Search

With the aim of performing a bibliographic update on Lyme disease, the information sources Academic Search Complete (EBSCO), Scopus and Web of Science were consulted from 2000 to 2021. The following descriptors "Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdorferi, Ixodes ricinus and tick bites" were used as a search strategy. The information obtained showed that the first cases of the disease have been known in Mexico since 1991.Currently within the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (Bbsl) complex, 19 genome-species are recognized: B. burgdorferi sensu stricto (Bbs), B. garinii, B. afzelii, B. valaisiana, B. lusitaniae, B. spielmani, B. bissettii, B. bavariensis, B. japonica, B. andersonii, B. tanuki, B. turdi, B. sinica, B. californiensis, B. yangtze, B. carolinensis, B. americana, B. kurtenbachii, and B. finlandensis. The first eight are considered pathogenic to humans. In North America, B. burgdorferi is mainly transmitted by I. scapularis and I. pacificus, while I. ricinus and I. persulcatus are recognized as vectors in Europe and Asia. Several species of the genus (I. affinis, I. pararicinus, I. ricinus, and I. boliviensis), as well as the genus Amblyomma have been described as vectors in Peru. Reservoirs of the disease include mice Peromyscus leucopus and Apodemus leucopus, as well as white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Three stages of the disease are recognized: early localized, early disseminated and late. Diagnosis depends on test results and the presence of clinical manifestations; in addition, ELISA and real-time PCR techniques are effective in diagnosis. The antibiotics amoxicillin, doxycycline and ceftriaxone are effective in the treatment. In late 2020, a vaccine in trial phase was approved by the Food and Drug Administration for testing in humans. Phase 1 clinical trial began in late February 2021 in the state of Nebraska using 66 individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ticks are arthropods with significant impact on the economy of livestock and public health, due to losses generated in production, and their ability to transmit microorganisms. Despite the evidence of circulation of different tick species in the country, there are no updates concerning the variety of existing species, therefore, the authors of this manuscript offer a literature review on ticks from the Ixodidae family reported in Colombia including their geographical distribution, their hosts and the microorganisms they carry and might transmit in Colombia. In this manuscript, we described the presence in the country of different species of ticks of the genera Amblyomma, Ixodes, Haemaphysalis, Rhipicephalus, and Dermacentor. The genus with the greatest variety was Amblyomma with 29 species, followed by Ixodes with 11 species, and of the genus Dermacentor, Haemaphysalis and Rhipicephalus two species were reported for each. These species are distributed in most departments and a wide variety of hosts, including domestic, synanthropic and wild animals. Additionally, it was found that some reported ticks could play a role as potential vectors of various microorganisms that could affect public and veterinary health. We expect that this work will be a contribution to support tick research and the study of tick-borne agents in Colombia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Babesiosis affects mainly cattle and humans; ticks are involved in its transmission, especially Rhipicephalus microplus, widely distributed in Latin America. The diagnostic method used in ticks to determine the presence of Babesia spp. is hemolymph microscopy, a diagnosis less sensitive than PCR, which has a sensitivity between 95%-100%, and a specificity of 100%. In Colombia, regions such as Costa Atlántica, Bajo Cauca and Urabá are ecologically suitable for the presence of the parasite and the vector, considering that the presence of ticks of the genus Dermacentor, Amblyomma and Rhipicephalus, implicated in the transmission of various pathogens of medical and veterinary interest, has been reported in them. The study of the dynamics of transmission by ticks is essential for the development of adequate control strategies. The main goal of this study was to identify the tick species present in livestock farms from Urabá (Colombia) and their frequency of infection by Babesia bovis and B. bigemina. 202 bovines were sampled in 30 farms from 15 localities from the Turbo and Necoclí municipalities. 515 ticks were collected; the predominant species was R. microplus 98% (507/515); the presence of the genus Amblyomma was associated with neighboring farms in forested areas. The frequency of infection in 162 subsets of ticks (154 from R. microplus and 8 from A. cajennense) was 18.5% (30/162) by Babesia spp., 15.4% (25/162) by B. bigemina, 4.9% (8/162) by B. bovis; and 1.8% (3/162) by coinfection from these species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]