1. Borrelia miyamotoi Infections in Humans and Ticks, Northeastern China.
- Author
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Jiang BG, Jia N, Jiang JF, Zheng YC, Chu YL, Jiang RR, Wang YW, Liu HB, Wei R, Zhang WH, Li Y, Xu XW, Ye JL, Yao NN, Liu XJ, Huo QB, Sun Y, Song JL, Liu W, and Cao WC
- Subjects
- Adult, Aged, Animals, Borrelia genetics, Child, China epidemiology, DNA, Bacterial, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Phylogeny, Tick Bites, Borrelia isolation & purification, Borrelia Infections epidemiology, Borrelia Infections microbiology, Ixodes microbiology
- Abstract
We conducted an investigation of Borrelia miyamotoi infections in humans and ticks in northeastern China. Of 984 patients reporting recent tick bites, 14 (1.4%) were found to be infected with B. miyamotoi by PCR and genomic sequencing. The 14 patients had nonspecific febrile manifestations, including fever, headache, anorexia, asthenia, and arthralgia. Rash, eschar, and regional lymphadenopathy were each observed in 1 patient. Four (28.6%) patients were hospitalized because of severe disease. B. miyamotoi was detected in 3.0% (19/627) of Ixodes persulcatus, 1 (2.8%) of 36 Haemaphysalis concinna, and none of 29 Dermacentor silvarum ticks. Phylogenetic analyses based on sequences of a nearly entire 16s rRNA gene, a partial flagellin gene, and the glycerophosphodiester phosphodiesterase gene revealed that B. miyamotoi identified in patients and ticks were clustered in the group of the Siberian type. These findings indicate that B. miyamotoi is endemic in northeastern China and its public health significance deserves further investigation.
- Published
- 2018
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