should, however, be adjusted depending on the species, larval stage, larval status, prey size, rearing system and techniques. A practical feeding schedule could be to increase live food density from 30 to 45 rotifers mL,1 from Z1 to Z2 and increase the number of Artemia nauplii mL,1 from 10 to 15 from Z3 to Z5. Bacterial disease remains one of the key factors underlying the high mortality in the zoea stages. Further research to develop safe prophylactic treatments is therefore warranted. Combined with proper live food enrichment techniques, application of these findings has sustained a survival rate from Z1 to crab 1,2 stages in large rearing tanks of 10,15% (maximum 30%). [source]

Bacterial diseases of tomato in southern Spain: application of a detached tissue assay to evaluate bacterial pathogenicity

EPPO BULLETIN, Issue 2 2000
F. M. Cazorla
Tomatoes are one of the most important crops in southern Spain, especially during the cold season. As a preliminary step in the design of an integrated disease management programme for tomato, a study on the occurrence of bacterial diseases in tomato houses of Almería (ES) was carried out during the 1993/1997 growing seasons. Sixty-four bacterial strains were isolated from tomato plants showing symptoms of bacterial diseases and 41 of them (64%) were characterized as pathogenic. The bacterial tomato pathogens most frequently isolated were Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora, Pseudomonas corrugata, Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato and Xanthomonas vesicatoria. The pathogenicity of the bacterial isolates on tomato was tested by the conventional seedling assay and by an in vitro assay using detached tissues developed in our laboratory. Close correspondence between the two assays was observed. An in vitro detached tissue assay is proposed for determining the pathogenicity of bacterial isolates on tomato. [source]

Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis of the interactions between honeybee larvae and Paenibacillus larvae, the causative agent of American foulbrood of honeybees (Apis mellifera)

ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 6 2008
Dominique Yue
Summary American foulbrood (AFB) is a bacterial disease of honeybee larvae caused by the spore-forming bacterium Paenibacillus larvae. Although AFB and its aetiological agent are described now for more than a century, the general and molecular pathogenesis of this notifiable disease is poorly understood. We used fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) performed with P. larvae -specific, 16S rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes to analyse the early steps in the pathogenesis of American foulbrood. The following chain of events could be demonstrated: (i) the spores germinate in the midgut lumen, (ii) the vegetative bacteria massively proliferate within the midgut before, and (iii) they start to locally breach the epithelium and invade the haemocoel. The paracellular route was shown to be the main mechanism for invasion contrasting earlier hypotheses of phagocytosis of P. larvae. Invasion coincided with the death of the host implicating that the penetration of the midgut epithelium is a critical step determining the time of death. [source]

Diagnosis of American foulbrood in honey bees: a synthesis and proposed analytical protocols

LETTERS IN APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 6 2006
D.C. De Graaf
Summary Worldwide, American foulbrood (AFB) is the most devastating bacterial disease of the honey bee (Apis mellifera). Because the distinction between AFB and powdery scale disease is no longer considered valid, the pathogenic agent has recently been reclassified as one species Paenibacillus larvae, eliminating the subspecies designations Paenibacillus larvae subsp. larvae and Paenibacillus larvae subsp. pulvifaciens. The creamy or dark brown, glue-like larval remains of infected larvae continue to provide the most obvious clinical symptom of AFB, although it is not conclusive. Several sensitive and selective culture media are available for isolation of this spore-forming bacterium, with the type of samples that may be utilized for detection of the organism being further expanded. PCR methods for identification and genotyping of the pathogen have now been extensively developed. Nevertheless, biochemical profiling, bacteriophage sensitivity, immunotechniques and microscopy of suspect bacterial strains are entirely adequate for routine identification purposes. [source]

A new bacterial disease of jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis) caused by Burkholderia andropogonis

PLANT PATHOLOGY, Issue 2 2004
E. J. Cother
A leaf spot of jojoba caused by Burkholderia andropogonis is described for the first time. Symptoms ranged from necrotic flecking with comparatively large watersoaked halos to larger ,eyespot' lesions c. 3 mm in diameter with watersoaked halos 1,1·5 mm wide. The necrosis was light tan in colour. Isolates from jojoba displayed variable pathogenicity to other known hosts of B. andropogonis (Dianthus, Cicer, Gypsophila and sorghum), but were not pathogenic, or only weakly so, to sweetcorn, Limonium and Trifolium. Identification was confirmed by cell-wall fatty acid composition and the bacterium's possession of a single polar flagellum. [source]

Bacterial leaf blight of strawberry (Fragaria (x) ananassa) caused by a pathovar of Xanthomonas arboricola, not similar to Xanthomonas fragariae Kennedy & King.

PLANT PATHOLOGY, Issue 6 2001
Description of the causal organism as Xanthomonas arboricola pv. fragariae (pv. nov., comb. nov.)
A new bacterial disease of strawberry is described. This disease, called bacterial leaf blight of strawberry, is characterized by dry, brown necrotic leaf spots and large brown V-shaped lesions along the leaf margin, midrib and major veins. Symptoms are different from angular leaf spot of strawberry caused by the bacterium Xanthomonas fragariae. Strains of the bacterial leaf blight pathogen were characterized in a polyphasic approach by biochemical tests, fatty acid analysis, protein electrophoresis, serology, PCR, pigment analysis, ice-nucleation activity, AFLP analysis, DNA:DNA hybridization, pathogenicity and host range tests, and compared with a number of reference strains of X. fragariae and other Xanthomonas species. Bacterial leaf blight strains formed a homogeneous group in all tests, completely different from X. fragariae. They were the only strains causing leaf blight of strawberry upon artificial inoculation into strawberry. Fatty acid and protein electrophoretic analysis showed that the strains belong to the phenon X. campestris (sensu latu, including pathovars now classified as belonging to X. arboricola). AFLP analysis and DNA:DNA hybridization further clarified their taxonomic position as belonging to X. arboricola. The name X. arboricola pv. fragariae is proposed for the bacterium causing leaf blight of strawberry with strain PD2780 (LMG 19145) as pathovar type strain. Criteria for routine identification are given and the taxonomic status is discussed. [source]

Salmonella importance and current status of detection and surveillance methods

QUALITY ASSURANCE & SAFETY OF CROPS & FOOD, Issue 3 2009
Hanna-Leena Alakomi
Abstract Salmonella, a genus within Enterobacteriaceae, remains as an important human pathogen and it has been reported to be the most common food-borne bacterial disease in the world. Although majority of the Salmonella cases are sporadic, outbreaks occur frequently. Salmonella can be associated with many kinds of foods and the presence of Salmonella in ready-to-eat foods is considered significant regardless of the level of the contamination. Therefore isolation is carried out by enrichment culture of a defined weight or volume of the food (normally 25 g). The traditional and time-consuming detection and isolation of Salmonella spp. from food and feed utilizes a multistep protocol with nonselective pre-enrichment, followed by a selective enrichment step, isolation on selective agar media and a preliminary biochemical and serological confirmation. Several rapid methods have been developed to speed up the detection of Salmonella. This paper aims to give an overview of the occurrence and current status of Salmonella detection and surveillance methods. [source]

Introductory Remarks: Bacterial Endosymbionts or Pathogens of Free-Living Amebae,

THE JOURNAL OF EUKARYOTIC MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 5 2004
FRANCINE MARCIANO-CABRAL
ABSTRACT Free-living amebae are ubiquitous in the environment and can be isolated from a variety of habitats including water, soil, air, hospital water systems, dental units, contact lens cases, and cooling towers. The interaction of amebae with other microorganisms in their environment is varied. Bacteria are a major food source for free-living amebae. However, some bacteria have established a stable symbiotic relationship with amebae. Recent reports indicate an association of amebae with intracellular bacterial pathogens. Such amebae may serve as reservoirs for maintaining and dispersing pathogenic bacteria in the environment or as vectors of bacterial disease in humans. [source]

May Chlamydia trachomatis be an aetiological agent of chronic prostatic infection?

ANDROLOGIA, Issue 3 2010
V. Ouzounova-Raykova
Summary Chlamydia trachomatis infection is the most common sexually transmitted bacterial disease. The objective of this study was to establish the presence/absence of C. trachomatis in 98 patients with chronic complaints about the prostate and to evaluate the role of this bacterium in the inflammation of the gland. We performed culture and microscopical examination of pre-massage/post-massage urine and expressed prostatic secretions (EPS). In all cases, culture on McCoy cells and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of the EPS was performed. Based on laboratory findings in 53 cases (54.08%), Escherichia coli, Klebsiella, Enterobacter, Proteus, Pseudomonas and Staphylococcus were isolated and accepted as causative agents of chronic bacterial prostatitis. Forty-five patients were categorised as patients with chronic pelvic pain syndrome. The results from the PCR and the cell culture for detection of C. trachomatis were as follows , two positive probes detected at the same time by applying PCR and cultivation and 1 positive only by PCR but not by cultivation on the cell line. Based on these results, it is concluded that C. trachomatis is not so frequently detected in our patients. C. trachomatis may be accepted as one of the aetiological agents of chronic prostatitis and testing for this infection is highly recommended when presumption for chronic prostatitis is apparent. [source]

Update on the impact of Chlamydia trachomatis infection on male fertility

ANDROLOGIA, Issue 1 2004
G. F. Gonzales
Summary. With approximately 90 million cases annually, infection with Chlamydia trachomatis is the most prevalent sexually transmitted bacterial disease in the world. Considering that these infections are often asymptomatic and cause major complications like acute pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy, infertility or infant pneumonia, the estimated costs for diagnosis and treatment in the USA amounts to 2.2 million US dollars for each 500 cases. Therefore, there is a high need for correct, quick and cost-effective diagnosis and treatment of this urogenital tract infection. New innovative therapies provide good results with regard to efficacy and patients' compliance. The success rates of treatments are at least 95%. However, the occurrence of antibiotic resistance should not be ignored and new treatment schemes must be developed. The state-of-the-art of diagnosis and treatment of chlamydial infections as well as the pathophysiology is discussed in this review. In conclusion, infections with C. trachomatis is an important public health problem, especially in third world and developing countries, and more socio-economic studies linking secondary prevention of chlamydial infections, infertility and adverse pregnancy outcome are needed to understand more of its aetiology. In addition, diagnosis and treatment should be improved. Data in men revealed that past infections but not present infections are more related to male infertility. There is still controversial results. In future studies, function of the seminal vesicles and evaluation of the antioxidant capacity should be taken into account when role of C. trachomatis infection on male fertility is assessed. [source]

A new paradigm for operative dentistry

AUSTRALIAN DENTAL JOURNAL, Issue 4 2007
GJ Mount
Abstract It is over 100 years since GV Black gathered together most of the knowledge then current on the caries process and set clear parameters for the discipline of operative dentistry. His four-volume treatise set standards that were relevant for the times and, in fact, were so well described that they remained dominant in this discipline until quite recently. However, over the last 50 years there has been great progress in scientific method and in knowledge of the common diseases of the oral environment, including the caries process, so maybe it is time for change. The term "paradigm" describes a philosophy of science, a generally accepted model of how ideas relate to one another, forming a conceptual framework within which scientific research is carried out. Black defined the paradigm within which further research was to be conducted during the following years and the profession accepted his lead. However, it is not expected that the parameters of a profession should remain unchanged over a substantial period so it is suggested that the dental profession should, at this time, recognize a new paradigm. Improvements in scientific method have led to a better understanding of the oral environment, resulting in extensive changes for this profession. It is suggested that the standards set by Black should be now consigned to history and an entirely new paradigm adopted. First, the profession must recognize that dental caries is a bacterial disease and its primary efforts should be directed towards identification and elimination of the disease prior to initiating repair of the damage that it has caused. Preservation of natural tooth structure is then the next responsibility. There should be maximum use made of preventive strategies, including remineralization, followed by minimal intervention cavity designs and the use of bioactive restorative materials to restore the lesions. The profession should be prepared to move on. [source]

Safety and efficacy of vaccines

DERMATOLOGIC THERAPY, Issue 2 2009
Brenda L. Bartlett
ABSTRACT For the past two centuries, vaccines have provided a safe and effective means of preventing a number of infectious diseases. Although the safety of some vaccines has been questioned in recent years, the currently available vaccines are more than a millionfold safer than the diseases they are designed to prevent. Vaccines, however, should always be used in conjunction with other public health interventions. One important intervention is education because the general public can be led to believe that vaccines are unsafe and not needed by misinformation readily available electronically and in print. Not only are some vaccines available via injection but other vaccines are also given orally or intranasally. New vaccines are being studied for topical and intravaginal use. In addition, new systems are being developed for more efficient production of vaccines, especially for influenza. Vaccines are currently available for only a limited number of viral and bacterial diseases. In the future, it is anticipated that safe and effective vaccines will be developed against a number of other viral and bacterial infections as well as fungal and protozoan diseases. [source]

Bacterial diseases of tomato in southern Spain: application of a detached tissue assay to evaluate bacterial pathogenicity

Anti-adhesion therapy of bacterial diseases: prospects and problems

FEMS IMMUNOLOGY & MEDICAL MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 3 2003
Itzhak Ofek
Abstract The alarming increase in drug-resistant bacteria makes a search for novel means of fighting bacterial infections imperative. An attractive approach is the use of agents that interfere with the ability of the bacteria to adhere to tissues of the host, since such adhesion is one of the initial stages of the infectious process. The validity of this approach has been unequivocally demonstrated in experiments performed in a wide variety of animals, from mice to monkeys, and recently also in humans. Here we review various approaches to anti-adhesion therapy, including the use of receptor and adhesin analogs, dietary constituents, sublethal concentrations of antibiotics and adhesin-based vaccines. Because anti-adhesive agents are not bactericidal, the propagation and spread of resistant strains is much less likely to occur than as a result of exposure to bactericidal agents, such as antibiotics. Anti-adhesive drugs, once developed, may, therefore, serve as a new means to fight infectious diseases. [source]

DNA-hydrolysing activity of IgG antibodies from the sera of patients with diseases caused by different bacterial infections

JOURNAL OF CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR MEDICINE, Issue 9a 2009
Taisiya A. Parkhomenko
Abstract DNase autoantibodies (Abs) can be found in the blood of patients with several autoimmune diseases, while the blood of healthy donors or patients with diseases with insignificant disturbances of the immune status does not contain the DNase Abs. Here we have analysed for the first time the DNase activity in the patients with diseases caused by several bacterial infections. Several rigid criteria have been applied to show that the DNase activity is an intrinsic property of IgGs from the sera of patients with bacterial diseases but not from healthy donors. The relative activity of IgGs has been shown to vary extensively between the diseases analysed and from patient to patient, but most of the preparations had detectable levels of the DNase activity. On average, the catalytic activities were significantly lower than in patients with autoimmune pathologies and increased in the following order: streptococcal infection (erysipelas) < urogenital chlamydiosis associated with arthritis (Reiter's disease) < meningococcal meningitis < shigellosis < suppurative surgical infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus < suppurative surgical infections caused by epidermal staphylococci < urogenital ureaplasmosis associated with reactive arthritis. While intact IgGs possessed this catalytic activity, separated light chains of polyclonal Abs appeared to be even more active in the hydrolysis of DNA. [source]

Control of Plant Pathogenic Bacteria of Xanthomonas spp. by the Essential Oil and Extracts of Metasequoia glyptostroboides Miki ex Hu In vitro and In vivo

JOURNAL OF PHYTOPATHOLOGY, Issue 7-8 2010
Vivek K. Bajpai
Abstract Plant diseases constitute an emerging threat to global food security. Many of the currently available antimicrobial agents for agriculture are highly toxic and non-biodegradable and cause extended environmental pollution. Therefore, this study was undertaken to assess the in vitro and in vivo antibacterial efficacy of the essential oil and organic extracts of Metasequoia glyptostroboides against plant pathogenic bacteria of Xanthomonas spp. The oil (1000 ,g/disc) and extracts (1500 ,g/disc) displayed potential antibacterial effect in vitro as a diameter of zones of inhibition against Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris KC94-17-XCC, X. campestris pv. vesicatoria YK93-4-XCV, X. oryzae pv. oryzae KX019-XCO and X. sp SK12, which were found in the range of 10,14 and 8,12 mm, respectively. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values of oil and the extracts were ranged from 125,250 and 125 500 ,g/ml and 250,1000 and 250,2000 ,g/ml, respectively. Also the oil had strong detrimental effect on the viable count of the tested bacteria. Further, the oil displayed remarkable in vivo antibacterial effect up to 65 to 100% disease suppression efficacy against the tested strains of Xanthomonas spp. on greenhouse-grown oriental melon plants (Cucumis melo L. var. makuwa). These results suggest that the oil and extracts of M. glyptostroboides could be potential source of natural antibacterials for applying in food and agriculture industries to control plant bacterial diseases caused by Xanthomonas spp. [source]

Pharmacokinetics of oxytetracycline in the American horseshoe crab, Limulus polyphemus

JOURNAL OF VETERINARY PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS, Issue 5 2007
M. W. NOLAN
The American horseshoe crab, Limulus polyphemus, is regularly cultured and maintained in research laboratories and public aquaria. Rising concerns over the health of these captive animals makes the diagnosis and treatment of pathological conditions in L. polyphemus essential. This study investigated the kinetics of oxytetracyline following either intravascular or oral dosing. Oxytetracylcine is a broad-spectrum antibiotic used in the treatment of various bacterial diseases of aquatic animals. A noncompartmental model was developed to describe the pharmacokinetics of oxytetracycline (OTC) in the horseshoe crab. The following parameters were determined for a single intravascular bolus of 25 mg/kg OTC: AUC = 9524.60 ,g·h/mL, MRT = 443.65 h, Clb = 0.044 mL/min/kg, Vd(ss) = 1.164 L/kg, t1/2 = 128.3 h, Cmax = 55.90 ,g/mL, Cave = 27.39 ,g/mL. Following a single oral bolus of 25 mg/kg, these parameters were calculated: AUC = 5861.81 ,g·h/mL, MRT = 395.89 h, Clb = 0.071 mL/min/kg, Vd(ss) = 1.688 L/kg, t1/2 = 210.0 h, Cmax = 7.83 ,g/mL, Cave = 2.89 ,g/mL, F = 61.56%. [source]

Subtyping of Bacterial Foodborne Pathogens

NUTRITION REVIEWS, Issue 7 2002
Martin Wiedmann D.V.M. Ph.D.
Phenotype-based and DNA-based subtyping methods allow for differentiation of bacterial isolates beyond the species and subspecies level. Bacterial subtyping methods not only have improved our ability to detect and track foodborne disease outbreaks, but also represent tools to track sources of bacterial contamination throughout the food system. The use of subtyping methods furthermore provides an opportunity to better understand the population genetics, epidemiology, and ecology of different foodborne pathogens. The last 5 years have seen tremendous advancement in the development of sensitive, rapid, automated, and increasingly easy-to-use molecular subtyping methods for a variety of different bacterial foodborne pathogens. This review will highlight key aspects of different subtyping methods for bacterial foodborne pathogens and provide examples of their applications in public health, food safety, epidemiology, and population genetics. Molecular subtyping and characterization methods may also facilitate the development of a novel framework for tracking, preventing, and regulating foodborne bacterial diseases, which is based on evolutionary relationships and genetic characteristics rather than traditional species definitions. [source]

Urogenital infections in reproductive medicine

ANDROLOGIA, Issue 2 2008
S. Dieterle
Summary Urogenital infections with Chlamydia trachomatis belong to the most prevalent sexually-transmitted bacterial diseases. In women, they can cause chronic salpingitis with subsequent tubal infertility and ectopic pregnancies. In men, C. trachomatis can cause urethritis, prostatitis and epididymitis. Urogenital infections can be symptomatic or asymptomatic. Symptomatic urogenital infections might impair male fertility. In vitro, C. trachomatis affects sperm motility and viability. However, there is no clear evidence that asymptomatic urogenital infections have an adverse effect on male fertility. Because C. trachomatis can be sexually transmitted and lead to female infertility, it is also of significance in male infertility work-up. Because of their high sensitivity, nucleic acid amplification tests should be used to examine first-void urine specimens. Both partners should be treated. The role of Ureaplasma urealyticum in reproductive medicine has been discussed controversially. There is no evidence that U. urealyticum has a significant impact on female or male infertility. [source]

Development and characterization of three new diploid cell lines from Labeo rohita (Ham.)

BIOTECHNOLOGY PROGRESS, Issue 4 2010
Wazir S. Lakra
Abstract Development of cell lines from fish for identifying the pathogenesis of viral diseases and for vaccine production against viral and bacterial diseases is imperative where they are of commercial importance. Three new diploid fish cell lines (RF, RH, and RSB) were developed from fin, heart, and swim bladder of an Indian major carp, Labeo rohita, commonly called Rohu. All the cell lines were optimally maintained at 28°C in Leibovitz-15 medium supplemented with 10% FBS. The propagation of RH and RSB cells was serum dependent, with a low plating efficiency (<16%), whereas RF cells showed 20% efficiency. The cytogenetic analysis revealed a diploid count of 50 chromosomes. The cells of RF and RSB were found to be epithelial, where as the cells of RH were mostly fibroblastic. The viability of the RF, RH, and RSB cell lines was 75, 70 and 72%, respectively after 6 months of storage in liquid nitrogen. The origin of the cell lines was confirmed by the amplification of 496 and 655 bp fragments of 16S rRNA and Cytochrome Oxidase Subunit I (COI) of mtDNA. The new cell lines would facilitate viral disease diagnosis and genomic studies. © 2010 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 2010 [source]

1362: Infectious posterior uveitis

ACTA OPHTHALMOLOGICA, Issue 2010
N MARKOMICHELAKIS
Several infectious agents (parasites, bacteria, fungi, and viruses) can invade the eye and lead to ocular inflammation. Infectious causes should always be considered and ruled out in all patients with posterior uveitis. Toxoplasma gondii is by far the most common cause of infectious posterior uveitis in all ages, while Toxocara canis infects typically children. Onchocerciasis and other parasitic diseases may also cause posterior uveitis, more commonly in developing countries. Nowadays, old bacterial diseases, tuberculosis and syphilis, emerged as common causes of posterior uveitis. Bartonella henselae and Borrelia burgdorferi are other bacteria that can also cause posterior uveitis. Fungal posterior uveitis usually occurs in immunosuppressed patients or in intravenous drug users. Herpes viruses (HSV, VZV, CMV) are also associated with infectious retinitis, in immunocompromised as well as immunocompetent patients, with quite destructive clinical course. Recently, more viruses (such as West Nile virus, Rift valley fever, dengue fever, and chikungunya) have been recognized as etiologic factors of posterior infectious uveitis. A rapid and accurate diagnosis is of high importance for the successful treatment and visual outcome of infectious uveitis. Techniques and methods, such PCR and detection of specific antibodies in the intraocular fluids (Goldmann-Witmer coefficient), play a key role towards the detection of the pathogen of posterior infectious uveitis. [source]

Guidelines for the diagnosis of tick-borne bacterial diseases in Europe

CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTION, Issue 12 2004
P. Brouqui
Abstract Ticks are obligate haematophagous acarines that parasitise every class of vertebrate (including man) and have a worldwide distribution. An increasing awareness of tick-borne diseases among clinicians and scientific researchers has led to the recent description of a number of emerging tick-borne bacterial diseases. Since the identification of Borrelia burgdorferi as the agent of Lyme disease in 1982, 11 tick-borne human bacterial pathogens have been described in Europe. Aetiological diagnosis of tick-transmitted diseases is often difficult and relies on specialised laboratories using very specific tools. Interpretation of laboratory data is very important in order to establish the diagnosis. These guidelines aim to help clinicians and microbiologists in diagnosing infection transmitted by tick bites and to provide the scientific and medical community with a better understanding of these infectious diseases. [source]