Abstract
A total of 6071 Ixodes ricinus ticks were collected on Swiss Army training grounds in five regions of Switzerland. The aim of the survey was to assess the prevalence of ticks infected with the human pathogens Francisella tularensis, members of the Ehrlichia phagocytophila genogroup, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, and the European tick-borne encephalitis virus. TaqMan PCR (PE Biosystems, USA) and TaqMan RT-PCR (PE Biosystems) analyses were performed on DNA and RNA extracted from pools of ten ticks grouped by gender. Here, for the first time, it is shown that ticks may harbor Francisella tularensis in Switzerland, at a rate of 0.12%. Furthermore, 26.54% of the ticks investigated harbored Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, 1.18% harbored members of the Ehrlichia phagocytophila genogroup, and 0.32% harbored the European tick-borne encephalitis virus. A new instrumentation was applied in this study to carry out and analyze more than 2300 PCR reactions in only 5 days. Furthermore, the results reveal that people working in outdoor areas, including army personnel on certain training grounds contaminated with ticks containing tick-borne pathogens, are at risk for different tick-borne diseases.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 427-432 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | European Journal of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases |
| Volume | 19 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| State | Published - 2000 |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Microbiology (medical)
- Immunology
Cite this
Swiss Army survey in Switzerland to determine the prevalence of Francisella tularensis, members of the Ehrlichia phagocytophila genogroup, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, and tick-borne encephalitis virus in ticks. / Wicki, R.; Sauter, P.; Mettler, C.; Natsch, A.; Enzler, T.; Pusterla, Nicola; Kuhnert, P.; Egli, G.; Bernasconi, M.; Lienhard, R.; Lutz, H.; Leutenegger, C. M.
In: European Journal of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Vol. 19, No. 6, 2000, p. 427-432.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Swiss Army survey in Switzerland to determine the prevalence of Francisella tularensis, members of the Ehrlichia phagocytophila genogroup, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, and tick-borne encephalitis virus in ticks
AU - Wicki, R.
AU - Sauter, P.
AU - Mettler, C.
AU - Natsch, A.
AU - Enzler, T.
AU - Pusterla, Nicola
AU - Kuhnert, P.
AU - Egli, G.
AU - Bernasconi, M.
AU - Lienhard, R.
AU - Lutz, H.
AU - Leutenegger, C. M.
PY - 2000
Y1 - 2000
N2 - A total of 6071 Ixodes ricinus ticks were collected on Swiss Army training grounds in five regions of Switzerland. The aim of the survey was to assess the prevalence of ticks infected with the human pathogens Francisella tularensis, members of the Ehrlichia phagocytophila genogroup, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, and the European tick-borne encephalitis virus. TaqMan PCR (PE Biosystems, USA) and TaqMan RT-PCR (PE Biosystems) analyses were performed on DNA and RNA extracted from pools of ten ticks grouped by gender. Here, for the first time, it is shown that ticks may harbor Francisella tularensis in Switzerland, at a rate of 0.12%. Furthermore, 26.54% of the ticks investigated harbored Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, 1.18% harbored members of the Ehrlichia phagocytophila genogroup, and 0.32% harbored the European tick-borne encephalitis virus. A new instrumentation was applied in this study to carry out and analyze more than 2300 PCR reactions in only 5 days. Furthermore, the results reveal that people working in outdoor areas, including army personnel on certain training grounds contaminated with ticks containing tick-borne pathogens, are at risk for different tick-borne diseases.
AB - A total of 6071 Ixodes ricinus ticks were collected on Swiss Army training grounds in five regions of Switzerland. The aim of the survey was to assess the prevalence of ticks infected with the human pathogens Francisella tularensis, members of the Ehrlichia phagocytophila genogroup, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, and the European tick-borne encephalitis virus. TaqMan PCR (PE Biosystems, USA) and TaqMan RT-PCR (PE Biosystems) analyses were performed on DNA and RNA extracted from pools of ten ticks grouped by gender. Here, for the first time, it is shown that ticks may harbor Francisella tularensis in Switzerland, at a rate of 0.12%. Furthermore, 26.54% of the ticks investigated harbored Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, 1.18% harbored members of the Ehrlichia phagocytophila genogroup, and 0.32% harbored the European tick-borne encephalitis virus. A new instrumentation was applied in this study to carry out and analyze more than 2300 PCR reactions in only 5 days. Furthermore, the results reveal that people working in outdoor areas, including army personnel on certain training grounds contaminated with ticks containing tick-borne pathogens, are at risk for different tick-borne diseases.
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0033926436&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Article
C2 - 10947217
AN - SCOPUS:0033926436
VL - 19
SP - 427
EP - 432
JO - European Journal of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
JF - European Journal of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
SN - 0934-9723
IS - 6
ER -