Infection of Ixodes ricinus (Acari: Ixodidae) by Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in North Africa
June 16, 1999
Free-living adult Ixodes ricinus L. were collected in Amdoun, situated in the Kroumiry mountains in northwestern Tunisia (North Africa). Using direct fluorescence antibody assay, the infection rate of field-collected I. ricinus by Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato was 30.5% (n = 72). No difference in infection rate was observed between male and female ticks. Spirochetes that had been isolated from I. ricinus from Ain Drahim (Kroumiry Mountains) in 1988 were identified as Borrelia lusitaniae (formerly genospecies PotiB2). This is the first identification of a genospecies of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato from the continent of Africa.
Citation Information
Publication Year | 1999 |
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Title | Infection of Ixodes ricinus (Acari: Ixodidae) by Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in North Africa |
DOI | 10.1093/jmedent/36.2.216 |
Authors | E. Zhioua, A. Bouattour, C.M. Hu, M. Gharbi, A. Aeschliman, H. S. Ginsberg, L. Gern |
Publication Type | Article |
Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
Series Title | Journal of Medical Entomology |
Index ID | 5223814 |
Record Source | USGS Publications Warehouse |
USGS Organization | Patuxent Wildlife Research Center |